The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

News from Tower Systems about locally made POS software for specialty local retailers.

CategoryWebstore POS integration

What Customers Say About Tower Systems Website Development

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Getting a website built can feel daunting. For many small business retailers, it sits on the to-do list for months — sometimes years. There’s always a reason to delay: too busy, too expensive, too complicated, not sure where to start. These are words from retailers who finally took the step.

Sharon sums up what we hear most often: “We put off building our website for longer than we should have. Once we finally took the step, Christina and the Tower team made it so easy — we only wish we’d done it sooner.”

That phrase — we only wish we’d done it sooner — comes up a lot. The fear of the process tends to be worse than the process itself.

Nicole from Charlton’s Fishing went further: “I unreservedly recommend Christina. Her work is top-tier. She has gone above and beyond making our website the amazing product it is. She made our complex website seem easy, answered our questions without making me feel silly. I cannot speak highly enough of her.”

Feeling comfortable asking questions matters. A lot of business owners come to this process without technical knowledge. They shouldn’t have to pretend otherwise.

Sophie from Bluey’s Hunting & Fishing had a more involved project and described how the team handled it: “The development of the website for our business was a huge step for us, and Christina and the Tower team made this process quite straightforward despite it being such a complex one. They took the time to teach us as much as they could about the ongoing management of the website, and we have been really happy with the final product. Since our website launched, we have continued to learn a lot about how to evolve and develop the website to continue to meet our customer needs.”

That last part is worth noting. A website isn’t finished on launch day. The retailers who get the most from theirs keep learning and adapting it over time. Tower Systems builds that capability into the handover.

Rod from Bingara Newsagency offers a different perspective: “As an 81-year-old, Christina was able to set me up with great patience and skill. Nine months later, while we are not breaking records, we have a functioning online presence.” Honest and practical — which is exactly what a website should be for a local retailer starting out online.

Phil from newsXpress Silver Sands kept it brief: “Christina is very calm, patient, and professional. She needed to be with a luddite like me.”

Five different retailers, five different businesses, one consistent thread: the support made the difference.

If your website has been sitting on the list too long, talk to us. The Tower Systems team has helped retailers across Australia get online without the stress. It’s worth the conversation.

We develop websites here in Australia, 100% using our own team.

Hey Local Small Business Retailers: Stop Double-Handling: How to Link Your Shop and Website for Effortless Sales

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Elevating your retail business from a local storefront tone that reaches customer far far away doesn’t have to be a technical headache. For independent retailers in Australia and New Zealand, Tower Systems offers a locally based specialised web development service that bridges the gap between your physical shop and the global online marketplace.

We have been helping local small business indie retailers for years in this space.

Here is why Tower Systems is a partner top consider for small business web development.


1. Seamless POS Integration: Your “Single Source of Truth”

The biggest challenge for many retailers is “double handling”, updating a price on the shelf and then having to remember to do it again on the website.

With a Tower Systems website, your POS software owns your data. When you arrive stock, change a price, or add a new product in-store, your website updates automatically, thanks to the Tower Retailer POS software.

  • Live Inventory: Avoid the embarrassment of “out of stock” online orders. If you sell the last item over the counter, it’s instantly removed from your webstore.

  • Automatic Image Sync: Images attached to your stock items in the POS flow directly to your website.

2. Australian-Based, Expert Development

Tower Systems’ web development team is based right here in Australia. It’s local, not outsourced.

  • Fixed-Price Projects: No hidden “hourly” surprises. You get a clear, upfront quote for a professional Shopify or BigCommerce site.

  • Local Communication: You deal with real people who understand the Australian retail landscape and the specific nuances of your local community.

3. Built for Specialty Retail

Tower Systems isn’t a generic web agency; they are retail specialists. They have built high-performing sites for a massive range of niches, including:

  • Garden Centres & Produce Businesses
  • Music shops, hobby shops, art supply shops
  • Jewellers & Gift Shops
  • Toy & Hobby Stores
  • Newsagents & Bookshops
  • Haberdashery businesses, fabric shops, sewing shops
  • Pet Stores & Health Food Shops

Our developers know how to handle complex retail needs like selling by fractions (weight/length), repairs management, and loyalty points that work both in-store and online.

4. AI-Powered Content Creation

Writing product descriptions for hundreds of items can take weeks. Tower Systems has integrated cutting-edge AI (including ChatGPT,  Google Gemini and Anthropic) directly into their platform. You can now generate professional, SEO-friendly product descriptions and blog posts in seconds, helping your site rank higher on Google with minimal effort.

5. Training and Ongoing Support

A website is only useful if you know how to use it. Every Tower Systems web project includes:

  • Training: A deep dive into managing your new online store.

  • Handover: A clear “how-to” guide tailored to your business.

  • Support: Direct phone access to the team to help you navigate the early days of your digital launch.


Ready to take your shop online?

In today’s market, your website is often your customer’s first point of contact. Make sure it’s professional, accurate, and easy to manage.

Contact the Tower Systems team today:

Why Regular Blogging is the Engine for Independent Retail Success

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The most common question independent retailers ask about their websites is how to generate more traffic. Often, the answer they receive is one they feel they do not have the time to implement. However, website traffic is driven by one primary factor: consistent, high-quality content. For a local shop, this means more than just listing products. It requires regular communication through blogging to help customers and search engines find the business.

A few days ago we hosted a free workshop on e-commerce for local small business retail. Here’;s a video of that session: https://youtu.be/E2GlTLAmeuQ

The Power of Content Marketing

In today’s modern retail landscape, a blog serves as a news feed for your business, a tool to provide updated information about your products and expertise. When you publish a post about a specific item, you create a new pathway for customers to find you. This is particularly effective when you focus on niche products or items that are difficult to find elsewhere.

Data from successful independent websites shows that consistent blogging can lead to significant results without spending a single cent on traditional advertising. By providing detailed descriptions and helpful information, businesses can often secure top positions in search results. This visibility is essential for reaching customers beyond your immediate local area.

Leveraging AI for Efficiency

Many retailers feel time-poor and struggle to find the hours needed to write. Modern tools like Google Gemini, Claude, or ChatGPT can assist in this process. By providing a product link and a clear prompt, you can generate a professional blog post in seconds. While these tools provide a strong foundation, it is important to review and modify the text to ensure it reflects your unique business voice.

Using these tools within your point-of-sale software, such as Tower Systems’ Retailer, further streamlines the workflow. You can generate, schedule, and publish posts directly from the platform where you manage your inventory. This eliminates the need to jump between different websites and keeps your digital marketing integrated with your daily operations.

Building Authority and Trust

Beyond individual product posts, your website should include an FAQ page and a personal “About Us” section. These pages help train AI models to understand your business, allowing them to provide better answers when customers use AI-driven search. An FAQ page that addresses common customer concerns helps build immediate credibility.

Authenticity is your greatest advantage over large “big box” competitors. Using real photos of your team and sharing the story of your business creates a connection that an automated corporate site cannot replicate. Whether you have been in business for twenty years or are just starting, being transparent and helpful is what builds long-term customer loyalty.

Regular blogging is the single best free action you can take to grow your online presence. By committing to three or four posts a week, you transform your website into a living, breathing part of your business that works for you around the clock.

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Tower Systems offers POS software and websites made specifically for local small business retailers in a selection of retail channels. To see if we might help you…, request a free, no-obligation demo today.  

Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au. 

Australian based website development for local small business retailers

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For a local specialty retailer, stepping into eCommerce or updating an existing digital presence can feel daunting.

There are web developers out there who bedazzle with jargon and charge plenty to deliver little. Too often, they deliver a website that only they can maintain for you, for a fee of course.

Online success requires a website that works in harmony with your physical store operations and its tech platform, for efficiency, accuracy and success.

At Tower Systems, based in Hawthorn, Victoria, we have spent years delivering exactly that.

We provide expert, Shopify websites integrated with Point of Sale (POS) software. Our service is designed specifically for the specialty retailers we support every day, including jewellers, garden centres, newsagencies, bike shops, and toy stores.

Here’s our Tower Systems approach to web development for local small business retailers.

We are a POS software company at our core. This means we understand the daily realities of retail, from managing inventory to maintaining margin control. We build websites with a retail-first perspective.

Our web development is handled entirely in-house by our team in Melbourne. We do not outsource this work. By keeping our developers local, we ensure clear communication and a genuine understanding of the Australian retail landscape. While this may not be the cheapest option compared to offshore providers, it guarantees a higher quality and more commercially effective result. You work directly with a team invested in your success.

A fixed-price, transparent process.

We believe in transparency. Our process begins with a consultation to understand your specific needs. If we are a good fit for your business, we provide a fixed-price contract.

We price our web development services on a break-even basis. Our goal is to empower our small business POS software customers with a powerful, integrated online store rather than profiting from the build itself. It is an investment in the long-term viability of your business.

Our standard Shopify development service includes:

  1. Comprehensive consultation: A detailed review to scope your requirements.
  2. Asset checklist: A clear guide to help you provide the necessary text and images.
  3. Visual theme: We include a theme from the official Shopify store.
  4. Full POS integration: We connect your Tower Systems POS software to Shopify for seamless data transfer.
  5. Personal handover: A two-hour, one-on-one remote training session.
  6. Post-launch support: Three months of phone-based support to help you settle in.
  7. Handover guide: Documentation covering training and next steps.

Now, some experience-based, practical advice for your eCommerce journey.

Regardless of who builds your site, we want to see your business thrive. Here are a few tips for a successful launch:

  1. Define your goal: Are you looking for new customers or serving existing ones? Your primary goal should dictate your design.
  2. Keep shipping simple: Start with flat-rate shipping. You can add complexity once you understand your customers’ buying habits.
  3. Prioritise original content: Search engines reward unique descriptions. Avoid generic supplier text.
  4. Curate your range: You do not need to list every item. Start with a curated selection of best-sellers.
  5. Commit to the project: A website requires active support through social media and email marketing to drive traffic.

If you are ready to connect your physical store to a professional online presence, we are here to help. You can reach us on 1300 662 957 to start an obligation-free conversation.

Now, a website is a hungry beast. It needs to be fed. Launching is only the beginning. No matter, we have practical advice to help you there too, based on your own years of experience.

Fixed price Shopify web development for small business retailers

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Tower Systems, based in Hawthorn, Victoria, offers a fixed price Shopify website development service, delivering a POS software connected Shopify store ready to trade.

100% undertaken in Australia by our very own team, this fixed price Shopify website development service helps small business retailers get online with a beautiful website quickly, easily and for an amount they understand.

For a local specialty retailer, stepping into eCommerce or updating their eCommerce offering can feel overwhelming. You need more than just a website; you need a system that works seamlessly with your in-store operations. That’s precisely what we’ve been delivering for years.

Tower Systems provides expert, POS-software-integrated Shopify websites for small businesses. Our service is designed specifically for the specialty retailers we serve every day—from jewellers and garden centres to newsagencies, bike shops, and toy stores.

The Tower Systems Difference: Retail Expertise, Local Team

We aren’t just a web development agency. We are a POS software company at our core, meaning we live and breathe retail. We understand your challenges, from inventory management to margin control. Our websites are built with this retail-first perspective.

Here are three key reasons to partner with us:

  • Deep Retail Expertise: We build solutions that solve the unique challenges of specialty retail.
  • Truly Custom Integration: Our websites are tailored to connect directly and seamlessly with your Tower Systems POS software.
  • Local, In-House Support: Our entire web development team is based right here in Melbourne.

This last point is critical. All our website development is handled in-house by our Australian team. This ensures clear communication and a deep understanding of your local market needs. While this approach may not be the cheapest option compared to an outsourced provider, it guarantees a higher quality, more commercially effective product. You work directly with a team that is personally invested in your success.

Our Fixed-Price, Full-Service Process

We believe in transparency. Our approach starts with a comprehensive consultation to understand your specific needs. If we’re a good fit, we will provide a fixed-price contract that details everything we will deliver.

We price our web development services on a break-even basis. Our goal is to empower our POS software customers with a powerful, integrated online store, not to profit from the build itself. This is an investment in your success.

Our standard Shopify development service includes:

  • Comprehensive Consultation: A detailed phone review to scope your requirements.
  • Asset Checklist: A clear guide to help you provide the text, images, and other assets we’ll need.
  • Premium Theme Selection: We include the cost of a paid-for theme from the official Shopify Theme Store.
  • Full POS Integration: We connect your Tower Systems POS software to Shopify, enabling data transfer for your inventory items.
  • Personal Handover: A two-hour, one-on-one remote training session so you can confidently manage your site’s day-to-day operations.
  • Post-Launch Support: Three months of phone-based support to help you settle in.
  • Comprehensive Handover Guide: A detailed document with training, support, and guidance on your next steps.

Practical Advice for Your eCommerce Journey

Regardless of who builds your site, we want to see you succeed. Here are a few essential tips from our team for launching your first Shopify site.

  1. Know Your “Why”. Are you trying to win new customers, grow revenue, or better serve your existing ones? Your primary goal will answer countless other questions about design and strategy.
  2. Keep It Simple. This is especially true for freight. Start with a simple, flat-rate shipping structure. You can add complexity later once you understand your online customers’ buying habits.
  3. Originality Wins. Google rewards fresh, unique content. Avoid using generic, supplier-provided images and descriptions. Write your own product titles and descriptions, and think about the keywords your customers are actually searching for.
  4. Curate, Don’t Clutter. You don’t need to load your entire product file online. A site with too much stock is difficult to navigate. Start with a curated selection of your best-sellers or most unique items.
  5. Support Your Site. A website is not a “set it and forget it” project. Be prepared to support it with active social media engagement and regular customer emails to drive traffic and promote your new online channel.

We have helped hundreds of local retailers get online with beautiful, functional, and valuable Shopify websites connected directly to their POS software. We would love to help you, too.

Here’s where to start: call 1300 662 957 (Australia) or  0800 444 367 (New Zealand) or email sales@towersystems.com.au. One of our team members will get back to you to find out more about your needs.

Remember, our web development work is done here in Australia. We bring local retail knowledge to the project. With many web developers operating offshore, too often we see solutions that are not as locally tuned as they could be.

For us it all starts with an obligation free conversation. We love helping local small business retailers thrive.

Fixed price POS software integrated Shopify website development for small business retailers

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For years now here at Tower Systems we have offered fixed price POS software integrated Shopify website development for small business retailers.

This is a service we offer retailers using our POS software, specialty retail POS software made for jewellers, garden centres, music shops, bike shops, newsagencies, bookshops, toy shops, fishing shops, camping businesses, produce businesses stockfeed businesses and more.

Our Shopify website development services are cone here in Melbourne and offered for a fixed price. It starts with us understanding your needs. If they match what we know we can deliver we’ll offer a contract that lays out everything we will do for you in developing your Shopify website, connecting it to our POS software and helping you make the website live so your shop can be found by so many more people.

Here are three reasons why to choose Tower Systems for your Shopify website development:

  1. Expertise in Retail: With years of experience in retail solutions, we understand the unique challenges faced by retail businesses.
  2. Custom Solutions: Our POS-integrated websites are tailored to meet the specific needs of your business.
  3. Local Support: Our in-house team in ensures no disconnect between your needs and the delivered solution.

Being based in Australia is a huge difference for us and for our customers. This is key, we think, to the high level of satisfaction from retailers for whom we have developed websites.

We believe in delivering value and fair pricing. Our websites are developed entirely in Australia, ensuring clear communication and a deep understanding of your local market needs. This approach may cost slightly more than outsourced options, but it guarantees a higher quality product and a development team invested in your success.

Tower Systems takes pride in helping local small businesses succeed online.

By combining the features of Shopify with our POS software solution coupled with our retail expertise, you can unlock a world of benefits for your business:

  • Expand your reach: Attract new customers from a wider geographic area.
  • Drive sales growth: Increase sales through both your physical store and online shop.

We’d love to help you take your local retail business online with a beautiful Shopify website.

A new website for Yarra Valley Stockfeeds

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We are grateful to the crew at Plenty Valley Stockfeeds in Whittlesea, Victoria, for allowing us to create a new website for their business and to connect this too our produce business POS software they run as well as to connect it to our free www.findit.com.au online marketplace that helps locals find local shops.

The Plenty Valley Stockfeed story is local and inspiring, they are the type of business we love serving:

We at Plenty Valley Stockfeed, a long-established family run business, have dedicated 18 years of passionate help and advice to our customers based on a lifetime of experience of owning and caring for a wide variety of animals.

Plenty Valley Stockfeed is Whittlesea’s largest pet and Farm Supplier, with the most competitive range of products and prices. We specialize in Premium Dog and Cat food, Dog beds and Cat Towers, as well as coat fittings or weight checks for your pets.

Our Rural base means that we also stock a wide variety of Equine feeds and Supplements, Poultry and Hobby Farm supplies including veterinary and health supplements. We also deliver to our customers within the local area.

When we develop websites for our local small business retail customers we get to know them and their business. We make sure their narrative is represented in the website we deliver as websites for local businesses are about more than products.

Our goal is to help locals find local businesses that serve their needs locally as well as helping these local businesses find shoppers outside their area that they can serve. This is all part of our goal of helping local retailers thrive.

Our website development work is wholly done in Australia and it is primarily done for retailers using our POS software. We do our web development work on a fixed price basis so our customers know the cost up front and they know everything that is provided as part of this fixed price project.

The connection to the FindIt marketplace is free. This is a Tower Systems only marketplace, free to all of our POS software customers regardless of whether they have a website or not.

Shopify website development advice for small business retailers

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We urge small business retailers to take care when selecting an individual or business to undertake Shopify web development. Inside the Shopify web developer ecosystem there are people who take the money, do the bare minimum and run – failing the retail businesses that paid them.

How do you spot a Shopify web developer who is not likely to serve the needs of your retail business? Here is our advice …

Look at their quote. Is it professionally laid out? Is it well written? Is it understandable? Is it complete? If it is none or only some of these things they may not be the developer for you for if they take this approach representing themselves what approach will they take representing you?! we say … be particularly concerned about text based quotes.

Look for understanding. In their words there should be indicators that they understand your needs and that they want to understand your needs. The website is all about you and your business after all.

Speak to them. We have seen shonky web developers void this at all costs. Speak to them. Talk with them. Engage in conversation. You are looking for someone you can trust your business with. Speak to them.

Look at them. Ask for a Zoom meeting, so you can meet face to face. Ask them to show you sample Shopify sites in this meeting and to explain why each is a good sample site for you to consider./ Sometimes we see web developers avoid Zoom meetings so they can hide behind typed words. face to face c an be revealing.

Say you don’t understand. Tell them you don’t understand some or all of their pitch. Test their patience. See if they meet you at a tech jargon level that you are comfortable with. Challenge them. test them. It is vital they use words and terms you understand. They haver to meet you, not you them.

Be in control. You are the customer. You choose the web developer you go with. decide whether you accept their quote and their terms. You do these things when it suits you. Do not succumb to pressure as anyone pressuring you on timing may be serving their needs and not yours.

Website development right now is like the 1800s gold rush – fast, unregulated with a lot of people being negatively impacted along the way and only a few finding gold.

Take your time. Be sure of what matters to you. Choose the business you want to work with, they business you think can hell you achieve what you want.

Know that you get what you pay for. by that we mean … some web developers under quote as a business model either because they will cut corners or because they know they can charge extra for what they did not know at the start. Again, take your time, be sure of your needs, and remember the carpenter adage: measure twice, cut once. Time spent before you make a decision on your Shopify web developer could ensure that the outcome is better for you and your business.

Aussie local retail businesses benefit from having their websites developed in Australia by Aussie web developers

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For website development,  Australian retail businesses have a choice: go local or look overseas. While offshore options may seem enticing due to cost, partnering with an Australian web developer company offers a multitude of benefits that can significantly contribute to your success.

Here at Tower Systems we develop POS software for local small business retailers, and we develop websites for these businesses too.

Understanding Your Market: Australian consumers have distinct preferences and shopping habits. An Australian web developer inherently possesses this local knowledge. Our local WebDev crew understand the terminology used, the design aesthetics that resonate, and the overall “Aussie style” that fosters trust and engagement. This ensures your website speaks directly to your target audience, promoting a seamless customer experience.

Streamlined Communication and Collaboration: Time zone differences and language barriers can create significant hurdles when working with offshore developers. With us, communication is effortless. You can easily have phone calls or even face-to-face meetings during your business hours, fostering a collaborative environment. This ongoing dialogue allows for clear exchanges of ideas and ensures your vision translates perfectly into the final product.

Design that Reflects Your Brand: A website’s design serves as the digital storefront for your business. We understand the subtle nuances that differentiate Australian retail from global brands. They can create a website that reflects the unique look and feel of your brand, fostering a sense of familiarity and trust with local customers.

Flexibility and Adaptability: Here at Tower Systems we offer a one-stop shop approach. You work directly with the team building your website, eliminating the need for intermediaries who might misinterpret your requirements. This flexibility allows for on-the-fly adjustments and ensures your website can adapt and grow alongside your business.

Ongoing Support and Refinement: Websites are rarely a “set it and forget it” project. We understand the importance of ongoing support and maintenance. We are  available to address any issues or implement changes as needed. Additionally, after launch, you might identify areas for improvement. We can make those tweaks quickly and efficiently, ensuring your website remains optimised for the local market.

Investing in the Local Economy: By choosing us, you’re supporting a local business and contributing to the broader Australian economy. This aligns perfectly with the ethos of many local retailers who advocate for “shopping local.” It demonstrates your commitment to the community you serve.

While cost might be a tempting factor when considering offshore options, the potential pitfalls can outweigh any initial savings. Choosing an Australian web developer fosters a collaborative, results-oriented partnership that delivers a website tailored to the Australian market, ultimately contributing to your long-term success.

Tower Systems – trusted web development for local small business retail

At Tower Systems, we’re proud to be a leading Australian provider of both Point-of-Sale (POS) software and web development services specifically designed for Australian speciality retailers. Our team of local developers understands the unique needs of your business and can create a website that reflects your brand and resonates with your customers.

We have a proven track record of success, serving over 3,500 local retail businesses across Australia. Let us help you build a strong online presence and achieve your business goals.

Retail advice: we created a website for our shop in 2 weeks and did $800+ in sales in the first week it was live

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We’re a POS (Point of Sale) software company, and we run retail shops. We do this to walk in the shoes of our customers … not completely but as much as we can.

We learn so much doing this.

Recently, we came across a couple of retailers stuck getting websites live for their businesses. So, we decided to create one for one of our shops to revisit the advice we provide others.

This video shows the results we saw for the website we created for our own shop after 24 hours of time invested and a week of trading.

We followed exactly the advice we provide to others, relying on data from our POS software to populate the website. It was vital for us and for our customers for us to experience what our customers experience.

Websites evolve based on your experience with them. This is one reason launching early is critical – get the experience and adjust.

Here at Tower Systems we are all about understanding our customers to ensure that the advice we provide is useful, valuable. This is why projects like this matter. We ned to test our advice, and to adjust it if our own experience is not up to what we hope for in working with our customers.

When it comes to websites for retail businesses, too often we see websites that are a monument to the web developer and of little value to the retail business for which they have been built. This is wasted money, something the retailer discovers long after the web developer has moved on.

Investing in a website is emotionally and financially considerable. For small business retailers it is vital that you achieve a commercially satisfactory outcome. That’s why we ensure the advice we provide and the work we do serves the needs of local small business retailers.

Tower Systems is a small business focussed POS software company developing, and supporting POS software for niche specialty retailers.

Jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, toy shops, produce businesses, farm supply businesses, fishing shops, pet shops, charity businesses, landscape gardening businesses, antique shops, sewing shops, haberdashery businesses, newsagents and more benefit from this software.

Find out more at www.towersystems.com.au

Call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au

Is a website right for your shop? Come on, let’s explore that …

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It’s easy to say no to a website if you don’t have one because you don’t know what you don’t know. It’s also easy if you had one in the past and it failed.

Most websites don’t work. Smart people use a failure to do better next time.

Core to website success is filling needs and wants. While needs and wants are quite different, they compel good online business.

Here are the top reasons why we think every retail business needs a website:

  1. Capture sales when you are closed. Typically, more than 50% of online purchases are then the brick and mortar business is closed.
  2. Engage when you are closed. Use chat to answer questions from anywhere, or you geek-out and have an AI chatbot do this.
  3. Reach people not currently shopping with you. Typically, 75% of sales are from people located nowhere near your shop.
  4. Have a second outlet for quitting stock.
  5. Have a place where you can experiment.
  6. Playing with a plan Bin case your shop finds itself in choppy waters.
  7. To learn. A website, especially your first website, teaches you so much: What people want. What they could pay. Haw awful some people are.
  8. To get you out of a rut. If you’ve been in your shop for ages and are mailing it in each day, a website could put a spring in your step.
  9. To make your shop more valuable. Having a website can make your shop more appealing when you decide to sell.
  10. To find a secondary brand. Could be the first step in a shop rebrand.
  11. To drive traffic to the shop. People will find products on your website and visit as a result, for sure.
  12. To give you another source of revenue that is completely unrelated to anything you do in your shop.
  13. To harvest email addresses. Email marketing from Shopify is a breeze.

Having a website gives people a landing page from your Facebook, Instagram and TikTok posts. This is important.

Tower Systems makes Shopify and Big Commerce POS software connected websites to help retailers find new shoppers, sell 24/7, drive in-store traffic and run more valuable retail businesses.

POS software connected websites

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We are proud to have delivered hundreds of websites for customers. We do this on a fixed price basis. The two e-commerce platforms we love the lost are Shopify and Big Commerce.

Here’s a list of more recently delivered new or significantly enhanced websites:

We have plenty more under development, across a range of retail channels and delivering access to a variety of tech. innovation. We bring our software development skills to our web development, providing solutions in a range of settings and to many different needs.

If you’d like to consider a new website for your business, please email sales@towersystems.com.au and we will get back to you.

Fixed price POS software connected Shopify web development helps small business retailers land and stay online

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While we are a POS software company that makes, rents and supports POS software for a range of specialty retail businesses, we also develop POS software connected Shopify websites, and we have done this successfully for years.

Our approach is fixed price, and it’s full service.

Web development, good web development, is expensive. We price our work on a break even basis.

The websites we create are beautiful, functional and valuable. This takes time. Our web development expert, who would work with any local retailer customer, is patient and focussed on process to deliver a commercially useful website for you.

Companies that cost less tend to only be able to do this by having the work done offshore, despite what they may pitch in their marketing. All our work is done in Australia, by Christina. This has a higher cost, but it means you are working with someone more likely to properly understand your needs.

We accept there are people who choose to go elsewhere for a website. To be true to what we do and to ensure we compensate our colleagues here appropriately, we are unable to discount the price, sorry.

Tower Systems offers to create a Shopify website for which you receive:

  1. Pre development consultation. This is comprehensive phone call reviewing your needs to understand your requirements more completely.
  2. A checklist of work you complete, to provide assets such as text and images for the website.
  3. A live Shopify site as per everything outlined here.
  4. Shopify theme choice. Included in the quoted price is the selection of a paid-for theme available from the Shopify Theme Store at https://themes.shopify.com/themes.  Themes are used to create the structure, look, and feel of your site so choose carefully.
  5. Shopify link. The Retailer POS software to link with Shopify. This link transfers to the Shopify site the following data points for each inventory item.
  6. A 2 hour Personal hand-over remote training session so you can manage the day to day running our your new live site.
  7. Three months of phone-based support assistance (not including changes) following delivery.
  8. A comprehensive pre-prep / handover document that provides support, written training and guidance on your next steps. This is the same for all our Shopify site customers. i.e. it is not document written especially for you.

Regardless of who you choose to create your website, here are tips we offer to help make setting up a Shopify site successful for you.

  1. Know why. Knowing why you want the website can answer plenty of other questions. For some it is to win new customers, for others it is revenue growth, while for ithers it is better service of existing customers.
  2. Keep it simple. If you are just beginning your journey into eCommerce our message is keep it simple. If you start simple you can get important learnings from which you can make informed changes.  Remember where you start will not be where you finish.  One of the key areas we see people over thinking is freight our advice is to keep freight an easy as possible by using the flat rate options provided by Shopify.  Then, once you understand your customers change and adapt.
  3. Know your narrator. Every website has a narrator, the person behind the scenes writing the text, responding to queries. Think about that person, how they speak, words they use, their manner. Think of this person as a character you create.
  4. Look at competitor sites online locally and overseas as it is beneficial to see what someone else is doing and learn from that.
  5. Only use unique images. If you use supplier supplied images, they may be on other sites and Google will know this. Google likes fresh content.
  6. Write your own product name / title. Use search keywords in the name – that is, what people are searching for. Google likes fresh content.
  7. Write your own product description and think about what shoppers search for.
  8. Do not load everything. Too much stock makes a site hard to navigate.
  9. Consider using a website name that is different to your business name. Online can benefit from a different brand to your in-store situation.
  10. Be open to additional sites. You may make more money from having multiple.
  11. Support the site with active social media engagement.
  12. Promote the site with an email monthly at least, using Shopify’s marketing features.

How well does your POS software connect to Shopify?

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We won more new retail customers this week for our POS software because of our beautiful and trustworthy Shopify link.

Our software packages for jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, gift shops, sewing shops, toy shops, pet stores, firearms dealers, newsagents, produce and farm supply businesses, knitting shops, game shops, vape shops, adult shops, music shops, antique shops and charity / op. shops like to Shopify through a direst Shopify link.

It’s a two-way link.

We are a proud Shopify partner.

Our Tower Systems POS software manages the inventory, the text, the images, the videos. Plus, in-store, it transacts the sales. Shopify manages the sales online. And, Shopify and our tower Systems POS software sync – so you always have accurate stock on hand data.

Our Shopify connected POS software is helping many local retailers safely, efficiently and accurately sell online.

We won the business this week from the new clients once they compared the operation of ur link live to what they had using other POS software. This direct comparison resulted in quick decisions given the importance of online sales for their businesses.

I can’t believe how much better this is. You are going to remove a massive pain point for us. The time it’s going to save!

We were thrilled to hear this.

Okay, we know our POS software Shopify integration is good because we use it ourself in a couple of gift / homewares related retail businesses we also own. But it is wonderfully validating when someone using other POS software, well known POS software, shows us where we shine.

We felt pretty good.

But we’re not resting on this. We continue o tune there Shopify integration, just as Shopify themselves tune their own platform. This is what good software companies do. Change is daily, and important.

If you run a physical store and you sell online, the Tower Systems POS software and Shopify integration marriage could be the productivity and performance move you have been looking. We;’d be happy to show it to you free, without obligation. You can make up your own mind.

We are a no-pressure POS software company. Ask for a demo and we’ll give it to you. We won’t call or chase you. We trust local small business retailers to make business decisions in their own time. The last thing they need or want is sales people chasing them.

Now, if you have 50 minutes or so, you could watch this video from one of our Tower Systems POS software experts and one of our own Shopify experts. It’s packed with free advice you could find useful:

Discovering the beautiful Tufted Titmouse at our POS software company

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It’s fascinating what you learn working with specialty retailers. While we like birds, except swooping magpies, we’d never thought much about the Tufted Titmouse. That is, until we saw this adorable ornament in the Hallmark Keepsake range.

It’s a product item in our POS software and being sold online, too, through a website we created.

It caught our attention as our advice on keywords helped it be a Google page 1 find for people looking for the Hallmark Keepsakes as well as bird lovers interested in the Tufted Titmouse.

Bird lovers are especially interested since this is the 18th in the series of birds by Hallmark.

https://myornaments.com.au/products/the-beauty-of-birds-tufted-titmouse-hallmark-keepsake-ornament

We get pretty involved with our customers – as much as they want, with the usual POS software help and support as well as business advice on how to leverage the software at attract new shoppers and encourage existing shoppers to spend more.

It’s why we love working with local indie small business retailers. It’s personal. #Grateful #ShopLocal #SmallBusiness #Happy #Weekend

These Hallmark Keepsakes are beautiful Christmas ornaments. Crafted with care.

Our roles are to provide the software for the shop and there website for online sales. By providing both and ensuring they are seamlessly integrated we are able to help the retailer to sell in-store and online with surety and certainty. The two-way data flow between the website and Tower Systems POS software save time, improve data accuracy and offer a comfortable shopper experience.

Our POS software manages the images and product information – allowing these to flow to the beautiful Shopify site that we created. It saves so much time for the retailer.

If you go too the My Ornaments website you can see a large range of products – the data for which flow from our POS software. Look at the data that flows across for the Tufted Titmouse product:

Add nature’s splendour to your holiday celebrations with this handsome Tufted Titmouse Christmas tree ornament. Gem details and metallic gold embellishments pair with a dangling holly branch, sure to delight bird enthusiasts.

  • Key Features: 18th in the Beauty of Birds Keepsake Ornament series.
  • Additional Details: Artist crafted by Edythe Kegrize and Emma Leturgez-Smith. Plastic Christmas tree ornament.
  • Includes: One 2022 Keepsake Ornament in gift box for easy gift giving, preservation and storage.
  • Ornament Size: Approx. 3.57 x 7.07 x 9.16 cm
  • Product Code QXR9063

All this, plus the photos, and videos too if that is available for any product.

The integration between the Tower Systems POS software and Shopify sites is something we are proud of and grateful to provide to many indie retailers.

Retailers beware – there are some awful POS software webstore / website integrations out there

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We just switched another local retailer to our POS software because they wanted a website integration that worked. They were using a POS software solution that linked to an obscure webstore platform recommended by that POS software company.

After more than a year of problems and minimal sales, the retailer gave up.

They switched to our POS software and to a beautiful Shopify website directly connected to our POS software.

As a Shopify partner, the connection is true and secure, fast and easy to use.

The Shopify website offers better facilities and more elegant customer interface than what they paid too much for previously. We are grateful to be of service, to help this local retail business get POS software they love and get live with a website they are proud to promote.

If you are choosing POS software, go with one that supports mainstream website platforms rather than an obscure platform. Go with one that is a partner of well known and loved webstore platforms.

We support several but prefer Shopify.

Shopify is an ideal platform for sites that do not have out of the ordinary requirements.  It is hosted securely by Shopify, reducing your reliance on, and costs associated with, web hosting.  Linking the site to our Retailer POS software is also easy. Shopify is easy to modify and change pages, products, look and plenty more.

For ease of reference and transparency, below is a numbered list of all work and tasks included in our fixed price Shopify website development. This is the complete list.

  1. Shopify account. We would use our development account until such time, as we deliver the live site to you. Once this has occurred you will need your own Shopify account and we will transfer the site to you.  We can help you get your own account.
  2. Template / theme selection. We will guide you through template / theme selection options. You will have free choice over any theme available at themes.shopify.com. Many templates have no cost while some have a cost, paid to Shopify. We will also fund the purchase of a paid-for theme up to US$250.00 in value if that is the theme you want.
  3. Overall design to be applied to the template selected to customise the look and feel of the site. While there is back and forth involved, the design process is not priced to be an extended back and forth process. Please be clear and concise in articulating our needs. We will listen to your brief and provide a design for your consideration. Adjustments can be made within the quote but any major diversion from the original brief may add to the cost.
  4. The setup of loading of products into the site via a live link to the Retailer software. We would need you to have this data in Retailer ready for export.
  5. Interfacing to payment gateways: Shopify Pay, Apple Pay, Stripe and Paypal.
  6. Training: over the phone and usually around two hours. We’d like 2 people from the business there as we have found this helps the business get the most from it.
  7. The site we create will have the following elements:
      1. Including text and images (which you provide through the Tower POS software), and site navigation. We would also include a business location map.
      2. Social media links to any business accounts you have for: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
      3. About page. Your text, describing you and your business. This will need to be between 150 and 350 words. Well written, clear as to what you and your business are about.
      4. Legal / Privacy Policy. We can use yours or you can edit ours and use it.
      5. Terms and conditions page: terms and conditions that you can modify.
      6. Contact us page showing your contact details as well as an enquiry form.
      7. Configured Product Page showing the images and details about products.
      8. Shopify Chat setup, if you want chat turned on.
      9. Blog feed. A blog allows you to publish your own news stories. These can be critical for helping people find the site through Google.

When it comes to choosing a POS software and website software company, take your time, do your research, ensure that what you are buying is right for what you want. If you’re not sure, ask for reference customers from your type of business.

Free workshop: helping local small business retailers sell online

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Tower systems has announced details of another free workshop that aims to provide advice, guidance and support for local retailers to sell online. Our experts and retailers will be there with free advice for anyone see to sell online from any type of retail business.

This free session is open to anyone. Get details by emailing sales@towersystems.com.au

Our how when and why to sell online workshop is Wednesday, May 11 @ 10am Melbourne time.

Tower Systems makes POS software and POS software integrated websites for specialty retailers in a range of retail niches.

Fixed price POS software connected Shopify websites

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Tower Systems offers Aussie retailers access to Aussie developed and supported Shopify e-commerce websites connected to the Tower Systems POS software.

We like Shopify plenty because after the website is live, local retailers can maintain the site without having to rely on others to do this work.

Offering a fixed price website development solution is rare, yet here we are doing just that, in service of efficient and effective e-commerce for local small business retailers.

Tower Systems offers to create a Shopify website for a fixed price for which each client receives:

  1. Pre development consultation. This is comprehensive phone call reviewing needs as outlined in the survey, seeking to more completely understand your needs.
  2. A checklist of work you complete with our guidance, to provide us assets such as text and images for the website. The current version of the checklist is part of this quote. This lists what any web developer will require from you.
  3. A live Shopify site as per everything outlined here. During development, there will be back and forth discussions by email and phone to ensure that the evolving meets expectations. Your timely attention to communication is key.
  4. Shopify theme choice. Included in the quoted price is the selection of a paid-for theme up to the cost of US$250.00.
  5. Personal hand-over training so you can make your own tweaks to the site as needed. This is usually around 2 hours.
  6. Three months of phone-based assistance (but not software changes) following delivery of the site.
  7. A comprehensive pre-prep / handover document that provides support, written training and guidance on your next steps. This is the same for all our Shopify site customers. i.e. it is not document written especially for you.
  8. Shopify link. The Retailer POS software to link with Shopify. This link transfers to the Shopify site the following data points for each inventory item:
    1. SKU
    2. Name
    3. Qty
    4. Web Description
    5. Web Price
    6. Department
    7. Category
    8. Images

This is all backed up by pre-planning documentation, to help any retailer properly prepare their data and other assets needed to bring an awesome website to life.

The Tower Systems Shopify website development service is personal, engaged and accessible. We have developed many websites for many different customer situations. We are grateful to have a terrific portfolio to show-off and help others find the path they would like to follow.

How POS software integrates Shopify websites help small business retailers thrive

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A POS software integrated Shopify website delivers plenty of benefits to local small business retailers beyond the expected, beyond what you may expect from an awesome website.

While selling online, reaching new shoppers, adding icing on the cake revenue to the business and leveraging exisiting overheads for this new revenue are valuable benefits, it is through the smart POS software / Shopify website connectivity and integration that a local small retail business really benefits.

This is what Tower Systems does – it creates beautiful Shopify websites connected to its specialty retail POS software, for its POS software customers. In the back end, though, it helps in myriad ways:

  • Reduced mistakes through synchronised data sharing.
  • Time saves through using the POS software inventory data.
  • Inventory managed in one place.
  • Accurate selling what you have in-stock thanks to auto-syncing.
  • Better management fulfilment through the POS software connection.
  • No double handling of inventory and sales data.
  • Easier order management through the integrated dashboard.
  • Smart management of variants through the sync between POS software and Shopify.

These are just some of the benefits Tower Systems brings to the table through its POS software connected Shopify websites. Tower Systems has been delivering to small business retailers in this space for many years, we are a Shopify partner and are grateful to leverage their expertise for our local retail customer community.

Best of all, our customers have the ability to tune their websites, to evolve them over time. This is something to love about Shopify – it’s easy for non-tech people to engage with. It is a reason to love it, as many of our customers do.

A Shopify site, like any website, is a hungry beast. By this we mean that it  needs to be fed, with new content and changes, regularly.

  1. Continue to add products and ensure they are named and described how people would search for them.
  2. Refresh your collection / category landing page descriptions. A landing page is a collection page on which you have items for that collection. Write 3 or 4 crisp sentences of 15 or 20 words each with the sentences punching keywords people are likely to search for. Remember, you are writing more for the search engines than humans.
  3. The best photos are those you take, of single products. A photo of a display is not easily understood by humans or Google.
  4. Add articles. Your knowledge could be what differentiates your business from any competitor. Indeed, non-product content will most likely drive more traffic than product content.
  5. Get suppliers and others to link to you. The more the better.
  6. Sell products on additional channels: Facebook, Instagram & eBay.
  7. Regularly pitch your site on social media.
  8. Use Shopify’s abandoned cart feature to push sales.
  9. Pitch promotional discounts to draw in new customers.

Beautiful POS software connected Shopify websites help local small business retailers find new shoppers online

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Now, not to brag, here are some of the Tower POS software connected websites our awesome web dev. team has developed:

  1. Avalon Nursery – https://avalonnursery.com.au
  2. Berry Newsagency (Books n Gifts) – https://booksngifts.com.au
  3. Bear Essence – https://bearessence.com.au
  4. Making Spirits Bright – https://makingspiritsbright.com.au
  5. Seaspray Jewellery – https://seasprayjewellery.com.au
  6. Gippy Cycles – https://gippycycles.com.au
  7. IT Warehouse – https://itwarehouse.com.au
  8. Sportfishing Scene – https://sportfishingscene.com.au
  9. Northside Produce Agency – https://northsideproduceagency.com.au
  10. NXP Leven (Serenity Home & Gifts) – https://serenityhomeandgifts.com.au
  11. Reservoir Newsagency (The Shop Nxt Door) – https://shopnxtdoor.com.au
  12. Camping World Dalby – https://campingworlddalby.com.au
  13. Randall’s Newsagency (Back O Bourke Collective) – https://backobourkecollective.com.au
  14. Peppercorn Gifts & Homewares – https://peppercorngifts.com.au
  15. NXP Highlands Market Place (Highlands Gifts & Plush) – https://highlandgiftsandplush.com.au
  16. The Shop, University of Newcastle  – https://shop.newcastle.edu.au
  17. The Petfood Warehouse – https://thepetfoodwarehouse.com.au
  18. H Rehfisch & Co – https://rehfisch.com.au
  19. Sprengers Rural Traders – https://sprengersruraltraders.com.au

There are many more than these. We have also developed websites that connect multiple retail outlets.

To help customers keen for a Shopify website we have just launched a trial of a 12 month interest free payment plan for new Shopify website development. This is for new websites ordered from now. Our sales team can explain this to you but essentially it is 12 monthly payments of $550.00. The site goes live as soon as you and your data are ready. The payment plan is designed to help you smooth out your cashflow. To consider a Shopify site developed by us, please email sales@towersystems.com.au.

Tower Systems offers free advice for small business retailers on POS software connected Shopify websites

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Several weeks ago our team at Tower Systems hosted four free workshops covering a range of topics related to creating POS software connected Shopify sites and how to drive traffic to them. The goal was to share insights and offer free advice and training for retailers looking to grow online sales.

We share here videos of these sessions in which a deep well of free advice was shared and explored.

Here are videos of the workshops for anyone interested. If you are considering a website for your business, buyer beware. There are plenty of shonky business people in the web development space. Our hope is that the four workshops share information that you find useful in navigating a path to growing your online sales.

This last session is all about writing good blog posts and how they play a key role in driving traffic.

We are grateful to the retailer who participated.

SEO advice for POS software connected Shopify websites helps small business retailers drive traffic

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We have shared updated SEO advice with our local small business retailer customers for whom we have developed beautiful POS software connected Shopify websites.

Through personal training and backed by peer-reviewed written advice, we have shared how they can. Make the best use of product names, descriptions and other text so as to drive up their rankings through Google and other search engine platforms.

Just as the search algorithms change overtime, so does our SEO advice for POS software connected Shopify websites. Our latest advice was first field tested prior to sharing with our customers. we have been able to sow them how following the advice can play for their businesses.

Small business retailers can’t be expected to be SEO experts. Our recommendation is that they NOT hire SEO experts though as too often we have found that money wasted. The key is to now the best type of customer for your business. They, to research how to best connect with that type of customer. This is where an understanding of your specific specialty retail business can make a difference. It’s where our Tower Systems expertise can make a difference.

Our latest SEO advice for POS software connected Shopify websites has been provided to all customers for no charge, as part of our customer service suite of services. we see it as a genuine value-add for our customers, something we are grateful to have been able to provide to them.

Running consumer-facing websites ourselves positions us for useful knowledge, which we leverage for our customers through advice like we have mentioned here. We’ve made SEO mistakes from which we have learned. we have also made some very cool SEO moves, from which we have also learned. We have sheared our own experienced, to add to the free resource pool available for our customers.

Helping our local small business retailer community leverage practical advice for SEO settings for their type of business is part of what we offer as a specialty retail focussed POS software and web development business. We have helped several retailers recently stop paying fees to external businesses based on the free help in this area available to them as part of the Tower Systems community.

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