If you run an online business, having the ability to make credit card purchases online is pretty much essential. Failure to offer an online payment service will cost you money, damage your reputation and leave you at risk of being left behind by the competition. So does your website have to ability to make online credit card payments?
What’s so great about Ecommerce anyway?
In today’s economy, more people than ever are using online shopping for their day to day purchases. Online shopping is becoming more diverse with a wider range of products being available, from simple clothes and food to more bizarre purchases like toilet mini golf and unicorn meat. So what are the benefits of selling your products online?
For a start, you do not have opening hours. Your customers can browse your products and make purchases 24 hours a day. You customer base is broader than for a shop, where you are mostly restricted to the local population. With a website, your customers are not only nationwide, but potentially worldwide. Also, when people make purchases, you can save their contact details (in most cases). This gives you the ability to market your company, new products and offers to the people that you know like and trust your company. Social media is also a great way to drive new customers to your ecommerce site quickly.
So why do I need credit card payments?
Trust factor – Trust is a big issue on the internet. Customers will usually only make a purchase is they consider you to be a reputable business. Failure to offer credit card payment options is a MASSIVE turn off and can damage your overall reputation.
Barrier to entry – When running your online business, you need to make sure that your customers find it as easy as possible to make purchases. Think about it, how many times have you walked out of a shop because you can’t find what you need or the staff members are too busy to talk to you? Credit card payments make it quick and easy to make purchases and reduce the chances of losing an easy sale.
Impulse sales – Reducing the barrier to entry makes it more likely that people make impulse purchases. The longer it takes for your customer to make a payment, the more chance of them changing their mind.
Mobiles – Mobile purchases are becoming increasingly popular and many online shoppers make purchases on their smart phone, sometimes on the way to work. If your website requires them to pay by cheque, there is a high chance you will lose the sale.
Improved cash flow and minimises risk – On the subject of paying by cheque; not only is it a big turn off for potential customers, but it can take weeks for the money to reach your account… if at all! Paying by credit card allows you to receive money in your account quickly, which enables you to invest it straight back into your business.
Potential for overseas sales – When paying by credit card to an overseas company, the exchange rate is automatically calculated when the funds are withdrawn from the customer’s account. This means that your ecommerce business has the potential to reach a far greater audience with minimal effort
How can I get credit card payments on my website?
At Maxweb, we can create complete ecommerce systems for your business. As well as creating a bespoke website to your specifications, we will put the framework in place to allow a number of different payment options, including credit card payments and PayPal. Using SSL, we set up secure payments to protect yourself and your customers from fraud. To enquire about enabling online credit card payments for your business, call us now on 0151 652 4777.
Posted on Wednesday, March 19th, 2014 in E-commerce.
