Android phones are the most popular smartphones. According to Time Magazine, they account for more than 50% of smartphone usage worldwide. One reason is that they don’t cost nearly as much to purchase or upgrade as an iPhone does. Another reason is that they are versatile and don’t bog down users with proprietary cables and expensive add-ons.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of online business owners on the go rely on their smartphones to operate during the day. Certainly, tablets and laptops come in handy, too, when the back office computer is not accessible. While one may not necessarily want to post new products to their store from a smartphone handset, there are a surprising number of things that you can do to keep your online business in tip-top shape, and all from your Android phone.
Use the Right Storefront
If you want true mobile access to your online store, then you have to consider the shopping cart service that you are using. Not all of them offer a mobile-accessible storefront that you can just tap into at any time when on the go. But the good news is that plenty of them do.
Popular shopping cart providers that feature mobile management include the likes of Shopify, 3dcart, BigCommerce, Volusion, eBay, Amazon, Etsy, Newegg and others. Certainly, these are not the only ones. Make sure you conduct your own research before choosing a shopping cart or marketplace provider to assure that you have unfettered mobile access.
Lock Down Your Fulfillment
Fulfillment can easily be the most the time consuming aspect of your already busy day. A lot of online retailers use a tedious two-system method. This involves printing your shipping labels from one system and your packing lists from another. More time is involved because you also have to match up packing lists with labels and manually fulfill packages.
But newer e-ecommerce shipping software applications eradicate this tediousness. They instead let you generate your packing list and shipping label from standard printer sheets (inkjet/laser). You then just peel and stick the label onto the package and slide in the packing list. What’s more, newer shipping software solutions offer mobile access and some even feature mobile scanning. You should look for a solution that offers mobile accessibility, complete with shipment status, tracking number access and returns for when you are roving.
Track Everything in the Cloud
Cloud based software solutions are generally the most accessible of the bunch. When pursuing the next big online retailing success story, you always want to make sure that you are connecting with your customers and nurturing the relationship. Doing so helps you procure revenue-producing campaigns that feed your bottom line.
Newer e-commerce CRM software solutions are both cloud-hosted and mobile accessible, helping you expand the relationship you have with customers in ways you never thought possible before. Some feature cross-channel integration as well as shipping and returns solutions, all hosted under a cloud banner, featuring a solitary and user-friendly interface.
Project Management is Your Best Friend
Lastly, don’t forget to connect your team using a mobile-friendly Project Management System (PMS). Without dropping any big names, a simple online search will reveal that there are five quality systems that you can choose from at any time. Most offer integrations into CRM and into your shopping cart or online marketplace.
These systems give you broad administrative control over your back office workers, so you can always be in the know. It can be as simple as overseeing tasks and watching your numbers while you are traveling for business. Or it can be as dreamy as sipping on a margarita on the beach while vacationing, and enjoying having complete access to your online business, digitally nestled in the palms of your hands as you soak up the sun.
