Have a clear “call to action”
The building blocks of a successful online business
Online businesses come in all shapes and sizes. But they share a few core components:
Website: The customer-facing “storefront” for your online business
Create a website that works
Your eCommerce website is an introduction to your business, an invitation to shop. It's the storefront for your business that allows you to communicate its personality. Working with a capable website solution provider takes the hard work out of designing and developing your eCommerce website. Here are a few tips to help make yours stand out.
Content is key
Plan out what people will see and do when they visit your website. Many site visitors will not want to buy right away so give them reasons to visit and stay other than to buy. Learn how WordPress can help make content consistent.
Make it easy for website visitors to engage with you by posting a clear call to action (CTA). It might be “click here,” “add to shopping cart” or “sign up for our newsletter”. Whatever the CTA is, explain why your visitor would want to act. One quick way to test how easy it is to find the CTA is to zoom out to 50% in your website browser. You should easily see the “click to buy” button or another CTA link.
Use a clean, simple design
Customers tend to stay longer on user-friendly sites. Simplicity helps visitors focus, navigate your website and more easily find and buy your products. Most customers will decide whether they want to browse and purchase within minutes. Keep in mind accessibility for your customers is important too and a great way to promote inclusivity. Discover how Wix can help build a simple site with impact.
Make social media sharing easy
Offer social network sharing features on your website to encourage visitors and customers to share your content on their social accounts. Consumers may well be tempted to follow friends' and family members' social media links to your website.
Highlight content “above the fold”
The online equivalent to the newspaper’s “above the fold” is what can be seen on a single screen without scrolling. This is your prime real estate where you should feature your most eye-catching information.
Display shipping terms prominently
Customers may abandon their shopping carts if they learn that the shipping price was higher than expected.
Make your site mobile friendly
Website design optimized for mobile devices makes it easier for mobile users to navigate.
Shopping carts: turn browsers into buyers
Customers need a place on your eCommerce website to finalize and pay for their purchases. Most people call this the shopping cart. Here are some tips and best practices to consider that can guide you through the process.
Enable site search
Customers expect to be able to visit a store and search for specific things like “blue women’s shoes.” Showing the most relevant products will greatly increase the likelihood that they’ll add the product or service to the shopping cart.
Keep the cart simple
Keep the shopping cart free of clutter and make the purchasing process easy to navigate.
Start small, then expand
Nail the basics first: create a frictionless way to add products and services to the shopping cart. Features like subscriptions, bookings, and memberships may come later, unless they’re the focus of your business.
Learn more about why you should improve your online payment experience
Payment gateways: how your business gets paid
To accept payments online (or in person), a payment gateway is a must-have. But what exactly is a payment gateway, and how do you incorporate it into your business?
A payment gateway enables your business to accept payments by payment cards, eChecks and digital wallets from websites, POS terminals, and mobile devices. The gateway processes all those payment transactions and moves money from customers’ accounts into your merchant bank account.
Your payment gateway performs three key functions:
Settle
Money is transferred from your customer’s bank or financial institution relevant account to your merchant account. This typically takes a couple of days.
Authorize
The payment gateway checks to make sure your customer has sufficient funds in their account, then authorizes the purchase.
Settle
As soon as the purchase is authorized, a hold is placed on the money. At this point, you can confidently ship the goods to your customer.
The three steps in the credit card processing cycle
Choosing a payment gateway
There are a number of factors to consider when choosing the payment gateway for your business. For example:
- What payment types will the gateway help you accept?
- Does the payment gateway provider offer fraud protection?
- Is there a way to accept recurring payments?
- Is there a digital invoicing feature?
Authorize.net offers payment gateways with all the above features and more.
View our plans or give us a call at 1-888-323-4289 to discuss your options. There are more tips about choosing the right payment below.
Choosing the right payment gateway
Many payment gateways authorize, capture, and settle transactions. But to help your business grow, you may need more than just basic features. Here are a few essential payment gateway capabilities you should look for.
PCI DSS
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of security requirements designed to protect cardholder data. As an eCommerce merchant, you're ultimately responsible for understanding and complying with PCI DSS standards. The right payment gateway solution provider can help you address compliance issues.
Secure customer data management
Storing sensitive payment card information on your own servers could increase your data security risks. To minimize those risks, choose a payment solution that securely stores and manages payment information on your behalf. This will also reduce your compliance PCI DSS scope.
Fraud prevention
Insist on a payment gateway solution that actively monitors transactions for fraudulent activity and catches problems before they damage your business.
Look for robust payment solutions
Multiple payment types
In addition to payment cards, your payment solution should accept eChecks and digital wallet services like Apple Pay and PayPal.
Automated payment card updates
When people change their address, or replace an expired, stolen, or lost card, you could miss out on sales. Look for a smart payment solution that monitors your customers’ card information, alerts you to any changes, and automatically updates it.
Recurring payments
If the goods you sell lend themselves to subscription-based sales, consider a solution that supports automated monthly recurring payments.
Make shopping easier for your customers
Give returning customers a great experience by enabling them to buy without re-entering their payment details.
Disclaimer: No legal advice intended
This site provides general information related to creating and running a business. The content of this site is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing business, legal or tax advice or opinions. The contents of this site, and the viewing of the information on this site, should not be construed as, and should not be relied upon for business, legal or tax advice in any particular circumstance or fact situation. No action should be taken in reliance on the information contained on this site and Visa Inc. disclaims all liability in respect to actions taken or not taken based on any or all of the contents of this site to the fullest extent permitted by law. You should contact an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular business, legal or tax issue or problem, including those relating to your current or potential business.
The contents of this site have been developed for a U.S. audience.
Source: Visa Small Business Hub
A partner you can trust
Choosing the right payment gateway solution provider is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as you build your online business. The good news is, you're not alone. Authorize.net is here to help you navigate your payment processing decision, recommend solutions, and provide you with whatever expertise and answers you need.