The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

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

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AI generated content can show why a business is not worth doing business with

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Plenty of AI generated content online is junk put there to try and drive the position of a website. Often, it offers little genuine value. It’s text written for the tech bots, and not for humans.

You can see it on plenty of company blogs: boring content with the same bubbly emotions, similar lists and the ever present use of bold text.

There is a sameness to AI generated content that shows it for what it is – filler put there as a marketing exercise.

Here at Tower Systems we serve local small business retailers, independent retailers. Their point of difference is their product knowledge, their local knowledge and their ability to share this. An AI engine is unlikely to capture the knowledge of those in the business and share it in a meaningful way.

Our advice to our customers is: the more you share your knowledge in ways that are genuinely useful to your customers the more they will trust you, the more your business will grow. Retail is human at its core. AI content is unlikely to add value to the human contact. While it will save time, it is unlikely to add appreciated value.

We get that local small business retailers are time-poor and looking for ways to do more in less time, using AI to generate content about your business and what you do is not the saving you think it might be for your AI generated content joins data centres full of AI generated content. It’s value is limited.

We think a local small business could get more value from one authentic and genuinely useful blog post than ten AI generated blog posts on the same topic for in that one human-generated blog post you can share genuinely new information or insights that add real value to what is know about the product or service of which you write.

AI cannot replace you, it cannot replace your innovation. This is your point of difference, it is what you need to share so people see the value of you and your business. It’s what helps you stand out.

With the advent of more tools available for identifying AI generated text and image content, it is easier to rank content, to determine the authority of it. AI generated fodder will be seen for what it is, and we think this is a good thing. By all means use AI tools as a springboard or to treat a thought drought. For the content you publish in your name or the name of your business, give of yourself for that is what matters the most.

We sometimes play a game here at Tower Systems: spot the AI junk. It’s fun for a while and then it makes us sad that businesses feel it’s okay to publish what they publish, thinking that something is better than nothing, except that it’s not.

Our difference is us, each of us here in this business. We interact with our customers authentically, one-on-one. What we publish here reflects that. Retail is human after all.

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

Why have shoppers lost faith in points based retail loyalty programs and what can be done about it?

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For years, Australian shoppers have swiped their cards, collecting points with the promise of future discounts and rewards. But lately, that enthusiasm seems to be waning. In news stories and online forums, shoppers are talking down points based programs, often airing frustration at the lack of value and complexities using the programs.

Many retail programs have become stagnant. Plenty are same same. Here are some of the biggest culprits behind the decline of points-based loyalty:

  • Too Many Programs, Not Enough Value: We’re bombarded with loyalty cards. Keeping track of them all is a chore, and if a program doesn’t offer significant rewards quickly, it gets relegated to the bottom of the wallet.
  • Points that Disappear into the Abyss: Earning enough points for a decent reward can feel like an eternity. Opaque point structures and constantly changing redemption values leave shoppers feeling frustrated and undervalued.
  • Discounts, Not Loyalty: Many programs feel like glorified discount cards. Sure, a discount at checkout is nice, but it doesn’t foster a true connection with the brand.

The big factor against points based loyalty programs is the confusion as to what a point is worth. In one shop, a point may be worth $1 when you choose to spend it while in another shop it may be worth a fraction of that. Points are not the same anywhere.

A table alternative is discount vouchers from Tower Systems. This approach to loyalty uses currency, real currency – something everyone understands.

Here’s why discount vouchers are the loyalty program upgrade worth considering:

  • Immediate Gratification: Discount vouchers deliver instant value at checkout, keeping customers happy and coming back for more.
  • Targeted and Relevant: Unlike generic points, vouchers can be tailored to specific customer segments or purchase behaviours.
  • Flexibility is Your Friend: With Tower Systems, you have complete control over your voucher program.
  • Design vouchers with your branding, set the discount percentage or amount, and choose which products or categories they apply to.
  • Simple is Best: Unlike points that can be confusing to track and redeem, vouchers are delightfully straightforward.

Discount vouchers are a powerful tool to build customer loyalty. We have retailers in a range of channels using them with success today to encourage shoppers to purchase more per visit and to return sooner and more often to purchase again.

Discount vouchers offer instant value, cater to individual preferences, and provide valuable insights into customer behaviour. Tower Systems empowers you to create strategic voucher programs that drive sales, boost engagement, and leave the outdated points system in the dust.

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