Many of our customers stick to the traditional way of doing things—placing orders via phone or email. It’s familiar, so why change? Take one of our clients as an example: they have a sales team of six, and every Monday, each member spends six hours on the phone, responding to emails, listening to voicemails, and manually entering orders into their Sage system. This process, to us, is inefficient. If the team members earn £18 per hour, that’s £648 spent every Monday just on order processing. Over the course of a year (52 Mondays), this amounts to £33,696.

By switching to DueTrade’s ordering app, they’ve reduced this time by two hours per sales rep every Monday within the first 12 months, saving £216 weekly. Over a year, that’s a total saving of £11,232.
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We're a traditional business that sells to farm shops, deli's and restaurants. Why should I start offering an ordering app?

Introducing an ordering app for your business, even in a traditional setting, could offer several benefits:

1. Convenience for Customers: Farmshops, delis, and restaurants often value ease of ordering. An app streamlines the process, allowing them to place orders quickly, anytime, without needing to make calls or visit in person.
2. Improved Efficiency: An app can automate parts of the ordering process, reducing manual entry errors and freeing up time for both you and your customers. It can also track order history, simplifying repeat purchases.
3. Real-time Communication: An app can provide instant updates on stock levels, delivery times, or special promotions. This keeps your customers informed and helps avoid any issues with availability.
4. Increased Customer Loyalty: Offering a user-friendly app can set you apart from competitors and create a modern, streamlined customer experience that encourages repeat business.
5. Data Insights: An app collects valuable data on purchasing trends, helping you understand customer preferences, optimise inventory, and even forecast demand more accurately.
6. Market Reach: An app can help you reach a broader audience and attract new customers, especially those who prefer mobile and digital interactions.

For your traditional business model, it’s a way to modernise operations without losing your core values.

But they usually just call us, email us and use the website, what's the difference with using an app?

Using phone calls and a website for orders is convenient and accessible, but an app offers distinct advantages that can complement or improve your current systems:

1. Dedicated Platform: An app is designed specifically for your business, offering a tailored experience. Unlike WhatsApp, which is a general messaging platform, an app can integrate features like product catalogues, order history, and loyalty programs, all in one place.
2. Better Order Management: An app can automate the ordering process, from tracking order statuses to inventory management. It reduces the need for manual input, minimising errors that can occur with WhatsApp messages or web forms.
3. Offline Access: Apps can store product information and allow for offline browsing, which is not always possible with websites. This is helpful if your customers are in rural or low-coverage areas, like many farm shops or delis.
4. Push Notifications: Unlike a website or WhatsApp, an app allows you to send push notifications directly to users’ phones. This is a powerful tool for promotions, reminders, or updates about new products or availability.
5. Brand Loyalty & Personalisation: An app can offer personalised user experiences, such as recommending products based on past orders or offering custom promotions. This level of personalisation is harder to achieve through WhatsApp or a standard website.
6. Data Analytics: Apps provide better insights into customer behaviour, tracking more detailed metrics like frequency of app usage, order preferences, and engagement with promotions, helping you make data-driven decisions.
7. Professional Image: A dedicated app can give your business a more professional and modern look. It signals growth and can differentiate you from competitors who only use WhatsApp and websites.

While WhatsApp and your website are effective tools, an app can centralise and enhance these interactions, making them smoother for both you and your customers.

Get in touch: sales@duetrade.co.uk

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