Visitor tracking in Torgsoft: connecting a counter and comparing visits with sales

To compare store foot traffic with sales in Torgsoft, install a compatible counter, activate the paid “Visitor Tracking” option, and configure data retrieval from the GSM Counters portal. After connecting the device, the staff member responsible must verify the entry and exit directions, the store assignment, and the timestamps. Only then should you use the figures to plan staff shifts and assess retail activity.

The counter records passages through the entrance. The number of entries is not the same as the number of unique people: employees also pass through the doors, customers may return, and several visitors may pay for a shared purchase with one receipt. Therefore, interpret the ratio of receipts to entries in light of these circumstances.

What to purchase and prepare for visitor tracking

The TK-01 Wi-Fi and TK-04 Wi-Fi counters require Torgsoft Ultra or Torgsoft Terminal, the additional paid “Visitor Tracking” option, and a GSM Counters account with a plan that supports WebAPI, a programming interface for exchanging data over the internet. Purchase one option license for each counter. The additional options catalog lists it as a one-year license.

Before ordering, the owner should calculate all costs: equipment, the required software license, options based on the number of counters, the portal plan, and setup assistance if needed. Check the Torgsoft licensing and payment terms against your order. Confirm the price and service period for GSM Counters in your account or with the portal provider.

Choose the counter model based on the width of the passage and available power supply:

You can confirm dimensions, contents, availability, and price on the TK-01 Wi-Fi and TK-04 Wi-Fi product pages. Battery power lets the TK-04 count independently of the electrical grid. Data transmission also requires connectivity: make sure the router works and internet access is available during a power outage.

How to install the counter and check its readings

Before installation, the store manager and the person responsible for the equipment should determine which passages will be included in the statistics. If customers use several entrances, one counter will cover only its own passage. Make this clear to the employee who will prepare comparisons with sales.

1. Measure the distance between the sensor installation points and confirm that it is within the range for the chosen model.
2. Install the equipment according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure that doors, advertising structures, and merchandise do not obstruct the counting area.
3. Configure the power supply and Wi-Fi connection, then register the device in your GSM Counters account. The portal and its instructions are linked from the visitor tracking setup page.
4. Run test passages: enter, exit, then repeat the test. Compare the actual directions of movement with the figures in your account.
5. Observe normal traffic separately, including individual passages, returns, and several people entering side by side. Record the observation time, manually count entries and exits, and note the corresponding device readings.

For a manual comparison, assign an employee who can see the entire passage and count without serving customers at the same time. If the results differ, first check that the time boundaries and movement directions match, then check the installation and possible obstructions. Ask the equipment provider to review the settings if discrepancies persist.

How to connect the counter in Torgsoft

The owner or administrator with access to additional options and the portal account should configure the software. Prepare the API key in advance—the access key for the GSM Counters programming interface through which Torgsoft will receive the readings.

1. Activate the “Облік відвідувачів” option. After activation, open Маркетинг → Облік відвідувачів (Marketing → Visitor Tracking).
2. Add the devices. Click Створити всі доступні пристрої (Create all available devices), enter the API key from your GSM Counters account, and click Створити (Create). Compare the resulting list with the devices assigned to your stores.
3. Check the assignment for each counter. For the relevant device, click Змінити (Edit), fill in Назва для відображення (Display name), and select Центр обліку (Accounting center). An accounting center is a store or warehouse in Torgsoft. For a counter at an entrance, select the specific store whose sales you will compare with its foot traffic.
4. Set a clear name. For example, use the store name and an entrance label to distinguish devices if your chain has several.
5. Ask the administrator to restart TorgSoftService. This is required to start retrieving data from the portal after the option is activated. Agree on when to restart it, since the service also runs other automated tasks for the software.
6. Wait for records and check the results. In the visitor tracking form, compare the date, time, number of entries, and number of exits with the readings for the same device on the portal.

The Torgsoft help page describes how to add and edit devices. If data from one entrance is assigned to another store by mistake, the sales comparison will be incorrect. Therefore, verify the accounting center before drawing initial conclusions.

When the first readings will appear

The application server—a Torgsoft component that runs automated tasks—downloads the data. It contacts GSM Counters every 30 minutes. The shortest grouping interval on the portal is one hour, so figures appear in the Torgsoft form no earlier than one hour after they appear on the portal.

For a control test, record the time of the passages and wait for the corresponding hourly interval and the next data download. An empty form immediately after connection does not by itself indicate a malfunction. Check when the figures appeared on the portal, rather than relying only on when people passed through the door.

How to compare entries with sales for one store

Before comparing data, the person responsible for reporting should align three conditions: the same store, the same dates, and the same time boundaries. Also check the time zone and time settings on the portal and the computer running the software. If the hours do not match, a peak in entries may be incorrectly compared with sales from another period.

To compare the entire store, make sure the product filter does not narrow sales to a particular group and that the same set of weekdays is selected for both periods. In the «Дані для відображення» (Data to display) section, select «Кількість чеків» (Number of receipts) and «Сума значень» (Sum of values) to work with the total number of receipts for the period. The «Середнє значення» (Average value) mode is available for the «Година» (Hour), «Дні тижня» (Days of the week), «Місяць» (Month) and «Квартал» (Quarter) groupings; it is unavailable for the «День» (Day) grouping. Use average figures in a separate comparison.

1. Open Аналіз → Аналіз інтенсивності продажів (Analysis → Sales intensity analysis) and set the required period for the store you are analyzing.
2. Enable Відображати вхід відвідувачів (Show visitor entries) to add entry figures to the chart.
3. Use hourly grouping to plan work throughout the day. To compare individual days, select daily grouping.
4. If you are analyzing a promotion period, enable Відображати акції (Show promotions). This switch is available only with День (Day) grouping.
5. Compare completed intervals for which counter data has already arrived. Leave the incomplete current hour until the next review.

The 3D подання (3D view) switch changes the chart’s appearance. Choose the view in which the values are easiest to read; for a management decision, the figures themselves and consistent comparison conditions matter.

What the ratio of receipts to entries means

For a separate calculation, use the number of sales receipts and the number of entries for the same period at one store. Decide in advance how you will account for returns and canceled transactions, and apply the same rule to every period being compared.

Illustrative example. In one day, the counter recorded 200 entries and the store issued 50 sales receipts. Calculation: 50 ÷ 200 × 100 = 25. This means that there were 25 receipts for every 100 recorded entries.

This result does not measure the conversion of unique visitors into customers. One person may have entered several times or received several receipts, while a group may have made a shared purchase. Employee passages must also be considered when interpreting the figure. Do not assume that staff are automatically subtracted or that people are identified; you can record staff passages separately during a control observation while retaining the counter’s original figures.

How to use the statistics to manage the store

Plan salesperson shifts

A manager can compare hourly entries across several matching days of the week and add observations about queues and service duration. If the workload recurs at certain hours, consider testing a different shift start time or break schedule. After changing the schedule, reassess queues, sales, and staff workload during comparable hours.

A person’s entry and purchase payment may fall in different hours, especially when customers take a long time to choose a product. Therefore, do not assess a salesperson’s work solely by the ratio of entries to receipts in a single hour.

Compare periods before, during, and after a promotion

Before a promotion starts, the owner should decide what to assess: the number of entries, receipts, sales amount, or profit, which must be calculated separately with costs taken into account. For comparison, choose days with similar opening hours and the same mix of weekdays. Note changes to prices, assortment, opening hours, and other circumstances that may have affected the result.

Marking a promotion on the chart helps compare its period with retail activity. A rise in entries coinciding with an advertising campaign does not establish the cause of the change or show which advertisement brought someone to the store. To assess a specific acquisition channel, keep separate records—for example, ask customers how they heard about the store.

Decide what to check on the sales floor

If entries increase but the number of receipts does not, the manager can check whether needed products are in stock, price tags are current, salespeople are available, and queues are forming at the checkout. Choose one specific change, record its implementation date, and repeat the comparison under similar conditions. This lets you assess your decisions step by step without attributing explanations to the chart that it cannot provide.

What to do if data is missing or does not match

First determine at which stage the readings stopped arriving. A salesperson can check the power supply and visible obstructions to the sensors; an administrator can check the network, portal account, and software service.

• No readings on GSM Counters. Check the counter’s power supply, including the batteries for the relevant model, Wi-Fi operation, internet access, and device registration in the account. Refer installation and equipment configuration questions to the provider.
• Readings are on the portal but not yet in Torgsoft. Allow for hourly grouping and the download schedule. The administrator should check option activation, WebAPI access, the API key, and whether TorgSoftService is running, including whether it was restarted after activation.
• Readings appear under another store. Open the device settings using “Змінити” (Edit) and check the accounting center. If the error affects history that has already been downloaded, agree on next steps with support.
• Hours or totals do not match. Check the device, date, time zone, movement direction, and whether the interval is complete. Repeat the manual count using precisely recorded time boundaries.

When contacting support, prepare the device name, store, time of the control passages, and screenshots of the portal and Torgsoft readings for the same interval. Do not include the API key in public correspondence or screenshots. Contact details and support terms are on the licenses and technical support page; the administrator should coordinate any actions involving the service and software settings with a specialist.