We had a phenomenal time at New Orleans this last week.  We are ecstatic to have connected with many individuals, we hope that we can solve the many problems faced in the ever-changing business world.  We would also like to thank everyone for coming to the Birddog/Avalara happy hour at the House of Blues.  With free beer and good food its hard not to have a good time. Thank you for allowing us to be your company's ultimate best friend. 

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Summer is in full swing and, with that brings Independence Day. From east coast to west, red-blooded Americans are revving up their grills and buying fireworks. On this July fourth, we at BirdDog Software look forward to celebrating this time-tested American tradition. Now it's about time to light that fuse and get this party started. In the midst of all this good-natured destruction we should take time to think about how we got here. We should remember the men who fought to make a country of life and liberty. We should thank those who paved the way for our great nation to prosper. What better way to say “thanks” than blowing stuff up in our backyards? So let's crack open a cold one, throw some tea into the harbor, and party like it's 1776!

We're absolutely stoked for the upcoming Evolve show in Chicago. Our developers have been busier than a mosquito at a nudist colony, and we cant wait to show you what's new. We're ecstatic about our new Product Information Management package, along with our many connectors, such as Amazon, Shopify and Magento. Come by our booth and see how Birddog Software can be your company's ultimate best friend. #YearOfTheDog

We’ve discussed in a previous blog how crucial Omnicommerce is in the success of your business. Whether you own a manufacturing, distribution, B2B or retail business, it’s more important than ever to reach your customers where they are.

Previously, we touched on some of the major aspects of Omnicommerce – the digital presence and transactional side of the integration. Lying on the other end of the spectrum is customer experience. You may have been hearing that OmniCommerce improves it. But, how? Keep reading to learn how Omnicommerce affects brand loyalty and your sales cycle.

 The objective of Omnicommerce is extending beyond a brand’s single realm. In other words, it allows the customers to guide their own data and experiences. Omnicommerce provides a more comprehensive, integrated shopping because it’s continually modifying it’s context in ways that are more pleasing (or convenient) to the customer.

 For instance, let’s say you found a pair of shoes you really liked and saved them to your online wish list. Once you leave the website and drive to the mall, the customer journey begins to fork. If your business doesn’t use Omnicommerce, your customer will divert because their information isn’t easily accessible. Now, you may find the shoes in store and purchase. Or, you may not. That’s the real guessing game. But, with Omnicommerce, you’re greatly increasing your chances of that sale. Not too shabby, huh?

The coordination of offline and online experience is the tipping point. As a business owner, you have the chance to get your customers more involved with your brand. When you build that relationship on trust and an identity they resonate with, you’ll be building business with them for the long run.

Another benefit of Omnicommerce is that it unifies and solidifies your marketing efforts. All your work will be coordinated around the same goals and tracked to every last detail. Also, with instant updates on inventory and sales, you’ll be able to view firsthand the impact of the integration.

With sales taking place both in the real world and the digital one, it’s more important than ever to line out multiple touch points. A sale isn’t finished when a customer purchases a product. It’s the experience they had with your brand that stays with them when they return home.

 

The ultimate goal of Omnicommerce is to foster brand loyalty within all stages of the customer journey, across all platforms. This increases convenience and personalization, providing an overall better experience for your customers. With this concentration shift, you may need a hand getting started. And for that, you have BirdDog Software. Don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’re here to help you become more successful by helping you reach every customer. Everyone. Everywhere. Every time.  (877) 794-5950

If you’re a business owner, most likely you’ve run across some Ecommerce verbiage here and there. Today, we’ll be touching on cXML, what it is, and how it benefits your company. Shall we get started? 

What is cXML?

Commerce Extensible Markup Language (cXML) is a protocol created by Ariba in 1999 for the use of communicating business documents between applications, Ecommerce hubs, and suppliers. In a nut shell, it’s a subset of XML that’s specific to commerce. 

How does it work?

A programmer uses cXML to define fields, assigning them to various lists called “schemas.” Schemas are able to communicate to programmers how to reference these fields when creating data. For example, let’s refer to integration. Information fields may differ from one software to another. So, schemas act as a sort of decoder — ensuring that nothing gets lost in translation with your data. Pretty neat, right?

Why’s is cXML?

Though cXML is used for commerce, it’s a protocol based in XML. Meaning, information is still arranged in plain text — and able to view on a standard web browser. For your business, this translates to lower overhead and flexibility in withstanding additional information as it flows in. 

As a business owner, how does cXML affect me?

An easier benefit to digest, cXML allows your business to prepare for the future of Ecommerce. It’s the most widely adopted business-to-business (B2B) protocol today and streamlines how you do business electronically. This, in turn, saves you time, resources and precious productivity.

If you’ve been considering streamlining your Ecommerce using cXML, be sure to check more information on cXML here. For more details on our all-inclusive Omnichannel Commerce, give our team at BirdDog Software a call at (877) 794-5950.

As you may very well know, the holidays are quickly approaching. It’s a time of family, delicious food — and a time to look back and reflect on the many things we appreciate. Here at BirdDog software, we’ve had the pleasure of working with so many great partners and customers this year. It’s incredible how a seamless platform like our OmniCommerce can create such impact for businesses and really bring us all together as a marketplace. With the season upon us, we thought we’d take a moment to share some of the projects we’re most proud of.

 

Vox Printing

Vox Printing is a preferred vendor of McDonald’s Corporation, servicing franchises across the country with promotional items for their campaigns. Since using BridDog's Ecommerce, order entry and cXML, McDonald’s has awarded Vox the highest website score of all its vendors. This list includes reputable companies such as Staples and Graingers. Additionally, Vox’s eCommerce site was awarded a perfect score in user interface.

 

Sportsmith

Since implementing BirdDog’s OmniCommerce platform, Sportsmith has experienced a 50% increase in orders. In addition, web sales have skyrocketed to a phenomenal 135%. BirdDog’s Ecommerce, which includes expansive customer self-service features, has also experienced a decrease in inbound phone calls — meaning increased productivity for its team.

 

Danchuk

Leveraging BirdDog’s OmniCommerce platform has enabled Danchuk to grow by seamlessly integrating its website into its ERP system — saving much needed time from manually entering in orders and customers. Additionally, Danchuk utilized BirdDog’s customer service and order entry, making it easy to perform transactions such as credit card authorization. Lastly, BirdDog was able to help with website management in the enterprise application which covered ongoing tasks such as item management, page updates, and category changes.

 

At the heart of what we do, it’s about helping businesses like yourself achieve success through ECommerce, point-of-sale, CRM and more. To learn how BirdDog can streamline and integrate your processes, give us a call at (877) 794-5950. We aim to be your company’s ultimate best friend.

Let’s team up and make 2017 the best year yet!

Whether you’re a new business owner or a seasoned corporate distributor, Ecommerce can have its rewards — and its obstacles. While manufacturing, retail and tech companies may differ in industry, each encounters a problem that can easily be solved with Omnicommerce.

Omnicommerce integrates both physical and digital channels, ensuring you never miss an opportunity to connect with potential customers. Our team here at BirdDog Software believes this is just one of many strategies you should be considering in achieving profitable Ecommerce. Keep reading to learn the other seven! 

       Consolidated Platforms

Solves: Business to Business ECommerce (B2B)

Access your portal, distribution, and financial data with a click of a button. BirdDog Software’s Omnicommerce is a great way to keep an eye on your business as you travel. With features specifically built for B2B, it supports all your operations needs in one place.

     Unlimited Connectivity

Solves: Business to Consumer Ecommerce (B2C)

As your business grows, you’ll need to dig deeper when acquiring new customers. Our Omnicommerce gives you the opportunity to reach more customers in more places. When your audience is shopping for anything (regardless of the device), they’ll be presented with a targeted, optimized Ecommerce experience.

As a business owner or manager, you’ll be able to record daily sales over multiple channels, capture transactions and run sales reports seamlessly. 

      Sales Integration

Solves: Point of Sale (POS)

Gone are the days of inventory receipts and customer invoices. With BirdDog Software’s Omnicommerce system, you’ll enjoy a solution that keeps everything in one place. Supportive touch screens, keyboards, and scanners allow you to capture real-time inventory and customer information.

    Inventory Tracking

Solves: Order Entry

Running out of a product is never a fun experience. Our Omnicommerce makes it easy to track your inventory, so you can quickly see what’s selling and what you’ll need to reorder. BirdDog Software tracks the journey from customer demand, which includes sales orders and the items most viewed on your Ecommerce website, to the purchasing, receiving, warehousing, and delivery stages of your product.

For manufacturers and distributors, you’ll be able to track orders from vendors, organizing them in a way that makes the process a breeze. Additionally, you’ll have the ability to provide sales reps with valuable information in regards to consumers and ordering.

   Leverage the Marketplace

Solves: Multiple Platforms

BirdDog’s Omnicommerce is continually evolving to meet your needs. On the horizon, the platform will integrate with third party apps including Amazon, eBay, and Wal-mart to help you reach millions of new customers. You’ll have the power to sell, process, and complete orders from a single inventory.

   Optimize Bookkeeping

Solves: cXML

Our system makes bookkeeping for your business a breeze. Previously, when a customer made a purchase, you had to key in the request and save it into the sales order system. Identifying too high a margin for error, we’ve found a way to automate the process. Decreasing human error while saving you money, it’s a great way to organize your shoebox full of receipts and transactions.

     Utilize Additional Resources

Solves: Headaches

Need a hand? Our systems may be automated, but our service is not. Our talented staff is available Monday through Friday to lend a hand.

 

Our team at BirdDog Software has created a revolutionary system with business owners in mind — keeping sales, inventory, and internal data all in one spot. We believe you should have access to everything, everywhere. Our Omnicommerce allows you access data across multiple devices, provide in-depth reporting, and adapt your business strategy — based on concrete information.

With everything rolled into one, what’s not to love? Call us at (877) 794-5950 for any questions you may have. We’re eager to help you achieve profitable Ecommerce!

I have two items I want to share with you today about changes at BirdDog Software:

One of our goals at BirdDog Software is continuous and rapid improvement. Our customers live in a world that is changing rapidly and we have to do the same to keep their software investments relevant and valuable. In the past, this continuous improvement cycle gave us and our customers heartburn with stability problems. It also made it difficult to explain every feature and bug fix in a specific version of the software. The good news was, we're moving fast! The bad news was, we're moving fast!

In the fall of 2014, we introduced a new development model where every new feature and bug fix would be developed and tested in isolation before being allowed back into any release of the software. The feature or bug fix would then be tested again in the final version to confirm that there were no unexpected issues with other features and bug fixes. This new development and Quality Assurance process has not only increased the stability of our releases, but has also increased the velocity at which we can confidently release bug fixes. Another benefit to the process has been the increased level of visibility and documentation of the process. We now have a steady drum beat of development with a code freeze occurring every month and releases being announced on Facebook as soon as the version passes Final QA.

In addition to the new development process, we've also created a What's New section on the web site to show everything that is in a release. Each item is notated with New (brand new features), Better (enhancements of existing features), or Fixed (bug fixes).



I am very excited about the new process and recommend that you visit the What’s New section of our site to see all of the progress we’ve made this year. By browsing the What’s New section, you will see over 250 enhancements and bug fixes that have been released this year alone for versions 9.6, 9.7, and 9.8. On top of that, we have another 200 enhancements and bug fixes scheduled to be released before the end of the year!

On September 11th, we released our latest version, 9.8.1. This version alone included over 50 enhancements and bug fixes. Check it out in the 9.8 section of What’s New.

Like Us on Facebook for real time notices of updates and upgrades!

Thanks for your support of BirdDog Software where we strive to be Your Company’s Ultimate Best Friend!

Robin Zwirtz

President

E-mail campaigns that included coupons had higher open, click-through and transaction rates, according to a new report from Experian.

Statistics say electronic coupons are the way to a shopper’s heart—or, wallet.

Supercharge Revenue via Coupons with our integrated, BRAIN CRM and BirdDog Ecommerce.

E-mail campaigns that included coupons generated 43% more revenue than e-mails without coupons, or about $0.10 versus $0.07 per e-mail, according to the E-mail Benchmark Study from Experian Marketing Services. Additionally, 50% more e-mail campaigns in the 2013 holiday season included coupons than in the same period last year, Experian says.

The digital marketing firm tracked the performance of all e-mail campaigns sent by more than 50 brands during October and November 2013.

Compared with other types of e-mails, those with coupons had a 14% higher open rates, 34% higher click-through rates and 27% higher transaction rates. In welcome e-mail campaigns specifically, messages that included coupons had 2.5 times the transaction rates of welcome messages without them, Experian adds.

80% of the emaill coupons were available for in-store redemption and 70% were available for online redemption (some coupons could be redeemed in stores and online). Of the in-store coupons, 21% encouraged shoppers to display the coupons on their mobile devices rather than print them out, the report says.

To determine how much coupons contributed to click-through rates, the Experian analysis measured the percentage of clicks on coupon links versus other links in the messages. Following is each type of coupon with the percentage of all clicks in the message that it drew:

• Redeemable in stores only, 58%.
• Redeemable online only, 48%.
• Redeemable in stores or online, 46%.

Coupons don’t have to be enormous to entice more response from consumers than other promotional messaging. The most popular of the “dollar off” coupons was for $10 off, Experian says. That offer had a click-through rate of 2.8%, or 87% higher than the average for other promotional mailings. Meanwhile, coupons for $5 off had the highest transaction rates, 0.12%, or twice the average for non-coupon e-mails, the report found.

Among “percentage off” coupons, 20% off was the most popular, with a click-through rate of 2.5%, or 66% higher than the average for other e-mails, Experian says. Yet again, a slightly smaller deal—15% off in this case—garnered the highest transaction rate, 0.13%, also about twice the average for non-coupon messages.

Danchuk Manufacturing, Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer in the 1955,1956 and 1957 classic Chevy restoration industry, unveiled its new responsive website, http://www.danchuk.com, which enriches the online shopping experience by delivering full content and functionality across all devices.

Since the initial launch of their website in 2008, online consumers have become more savvy, less patient and have a wide range of technology now to consume web content. As mobile and tablet use continues to skyrocket, it is essential that consumers be able to access all of the website's features across multiple devices – desktop, tablet and smartphone.

“When we set out to redesign our website we wanted to be sure that it would give all our customers the best possible shopping experience no matter what platform they choose to visit our site on” said Brian Danchuk, Information Technology Director at Danchuk.

To create a truly seamless shopping experience across desktop and mobile devices, the new site was built with Responsive Design methodology. Since launching their first version of Ecommerce in 2003, BirdDog Software has continued to utilize innovative technology and delivers features and functionality which make it a true, top-shelf platform. Currently on Version 9.6, BirdDog Software is the name to know when looking for a seamless, integrated, Ecommerce technology.

"By using Responsive Design, we were able to guarantee that we would have a website that will meet our standards, our customers’ needs and keep us moving forward embracing the technology we have now as well as that to come. Utilizing the resources provided by BirdDog Software we know our Ecommerce site will meet our needs for years to come.“ commented Bill Roche, Marketing Director at Danchuk.

Consumer research also found that consumers in the classic car restoration industry are making more and more of their part and accessory purchases online. Choosing to further ingrain their footprint in the industry, Danchuk now has a website that will not only make it easy for their customers to conduct business with them online, but it will also allow them the convenience to do it from any place and with any device... As a result, the new website delivers the robust online experience consumers are expecting with new features such as Saved Cart, which allows consumers to shop as their schedule permits, completing their purchase when they have the time, document management and more.

"This new website is a positive step forward for Danchuk Manufacturing, Inc., and we are very proud that together we were able to develop an enhanced online experience for both Danchuk future customers as well as their valued, existing customer base," added Jeremy Moberly, BirdDog Software VP Sales.