by Chandra | Mar 20, 2018 | Business to Business News, Marketing, News, Public Service
E-commerce sales comprised 9.1% of all U. S. retail sales in the third quarter of 2017, according to the Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce. Up from 8.2% in the same quarter of 2016. In the next three years e-commerce sales are expected to total $708 billion, according to Javelin Strategy & Research.
The big box retailers are consolidating and closing their brick and mortar stores in record numbers. They are putting their resources into their e-commerce sites to try and capture a market dominated by Amazon and primarily directed by Google. Will you follow their lead?
What can you do today to enhance your e-commerce site?
6 simple steps to boost and optimize your e-commerce site:
- Create a Mobile Friendly website. First and foremost even if you are not selling your products or services online, you need to be found online today and in a mobile friendly way. 77% of American’s have a smart phone and are looking for your product or service right now. Is your site mobile friendly? If not, stop everything you are doing and call someone who can help you create a mobile friendly e-commerce site today.
- Collect Customer Data. Make sure you collect as much data as you can through your Point of Sale (POS) or on your site. It’s never been easier to collect your customer’s email or phone number at the POS. There are so many systems to choose from today that do this with ease at the cashier or checkout level. With more and more people using smart phones and going green, you can email receipts, notify of upcoming sales, and simply market your service to them with this collected information.
- Use a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program to collect the basic data of your clients and prospects (company name, contact, address, email and phone number). It’s time to drill down to interests, birthdays, colleagues, spouses, children, education, how and why the customer started the business or anything you can discuss. In fact, every time you talk with your customer, note their file. People love to be remembered and this is your powerful insight into your customers needs and wants. Listening to these needs not only builds a strong loyal relationship, it saves everyone time and money by not discussing or pushing out topics that have little or no interest to them or their business.
- Develop a strategy to engage your customers. How do you get your message out to your valued customers. Email, blog post, mail, phone or social media? Quite frankly, you should use all of these to connect and on a regular basis. Use the same information on all platforms as it is unlikely your client will visit all. If they do, great because it takes 5-7 touches before you sell an item. Just begin with one and take baby steps. Remember…”A good plan … now is better than a perfect plan … next week” – General George C. Patton.
- Reward your Customers. Do you have a rewards program? If not start one today. If you have one in store, great. If it isn’t online then talk to someone who specializes in gift cards and rewards programs that will work with your e-commerce site. It doesn’t matter what type of business you own, there is something you can do to reward your clients. Even if it is just a cup of coffee, a $5 gift certificate or maybe a discount on a future purchase. Birthdays, Christmas, Hanukkah, are all great, but what about something more original like an anniversary with you or just to thank them for their business? Think out of the box and send an e-certificate. If they don’t use it, it’s no loss to you.
- Optimize your payment process. Accept Apple Pay and the many new digital wallets to speed up the check out process. Shopping abandonment is a constant battle for e-commerce clients. Make it easy and fast for your clients to buy. Check into the many credit card software systems that not only reach out to clients to pay, for example, Electronic Bill Presentment and Payments (EBPP) but give your customers the ability to finance their purchases.
All in all, e-commerce has evolved and will continue to do so in the coming years. Take advantage of the many tools available to grow your business.
What are you waiting for? Like Nike says “Just do it” and do it today!
by Chandra | Mar 1, 2018 | Business to Business News, Featured
Zero Cost processing to keep 100% of the sale and surcharge
Accepting credit cards is a necessity in today’s world. As a business owner, you want to offer every means of payment you can to your customers, but the cost of processing high ticket transactions on a credit card could be putting a serious dent in your profits.
The practice of charging a small convenience fee for the privilege of using credit cards is already commonly used in many countries, and in 2013 surcharging became legal in the U.S. Until recently, some states, including Florida, have prohibited surcharging. Although Florida statutes currently prohibit surcharging, the US Supreme Court has determined that the Florida law is unconstitutional based on the Freedom of Speech protection. Surcharging is growing in popularity among many different industries and will continue to grow as more business owners realize the savings this solution can bring them. By switching to a zero-cost credit solution, many merchants have seen an enormous savings to their bottom line.
Businesses offering specialty products and services are often hit the hardest because the majority of their transactions are high ticket amounts. A zero cost credit processing solution is perfect for these business types. Making sure that your surcharge rate is fair and transparent isn’t always as easy as it may sound. We’ve seen surcharge rates as high as 4%, and we can help guide you with lower options. Fortunately, it is possible to ensure your business is charging a fair surcharge that covers the entire cost of accepting credit cards.
You have to ask yourself, is it good for you? And, will your customers give you push back? Passing credit card fees to your customers allows you to increase your income, which could amount to thousands of dollars every year! Acceptance will continue to grow with consumers as more industries begin to implement surcharging. Click here for common frequently asked questions. If you would like more information about this solution for your business, contact us today!
by Peter | Jul 26, 2017 | Business to Business News, News, News Alerts
We have recently received callers indicating “Credit Card Systems” has contacted them numerous times with a robocall. A robocall is a computerized autodialer that, when picked up, delivers a prerecorded message typically with a very friendly voice. In the past, robocalls have been associated with emergency announcements and political campaigns. More recently, these automated calls are an easy way for telemarketer scammers to get through to easy victims. These automated calls are an inexpensive way for fraudsters to get a hold of your personal information. This “con” initiated by robo callers like “Rachel” has been going on for years.
Real People Not Robocalls
We are not “Credit Card Systems” and we do not make robocalls. Remember, if you get a robocall that’s trying to sell you something, that call is illegal unless you have given that company-specific permission to call you.
What can you do about it?
- Immediately hang up
- Don’t press any keys to speak to an operator
- Do not respond in any way, it will probably lead to more robocalls
- Don’t give them your number to add you to their do not call list (they don’t have one)
- Never give out personal information
- Never call back
- Block their phone number (easy step on today’s smartphones)
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has tried to shut down the process, but usually, the perpetrators are out of the country using US spoofed phone numbers. And because they are still making money with the process, they just won’t quit.
For anyone unfamiliar with Caller ID Spoofing here is a brief summary: “Caller ID spoofing is the practice of causing the telephone network to indicate to the receiver of a call that the originator of the call is a station other than the true originating station. For example, a Caller ID display might display a phone number different from that of the telephone from which the call was placed. Caller ID spoofing is used to describe situations where the motivation is considered malicious by the speaker or writer.” It’s important to note that
It’s important to note that caller ID displays can’t always be trusted and it’s possible that the originating caller may not be the number being shown on your screen. A quick Google search for “How to spoof caller ID” results in an astounding 241,000 plus results.
Card Systems NEVER makes robocalls and should you ever be in doubt of the legitimacy of a phone call please feel free to hang up and contact us by dialing 866.207.3298.
by Peter | Sep 2, 2016 | Business to Business News, MLM Industry, News
Paycards are a great tool and will not only benefit you by streamlining operations, it will help pay your unbankable employees and independent contractors. Creating a happier workforce with less turnover. Do not let the worries of overdraft fees discourage you. There are Paycards out there that do not have NSF fees associated with them. See what Credit Karma has to say about the $6 Billion dollar overdraft problem faced by consumers.
Let’s face it, with all recent breaches and hacks occurring on a daily basis, removing your account numbers from the world just makes sense. Lock down your valuable account numbers by using direct deposit or a pay card.
It is simple and easy to do and a huge way to “go green”. Also, by streamlining your operations you are more likely to be able to enjoy more Holidays like Labor Day, and grow your operations.
Remember….it is just one step at a time that makes your business grow…or my motto a “good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow”. That was from General Patton.
Happy Labor Day!!
by Peter | Feb 24, 2016 | Business to Business News, Featured, News, Service Industry News
Our Bringg app optimizes every aspect of your delivery operations for the on-demand era. It enables businesses to manage deliveries and drivers intelligently, assign orders to drivers, plan their delivery route and see the location of drivers and deliveries. It also enables you to notify customers when their delivery is on the way via an SMS that opens a web application and a real-time map with their driver’s location. Customers are empowered because they can communicate with the driver (ie., don’t ring the doorbell because the baby is sleeping) and even know what he or she looks like before they arrive and ring the doorbell because the baby is sleeping.
Take control of your business on the road and watch your business grow.
Imagine what this app can do for you!
by Peter | Feb 17, 2016 | Business to Business News, News, Restaurant Industry News, Retail Industry News
Businesses who sell gift cards must have “checks and balances” in place whether they are selling them by cash or credit card. Business owners should always ensure their employees are giving a receipt for gift cards, especially if the customer is making a purchase in cash. Here’s a local news story where an employee pocketed cash for gift cards she “ran” through the system as $0.00. She gave the customers the cards telling them the card was loaded rather than giving the customers a receipt. The employee – who is now in jail – would pocket the cash.
By doing your due diligence, having all employees background screened, and proper checks and balances in place, this loss for over $3,000 could have been prevented. Check out this article. http://www.winknews.com/2016/02/11/professional-thief-costs-naples-restaurant-thousands/
Could your business survive this kind of setback and brand damage? With a minimal investment in background screening and proper procedures in place, you can walk away from your business knowing your employees can be trusted and accountable.
Wouldn’t you want to know what’s going on in your business sooner than later? The first thing you want to know is, “who am I hiring?” A background check will help business owners answer that question. Remember, your gift cards will become a billboard carried in your customers wallet. Make sure you are receiving the revenue.
