Part I: Introduction & Account Setup retail

1. What is Boost?

Computers have changed the way business is conducted these days. From e-commerce to communicating with customers, everything has shifted online. Boost is a unique app that helps you manage all aspects of the online part of your business with great ease and convenience. It takes care of many different things, including:

● Setting up a website
● Online orders and e-commerce
● Digital payments
● SEO
● Social media marketing
● Calls and enquiries, and more!

Boost caters to various business categories such as retail, services, hospitals and clinics, doctors, hotels, manufacturing, education, beauty and wellness etc. It makes handling your digital business so simple that you can actually do it all on your own! No need to hire developers, designers, copywriters, digital marketers etc. Just download the app and follow the instructions to create and manage your own website and social media accounts!

2. What does the term ‘digital strategy’ mean? Why do I need one for my business?
All businesses need to have a digital strategy in today’s world. The term ‘digital strategy’ refers to a plan or a blueprint that has been created with the goal of helping businesses take advantage of the latest online technology. It includes many components like internet marketing, online revenue generation, IT systems and processes, data analytics etc. The ultimate goal of a good digital strategy is to ensure that all these different parts combine to help you improve your business and increase your earnings.
A good digital strategy can help your retail business in the following ways:

● Improve brand awareness and brand reputation.
● Improve customer inflow and sales.
● Improve customer convenience.
● Improve business efficiency.

3. How does Boost help me run my digital strategy?

The Boost app comes with many different functions. It can help you build a website, set up an online shopping system (e-commerce), collect payments, help with digital marketing, direct customer calls, track your ROI and do much more.

Without Boost, many of these activities would require you to hire full-time employees or agencies which can be expensive and needlessly complicated. Boost takes care of the full gamut of digital activities through a single application that empowers you to do everything on your own, at a fraction of the cost.

4. Why does my business need a multi-channel presence?

The term ‘multi-channel presence’ has become quite common these days. It refers to the marketing and distribution of goods and services using a combination of online and offline channels. It includes face-to-face selling, phone orders, online orders, email marketing, website creation, social media promotion, telemarketing etc.

An effective multi-channel strategy for retail businesses would include a well-organised shop, established in a suitable location to attract customers; a detailed and well-structured website; an efficient phone and online ordering system; strong social media presence; powerful SEO; a robust online payment collection system etc. These can help your retail business grow tremendously by enhancing business efficiency, brand awareness and brand reputation.

5. What makes Boost different from other website builders and listing websites like Wix, Weebly, Justdial and Sulekha?

There are important differences between Boost and other popular website builders and directories as listed below:

● Wix: is a drag-and-drop website builder which is best suited for the following categories:

Small businesses
Cafes and restaurants
Hotels and hospitality
Photographers
Graphic designers

The large amount of options in Wix often ends up confusing users. In comparison, Boost not only provides users with the best theme as per their category, but helps in integrating their social media/online discovery platform pages like Facebook, Twitter, and Google My Business, with just a click of button. And the best thing is, no knowledge of coding is required.

● Weebly: Weebly is a website builder that focuses mainly on the look and feel of the website. Business owners are expected to edit title tags and meta descriptions for each page using the built-in editor found on the left sidebar—which is something that a layman may not easily understand. Weebly also allows you to edit title tags and meta descriptions under the settings tab—separate from the in-page editor. The platform involves heavy use of JavaScript in the header section. While this gives you the functionality to design and build a website unique to your business, it also runs the risk of leading to poor site code and structure and may slow down site speed.

Compared to Weebly, Boost empowers users with a well-designed website while also enabling ease of operation via a dedicated app. Adding regular content helps Google track the website and allows it to improve its ranking. The USP of Boost is its simplicity. It gives you an easy platform to manage, grow and promote your digital business while making complex activities extremely simple so that you can operate them with minimum fuss.

● Justdial: Justdial is a popular Indian online directory whose primary function is to list business information. It also hosts an online enquiry platform and extends e-commerce facilities for selected verticals through tie-ups with third party service providers like Zomato, Amazon and Paytm Mall.

Justdial contains many different categories like travel, B2B, automobile etc. to provide a complete search-and-discovery experience for users. But it does not offer web-building services and many other key facilities like social media marketing and business e-mail accounts which are available on Boost.

● Sulekha: is an online business directory similar to Justdial. Users are required to submit their queries which is matched to the existing database of verified service professionals. The facility is free to use for consumers but service professionals are required to pay a fee for listing and verification.

Sulekha does not offer website building services like Boost and functions like a directory service. But it does offer a payment collection system.

6. We are already connected on Google My Business. Why do we still need a NowFloats website?

Google My Business is an online directory, while Boost is a complete digital solution for your retail business. While Google My Business helps you list your business on all Google properties, like Google Search and Google Maps, it does not provide access to many other features that are available on Boost, such as:

● Creating a website
● Setting up product catalogue
● E-commerce
● Digital payments
● Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
● Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
● Social Media Marketing (SMM)
● Tracking and directing customer calls to the right person through IVR
● Professional e-mail accounts
● Boost Business Keyboard
● WhatsApp integration
● Newsletter subscriptions

Due to its limited functionality, Google My Business can never be a replacement for your Boost website. Instead, it should be seen as a useful add-on to Boost which can help you enhance your online visibility. That is why, Boost also includes Google My Business in its overall digital strategy. By connecting Google My Business to your Boost app, you can operate your Google My Business account through the app itself without having to manage it separately by going to the Google My Business platform.

7. How to download the Boost 360 app?

The Boost 360 app is available for Android and Apple smartphones. Follow these steps to download the app.

a) Android

i. Go to the Play Store and type “NowFloats Boost” in the search bar. You will see ‘Boost 360’ among the results.

ii. You will be taken to the installation page. Tap the ‘Install’ button.

b) iOS

i. Go to iTunes and type “NowFloats Boost” in the search bar. You will see it among the results.

ii. You will be taken to the installation page. Tap the ‘Install’ button.

8. How to create your user account?
You can create your Boost user account through the app. Follow these instructions.

i. When you open the app for the first time, the following screen will appear. Tap ‘Create Account’ to proceed.

ii. There are three ways to create your Boost account—through Facebook, Google, or email. Select the most suitable option.

iii. Once you have selected your option, you will be taken to the next page. Key in your user details and tap ‘Create Account’ as shown below.

iv. You will arrive on the ‘Terms & Conditions’ page. Read it carefully and tap the ‘Accept’ button.

v. You will reach the following page. Tap ‘Let’s Start’.

vi. You will be asked to choose your business category. Select your option and tap ‘Next’.

vii. You will be taken to the following page. Tap ‘Confirm’ to proceed.

viii. Next, enter your business contact information as shown below and tap the ‘Confirm’ button.

ix. You will be asked to select your website URL. Key in the URL of your choice and tap the ‘Create My Business Website’ button as shown below.

x. Next, Boost will ask you to connect your Google page. Tap ‘Connect My Google Page’ if you have one, else tap ‘Skip’.

Below screenshot can be matched to content of step 4 

iv. You will arrive on the ‘Terms & Conditions’ page. Read it carefully and tap the ‘Accept’ button.

xi. Then, Boost will ask you to connect your Facebook page. Tap ‘Connect My Facebook Page’ if you have one, else tap ‘Skip’.

xii. Boost will also ask you to connect your Facebook Shop page. Tap ‘Yes, Sync My Facebook Shop Page’ if it is enabled, else tap ‘Skip’.

xiii. Then Boost will ask you to connect your Twitter page. Tap ‘Yes, Sync My Twitter Profile’ if you have a Twitter page, else tap ‘Skip’.

xiv. Boost will also ask you to sync your WhatsApp number. You can provide either your business number or your personal number for this purpose. Tap ‘Confirm and Proceed’ to sync your WhatsApp number, else tap ‘Skip’.

xv. Now, Boost will display a status message validating that your business setup has been completed. Tap ‘Start Your Digital Journey’.

xvi. A confirmation message will appear on your screen. From here, you can either select ‘Check Your Business Website’ or ‘Go to Business Dashboard’.

9. Introduction to the app and portal.

Welcome to Boost! Let us take you on a brief tour of our app and portal.

Your Boost platform comes with many unique features such as:

● Instant updates
● Photo gallery
● Location-based discovery
● Live analytics
● Customer enquiry widget
● Instant, dynamic website
● Product catalogue
● CDN for faster loading websites
● RIA (Relationship Intelligence Agent)
● WhatsApp for web
● Website management app and web portal
● Social media integration—Facebook page, Facebook Shop, Twitter, Google My Business
● Shopping cart and checkout
● Website subscribers
These features can be enjoyed by users of all business categories. In addition, users of the retail version of Boost can enjoy the following special features:
● Modern Design Options—to help you tell your story on all kinds of devices.
● Payment Gateway—to enable your customers to conveniently place orders and complete the purchasing process using any online payment method they choose.
Boost 360 for Retail is a complete digital solution catering to retail businesses of all types with the objective of increasing sales and earnings using various online channels.

10. How can I reach your helpdesk?
While this guide is meant to provide detailed step-by-step directions to help you operate the application, there will be occasions when you may need to get in touch with our customer support department for specific issues. You can access our helpdesk at such times by following the steps below:

i. Open the app and tap the bars on the top left of the screen.

ii. The main menu will appear. Select the ‘Help and Support’ option.

iii. You will be taken to the relevant page. Select how you wish to contact the helpdesk—by chat, or by call.