In the Digital Age, consumers have more payment options than ever before, which means businesses conversely have more choices for their point-of-sale (POS) solutions also. Many of these new, emerging POS systems are mobile-driven, which makes sense given the tremendous adoption of mobile technology by consumers and the increasing dependence on these devices.
A free mobile pos holds several key benefits for both businesses and customers alike. Simply put, mobile is better. It is faster, sleeker and much more attuned to the wants and needs of today’s customers.
We all like choices, especially when it comes to new technologies to invest in for our company. Are you are an older company looking to update an existing POS system that is clunky and prehistoric? Or, are you a fresh startup that is evaluating the best mobile POS system for your new company?
Understanding the major advantages of an Android POS system is essential to making the right choice for the future success of your business.
Here are the primary benefits of having an Android-based mobile POS system.
Cost-Effective Hardware
There is a joke that a POS system is worth its weight in gold, not because of how important they are to operating a business, but because they are very bulky and extremely expensive. Thanks to mobile payment and POS solutions, this joke might be a thing of the past.
All that these systems require is a tablet or another mobile device with an Android or Windows-based OS.
Not only is a tablet computer a lot lighter than a traditional POS computer, but they are much cheaper. You may already have one available to use.
Mobile POS systems require a tablet or another mobile device with an Android or Windows-based OS.
Cost efficiency is always a big seller because you are not only saving money, but it frees up more of your budget for other tools and investments that can further advance your company. Also, mobile POS systems are easier to repair when they break down.
Since the hardware is typically just a tablet device, the cost to replace or fix a broken device is much, much cheaper than replacing a traditional POS machine, which can cost thousands.
Wide Range of Hardware and Software Options
Since an Android POS system works with any tablet device that has an Android or Windows OS, there are a lot of choices. Samsung, Lenovo, LG, Acer, Dell and so many other major technology brands manufacture products that can be used with an Android POS solution.
These devices span the price spectrum, and each has their own unique set of advantages and disadvantages. There are also a lot of different mobile software solutions to manage the sales and other POS-related functions.
These different options may seem overwhelming at first, but taking the time to research each one will yield the hardware and software solutions with the very best features for the specific needs of your company.
Full Integration with POS Software
Aside from assisting at the point of sales, a mobile, Android-based solution does a lot more. Many Android POS systems offer a number of different functions beyond just receiving payments from customers. These mobile software solutions can also provide vital services like:
- Inventory management and notifications when stock needs to be replenished
- Stored customer data, including purchase history and other relevant information that can be used to better direct marketing efforts and encourage more purchases in the future
- Sales data reporting to access key insights and trends, like which products sell the best and when
- Employee management functions that can help manage and track the amount of tips earned, hours worked and more
These features fully integrate with your business and not only allow its engine to run more smoothly, as all of these different processes are handled on the same device, but also enable you to see a fuller picture of what’s going on under the hood.
Use sales data reporting to access key insights and trends, like which products sell the best and when
Portable
Mobile devices are just that — mobile, which thereby means they are portable. One of the biggest failures of older POS systems is their size and weight. They were rooted in one spot, and you could never move them.
A mobile POS system creates the opportunity to greet your customers at the door, with everything you need to serve them on a page-sized tablet. If your business is service-driven, this solution allows you to bring a POS system with you to the client’s location.
Also, when you think about all the different management functions that an Android POS-equipped tablet can handle, portability is key.
You can use the tablet device as a cash register on the sales floor, before bringing it into the office to create a quick sales report of the week’s earnings and then back to a cash register. Portability for POS systems means flexibility.
Better Customer Interactions
Aside from being portable, a mobile POS system is also sleeker and smaller. Older POS systems are large, bulky and take up a ton of room. It forces the cashier to hide behind the giant machine. We’ve all had an interaction where it feels like we’re buying from the back of monitor than a person.
This is incredibly damaging to the customer’s experience. As much as we love looking at the screen of our smartphones and mobile devices, when it comes to face-to-face interactions, we expect it to be just that.
Even if you use your Android POS system as a stationary sales point, you get the benefit of a more personal, face-to-face exchange with the customer because the device is small and compact.
By not being forced to hide behind a massive POS system, it becomes much more comfortable and easier for that cashier or front-facing employee to communicate with the customer and enhance their experience with your brand.
In a world where customer experience is a significant competitive differentiator, this is incredibly valuable.
Developed by Google
The Android operating system is developed by Google, which means you know you are getting a high-quality, robust and fast OS. It also guarantees its long-lasting popularity. Google is like the King Midas of the mobile technology world because everything they develop turns to gold.
They’ve pushed to make the Android platform secure, which makes it ideal for your storage of customer data and sales records. Mobile is a rapidly evolving industry. The last major benefit to using an operating system developed and backed by a giant like Google is that you know they are going to be on the cutting edge of all of these evolutions and trends.
Thus, you are aware that you will always have a platform that is continuously innovating and changing to meet new consumer demands.
Scalable
As your businesses grow and change, so do your needs. An Android POS system is a valuable solution because it easily scales to meet these needs.
If you need to add another device, you invest in another tablet and (depending on your software provider) buy another software license. Similarly, you may not need inventory management, data reporting and all the other bells and whistles.
At least, not at first. But, as your business grows, these functions become more interesting and useful. Some Android POS system providers have various pricing plans.
This allows you to start at a basic, cheap (sometimes even free) plan and then upgrade your plan once you need more features or additional sales points.
Data Born Insights
With all the Android POS system’s different functions and management capabilities, it becomes an enormous wealth of data. The best companies today know the value of Big Data and using analytics to comb through large volumes of raw data to uncover valuable and actionable insights.
These data-born discoveries can help a business learn about its customers, make better decisions and, ultimately, produce more revenue. Customer data, for example, makes it possible for a company to learn about the buying behaviors of an individual customer or a group of clients.
Customer data makes it possible to learn about the buying behaviors of an individual customer or a group of clients.
When you know when customers shop and what they buy each time, it becomes much easier to anticipate when they’ll be buying again and what other products they may be interested in.
Sales data is another very rich source of insight that an Android POS system offers easy access to. For example, you could analyze which days of the week you perform the most sales and then find patterns that suggest why this happens.
Another use for sales data analytics could be to analyze popular item combinations (“our customers like to buy this T-shirt with these shoes”), which can be used to upsell future clients or even form a deeper understanding of how to arrange items in the store.
Conclusion
Mobile POS is the future. Not only do they perform all of the same functions as the older, traditional POS systems, but they do much, much more. By integrating different functions into your POS machine, you create a Swiss Army knife tool for managing your business.
Plus, the small, portable and sleek design of a tablet-based POS system allows for greater flexibility and higher quality interactions between your salesperson and the customer.
eHopper POS software for Android offers a broad range of pricing options and features. Test drive eHopper POS for free!