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Ways to use Lightspeed eCom for your retail business

As a business owner, establishing an online presence can significantly empower your brand. This enables you to become an omnichannel retailer, leveraging websites and social media to reach customers where they are, drive foot traffic to your stores, and convert one-time buyers into loyal clients. In other words, it helps you make more sales.

Lightspeed eCom is a flexible, in-house solution designed to help you establish a strong online presence through your own branded website, with or without an online catalog. It also allows you to launch ads showcasing your products across Google, Facebook, TikTok and other social media. You have the flexibility to choose one or several options that best suit your business.

Unlike other ecommerce platforms, Lightspeed eCom is integrated with Lightspeed POS, offering the following advantages:

  • Inventory synchronization between platforms: This eliminates the need for manual inventory management, as all changes and sales are updated automatically.
  • Seamless product listing: Move your products online in just a few clicks, whether it's a single item or your entire catalog.
  • User-friendly site builder: Featuring ready-made templates, your catalog is included on the Shop page by default.
  • Custom development: Tailor your site to meet your specific business needs with in-house custom development.
  • Support included: Lightspeed eCom is included in all Lightspeed POS (X-Series) subscriptions, providing you with confidence as Lightspeed eCom customer support is always there to assist you.

Here’s how you can use Lightspeed eCom for your brand:

Build a branded website without an online shop

Build a “view-only” site with an online catalog

Sell a few bestsellers on your website (and collect pre-orders!)

Sell an entire catalog on your website

Create and adjust landing pages for your promo campaigns

Add shoppable links to your social media

Advertise or sell your products across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok

Advertise your products in Google with automated campaigns

Sell your brand on marketplaces

Offer a branded app for your customers

Create a branded website without an online shop

The simplest way to dip your toes into Ecommerce without investing too much effort is to create a shop-free website that tells your business story and lists all the store locations.

A website serves as a central hub for your company, where people can learn about your values, offerings, and the nearest store locations. Additionally, it enhances search engine optimization, increasing your brand’s visibility to a broader audience. By using the right keywords, you attract organic traffic from Google, which can lead to more visitors to your physical stores.

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Building a website is easy with Lightspeed eCom:

  1. Enable Lightspeed eCom →
  2. Hide a store section from your site in a single click →
  3. Change the site design and publish it →
  4. Purchase a unique domain that is set up automatically →

See step-by-step instructions on how to build a shop-free website →

Making a site multilingual benefits international brands since it allows visitors to choose their preferred language when opening the site.

Create a “view-only” website with your Lightspeed POS products

Many people prefer online browsing from the comfort of their home or while commuting before they decide to buy in-store. To reach those people, you can create an online storefront without checkout to showcase any number or your product range, including new arrivals and special items, which might not always be on display in your physical store. Add a site page with all your locations to let people know where to actually buy your products.

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To create an online catalog: 

  1. Enable Lightspeed eCom →
  2. Sync catalog between POS and Lightspeed eCom →
  3. Choose a template for your site, edit its content and publish →
  4. Disable checkout to turn your online store into a catalog →
  5. Purchase a unique domain that connects to your site right away →

Once your online catalog is ready, you can publish the site and share a link to it on your social media, in emails, on your business cards and branded items. If you rely on the B2B model, you can send your clients a direct link so they can browse your catalog.

Include demo videos, FAQs, or customer reviews to reduce uncertainty in the purchase decision and make it more likely that your site visitors turn into your customers.

Sell selected products on your branded website

With Lightspeed eCom, it’s easy to start low-risk online sales by selling just a single item or several of your bestsellers. Starting with a few items helps you learn the logistics and operations of online sales without being overwhelmed. 

To minimize the effort, you can set up the easiest shipping and payment methods for your store: accept cash and offer in-store pickup. That way, you don’t have to bother with the orders fulfillment and will save on transaction and delivery fees.

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To create a site with a few items for online sale:

  1. Enable Lightspeed eCom to get a pre-made website with an online store →
  2. Choose what products to show in your online shop →
  3. Add images and descriptions for your products
  4. Set up cash payments and in-store pickup
  5. Change the site design and publish it →
  6. Purchase a unique domain right from your eCom admin with no additional setup →
You can collect pre-orders and offer your bestsellers even when they’re not available yet.

Once you get your first online sales, you can then gradually expand your online offerings based on the initial success and feedback, ensuring a sustainable growth strategy. Additionally, you can sync your Lightspeed eCom shop with social media to sell or advertise bestsellers on more channels. 

Sell your entire Lightspeed POS catalog on your branded website

You can sell all of your products on a Lightspeed eCom website to offer a seamless shopping experience to a global audience. 

An online store operates around the clock, providing customers the convenience to shop anytime, which can significantly increase sales opportunities. To enhance customer satisfaction, empower your store with features like product reviews, subscriptions, pre-orders, loyalty program, and more. See the list of features Lightspeed eCom provides →

What is more, a website with the right keywords boost your brand visibility since Google can show it to people with relevant search queries. In addition, you can sync your online shop with Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok and sell or advertise your brand on those social media sites. 

To start selling online on your website:

  1. Enable Lightspeed eCom to get a pre-made website with an online store →
  2. Move your catalog from POS to your website →
  3. Add images and descriptions for your products
  4. Set up cash payments and in-store pickup
    If you’re using Lightspeed Payments to accept payments in stores, you can enable it for your online shop in a few clicks
  5. Change the site design and publish it →
  6. Purchase a unique domain that’s up and working automatically →

Run a landing page for a promo campaign and lead generation

When you run a promo campaign or prepare an event, you can create a landing page with Lightspeed eCom. That way you provide all the necessary information and then can share the link to this landing page on social media, branded cards or flyers, and in physical stores.

A landing page benefits even “non-online-friendly” businesses such as solar panel installation, custom metalworks, or B2B types of businesses.

WIth Lightspeed eCom, you can create a simple landing page without an online shop. If you want to collect email and phone numbers of people who are interested in your products or services, add a contact form on your landing page. Later, you can use that data for targeted marketing and personalized communication to make more sales.

To create a landing page:

  1. Enable Lightspeed eCom →
  2. Hide a store section from your site in a single click →
  3. Adjust the site design to turn it into a landing page and publish it →
    In case you run a new collection, want to show benefits of your brand, or share your customers’ emotions about using your products, include videos on the landing page.
  4. Purchase a unique domain to reflect your brand →
When your promo campaign or event is over, you can turn the landing page into your branded website, online catalog, or online shop. Alternatively, you can re-use it for the next promo by changing its design.

Add shoppable links on your social media

When you rely heavily on your social media, you can turn it into a “pop-up shop” where people can buy your bestsellers even without a website.

This is possible with Linkup, a Lightspeed eCom tool that allows you to create a landing page or a mini-website with links to your products. You can then add it into your social media profiles. As customers click the link, a popup opens where they can add an item to cart and proceed to checkout to place an order without even leaving your Linkup microsite.

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To create a Linkup “pop-up shop” you need to set up your online shop first:

  1. Enable Lightspeed eCom →
  2. Choose what products to show in your Linkup mini-store →
  3. Add images and descriptions for your products
  4. Set up online payments and shipping methods
    If you’re using Lightspeed Payments to accept payments in stores, you can enable it for your online shop in a few clicks.
  5. Create a Linkup landing page and publish it on your social media →

Advertise across social media to reach target audience

When you enable your catalog to Lightspeed eCom, you can sync all the products available for online sale to Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok and advertise your brand across platforms to introduce it to a wider audience.

Social network advertising offers highly precise targeting, allowing you to reach specific audiences with tailored messages. For example, you can show your ads to new moms in your city or dog owners in your neighborhood. This level of precision ensures your marketing efforts are more effective and efficient.

Different types of businesses thrive on different social media platforms, and with Lightspeed eCom you can tell about your brand on each of them:

  • Advertising on Instagram. Ideal for visually appealing products like food, fashion, beauty, home decor, and art. Instagram's visual focus and features like Stories, Reels, and Shopping make it perfect for showcasing high-quality images and videos.
  • Advertising on Facebook. Great for a wide range of businesses, including local services, retail, restaurants, and B2B companies. Facebook's advertising tools allow you to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors.
  • Advertising on TikTok. Best suited for brands targeting younger audiences with engaging and creative content. Industries like fashion, beauty, food, entertainment, and fitness perform well on TikTok due to its emphasis on short-form videos and trends.

Advertise on Google to increase brand awareness

People tend to google items before deciding where to purchase them. This is a good opportunity to introduce your brand to a broader audience who’s already interested in your type of products.

When you enable your catalog to Lightspeed eCom, you can then create an ads campaign with those products on Google. When customers click the ads, they are redirected on your website which can be with or without Ecommerce. The best part is that creating a campaign is automated so you need to do minimum setups.

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To advertise your products on Google:

  1. Enable Lightspeed eCom →
  2. Choose what products you want to advertise on Google and show on your website →
  3. Add images and descriptions for your products
  4. To offer on-site purchases, set up online payments and shipping methods → 
  5. To offer a shop-free online catalog, disable checkout →
  6. Change the site design and publish it →
  7. Purchase a unique domain from your eCom admin without any additional setup →
  8. Run an ad campaign on Google →

Sell on marketplaces with Lightspeed eCom

Selling on a marketplace allows you to reach people who are already interested in your type of products and at the same time increase brand awareness. Since many marketplaces ship worldwide, it can be a good opportunity to expand your brand for foreign markets. 

Lightspeed eCom is integrated with major marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart so you can connect your catalog to any of them. Please note that you will have to set up your Lightspeed eCom first.

Learn more about connecting your Lightspeed eCom with marketplaces →

Create an mobile app version of your Lightspeed eCom shop

When you’ve enabled and set up your Lightspeed eCom online shop, you can create a branded mobile app for it. The app works just like your online store: it shows your catalog and site in the mobile format, allowing customers to purchase or pre-order items right from the app. To use the app, customers will need to install it on their phones just like a regular app.

This feature may be especially beneficial for a B2B business model to allow your clients to browse your catalog and make wholesale purchases.

Learn about creating an app for your Lightspeed eCom →

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