How to Market Your New Ecommerce Website

Once you have set up an ecommerce website you will need to market it. Marketing your ecommerce website is critically important to making your site successful. After all, no one can buy your products if they don’t know your website exists. And because there are millions of ecommerce sites it’s easy for websites to get overlooked online. Here are some tips for marketing your new ecommerce website:

Use search engine optimization – Experts agree that the best way to get your website noticed is to get listed as high as possible on the search engine results pages. And the best way to get listed on the search engine results pages is to search engine optimize everything on your website. Even the product descriptions that you use on your product pages need to be search engine optimized so that the search engine spiders will find your site faster and give you a high ranking.

Add useful content to your site as well as sales information – If your site is just one big sales pitch people won’t browse through your site and chances are they won’t come back. Add as much useful information as you can to the site to give the buyers some added value and to keep people coming back to the site. Add articles to the site giving people tips on how to use your product, or information about the product, or other information that is useful but also related to the product. This will also help your search engine ranking.

Form link networks with other sites – Getting links to your site from other sites is a great way to get noticed by the search engine spiders. Each link that you get acts like a personal recommendation to view your site and the search engine spiders will find your site faster when other sites link to you. Forming reciprocal link networks with other websites is a smart way to market your ecommerce site.

Use targeted advertising – If you’re going to pay for advertising to get more traffic to your new ecommerce site it’s important that you use a targeted advertising campaign. Find your niche and aggressively market to your niche instead of just doing blanket advertising. One of the benefits of starting an ecommerce site is that the Internet makes it easier for you to zero in on a particular niche so focus all your marketing efforts on that one niche and you’ll be amazed at the results you get.


Jennifer Loganathan is the President and CEO of Stradafee Limited an international merchant service provider. Stradafee is a retail and an electronic payments company specializing in global eCommerce and Internet merchant accounts. Merchant accounts make it possible for businesses to provide credit card processing for card present and card-not-present transactions. For more information on credit card processing visit http://www.stradafee.com

How to Sell Goods on the Internet

Do you want to make some extra money selling items online? Or maybe you want to be able to quit your job and work from home full time selling goods on the Internet? It’s easier than you think to get set up to sell good on the Internet. Here are the items that you need to get started selling online:

1. A product – It doesn’t matter if you are reselling an item that you buy from a manufacturer or selling something that you make yourself you can’t get started selling things online without something to sell. Whatever it is that you decide to sell make sure that you know how to get a steady supply of it so that once your sales start taking off you won’t have to disappoint customers by telling them you can’t get that item anymore.

2. A domain name- The domain name that you choose for your online business should end in .com if at all possible and it should be short and easy to remember. You might have to get creative and brainstorm ideas to find a good domain name if the domain name that you want is already taken.

3. A website – Once you have registered a domain name you will need to build a website. If you’re not experienced at HTML coding it’s a good idea to hire a professional to build your website. Since your entire business will be based on this website in the long run it will be more cost effective to hire a professional to build the site properly than it will be to try and build a makeshift site by yourself.

4. A merchant account or payment processor – When you sell goods online you need to be able to accept credit cards and debit cards. Most people that shop online expect to pay with a credit card or debit card. There are lots of different companies that small business merchant accounts and payment processing so take your time choosing a payment processing company to make sure that you get the best possible deal. Usually you will have to pay a percentage of each sale to the processor and you might have to pay a monthly fee as well.

Once you have all of these things you are all set to start selling goods on the Internet. Marketing your website is crucial if you want to be successful selling goods on the Internet so it’s a good idea to learn as much as you can about Internet marketing or hire a company that specializes in Internet marketing to help you market your website


Jennifer Loganathan is the President and CEO of Stradafee Limited an international merchant service provider. Stradafee is a retail and an electronic payments company specializing in global eCommerce and Internet merchant accounts. Merchant accounts make it possible for businesses to provide credit card processing for card present and card-not-present transactions. For more information on credit card processing visit http://www.stradafee.com

Is the Wall Street Bailout Affecting Credit Card Applications?

Americans have never been so in sync with the American economy. In fact, as a nation, we have never been as educated as to how our economy works, our place in the global economy and how changes to within our country’s lending institutions affect us, on a personal level. As this isn’t an economics lesson, I won’t bore or condescend you with the same information that has been drilled into your head for the past week and a half. What I’d for you to take from this article is the real time, real life impact that a fiscal meltdown will have on you and your personal, day to day finances. At the heart of your potential fiscal woes may very well be the inability to use your credit cards or obtain new ones or even extend credit. As things trickle down, banks are coming up with less and less money to offer out for credit; that immediately translates to less available credit card offers. While it’s not clear that you’ll get less of them in the mail this week, the approval process is a door that may be swinging one way for a while. In terms of risk, lenders are extremely afraid of taking new risk on to add to their current risk portfolios. In fact, there has even been talk of acquiring banks eliminating the available credit for existing customers. As this is just rumor at this point, this is a very real possibility that banks can enact. It’s simple, if you multiplied the number of customers that an acquiring bank has by the available balances on their credit cards, you will have one hell of a risk for that lending institution. With a slow economy, high unemployment and winter as well as the holidays coming, the possibility that banks will incur more bad debt without even welcoming any new debt , is a reality.

The chances that we’ll ever see a creditless society are seemingly non-existent; however, as credit tightens up, the available credit that individuals have at their disposal becomes less. This credit becomes redistributed as credit Americans begin to use credit for everyday needs and even to pay bills, versus convenience and luxury items. Merchants, especially ecommerce merchants will suffer in a slow market like this, as items purchased online tend to be more a want and less need based. To combat this type of thing from happening, the ecommerce and more specifically credit card processing industry has acted as they have acted before when there has been a fear of increases in government regulations or a change in policy, as well as an ever changing economic landscape. Lately, moves offshore to international lenders have proven to be successful, profitable and secure for merchants. Those are three words that came if only at a steep price to those same merchants by doing business domestically. For processors and merchant service providers, the ability to source the cheapest, safest and simplest transaction processing for their clients is an entire industry in itself. As we move forward, as our economy transitions into whatever it will be and as new challenges arise, for business owners and credit card holders, the ability to process monetary transactions electronically is an capability that we cannot afford to lose.

About Stradafee:

Stradafee Limited is a leading international merchant service provider located in New York. Stradafee specializes in placing high volume global eCommerce companies. Internet merchant accounts makes it possible for online stores to accept credit cards as a form of payment for goods sold. For information on credit card processing for card present and card-not-present transactions please visit our corporate website at www.stradafee.com.

About the author:

Sager G. Loganathan is a freelance Search Engine Optimization writer specializing in the banking and finance industry. Sager Loganathan, a United States Marine Corp Veteran, has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

How To Sell Goods Over the Internet

The internet is a vast resource and portal for everyone to use as an instrument for their devices. Today, merchants looking to expand or supplement their business have turned to the internet for added exposure or simply even s a tool for their existing customers to stay in touch with passively. These merchant’s competitors are naturally, businesses that exist entirely online; virtual merchants have made an impact on the ecommerce landscape with low prices and quick merchandise turnaround for their suppliers. In a way, not being held back by the daily hassles of running a traditional brick and mortar business frees up valuable time to concentrate on conquering the virtual world, one transaction at a time. As this may seem like a dream occupation, but managing and operating an ecommerce business is lots of work. To survive a business cycle, online merchants need to balance high volume sales with supply lines and managing their incoming funds; this means that maintaining their merchant accounts is key to survival, as this is their lifeline.


Success in selling goods online depends on many factors; the most important facet of ecommerce is drawing attention to your website, which is not as easy as it sounds, as you’re not realize to transact any business without customers. A popular way of accomplishing this is by optimizing your website on search engines so that when consumers enter keywords that pertain to your business on a search engine, your URL or website comes up as close to the top of the list as possible. Another way that merchants lead customers to their website is by networking with other merchants whose goods or services compliment each other. This is achieved by establishing links on their websites to the other partner’s site. Drawing in perspective customers to your site is just the beginning. An effective site that is to navigate is an essential tool in keeping people on your site and making the sale easier to grasp. This is realized by effective website creation that leads visitors ultimately to the point of purchase. Once the sale has been made, merchants have to fulfill the order, which may prove harder to do in an online environment as one of the keys to success online is high volume. Keeping the supply chain running and product fulfillment at 100 percent are not goals of an online merchant; they are benchmarks that can break the back of an online business, so a merchant’s relationship with their suppliers are key. To an ecommerce merchant, their credit card processing capabilities are indispensable. Merchants depend on their merchant accounts to feed their business on a daily basis; their ability to have their money processed in a timely manner continues business for another day. A merchant’s relationship with their bank, processor and merchant service provider are an important part of their portfolio. Minimizing chargebacks and ensuring that funds are released in a timely manner are the goals of virtual merchants today. While the are many factors such as industry type and the size of business that the merchant is operating, the fundamentals of selling online stay the same and will for a length of time.

About Stradafee:

Stradafee Limited is a leading international merchant service provider located in New York. Stradafee specializes in placing high volume global eCommerce companies. Internet merchant accounts makes it possible for online stores to accept credit cards as a form of payment for goods sold. For information on credit card processing for card present and card-not-present transactions please visit our corporate website at www.stradafee.com.

About the author:

Sager G. Loganathan is a freelance Search Engine Optimization writer specializing in the banking and finance industry. Sager Loganathan, a United States Marine Corp Veteran, has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Merchant Account Limits and Merchant Service Providers

For most merchants, using their merchant account to process their daily business to its capacity is something that they won’t have to worry about ever, but if so maybe a couple times a year. When banks issue merchants credit card processing accounts, they place limits on processing capabilities based on criteria such as their business longevity, personal credentials, business plan and the size of the business. Even businesses that anticipate fast growth and a high volume of credit card sales almost immediately or within a short period of time such as ecommerce merchants and telephone order merchants have limited processing in the beginning. For these types of business owners limited processing capability can mean limited growth; this can even limit the planned growth of that business based on a maximum dollar amount of revenue generated. Since the ecommerce boom at its inception, merchants have struggled with sourcing stable, uninterrupted credit card processing for a reasonable rate. Many times banks and processors will assess high rates to young merchants or ones that wish to grow fast. The rates that merchants pay are not the only financial constraints that they may face; many banks will hold a portion of their revenues for impending chargeback’s, even if that merchant’s chargeback ratio may be low to begin with. For ecommerce and telephone order merchants whose primary business is done based on card not present transactions, these fees come with the territory and are accepted. For these reasons, many of these and other merchants negotiating rates and fees with banks and processors can become more complicated when the initial rate is established. A common negotiating tool that businesses use when negotiating their discount rate with a processor or merchant service provider is the promise of volume in terms of both total dollars processed and the amount of transactions processed.

Economically, high volumes are good for both parties as banks will make more based on dollars processed and merchants can profit more with lower rates; however, the empty promise of high volumes is not uncommon and is swiftly followed up by rate increases and even slow pay times. For many merchants that resort to this tactic as a savvy negotiation, frustration and dismay often follows. These processing situations are followed by banks tightening up their criteria for high volume accounts for unproven businesses. This seemingly vicious cycle of merchant and bank relations is being sorted through at the beginning of the relationship today by merchant service providers, as prequalifying and rate negotiations are often finished before the merchant is set up with their account. This added step makes for a stronger relationship for all parties due to the fact that rate scales are established and banks are not bogged down with these issues after the merchant has been established. Merchant service providers can act as a buffer for a bank which banks appreciate, but for merchants, the relationship is simplified and an easier one to foster due to a single point of contact with established constraints. As with any relationship, trust is essential and in business, especially dealing with financial issues, trust needs to be the basis of that relationship. Whether approaching a processor, merchant service provider or a bank directly, every merchant needs to feel comfortable with the person they are doing business with; in every case well defined parameters need to be established at the outset.

About Stradafee:

Stradafee Limited is a leading international merchant service provider located in New York. Stradafee specializes in placing high volume global eCommerce companies. Internet merchant accounts makes it possible for online stores to accept credit cards as a form of payment for goods sold. For information on credit card processing for card present and card-not-present transactions please visit our corporate website at www.stradafee.com.

About the author:

Sager G. Loganathan is a freelance Search Engine Optimization writer specializing in the banking and finance industry. Sager Loganathan, a United States Marine Corp Veteran, has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Best E-Commerce Verticals

Today, ecommerce is not just an important supplement for established brick and mortar businesses, but stands on its own as a viable entity for small through large business owners to transact business. Just as the internet has transformed the way people do business, it has transformed entire industries and even created new ones. The importance of the web in business is much more essential to us than the transactions that bring in dollars for their owners and hosts; for consumers, gathering information about products, price shopping and seeking out services that may not be available to them locally are all ways that we spend our time on the internet. For merchants, success online is a goal that has become increasingly elusive and a task harder to complete due to factors such as increased competition, the current economy and consumer loyalty to walk in businesses.
For the businesses that succeed online, the level of success easily becomes the next logical challenge to undertake. Some of the best verticals or industries both online and off cross paths when it comes to their success growth rates. It will come as no surprise that the retail industry is by far on top of the list of best ecommerce verticals; however certain types of retailers enjoy a lot of success over their competitors within the retail industry. The sporting goods industry is a great fit for the internet as overhead is usually high for their brick and mortar competitors, driving operating costs up and available selection down. Online sporting goods outlets often have no warehouse and can offer low prices due to this fact; also, consumers need to try things on less or can do their shopping locally, then make their purchase online for a significant savings. Another online business that may not be as popular with mainstream America is adult websites. While many of these websites are a sideline of magazine and film companies, others stand alone as venues for members and to advertise DVD movies for sale. As some sites are deemed illegal, others are officially permitted. VOIP or voice over internet protocol is the ability to use an internet connection as a telephone line through a converter. They work in much the same way as a standard hard line; however, it offers options such as the ability to choose your number (even with an out of state prefix), unlimited long distance, low rates on international calls and a voice message service. The United States hosts many VOIP companies that offer these services not only to Americans, but even the international community. Tech companies like these offer unlimited membership at a low cost; however, the allure and excitement of them is their ability to innovate, expand change direction so fast.
Just as ecommerce has transformed in the United States relatively quickly, the global village is developing even faster. Businesses ability to source international customers and expand their trade is a springboard for continued success and stability for many years to come. In the end, the international community is eager to process American dollars as well as pay good money for the goods and service that American merchants’ offer on the open market.

About Stradafee:

Stradafee Limited is a leading international merchant service provider located in New York. Stradafee specializes in placing high volume global eCommerce companies. Internet merchant accounts makes it possible for online stores to accept credit cards as a form of payment for goods sold. For information on credit card processing for card present and card-not-present transactions please visit our corporate website at www.stradafee.com.

About the author:

Sager G. Loganathan is a freelance Search Engine Optimization writer specializing in the banking and finance industry. Sager Loganathan, a United States Marine Corp Veteran, has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

How To Get a Merchant Account For The Adult Industry

Have you ever thought about selling products that are adult oriented? If you have, you must think of this business much different than the way you market and sell other products.

Because of the nature of the business, adult oriented products are considered high risk. If you plan to sell in this category, you will need more than just a license. Selling in this category will require you to have a special merchant account. Most banks and credit card processors steer clear of this category. Could you imagine what kind of response that would get if they did?

With the adult business, there are two payment methods, the monthly membership fees and the one-off fees.

With the monthly membership fees, you are going to get a certain amount of money every month. The one-off fees assist to create a client base of faithful customers. This will help bring the business more revenue and people will take notice.

You may experience a glitch if you use both at the same time. However, after using them for a while, they will have the intended effect. After you’ve made some money in the adult business, you can start to increase your customer and profit base by other means of advertising and marketing. This can be done through the internet and other forms of media. You should also make plans to get a merchant account now that your business has increased in profits.

Due to the nature of this business, you may not find many takers who would want to do business with you. The ones that will accept you may charge you more than the regular rate. This is because they are taking a risk on your business anyway. The ones that will take you may charge up to 20%.

Because you are charged a hefty fee, you may have to make some adjustments with your business. Or you can start all over again. You will have to do some research online to find someone who can assist you with your adult oriented business.

Another alternative is to find an offshore merchant account provider. The advantage of using one of these is that you will be able to pay a fee that is less than what the other provider was going to charge you.

With an offshore merchant account provider, you have more flexibility, even if you are selling adult items. You receive payments quickly and the system is easy to navigate. These merchant providers are very accepting of online businesses such as adult items.

The application process is not hard and is simple to do. People who are selling these items don’t need a lot of identification. These merchant accounts will make it easy to get an account that sells women’s exotic underwear and related items. If done right, adult merchant accounts can be very profitable for the merchant.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer Loganathan is the President and CEO of Stradafee Limited. Stradafee is a leading international payments company based in New York. Stradafee is a retail and ecommerce payment processing provider specializing in international and Internet merchant account solutions. Stradafee also offers check processing, high risk merchant accounts and offshore merchant account options. Stradafee can help businesses of all industries and sizes. For more information on credit card processing and check processing please visit www.stradafee.com.

Things To Know About Using an Australian Merchant Account

If you’re selling products and services online with an international internet business, you will need an avenue to collect the funds. There are different ways you can do this.

In places like Australia, merchants are defeating the purpose if they resort to having customers sending payment in the form of a cheque or sending the payment information via e-mail. Doing the latter can cause a serous breach. E-mails can be intercepted at any time and the customer’s credit card information can be compromised. Why would any merchant want to subject their customers to such an inconvenience?

With an international business, credit cards are the most used form of payment, even in places like Australia. When Australian merchants accept credit cards for payment, the money can be deposited in their merchant account quickly. Having credit cards for their merchant account provides a quick cash flow for them. When you adapt to this method of payment, you can be assured of receiving orders and payments anytime of the day and night.

The orders that are processed should be using “real time” transactions. This means that once a purchase is made, the information is processed through a gateway. It takes a brief moment to check if your payment will be accepted or not. By the time you blink your eyes twice, the process is complete.

In order for the “real time” transactions to take place, merchants should have an internet merchant account. The Australian merchant can get this account from a bank in their area. The merchant will also need a payment gateway service to process the credit cards.

Or merchants in Australia can use PayPal. PayPal is one of the popular payment processors that is used all over the world, including Australia. Even though there are no monthly fees with PayPal, the merchant’s payment can take between three to four business days before payment is deposited into their account.

If the period happens to be on weekend, merchants may have to wait longer. Then there’s the thing about having high sales volume profits within one or two transactions. Payment processors like PayPal sometimes get suspicious and place a temporary limit on your account.

Only when you send in requested documentation from them will they restore it With the account originating in Australia, it may even take a while for a merchant to get their money.

When you’re operating an international online business in places like Australia, its better if merchants have a merchant account. With a merchant account, there are no limits or holds on high sales volume profits. Merchant accounts allow Australian merchants to get their money much faster, like the same business day. If a merchant works with an Australian bank to get an account, the banks have merchant accounts for VISA, MasterCard and BankCard.

When merchants do apply for a merchant account in Australia, they should be aware that they may have a lot of paperwork to fill out. The merchants will probably be asked for everything under the sun except the kitchen sink. That’s because some Australian banks feel they are taking a risk just by providing local merchants with an account.

Once the Australian merchants get up and running, they will be free to run their business and make lots of money.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer Loganathan is the President and CEO of Stradafee Limited. Stradafee is a leading international payments company based in New York. Stradafee is a retail and ecommerce payment processing provider specializing in international and Internet merchant account solutions. Stradafee also offers check processing, high risk merchant accounts and offshore merchant account options. Stradafee can help businesses of all industries and sizes. For more information on credit card processing and check processing please visit www.stradafee.com.

High Volume Merchant Account Set Up 7 Days or Less

Many businesses in the United States and abroad have applied for merchant accounts within the last three to five years due, mostly in part by the inundation of new ecommerce businesses. With these new businesses starting up and performing maintenance on banks and processors current customers, set up and integration lead times have become longer. High volume, high capacity merchant accounts have become very popular among ecommerce merchants, especially; the internet boom sees no slow down in sight and the ability to get big and very quickly leaves new merchants with little choice but to apply for these high volume accounts from the inception of their business. The thought of a new business being granted a high volume merchant account is a new concept. Traditionally, businesses need to show an upward trend in sales, along with a proven track record of stability and low chargeback’s to be granted a processing limit increase. Today, many merchants are turning to banks and processors overseas for their credit card processing needs. International banks in recent years have become aggressive to gain business by offering high volume merchant accounts to new and young companies that wish to achieve high volume status from inception. The term seven days or less is a reality; processors and merchant service providers or brokers see the opportunity to enable new and young merchants to achieve high volume processing status and fill the gaps that a lot of banks cannot by funneling in business to their banks. This new way of setting up merchant accounts is proving itself to be a win win situation for the banks, processors and merchant service providers. Essentially, using a broker to prequalify customers and handle the brunt of the paperwork takes a tremendous load off of the processors and banks by handing them a willing and competent merchant. From the time a new customer’s application and documents are processed, integration and processing can take about three or four days; making a seven day window absolutely feasible. From the time a new customer is integrated, their merchant service provider’s job isn’t done. Through a merchant’s processing cycle, questions and issues always rear their heads; while they don’t offer all of the answers, a merchant service provider is a great tool and definitely the right, “first call” for a merchant to make, especially when dealing with chargeback’s. Having a high volume merchant account doesn’t mean that your account will always have a high limit. This is a little known fact that most banks and processors don’t disclose. Domestic banks offer high limit accounts and will even raise limits under the right circumstances; however if they see a lot of chargeback’s or the merchant isn’t using their account to the limit, that limit will decrease. Offshore banks typically won’t be so quick to judge an account in the short term. There is no proper or better protocol when dealing with these types account issues, just different rules for different banks. If you do have or wish to know more about how to obtain a high volume merchant account, contact a merchant service provider.

About Stradafee:

Stradafee Limited is a leading international merchant service provider located in New York. Stradafee specializes in placing high volume global eCommerce companies. Internet merchant accounts makes it possible for online stores to accept credit cards as a form of payment for goods sold. For information on credit card processing for card present and card-not-present transactions please visit our corporate website at www.stradafee.com.

About the author:

Sager G. Loganathan is a freelance Search Engine Optimization writer specializing in the banking and finance industry. Sager Loganathan, a United States Marine Corp Veteran, has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

ONLINE STORE HOW TO CHECKLIST

So you are thinking of hosting an online store? You’re not alone as you know, and today the competition is getting stiffer. Most people that own and operate successful online retail sites have run the gauntlet of e-education the hard way for as long as online vendors made money the “easy” way. Well it’s not easy as we are trying to elaborate and there are basics that most people have nailed down; however there are the simplest of details that elude many new to the business, that don’t bear there ugly face till it’s too late.

An idea, a concept is not the most difficult of tasks to complete on the road to virtual success, but a necessary one. The question is, “Do you have a valid business plan?” Is your product or service in need by consumers? Most importantly, in starting this new online business, are you infringing on other like businesses or in conflict with a current or previous employer. If you cannot answer these questions, stop here and get them answered. Consulting with an attorney, if even for an hour or two may be sufficient. What you want to know is if your new business name or product is under copyright or contract with other companies and if there are legal restrictions on your industry, product or service. Finding the answers to these questions when it’s too late may prove to be expensive.

Securing suppliers and negotiating contracts is necessary. Shopping around for a manufacturer or supplier that allows you to vary your stock depending on your market needs is optimal; however, minimums and non-compete contracts often leave vendors with a lot of red lollypops when black licorice is all the rage. When starting out, try to negotiate the shortest term contracts you can. It leaves things open-ended, and that always benefits retailers more than their suppliers. Some industries have dominant products or little variety, so the answer is up to you, “Do you play it safe, or become an agent of change?”

My all-time favorite check to mark on the list is payment processing. I’m not talking about cash (which is king) or personal checks (hmmm), but your ability to accept credit cards. First things first, there are a lot more options available than asking the teller at the bank where you do your personal banking about a merchant account. In fact, that’s the last place I’d turn to, but that’s me. Next is what types of cards will you take. I hate it when I walk into a new store and have to look at the door to see what cards they take, if any! Yes, there are stores in my town that don’t take credit cards, some impose fees on each transaction (you can lose your merchant account for that) or require minimums for credit card usage (also a big no-no!) I don’t say much because the one is a deli and I prefer my turkey sandwich without spit and buggers. After basic card acceptance, the ability to accept Amex is definitely a plus. Believe it or not, many retailers don’t take it; number one reason being… Most US domestic banks impose higher fees on it. Quick answer? Go offshore, it’s a big world and internationally, Amex is very popular other places (hmmm, again.)

So now we’ve gone offshore; nothing wrong with it. In fact, it’s so mainstream today, that many merchants are getting paid partially or even in full in foreign currency, due to the weak US dollar. Obtaining a merchant account form a non-domestic bank is every bit as easy as a domestic one, they have proven to just as if not more secure than domestic banks due to enhanced third party fraud scrubbing and in-house processing (not farmed out.) Your tax structure is the same and all funds must be claimed, if you were wondering. A real benefit of an offshore merchant account is that international banks don’t often impose extremely high discount rates and erroneous fees that many domestic banks do. The reason is really simple; non US countries need to depend highly on purchases outside their own markets and that means a lot of credit card transactions. In my opinion, international and offshore banks are years ahead of western banks, but that’s just my opinion. Merchant service providers or merchant service brokers are a pretty good resource while you’re shopping for a merchant account. Touted more as industry insiders, they have relationships with a lot of banks and independent processors out there and can often custom tailor a processing solution just for your business.

In all, it’s a lot of information to take in, thanks for reading along and good luck in your new online venture!

About Stradafee:

Stradafee is a leading international payments company based in New York. Stradafee is a retail and ecommerce payment processing provider specializing in global retail and Internet merchant account solutions. Stradafee also offers credit card processing, check processing, high risk merchant accounts and offshore merchant account options. Stradafee can help businesses of all industries and sizes. For more information on credit card processing and check processing please visit http://www.stradafee.com.

Written By: Sager G. Loganathan

Should you Start an Online Business?

That question picks at so many small and even medium size business owners every day. If the answer was easy to answer, then the criteria for success in a virtual environment would be well defined and on a very short list. As there are so many types of businesses, the questions every merchant has to answer are as different as the businesses that they own or operate. In today’s economy, one would think that running an online business is a no-brainer compared to growing costs of traditional brick and mortar businesses.

The first two things to consider are whether the business is product or service based and is this, a spin-off from a walk-in store or going to be solely an online venture. Product based internet businesses naturally flourish in competitive environments when product supply and manufacturer variety is high. Online vendors spring up quickly enough to turn high profits due to high volume sales; some weather the storm, while others diversify, close up shop or struggle to maintain their sales relationships with the customers that they’ve done business with. For service based businesses, developing a clientele and maintaining a mutual trust is even more important than competitive pricing and service after the sale. Nothing could be more truthful in the ecommerce world that you just don’t know who is on the other side of the computer than in the internet-based service industry. It is best to leave it up the individual merchant what if any service-based internet business should be embarked on; however, the risk is lower on the product=based side of the table.

Keeping up with your clients and industry is so much of a gamble. As the internet can propel an individual, website or concept so quickly, every new merchant needs to have a plan in place for an influx of business. Pre-negotiated contracts, pertaining to volume discounts, lead times and actual inventory on hand are all tools that should be a must have going forward from conception and maintained throughout vendor-retailer relationships. Not fulfilling an order is e-suicide. Customer communication, in the event of backordering or out-of-stock items can save your e-life.
Have a multi-year plan, not necessarily a five year plan is not an outdated idea. We often like to think of the internet as a structure-less environment; however, failure to plan is a plan in stone for failure in the virtual world. It sounds cliché, but as the pre-eminent ever changing environment not researching, one-upping or tapping in on new ideas, markets or trends will leave you in the dust.

So, now you’re successful, your clients are satisfied and the future looks bright. Not bad, right? Commonly overlooked in even the long list of tasks to be completed by virtual merchants is maintaining and optimizing their merchant account. When it comes to getting paid, every merchant follows the money right to their bank; what many overlook is how much they are paying in fees and rates each month. As nearly all internet-based businesses are considered to be a moderate to high risk by banks and processors, many online merchants are turning to merchant service providers to secure them off-shore merchant accounts from international banks that offer secure, timely and inexpensive credit card processing.

As running an online business is as challenging, or even more so than running a traditional brick and mortar business; there are many obstacles and pitfalls to encounter. These were a few that we thought could be helpful. If you have any suggestions or comments, please, feel free to let us know.

About Stradafee:

Stradafee is a leading international payments company based in New York. Stradafee is a retail and ecommerce payment processing provider specializing in global retail and Internet merchant account solutions. Stradafee also offers credit card processing, check processing, high risk merchant accounts and offshore merchant account options. Stradafee can help businesses of all industries and sizes. For more information on credit card processing and check processing please visit http://www.stradafee.com.

Written By: Sager G. Loganathan

Starting An Online Business

Running an online business can be an exciting endeavour. There are significant benefits beyond conventional business models. Being your own boss, setting your own hours, and the ability to work from home or your favorite coffee shop to name a few. More importantly is the ability to reach customers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can reach customers across the nation, or even internationally which allows for nearly limitless growth. While there are some unique operational expenses, such as website maintenance, internet service, and domain registration, you can avoid the gargantuan costs that come with purchasing or leasing a retail space. This article will give you a basic primer of what you’ll need to get up and running.

First you will have to establish market. Of course this means you will need to have some product you can sell, or some kind of service you can provide. You could also provide digital products such as a software program, e-books, articles, or images. It may be helpful to develop a business plan at this point.

Building the website is a critical step. Headings, colors, graphics, and links are all things to consider when building a site. Rollovers, animation, and embedded video give sites a cutting edge feel which garners trust among prospective clients. Unless you are a savvy website designer it is best to have a professional build your site for you. They will be able to create a user friendly environment for you customers to interact with. This alone will generate sales by easing customer navigation to the products they are interested and presenting them in a professional manner.

Next you will need to come up with a domain name for your site. The best web addresses are shorter, simple to spell and type, and are pertinent to the business you are involved in. It should be easy to remember. Find a reliable web host for the site. If the site goes down you will be out of business.

Shopping cart software is another essential. These programs allow customers to add and subtract items for purchase, select shipping options, and view pricing information. Good shopping cart software integrates seamlessly with your site. Other features will allow you to track inventory and manage orders. It is the equivalent of your retail outlet sales force and can create more business by merchandising similar products to customers as they browse your website. In order to accept payments for services you will also need to obtain a merchant account. A merchant account provider is necessary to handle instantaneous credit card processing.

Running a business is hard work, and a virtual business is no exception to the rule. Make sure your systems are in place. Once you are up and running your hands will be kept full answering customer questions, ensuring orders are filled and processed properly, and fostering business relationships.

Jennifer Loganathan is the President and CEO of Stradafee Limited. Stradafee is a leading international payments company based in New York. Stradafee is a retail and merchant account provider specializing in credit card processing solutions. Please visit www.stradafee.com for more information.