Friday, March 18, 2005
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Integrated Marketing in the Workplace
Integrated marketing is not just a popular buzz word that has an empty meaning. Integrated marketing is actually the way that most smart companies implement their marketing strategies these days.
Integrated marketing means that a company brings all of the marketing roles, resources and responsibilities sunder one umbrella so they all work together to deliver marketing, promotional and customer service activities aimed at internal, external, existing and potential customers. If your company still has separate departments for advertising, public relations, marketing and sales, then you really are living with a business model from decades ago. Similarly, if your company has decentralized marketing, where each department does their own promotion, your company is at a huge disadvantage in today's business world, and at the very least you are costing yourself a fortune in expenses that will be doubled and tripled up.
There are various models of marketing followed by different companies. Some companies have separate departments for advertising, public relations, marketing and sales, this is a very old model, where energies of different departments work at separate levels and may not be using all the resources to their optimum. Another model is where your company has decentralized marketing activities, and each department handles its own marketing activities. In such a model the company is at a disadvantage because each department handling its own marketing means that certain costs and expenses are being repeated and incurred twice or thrice by different departments. The economies do not work well in this kind of model.
Integrating all aspects of marketing into one department ensures that your company's strategic marketing plan is being followed because it can be led, driven, monitored and championed by one or two individuals. If each department does their own marketing, it's difficult to measure and evaluate the results effectively. Also, why leave the marketing up to accountants, assistants, and IT people? Marketing should be done by marketers. Accounting should be done by accountants. It just makes sense to get certain professionals to do the jobs they are trained for.
Also, it is important that all your marketing requirements should be undertaken by one single cohesive department. This department should be in the able hands of marketing professionals. Everyone should do the job that they are trained for accountants and IT people should not be involved in marketing and should be looking after only their respective fields of work. This way you can be sure that your marketing is being done well. Motivated, supervised and championed by the right kind of people. This also allows you to check and evaluate the progress that is being made in a single place giving you a clear picture. If you have separate departments then it becomes difficult to judge the exact position of your marketing strategy.
Author, Scott Geld is the creator of /www.MarketingBlaster.com"Marketing
Blaster one of the leading information resources on the subject of marketing available on line. For continued marketing know-how contact: http://www.MarketingBlaster.com/contact.html
Integrated marketing means that a company brings all of the marketing roles, resources and responsibilities sunder one umbrella so they all work together to deliver marketing, promotional and customer service activities aimed at internal, external, existing and potential customers. If your company still has separate departments for advertising, public relations, marketing and sales, then you really are living with a business model from decades ago. Similarly, if your company has decentralized marketing, where each department does their own promotion, your company is at a huge disadvantage in today's business world, and at the very least you are costing yourself a fortune in expenses that will be doubled and tripled up.
There are various models of marketing followed by different companies. Some companies have separate departments for advertising, public relations, marketing and sales, this is a very old model, where energies of different departments work at separate levels and may not be using all the resources to their optimum. Another model is where your company has decentralized marketing activities, and each department handles its own marketing activities. In such a model the company is at a disadvantage because each department handling its own marketing means that certain costs and expenses are being repeated and incurred twice or thrice by different departments. The economies do not work well in this kind of model.
Integrating all aspects of marketing into one department ensures that your company's strategic marketing plan is being followed because it can be led, driven, monitored and championed by one or two individuals. If each department does their own marketing, it's difficult to measure and evaluate the results effectively. Also, why leave the marketing up to accountants, assistants, and IT people? Marketing should be done by marketers. Accounting should be done by accountants. It just makes sense to get certain professionals to do the jobs they are trained for.
Also, it is important that all your marketing requirements should be undertaken by one single cohesive department. This department should be in the able hands of marketing professionals. Everyone should do the job that they are trained for accountants and IT people should not be involved in marketing and should be looking after only their respective fields of work. This way you can be sure that your marketing is being done well. Motivated, supervised and championed by the right kind of people. This also allows you to check and evaluate the progress that is being made in a single place giving you a clear picture. If you have separate departments then it becomes difficult to judge the exact position of your marketing strategy.
Author, Scott Geld is the creator of /www.MarketingBlaster.com"Marketing
Blaster one of the leading information resources on the subject of marketing available on line. For continued marketing know-how contact: http://www.MarketingBlaster.com/contact.html
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Grab Your Share of Untold Amounts of Advertising Dollars
Title: Grab Your Share of Untold Amounts of Advertising Dollars
Author: Kathleen Gage
Email: kathleen@turningpointpresents.com
Word Count: 851
Copyright: © 2005 by Kathleen Gage
Web Address: www.kathleengage.com
Publishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter, on your web site, or in your print publication provided you include the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is not required.
Grab Your Share of Untold Amounts of Advertising Dollars
By Kathleen Gage
If you advertise in any way, the following information could show you how to find and utilize untold advertising dollars you may not be aware of.
In the mid 80’s I was an account executive for a radio station located in Santa Rosa, California. During that time I became very familiar with what is referred to as co-op advertising.
Co-op advertising is a great source of advertising dollars. And there is so much of it available to people, yet most people know very little, if anything, about co-op dollars.
Interestingly, I was one of the only reps at the station who made sure my clients knew about this benefit. The reason was simple, there was more work involved in getting my clients set up, and yet, there was financial gain for both my client and myself by taking time to help them stretch their marketing dollars.
Co-oping is where you put in money for advertising and the manufacturer of a product you sell also puts in money. Often it is as much as 50% of the campaign. It is a great way to stretch your advertising campaign and to beef up your campaign.
Unfortunately, even though the money is available if conditions are right, many people either aren’t aware of this or if they arethey think it’s too much work to meet the criteria. Granted, in somecases it is, but often utilizing co-op money is a great way to stretch your marketing budget.
There are many co-op-advertising opportunities available if you plan to do advertising on the Internet. Not all are good investments though. Check opportunities out very carefully before making a final commitment.
Using co-op dollars is an excellent way to build a stronger relationship with your retail suppliers and to generate a lot more traffic in your store or on to your web site. If the overflow of business is handled correctly you will increase your sales and profits.
The great thing about using co-op dollars when you are dealing with standard media is that your account rep can handle the paperwork for you. Many retailers hesitate using the “hidden” dollars dueto feeling intimidated by the paperwork, the unknown.
Not only can the rep help you with the paperwork, they can also help you to build the campaign. However, before you trust them completely, find out what their experience is, what successful campaigns they have spearheaded and get some references. Take the time to do some research upfront to save money over the long run.
The reality is, if they are professionals in the truest sense of the word, they will be more than willing to take much of the paperwork burden off of you by handling it. After all, the more value an account rep creates for their clients the greater chance for an ongoing business.
Co-op dollars are not limited to retail businesses. Often, there are hidden dollars for non-profits. There are city and state funds that are set aside to help various organizations increase their visibility and reach.
One nice thing about using co-op dollars from a large manufacturer is that brand names do attract customers to your business—that's whyyou offer them. Advertising specific well known brands will increase your foot traffic. Harley Davidson has an amazing co-op program they offer to their retailers. It is a primary reason they have done so well. They encourage advertising based on specific guidelines.
It is to the advantage of an advertiser to utilize these dollars. Manufacturers in virtually every industry want to help with advertising costs. They are very aware that when you correctly advertise their brand name product you will probably sell more of it, thus increasing your orders.
The disadvantage of co-op advertising can be the restrictions set by the manufacturer. Often, they have such rigid guidelines about how to design the ad that you may lose all control of creative expression. For example, their logo may have to be positioned in an exact location in order for them to co-op the campaign.
If you are working with someone who claims to be an expert at advertising and they know nothing about co-op dollars they are not the expert they claim to be. Be aware.
Areas that you need to be educated on are program terms and reimbursement schedules. In some cases it can take months to receive reimbursement for a co-op campaign. In other cases, the company you are cooping with will send the money directly to the media source. Be sure to check this information out in order not to run into a cash flow problem.
Advantages of co-op advertising
- Extra money to advertise
- Account executive can do the paperwork
- More frequency
Disadvantages of co-op advertising
- Restrictions by manufacturer
- No guarantee it will work
- Limited creativity in ad copy
Before making a final decision, research your options on co-op advertising. You may be pleasantly surprised with what you discover.
Kathleen Gage is an award winning keynote speaker, author and business advisor specializing in marketing and promotions. Access Gage’s FREE eBook Street Smarts eMarketing Strategies Guaranteed to Jump Start Your Internet Presence to Put You Miles Ahead of the Competition at http://www.streetsmartsmarketing.com/free-ebook.htm
Author: Kathleen Gage
Email: kathleen@turningpointpresents.com
Word Count: 851
Copyright: © 2005 by Kathleen Gage
Web Address: www.kathleengage.com
Publishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter, on your web site, or in your print publication provided you include the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is not required.
Grab Your Share of Untold Amounts of Advertising Dollars
By Kathleen Gage
If you advertise in any way, the following information could show you how to find and utilize untold advertising dollars you may not be aware of.
In the mid 80’s I was an account executive for a radio station located in Santa Rosa, California. During that time I became very familiar with what is referred to as co-op advertising.
Co-op advertising is a great source of advertising dollars. And there is so much of it available to people, yet most people know very little, if anything, about co-op dollars.
Interestingly, I was one of the only reps at the station who made sure my clients knew about this benefit. The reason was simple, there was more work involved in getting my clients set up, and yet, there was financial gain for both my client and myself by taking time to help them stretch their marketing dollars.
Co-oping is where you put in money for advertising and the manufacturer of a product you sell also puts in money. Often it is as much as 50% of the campaign. It is a great way to stretch your advertising campaign and to beef up your campaign.
Unfortunately, even though the money is available if conditions are right, many people either aren’t aware of this or if they arethey think it’s too much work to meet the criteria. Granted, in somecases it is, but often utilizing co-op money is a great way to stretch your marketing budget.
There are many co-op-advertising opportunities available if you plan to do advertising on the Internet. Not all are good investments though. Check opportunities out very carefully before making a final commitment.
Using co-op dollars is an excellent way to build a stronger relationship with your retail suppliers and to generate a lot more traffic in your store or on to your web site. If the overflow of business is handled correctly you will increase your sales and profits.
The great thing about using co-op dollars when you are dealing with standard media is that your account rep can handle the paperwork for you. Many retailers hesitate using the “hidden” dollars dueto feeling intimidated by the paperwork, the unknown.
Not only can the rep help you with the paperwork, they can also help you to build the campaign. However, before you trust them completely, find out what their experience is, what successful campaigns they have spearheaded and get some references. Take the time to do some research upfront to save money over the long run.
The reality is, if they are professionals in the truest sense of the word, they will be more than willing to take much of the paperwork burden off of you by handling it. After all, the more value an account rep creates for their clients the greater chance for an ongoing business.
Co-op dollars are not limited to retail businesses. Often, there are hidden dollars for non-profits. There are city and state funds that are set aside to help various organizations increase their visibility and reach.
One nice thing about using co-op dollars from a large manufacturer is that brand names do attract customers to your business—that's whyyou offer them. Advertising specific well known brands will increase your foot traffic. Harley Davidson has an amazing co-op program they offer to their retailers. It is a primary reason they have done so well. They encourage advertising based on specific guidelines.
It is to the advantage of an advertiser to utilize these dollars. Manufacturers in virtually every industry want to help with advertising costs. They are very aware that when you correctly advertise their brand name product you will probably sell more of it, thus increasing your orders.
The disadvantage of co-op advertising can be the restrictions set by the manufacturer. Often, they have such rigid guidelines about how to design the ad that you may lose all control of creative expression. For example, their logo may have to be positioned in an exact location in order for them to co-op the campaign.
If you are working with someone who claims to be an expert at advertising and they know nothing about co-op dollars they are not the expert they claim to be. Be aware.
Areas that you need to be educated on are program terms and reimbursement schedules. In some cases it can take months to receive reimbursement for a co-op campaign. In other cases, the company you are cooping with will send the money directly to the media source. Be sure to check this information out in order not to run into a cash flow problem.
Advantages of co-op advertising
- Extra money to advertise
- Account executive can do the paperwork
- More frequency
Disadvantages of co-op advertising
- Restrictions by manufacturer
- No guarantee it will work
- Limited creativity in ad copy
Before making a final decision, research your options on co-op advertising. You may be pleasantly surprised with what you discover.
Kathleen Gage is an award winning keynote speaker, author and business advisor specializing in marketing and promotions. Access Gage’s FREE eBook Street Smarts eMarketing Strategies Guaranteed to Jump Start Your Internet Presence to Put You Miles Ahead of the Competition at http://www.streetsmartsmarketing.com/free-ebook.htm
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Internet Auctions - The New Face of E-commerce
Internet Auctions - The New Fact of E-commerce
by Victoria Wadelly
Just about everybody knows someone who has sold something on eBay. If you don't know what to do with something a common response is Sell it on the Bay. Internet auction sites are actually changing the face of e-commerce and small-business around the world. 30 million people visit eBay on any given day. And that is only eBay. There are many other auction sites that are quickly gaining in popularity including: Overstock.com, Yahoo auctions, and Bidville.
These Internet auction sites allow sellers to put up items for sell or auction for a small listing fee and a percentage of the selling price. Millions of people can be found shopping these sites looking for bargains and hard to find items.
Bargain hunters can find super deals at these auction sites and those interested in a business opportunity have an easy way to break into e-commerce. There has probably never been a better opportunity for people to get started in their own business with so little money up front. For example, on eBay a seller can set up an online store within only a few minutes and be selling from their own URL address for less than $20 a month. It is really that easy and the only problem an individual faces is finding things to sell.
Finding products to sell is no easy task. It requires a consistent and regular effort. There are many sources for finding products to sell at online auctions. Some of sources used by successful sellers include: their own attics, garage and yard sales, clearance racks at major department stores, wholesale suppliers, liquidators, drop shippers and thrift shop. Drop shippers are becoming very popular for sourcing products for auction seller because the seller does not have to invest a lot of money in inventory. Drop shippers will ship products directly to customers for an additional fee above the wholesale price.
Because the traffic is already at these online auction sites it provides the perfect place for anyone to start an online business. Finding customers to buy your product is the hardest part in starting a new business whether it is an online business or not. All you have to do is show up on eBay because the traffic is there and you don~t have to worry about spending a small fortune on advertising.
The other reason why individuals can successfully compete in the global market on Internet auctions is because everyone is on level ground. The multi-million dollar corporation does not have an advantage over the individual selling out of his apartment. The resources and tools available to sellers are the same. If you have ever dreamed of owning your own business but didn~t have the money or knowledge to get started now is your chance. Your first sale is probably neatly tucked away in a box your garage or attic!
Victoria Wadelly is the webmaster and owner of YE
http://www.fargoauctions.com
is an excellent place to find auction links, resources
and articles. For more information on this article,
please visit: http://www.fargoauctions.com/
by Victoria Wadelly
Just about everybody knows someone who has sold something on eBay. If you don't know what to do with something a common response is Sell it on the Bay. Internet auction sites are actually changing the face of e-commerce and small-business around the world. 30 million people visit eBay on any given day. And that is only eBay. There are many other auction sites that are quickly gaining in popularity including: Overstock.com, Yahoo auctions, and Bidville.
These Internet auction sites allow sellers to put up items for sell or auction for a small listing fee and a percentage of the selling price. Millions of people can be found shopping these sites looking for bargains and hard to find items.
Bargain hunters can find super deals at these auction sites and those interested in a business opportunity have an easy way to break into e-commerce. There has probably never been a better opportunity for people to get started in their own business with so little money up front. For example, on eBay a seller can set up an online store within only a few minutes and be selling from their own URL address for less than $20 a month. It is really that easy and the only problem an individual faces is finding things to sell.
Finding products to sell is no easy task. It requires a consistent and regular effort. There are many sources for finding products to sell at online auctions. Some of sources used by successful sellers include: their own attics, garage and yard sales, clearance racks at major department stores, wholesale suppliers, liquidators, drop shippers and thrift shop. Drop shippers are becoming very popular for sourcing products for auction seller because the seller does not have to invest a lot of money in inventory. Drop shippers will ship products directly to customers for an additional fee above the wholesale price.
Because the traffic is already at these online auction sites it provides the perfect place for anyone to start an online business. Finding customers to buy your product is the hardest part in starting a new business whether it is an online business or not. All you have to do is show up on eBay because the traffic is there and you don~t have to worry about spending a small fortune on advertising.
The other reason why individuals can successfully compete in the global market on Internet auctions is because everyone is on level ground. The multi-million dollar corporation does not have an advantage over the individual selling out of his apartment. The resources and tools available to sellers are the same. If you have ever dreamed of owning your own business but didn~t have the money or knowledge to get started now is your chance. Your first sale is probably neatly tucked away in a box your garage or attic!
Victoria Wadelly is the webmaster and owner of YE
http://www.fargoauctions.com
is an excellent place to find auction links, resources
and articles. For more information on this article,
please visit: http://www.fargoauctions.com/
Seat are almost filled
Only a few seats left for the free seminar on March 14th.
Secrets to Making Money with the Internet - and I am near capacity. I did this utilizing the very strategies I will be teaching in the upcoming seminar.
If you are looking for ways to increase your market reach and visibility in an extremely cost effective way, don't put this off. Join me for this content driven FR^EE session.
You will learn …
-How and where to begin
-How to use to power of the Internet to gain unbelievable visibility
-What to do to drive high volume traffic to your website
-One strategy that can increase your visibility on the Internet tenfold
-Insider secrets that are guaranteed to increase your revenues regardless of your product or service.
- and more!
I am offering this FR^EE Session on Monday March 14, 2005 from 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. in Sandy Utah.
The session is almost filled so sign up today.
http://www.turningpointpresents.com/quickstartfreetraining.htm
Proudly sponsored by
The Miller Business Innovation Center
If you know anyone who may benefit from this session, tell them right away because we may not have room in a day or two.
Thank you
Kathleen Gage
Secrets to Making Money with the Internet - and I am near capacity. I did this utilizing the very strategies I will be teaching in the upcoming seminar.
If you are looking for ways to increase your market reach and visibility in an extremely cost effective way, don't put this off. Join me for this content driven FR^EE session.
You will learn …
-How and where to begin
-How to use to power of the Internet to gain unbelievable visibility
-What to do to drive high volume traffic to your website
-One strategy that can increase your visibility on the Internet tenfold
-Insider secrets that are guaranteed to increase your revenues regardless of your product or service.
- and more!
I am offering this FR^EE Session on Monday March 14, 2005 from 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. in Sandy Utah.
The session is almost filled so sign up today.
http://www.turningpointpresents.com/quickstartfreetraining.htm
Proudly sponsored by
The Miller Business Innovation Center
If you know anyone who may benefit from this session, tell them right away because we may not have room in a day or two.
Thank you
Kathleen Gage
Friday, March 04, 2005
The History of Publishing
The History of Publishing
Fitzgerald Lozan
The mere word publishing, conjures images of a printing house, a distribution network, a book store and then the reader. The image or the sequence is true and applicable, but this has developed into this practice after years of refining and development. The generic meaning of ~publishing~ is making something known publicly. This process of issuing printed materials, such as books, magazines, periodicals etc started when there was a need for extra copies of manuscripts in ancient times. Roman history talks about booksellers ~ Horace mentions the Sosii, who were apparently brothers ~ and the copying of books was carried out by trained slaves. Printing was introduced in Europe in the middle of the fifteenth century. The initial instances of publishing had the author, the printer, and the publisher - all as the same person. The differentiation has slowly appeared as demand has matured.
The first important publishing house (1583~1791) was that of the Elzevir family in Holland. As printing, publishing, and bookselling spread across the West, it helped many as the interest in reading grew. Printing and publishing was used to print religious controversies and arguments in broadsides, pamphlets, and books to hand them out to partisans. Similarly, people~s interest in knowing the future increased the amount of literature issued by bookseller-publishers. Modern European cities with long traditions of publishing are Vienna, Florence, Milan, Z~rich, Paris, London, and Edinburgh. In the United States, Boston, Philadelphia, and especially New York City took the lead. During the late 19th century and throughout the 20th century, specialization entered book publishing. So, some publishing houses were specialized in religious books, textbooks, art books, technical books, and children's books.
It was seen that the hardcover books were expensive. Necessity being the mother of invention, this need led to the United States coming up with a solution in the form of paperback books. The popularity of paperback books touched meteoric levels in the 1930s and 40s, especially in all English speaking countries. In the 1950s the ~quality~ paperback were introduced as another durable editions of well-known writers. The commercialization drive continued to an extent that by 1998, sale of paperbacks reached about 14 per cent of all books sold in the United States.
However, publishing could not remain untouched by the advent of technology, and it faced serious problems. In the 1970s, television and databases become a challenge for the publishers. These new technology hijacked the prerogative of book publishing such as transmission, storage, and distribution of data. When the copying machines flooded the market, publishers and authors found it hard to protect their property by copyright. Publishing saw a new era during the late 20th century. Computers, CD-ROM and Internet allowed publishing to expand but the easy access to and copying of electronically published material raised additional copyright issues. For all these copyright problems governments have to come up with copyright laws, defining the extent to which the material can be copied.
`Electronic Book~ or `e-book~ is the brighter product of the new technology. Due to this, a large number of books are being digitized.
Fitzgerald Lozan is the owner and operator of
http://www.appublishing.com AP Publishing, Inc. which is a premier resource for you publishing needs. Contact us at, go to: http://www.appublishing.com
Fitzgerald Lozan
The mere word publishing, conjures images of a printing house, a distribution network, a book store and then the reader. The image or the sequence is true and applicable, but this has developed into this practice after years of refining and development. The generic meaning of ~publishing~ is making something known publicly. This process of issuing printed materials, such as books, magazines, periodicals etc started when there was a need for extra copies of manuscripts in ancient times. Roman history talks about booksellers ~ Horace mentions the Sosii, who were apparently brothers ~ and the copying of books was carried out by trained slaves. Printing was introduced in Europe in the middle of the fifteenth century. The initial instances of publishing had the author, the printer, and the publisher - all as the same person. The differentiation has slowly appeared as demand has matured.
The first important publishing house (1583~1791) was that of the Elzevir family in Holland. As printing, publishing, and bookselling spread across the West, it helped many as the interest in reading grew. Printing and publishing was used to print religious controversies and arguments in broadsides, pamphlets, and books to hand them out to partisans. Similarly, people~s interest in knowing the future increased the amount of literature issued by bookseller-publishers. Modern European cities with long traditions of publishing are Vienna, Florence, Milan, Z~rich, Paris, London, and Edinburgh. In the United States, Boston, Philadelphia, and especially New York City took the lead. During the late 19th century and throughout the 20th century, specialization entered book publishing. So, some publishing houses were specialized in religious books, textbooks, art books, technical books, and children's books.
It was seen that the hardcover books were expensive. Necessity being the mother of invention, this need led to the United States coming up with a solution in the form of paperback books. The popularity of paperback books touched meteoric levels in the 1930s and 40s, especially in all English speaking countries. In the 1950s the ~quality~ paperback were introduced as another durable editions of well-known writers. The commercialization drive continued to an extent that by 1998, sale of paperbacks reached about 14 per cent of all books sold in the United States.
However, publishing could not remain untouched by the advent of technology, and it faced serious problems. In the 1970s, television and databases become a challenge for the publishers. These new technology hijacked the prerogative of book publishing such as transmission, storage, and distribution of data. When the copying machines flooded the market, publishers and authors found it hard to protect their property by copyright. Publishing saw a new era during the late 20th century. Computers, CD-ROM and Internet allowed publishing to expand but the easy access to and copying of electronically published material raised additional copyright issues. For all these copyright problems governments have to come up with copyright laws, defining the extent to which the material can be copied.
`Electronic Book~ or `e-book~ is the brighter product of the new technology. Due to this, a large number of books are being digitized.
Fitzgerald Lozan is the owner and operator of
http://www.appublishing.com AP Publishing, Inc. which is a premier resource for you publishing needs. Contact us at, go to: http://www.appublishing.com
Thursday, March 03, 2005
8 Reasons Why Third Party Processors Are Better Than
8 Reasons Why Third Party Processors Are Better Than
Merchant Accounts
by Richard Adams
Choosing the right payment processor to accept credit cards on the net is a difficult and time consuming task. Like bank account accounts or mortgages there are just so many options around that you need to take an honest look at your own circumstances and desires for the future of your business before you make a firm decision.
We can generally separate payment processing into either third party processors, where you use another company and processing account, or a full blown merchant account of your own.
There are pros and cons of both options and making the simple decision of which to look at should be your absolute first decision when looking for a processing account.
To help you, then, here are my top eight reasons why third party processors may be the perfect option for you...
1) Cheap Set Up
Whilst some merchant accounts will set you up for free, they are very much in the minority. A fee of several hundred dollars is commonplace in the industry whilst you can set up a quality third party processing account for next to nothing.
2) Easy To Set Up
With merchant accounts the application process usually involves *lots* of paperwork - and I mean potentially dozens of pages, plus audited accounts, bank statements, proof of identification and all sorts of other things.
On the other hand, getting a third party processing account involves little or no paperwork at all - making your life a lot easier.
3) Quick Set Up
Because of this lack of paperwork and all the checks involved it can also be a lot quicker to set up a third party account.
There are several companies whom you can get an account from where you can literally be accepting credit cards on your web site the same day you apply.
4) Low Entry Requirements
If you choose the right third party account you need to give only minimal information about yourself - and you’re virtually guaranteed an account.
5) International Acceptance
Whilst it differs from provider to provider, many of these accounts are available to you no matter where you live. Canada? No problem! UK - come on in! Australia - pleased to meet you. Europe? Just sign here please.
6) Easy Integration With Your Site
One comment often levelled at merchant account providers is how complicated some businesses find it to integrate their site with the payment gateway. Many third party processors have "wizards" that automatically generate a secure order form for you when you provide the basic details of your products. Then you just link to that form and you're away. It couldn't be much easier.
7) No Monthly Fees
One additional factor to consider is that merchant accounts often charge a monthly fee. They may charge a statement fee, they may charge you to use their payment gateway, or secure server - or just to keep your account open.
Unfortunately it's quite possible for the Internet newbie to be pushed to make any more than a handful of sales to begin with.
Sure, with dedication and hard work this can soon increase - but if you're paying for your webhosting, broadband, autoresponder etc. each month, these fees can soon add up.
8) No Monthly Minimums
This is even more important. You see, most merchant accounts also have a minimum monthly value you must process.
If you fail to meet it you either get charged an additional fee, or your account can be shut down.
When I first started out on the Internet, I was making one sale every two to three weeks - for a total value of about $10. Now, as I learned how to market my site, sales picked
up rapidly but if I had to meet monthly minimums my business could have died before it even got started.
============================================================
Richard Adams is the founder of Merchant Account Forum, one of the net's most visited sources of free information on accepting credit cards online. Click Here Now => http://www.MerchantAccountForum.com
============================================================
Merchant Accounts
by Richard Adams
Choosing the right payment processor to accept credit cards on the net is a difficult and time consuming task. Like bank account accounts or mortgages there are just so many options around that you need to take an honest look at your own circumstances and desires for the future of your business before you make a firm decision.
We can generally separate payment processing into either third party processors, where you use another company and processing account, or a full blown merchant account of your own.
There are pros and cons of both options and making the simple decision of which to look at should be your absolute first decision when looking for a processing account.
To help you, then, here are my top eight reasons why third party processors may be the perfect option for you...
1) Cheap Set Up
Whilst some merchant accounts will set you up for free, they are very much in the minority. A fee of several hundred dollars is commonplace in the industry whilst you can set up a quality third party processing account for next to nothing.
2) Easy To Set Up
With merchant accounts the application process usually involves *lots* of paperwork - and I mean potentially dozens of pages, plus audited accounts, bank statements, proof of identification and all sorts of other things.
On the other hand, getting a third party processing account involves little or no paperwork at all - making your life a lot easier.
3) Quick Set Up
Because of this lack of paperwork and all the checks involved it can also be a lot quicker to set up a third party account.
There are several companies whom you can get an account from where you can literally be accepting credit cards on your web site the same day you apply.
4) Low Entry Requirements
If you choose the right third party account you need to give only minimal information about yourself - and you’re virtually guaranteed an account.
5) International Acceptance
Whilst it differs from provider to provider, many of these accounts are available to you no matter where you live. Canada? No problem! UK - come on in! Australia - pleased to meet you. Europe? Just sign here please.
6) Easy Integration With Your Site
One comment often levelled at merchant account providers is how complicated some businesses find it to integrate their site with the payment gateway. Many third party processors have "wizards" that automatically generate a secure order form for you when you provide the basic details of your products. Then you just link to that form and you're away. It couldn't be much easier.
7) No Monthly Fees
One additional factor to consider is that merchant accounts often charge a monthly fee. They may charge a statement fee, they may charge you to use their payment gateway, or secure server - or just to keep your account open.
Unfortunately it's quite possible for the Internet newbie to be pushed to make any more than a handful of sales to begin with.
Sure, with dedication and hard work this can soon increase - but if you're paying for your webhosting, broadband, autoresponder etc. each month, these fees can soon add up.
8) No Monthly Minimums
This is even more important. You see, most merchant accounts also have a minimum monthly value you must process.
If you fail to meet it you either get charged an additional fee, or your account can be shut down.
When I first started out on the Internet, I was making one sale every two to three weeks - for a total value of about $10. Now, as I learned how to market my site, sales picked
up rapidly but if I had to meet monthly minimums my business could have died before it even got started.
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Richard Adams is the founder of Merchant Account Forum, one of the net's most visited sources of free information on accepting credit cards online. Click Here Now => http://www.MerchantAccountForum.com
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Great Resource for Home Based Businesses
If you have a home based business and you want to get some great tips, go to
http://www.envirodocs.com/yhbc_ezine_03-03-05.htm
This issue has an article I wrote on how to
Write, Publish and Market a Book with No Out-of-Pocket Money
Happy Writing
Kathleen Gage
http://www.envirodocs.com/yhbc_ezine_03-03-05.htm
This issue has an article I wrote on how to
Write, Publish and Market a Book with No Out-of-Pocket Money
Happy Writing
Kathleen Gage
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Interview with David Geer of Cash Flow Seller
Recently I had the opportunity to share my thoughts and experience with David Geer of Cash Flow Sellers about publishing an Ezine. To learn more click here
http://www.cashflowseller.com/GageInterview.html
http://www.cashflowseller.com/GageInterview.html
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