Ecommerce Information |
|
Do You Need A Merchant Account?
Deciding when to get your own merchant account for internet sales can be a confusing and expensive venture. If you have a small to medium sized business and only sell a small amount of products then having your own merchant account may not be the answer for you. Some of the costs involved include. Monthly fees. Anywhere between $25-$50 for statements and minimum fees. Per transaction and charges fees. Usually between 2%-3.5 % in fees and .30-.50 per transaction. Gateway fees. $10-$30 per month SSL certificate. Can be as much as $250 Shopping cart fee or software purchase. Monthly can range $20-$70 and software purchase can be as much as $1400. In addition to the cost is the technical aspect of setting up your site to use a shopping cart and real-time processing. Not all gateways, merchant accounts and shopping carts play well together. You must make sure that each can work with each other. Plus be prepared to properly set up your web server to use all this nice technical information the accounts give you. Now, if you are a larger business or do a lot of sales each month perhaps your own merchant account is the answer for you. It can save you money in the long run. But if you are just starting out with an online business, then a third party merchant may be the answer for you. Third party merchants handle all the background details, pay the monthly fees, assume the risks of fraud and charge backs, and handle all the secure shopping your customers will expect when shopping online. While the monthly fees may be a bit higher, there usually isn't a set up charge, gateway fees, SSL charges and shopping cart set up. Depending on the service you choose, they can give you simple HTML code to add to your site or allow you to use "buy buttons" or both. Fees range anywhere from 5% to 13.5%. Some companies charge a set up fee and a per transaction fee. Then there is always Paypal. A useful service for new comers to the online payment arena but it has its drawbacks. With Paypal: Your customer must set up an account with them They can FREEZE your account They can set limits on monthly transactions I suggest you explore all your options and decide what is best for you financially and technically. A little research online can save you money and time in the long run. About The Author Jim Hoffman is the co-founder of Inet Goodies. An internet resource group, focusing on SEO, Hosting, Billing solutions and Traffic.
MORE RESOURCES: How an ecommerce site increased commercial monthly organic traffic from 37K to 210K Search Engine Land Shopify Stock: Shopify Earnings Top Views. E-Commerce Giant Plunges On Outlook Investor's Business Daily What do Europeans, Americans and Australians have in common? Scammed $50M by fake e-stores The Register Retail ecommerce spending grows in first third of year, Adobe data shows Digital Commerce 360 Google Revs Ecommerce SERPs Practical Ecommerce Speakeasy Co. Unveils 2023 eCommerce Year In Review: Key Insights on Consumer Behavior and BevAlc Trends PR Newswire Adobe: 2024 e-commerce spend exceeds $330 billion so far Chain Store Age From Home Delivery & Store Pickups to AI Integration: The Key to Embracing Ecommerce for Grocery Retailers MarketScale Ecommerce earnings recap: What you missed from Aritzia, Peloton and more Digital Commerce 360 New Ecommerce Tools: May 7, 2024 Practical Ecommerce Amazon introduces new shoppable ad formats Digital Commerce 360 How a TikTok ban could impact ecommerce retailers Digital Commerce 360 Shopify revenue and GMV grow more than 20% in Q1 Digital Commerce 360 New retailers partner with DoorDash, Instacart for last-mile delivery Digital Commerce 360 ACV Auctions posts a strong Q1 Digital Commerce 360 News / Airlines face Q4 capacity 'balancing act' as they weigh up ecommerce potential theloadstar.com Data, online delivery and the search for continual e-commerce improvement ComputerWeekly.com Latam E-Commerce Giant Mercado Libre Holds $40 Million in Crypto – News Bytes Bitcoin News Bitcoin.com News Ahold Delhaize ecommerce switch helps Q1 sales in the U.S. Supermarket News Market Map: Ecommerce plots a comeback with 'prepurchase' startups PitchBook News & Analysis Builders FirstSource eyes $1 billion in digital sales by 2026 Digital Commerce 360 TikTok to expand e-commerce business into Mexico, major Western European markets South China Morning Post Global Access Celebrates 22 Years of Empowering Cross-Border Ecommerce with Revolutionary Technology The Herald Journal Navigating the complicated bedroom category with e-commerce supplier Walker Edison - Furniture Today MerchantPro brings eCommerce leaders to the 2nd edition of dotCommerce Digital Forum on June 11th Romania-Insider.com Best ecommerce tool of 2024 TechRadar Guest Article: E-commerce and Plastic Packaging Regulations | SDG Knowledge Hub | IISD IISD's SDG Knowledge Hub Exploring Temu's Fast Delivery Revolution in E-Commerce Retail Merchandiser B2B buyers want (and use) multiple digital sales channels Digital Commerce 360 Natural Shrimp E-Commerce Update PerishableNews Goodwill opens Wellsboro ecommerce online location | Local | tiogapublishing.com The Wellsboro Gazette US ecommerce sales penetration hits new high in 2023 Digital Commerce 360 Contentsquare CMO Reveals Why Brands’ Best Acquisition Strategy is a Retention Strategy Retail TouchPoints Platforms see scorching summer sending ecommerce sales soaring The Economic Times Common E-Commerce Challenges Businesses Face - businessnewsdaily.com Business News Daily Alibaba flagship website Taobao begins largest revamp in years as e-commerce giant sharpens focus on user ... South China Morning Post Liquidity Services posts mixed Q1 results for its B2B surplus assets marketplace Digital Commerce 360 U.S. ecommerce sales in Q4 2023 hit new high despite slow growth Digital Commerce 360 E-Commerce Bolsters Brick-and-Mortar Business Floor Focus Expat Google engineering exec Claire Southey heads home to join ecommerce marketer Rokt Startup Daily Specialty Food News Specialty Food Association Descartes’ Annual Ecommerce Analysis Throws Light On Growth Of Online Buying - Travel And Tour World Descartes’ Annual Ecommerce Analysis Throws Light On Growth Of Online Buying Travel And Tour World Legal Business Partner - Ecommerce Law.asia How to use social media ecommerce effectively in 2024 Sprout Social E-Commerce Study Shows Online Buying Grows but Consumers Still Face Delivery Problems Supply and Demand Chain Executive Ecommerce earnings recap: What you missed from Columbia, Harley-Davidson and more Digital Commerce 360 Worldwide Retail Ecommerce Forecast 2024 eMarketer With 14 million ecommerce sites, the US is atop the online world Digital Commerce 360 |
RELATED ARTICLES
Start doing online business using B2B Portals in Six Steps I registered with a B2B site but what's next?This is a question many first time users of B2B marketplaces ask themselves. A few expect that the registration itself will bring them a number of new customers. Intranet Project - RAD or Waterfall? Building BridgesI have often used the analogy of building a bridge to explain to business colleagues the difference between Rapid Application Development (RAD) and Waterfall.Let's say that we are in the middle ages and the Mayor of Kingston-upon-Thames is evaluating whether or not to build a bridge over the river to the north side, to replace the current ferry. Intranet Portals - Collaboration through Team Rooms Knowledge Management for beginnersKnowledge Management (KM) can be defined simply as the process through which organizations generate value from their intellectual and knowledge-based assets. Knowledge assets are often grouped into two categories:(1) Explicit KnowledgeGenerally, everything and anything that can be documented, archived and codified. How Measuring Key Performance Indicators Can Improve E-Commerce Strategy - Part Three The first article of this series discussed page views per session as a kind of early warning system key performance indicator (KPI) for your website. The second discussed time on site as another warning flag. The Secret Science Of Online Shopping In theory you could create a retail web site with a limitless selection; an online store where every kind of merchandise known to man could be sold. Would people be interested in buying from such a huge enterprise?Why do people buy online?Location: You can shop online from almost anywhere as long as you have access to a power supply and a telephone connection. Make That 3 Billion My previous article I wrote called "One Point Two Billion" attracted quite some attention, the downloads through all the article syndication services has been astronomicalcompared to any other articles I wrote which are still withthem.It seems the numbers game is popular not only with theaccountancy profession, but with just about anyone runninga website who is interested in more sales from anywhere in the world. Direct Marketing isn't all Brute Force There are so many metrics surrounding direct marketing. So many facts, figures, test results and other sundry measurements. The Five Steps of E-Commerce You set up a retail business, you advertise in your local newspaper, you get customers coming into your store, and you receive payment at the cash register. Create an online store, and. Intranet Project Names - Some Ideas "What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet."In this famous quote from Act II of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet tells Romeo that a name is an artificial and meaningless convention, and the fact he is a Montague and she a Capulet (warring families) means nothing to their love. Shopping Online: What You Should Know For some people, shopping online is as normal as driving a car. It's become part of the norm. The Internet and Customer Care: Aid or Anarchy? It was reported in 'Marketing' magazine this month, that Britain is becoming a "disaffected nation", with each adult apparently making an average of 12 complaints to service providers each year, based on a "Service in Britain" survey by ASR (Andrew Smith Research). In response to the rise of the 'assertive consumer', brands are endeavouring to make sure 'good customer service' is a recognisable characteristic in the form of testimonials, efficient call centre responses and empowering staff throughout the company to resolve problems. The Lowdown On ECommerce: Making All The Pieces Fit Together The Lowdown on EcommerceEcommerce is truly the most confusing aspect of purchasing web design services. This is unfortunate since most (if not all) businesses online would like to provide their customers and potential customers with easy access their products or services. Selling Online for Newbies If you are interested in selling online, it is quite easy to get started. First of all you must have a product or service to sell. Starting An E-Commerce Business The development and expansion of the Internet has made business opportunities, once only available to the wealthy, available to nearly everyone. In the past, opening a business was a huge commitment in terms of finances and risk. Alternative E-Commerce Solutions Over the past several years, the Internet has emerged as a breakthrough technology that has and will continue to transform the way we live and communicate, and especially the way we do business.No matter if you are selling a product or a service, the Internet is a means of reaching markets that had otherwise been unreachable in the past. How E-commerce Web Site Design Differs From Normal Web Design When it comes to e-commerce everything is a little bit different, even the web site design for an e-commerce site as compared to a normal web design. If you are interested in developing an e-commerce site, then it is important to learn about the differences between the two types of website designs and how you can design the best e-commerce website with your resources. Cost Effective Ecommerce Solutions Ecommerce use to be about spending thousands of dollars on setting up your shop and hundreds of dollars on getting a merchant. My, how things have changed over the years. How Measuring Key Performance Indicators Can Improve E-Commerce Strategy - Part One The problem with most e-commerce marketing strategy today is that companies don't understand how they use things like web analytics. Most e-commerce directors or web marketers are given a budget and told to stick to it, and good analytics don't usually come cheap. The Essential Christmas Web-store Makeover Ten great tips to turn online holiday shoppers into eagerbuyers - and satisfied customers.When meeting potential clients, you wouldn't dream ofshowing up late in a mismatched outfit, hair disheveled,with food on your tie and no business card, would you? Andif they asked for testimonials or explanations about yourcompany policies you'd hardly say, "Sorry, I don't give outthat information. 10 Tips To Build, Manage And Profit From An E-Commerce Website Just because you've built your e-commerce website doesn't mean the customers will begin to come. You need to bring in the visitors, showcase your products, convince them to buy, and bring them back yet again to make any significant gains. |
home | site map |
© 2006 |