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Cash Register Express & Restaurant Pro Express 12.0 (Part 4) Web Portal for Chains
Do You Have A Web Presence?
Build a Website for Your Restaurant in Under 10 Minutes...for FREE!!!
Contacting pcAmerica

Cash Register Express & Restaurant Pro Express 12.0 (Part 4) Web Portal for Chains

Cash Register Express (CRE) and Restaurant Pro Express (RPE) Version 12.0 were released on February 16, 2009.

The new versions include over two dozen new and useful features! A few of the main highlights are enhanced credit card security, a new labor scheduler, an interface with security camera and DVR systems, ID scanning, and an internet-based web portal for chains (described below).

For a complete list of NEW features found in Version 12.0, go to:

http://download2.pcamerica.com/versioninfo12.pdf

Chains of stores and restaurants can now use the pcAmerica Web Portal, an internet based system that allows users to run reports, change prices, create purchase orders and other back office tasks from a web browser on any computer with internet access.  Reports and back office functions can be modified for single stores, groups\regions of stores or all stores depending on the level of access the user has.  The web portal is available as a hosted solution, where pcAmerica hosts the servers and manages the technology, or licensed for larger chains that manage their own servers.  This is a perfect solution for chains that wish to be able to monitor and manage their businesses remotely without having to adopt and manage complicated technology.

Do You Have A Web Presence?

Everyone needs a presence on the internet. It doesn’t matter what type of retail store or restaurant you own. You need to have your business on the web.

I would say that about 1/3 of pcAmerica customers have a website. 70% of larger retailers have a web presence. More than half of small retail stores believe that having a web presence has helped grow their businesses and overcome the recession. Unfortunately, I could not find any real good statistics to pass along. If any of readers have some good statistics, please pass them along by sending me, the newsletter editor (email address below), the link.

I do know that the biggest reason that smaller stores do not have a web presence is the perceived cost. Many retails don’t want to spend the money because they don’t believe they will get a good return on their investment.

In my opinion (and please read my entire opinion before deleting the newsletter), every retailer needs a web presence and should invest about $10,000 per year or more into creating and polishing up that web presence. The $10,000 or more may or may not include actually selling over the internet. It also may or may not include an email campaign. The $10,000+ includes the costs involved in hiring an experienced professional web developer.

Now, I know that many of you don’t care about the internet, and are not willing to spend a penny in this economy. For those who don’t want to spend any money, I suggest that you at least use one of your employees or friends to develop a one page web site that at minimum contains your store name, address, and phone number, plus a photo or two, your hours, and a little bit of information about your business.

There are lots of FREE places on the internet where you can add a FREE one, two, three or more page website.

Without spending a penny, you can start learning a little more about the value of having a website. Try this to see if it works. Place a coupon on your website offering a FREE something for coming in with the coupon. See how many people respond. The good thing about the website is that you can change your website instantly. If too many people respond to your FREE offer, perhaps you may want to change it to something less costly.

Advertise your website within your store, on your business cards and advertising material. Change your website frequently. If you do have a coupon or offer on the website, change it weekly and limit the amount of time in which it may be used. If you are opposed to using coupons, have a weekly bulletin on  your website inviting customers to come and see your new clothing line, screw drivers, lobsters, or whatever makes your business unique. Give customers a reason to visit.

A one page website is FREE and easy to compose. Your first one page website may take hours for you to figure out. Making changes will only take minutes. If you don’t like computers or the internet, have one of your employees  do it for you. I know of stores that use their $8 an hour cashiers to do their websites between customers. Many of these websites are pretty good.

Build A Website for Your Restaurant in Under 10 Minutes...For Free!!!

Build a FREE website at http://www.letseat.at/.

It is absolutely free. Your website address will be something like www.letseat.at/
myrestaurant or www.letseat.at/
pizzatogo.

You can start with a basic 1 page website. Add a photo. Add additional pages with menus, a coupon, contact information, reviews, directions, photo gallery, and extra pages that you may develop.

IT'S ALL FREE!!!

I’ve used it to set up a couple of local restaurants. It works out just fine especially for those restaurants who don’t want to pay a monthly fee for being on the web.

What you get for FREE is a basic website that can show off the assets of your restaurant. At a minimum, you can post a nice photo of your restaurant and even post a gallery of pictures showing off your food. People can see your menus. You can even add reservations.

With coupons, you can post a quick weekly or periodical coupon. Through contacts, people can email orders to you or you can collect an email list so that you can periodically email to your customers.

Customize your menu

Write menus for dinner, lunch, drinks, happy hour or anything else. Creating, editing and deleting items is as easy as clicking a button.

Vegetarian, Kosher, or Halal? No problem! Just select the option and each item will be marked for customers with special needs.

Create your own printable online coupons

Online coupons are a great way to lure new customers and bring back some old ones. LetsEat.at is a fast and easy way to make your own printable, customizable coupons.

Is your coupon only valid weeknights through the summer for delivery in Downtown Wichita? Just write it in the fine print and they'll know! Set custom expiration dates, fine print and headlines with their online coupon generator.

Choose from their growing library of themes

LetsEat.at offers dozens of professional quality FREE themes, many in multiple color schemes to match your restaurant's unique logo and vibe. From conservative to festive, there's something for everyone. New themes are posted regularly!

LetsEat.at is not perfect. It is in beta and still being tested (but close to its final version). It works fine, but can use a little bit of polish. It also places ads on your site. None of these ads interfere with the site, and I nor my clients found the ads to be intrusive. All in all, you are getting your money’s worth. Although it is not perfect, it is a great way to get your feet wet on the internet. If you use all of its features, you can increase your sales by 25% or more.