Synchronization with the online store

Why do you need an online store?

Before creating an online store, many entrepreneurs experience stress and concerns: "it's unclear", "it's expensive", "I don't have time for this".

However, it is impossible to imagine modern retail without online sales and an online store.
Owning an online store is a standalone business. Compared to a physical store, an online store has several undeniable advantages:

• the online store finds customers worldwide by itself,
• demonstrates and shows the product range to customers,
• accepts orders 24/7,
• upsells,
• informs about new arrivals and promotions,
• promotes and advertises your brand.

To create an online store, you need a web developer, software for the online store, and the business owner's involvement in key moments.

Why do you need accounting software for an online store?

Like any physical store, an online store needs constant control and accounting, as well as synchronization of business processes:

Inventory control. This is the most important aspect for an online store: the information on the site must not mislead the customer. If a product is out of stock, but appears as available on the site, this will lead to disappointment for the customer who has spent time choosing the product, placed an order, and eventually gets a rejection call. The likelihood of the customer returning is minimal.
The current stock status must be maintained only in Torgsoft. The program automatically syncs the product quantity with the online store.

Price accuracy. Any price changes must be reflected on the site in a timely manner. Calling customers to inform them that the price listed on the site is outdated and actually higher is unacceptable.
Torgsoft synchronizes prices: if you revalue the product in the program, all prices are updated on the website.

Product description. The product information should be comprehensive, making it easier for the customer to decide. Product characteristics can vary widely: color, size, height, season, style, feature, composition, weight, manufacturer, fragrance, material, and hundreds of other features for different product categories. Often, a detailed description with photos helps the customer make a purchase decision in your favor.
All these characteristics are recorded in the program for the online store once and synchronized with your online store and marketplaces* - there is no need to manually describe the product each time.

Order processing. The program accepts and processes online store orders 24/7. If the order is accepted, the customer remains calm and waits for confirmation from the manager or a notification.
All customer contacts: order details, payment method, and delivery information are recorded in the Torgsoft CRM system for online stores.

Order shipping. The program reserves the product for the customer, tracks the stages of order preparation and shipment, and informs the customer about the shipment.

Customers and discounts. Customer and purchase accounting is necessary for loyalty systems, promotions, and bonus programs.
The program maintains a customer database, purchase and contact history, and stores the customer’s address for automatically filling out shipping documents for delivery services.

Customer notifications. Viber, SMS, and email notifications to inform customers about promotions and news.
Using the "Mass Mailing" option and the SMS service, the program sends messages to the database or a specific group of customers.

Results and planning. Analyzing trade results, gross income, and final profit, as well as planning purchases and the product range - these capabilities are available in the Torgsoft online store accounting system.

These are the core business processes. If the online store complements a physical store, the workload doubles.

The warehouse management program handles the automatic updating of the online store and automates operational work so that neither you nor your managers have to deal with tedious tasks.

How the system works: data exchange on products and order processing for the online store

Product and online order accounting in Torgsoft is done using the additional "Online Store Integration" option.

Everything is unified: Torgsoft manages the product catalog and customer orders. There's no need to access the admin panel of the online store.

How Torgsoft syncs with the online store

1. Torgsoft sends files in .csv or .yml format to the site, containing the following information:

• products with unlimited characteristics, categories, quantities, and prices,
• product photos,
• customers and discounts,
• wholesale prices*,
• gift certificates*.

2. The site sends order files and details to the Torgsoft program:

• customer: full name, address, phone, email,
• products: identifier, name, quantity, price,
• payment status.

3. Upon receiving the order, the accounting system verifies, records, and updates customer data in the database.

4. The order processing moves into the "Invoice Sales" mode, where the manager handles the online order and follows the standard steps:

With the additional "Online Store Integration" option, data can be exchanged with an unlimited number of online stores.

Torgsoft is an online trade management system that ensures up-to-date information on the site, high-speed order processing, and provides a unified information system for collecting and processing trade results for analysis, forecasting, and management decisions.

Important things to know and do before syncing Torgsoft with an online store

The site must be able to process the files that Torgsoft sends. When developing an online store, provide the site's developers with Torgsoft's contact information to receive technical requirements. Alternatively, give them a link to this article.

The site's developers should ensure that product photos on the site automatically resize, depending on whether they are displayed in the product catalog or detailed description.
Work on the product classification. The classification of products in the program and on the site must match: this makes it easier to set up synchronization and manage the inventory overall. Don't know how to build a product type tree? You can borrow the classification from Rozetka.

If you don't know how to classify a product, take an example from Rozetka. Correct product classification will allow you to synchronize your database with an online store and marketplaces in a day. pic.twitter.com/QP0GRR7wfb

— Torgsoft (@torgsoft) July 4, 2021

Think through the list of product characteristics. It's always possible to add product data later, but it's much easier to do it right from the start than to fix it later.

To avoid data clarification for shipping, make sure the registration form includes necessary fields. The minimum required fields are: name, surname, phone, city, postal branch, and a comments field. We recommend not making the fields mandatory: if the customer is interested in purchasing, they will fill out everything needed.

Need online store developers?

Since 2014, Torgsoft has partnered with the web development studio Black&White. These specialists are aware of all the nuances of creating an online store from scratch, integrating with Torgsoft, and configuring everything necessary so that your online store starts selling from day one, accepts payments, and works with the accounting software.

How to set up online store integration

Requirements for the option:

• Torgsoft licenses Ultra or Terminal
• The additional "Online Store Integration" option
• Follow the technical requirements for syncing the website with Torgsoft