Even though we are still mired in the Covid-19 pandemic, we know that eventually there will be light at the end of the tunnel, and hopefully sooner than later. However, many experts predict that there will likely be permanent effects in the retail and restaurant industries. The new normal of our Covid world is starting to settle upon us and so are some of the new conveniences and trends born out of forced innovation in response to the global pandemic.
What trends will likely continue after the pandemic and business restrictions are fully lifted? Read on to find out!
80% of workers want to work from home some of the time.
Global Workplace Analytics (GWA) reported in 2019 that 80% of workers would want to work from home at least part of the time, and it is very likely that some of those survey participants got their wish in 2020’s barrage of unexpected events.
Pre-pandemic, the GWA estimated that 5 million adults worked remotely — approximately 3.6% of the workforce. But based on current trends, it is estimated that by the end of 2021, 25-30% of the workforce will be remote workers.
When state shut-downs started in March, the pandemic forced an issue that many companies and businesses have grappled with in recent years: Could remote work succeed for my business? In a survey of CFOs, many plan to continue remote work post-pandemic, shifting as much as 20% of their workforce into remote work to save money.
Cost is a huge reason why businesses might choose to let their employees work from home for good. Kate Lister of the GWA says, “â¦a typical employer can save about $11,000/year for every person who works remotely half of the time.” These savings stem from fewer maintenance expenditures primarily and, oftentimes, in increased productivity from staff.
Shopping Online
68% of consumers are likely to continue online ordering after the pandemic.
According to an April 2020 survey by CommerceHub, not only has the popularity of online ordering increased during the pandemic, but 69% of consumers are more willing to do their shopping online than before the pandemic and 75% say they are more likely to opt for curbside delivery. A global survey noted that 36% of consumers are shopping online at least once a week — which is up from 27% pre-Covid.
All of that points to continued growth for eCommerce which already saw a 146% year-over-year increase since April 2020. That means that stores that don’t have an online presence might want to adopt a plan to expand into eCommerce. Many businesses may not even realize how simple it is to start their own online store. Many POS companies even come with either their own eCommerce platform or integrate with third-party companies that can provide the service at an affordable rate. At the very least, stores with a storefront should know consumers are hoping curbside pick-up and expanded delivery options will stick around after the pandemic.
Cashless & Contactless Payments
Contactless sales have increased by 27% since March.
A survey from the Electronic Transaction Association (ETA) said that contactless sales have increased by 27% since the shutdowns began. The ETA’s chief executive Jodie Kelley released a statement that said, “It’s clear that the ‘new normal’ for businesses of all sizes is defined in part by a shift in consumer preference for e-commerce and contactless payments, which can help limit consumer exposure and promote social distancing during the pandemic.”
While not all businesses are on board with shifting over to a cashless business, more businesses added contactless/cashless options during the pandemic, and the result is consumers might prefer this new normal.
One Step Closer to The Singularity: More Robots!
2 million new industrial robots will be installed in the next two years.
A quick search on Google will show you how many think-pieces have been written about the idea that “Robots Don’t Get Sick.” In this world of germs and sickness, the idea of a workforce that cannot, in fact, catch COVID seems dreamy (if not a bit dystopian, as well). The 2 million industrial robots joining the ranks are not all a response to COVID — many are a natural evolution as technology responds to consumer trends.
According to McKinsey and Company’s report on industrial robotics, 88% of businesses worldwide plan to implement increased robotic automations.
The current trend is for “cobots” — robots that work in collaboration with a human counterpart.
Investment In Local Small Businesses
68% of consumers will continue to shop local after the pandemic.
Commitment to small businesses saw a surge of support during the tenuous first months of the Covid pandemic. For businesses wondering if that attraction to shopping local will continue, signs point to yes. A survey conducted by ZypMedia said that 68% of consumers will continue to shop local even after all pandemic restrictions are lifted. And, in fact, many individuals may need to continue or consciously up their support of their favorite local businesses to keep them afloat or back up and running again.
Aman Sareen, CEO of ZypMedia said, “Local businesses are the engine of our economy and it’s reassuring to see that Americans aren’t abandoning them during these uncertain times. How businesses market to their customers is more critical than ever as consumers believe in remaining loyal to their local businesses, while at the same time being conscious of their current economic and social distancing situations.”
How To Get Your Business Through COVID
Small business owners understand there is a lot of uncertainty about the future. Infection numbers keep climbing, future stimulus bills seem in limbo, and not every small business will be able to survive. But while there’s still a long road ahead, there have also been amazing and creative breakthroughs in innovations. Companies that are able to think on their feet and adapt to these fast-moving trends will always have a better chance of success.
Follow Merchant Maverick on Facebook or Twitter for more news content related to the pandemic. You can also check out our COVID-19 hub — we’ll also be posting any need-to-know stories there.
Do you have a story idea, tip, or press release for the Merchant Maverick news team? Shoot us an email: [email protected]
The post 5 COVID Business Trends To Keep An Eye On Post-Pandemic: Key Stats, Surveys, & More appeared first on Merchant Maverick.
This post originally appeared at How To Choose The Best Ecommerce Website Builder for Small Business via ShivarWeb
Choosing the best e-commerce website builder for a small business can be challenging, especially when you consider the variety of options available. By doing a little reading and research before committing to a website builder, you can make the best possible choice for your small business.
Summary – Best Website Builder if you want…
Based on my experience working with many website builders, there are a few that are a good fit for most people. They all have free trials available.
Simple Ecommerce
Quick Setup
Focus on Simplicity
Small Site Appeal
Weebly
View Plans
Robust Ecommerce
Full Platform
Focus on Features
Ecommerce Appeal
Shopify
View Plans
Lots of Options
Drag & Drop Design
Focus on Usability
Broad Appeal
Wix
View Plans
Focused on something specific?
WooCommerce is a plugin / plan for WordPress that has some learning curve, but also infinite versatility for content-heavy for business websites. (see review). View plans.
We’ll discuss all of the factors you need to consider when choosing an e-commerce website, including what features to look for from a website builder. And after you’ve perused our tips and tricks, you’ll be able to confidently select the best e-commerce website builder for you and your business.
Primary Considerations
To help you come away with the best possible chance at finding the e-commerce site builder that works for you, we’ve provided an in-depth look at everything you may need to think about before laying claim to a domain.
Inventory
Not all website builders allow users to host an unlimited amount of products. Some have inventory maximums that can potentially limit a business’s commerce.
Understanding how many (and what kinds) products you can advertise on your website can help you choose an ecommerce builder that works best for your business.
If you work with a small amount of inventory, or products that are constantly changing, you may not necessarily benefit from using a website builder that offers infinite inventory options. However, if you intend to list hundreds of items (or more), springing for the unrestricted inventory space can be a massively beneficial move.
Because website builders often offer multiple pricing plans, you may be able to select the precise features that work best for you and your business without spending extra on unwanted functions or apps.
Always be sure to check for inventory limits on your favorite building plans, and while you’re there, also check commission fees.
Commission
Some ecommerce website builders may charge commission fees on products sold online, typically at a percentage of the total cost of the item. Though this is a small price to pay, it does accumulate over time, especially for businesses that find sudden or rapid success.
Business owners hoping to diminish profit losses of any size or amount may want to choose a website builder that charges zero or minimal commission on sold goods and items. Of course, it’s worth mentioning that the cost of commission is negligible when compared to other types of common costs, including shipping and handling.
Still, it is crucial to be aware of potential commission losses when deciding on a website builder. It’s also essential to become familiar with different pricing plans.
Price
The cost to own and run an e-commerce site varies based on the exact services provided. Many website builders offer a wide range of potential plans, each with a monthly or annual price. The free or low-cost plans tend to be the most basic and feature the fewest options, templates, or capabilities.
However, that doesn’t mean that a basic e-commerce site isn’t a valid option. The perfect e-commerce website builder for you is one that meets your needs, doesn’t go over budget, and allows for future expansion. When it comes to pricing, it’s often better to start with the less costly, simpler plans.
You can always choose to upgrade to a more comprehensive plan in the future, and you won’t be paying extra for features you don’t want or need. Besides, starting with a low-price plan allows you a little time to try a website builder.
You could have a feature-packed, unlimited inventory, affordable builder but not understand how to use it. Having a little time to practice with a site builder can help you discover how right it might be for you and your business. This can prevent ease-of-use issues that might develop later on down the line.
Ease of Use
An ecommerce website builder that is confusing or difficult to master can feel endlessly frustrating. If you’re not comfortable with a builder’s design or user interface, you may end up needing to hire a web designer to help you finish your site. This is an additional cost that can help you arrive at a better final product, but it’s not completely necessary.
The best e-commerce website builders for small businesses are easy enough for anyone to learn and use. They don’t require excessive HTML knowledge or design experience. If your preferred website builder is giving you a headache every time you attempt to work with it, it’s probably time to consider a different service.
Trial Usage
Some website builders allow users to experience a free trial period, while others are a little less accommodating. If you’re new to e-commerce website building, it may be helpful to try several ecommerce builders and see which one works best for you.
Trial periods typically last anywhere between seven days and a full month. Most allow users to explore basic features or plans, with the option to upgrade to a more comprehensive range or plan in the future. Choosing to engage in trials can ensure that you invest in the best e-commerce website builder for your small business.
Secondary Considerations
In addition to the factors laid out above, there are also a few features to keep in mind while browsing through e-commerce website builders. Inventory options and commission percentages are vital, but it’s also wise to keep an eye out for specific, potentially helpful features.
For example, website owners can benefit from having access to tons of templates or design options. Individuals interested in an e-commerce site can also benefit from using a website builder that allows clients and customers to utilize multiple popular payment options.
Let’s explore some of the most crucial features to look for in an e-commerce website builder. Doing so will help you decide which features to focus on, and which you can live without.
Templates
When website builders offer dozens or hundreds of design templates and options, users can customize their site and make it unique to their brand. Rather than wishing that your cookie-cutter site had a little more flair, you could quickly and easily make it yours with the help of pre-set templates and design features.
If you enjoy the creative aspect of website design and creation, you’ll definitely want to choose an e-commerce website builder that allows you to express that creativity. Some builders may also allow users to upload music (and sell it on the site), videos, and photography.
With the right blend of media and inventory, you can attract the right clients and customers to your business. Of course, it also helps to have multiple payment options available for patrons to use.
Payment Options
When a customer is ready to purchase a product online, they must choose among a wide range of payment options. While credit and debit cards are fantastically common and familiar, there are several other payment options that are quickly becoming just as popular.
For example, while debit cards and major credit cards are generally accepted everywhere, alternative forms of payment like PayPal can provide greater accessibility to a wider audience. Many e-commerce sites opt for payment plans, too, so consider whether those options would be beneficial to your consumers.
Staying ahead of the curve means embracing “the new,” and website builders must stay competitive with their payment options if they’d like to attract the most customers and clients. Restricting payment options to standard debit/credit can be harmful to a small business.
Opening up your payment options can help you reach a greater variety of customers and clients, resulting in more sales and a boost in your audience’s reach. If you’re not familiar with some of the newer payment options, you may want to reach out for a little support and guidance.
Support
When you’re building a website, you might occasionally run into a few trouble areas or issues. It’s normal to have questions or require a little technical support from time to time.
However, not all website builders offer 24/7 assistance and chat support. Some customer and client support systems are massively lacking, resulting in slow results for both users and customers.
Choosing the best e-commerce website builder for a small business often means choosing one that offers consistent and reliable technical support. Always check to see if your preferred builder offers anytime-anyplace support, or if they require more rigid reporting to help solve issues.
Though technical support might not seem like a huge deal before you invest in a website builder, getting stuck with poor support can be a huge detriment to the site-building process. It can also lead to feelings of frustration that inhibit you from finding success online.
General Tips
Starting a website doesn’t have to be a time-consuming challenge, especially when you have the right information at your disposal. By taking the time to educate and prepare yourself before committing to a specific service or builder, you can increase your chances of success.
The following tips and tricks may help you expedite the website building process, find the best possible e-commerce builder, and save a little money.
Compare Your Options
Before you decide on a website builder for your small business, it’s wise to take a moment and compare all potential options, their prices, and their features. Though this particular process might take a little time and forethought, it can be significantly beneficial.
Getting to see all of your choices compared against one another may help you choose the option that is best for your budget and preferences. You can even use Excel spreadsheets to help you gather and organize your information.
Choose Zero Commission
Whenever possible, always choose the lowest commission. While this might seem like an obvious tip, it’s entirely possible to forget about commission percentages when you’re busy comparing pricing plans and additional features.
Always double-check your preferred plan’s commission fees before making a final decision or payment. You may be thankful that you saved yourself from paying 5% of every sale toward the website builder or hostsite. Additionally, it may be wise to try as many free trials as possible before committing to a specific website builder or plan.
Try a Free Trial
If you can take advantage of a free trial, you should. Not only will you be investing zero capital to try out a potentially advantageous website builder, but you’ll also get to change your mind with absolutely no risk. Starting with a free trial can help you avoid buyer’s remorse as a result of a poor builder choice.
To make matters even sweeter, most website builders that offer free trials also allow users to upgrade those trials to full-fledged paid accounts at any time. So, if you find something that you like and you’re interested in getting a little more from it, you can turn that free trial into a long-lasting smile.
The Next Steps
Now that you’re aware of which factors to consider and what features to look for, you can select an e-commerce website builder that’s ideal for your small business. Taking the time to consider potential inventory limits, commission payments, and the long term costs associated with an e-commerce website builder can allow you to choose an outstanding-quality service.
Simple Ecommerce
Quick Setup
Focus on Simplicity
Small Site Appeal
Weebly
View Plans
Robust Ecommerce
Full Platform
Focus on Features
Ecommerce Appeal
Shopify
View Plans
Lots of Options
Drag & Drop Design
Focus on Usability
Broad Appeal
Wix
View Plans
Focused on something specific?
WooCommerce is a plugin / plan for WordPress that has some learning curve, but also infinite versatility for content-heavy for business websites. (see review). View plans.
Choosing website builders that offer plenty of attractive templates, payment options, and customer support features can help your new site reach audiences and keep them coming back for more.
But overall, comparing your options and trying several potential builders is one of the most effective ways to find the best service for your business.
This post originally appeared at How To Choose The Best Ecommerce Website Builder For Beginners via ShivarWeb
The Internet has changed dramatically in the past 10 years for anyone who wants to sell a product online. In many ways, it’s easier than ever for beginners to sell online. However, the sheer world of options makes choosing an ecommerce website builder difficult in different ways.
Even though selling online should be approachable, it can be daunting. Here’s how to choose the best ecommerce website builder for beginners so that you can get started for less money and fewer barriers, but also build with confidence.
Summary – Best Ecommerce Website Builder for Beginners
Based on my experience working with many website builders, there are a few that are a good fit for most beginners.
Simple Ecommerce
Value Pricing
Focus on Simplicity
Small Site Appeal
Weebly
View Plans
Built-in Features
Drag + Drop Design
Focus on Usability
Broad Appeal
Wix
View Plans
Affordable Option
Future-proofing
Focus on Versatility
Budget Appeal
NameCheap
View Plans
Focused on a long-term project?
Shopify is the most robust ecommerce platform on the Internet. It has a learning curve, but has the most comprehensive setup for a full-featured online store (see review). View plans.
Who Needs a Website Builder?
If you have the technical know-how, the website building process might not seem so daunting. For those of us who aren’t web developers, fortunately, there’s a workable solution: a website builder. With the right website building program, you don’t have to understand complex web development principles or know coding languages.
Most e-commerce site builders are as simple as drag-and-drop. A good website builder should be easy to use, even for a complete newbie who only knows how to check email and post pictures on Facebook.
The very best site builders don’t require you to start from scratch. By providing you with a set of features and templates that you can customize to meet your needs, these website builders reduce the amount of work you have to do to get your website running.
These templates and features typically already incorporate best practices for web design, giving you a head start in building a professional-grade website for your e-commerce business.
The tradeoff you should be thinking of is whether using a website builder will be better than hiring a professional web designer or developer. For most small businesses and beginners, the decision is a no-brainer. A web developer will not do much that a site builder cannot do.
Sure, a pro developer will do the job, but you might end up spending a lot for a small return on investment. Meanwhile, a website builder gets the job done just as well for only a fraction of the price.
They are also not incompatible. Many developers have expertise to build on top of an existing platform. That’s one consideration to think about – whether you want to be able to grow your features as your revenue and experiences increases.
Getting started with many website builders is very fast and easy, and you can get your website up and running in almost no time.
Primary Considerations: How to Choose the Best E-Commerce Website Builder
You will need to ask yourself some questions to decide which website builder for beginners is best for your needs.
What’s Your Budget?
A budget should be the very first thing on your list of considerations. Knowing what you can afford helps you narrow down your list of options.
The trick is to think about all the costs that you’ll incur while building your website. There are things you need to think about outside of making the website itself, such as registering the site’s domain name and arranging for hosting. Most website builders bundle domain name, hosting & software into a single bundle. But it’s still useful to compare apples to oranges.
You’ll also need to invest money in content for your website, including images and sales copy. If you’re planning to do content marketing, you’ll have to invest in developing high-quality content. All of these costs add up, and you should consider them before you pick a website builder.
Most website builders have a free tier or at least a free trial. The paid levels typically range from $5 to about $50 a month for a plan that offers the most useful features for an e-commerce site.
If you have a tight budget, you can save a lot of money by looking for subscription plans that include most of the things you’ll need for your website, such as domain registration, business email address, hosting, and SEO tools. Again, most website builders bundle all these things. But not all do. It’s important to define what you need before exploring what they offer.
Do You Need Hosting As Part Of The Plan?
Speaking of hosting, it is yet another essential consideration you should make when picking a website builder. Some of these services include hosting as part of the package, while others only include a website builder and leave you to handle the hosting arrangement yourself.
Hosting is more vital than you might think, as the right host can make your business and the wrong one can break it.
Here are some reasons why choosing the right host is paramount:
Customers will leave your site if it is slow. Fortunately or unfortunately, our rapidly contracting attention spans and addiction to instant gratification means a significant percentage of your visitors will likely leave your website if it doesn’t load in a few seconds. It’s not just about your customers, though. Google also uses the loading speed of your site as a factor in ranking it, meaning your ranking on search results will be adversely affected. A good host takes care of this by having the capacity to handle traffic spikes that might affect performance.
Your site needs proper security. Security is essential for every business, but it is especially for e-commerce. With the prospect of making payments on your website and putting their data at risk, customers will want to know that your website is secure. Many browsers will identify your site as ‘not secure’ if it doesn’t have HTTPS encryption and an SSL certificate. A good web host will include security and encryption as part of its package. You will likely lose customers if you don’t have this level of protection.
A good host minimizes downtime for your site. You will lose sales if your site goes offline for even a few seconds. If your site has a reputation for frequently being down, you could lose both current and prospective customers. While scheduled maintenance is routine for every web host, the best hosts will minimize unplanned downtime, ensuring your site is up more than 99.99% of the time. Furthermore, the host will warn you about maintenance, so you can let your customers know beforehand.
In summary, make sure to find a host that keeps up with your expected traffic, ensures security for your site, complies with PCI (Payment Card Industry) standards, and can handle your files. They should also offer backups of your website, and do all this for a reasonable price.
Some hosting services also offer website builders, and some builders also provide hosting. You will need to decide if the convenience of an all-in-one package is worth any extra costs.
Secondary Considerations: What Are Your Priorities and Needs?
Before you pick a website builder, you should have a good idea of what you want your website to look like and what you need it to do. You will then have a more definite sense of your priorities, and your search for the best e-commerce website builder for beginners will be more straightforward.
Here are some significant considerations you should make when trying to figure out your needs and priorities:
Your level of experience when it comes to design. Most website builders have beginners in mind, and they don’t require you to have any experience with design or coding. However, some will be easier to work with than others, and some may require you to code if you want to customize your site’s look. If you’re starting from absolute scratch, look for a website builder with ready templates and drag-and-drop features.
The amount of flexibility you want. If you need to have options to customize your design, then you should pick a website builder with a large variety of templates. You will also want flexible editing features that allow you to customize the design according to your needs.
Will the website include a store? If your website will sell things directly online, which is highly likely if you’re building an e-commerce website, then the website builder should allow you to add checkout functionality and a shopping cart. The design should also encourage users to make purchases with features like browsing history, product recommendations, and SEO functions.
The type of media you will include. You need to ensure that your website builder can handle different media types, including videos, images, animations, and other elements such as maps.
Another thing that should factor into your choice is whether the website builder makes mobile-friendly websites. Websites without mobile-responsive templates should be a deal-breaker in today’s mobile-centric marketplace.
General Tips: Other Things to Consider When Finding the Best E-Commerce Site Builder for Beginners
Here are some other things to consider when choosing a site builder.
How Many Themes Are Offered By The Website Builder?
As you build your site with a website builder, you will most likely start with the website builder’s ready-made themes. You will select one of them and then customize it to get your site up quickly.
The last thing you want is a website builder that limits your customization options to a few themes and does not allow you to customize the look or add images or graphics.
To avoid this issue, you can go for a website builder that not only allows you to customize themes, but also offers a large number and variety of themes.
Is The Website Builder User Friendly?
Website builders will be much easier than building the site yourself from scratch.
However, some of them will be easier to use than others. Website builders that offer drag-and-drop options, for example, make the web building process much more accessible than those that require element placement by other means.
You also want an editing page with an intuitive and self-explanatory layout so that you’re not spending more time learning to use the builder than actually building a website.
Some builders offer free trials so that you can use them to see how intuitive they are. If there is no trial, you’ll just have to do your research about a website builder’s reputation for user-friendliness from online reviews.
However, this step is necessary because it will protect you from getting a builder with a steep learning curve that isn’t beginner-friendly.
Does The Website Builder Have Marketing & SEO Features?
Having a good-looking website doesn’t mean much unless people can find it online. For that, you need to implement some SEO (Search Engine Optimization) best practices.
These include giving your website a meta-description, including the right metadata for search engines to discover your site and index it. You’ll also need to adjust image sizes and include tags and optimize load times.
A good website builder should make the task of optimizing your e-commerce site as simple as possible.
The best website builders will give you an easy way to update your site’s metadata and provide search engines with a site map. There is a lot more to effective SEO than this, and a website builder cannot do everything for you. However, a good one will give you a massive head start by handling these basic SEO tasks automatically.
Does The Website Builder Provide Valuable Support To Users?
Even if you find a user-friendly website builder, you will still need to take some time to learn how to use it. The learning curve can be higher if you go for a website builder with lots of features.
Ensure that the company you choose has lots of educational resources to make the learning curve easier to negotiate. These features include a knowledge base, informative tutorials, and a large and supportive community of active users who can help when you’re feeling stuck.
Does The Website Builder Have Good Customer Service And A Good Reputation?
Responsive and helpful customer service reps can make using the website builder so much easier than if you’re just left to figure everything out on your own.
24/7 customer service will give you peace of mind from knowing that you can get instant help whenever you need it. This service is especially vital if you have a builder that also includes hosting services.
Again, there are no shortcuts here. The best way to discover the reputation of a website builder is from online reviews from other business owners. By seeing what others think of the service, you can get a sense of whether it’s the right choice.
Next Steps
If you are selling online, you will need an e-commerce website. The benefits of having a site instead of only selling on third-party sites far outweigh the costs.
Based on my experience working with many website builders, there are a few that are a good fit for most beginners.
Simple Ecommerce
Value Pricing
Focus on Simplicity
Small Site Appeal
Weebly
View Plans
Built-in Features
Drag + Drop Design
Focus on Usability
Broad Appeal
Wix
View Plans
Affordable Option
Future-proofing
Focus on Versatility
Budget Appeal
NameCheap
View Plans
Focused on a long-term project?
Shopify is the most robust ecommerce platform on the Internet. It has a learning curve, but has the most comprehensive setup for a full-featured online store (see review). View plans.
However, choosing the right website builder to build your site can make it much more straightforward and save you both time and money. By following the tips above, you should be able to figure out how to choose the best e-commerce website builder for beginners.
This post originally appeared at Best Website Builder For Selling Products via ShivarWeb
E-commerce is booming. And not just Amazon. With better fulfillment, COVID-19 changes, and more familiarity, buying online has become normal for everyone. As more people buy products online, the sites that businesses use to sell their items are becoming more critical for competition.
Website builders can help small businesses make attractive and functional sites to sell their products. They not only make building a website accessible & convenient, they also bundle technically complex functionality like shopping carts, payments, and order management into a single subscription.
However, it can be overwhelming to wade through all the options. The truth is, there isn’t an absolute best website builder for selling products.
All builders have tradeoffs, and you should pick the one with the right mix of features for your particular budget, resources, and expertise.
In this article, I’ll dive deep into what considerations you should be thinking about during your website builder search. The important thing is that you know how to choose the best option for your needs. Once you’ve got that down, knowing what to choose comes easily.
Summary – Best Website Builder for Selling Products
Based on my experience working with many website builders, there are a few that are a good fit for most people. They all have free plans available to try. They are each best if you want…
Simple Ecommerce
Square Payments
Focus on Simplicity
Small Site Appeal
Weebly
View Plans
Built-in Features
Drag + Drop Design
Focus on Usability
Broad Appeal
Wix
View Plans
Lots of Options
Future-proofing
Focus on Ecommerce
Online Store Appeal
Shopify
View Plans
Focused on content + products?
WordPress.com is a website builder focused on publishing & content that has also has capability to sell products. View Plans.
What Are The Benefits Of Selling Products on Your Own Site?
We will start by taking a look at the benefits of having an e-commerce site for your products.
More Money Gets Spent Online Every Year
In the first quarter of 2019 alone, consumers in the US spent over $99 billion on e-commerce. If you want your business to remain profitable as online shopping increases, having an online store is vital. More than that, you need an online store that can deliver a quality shopping experience.
A Website Costs Less Than An Actual Store
Suppose you decide to run a brick-and-mortar store. In that case, there are plenty of costs to consider, including rent, staff salaries, licenses and permits, utility bills, maintenance bills, supplies, and design.
Meanwhile, running a website provides savings on these costs. Sure, running an e-commerce website comes with its own set of fees, including hosting, marketing, plugins, and feature costs. However, in the long run, these expenses are lower than those of running a physical storefront. Lower costs, in turn, means that the return on investment could be much higher.
A Website Enables You To Provide Convenience To Your Customers
Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. When they’re feeling a little lazy, tired, or sick, they’ll appreciate the convenience of doing their shopping without having to walk or drive to a store.
By allowing people to find what they want faster and more easily online, you encourage them to spend more. The selling proposition is higher, and the friction is lower.
You Benefit From Online Search Traffic
Did you know that about 33 percent of people start the search for products they want on Google?
By having an e-commerce website, you put your products in front of all those eyeballs, making it easier for them to discover your merchandise.
Assuming you have some solid SEO, which is easy with the right website builder, all the products you list on your site get indexed by Google and other search engines. This indexing drastically increases your chances of making sales, simply because you have more reach.
Primary Considerations When Choosing Selling Your Products on a Website Builder
There is a broad spectrum of online e-commerce platforms out there, and you need to choose one that fits your particular needs. Choosing a website builder is a lot like buying a car. No matter which car you buy, they will all get you from one point to another.
However, you might want other features depending on your specific needs, such as your budget, the type of products you sell, how many shoppers you expect to have, the maintenance costs, and the number of changes you have to make during operations.
With an e-commerce website builder, you’re getting the same core functionality across the board. You get the ability to build a platform on which you can list your products, have a shopping cart that people can add products to, and a payment processor.
However, there may also be other considerations you might have that would ultimately influence your decision. Below are some of the most important of these:
How User-friendly Is The Website Builder?
Some website builders are more interested in offering as many features as possible, rather than making their platform user friendly for consumers.
A feature-packed builder isn’t necessarily wrong; it is just a trade-off that you should understand. You might not mind looking through the platform’s knowledge base or asking questions on how to solve particular problems in the forum.
On the other hand, you might instead prefer something easy to use that lacks advanced features. It depends on how much time you want to spend building and managing your website.
This consideration is also important for selling products. Are you looking to build a full ecommerce operation with hundreds of SKUs or are you looking to selling a dozen pieces of merchandise?
For example, Shopify is far and away the most versatile ecommerce website builder. But it has a lot of ecommerce features that some website owners don’t need (like inventory management) in addition to missing some website publishing features that some website owners might need (like blog comments).
Other website builders like Wix might provide a super-simple setup with easy product integration while limiting growth into a large ecommerce operation with strong organic traffic.
How Is The Customer Service?
A related issue is customer support. In case you’re stuck, it’s a great convenience to ask someone for help. Whether you have the technical knowledge, you should see what customer service options the website builder offers.
Having the opportunity to ask for help via phone, email, or chat application can be valuable during the website design process, and if you have any questions during regular business operations.
Additionally, think about how you prefer to solve issues. Some platforms like Shopify and WordPress have huge numbers of freelancers available to help with any task in addition to internal support.
What Is Your Budget?
Just like your budget helps you narrow down your list of options at a car dealership, so does it thin down your choices for website builders.
The more money you spend, the more feature-rich your platform. Fortunately, however, most of the essential features for a simple e-commerce website are quite affordable for most business owners.
You want to get the most that you can for your budget without wasting money on extras features that you will never use.
Does The Platform Allow For Custom Designs?
A significant consideration you will need to make when choosing an e-commerce website building platform is whether it allows custom design.
Wix Designs
Most platforms have a range of “themes” from which you can choose. However, some of them make it especially hard to build a custom design or change existing themes.
A simple drag-and-drop interface with lots of themes is easy to use, but you run the risk of having an e-commerce website that looks like other e-commerce websites (or struggling to make it *just right*). This is the track that Wix & Weebly take.
On the other hand, a platform that allows for custom designs might be a little harder to use, but it gives you endless options for how your website will look. This is the track that Shopify takes. They have a drag & drop builder, but really push you to buy or build your own custom design.
A compromise could be a builder that allows you to alter existing themes to make them look different from competitors.
Secondary Considerations: What Else Do You Need to Think About When Choosing a Website Builder
When choosing the best website builder for selling items online, you need to consider more than the basics. Here is what else you should be thinking.
Can You Add Extensions or Apps?
If you want to add plugins and extensions to your website, you should probably go for a platform that allows you to make such additions.
Note, however, that the more leeway a platform gives you to customize your site with plugins and extensions, the more complicated things will be.
It may also mean spending extra as many third-party extensions are for sale.
Will You Be Doing Content Marketing?
Is an online store all you want, or would you like to incorporate a blog or social media feed for some content marketing? Some website builders only offer pure e-commerce stores, while others provide lots of features to build marketing strategies right into your store.
Such content marketing tools can save time in the future because they make marketing more straightforward and cheaper.
Does The Platform Allow For Offline Sales?
Standard e-commerce platforms allow you to manage your inventory and orders. However, some are better at managing your offline sales than others. Depending on how heavy your offline sales traffic is, you might want a platform that syncs well with this aspect of your operation.
SEO & Marketing Tools
SEO is an integral part of making your website and products easily discoverable online. Look for an e-commerce platform that employs SEO best practices and gives you as much control as you need over your website’s SEO features.
Hosting
Some e-commerce platforms will include hosting in some form while others only provide you with a website builder, leaving you to arrange the hosting. An all-in-one e-commerce platform will make your life easier, as the hosting will be taken care of as part of the package.
However, this option might be more expensive than shopping for your host on your own, and you might have less control over things like domain ownership and SEO. Some platforms like WordPress.com allow you to move to a self-hosted website easily since it runs with the same WooCommerce plugin that powers a self-hosted ecommerce store.
It is crucial to pick a platform that meets your needs in this area.
General Tips on Choosing Specific Site Builders
What kind of options are available? There are plenty of website builders on the market, but some stand out.
While there are plenty of options on the market, there are some examples of what you can expect from different ranges of website builders.
Getting A Highly Customizable Builder
Some website builders offer innumerable options and plugins.
The challenge with customizable builders is that you might face a steep learning curve. Especially for beginners, navigating a website builder/content management system can be challenging. You’ll also need to explore (and possibly pay for) third-party plugins for your store.
Powerful site builders with endless options can enable you to create the ideal storefront, however. The catch could be that you have to hire someone to handle the store setup if you don’t have the time or the tech skills to do it yourself.
Getting A Site Builder And Hosting In One Package
There are plenty of site builder plus hosting options to choose from when it comes to e-commerce.
Building a website via drag-and-drop design is simple. You get high uptime, unlimited bandwidth on many tiers, a fast content delivery network, and the ability to buy and own your domain name.
The flip side of bigger site builder plus hosting packages is that they are not free. There are paid plans that you need to invest in, which means you should budget to spend some money on the platform every month. You need to understand that package options are not a one-time expense and plan accordingly.
Should You Choose A Recognizable Name?
There are many recognizable names in the e-commerce industry, like BigCommerce, Shopify, GoDaddy, Squarespace, and more.
With many big-name site builders, you can expect everything to be handled for you, including shopping carts, email forwarding, and even a free domain, depending on the platform.
The great thing about bigger platforms is that they save you from the headache of trying to figure things like security and hosting all by yourself.
The flip side is that many of these site builders will cost you a monthly subscription that varies according to the features you choose to include in your store. This investment may be too significant if you are only selling a few products or focusing on marketing instead of sales.
One other thing to note about more recognizable site builders is that it is very easy to research their services because so many people use them. Ease of research is one of the reasons to go with a recognizable name.
Next Steps
As you can see, there are plenty of options when it comes to e-commerce website builders. You have lots of choices, but that also makes it easy to get overwhelmed.
Based on my experience working with many website builders, there are a few that are a good fit for most people. They all have free plans available to try. They are each best if you want…
Simple Ecommerce
Simple Payments
Focus on Simplicity
Small Site Appeal
Weebly
View Plans
Built-in Features
Drag + Drop Design
Focus on Usability
Broad Appeal
Wix
View Plans
Lots of Options
Future-proofing
Focus on Ecommerce
Online Store Appeal
Shopify
View Plans
Focused on content + products?
WordPress.com is a website builder focused on publishing & content that has also has capability to sell products. View Plans.
By taking stock of your specific needs and comparing them to what is available in the market, you can pick an e-commerce website builder that fits your needs.
The good news is that the platforms listed above will meet the needs of most online store owners, so choosing from among them makes the work easier. Whichever option you go for, the important thing to remember is that having an online store is better than not having a store at all.
We live in a fast-paced digital world that makes attracting customers a daunting task for many merchants.
That’s why today Area 120 — Google’s internal incubator for experimental ideas — launched Shoploop, an eCommerce platform where consumers browse products by watching video clips no longer than 90-seconds.
These quick videos aim to reach and entertain consumers by letting them “experience the look and feel of products” without needing to visit a physical store, according to a blog post from Google.
Shoploop acts similar to most social media platforms, with a scrolling feed that auto-plays videos. When a consumer finds a product worth buying, they can either save it for later or click through to purchase it directly via the merchant’s website. Shoploop users can follow merchants as well as like and share posts.
Off the bat, Shoploop will focus on beauty products, including makeup, skincare, hair, and nails. For merchants, Shoploop is currently partnering with content creators, publishers, and online store owners.
Users interested in browsing Shoploop can go to shoploop.app to scratch their shopping itch. Note that the platform is only optimized for mobile devices at the moment — although a simulated experience is available for desktop right now. A full-featured desktop version is slated to arrive “soon.”
If you are keen to sell on the platform (and operate within the beauty industry), apply to join Shoploop through Google’s website. Currently, there is a waitlist for sellers to join Shoploop, but should you be selected, you’ll be notified within two weeks.
Shoploop Aims To Make Shopping Simple, But Competition Is Fierce
Lax Poojary, the general manager for the Shoploop project, wrote that the idea for a new eCommerce platform came to him while riding the New York City subway:
One of the young commuters standing next to me was silently scrolling on her device, switching between a social media app, YouTube and an online shop.
Curious, I asked her what she was doing. It turns out she’d seen somebody promote a makeup product on social media, and wanted to check it outâso she watched reviews on YouTube to see how it would look in real life and whether other people liked it. Then she looked it up on an e-commerce site to buy it. This took three different apps or websites, at minimum, to find what she was looking for.
Poojary previously headed Touring Bird at Area 120, an app that helped travelers book and compare tours from multiple platforms across the web. That experiment eventually flew the Area 120 nest and landed at Google as a fully-featured tool last year.
At such a young age, there’s no clue yet on whether Shoploop will make it out of Area 120 alive. However, it has plenty of competition at the intersection of eCommerce and entertainment.
Perhaps most directly in Shoploop’s sights is Amazon Live, an entertainment experience that the online retail behemoth launched last year. With this service from Amazon, consumers can learn about products and make purchases while watching informative livestreams.
Facebook has gotten into the act as well with its live shopping features. Plus, Instagram — run by Facebook — just launched its brand-new Shop tab today.
Meanwhile, Google’s own YouTube made it easier for advertisers to sell products via a product listing feature that began testing last month.
Beyond the heavy hitters, a few startups have latched onto the entertainment shopping trend, too. For instance, Popshop Live enables merchants to connect with consumers through live video while Yeay is an app where content creators can craft video recommendations of products.
Despite the competition, Shoploop fits nicely into Google’s eCommerce strategy. Besides introducing new shopping features on YouTube, Google also redesigned its Shopping experience in the last year. More recently, the company started highlighting free product listings within the main results page of Google Search.
Get Your Business Selling Online
eCommerce is a fast-growing field — especially in light of COVID-19. According to Adobeâs Digital Economy Index, online sales between March and June of this year beat predictions by $77 billion, while online spending in June went up 76% year-over-year. With consumers focused on eCommerce shopping, many businesses may be able to take advantage of these entertainment shopping platforms to reach consumers in new ways.
For those who maintain a beauty store that sells products online and want to get in on Google’s latest experiment, you can apply to become a Shoploop creator via Google’s application. Note that there is a waitlist for merchants to join the platform.
If you’re a business owner who’s still not got their feet wet with online selling, we recommend you peruse Merchant Maverick’s guide to building an eCommerce store. More experienced online merchants may want to read up on some effective marketing strategies to increase traffic. To get a better sense of where eCommerce is heading, take a peek at our top 10 eCommerce trends.
H/T TechCrunch
Do you have a story idea, tip, or press release for the Merchant Maverick news team? Shoot us an email: [email protected]
The post Shoploop: Googleâs New eCommerce Platform Targets Buyers Through Authenticity & Entertainment appeared first on Merchant Maverick.
A wider range of small businesses and digital creators will now be able to sell on Instagram thanks to some new and looser commerce eligibility requirements that went into effect today.
These new eligibility rules for Instagram Shopping applicants were first announced via a blog post on June 23, but they were held from going live until July 9.
Chief among the new requirements: Businesses will need to provide a website where they own and sell “at least one eligible product” in order to use shopping tags on Instagram.
While this excludes sellers who solely use third-party marketplaces like Etsy, or run sales through an affiliate network like Amazon Associates, businesses that don’t normally sell physical products but do have an online following will now be able to take advantage of Instagram for eCommerce revenue.
Per Instagram, the rules include a few more requirements:
Accounts must have demonstrated trustworthiness through avenues such as “an authentic, established presence” or by “maintaining a sufficient follower base.”
Accounts must operate out of a supported market.
Product information must avoid misleading pricing or availability information. In addition, refund and return policies must be stated.
Beyond the eligibility requirements, Instagram is also updating its onboarding process for new business accounts as well as alerting old accounts to the revised rules.
New Rules Aim To Benefit Small Creators
In its announcement post, Instagram specifically mentioned small-time creators as benefiting the most from the new commerce requirements:
Whether you are a candle business making a foray into e-commerce, a musician selling merchandise, or a food blogger expanding into your own cookware line, any eligible business or creator account with at least one eligible product can use shopping tags to drive people to their website to make a purchase.
All told, smaller businesses that don’t specifically sell physical goods will be able to better tap into their Instagram followers for additional revenue. Previously, businesses that wanted to sell products via Instagram Shopping had to “primarily” peddle physical products, according to the marketplace’s old seller requirements.
In addition, these new rules come at a time when creators and social media influencers are being taken more seriously not only as professionals but as small business owners too.
“2020 will be a watershed year for investment in businesses around the creator economy,” the CEO of the creator networking platform Influence.co, Neil Robertson, told TechCrunch in November 2019. “Influencers and creators are small businesses and if you think about all the things that small businesses need these days to succeed, they will be repurposed for the influencer marketing space.”
More recently, San Francisco startup Karat announced last month the launch the Karat Black Card, which is aimed specifically at those with large swaths of social media followers.
“This is a new type of business, a $15 to $20 billion industry, and there are millions of creators and they make lots of money,” Karat co-founder Will Kim told Forbes. Kim’s fellow co-founder, Eric Wei, added in an interview with Crunchbase News that influencers have “the same business pain points as everybody else.”
Of course, Instagram is part of Facebook, which has come under fire recently for a lack of action towards civil rights injustice. Dozens of companies have signed on to boycott the social media behemoth’s ad platform in response to these claims.
However, for many small businesses and creators, Facebook and its services serve as a lifeblood to reach customers — per Bloomberg, research by Deutsche Bank shows that 76% of Facebook’s advertising revenue comes from small- and medium-sized businesses. Meanwhile, Instagram can be quite lucrative for eCommerce shops — a 2019 survey by VidMob found that 34% of Instagram users had made a purchase through the social media platform.
Integrate Your Business With Instagram Shopping
Is your small business set up to sell on Instagram yet? If not, check out how you can reach a wider audience by following Merchant Maverick’s guide to using shoppable Instagram posts.
For those just beginning to tackle the wide world of eCommerce, give our guide to building an online store a peruse.
H/T: TechCrunch
Do you have a story idea, tip, or press release for the Merchant Maverick news team? Shoot us an email: [email protected].
The post Instagramâs New Commerce Rules For Businesses Are Now Live appeared first on Merchant Maverick.
Have you been thinking about starting an Amazon business? If you said “yes,” and you’re not thinking about a rainforest logging company, you’re probably interested in plugging into the world’s largest e-commerce platform.
As of 2018, Amazon accounted for nearly 50 percent of eCommerce transactions (eCommerce accounts for somewhere north of 10 percent of overall retail sales). If you’re not sure how to tap into that action, you’re not alone. Below, we’ll look at both the necessary and optional steps it takes to get an Amazon business up and running.
Learn How To Sell On Amazon
When people talk about “Amazon businesses,” they’re usually talking about the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) business model. Under an FBA arrangement, Amazon will warehouse and ship your business’s products from their own fulfillment centers. This allows you to take advantage of Amazon’s well-developed storage and shipping infrastructure and processes. It also grants you access to Amazon’s Prime customer-base, most of whom will be looking to buy products that qualify for 2-day shipping. Be aware, however, that FBA comes with both storage and fulfillment fees (which, notoriously, can change at any time), so you’ll need to do some math to figure out if you’re saving money with the service.
Already have a lot of space and want to handle the shipping costs yourself? Or are you trying a dropshipping model? You can still sell on Amazon without taking the FBA route. You can even still tap into the Prime market via Amazon’s Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) program. In order to qualify, your business has to:
Offer premium shipping options
Ship 99% of your orders on time
Have an order cancellation rate of less than 0.5%
Use Amazon Buy Shipping Services for at least 98.5% of orders
Deliver orders with Amazon-supported SFP carriers
Agree to Amazon’s Returns Policy
Allow Amazon to deal with all customer service inquiries
Pass a trial period to demonstrate compliance with the above, during which the Prime badge will not be displayed on your items
At the time of writing, there was a waitlist for the SFP program, so bear in mind that you may not be able to jump into it immediately.
Finally, you can simply ignore all this Prime business (and customers, potentially) and just sell products on Amazon.
Decide What You’re Going To Sell & Where You’ll Get It
This is arguably the hardest part of starting an Amazon business. There are countless products you could deal in, but far fewer you should deal in.
Your starting budget can help narrow things down a bit. You want to be able to stock enough inventory to build a brand, not just sell a couple of items and then disappear. Once you have some items in mind, you’ll need to do some research to get a sense of costs and selling prices and see if there’s a niche for that product that you could occupy.
There are numerous ways to go about this, from brute-forcing your way through Amazon’s categories and making a spreadsheet to using popular tools like JungleScout to help find and rate opportunities. Be sure to check out other sales platforms to see the price point at which they’re selling the product. If you’re in the FBA program, you can also use Amazon’s FBA calculator to help sift through data.
Figuring out where to source a product is another part of the puzzle. Do you have a hot connection that can get you products at cost? (Alibaba is a popular tool for finding suppliers, for example.) Are you going to buy popular brands when they’re on sale at retail and then sell them at a higher price point? Are making a product yourself that will compete with similar products on Amazon? Do you need to make dropshipping arrangements with a third party? Remember to think about how sustainable your sourcing method is when creating your strategy.
Finally, also consider the nature of the item you’re sending. Will it sell year-round? Can it be shipped safely without breaking? Is it efficient to ship? Are there state-specific restrictions to consider? The fewer variables you have to worry about, the better.
Determine How Much Money You’ll Need
Once you know how much money you’ll need to launch your business, you can figure out the rest of your costs.
Selling on Amazon, as you can imagine, isn’t free — but it doesn’t have to be expensive. If you’re commitment-shy and don’t have a ton of product to move, you can get by on as little as $0.99 per sale. If you’re moving more product, you’ll want to budget $39.99/mo for a Professional account (more on that later).
If you’re going the FBA route, you’ll need to account for Amazon’s fulfillment and monthly inventory fees. The former vary by the weight of the item and, at time of writing, start at $2.41. The latter vary by time of year and the size of the items, ranging from $0.48 to $2.40 per cubic foot.
You’ll probably want to also invest some money in presentation and branding to help your business stand out among competitors. How much this costs can vary depending on who you hire (unless you’re a competent graphic designer yourself), but budget between $200-$300 to get something you’ll be proud of.
Finally, if you’re doing your own fulfillment, make sure you can cover shipping costs.
Determine How You’ll Get Funding
It’s not necessarily that expensive to start an Amazon business, but what do you do if you don’t have the funds to cover your starting expenses? Here are some options:
Personal Savings
The first place you should probably look for spare cash is your own savings. You saved up for a reason, right? Investing in your new business is as good a reason as any.
The nice thing about using your savings is that you don’t have to worry about debt or accumulated interest.
The downside? If your business is a bust, you’ve lost your savings.
Tap Your Support Network
Another option, especially if you don’t have much in personal savings, is to ask friends and family for a loan. Unlike a private lender, your support system probably isn’t trying to make a profit off of you.
Keep in mind that this comes with its own risks. You may stress your relationships, especially if you aren’t able to pay back these so-called friendly loans quickly. One way to avoid this is to formalize any agreements you make with friends and family so that everyone fully understands what they’re getting into and what the expectations are. You may even want to draw up a formal contract that outlines any expected payments and return on investment.
Credit Cards
You’ve probably been warned about leaning too heavily on credit cards, and it’s generally not bad advice. The interest rates can be murder if you carry a balance on your card. However, for purchases that you can pay off quickly, credit cards are actually one of the best ways to buy, especially if you have a card with a reward program that matches your purchasing needs.
Just remember to pay off your credit cards every month, within the interest-free grace period. If your purchase is too large for you to be able to comfortably do that, you’ll probably want to consider another option.
Note: Avoid taking out cash advances on your cards unless absolutely necessary. They come at a very high cost.
Recommended Option: Amazon Business Prime American Express Card
Amazon Business Prime American Express Card
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Annual Fee:
$0
Purchase APR:
16.24% â 24.24%, Variable
Required credit: Good, excellent
Bonus offer:Â $125 Amazon.com gift card upon approval (if you have an eligible Amazon Prime membership)
Purchase intro APR:Â N/A
Balance transfer intro APR: N/A
Foreign transaction fee:Â None
Rewards:
If you have an eligible Amazon Prime membership:Â 5% back or an extra 90 days interest free on purchases at Amazon Business, AWS, Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market
If you do not have an eligible Amazon Prime membership: 3% back or an extra 60 days interest free on purchases at Amazon Business, AWS, Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market
2% back on purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers
1% back on other purchases
Notable perks & benefits:
Employee purchase control with multi-user accounts, shared payment methods, approval workflows, and spending limits
Purchase protection, extended warranty, and travel coverage
More card details (click to expand)
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You’re going to be spending a lot of time on Amazon, and possibly buying through it, so the Amazon Business Prime American Express Card may give you the most bang for your buck.
If you have a Prime membership, you’ll earn a whopping 5 percent back on purchases made at Amazon.com, Amazon Business, AWS, and Whole Foods Market — or an extra 90 days interest-free grace period for purchases made at those places. Even if you’re not a Prime member, you’ll get 3 percent or 60 days, respectively. You’ll need to spend around $6,000 to recoup the cost of a Prime membership with points alone, but that’s without factoring in money saved through Prime’s programs (shipping, deals, etc).
Personal Loans
Business loans can be hard to come by for new businesses, but you — the human being who owns the business — have presumably been around long enough to acquire a credit history. You can use that to your advantage by getting a personal loan for business purposes.
There are some disadvantages to taking this route, namely that you’re on the hook rather than your business, but if your credit is good, it’s not the worst option out there.
Recommended Option: Lending Club Personal Loans
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Time in business: N/A
Business revenue: N/A
Personal credit score: 600
Credit history: 3 years
Borrower requirements for personal loans (click to expand)
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Lending Club is a good option for individuals who may not have the strongest credit, but have a good debt-to-income ratio. The borrowing range is fairly narrow at $1k to $40k, but when you’re just starting out, you don’t want to go too deeply into debt anyway. You’ll have three-to-five years to pay it off, which makes it fairly manageable.
Recommended Option: Lendio
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Time in business: 6 months
Business revenue: $10,000 per month
Personal credit score: 550
Borrower requirements (click to expand)
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If you’re just entering the alternative loan market for the first time, it can be pretty overwhelming. Lendio takes some of that burden off of you by allowing you to effectively apply to their whole network of lenders with one application.
Need more options? Check out our feature on startup loans.
Lines Of Credit
If you anticipate needing to make a lot of smaller purchases over a long period of time, or even just want some “insurance” to fall back, you may want to consider a line of credit.
A line of credit works a bit like a credit card in that you can tap it whenever you want, in whatever amount you want, so long as your purchase doesn’t exceed your credit limit. Most lines of credit are revolving, which means that, as you pay them off, that credit becomes available for you to use again.
In contrast to credit cards, lines of credit usually have lower interest rates, making them better for the times you have to carry a balance. However, many do have annual fees and some charge a fee whenever you tap them, and they can take up to 24 hours to process your request. You also generally (there are exceptions) won’t find the generous rewards programs you’ll find with credit cards.
Recommended Option: Fundbox
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No time in business requirements, but must have used a compatible accounting or invoicing software for at least 2 months, or a compatible business bank account for at least 3 months.
Business revenue: $50,000 per year
No specific personal credit score requirement
Borrower requirements (click to expand)
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Fundbox provides lines of credit up to $100,000 to U.S. businesses. There’s no minimum credit score, you just have to have annual revenue of at least $50,000.
Fundbox charges based on the amount you draw, but fees start at 4.66%. Repayments are made weekly over 12 or 24 weeks.
Vendor Financing
Vendor financing is a very specialized form of business loan where a company will lend a buyer a sum of money, which the buyer then uses to buy inventory from the vendor.
Recommended Option: Amazon Lending
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Amazon monitors your account and extends a financing offer if your business is eligible. To qualify, you must:
Be a registered Amazon seller for at least one year
Make at least $10,000 in sales
Be in good standing according to Amazon’s Customer Satisfaction and Amazon Style Guide metrics
Borrower requirements (click to expand)
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Did you know Amazon offers loans to sellers on its platform? If you didn’t, you’re not alone. Amazon doesn’t really advertise the service much, and you can only access it by invitation. Knowing that it is an option, however, may be useful should it arise.
Amazon loans range between $1,000 and $750,000, and must be used to purchase inventory to sell on Amazon. Rather than being based on your credit score, Amazon loans are based on your performance on the site.
Purchase Order Financing
Another highly specialized type of financing that sellers can tap into is purchase order financing (sometimes just “purchase financing”). Basically, purchase financing is used to fill large orders that may exceed your current inventory or your ability to restock with cash on hand. A purchase financer will generally require confirmation of the order and proof that your company has experience handling orders of this size.
Recommended Option: Behalf
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No specific time in business, revenue, or credit score requirements.
Borrower requirements (click to expand)
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Behalf can offer businesses between $300 – $50,000 in purchase financing for most types of inventory. Term lengths are pretty short (1 – 6 months), and you’ll be charged 1 – 3 percent interest every month. Payments are made weekly or monthly, with weekly payers receiving a 10 percent reduction in their borrowing fees.
ROBS
If you haven’t heard of Rollovers as Business Startups (ROBS), don’t feel bad. They’re extremely niche products for entrepreneurs with retirement accounts like 401(k)s.
For a fee, a ROBS provider allows you to use money from your retirement account to pay for startup costs without incurring the tax penalty you normally would by tapping those funds early.
As is the case with personal savings, you are risking your own money.
ROBS will be overkill for most new businesses, but if your startup costs look like they’re going to pile up, keep them in mind.
Recommended Option: Guidant Financial
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Time in business: Unknown
Credit utilization: Less than 50%
Credit score: 690+
Borrower requirements (click to expand)
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If you’re in the market for a ROBS, it’s worth checking out Guidant Financial. If your retirement account has at least $40k in it, you can roll over up to 100 percent of your funds.
Need more options? Check out our feature on startup loans.
Register Your Business
If you don’t want to be selling products under your birth name, you’ll probably want to register your business.
This part is technically optional, but if you’re planning to build your business into more than an occasional source of freelance income, you should probably register your business.
If you do nothing at all, your business will default to a sole proprietorship (or a partnership, if you’re starting it with someone else). This essentially means that you’ve started a business with your own name. If you want to change it to something else, you can file a DBA (Doing Business As), which will protect your new business name and allow you to–you guessed it–do business under that name.
Sole proprietorships have the advantage of being cheap and easy to start. Your taxes will also be easier to file (and lower) than they would generally be with other forms of incorporation. Keep in mind, however, that for liability purposes, sole proprietorships and the individuals behind them are essentially one and the same.
Other forms of incorporation will require a bit more work and come with their own advantages and disadvantages.
Here are the most popular ways to incorporate:
Limited Liability Corporations (LLCs): If you’ve seen LLC after a corporation’s name, you’re dealing with this type of company. LLCs offer limited liability protection for their owners without the full complexity of a corporation. Each state has its own rules for how to start and maintain an LLC, and you don’t necessarily have to register your LLC in the state where you’re doing business (although you’ll generally want to). LLC owners report their business earnings and losses on their personal taxes.
C-Corp:Â This is the “basic,” default form of incorporation. Shareholders are considered the owner(s) of the company and receive limited liability protection; however, the business decisions are made by corporate officers who may or may not be shareholders. The corporation is taxed separately and shareholders pay income tax on dividends. To form a C-corp, you’ll file articles of incorporation with your state.
S-Corp:Â S-corps are similar to C-corps in most ways, but come with a few additional restrictions: you have to have fewer than 100 shareholders and they have to all be U.S. citizens or residents. Unlike C-corps, profits and losses are reported on personal taxes, not unlike an LLC. In addition to filing articles of incorporation, you’ll also need to file IRS Form 2553.
Get Business Insurance
Depending on where you incorporate, business insurance may be optional or mandatory, but since you’re going to be dealing with a lot of tangible goods shipped through the postal service to remote customers, you’ll probably want to consider it.
General liability insurance can protect you in the case of lawsuits or accidents, including property damage and personal injury claims against your business. It can also make your business seem more professional to prospective clients.
There are other, more specialized types of insurance you may want to consider depending on what you’re selling and to whom. These include:
Property Insurance: Protects the property needed to run your business.
Business Interruption: Covers costs related to unforeseen events that make your business unable to function.
Professional Liability (Error and Omissions): Covers the costs of defending your company in lawsuits in cases where your business caused a financial loss.
Create An Amazon Seller Account
Access to the platform is pretty straightforward and involves creating an Amazon account if you don’t already have one. You’ll be asked for information about your business, tax information, product information, billing and deposit accounts, and compliance with the Amazon Services Business Solutions Agreement.
Amazon offers two plans:
Professional: $39.99/month, grants access to order reports and order-related fees, selling in multiple categories, and the ability to customize shipping rates
Individual: $0.99 per sale closing fee on each item you sell on Amazon.
If you plan on doing more than just the occasional sale, you’ll probably want to choose Professional.
List Your Inventory
Now that you’re ready to go, you just need your potential customers to be able to see your product.
From your Amazons Seller account, under the inventory tab, you can add a product. You can then either search Amazon’s catalog to see if that product is already listed or create a new listing. If your product category is restricted, it will need to be approved before you can get beyond this stage, so if possible, try to find a rationale to categorize it into an unrestricted one.
At this point, you can either make your product go live (if you have the inventory ready to be shipped)Â or simply list it if you need to send your inventory to Amazon (in the case of FBAs). You can then fill in the information about your product. If you need a UPC code, you can buy one online.
There are a number of different strategies for getting your products to stand out on Amazon. Search engine optimization (SEO) strategies will serve you well here, so be sure to identify useful keywords that will help customers find your products. Another critical element is taking good pictures of your products so they’ll look appealing on the site. If you aren’t confident that you can take quality pictures yourself, you may want to spring for some professional ones.
A lot of other things can also affect your ranking, from conversion rates to customer reviews, pricing, time spent by customers on your page, bounce rate, and more, but the guiding rule is this: Amazon likes sellers who make them money, and will promote the ones they feel most reliably turn queries into sales and create satisfied and returning customers.
Final Thoughts
Amazon has changed the way many people shop, but it has also has provided sellers with a potentially low-cost way to get tangible products to customers. Competition is intense on the platform, but shrewd salespersons can still take advantage of its unparalleled convenience.
The post How To Start And Fund An Amazon Business appeared first on Merchant Maverick.
So you’re considering using GoDaddy as your website builder, and you’re looking for GoDaddy website builder examples for inspiration and confirmation that you’re making the right choice.
See GoDaddy’s Current Website Builder Pricing here…
GoDaddy is the big brand in the website services industry. From their Super Bowl ads to TV ads to online advertising, they are by far the most well-known choice for domains, hosting, website builders, and productivity products for small businesses.
And when it comes to their website builder (known as “GoCentral”), GoDaddy is known for its raw simplicity. The setup is extremely straightforward (fill-in-the-blank style), which makes it extremely appealing to DIY-ers with limited website building experience.
And while simple is great, there are some major tradeoffs, particularly in terms of functionality.
As we dive into examples of what GoDaddy websites look like in the wild, there is one thing to keep in mind when you’re evaluating a website platform: it’s not just about how the websites look. How they operate matters too. That’s the main consideration for all my website builder reviews & my guide to choosing the best website builder.
Think of it like buying a car. You have a make / model in mind, and you’re probably looking to see them drive by on the road to see how they actually look. However, you also care about how they operate. Does it accelerate well? Does it have the hauling capabilities you need? How is the gas mileage?
Looking at a website platform should be done in the same way. We collected the following GoDaddy GoCentral (their website builder brand name) examples not just to show you how they look, but how GoDaddy websites can function so you can be sure you have a website that fits both the style you want and the functionality you need.
Disclosure – I receive customer referral fees from companies mentioned on this website. All data & opinions are based on my professional judgement as a paying customer or consultant to a paying customer.
General Website Examples
Let’s start with a general round up of solid GoDaddy website builder examples. We’ve pulled these examples based on functionality, design, and usability. Again,GoDaddy works well for DIY-ers who want an easy-to-use website that they can throw up on their own without having to worry about the inner-workings. However, be aware that with this comes trade-offs (i.e. you give up control, functionality, customization, etc.)
Citizen Restaurant
If you’re looking for a straightforward website where you can post content (like menus), this GoDaddy website builder example is a great place to start for inspiration. The homepage is straightforward, with a simple call to action to sign up for the email list. The navigation is also clear, with the Dine and Drink tabs bringing visitors to pages where they can download a PDF version of the dining and drinks menus.
Augusta Blues Company
What stood out to us about this GoDaddy website was how it makes the most of its simplicity. By using a custom graphic on the homepage for the header image, Augusta Blues Company has added some custom flair to this straightforward template. We also found the navigation to be straightforward and easy to use, which is a key hallmark of a good website!
And for those who need to provide directions on their website, this GoDaddy website builder example showcases how you can integrate a map on the homepage. We particularly liked how August Blues Company paired the map with other contact information.
Explore Similar GoDaddy Templates!
Wedding Website Example
Wedding websites are a great way to give guests information about the big day, show off your personality, and post updates / pictures / anything else you may want to share with those who are involved with your wedding. Given this website has a shorter lifespan than say, a business website, you’ll want something that’s easy to customize, edit, and manage. Here’s a great example of what you can do with a GoDaddy GoCentral wedding website:
Dave and Nuria
If you’re looking for a simple, polished, easy-to-use wedding website, this example from Dave and Nuria is a great place to start for inspiration. It has all of the necessary information, from the itinerary for the weekend to how to plan your trip, and the RSVP is a simple contact form. It’s a great example of a plug and play website template that saves you time and money, which is especially useful for a site that doesn’t have a long lifespan!
Explore Similar GoDaddy Templates!
Photography Website Example
Photography websites are all about the portfolio of work. When looking for a GoDaddy website builder example to serve as inspiration for your photography, pay special attention to the layout options for your work. You want to be sure you’re showing off your photos in a creative way without sacrificing the user experience (AKA fast photo load speed, easy to navigate, high quality images, etc). Here are a few examples of GoDaddy photography websites we liked:
Anthony Friend
What makes this GoDaddy website a great example for photographers is the layout of the portfolio page. The grid style makes it easy to get an overview of the photographer’s work without overloading the functionality or making it too difficult for visitors to get an idea of their style.
Richard Eads
Richard’s site provides another photography inspiration example, specifically in how the work is displayed. Notice how this GoDaddy website uses a carousel to feature photos, with a bar underneath that changes as the photos move. It’s a unique way to showcase Richard’s work in a way that’s interactive without being overwhelming.
Explore Similar GoDaddy Templates!
Ecommerce Website Example
Ecommerce websites are all about their products. A good ecommerce website should have high-quality product images, be easy to navigate, and keep the focus on what you have to offer your shoppers! You’ll also want to include strong product descriptions and an easy check out process. Here are a few of our favorite GoDaddy ecommerce website examples:
Popcorn Willy
What stood out to us about this GoDaddy ecommerce website was the product page organization. The categories help visitors sort through what they’re looking for easily, and the ratings provide another layer of “trust factor” that’s key for ecommerce websites. If you’re looking for a simple way to list products, this website could be a great place to start for inspiration.
Better Living Market
If you’re looking for a bit more “design flair”, check out Better Market Living. This ecommerce website uses a high-quality header image to spruce up the homepage, but still keeps navigation ultra-simple with the shop now button.
Something to note about GoDaddy website builder websites in general: while GoDaddy is known for its simplicity, that does mean limited design customization and functionality. For example, most websites have a similar, block layout. For e-commerce websites specific, the product pages don’t vary much beyond this layout.
Again, you should choose your website builder not just on design, but on the functionality and levels of customization you need. If you’re looking for a more customized ecommerce shop, there could be better options for you.
Explore Similar GoDaddy Templates!
Artist Website Example
Need to showcase your art? An artist website is a great way to create a digital portfolio of your work. These websites should be easy to navigate, keep the focus on your artwork, and allow prospective clients / commissioners to contact you easily. Here’s an example of a great artist GoDaddy website:
Jules Art & Design
Sometimes, less is more… and that’s exactly what makes Jule’s website so effective. The clean layout draws your eye right to her artwork, and the simple navigation at the top of the page makes it easy to find exactly what you need on her website. This is another example of a GoDaddy portfolio website that is a good fit for a DIY-er who just needs a place to showcase their work in an easily digestible format.
Explore Similar GoDaddy Templates!
Music Website Example
Similar to artist websites, music websites are all about the music. Which means if you’re creating a music website, you’ll need a player so visitors can listen to your work on your site. You’ll also want to give people the opportunity to connect with you by listing social media channels, tour dates, and places they can buy your albums! Here’s an example of a music website created with GoDaddy:
Telekinetic Yeti
This GoDaddy music website keeps the focus solely on the music. In fact, the music page is a simple, embedded music player where visitors can listen to the band’s most recent album. While it could be more sophisticated, it doesn’t necessarily need to be. Again, it all comes down to your needs. If you wanted some advanced functionality on your music website (like full discography, Spotify integrations, Ticketmaster and Eventbrite integrations, etc.), GoDaddy may not be the best option for you.
Here’s how I’d recommend building a long-term music website with WordPress. Wix also provides a good drag & drop option.
Business Website Example
A strong business website showcases your services, gives customers the opportunity to contact you, and builds social proof. Visitors should be able to know exactly who you are and what you do when they land on their site, and should be able to easily navigate to what they’re looking for from your homepage. Here are a few examples of strong GoDaddy Website Builder business website examples:
Women Working in Technology
Women Working in Technology has a fairly robust navigation, which goes to show just how much content you can have on your GoDaddy business website. However, the navigation keeps it organized with sub-menus, which means despite the large amount of content on the site, it’s easy to find your way around.
We also liked how Women Working in Technology used a video on their homepage to tell visitors what they’re all about.
It provides a great way to make the site more interactive without having to build something completely custom!
Crescent Flight Ops
Again, GoDaddy tends to skew towards block-style website templates, and while this business site by Crescent Flight Ops is a bit blocky, their color palette and use of different media types help with the flow. We included this website to show how if you wanted the simplicity, you could still make your theme look different by customizing the colors and actual content on the page.
Explore Similar GoDaddy Templates!
Personal Website Examples
Personal websites are exactly what they sound like… personal! Whether it’s a resume / portfolio website you use to get booked or a blog you use to create content, this type of site is all about getting your personal brand online and owning your space on the Internet. Personal website should be easy to edit, manage, and customize. Here’s an example of a GoDaddy personal website to use for inspiration:
Marc Whisnant
It’s easy to get caught up in showcasing your personality and creativity on your personal website. And while adding in some flair is fine, you don’t want to sacrifice clarity in the name of creativity. Marc’s website includes the right balance of both. We loved how his work stands out in contrast to the black background, but isn’t overwhelming in its grid format.
We also liked how Marc included a downloadable version of his resume on the homepage. This is a great way to share your qualifications with those who may be looking to hire you.
Explore Similar GoDaddy Templates! Or explore how I like to build personal websites.
Next Steps
At the end of the day, choosing your website platform goes far beyond design. Why? Because all web pages are made of HTML & CSS with a few scripts thrown in. This means that any website template can exist on any good web platform.
What YOU want to focus on is the design elements and functionality that are available on the platform you’re choosing.
If you feel like GoDaddy fits the design and functionality needs you have for your website, you can explore more GoDaddy templates here.
Not sure if GoDaddy is a right fit? Explore other website builder options here or see how GoDaddy stacks up against popular brands like Wix & Weebly.
The post 11+ GoDaddy Website Builder Examples for Inspiration appeared first on ShivarWeb.
You may have seen mentions of “SecureCode” around, on TV and elsewhere. After all, when Hugh Jackman (aka Wolverine) stands on a scenic rooftop and asks if we know that SecureCode is a more secure way to pay, itâs hard to ignore.
But what the heck is SecureCode?
Simple! MasterCard’s SecureCode is a private code known only to the account holder that provides an additional layer of security for online purchases. The program is free for consumers as well as merchants.Â
The Claim:
MasterCard SecureCode ostensibly comes with these benefits:
Reducing fraud
Guaranteeing e-commerce payments
Reduced chargeback risk to merchant
Improved cardholder confidenceÂ
With online payment security an ever-present concerns for both online shoppers and merchants alike, these Mastercard SecureCode claims deserve a closer look. Keep in mind that both the merchant and the cardholder need to opt into the program for either party to benefit from it.Â
Whether you are a cardholder who is thinking about setting up a SecureCode yourself, or you are a curious business owner who wants to know how you can improve security for online purchases, read on for an explanation of how SecureCard works and whether it’s right for you!
How SecureCode Works For Online Shoppers
The basic concept of MasterCard SecureCode is very similar to using a PIN to process a debit payment at the checkout. Just like during a debit transaction, where the PIN is kept private, the SecureCode should always remain private to the account holder.
When your customer fills their cart with your wares and begins the checkout process, they will also enter their MasterCard SecureCode to verify their identity as the cardholder. But there is one major caveat. Instead of sharing their SecureCode directly with you, the merchant, an issuer-provided inline window appears with a personal greeting that is only known by the cardholder. If the customer recognizes their personal greeting, they enter their SecureCode. In just a few seconds, the issuer verifies that the true cardholder is making the transaction and the checkout process continues.Â
How Can Cardholder Enroll?
MasterCard customers who have cards issued from participating financial institutions can enroll in SecureCard and register any of their debit or credit cards. To find out if you can enroll, can contact your institution or view the list of participating financial institutions updated by MasterCard.Â
MasterCard SecureCode For Businesses
If you are a merchant wondering why you should bother offering SecureCode, it makes sense to take the time to understand more about it. From a merchant standpoint, MasterCard SecureCode can give your current and future customers greater confidence and security while shopping online with you. This extra layer of authentication and security also protects you from fraudulent use and some types of chargebacks (more on that below).
It is important to note that if you decide to go with SecureCode, itâs not mandatory for all of your customers to enter in a code to finish the sale with you. Authentication with a personal code is only required for customers who have already signed up for SecureCode. Whenever a customer connects a card with SecureCode and the merchant is also signed up, the SecureCode is required, however. But if you decide to offer SecureCode and your customer isnât signed up, they’ll enter their credit card information just like they would with any other sale, and it is processed as usual.Â
For SecureCode transactions, merchants can gain protection from unauthorized cardholder chargebacks, and customers who have activated SecureCode get more protection, too.
How To Offer MasterCard SecureCode
If you are a business owner who is ready to get this new layer of security live on your site, here is what you need to know: Your transaction processor may already support the MasterCard SecureCode program, so give them a call first and see if they can get you started.
The setup process is fairly simple if you’re used to maintaining your website yourself, and involves installing a plug-in to your site. After everything is up and running successfully, MasterCard also provides you with a logo you can put on your site to identify your program involvement.
It’s also worth mentioning that many processing companies, including Stripe, offer an extra layer of authentication through 3D Secure (sometimes abbreviated as 3DS). 3D Secure is a security protocol that bundles MasterCard SecureCode with the Visa equivalent, Verified by Visa. It gets its name from the fact that a third party, the card network, is involved in verifying the credit card purchase. In some regions, 3D Secure authentication also includes American Express SafeKey. Your merchant account provider may offer 3DS authentication as part of its service, though you might also need to configure this option in your payment options if it isn’t enabled by default.
How SecureCode Reduces Fraud & Guarantee eCommerce Payments
MasterCard claims that SecureCode helps reduce fraud and guarantees ecommerce payments. Let’s say a hacker manages to lift someone’s card number from a skimming device or a compromised website and they post it on the Dark Web. Another scammer buys it and then tries to make a purchase with the card details. A CVV check (another common ecommerce security feature) might stop some transactions, but CVV checks aren’t universally used in ecommerce. Plus, we often give away our CVVs when we place an order over the phone (Chinese takeout, anyone?) — if that business has a shady employee who lifts customers’ numbers, they now also have your CVV. And of course, if a fraudster does get a physical card, they have everything they need to start making purchases.
SecureCode prevents unauthorized use in these types of situations because unlike a credit card number, SecureCode isnât entered on a business’ site or shared over the phone. The SecureCode acts like a PIN between the issuing credit card company and the customer. If the person using the card doesn’t provide the correct code, or doesn’t enter any code, the transaction can’t go through.Â
Keep in mind that SecureCode doesnât take the place of authorization approval;Â it is simply an additional authentication step. Every card-not-present transaction, no matter how small, will be authorized by the issuing bank.
How SecureCode Reduces Chargebacks
We’ve already talked about how SecureCode protects against unauthorized card use. It also provides protection against friendly fraud via chargebacks.Â
For a business owner, a chargeback is a loss of revenue (both in terms of the money refunded to the customer and the fees charged by the processor for the chargeback), and too many chargebacks can negatively affect your standing with your credit card processing company. In essence, a chargeback happens whenever a customer files a dispute with their bank, saying that a charge was not authorized by the customer.Â
Despite the somewhat innocent-sounding name, friendly fraud can cause a lot of grief. Friendly fraud refers to a type of chargeback that happens when a customer falsely claims they didnât make a purchase in order to get their money back. They may have changed their mind or filed a chargeback claim directly with their credit card company instead of returning the product to you. Whether the customer’s intent was purposely malicious or not, these types of chargeback claims can be a big problem for any online retailer. They actually account for the majority of chargebacks.
If you’re a merchant, the great thing about SecureCode’s extra authentication step is that it’s much harder for a customer to claim they never ordered from you if they authenticated their purchase with their private code. You can make a stronger case when it comes to proving your customer actually made the purchase, so much of the liability in these types of “friendly fraud” or chargeback cases shifts away from you and to the user and their bank — which means you don’t lose out on the money from that purchase.Â
If you want to read up a little bit more on chargebacks and what you can do as an online merchant, visit our post, The Complete Guide to Preventing and Winning Chargebacks.
How SecureCode Improves Cardholder Confidence
In the past, MasterCard cardholders and merchants alike had some issues with the user experience because SecureCode used a pop-up window. Business owners were rightfully concerned because customers are naturally suspicious of pop-ups. The last thing any business owner wants when they try to improve security is also to increase cart abandonment. MasterCard took these concerns to heart and improved the experience by switching to an inline window rather than a pop-up for the SecureCode authentication.Â
Now, the streamlined experience ensures that the entire checkout and verification process is embedded directly in the merchant site. When you offer SecureCode on your site, it gives your shoppers an added layer of security, too. Especially for smaller businesses, having this added layer of security helps to legitimize your site and improve overall confidence.Â
More International Buying & Selling Opportunities
As if adding security in an insecure world wasnât enough, the MasterCard SecureCode program may help you expand your business internationally! When you add SecureCode to your website checkout, you can start processing payments from customers overseas who use  Maestro cards (owned by MasterCard). This factor can potentially help you expand to Europe and other countries abroad where shoppers use debit cards much more frequently than credit. In countries like Germany, Maestro has replaced the Eurocheque system. All of this gives you extra reach when it comes to processing payments. Â
Should I Use SecureCode On My Site?
Now more than ever, payment security is the subject of much focus and debate. While customers expect things to be streamlined and convenient, the truth is that they also expect their data to be secure. In a world where the cost of fraud continues to increase, adding solutions to protect everyone involved makes senseâ especially when they involve no extra costs for you or your customers. While it may take a few extra moments for a customer to enter in their personal code, authenticating their identity can prevent fraud and save everyone a lot of heartaches (and headaches).
The truth is that merchants are the ones that shoulder the cost of chargebacks and fraud, so finding better solutions to protect yourself, your time, and your sanity is a very smart business move. However, not all eCommerce processors are the same. Some have robust solutions that keep up with the current threats, and some lag behind. I encourage you to take the time to find out what your merchant account is doing for you in regards to security, and if you don’t love it, find something that is better. We have a plethora of resources for you here at Merchant Maverick.
If you want to find a better payment processor that specializes in online businesses, we recommend checking out our post, How To Choose An eCommerce Merchant Account.
The post MasterCard SecureCode: What It Is And How To Use It appeared first on Merchant Maverick.
The odds are that if you’ve been scouring the web for a deal, you’ve come across Groupon. In recent years, Groupon has become a touchstone for people who are looking for great deals on quality services, products, and more. And advertising your business on Groupon can put you in the millions of people who use the platform each day.
I believe that Groupon is one of the least utilized advertising platforms around. Using this e-commerce platform means that you won’t have to compete as much with competitors for advertising real estate. Utilizing the platform efficient can help attract repeat customers, increase brand recognition, and make more profit along the way.
So, save some paper and embrace the era of digital couponing we’re all living through right now. Here’s how you can advertise your business or brand on Groupon.
between 18- and 44-years-old. Men and women appear to use the platform in similar numbers, meaning that businesses can expect advertisement and deals that are inclusive to all genders to do best.
Using Groupon couldn’t be easier: both merchants and customers create profiles geared toward their interests or businesses and can choose to shop or advertise throughout the e-commerce platform. The ease of use and access to Groupon has only helped the commerce company not only grow in popularity but made it a viable place for other business to market their products, services, etc..
By leveraging Groupon’s broad demographic appeal, you can establish a strong presence on the platform that directly affects your bottom lines.
www.groupon.com/login, a login page will pop up that will request the following criteria:
Your legal first and last name
Your business or personal email address
Your desired Password
Choose whether or not you want to receive email newsletters from Groupon
Choose whether or not you want the device you’re on to remember your inputs
After signing up, you’ll have the ability to do deep dives in local, national, or international markets. It’s worth noting that more than 70 percent of all Groupon sales remain bought by locals seeking deals on products and services in their neighborhoods.
Groupon Merchant Blog, which we’ll get into later, has many accounts of restaurants experiencing more traffic from using Groupon. From offering one-time deals on certain dishes to revolving discounted specials, Groupon can help grow your business traffic.
One of the more exciting perks of your restaurant being a Groupon Merchant is that you can offer Loyalty Rewards programs. Much like in other iterations, these loyalty programs can help attract long-time customers and bring attention to your eatery.
There needs to be a reason for your customers to want a loyalty program through Groupon. Consider offering deals and incentives to customers to sign up for loyalty rewards to receive. Recently, The National Restaurant News found that people who have a Loyalty Program to a specific restaurant will spend almost 40 percent more (on average) when they’re closer to receiving an award.
Even if you don’t choose to start a Loyalty Program for your restaurant, you can continue to offer deals. Research shows that people are many times more likely to spend more on a more expensive meal if they believe they’re getting it cheaper than usual.
Advertising on Groupon for your restaurant is a win-win: Your bottom lines and customer traffic grow, and your eaters leave having saved on a good meal.
How to Advertise on Groupon for Health and Beauty
Nail and hair salons, spas, massage companies, and more health and beauty businesses can all benefit by leveraging Groupon to expand their outreach. Research shows that even during times of recession, Americans tend to continue to spend the same on health and beauty products and services. But Groupon can do more than help you get more clients.
Groupon allows Groupon Merchants to streamline appointments by simplifying the booking process. Using “Groupon Appointments,” you can allow customers to request appointments after they purchase a ticket, voucher, or digital reservation card for your business. Your “Groupon Calendar” will immediately be updated to accommodate the customer, and that specific time will be unable to be booked that day. This streamlined process also eliminates the risk of double booking from happening.
Also, you can help boost traffic for our other online health and beauty services by cross-linking to your “Groupon Page.” You’ll have the option to link to your main business website through both your Groupon Page and advertisement, itself. By creating easy access to your main website, you can introduce new and old customers to services that are available, but not through Groupon.
How To Advertise on Groupon Effectively appeared first on ShivarWeb.