There are some ways a website is used in business that some may think it's not necessary. Nonetheless, we live in an age where everything digital seems to be the trend, and if it's not digital, then just kick rocks. When you're building a business, you're not thinking about the website. That's for someone else. You're thinking about processes and day-to-day operations of how & what needs to be done to make the business thrive. Let's dive into ways business operations and the website can live in unison with one another, saving time, increasing efficiency, and increasing the bottom line.
Customer Relationships
The relationship between the customer and the business can end in a few minutes. One bad experience will shut the customer off. From our experience, there are many opportunities here for improvement. For example, look for tasks that can be automated. A task like exporting data into the CRM can probably be done via automation.
- How are your leads funneling into your CRM?
- Email marketing
E-Commerce to ERP
An API can help migrate sales data from your E-Commerce platform straight to your ERP system. Some systems even have plugins available to help with that.
Here are a few ERP systems we've built APIs for:
- JDEdwards
- Epicor
- SAP
- NetSuite
- Microsoft Dynamics 365
- SYSPRO
Payment Gateways & Billing
Billing and handling offline sales can be a trivial process. When a transaction is made offline and isn't captured right away it's difficult to play catchup. Regardless of how the transaction takes place, an entry needs to be made. So how do we solve that problem? Payment gateways offer APIs to connect to the backend of their systems to ensure you get paid. If the invoicing tools have an API, then they can be integrated with the website in a way that can help increase productivity.
Inventory Management
Inventory is the number of raw materials or goods on hand to either resell or consume. Your inventory should be as accurate as possible. If inventory counts are off, it may throw off component ordering. This is where inventory management comes alive and thrives.
Let's say you have a retail store where you sell products and those same products can also be found online on your website. The website users will want to see specific information, such as the amount and on-hand balance. This balance can be thrown off easily if inventory management and the website are not in sync with each other. APIs can help remedy this problem by syncing data back and forth.
It's typical for a business to have a CRM that doesn't communicate with the lead funnel or an inventory management system that doesn't sync with the website. We provide services that automate marketing efforts so your business can save time and money and increase cash flow. What's important is you understand the tools that you have and think outside the box. This usually requires help from a professional.
If you want to learn more about how SW Development Services implements APIs and if we can help your business, give us a call at 815-491-0786 or visit our Contact Us page.
