e-Business Buzz

Ecommerce Solution: Manage Time with the Simplest Tools

2008-01-14T23:48:00.001-08:00

PROS:
Old fashioned doesn't mean inefficient, in fact the simpler may sometimes be better. CONS:
There are a lot of technology capabilities you will miss.

Ecommerce is a complex business. Before anything gets set up, you will have to deal with businesss plans, expenses, managing people, contracts, legalities, and marketing goals. In fact, it can be so complicated to the point that if you intend to make it a home-based business, forget sleep for the first few months. It can be tough, but if you are decisive and passionate, the reward is going to be worth the trouble.

In the middle of chaos, there is no refuge but simplicity. Most entrepreneurs would not be able to live without their PDAs and laptops. If your ecommerce solution is to make things more efficient, the clutter of new technology can be a burden instead of a help. I find that if I simply have a notepad on hand and I can see my goals for the day listed on the paper, I become more "aware". Using gadgets such as PDA can be fun but I would have to deal with charging the battery, looking for lost stylus, adjusting screen resolution when I can't see very well. No kidding, but like Cindy Barrilleaux of Writeyourbest.com, whittling away unnecessary activities with new technology is an excellent way to manage time.

What better ecommerce solution than to have enough time to work on the more important tasks at hand?

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Leonardo da Vinci

Mobile Ecommerce Solution 4: Best Ways to Earn off a Text Message

2008-01-08T00:50:00.000-08:00

Who says you should spend on mobile ecommerce to earn colossal profits? Who's watching American Idol here?

I know, it's not your style. Or maybe it is. Whatever your preference is, the American Idol is one of the best examples of mobile ecommerce strategy that borders on awesomely successful to phenomenal. And this ecommerce strategy is not exclusive to the United States or the UK. Entrepreneurs in various countries all over the world have used television and other media to reach people. And the funny thing is, they didn't have to spend for mobile marketing capital.

Instead, they put their stakes on traditional media such as newspaper, radio, and TV to encourage people to send text messages. Partnership with mobile phone service providers earns them profit using this ecommerce strategy.

Obviously, there's still capital involved, but the movement comes from a different source instead of the mobile marketing service. As a merchant, it is your choice whether to follow this (American Idol) advertising style as a practicable ecommerce strategy or stick to the mobile marketing method. Which, in your opinion, makes a fatter wallet?

Shigeru Miyamoto is Nintendo's Wii-nning Secret

2007-12-18T02:09:00.000-08:00

To succeed in the videogaming industry, you need only one thing: a desire to create fun. At least, in Shigeru Miyamoto's world, this guiding principle works. Miyamoto has been responsible for Nintendo's universal fame and fortune when he conceptualized the Jump Man in Donkey Kong back in the 1980s. The Jump Man is the character we now love so well -- Mario.

Miyamoto is an admirable character himself for a lot of reasons. He held up production of certain games just because they aren't perfect enough for people to play. He split ways with Nintendo's competitors because he believed playing videogames should bring smiles to people's faces, and that everyone can play them. On the other hand, Microsoft and Sony focused on the more hardcore aspect of videogaming.

If you still have any doubts, here's a fact: the Nintendo Wii outsold the Xbox 360 and PS3 this year and is predicted to keep on selling like hotcakes even way past the holiday season.

Nintendo is an entirely different breed of game manufacturer. Like its celebrated gaming designer, it fires up interest not because of hype, but because it endears itself to people. And what could be more endearing than a Miyamoto quirk? The guy behind Nintendo's success rarely played video games and doesn't drive a BMW. Instead, he rides his bicycle to work.

Nokia: More Than a Phone, But a Futuristic Vision

2007-12-18T02:07:00.000-08:00

No one even recalls what GSM phones are anymore. Now everyone's trying to get a hold of 3G phones, which are third-generation wireless services being developed by Nokia as well. But Nokia's success found its roots from the GSM project, which at first seemed impossible for the Finnish telecommunication pioneers to turn into reality. The GSM made a quantum leap in the history of mobile phones. GSM phones, along with other capabilities, allowed users to send SMS, which was a cheaper way to communicate wirelessly. The cheaper the phones got, the more people bought them, and the more units were manufactured.

If the people of Nokia were less visionary (Jorma Ollila was the CEO during that time), they would have given up on the GSM project. But they didn't, despite the disillusionment they have gone through. They were a startup company from nowhere that had to compete with the biggest analog telecom company (Telecom Finland) in the country. Now they are the biggest mobile phone manufacturer and seller in the world. I wouldn't even call it persistence. I would call it faith.

Being visionary also allowed Nokia to see and shape great technology that other telecommunication companies haven't foreseen such as CDMA. This is the basis of today's 3G phones.

Coach Handbags, Babe Ruth, and How Anyone Can Look Rich Without Splurging

2007-12-17T00:45:00.000-08:00

The fascinating part about Coach's success story is that Miles and Lillian Cahn, the owners of the family owned leather goods business back in the early 1940s, knew something (or someone) great when they saw it. The business didn't take a real turn until they stitched Bonnie Cashin in their growing business patchwork. Cashin must have smelled the leathery scent of success too. The Cahns were so persistent to have her as their designer that they waited two long years, just time enough for her to finish her ongoing design projects.

That persistence paid off. Now Coach is one of the most successful luxury leather goods store that sold handbags, wallets, briefcases, belts, luggage, and other accessories with the label "affordable" tagged on them. As of today, Coach is eBay's most popular search for Clothing, Shoes, and Accessories category.

Story also has it that the first business owners of Coach luxury leather goods found inspiration from a baseball glove. The makers saw the glove's leather finish has a better earning potential if it can be refined and fabricated as ladies' handbags. Now Coach leather goods have made thousands (millions?) of American fans, probably as many as those who wanted to watch Babe Ruth pitch a ball.

Coach continually makes great waves with online sales. Their secret, (apart from some which I've already divulged here), is that they capitalize on a variety of designs that impress the senses of sight, smell, and touch -- designs that spoke of both luxury, and ironically enough, affordability. Coach also offers a lifetime guarantee and repair of damaged items.

PING: The "Anser" to Your Putting Problems

2007-12-16T23:54:00.000-08:00

The word "putt" originated from Scotland. It means to "nudge". Among golfers, putting is nudging the golf ball on the green to roll it into the hole. And when it comes to putting, perhaps no other brand is more popular than PING.

Karsten Solheim nudged his way towards success in the business of golf by creating putters in his garage as a General Electric engineer back in 1959. His inspiration? Frustration. He played golf and didn't like the putters of his time. This has led him to innovate various putters such as the PING 1A, and eventually the answer to his putting dilemma, the "Anser".

The Anser's success was brought about by the fact that it empowered all types of golfers. Solheim's product of mechanical design genius, like Enrico Fermi's calculations, was sketched on the back of record disc, instead of an envelope. It yielded the same mind-boggling results. Solheim's PING putters became so popular that now they are being used by famous golfers all over the world. Solheim eventually got out of the garage and into a factory of his own, the Karsten Manufacturing Company, in 1967.

PingGolf.com is PING's official ecommerce website. In it, you can find more golf products out of Solheim's ingenious beginnings. In it, you can also customize and buy a putter that fits you, just by ticking your options in the Putters category. Wow.

Ecommerce Store Tips in Selling Used Electronics

2007-12-10T00:57:00.000-08:00

There's a lot of misconception online about buying/selling used electronic items. In fact, it's a little ironic because a lot of items sold on ecommerce stores such as eBay are secondhand. Many experienced sellers say that it's better to sell new items because buyers have more doubts when buying used ones. What's your opinion?

When it comes to selling electronics, the big issue with used items is the fact that gadgets are upgraded pretty fast. Used electronic devices are phased out in a span of few months and the only people left to buy them are collectors. So if you intend to sell used items in your ecommerce store, make sure that it's only slightly used to almost brand new. You will still get good selling prices and a good market for them.

The best tip to sell more in your ecommerce store is to emphasize the strong points of your electronic products. If you are selling a GPS device or example, it may be slightly used but still with complete controls and a bonus map software.

Is Your Ecommerce Web Site Design Individualistic?

2007-11-28T23:49:00.000-08:00

I think the single most important thing that merchants should look into when coming up with a top rate ecommerce web site design is to put themselves in their customers' shoes. I know there may be a hidden artist/individualist in every single one of us, but the businessman facet should balance that streak of individualism.

For example, you may want to come up with unique design that you hope your customers will appreciate. Complexity in ecommerce web site design requires that you use Flash and other programs that may cause lag time. Can your customers afford to wait for a website to load in exchange of a good design that you hope they will appreciate?

Ecommerce web site design isn't also just about the graphical aspect of an online store. Whatever content you put in it matters. Veer away from what your customers think as relevant to what they need, then your traffic will go down. That includes, among other things, written content.

Selling Holiday Humor in eBay

2007-11-27T23:24:00.000-08:00

A holiday shopper's ecommerce shopping cart still won't be full without humorous gifts in it. If you're the type who indulges in selling funny novelty items, try setting up your own little gag store in eBay. The more ridiculous your items, the better!

Online, there are infinite possibilities. How you come up with ideas to fill what's missing in your ecommerce shopping cart is up to you.

For example, you can capitalize on people wanting to give gifts but do not have any ideas on what to pick for their loved ones. eBay has pretty much all the crazy items one can put in an ecommerce shopping cart such as fart machines, fake prank toys, magic trick items, decals and license plates with funny messages such as "Beware of the Mad Lawyer", fake lottery ticket jackpots, noisemaker toys, etc. On top of my funny list is the "Paper Money Toilet Tissue Roll for Millionaires". It sure makes the receiver of the gift practically feel like a "High Roller" when taking a dump! (ha-ha).

Reselling Tickets on Ecommerce Web Site - The Accidental Business

2007-11-25T21:24:00.000-08:00

A lot of people who like going to events -- concerts, sports, theater, holidays, comedy shows -- sometimes buy more tickets than they need. Others who buy tickets through a ticket brokering ecommerce web site find out soon that they are not able to use the tickets because something unexpected comes up. So inevitably they are forced to sell the tickets to someone else who might be interested.

The question is, how? People who are not into brokering tickets complain of the following:

1. I don't know how to resell tickets
2. I don't have time to haggle with friends or relatives who are likely to buy
3. I don't want to scalp tickets (legally questionable)
4. I don't know how to put up ads in an ecommerce web site

When this is the case, the accidental ticket seller must choose between the least of all the evils. That is, to resell the tickets online. This obviously is a lot better than the other options because not only it saves you time, you can also have the tickets bid for a higher price. Your tickets are advertised 24/7, and you don't have to be a geek to do it.

Anyone who knows how to read can easily resell tickets on eBay or craigslist. If you've experienced some success, you may also try reselling to other events marketplaces such as Ticketmaster, Ticket Web, Stub Hub, or ABC Tickets. Or better yet someday, you can put up your own ticket reselling ecommerce web site yourself!

Should You Invest in a Videogame Ecommerce Solution?

2007-11-23T01:24:00.000-08:00

Play N Trade is a good example of an upstart videogame franchiser that prides itself in unique ecommerce solution "try before you buy".

WHO IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?

Your target market is the younger crowd. Videogame products keep on booming as the giant manufacturers Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo are continually innovating. The gamut of customer reach is universal. For example, Nintendo gets a big share of the market with the Wii, because the console is designed for the whole family to play.

WHEN SHOULD YOU SELL?

Videogames have recently caught up with many other products being transacted online so now is the best time to sell. Also, with the holiday season ushering in, retailing most sought after videogame titles and consoles may actually send in the big bucks.

WHERE DO YOU SELL?

Sell online, because most gamers are tech-savvy and are part of an online community of enthusiasts also. Franchisers as Play N Trade or Gamestop retailers have brick and mortar stores and warehouses that complement their ecommerce store.

WHAT IS YOUR UNIQUE ECOMMERCE SOLUTION?

Play N Trade is a good example of an upstart videogame franchiser that prides itself in unique ecommerce solution "try before you buy". I've seen a lot of businesses work around this philosophy also. In my own opinion, if people are going to drop by in-store to try out products, they will be encouraged to buy. However, it is also a risk taken with care, since if the products are not high quality or the location is not geographically spot-on (remember this is also a brick and mortar franchise), then whether people will buy after they try remains a question.

Sports Ecommerce Stores - Geared up for Christmas?

2007-11-14T23:37:00.000-08:00

Sports equipment and apparel are an extremely attractive set of gifts you can give to your loved ones this holiday season. A lot of merchants have already capitalized on the demand by making their ecommerce store more inviting for sports enthusiasts (or gift-givers) to buy. In fact, sports merchants may already have added the latest Nike Sasquatch Sumo2 in their product catalog.

According to eBay, the Nike Sasquatch Sumo2 is the most sought after golfer's item in sports ecommerce store.

eBay also helps golf sellers to put up their merchandise in the site. However, if you are going to sell on eBay, you would have to accept the limitations in aspects such as shipping, payment methods (most preferred is Paypal), and advertising. But you can create good product descriptions and post photos in their ecommerce store/marketplace, since bidders or buyers are more likely to make deals if they see images of what you're selling.

If you're more interested in selling the Nike Sasquatch Sumo2 as a sports retailer with a bigger product catalog, it is better to set up your own ecommerce store instead.

Christmas 2007 - Is Selling the Playstation 3 Your Ecommerce Strategy?

2007-11-12T23:24:00.000-08:00

It's amazing that even though the Playstation 3 has been released and sold by Sony in limited packages about a year ago (geared all the same for the 2006 holiday season), demand and sales for the console are still continually up. This is of course good news for gaming retailers. It's a smart ecommerce strategy to sell PS3 consoles or PS3 titles for good profit this Christmas.

Sure enough, even independent sellers can simply put up an auction at eBay and see if anyone is interested to buy. This ecommerce strategy also works for those who wish to trade (or upgrade/downgrade) consoles and game titles for another, such as a PSP or an Xbox 360.

If your business is all about selling electronic gadgets, toys, game titles, and other computer related items online, then banking on the PS3 and PS3 game titles is a surefire way to make money for Christmas 2007. Remember, it takes a long while before next-gen consoles reach plateau on sales. But I doubt that they never, since even vintage consoles get good prices these days. Selling them as an ecommerce strategy this gift-giving season is indeed win-win situation for you.

Building an Ecommerce Site to Sell Barbie Dolls for Christmas

2007-11-11T23:49:00.000-08:00

The charm of Barbie dolls never fades. Even at this era, when young girls go to play videogames or roleplay adult acts that they see on TV, Barbie dolls are still in high demand online. Collectible Barbie dolls are great for auction ecommerce sites such as eBay because people can buy, sell, or trade their collectibles for a good profit.

The only fault I find at banking on collectible Barbie dolls online is that sometimes they are only bought or sold in certain territories such as Asia or Europe. Real collectors would go all the way to asking for help from a friend who lives in another continent to be able to buy the dolls. Any chance however, you might spot a good item on an ecommerce site so you should keep looking.

Vintage Barbie dolls are my favorites. Though I don't sell them, I've done a good deal of collection when I was a kid. I didn't put up my own store to auction it though, because I can easily do it on eBay and Amazon. I've seen a lot of good ecommerce sites specializing on trading Barbie dolls also. It doesn't take a genius to build one, but it takes insight to realize that these holiday season, you might just make good money off selling these girly toys online!

How to Deal with Lazy Shoppers

2007-11-08T22:09:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know this is little too fussy on my part, but blame the forum people for coming up with this idea. Nothing wrong with taking time to look at your ecommerce shopping cart. In fact, I still believe in the adage "Simplicity in structure is a true masterpiece and is really deceptive because one doesn't see the hard work behind it." If you can exert more effort to make things simple for your store shoppers, then you score plus points from them.

Much has been said about making the ecommerce shopping cart efficient and so many techniques have been devised to make this happen.

The process of filling up credit card details is a good example. Imagine yourself typing in all the numbers and realizing the fields are separated every 3 digits. Or, if you are required to format the date. Or, if you typed in the wrong details and went all the way till the last page before you got a "Ooops, error in xxx field. Please fill up entire form again!" message. These little things may cause annoyance and even ecommerce shopping cart abandonment. Do you have an excuse?

Can Your Ecommerce Store Offer More?

2007-11-07T23:01:00.000-08:00

Recent statistics say that more and more (or most) users online are largely the rich and upscale shopper types. They book flights, buy jewelry, or transact their bills through the Internet. An ecommerce store may likely be populated with the rather deep pocketed buyers. I'd say this is practically obvious, since you cannot buy unless you have funds to pay for your goods.

My case is different, however. When I'm out to buy jewelry in the malls, I get frustrated by the fact that jewelry stores close shop rather too early at night. Of course, they do it for security reasons. An ecommerce store selling gems and silver earrings is open 24 hours a day. If you wish to order from the catalog, you have the option to pick it up their landbased store or have it delivered to you.

This is a good example of the shift of purchase from brick and mortar to an ecommerce store. Whether buyers are rich or poor, online purchase offers far more options and availability for everyone. The same goes for travel booking and transacting bills online. Instead of going to the landbased bank, bills can be automatically paid online and funds can be transferred easily.

Eventually discount stores such as Wal-Mart will have to offer more high end versions of products to the richer shoppers while still selling low-priced but quality items to the more frugal.

International Merchant Account - Mo' Options, Mo' Money?

2007-11-06T23:22:00.000-08:00

If it weren't for the ability to buy and sell online, would international merchant account providers even exist? I doubt it. Ecommerce merchants are a different breed of sellers for many reasons. They have more options in selling. They have more choices in accepting payments. They are on the forefront of the cutting edge industry and can innovate techniques as much as they can. Above all, they may act as an extension of an already existing brick and mortar store, and thus are able to enhance the consumers' buying experience.

When it comes to expansion, nothing is more beneficial than establishing your business with an international merchant account provider. Without it, it may be impossible to expand your consumer base overseas. Of course there are alternatives but this is the best and most convenient way to do it.

Expanding your consumer base internationally means you would have to create a bigger product catalog, perhaps acquire more ecommerce domains, hire additional customer service staff, or process larger volume of payments. Most international merchant account providers can offer services for any of these needs. All you have to do is research and decide which provider is best for your business.

ECOMMERCE SOLUTION 16 - Can You Really Make Money Having Fun Online?

2007-11-05T22:55:00.000-08:00

When you work for money, do you work for fun? Okay, let me put it this way. If your goal is to make money, do you have fun in the process of achieving it? Is it part of your ecommerce strategy to mix business with pleasure?

In the online business industry, there are two types of people. Those who work too hard and forget to play, and those who play too much and forget to work. Which one are you between these two? They say too much of everything isn't always healthy and can get you to the psychiatric ward in no time. And dig this, have you heard of an Internet user in China who actually died after three days of using the Internet nonstop?

If your ecommerce strategy is to earn money online, then get to work and focus on work. If you work to earn money online though, don't take it all dead serious! A lot of merchants get distracted by the entertainment they get in the Internet. But there's a fine line that separates fun and making money. Balance and discipline are the key.

If you're not sure how you're meeting your goals in terms of having fun while going after it, check your hours. Do you spend more time surfing online for games, jokes, and gossip more than working? Do you spend more time getting all geeky than taking a break for outdoors? Create a balance and stick to your schedule. An ecommerce strategy like this is the basis of success, and, well, keeps you sane.

ECOMMERCE SOLUTION 12 - Keep Notes and Stay Alive

2007-11-05T01:24:00.000-08:00

Enough said about knowledge being power. The Internet is actually a neural network of gazillions of information, information makers, and information takers that without delving into this aspect of doing honest to goodness research, you will be left in the station when the train starts to chug away. An excellent ecommerce solution is to create space and time where (and when) you can dedicate a part of your online efforts to stocking up on knowledge.

Information doesn't come naturally to most merchants. In fact, some merchants say they're too busy to read or learn anything else outside their business. If you're working as your own boss, spend a day just reading and taking notes, talking to people, listening to seminars, and generally ingesting information relevant to your business. If you have a staff, assign this task to one of them. This ecommerce solution will work miracles on your business.

When I was younger (and until now), I learned the art of keeping notes just enough to remind me of things I encountered, things I might want to do someday, and things that may be useful to my life in the present or in the future. I didn't know this was one hell of a life-changing survival technique. As a consultant for merchants seeking an ecommerce solution, I let them know how learning and note-taking can raise their potential success faster than most merchants in the industry.

How to Build Your Ecommerce Name - Step 4 Should You Spam?

2007-10-31T02:22:00.000-07:00

Spamming brings to my mind an ex-business colleague that I met last year. He began his business entirely by spamming. Asked whether he felt guilty of it, he said no. He used major auction and free advertising sites to solicit clients. His ecommerce strategy is to let people know what products and services he is selling while exerting only the minimum effort.

Could this be the perfect model for succeeding in ecommerce? I doubt it. This ecommerce strategy does look efficient -- it saves time and money and does work. People do check their spam folders and sometimes get attracted to deals that merchants offer. But in the long run, if you have built a name for your business online, spamming may become a stigma to your online business.

Imagine getting unwanted e-mails from companies you never heard of. Sure, you may find their product offers great and their services timely. But if you go check out their websites, what do you see? Do you even find a decent "About Us" description or an office address? Do you know the person behind the spam e-mail? My ex-business colleague, despite getting clients, eventually saw the effects of his "smart" ecommerce strategy. Word spread that he was spamming, not fulfilling the agreed services, and hiring semi-skilled employees. Before he got out of the trouble he made, everyone already had the impression that his business was a scam. Don't let it happen to you!

Other articles:

How to Build Your Ecommerce Name - Step 1 Domain Name
How to Build Your Ecommerce Name - Step 2 Web Hosting

ECOMMERCE STRATEGY 12 - Show Off Your Secure Ecommerce Logos

2007-10-30T03:06:00.000-07:00

People don't normally look for credibility seals when they shop online. I don't. I must admit I get lazy when I have to check whether a company has a Hackersafe, Verisign, Better Business Bureau or TRUSTe logos. I am aware though, like other shoppers, that these logos do help increase credibility and shows that your company uphold secure ecommerce transactions.

But since people don't care too much about secure ecommerce until they get their credit cards hacked, what can the merchant do? Inform everyone. No, drill your customers about how safe buying your products and services are. Providing articles and newsletters that remind them your company is registered with trade associations such as BBB or Hackersafe can actually make them realize they can trust you, and therefore can buy without worrying about online fraud.

Displaying the credibility logos are not enough to show how safe your ecommerce store. Merchants should make it a point to make customers realize it. Create press releases, write blogs, and occasionally inform about security tests made on your site. No online store is safe from credit hackers and identity thieves. Even the most secure ecommerce retailers can be victims, so keep a close watch, and keep your buyers informed!

SEE ALSO!

ECOMMERCE STRATEGY 10 - “About Us” Gains More Trust!

ECOMMERCE STRATEGY 11 - Selling Online is Like Hiring

WEB OPPORTUNITY 3 - Can you Provide Information?

2007-10-28T23:23:00.000-07:00

The part that I like best about ecommerce is that it levels the ground between the haves and the have-nots. People who don't have much capital but have expertise in a certain subject can easily create informational materials such as e-books that they can sell online. They can set up their own ecommerce store that focuses solely on these digital files or they may also advertise their product on various public auction sites or merchant malls such as eBay.

I must agree with Scott Lindsay that this is a low-key way of making money online, knowing how little capital is being invested (financially). However many online merchants have made considerable profit off selling e-books, webinars, and other downloadable digital files. In fact, most people who don't have much time to go to brick and mortar bookstores need only browse an ecommerce store such as Amazon to shop for books and have them shipped.

Despite the boom of e-book selling, merchants should also be aware that download security is an issue among e-book sellers. Unless they put up or advertise in a secure ecommerce store where they can send the file to the buyer without being defrauded, hackers are likely to steal the files. One of the best ways to protect merchants from download fraud or identity theft is to send only the link to the file via email as soon as the buyer has paid for the product.

ECOMMERCE WEB SITE SUCCESS TIP 4 - Web Metrics are the Necessary Evil

2007-10-26T02:07:00.000-07:00

Google has created net addicts in all of us. Having to comply to SEO standards that result in your ecommerce site being part of top 10 in the first page of Google's search results has become an obsession for many merchants and online analysts. Some think Google is unfair, but others think the giant search engine is only doing its best to see all websites equally.

But these metrics we employ in order to track the online success of our ecommerce site are crucial. Think: without Google Analytics or other software that show details on visitor number, page clicks, or other essential technicalities, no one will figure out whether the business is taking off and whether it has a potential to do so.

The little things are the big things in the web. Your ecommerce site isn't built to merely sell products. The more you know about how it is running, the better you can create solutions to improve it. Eventually, the more likely your sales will increase.

ECOMMERCE WEB SITE SUCCESS TIP 1 - Three Rules of Thumb
ECOMMERCE WEB SITE SUCCESS TIP 2 - Build networks, Build Backlinks
ECOMMERCE WEB SITE SUCCESS TIP 3 - Use Your Backend Design to Your Advantage

ECOMMERCE WEB SITE DESIGN TIP 5 - Design is not just skin deep

2007-10-25T02:59:00.000-07:00

I used to work with real estate people and they always tell me that yes, there are secrets to closing sales which newbies in the business do not know. Real estate agents are usually bound by the idea that they need to sell property - and not really put much effort on trying to "help" their client find a good home. A lot of ecommerce web site design companies make the same mistake when dealing with merchants. Often, they just focus on creating good designs and making the site look spiffy for the shoppers.

One thing they forget is that in offering ecommerce web site design service, it is also a must to look into the clients' needs holistically.

Web design companies can argue that if they intend to go deeper into the needs of the merchant, then they would offer a consulting service that they can basically charge something for. But the really impressive ecommerce web site design providers don't have to ask for consultation fees that will help improve your website. They will help you from the beginning to the end of the project, and not focus merely on the site's design. Instead they will cooperate with you in your ecommerce needs and even offer to recommend reputable ecommerce solution experts.

ECOMMERCE WEB SITE DESIGN TIP 1 - Watch out for your designer's promises
ECOMMERCE WEB SITE DESIGN TIP 2 - Content is the Meat and Potatoes
ECOMMERCE WEB SITE DESIGN TIP 3 - SEO WWWHATT?
ECOMMERCE WEB SITE DESIGN TIP 4 - Is Flash Evil?

Advice to Would-Be E-Commerce Merchants - Plan Your Success!

2007-10-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

The keyword is online. If you stop and think about it, doing business online and the brick and click way are kinda different. But if you look closer, the similarity of doing business between the two can be astonishing! The only difference may lie from the fact that online business people would have to deal with more computer technology than they can ever think of. In reality though, the most effective online entrepreneurs hardly spend more than 4 hours in front of the computer!

What makes a successful online businessman then? I hear various opinions from everyone. One, you should find multiple streams of income. Two, you should bank on your talent and persistence as your capital. Three, like learning how to swim, everything is about technique, technique, technique! Which would you rather believe? I'd say all of these work in conjunction with one another. But without a plan or goal, success in doing business online isn't as easy as it seems!

Sure, you get a domain. You design your website. You have infrastructure built such as shopping cart, payment gateway, third party credit card processor. You may even apply for a merchant account with a high risk merchant account provider. You employ SEO tactics and other forms of online advertising. You provide good customer service and ship goods efficiently. But what's your next move?

full article:

Advice to Would-Be E-Commerce Merchants: Plan Your Success!

How to Keep Your High Volume Credit Card Processing Account

2007-10-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

Obtaining a merchant account for high volume credit card processing is nothing new. A lot of merchants find themselves compelled to apply for one as soon as their businesses boom. Before they know it, they are already transacting payments that began from $10,000 on monthly volume up to several million dollars. Most of them may have applied for offshore merchant accounts, too, depending on the nature of their businesses. Of course not all high volume businesses are considered high risk. The very reason why they eventually get translated into high risk is when they begin accepting higher than normal transactions and possibly encountering chargebacks and customer complaints.

WHY SHOULD YOU GET A HIGH VOLUME MERCHANT ACCOUNT?

Lower rates. Is this possible? Sure. Many high volume merchants would tell you that the best reason why they are out to avail of high volume credit card processing is the fact that they can get lower discount rates and fees. But wouldn't this be a little unprofitable on the part of the merchant account provider? Not really. Simple math will reveal that the sheer volume itself will make up for the lowered discount rates so both the merchant and the provider win.

HOW IMPORTANT IS MAINTENANCE?

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN YOUR HIGH VOLUME MERCHANT ACCOUNT?

s0urce:
High Volume Credit Card Processing - Keep it, Don't Lose it!

Best Tips to Avoid Frozen Accounts with Your High Risk Merchant Account Provider

2007-10-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

In the world of online sales, there are a lot of things written on the page but are left unread between the lines. In other words, you go about selling your products and services but there are lots of things high risk merchant account providers don't tell you. Not because they could not or would not, but because they would not discuss the issues with you until you have experienced them. A good example is going through possible freezing of your merchant account.

If, as a high risk merchant, you have not exerted an effort to make a research concerning frozen accounts, then you're in BIG trouble. I'll keep it short. Once your merchant account is frozen, your present and future business is put under horrible risk. First, because you will lose the ability to process credit cards online. Second, you will be denied merchant account if you applied for another one. You certainly cannot allow this to happen and it will never if you are smart enough to take preventive measures.

full article:

Best Tips to Avoid Frozen Accounts with Your High Risk Merchant Account Provider

Frozen merchant accounts are horrible for your business. Now is the time you find out the issues with your high risk merchant account provider before your business goes down the drain!

High Risk Merchant's Guide to Selling Computer Hardware Online

2007-09-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

Many people have been making a lot of profit off selling computer hardware online. Unlike selling software or other digital items online, computer parts undergo an entirely different selling process and may be considered less risky on the transaction scale.

RESELLING SERVICES

A lot of computer hardware merchants actually make money by reselling computer parts. They will buy it for a lower price or acquire used parts then sell them online for a percentage of profit. There are a lot of existing reselling services online that will provide you several services in one package for a price. Some of these services may include:

worldwide vendor inventory search
new product alerts from advertising merchants
website customization
drop shipper list

Others work like eBay. You will only need to:

Register
List your products with their descriptions
Receive buyer offers
Pick, reject or haggle offers
Accept payment
Ship the product

Plus you will have access to what other merchants are selling online by browsing the virtual marketplace.

DROP SHIPPING

High risk merchants find that if they can affiliate with good computer hardware drop shippers, they can make a ton of profit. Drop shippers only charge for the wholesale cost of the items and ship the items to the customers themselves. In fact, some merchants make money solely through making selling contracts with drop shippers.

MERCHANT ACCOUNT

Computer hardware sells like hotcakes these days too, according to online marketing researchers. When computer hardware merchants start transacting high volumes of payments each month, they may also start considering getting a credit card payment processor or a high risk merchant account provider to help them handle the growing sales volume.

Here's a list of benefits of having a computer products merchant account:

1. VIRTUAL TERMINAL

Once the merchant account is up and you are ready to accept credit cards, it's likely that your provider will let you process checks and other forms of payment using a virtual terminal. If you do the math, not only will you preserve the old-age functions of your business, you will also likely quadruple your sales as soon as you acquire your virtual terminal.

2. SAVINGS AND REDUCED RATES

High volume merchants profess that the new account has helped them save thousands of dollars per year, with discounts and promotions. Moreover, if your business is considered high risk and you're enrolled in an offshore bank, you get the privilege of reduced tax and non-governmental interference.

3. STATEMENT/ACCOUNT HISTORY REPORTING

Keeping count of your transactions whether it's daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly is extremely valuable to your business. Account providers ease your burden plus give you quick access to your account statements if you wish to view it online.

4. PROTECTION FROM FRAUD

It's mere common sense to apply only for a high volume merchant account that offers protection from fraud. This is the number one reason why some merchants don't want to take the first step towards application. A sophisticated system like SSL or secure database encryption will ensure no identity theft will happen. This results in less chargebacks.

5. SHOPPING CART

How you do your business remains the same except that your customers will find more ease in buying your products and services. For a discussion of online shopping cart, see Streetsmart Tips in Choosing Your Online Shopping Cart.

more articles at www.highriskexperts.com

Selling Digital Item Features - What's Hot, What's Not

2007-09-26T22:07:00.000-07:00

Know that not all high risk merchant account providers are able to let you sell downloadable items for the simple reason that only a handful of them can provide 100% secure delivery of the files. When this happens you resort to selling at eBay for free, but selling at eBay also has its own pitfalls. In choosing a merchant account provider for selling digital items, you should weigh the following positive and negative points:

PLUS POINTS

The ability of MAPs to deliver digital products sans hacking. Selling digital files won't be called a high risk merchant's territory if it does not involve the risk of getting hacked. Secure download is the rule, not the exception. Passwords with expiration dates are better than having to provide a download link where the url can be easily typed and the file be downloaded repeatedly by different users.

MINUS POINTS

LIMITED PAYMENT PROCESSING

One thing I noticed is that even though a lot of high risk merchant account providers can process payment on your digital download sales, they can only process a very limited number of payment options such as Paypal, some credit card, some e-checks, or process payments only in U.S. dollars.

LIMITED OR NON-INTEGRATION

UNSTABLE FILE LOCATION

NON-AUTOMATED DELIVERY METHOD

full article:

Selling Digital Item Features - What's Hot, What's Not

Selling Software Online - Quick Tips for High Risk Merchants

2007-09-26T03:34:00.000-07:00

Marketing researchers online have shown that of all the products that get sold online, computer hardware and software hit the highest mark. Tech-smart entrepreneurs can create their own digital products (e.g. E-book, software, digital images) or buy and sell computer parts and then sell them online for free. Some of these merchants also get the help of third party payment processors or high risk merchant account providers to transact, manage, advertise, and market their products when handling them solo becomes a big burden.

What features can you get from high risk merchant account providers that let you sell software online? I found out from a quick research online that some features may be commonplace but some also stand out. I made my own list and here's what I came up with:

SOFTWARE/WEB PROGRAM

THIRD PARTY PROCESSING FUNCTIONALITY

OTHER POINTS TO CONSIDER

full article:

Selling Software Online www.highriskexperts.com

Online Casino Merchant Accounts Offshore: Has the US Lost the Battle?

2007-09-21T00:29:00.000-07:00

As we already know that online casinos are not only based offshore but also hire the help of high risk merchant account providers, we can be assured that our accounts and transactions are being taken cared of. In fact, this is mostly what online casinos would tout of when it comes to payment processing: that they can process multiple currencies, process various types of payments (even non-virtual ones), and above all process these payments securely. At the end of it all, what more could a customer ask for? Of course whatever perks the online casinos would like to put in their array of attractions, it's up to them.

By Gerri Bryce

The US government has gone a long way to show its clear distaste of the online gambling institutions in the country. One that gave the most impact is when US players are prohibited from using their credit cards to pay online casinos and online casinos are just as disallowed from transacting payments made via US credit cards and other payment methods. This has eventually meant that online casinos will be not only be based offshore, but will be transacting payments that are non-US based, even though the majority of the players themselves come from the country.

The UK, however, has practically opened its floodgates to online gambling. Poker rooms and sportsbooks may soon be able to advertise on TV, allowing more players to invest on the games and thus increase the gambling companies' revenue. Does this spell more opportunity for high risk merchants doing business offshore? Of course. Even though profit is regrettably US-deprived, casino merchants may still be able to find relief from the fact that other areas of the world will still generate as much revenue in the near future.

A good example would be in Asia. In India alone, casino resorts are being built annexed to tourist spots such as Goa in order to attract more players. That includes not only land-based but hosted online casinos as well. In other parts of the world, companies are seeing more and more casino domains sprouting up to cater to online poker, roulette, blackjack, slots, lottery, and bingo players. This may mean more competition, but more value added services and features for the casino players.

We can conclude that despite the online poker ban, online casino disputes, online payment processing regulations, and other issues concerning online gambling, this industry survives. In fact, reports have shown that regardless of setbacks, online gambling is a phenomenon that flourishes and helps countries earn from tax revenues these businesses generate. Whether the US has decided to totally ban online gambling or relax on its restrictions makes not much difference.

And for as long as players play and online casinos provide good entertainment and service, high risk merchant account providers will also make money. Because they are based offshore, online casinos benefit from the low taxation rates and laissez faire regulations in places like Panama, Gibraltar or the Caribbean. As everyone knows in the industry, it is virtually impossible for online casinos to own a domestic (U.S.) merchant account.

source: WWW.HIGHRISKEXPERTS.COM

Adult Angels in the High Risk Merchant Industry

2007-09-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, being an angel in the sex industry is definitely not the easiest job in the world. Sure you can relate well to what you sell, and you can also feel a certain degree of satisfaction knowing you can provide what couples need to make sex more exciting. But face the fact that you may also be challenged by chargebacks, complaints, or product returns. No adult business is perfect. With a good high risk merchant account provider to support you, things are easier on your back. To find out what it takes to get your application accepted, check out Insider Tricks to Successful High Risk Merchant Account Application for more information.

Full article:

ADULT ANGELS IN THE HIGH RISK MERCHANT INDUSTRY

Telemarketing Services and High Risk Merchant Account Providers

2007-09-19T02:57:00.000-07:00

Telemarketing merchants have always looked on certain aspects of their business to find out whether they are operating smoothly or not. Yes, with the onslaught of outsourced call centers these days, what could be the best thing to do but focus on quality service instead of how to pay for in-house overhead costs? Many telemarketing firms offshore have benefited from the low cost of outsourcing by allocating the extra budget on high risk merchant account services instead. Not only did it work more to their advantage, it also took away most of the headache associated with handling hundreds of thousands of customer accounts.

Article continues:

Telemarketing Services and High Risk Merchant Account Providers

MORE HIGH RISK MERCHANT ACCOUNT EZINEARTICLES BY GERRI BRYCE:

Pawn Shop Merchant Account - Why Should You Get One?
[Home-Based-Business:Network-Marketing] One encouraging thing about building an online pawn shop is that you get more exposure and thus more chances of earning good income. The Internet is fraught with advertising possibilities and cutting edge technology to assist you in your business. For example, whether you are a start up online pawn shop or already have an established store processing high volume of credit card transactions monthly, acquiring a high risk merchant account can be a big help in your business.

7 Best Tools for Providing First-Rate Customer Service
[Business:Customer-Service] "People used what they called a telephone because they hated being close together and they were scared of being alone." Chuck Palahniuk could be right and wrong! In the world of e-commerce, the telephone could be the single most important tool next to your car keys. An online merchant will not exist and survive in the cutthroat world of online business without key customer service tools.

High Volume Merchant Account - Is It Worth Acquiring One
[Finance] I feel a need to go back to the basics. After years of hearing the phrase high volume merchants, I still encounter some perfectly running businesses who have not acquired their own high volume merchant account. When I tell execs about the possibilities it offers, they say they will consider applying for one. It seems to me that these businesses have reached their equilibrium, and at this point wish nothing but to maintain it.

Homemade Remedy for Download Theft
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:E-Books] Many online sellers aren't bothered so much by copyright infringement as they are of losing money by theft of their online products. Most popular among these is the e-book. Guess we already know why those who are selling e-books are considered high risk merchants - the sole fact that the e-book they are selling can be easily downloaded for free (without being dubbed "freeware" or "shareware") makes them vulnerable to frauds and chargebacks in the long run.

High Risk Merchant Account Tips on IP Detection
[Finance] Any high risk merchant should be aware, if not become thoroughly an expert, of all the technical aspects of credit card transactions. Let's face it, doing business online is taking risk a hundred times more dangerous than doing business the brick and mortar fashion. Smart merchants would never plunge headlong into online ventures without a good, working knowledge of the loopholes of the billing process via credit cards.

High Risk Merchants Black Book Guide on Building E-Commerce Websites
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Development] Building an e-commerce website is a simple task that requires the help of a good programmer. High risk merchants must decide which factors they will need to prioritize and incorporate in the website. Web copy, layout and other visuals, e-commerce elements, marketing elements, and customer service tools are some of the basic elements you need to consider in building a website that sells.

OsCommerce for High Risk Merchants - The Good, The Bad, and The Possibilities
[Finance] Just because osCommerce is the most popular merchant account software doesn't mean it's the best solution for your online business. Agree or disagree? Do you find osCommerce to be overrated? A lot of high risk merchants adopt osCommerce as their primary merchant account solution because of so many advantages.

Insider Tricks to Successful High Risk Merchant Account Application
[Finance] Many merchants complain about the lack of information when it comes to high risk merchant account application. It's not that there's no information at hand; it's more likely because merchant account providers do not give standard customer service or are simply too lazy to share the nuts and bolts that the applicants need.

Hoodia and the High Risk Merchant

2007-09-18T03:12:00.000-07:00

Is selling hoodia online a type of business that requires the help of a high risk merchant account provider? Will adding hoodia diet supplements in you online pharmacy inventory really increase your profit? Read on to find out more!

Losing weight is such a colossal problem with most people, especially for those who are growing older or have some weight-related diseases. That's why any form of remedy that is introduced in the market becomes appetizing regardless of whether it is authentic or not.

There is a discipline where people can psychologically train themselves to sustain hunger by conditioning their minds that their stomach are full. By taking hoodia, such a sacrifice does not have to be contrived anymore.

Hoodia does work but it is also now classified by the African environmentalists to be an endangered plant specie. Making money off selling it online is not as easy as one thinks, especially now that consumers are wiser thanks to testimonials of fake products online and on TV. However, considering the demand for this herbal diet supplement is so high, online pharmacy merchants find chasing after the profits still worth their investment.

What type of people will buy your hoodia products once you sell them online? Virtually anyone who is willing to lose weight. Of course, those who have eating disorders are advised by their doctors to take precaution in taking diet supplements so their consumption is beyond your control as a high risk merchant, as long as you provide warnings and disclaimers on the label.

Building High Risk Merchant Dating Websites Simplified

2007-09-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

Applying for a high risk merchant account fall along the lines of ambitious start ups who know they can make more revenue as each month passes. I don't think anyone would be able to go far without the help that high risk merchant account providers give. There are so many advantages but if you are unsure, don't plunge ahead. Make intelligent research and decide according to your business plan. Some online dating merchants who are content on using a payment gateway alone can very well survive, but with some cogs missing in the machinery. Others who believe they can get approved by local banks' merchant services are doomed to be disappointed.

Many high risk merchants are already aware of how to make money with online dating websites. It's not a vague concept that keeps everyone in the dark for long. It may begin from simple desire to help people meet their match or dissatisfaction from existing dating websites. It may also be inspired by the desire to make more revenue online, knowing how profitable the online dating industry is today.

I can make a wicked oversimplification and stack it in three steps:

Build your website with low domain overhead costs and WSIWYG editing software
Pitch in a number of affiliate programs
Promote it with ethical SEO

Experts in building dating websites might want to add or whittle this simplified procedure depending on their experiences. I'd say though nothing is more effective. Many online dating entrepreneurs have already made money without even realizing it by simply applying these concepts.

Matt of Mingle2 for example was able to create his own free spiffy dating website in 66.5 hours -- not bad for a neat website inspired only by his analytic observation of what other dating websites lack or don't prioritize. Another programmer built a website on cheap hosting or do it yourself web design and managed it herself, earning an average of $40,000 monthly. Whether you make money through advertising, affiliate programs, or subscription is up to you. Note however, that high risk merchants usually make profit off member subscriptions.

The only thing left for you to do after the online dating website has been set up is maintenance. You can market your site via search engine optimization techniques. You can also apply for a high risk merchant account in order to outsource the payment processing tasks involved in your online dating business. Although many merchants frown on additional expenses incurred by third party providers, in the end they are grateful for having acquired one. It makes your life easier since not only it is efficient, it also gives your customers security when it comes to credit card processing. Many members balk at subscriptions when they know they cannot rely on you for protection of their credit card details. Far too many cyber crimes like identity theft and credit card hacking abound online.

Applying for a high risk merchant account fall along the lines of ambitious start ups who know they can make more revenue as each month passes. I don't think anyone would be able to go far without the help that high risk merchant account providers give. There are so many advantages but if you are unsure, don't plunge ahead. Make intelligent research and decide according to your business plan. Some online dating merchants who are content on using a payment gateway alone can very well survive, but with some cogs missing in the machinery. Others who believe they can get approved by local banks' merchant services are doomed to be disappointed.

Online dating websites are no doubt a highly profitable Web 2.0 business. It's far less prone to critical attacks like online pornography, and far more helpful to singles who are seeking their partners. Although the market is quite saturated, with a little twist to the concept and excellent marketing techniques, even the start up high risk merchant playing matchmaker is bound to succeed.

High Risk Merchants: Tips on How to Deal with Lazy Customers

2007-09-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

Having a clunky e-commerce site makes life even more difficult. The general rule for high risk merchants is to step into their customers' shoes and figure out how to make shopping online easier. If you are not willing to go through the challenge of this business, then the door is always open for you to find another vocation to pursue. You either put all your power to make money with the business you have chosen, or let your finances whittle away in mediocrity.

They say America enjoys the reputation for being spoon fed and spoiled, having most of the conveniences in life laid out in front of her. In fact, the U.S. has quite an abominable percentage of obesity in its population that it sometimes make you wonder whether the culture of abundance has done any good at all. But that is not what this article is all about. This article talks about competitiveness in the e-commerce industry, and how high risk merchants can get ahead by understanding this so-called “lazy” culture.

Generally though, people are hardworking. That is to serve their best interests. But generally, you or I would rather sit back than dig a ditch if we have a choice. Shopping for many of us is a burden. Rather than drive a car to the supermarket, we would sit in front of the computer and shop online. Or call up for pizza delivery instead of going to the restaurant itself.

Having a clunky e-commerce site makes life even more difficult. The general rule for high risk merchants is to step into their customers' shoes and figure out how to make shopping online easier. If you are not willing to go through the challenge of this business, then the door is always open for you to find another vocation to pursue. You either put all your power to make money with the business you have chosen, or let your finances whittle away in mediocrity.

People may have seen the best or worst of things when it comes to shopping online. They may have visited a store that looks a lot like your country grocery store or something like the Fashion Show Mall in Vegas. In fact, you can only do so much as guess what kind of customers are coming over to browse your products or services. Can you afford to lose them with your lack of knowledge on what they expect? Here's a short list of how to deal with the “lazy” culture problem. See if any of them are familiar to you!

Problem: Clicking!

Solution: Simplify your shopping cart. The less clicks to get to the checkout, the better.

Problem: Remembering page names and link names!

Solution: Come up with easy to remember and unique names, whether your domain, link, categories, or pages. Heck, there's a copycat in every corner of the world and you don't wanna add yourself up to the list.

Problem: Looking for products only to turn out they are out of stock! Or links that don't work!

Solution: It is common sense not to annoy your customers by not informing them about products that aren't in the inventory. Hire a good programmer to fix the broken links too.

Problem: Waiting for the graphics-laden page to load!

Solution: Think twice about using Flash or lots of pics as not only they make the page slow to load, they also generally cannot be crawled by search engines.

Problem: Reading esoteric or poorly laid-out text!

Solution: If you can't write good text, better let a professional do it. Bad text is a big turn off.

Problem: Having to download a hefty file!

Solution: Maybe unavoidable but do your best not to burden your customers with software or pdf downloads -- unless extremely necessary.

Problem: Expectations, expectations!

Solution: If you can't fulfill your promise such as no hidden fees or free shipping then don't make any.

Problem: Same old flat boring e-commerce website?!

Solution: No updates, no blogs, no newsletter, no design revamps, etc.? There must be a better way to be competitive.

Bottom line is: Spiffy up! You owe yourself and your customers a more exciting shopping experience. (See High Risk Merchants Guide to Creating the Perfect Shopping Experience for another good stuff to add to your entrepreneurial library.)

Source: www.highriskexperts.com

How to Tackle Your E-Commerce Shipping Issues

2007-09-12T03:16:00.000-07:00

Many a high risk merchant has suffered due to negligence of shipping issues. It's a little ridiculous, knowing how impossible it is for customers to get their products purchased unless an efficient shipping method is implemented. According to e-commerce reports, shipping issues are one of the top reasons why people do not buy from e-commerce merchants. People would either complain that the rates are too high, that the carrier cannot reach their location especially internationally, or that the company has a reputation for late delivery. Are you guilty of any of these headaches?

If not, you're lucky. Either you've progressed ahead of the crowd or have learned from sour experience. In reality, high risk merchants tend to neglect that only with efficient shipping will they be able to gain the trust of customers and encourage new visitors to buy. Shopping carts would not be abandoned for the sole reason that they (customers) didn't like the pricing or heard from a friend that your delivery date always come a day too late.

If you affiliate with popular shipping companies like UPS or FedEx, your customers' products are likely to be in good hands. However, you can establish your in-house shipping system if you are a small merchant or a start up with a modest product inventory. Otherwise, it is best to outsource shipping to a reliable shipping service provider.

E-commerce shipping is obviously a lot more complicated if you're a high risk merchant. One, because it may involve shipping goods overseas. Two, because you may be selling intangible products such as e-books. When this happens, the risk of returns and frauds are even higher. For example, if you're selling a collection of e-books, you don't need to employ FedEx or UPS' services. Instead you would provide a download link for your customers to access the product as soon as they paid for it. Hence, delivery time is no longer an issue. Delivery overseas require a better judgment when it comes to the shipping method you choose. The chances of errors in delivery and profit loss are higher.

Unscrupulous merchants will simply ignore customer complaints to avoid complications in product return issues. This is the easiest way to destroy your reputation as e-commerce merchant. Chargebacks or product returns should be addressed even though they may hurt your leg. They are part of business and all high risk merchants encounter them.

The best thing to do is to outline your shipping policies and make sure your customers are aware of them. In such a case where dissatisfied customers complain or even try to sue you, you are protected. A good and reasonable shipping policy vindicates you from the burden of paying for chargebacks and other expenses beyond control. This element is usually present in a high risk merchant services list in case you have applied for one. Keep in mind that even though shipping comes last in the buying and selling process, it is one of the most important aspects of doing business. And as a general rule, if shipping is free or low-cost, you're more likely to attract even the most reluctant of online buyers.

Source: Highriskexperts.com

High Risk Merchants Guide to Creating the Perfect Shopping Experience

2007-09-10T22:05:00.000-07:00

So many reasons why people leave the online shopping cart halfway while picking goods.The scenario is similar to shopping on a local supermarket -- with negligible differences. The bottom line is to make it easy for your customers to shop. For example, would you fall in a long checkout line with only a six pack beer, a bag of crackers and small cash in your hand? To make things easy, let them pay at the express lane where cash is accepted and only a few items are processed.

Some people aren't really a big fan of shopping but with one e-commerce website after another being built, it's now just a few clicks away to buying without practically leaving the house. If it's so easy to lure even the laziest shoppers online, why do you still have a low conversion rate? Doesn't it bother you that if only you knew a few more insights your sales could double in no time?

I am doing more research on high risk merchant account owners' websites these days. The reasons as to why people leave the shopping cart before they make it to the checkout lane are not without solutions. Most of the shopping experience is built around the psychology of buying and selling online. People sometimes visit your store only to look at prices, linger for 5 seconds to browse your catalog, then hop to another store to do the same thing. Others are simply lured by advertising. These are situations you can't control. A mom may be browsing an online store for baby product and suddenly hears the baby gurgle and scream. She attends to her and comes back, flips to another web page, forgetting what she's looking for in the first place.

There are, however, shopping cart issues that you can control. Among a few are:

Operating system and browser compatibility
Catalog description/ Product presentation
Payment type acceptance (credit card, MOTO, e-checks, etc.)
Complexity/simplicity of browsing to checkout process
Security

For complete article:

See: High Risk Merchants' Guide to Creating the Perfect Shopping Cart Experience

Are You the Perfect Travel Agency?

2007-09-06T19:21:00.000-07:00

As long as you offer reasonable rates to your clients, you are in a level playing field. Incorporating a credit card processor in your business, however, may require you to ask for higher fees. Same goes if you are using the services of a high risk merchant account provider. The good thing about these third party processors is that they can process your clients' credit cards securely. Moreover, a high risk merchant account provider can be a great help to start-ups who get refused by domestic banks.

As your business grows eventually, your provider will be able to process high volume payments as well.

Many people look at a travel agency's worth by its ability to deal with mistakes in arrangements. This truth may be shocking to some, especially to start-up agencies. But if you look closely, the travel agencies that can handle customer troubles are the ones most likely to survive in this high risk industry. Unbeknownst to many travel merchants, smart clients usually seek for references from third parties which can provide positive or negative feedbacks. Do you measure up?

The mention of a successful travel agency is almost a cliche. Everywhere you look in the Internet, tips on how to become a success in this competitive arena abound, but most are difficult to put into action. Some travel agencies are unscrupulous whose only goal is to make money, not repeat customers. Here is a quick checklist to find out if your travel agency hits the mark:

License/Accreditation – Although anyone can call himself a travel agent in the United States, many customers look at your credentials for proof of professionalism. Owning a license makes them feel secure that they are dealing with a genuine travel agency. Travel agencies need not be accredited by the ARC or other airline corporations in order to sell products. In some countries such as the UK though, accreditation gives travel agencies a good reputation and thus earn more trust from clients.
Customer Service – Travel agents should work on behalf of their clients. Are your travel agents qualified professionals? Are they accessible in times of emergencies? As a matter of fact, travel agents need not be fully knowledgeable but must have the initiative to ask information from their clients and archive the information for future use. Also, specific client needs should be assigned to travel agents who handle those needs exclusively. For example, clients who look for good vacation deals should consult with an agent that handles vacation packages. She does not have to be an expert in the vacation spot but may know what hotels are best to book or what prices the client can best afford.
Equipment – Small travel agencies are equipped with basic office tools while bigger agencies may have more sophisticated hardware and software in-house. In my opinion, travel agents can work best if they have an abundance of networks to help them find good deals for their clients. The true equipment is the stock of knowledge and the ability to hunt down the perfect travel package through human resource.
Rates – As long as you offer reasonable rates to your clients, you are in a level playing field. Incorporating a credit card processor in your business, however, may require you to ask for higher fees. Same goes if you are using the services of a high risk merchant account provider. The good thing about these third party processors is that they can process your clients' credit cards securely. Moreover, a high risk merchant account provider can be a great help to start-ups who get refused by domestic banks. As your business grows eventually, your provider will be able to process high volume payments as well.

Travel agencies enjoy tremendous growth in profit these days with the help of the Internet. In fact, most bookings are now done online. Brick and mortar travel agencies argue that they can provide better customer service than online agencies do. In any case, a travel agency can prove its worth by having all these elements I have listed here, and perhaps more.

MORE TRAVEL AGENCY MERCHANT ACCOUNT TIPS:

The Whys and Hows of Travel Merchant Account Application

How to Make Money Selling Games Online

2007-09-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

The word “gaming” comes in various contexts among players and the business-minded. Within the casino frequenting circles, gaming means poker, roulette, blackjack, slot machines, Las Vegas, and other gambling related preoccupations. Among young (and young-minded) players, gaming means MMORPG, the Wii, Xbox 360 or PSP and various popular gaming titles. To high risk merchants however, gaming and gambling are interchangeable avenues that can potentially bring them money. Gaming and gambling are always linked, but the latter always creates more controversy, especially among the moralistic crowd. Here's a quick insight though: Both gaming and gambling businesses make a lot of profit online and still continue to grow in sales every year.

So if you'd rather get rich selling Wii consoles or Playstation 3 game titles instead of online poker then online gaming sales is perfect for you. Before I come up with instructions on how to begin, first be warned: like other high risk businesses, gaming requires that you do a lot of research on market prices so you don't over or underprice. Also, shipping costs play an important role in your profits. Are you willing to answer potential chargebacks and make refunds to dissatisfied customers? Will you provide excellent customer service? Lastly, if you intend to sell games online, consider it a no-no getting involved with selling pirated items.

Now as you soon as you have cleared the debris and finally want to set up your online gaming business, make sure your infrastructure is complete. What are the things that you need? What are the questions you need to ask yourself?

Should I build my own website or sell my items on eBay or other online marketplaces?

Tackle the advantages and disadvantages. For example, selling on eBay lets you gain instant visibility in the market without having to resort to search engine optimization, but you may not be able to customize your page as freely as you can if you build your store with a website having e-commerce capabilities.
What should I do if I thought having my own e-commerce website is better?

Spiff up your catalog with detailed descriptions of the products, add some photos and graphics, pitch in product reviews, or even create a page for blog or forums where you can discuss your experiences with the product. A blog can also help increase the sales as it is search engine friendly and encourages customers to purchase from your site using positive reviews.
How do I accept payment securely?

Consider getting a reliable credit card processor. Depending on your business' status, you may or may not be able to get a merchant account provider locally since domestic banks have strict rules when it comes to gaming businesses. You may then resort to sending an application to a high risk merchant account provider which has a greater acceptance rate than local banks.
What can I do to increase more sales?

As soon as you begin accepting payments, you should make an effort to improve your sales by robust online advertising and smart SEO techniques. But above all, make sure you gain your customer loyalty. The only way to do this is to transact sales honestly and on time. Also, do not forget to hand freebies to your customers to encourage them to make repeat purchases.

SOURCE: How to Make Money Selling Games Online at www.highriskexperts.com

Jewelry Selling Tips for the High Risk Merchant

2007-09-04T01:41:00.000-07:00

Efficient shopping carts in an easy to navigate website will encourage buyers to pick more products. And although many are still wary of online credit card purchases, they would find it a great relief to know that you are using secure credit card processing through your bank's merchant services or from a third party high risk merchant account provider.

Recent e-commerce reports say online jewelry sales increased approximately 30% in the second quarter of 2007 and will still increase 18% by the year end. What does this mean to everyone intending to plunge into the jewelry business? Simple. The industry sees a positive turn towards great profit and continued business growth. For high risk merchants, this is a perfect opportunity to create an exciting money-making venture online. Although established jewelry merchants face competition against gaming and gadget sales and online travel booking, it still shares a hefty percentage of sales transacted online.

DOES A FAT BOY LIKE CAKE?

But like all kinds of money making endeavors, an online jewelry business requires the sweat of your brow and a bit of Internet savvy, especially if you're an upstart. Gone are the days when jewelry stores would be self-equipped with only a brick and mortar store set up. Today, a store would very well increase customer visibility and potential sales if it is matched with a website, an efficient shopping cart, and a credit card processor (through a reliable high risk merchant account provider). People shopping online will find it extremely satisfying if they can browse an online jewelry store smoothly, add their purchases on the shopping cart with a single click, and get their transactions processed securely. Are all these things possible? Does a fat boy like cake?

BUY ONLINE, IN-STORE PICK UP

TARGET THE BRIDAL MARKET

MORE TIPS

Selling Tobacco Online: What's In It for the High Risk Merchant?

2007-09-03T01:44:00.000-07:00

It's a matter of ethics on your part. If you are like some vendors who sell with conscience, then this avenue may be perfect for you. As your business grows, it becomes imperative to find a high risk merchant account provider to process your cigarette and tobacco sales. Should I still offer a warning? The online sale of cigarette and tobacco has been around for years and no one has been able to totally ban it. This song sounds too familiar already. Selling tobacco and cigarettes online can make a great deal of profit, but you will face hurdles, considering that it is a high risk venture. The key is to exercise caution, understand and conform with the laws, and stick to your business ethics.

There are so many avenues for the average high risk merchant to explore when it comes to products or services he would sell online. One of these is selling cigarettes and specialty tobacco. Here are a few stuff “the uninitiated” may want to know:

Some states and countries forbid selling cigarettes and tobacco online.
Some states and countries do not forbid the sale of cigarettes and tobacco but tax the sellers and buyers.
Some states and countries do not forbid the sale of cigarettes and tobacco but DO NOT tax the seller and buyers.
Some states and countries forbid the sale of cigarettes and tobacco online only to minors.
Authorities have cracked down on the sale of cigarettes and tobacco online.
Credit card companies and many cigarette and tobacco vendors have helped each other to curtail or ban the sale of cigarettes and tobacco online.

Did I sound too didactic? I was trying to make sure you were all listening! Knowing all these facts, why does the sale of cigarette and tobacco online still flourish? It's ironic, but everyone who can read between the lines can take the obvious hint that it's not the selling online that transgresses the law and irritates the health-conscious, but the distribution and consumption of cigarettes and tobacco themselves. If you were a high risk merchant, why would you even venture into this blatantly “unhealthy” territory?

They wouldn't call it high risk merchant account for nothing! Online sellers are obviously attracted to the huge profit that this business can offer. They may be cigarette smokers and tobacco enthusiasts themselves. Selling it online would make it doubly beneficial. To many people, cigarette and tobacco smoking can bring many benefits to their lives, whether physically or socially. Being able to buy or sell them online not only increases their enjoyment but beefs up their pockets too!

Cigarette and tobacco vendors sell their products online at extremely low prices because they establish their businesses in areas where the “smokes” are not taxed. If you look closely at every tobacco vendor's website...

Get updated! This story continues at http://www.highriskexperts.com

High Risk Merchants: Where Do You Find Much Needed Information?

2007-09-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

Becoming a high risk merchant does not require genius. Some people have started their businesses and transacted high volume payments long before they realized it. Today, the most popular high risk businesses are the adult and gambling industries. Online pharmacies and telemarketing are following the lead. If you have decided to become a merchant yourself, the possibilities are endless. However, there are also limitations as to what type of products or services you may sell and whether you are qualified to process payments with the help of high risk merchant account providers or not.

Where do you get information if you intend to become a merchant? The Internet has gazillions of resources which you can use for your benefit. Joining forums alone will help you find out what concerns other merchants have, what businesses are thriving, and what they're doing to improve their sales. Better yet, if you cater to a particular niche such as adult products, you can check out what advice adult webmasters can give you from the articles injected into the discussions. Most forum members are especially wiling to answer your “newbie” questions as long as you adhere to the forum rules.

I'm putting a little wet blanket on this idea. In reality, even though a lot of high risk merchant forums help you with your inquiries and illuminate your confusions, many forum members who are real merchants are wary of divulging too much information. As a matter of fact, the high risk industry involves, obviously enough, really high form of risky ventures and is very competitive that upstart merchants will initially find it shocking. But in the long run, if you have made friends in the industry and did yourself a favor employing a high risk merchant account provider...

STORY CONTINUES HERE!

HIGH RISK MERCHANTS: WHERE DO YOU FIND MUCH NEEDED INFORMATION?

Get Listed or Get Shot: The High Risk Merchant's Guide to Advertising Online

2007-08-24T02:41:00.000-07:00

Six decades ago, thousands of people who were found on a rich German businessman's record book were brought out from Auschwitz and into a quasi- World War 2 bullet manufacturing company not to work, but to have their lives saved. Fast forward six decades again, and we are into the the same dog-eat-dog world where online content is king. The question is, as a high risk merchant, have you had yourself listed lately? Sure, it's not a life and death situation like Schindler's time, but if you're a high risk merchant, the least you can do is sit down and wait till customers (errr...Gestapos?) find you. Don't be caught off guard. One of the smartest thing you can do as an online entrepreneur is to get your business listed.

The natural law states that wherever there's an open space, people will always fill it up with something. Think: table tops and your garage. Merchant directories do the same thing, so don't feel a twinge of guilt. There are tremendous benefits at your disposal once you get your business advertised in these networks. You get:

Exposure for your business to shopping members in the search engines
Advertising advantage with hundreds of graphic options
Tracking ability for your sales transactions
Outsourced management of your merchant account

The end result is increased sales. Explore the possibilities by checking out what these merchant networks offer.

Most advertising networks offer advertising packages on a monthly, yearly, or permanent basis. High risk merchants, on the other hand, are mostly influenced by the price of these packages, as well as the popularity of the network. Most only join a particular network that has been known for being reputable and has good experience for handling merchants and affiliates. Suit yourself and your business. Not because you have so many options doesn't mean these options are good for you. Some merchant advertising networks would only accept low risk or high risk businesses. See “High Risk Merchants: What Are Your Limitations?” for more details about this topic.

More of this story:

GET LISTED OR GET SHOT: THE HIGH RISK MERCHANT'S GUIDE TO ADVERTISING ONLINE

Gaming Merchant Accounts: Key Business Terms

2007-08-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

As you can see, one big factor in determining whether a business is considered high risk or low risk is whether it is based locally or offshore. Another is the amount of money involved. Any gaming merchant applying for a high risk merchant account is likely to encounter issues with the provider, depending on the status of his business. If a gambling business is proven to have no record of fraud or a huge percentage of chargebacks, then it has a good chance of getting approved. Moreover, if it is a mere startup that eventually sees high volume credit card processing in the future transactions, then it will also find good benefit in hiring the services of a high risk merchant account provider.

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Gaming Versus Gambling

Many people have always asked what gambling is and how it differs from gaming. Does it matter? Heck, yeah. When applying for a high risk merchant account, you would soon find out that if your business involves only gaming you have a better chance of being approved for the account. For example, in one UK merchant account provider, applicants would have to fill up a form for assessment and underwriting to figure out if an application has a high likelihood of getting accepted. But only businesses dealing with gambling need fill out that form. Gaming businesses, on the other hand, are quickly offered discount rates and other information on fees and setup. Unintentional as it may seem, gambling always elicits more suspicion than other high risk businesses.

Well, for obvious reasons -- but let me get a little technical to make it clear.

Think of gambling as gaming that involves criminally high stakes. I don't mean that gamblers can get arrested for going to Harrah's. Unlike gaming, gambling blurs the line between the legal and the illegal. The US lawmakers have been pursuing countrywide regulations on internet (especially poker) gambling but we have yet to see what they come up with. As far as we are concerned, games such as bingo, lottery, and horse betting are considered legal up to this point. The qualifying basis of the legality of a game is where the money is transacted and where the operators are located. Since online gambling businesses are not allowed to operate in the US, most of them are based offshore -- in countries where they can legally operate and have taxation privileges.

Gaming, on the other hand, is a legal form of playing and betting and does not run the risk of being penalized by law. In other words, compared to gambling, it is a business of much lower risk.

P2P Betting Versus Betting Exchange

Sportsbooks

More gaming articles to read:

10 Questions to Ask Your Gaming Merchant Account Provider

Get Lucky! Scoring a Lottery Merchant Account Offshore Part 1

Get Lucky! Scoring a Lottery Merchant Account Offshore Part 2

Online Casino Merchant Accounts for Legit Poker Rooms

Scam Problems? Better Business Bureau Can Help!

2007-08-16T02:02:00.000-07:00

How can people know if they are dealing with a reputable credit card repair service company? Consult with the Better Business Bureau or do some background research on the company. These companies may be using some form of reliable and secure backup protection system such as high risk merchant account services.

Scam Problems? Better Business Bureau Can Help!

by Gerri Bryce

Chicken or Egg?

I don't know exactly where or how it all began. I had to talk to a few Better Business Bureau(http://www.bbb.org/) personnel to find out some statistics about fraudulent companies, if any, that they might have inadvertently put in their list. While I was at it, I was hearing stories about scholarship scams. Then people who complain of identity theft on their credit card accounts. Then people with credit score problems. When I went home, I was just riddled with questions about the whole credit card processing dilemma. Chicken or egg? Merchant account owner or credit card holder? Who's the real victim?

Scholarship Scams

The Better Business Bureau had issued a warning on everyone from parents to students who wish to go to college to be careful with scholarship offers. Who wants to be scammed? If you visit their website, you will see a good list of signs for you to figure out if you are on the verge of being tricked by a financial aid fraudster. My opinion is that with a little bit of common sense and savvy against white collar crimes like these, students and parents won't be scammed. Most of these "modi operandi" may be relayed through telemarketing or direct mail. A graduating high school student, for example, will be told she won a scholarship grant with a check attached in the mail. She will then be advised to cash it out from the bank, then pay additional X dollars for transaction fees. Are several thousand dollars for a tuition fee not tempting enough? The check will look so authentic that even banks will find it hard to distinguish that it is fake until several weeks later.

Then, how will anyone find out that the scholarship grant is real or not? Check out the Better Business Bureau list. It will save you a limb.

Identity Theft

People complain of bad credit score, ask for a credit report from Experian, then find out someone else has stolen their name, Social Security number, and credit card details. How did it happen? Most of them would be at loss until they realize they must have thrown some important documents on the trash can and some shrewd thief picked up the "gift". Or worse, some establishments like pawn shops who have taken their personal information have carelessly discarded those documents somewhere -- a blessing for credit card criminals. Identity theft happens both online and offline. Without a secure anti-hacking system in a website's server or database, anyone can be a victim of unscrupulous credit card identity theft.

How can anyone find out if their credit card and other financial details are not stolen? Ask for a credit report from the major credit card bureaus such as TransUnion, Experian and Equifax annually. Dispute suspicious looking items as needed.

Credit Repair

The real misery people face is when they soon find out they cannot make new loans, pay for mortgage, buy a new car, acquire a new credit line, or get a new job due to bad or poor credit score. This is when they resort to credit counseling -- either free or with fee. If they can dispute their credit score personally, then they won't need the services of a credit repair or debt consolidation company. This is only an option. However, these companies can provide services if people with bad credit have a number of negative items in their credit report that are difficult to dispute.

Pawn Shop Merchant Account: Why Should You Get One?

2007-08-14T03:34:00.000-07:00

One encouraging thing about building an online pawn shop is that you get more exposure and thus more chances of earning good income. The Internet is fraught with advertising possibilities and cutting edge technology to assist you in your business. For example, whether you are a start up online pawn shop or already have an established store processing high volume of credit card transactions monthly, acquiring a high risk merchant account can be a big help in your business.

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Perhaps one of oldest institutions in the financial world is the pawn shop. During medieval times, people would have no place to borrow money fast and easy except from pawn shops. Pawn shops allow them to make an emergency loan without going through hefty paper work. Ironically, the only thing that has changed is that people no longer need to go to a land-based pawn shop to pawn or buy goodies that have been pawned. They can easily do it online. Although comparably slow, many pawn shops today have made a leap from being merely brick and mortar to having a website of their own. The advantages far outnumber the pitfalls.

Why would anyone want to put up an online pawn shop anyways? Don't so many people already distrust pawn shops with the notion that most of the merchandise on display are stolen? It's unfortunate that people still believe in this myth. In reality, pawn shops are licensed and are being regulated by government agencies. Pawn shops selling various pawned goods online also have land-based stores to complement their websites. The only difference is that with the online shop, people pay using their credit cards.

The best reason to establish your own online pawn shop is the fact that with the perfectly targeted customer base, you have so much to offer and can earn good money. A quick visit to any pawn shop will tell you that people from all walks of life pawn their merchandise which people from elsewhere in the world may want to buy. At a much lower price, these items may still be in good condition and be a part of a hobbyist's collection.

The bottom line is that a pawn shop can be reputable as any type of business. Like a virtual flea market, it boasts of a huge variety of items which may hardly be found anywhere. And with the right online merchant account services to back you up, handling an online pawn shop becomes actually more fun than fatiguing.

The variety of items you can sell can range from car parts, appliances, electronic gadgets (computers, gaming systems, cellphones), CDs/DVDs, toys, rare jewelry (gold chains, brooches, scrap gold, watches, etc.), musical instruments, and hard to find items of good value. Even vintage items like LPs and unusual collections like rare beach shells are also sold or auctioned online.

Pawn Shop Merchant Account: Why Should You Get One?

Adult Merchant Accounts Fast Guide to Selling Adult Products Online

2007-08-13T00:59:00.000-07:00

This new and exciting avenue for sex product buyers and sellers obviously comes with some form of demand from the buyers' part. If you have applied for a high risk merchant account provider, chances are you have also been offered of their special services such as website design, shopping cart hosting, secure credit card processing system, database encryption, multiple currency acceptance, virtual terminals, and even online advertising services. It is wise to pick the services that would most likely benefit your customers -- i.e., earn their trust. ( See "7 Best Tools for Providing First-Rate Customer Service" to learn more about this topic.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have you ever asked yourself how big a relief it is for stores selling adult products to go online? Well, decades ago, you would have to visit a brick and mortar porn store to buy a XXX DVD title or ultra sexy black thong for your girlfriend. Yes, "visit" as in step your foot inside a sex shop, leaving your grandma in the car waiting after telling her you need to pick up a pair of socks from the nearby department store. Whew. You go into the sex store with cheeks flushed, hoping your next-door neighbor parish personnel won't see you hiding behind the strap-on stands and love dolls.

Now, with adult stores going brick and click, it's way easier for people to buy sex toys, adult books, adult DVDs, and other adult-related products. With a little extra on the shipping payment, the product can easily be delivered on their doorsteps without anyone knowing what's inside the box or where it came from. All they need to do is call up or order from an adult website store's shopping cart, pay online with their credit cards, and get their product within 2 days or less.

For high risk merchants who sell adult products online, the relief is just as tremendous. Many people are embarrassed of going to adult stores and want things to be discreet when it comes to buying sex products. The ability to showcase their products online and provide an efficient shopping cart for buyers along with a payment gateway to process credit cards help boost their sales. As a a high risk merchant, did you figure out the advantages of being able to sell your adult products online? It does give your customers the ability to:

1. Easily browse the products online with a well designed catalog

2. Input their credit card details on the shopping cart buying form.

3. Check the delivery status of their products

This new and exciting avenue for sex product buyers and sellers obviously comes with some form of demand from the buyers' part. If you have applied for a high risk merchant account provider...

See the rest of the article:

Adult Merchant Accounts: Quick Guide to Selling Adult Products Online

Best Pharmacy Merchant Account for Yerba Mate Sellers

2007-08-08T20:48:00.000-07:00

Now a little bit of insight for consumers who are reading this article: It does pay to find out if you are buying from a reputable online pharmacy. One way to know is if they are employing the services of a high risk merchant account provider. What's the connection? Simple. High risk merchant account providers won't accept applications from online pharmacies which have been involved in fraud or have a history of being riddled with complaints and chargebacks.

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Although I'm a big fan of native arts and crafts and not much of soda, I've never judged a drink based on the design of the glass or bottle. No I'm not talking about liquor. I'm talking about Josh's favorite: tea. Here's one that reminds me both of Josh and Brazil. One, because it's South American-ish. Two, because I owe Josh a trip to Rio de Janeiro. And three, because the fusion of Josh and Brazil will boil down to some hearty drink called Yerba Mate. This herbal drink is hailed as one of the best in South America, probably next to ginseng.

So what's all the hype about Yerba Mate? Probably not much except for the fact that it's being sold on most online pharmacies. Because of this, Mate can be classified as high risk merchant product. Like most other herbal drinks or medicine sold online, Mate is being maligned despite its innocence and good intentions. The reason is simple. Since it is quite a rare herb found only in some South American farms, selling it to customers in various parts of the world is subject to suspicion of fraud. I won't blame customers. Everyone needs to make sure they're getting genuine products that's worth what they paid for.

Outsourcing Telemarketing: A High Risk Venture?

2007-08-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

Now let's go back to outsourcing telemarketing. It's one of the biggest steps any business can make if it wants to make more profit and spend less on overhead costs. Another is to apply for a telemarketing merchant account. And when I say that, I don't mean locally. Domestic banks and providers are wary of outbound call centers. Most telemarketing companies find help with credit card processing by applying for a high risk merchant account offshore. Benefits on doing this abound. Lenient taxation system, non-interference from the government and other political entities, and flexibility when it comes to choosing your bank are just among a few of them.

It's Sunday morning and I'm reading stories about telemarketers' on-the-job experiences. I'm like, "Geez, this is interesting stuff." FYI: I worked in a part time telemarketing job before. FYI: I lasted only one week! I was at college and needed extra money. But then again even during that time I felt I was harassing not only myself but also other people.

"But eventually…it’s the kind of job where you don’t get much satisfaction because nobody really likes you….none of the people you talk to really want to talk to you and you are just keeping on the phone, taking away from their lives….it’s depressing. We were given lists of phone numbers and a regular phone without any sort of headset, just a little handset and we went into a little cubby and uh …and called lists of phone numbers.

More than half of them weren’t even real numbers and you got lots of this phone line has been disconnected and lots of answering machines and when you did get people you were often calling while they were eating dinner or breakfast and people generally…you were generally pissing people off...” (excerpt from Aboutmyjob)

Hey, 'nuff said about telemarketing woes. Some people actually make a good career in this high risk industry. In fact, they told me if you didn't move up the ladder within a few months, you must be doing something wrong. Not only is telemarketing (sometimes also called call center jobs) a high-paced industry, it's also very profitable. That's why the ongoing trend is (North) American businesses outsourcing telemarketing offshore. For a lot of these businesses, the overhead costs simply diminish. Employees overseas don't get paid as much as their American and European counterparts. Hard and soft aspects of running the telemarketing agency become less of a burden. Well yeah, at the expense of American employees. We've heard of complaints near and far from US employees saying they're losing their jobs over the guys in Southeast Asia and China. Uuhh, but if we put ourselves in the position of the big bosses, can we blame them?

Clint and The Outsourcing Dilemma

A year ago, I met a guy named Clint who told me how he lost his job. He now lives in a tropical island somewhere in Asia after having decided he wanted to retire. He was bitter and asked me if his feelings were justified. He was a head engineer whose job was outsourced to a Chinese guy who got paid six times less than he did. I said, "Well, if I'm the boss I guess it's justified on my part since I save a lot of money. But it's only worth it if the Chinese guy performed as good as you did." After that conversation, Clint didn't bother me anymore. He went off reading books in hammocks, taking pictures of his new Asian girlfriend and sending them to me when he gets a chance.

Now let's go back to outsourcing telemarketing.

Read the rest of the story:

Telemarketing Merchant Accounts

Online Casino Merchant Accounts for Legit Poker Rooms

2007-08-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

Online casinos, unlike Bellagio and Caesar's Palace, need to acquire casino merchant accounts offshore. Why? Because they will find it difficult to operate and handle all those credit card transactions without the help of a reliable payment gateway. Bellagio employs thousands of workers while an online casino may be manned only by a few staff. As long as it has an efficient high risk credit card processing infrastructure, it can easily match the profit that land based casinos like Bellagio can make. Not including the profit on hotel and attractions, of course.

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Josh played poker last night and won a few hundred bucks. For some reason, some so-called high rollers gave him a big break, thinking he was some poker noob. But although he only played the game for fun and extra money, he'd been in loved with Texas Holdem for years. He would bring me to small tournaments where he finds them. Yes, even in the towns I barely know. He's been going to Vegas and has enjoyed playing table games even before we met. He also couldn't count the number of encounters he had with some famous players, and some pretty Vietnamese card sharks.

I wasn't completely convinced that poker is better than Black Jack till I learned to play it myself. I was amazed at Black Jack when I read about the MIT guys. Card counting, shuffle tracking, and all kinds of legal "cheating" -- name it and they've done it. In poker, I guess you can only bring your wife, let her sit next to you, then teach her the art of distracting your opponents. You can do nothing of these when playing poker online, obviously. My fiance and I used to waste hundreds of dollars punching video poker buttons on slot machines on landbased casinos. Now, if he had more time in his hand, he would play poker at online cardrooms too.

Bellagio vs. Online Casinos

So despite the insanity going on about online poker these days, we still preferred going to Bellagio several times a year. The place is obviously more fantastic than what you see on the computer screen. Moreover, it is being owned and operated by MGM. The fact that you don't have to deal with credit card payments can be such a relief. Playing online subjects you to possible fraud and credit card hacking. You also never know if you're playing in a legit online casino that lets you cash out your chips as you win. The funny thing about this situation is that online casinos suspect players to be cheating using bots and conspiratorial playing. Online poker players, on the other hand, suspect that online casinos won't pay their winnings and charge them (players) of cheating even if they won their hands clean.

more: Casino Merchant Accounts

Do Poker Rooms Need a Casino Merchant Account?

A casino merchant account can be easily obtained for most start up online casinos and poker rooms. You can explore the possibilities explained in the article "Insider Tricks to Successful Merchant Application". Because it is start up, there is no history of fraud or chargebacks that might have been incurred. And because it is handled in an offshore territory, there are lots of advantages on taxation rules and flexibility on banking choices. An online casino that doesn't have a high risk merchant account offshore will eventually apply for one as soon as it starts transacting high volume payments.

Why Escort Services Need High Risk Merchant Accounts

2007-08-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

The help of a high risk merchant account provider is indispensable. A good one will have an efficient payment gateway system and a host of anti-fraud tools that prevent credit card hacking. Operators of an escort service who have a huge clientèle base will also find great benefit in the flexible accounting methods such as daily/weekly/monthly statement reporting and affiliate program management.

Companionship has always been the most-sought after experiences for everyone of us. People would fall in love, get married, get divorced, and eventually move on to find another companion because no one would simply be able to live without it. Not counting your 55-year old grinch of a neighbor who never wanted seeing sunlight pour through his window nor see children playing outside his fence, of course. Bottom line is that you may be single, married, divorced, widowed, swinging, etc., but you still would look for a someone to share experiences with you. Paid or not. Right?

PAYING FOR COMPANIONSHIP

I never paid anyone for companionship, though of course if I did, it came in other forms like a trip to the Japanese restaurant or a piece of sexy T-shirt in the department store. And it would have to be a close friend, another girl and not a guy! But of course it's because I'm a woman. Men would most likely pay, especially if we're talking escort service. That doesn't mean all escort agencies employ women. Generally, there's more women employed than men, and if there's a mix of gender in a particular escort agency, it's rare.

Escort services are legal, they are taxed, and usually they are built with the help of a high risk merchant account provider. The case of fraud involved in the escort service business is due mainly to the fact that it's being advertised and transacted online. Offline, an escort may cheat on a client by pretending she needed to take something back from the car as soon as she gets paid. And then disappear. Online, a client may arrange for an escort service to be scheduled when he visits the town, but get ripped by credit card hackers.

That's why the help of a high risk merchant account provider is indispensable. A good one will have an efficient payment gateway system and a host of anti-fraud tools that prevent credit card hacking. Operators of an escort service who have a huge clientèle base will also find great benefit in the flexible accounting methods such as daily/weekly/monthly statement reporting and affiliate program management.

Continued:

Who Says Escort Services Don't Need High Risk Merchant Accounts?

Get Lucky! Scoring a Lottery Merchant Account Offshore Part 2

2007-07-31T23:32:00.000-07:00

A Tale from Texas

It's not easy being deployed in Iraq, U.S. servicemen would say. Really! Who's kidding nobody? But it makes all the sacrifices easier when by the time a soldier comes home, he's got US$200,000 waiting for him in his native land. That's how lucky Sergeant Bethurel Griffin got. Before leaving Texas back in 2006, he joined a lottery syndicate and made a bet on the US$12 Million Texas Lotto jackpot. Now he's not only a walking epitome of luck, he's also a pride of his nation.

Now I'm from Texas and so I couldn't help but pinpoint this particular story of luck for simple reasons. What if Sgt. Griffin was in Iraq and made a bet in the Texas lottery and won? Would he have gotten the prize? If you are aware of the FTC regulations when it comes to online betting, especially in lottery, the answer is simple: No. Not only will Sgt. Griffin be allowed to buy the lottery tickets, he won't get his prize too. The FTC requires local lottery ticket retailers to sell only within the state boundaries. Selling and buying lottery tickets through mail, phone and Internet is considered illegal in the U.S.

Virtual Gibraltar

But if Sgt. Griffin had forgotten to make that bet before leaving Texas, and still thought his luck cannot be contained anymore, he could still have made a stake at a lottery prize offshore. Now I won't corrupt Sgt. Griffin's civilian duties while overseas. I'll look at it from the perspective of the common guy. What if some dude named Luke wanted to play at Gibraltar Casino but didn't have enough money to buy plane tickets, pay for hotel accommodations, and pull out some cash for the buffet meals? Not to mention spend time taking out some British ladies to dinner?

The rest of the story continues here!

Get Lucky! Scoring a Lottery Merchant Account Offshore Part 2

Get Lucky! Scoring a Lottery Merchant Account Offshore Part 1

2007-07-31T01:56:00.000-07:00

And now let's go back to the original question: So what do I need to do if I want to sell lottery tickets online? First of all, it will be easier to set up this kind of high risk business offshore. As we've discussed earlier, the FTC allows companies to set up lottery businesses as long as they sell the tickets locally (in participating states) and never through mail, telephone, or online. That means your customers are limited only to the residents of your participating state. Elsewhere in the world, e-commerce lottery merchants are making good profit off worldwide buyers. So if you are bent on setting up this type of business, you would need to get a lottery merchant account offshore. This will make things easier for you as doing business offshore has a hefty number of advantages.

GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES

I must confess it has taken me sometime to get the whole picture of buying lottery tickets online. Years ago, I mistook buying them as legal, selling illegal. I had originally thought anyone can buy tickets anywhere. Of course, my naivety has only been born of the fact that I don't really buy lottery tickets. Not even offline. Please don't ask me why, or whether I should try!

So obviously I did my own research and came up with interesting ideas. Lottery would always remind me of all kinds of gambling games, except that it's really big time. Jackpot prizes go over the roof. Unfortunately, I've been hearing lately that although lottery sales have been breaking records, Powerball wins are getting quieter. The immensity of the jackpot prizes give people slimmer chances of winning. But of course, all high rolling lottery games follow this path.

The thing with buying and selling lottery is that most of it is dependent on the Federal Trade Commission's regulations. According to FTC, buying and selling lottery tickets through mail, telephone or the Internet are illegal. Oh, and did I mention about doing it offshore yet?

Some old colleague asked, "So what do I need to do if I want to sell lottery tickets online?" I would like to answer her, but I felt like stepping back and saying "Are you sure you really want to?" But if most of you are like her, first take a quick look at Insider Tricks to Successful Merchant Account Application to get a good idea of what going through a high risk business entails.

And now let's go back to the original question: So what do I need to do if I want to sell lottery tickets online?

Continued:

Lottery Merchant Accounts

VISA e-Commerce Guide to Risk Management: Travel Agencies

2007-07-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

Tools and Best Practices for Building a Secure Internet Business

Ok, I got lazy today. Not an impressive way to start the week, but I got good reasons to be. Out from the treasure trove of high risk merchant account providers I spotted a copy of VISA's e-Commerce Guide to Risk Management. What a blessing for all of us, although the guide could have practically been buried in the box for eons. And even if it was, most high risk merchants have unfaithfully forgotten VISA's attempt to enlighten them when it comes to doing business online anyways.

It's just that the playing field is never the same as doing it with a brick store. Otherwise, VISA wouldn't bother.

For this time I'd focused on Travel Agencies, as being a traveler I've always been concerned about airline ticket and travel planning frauds. Read the guide, get wise, and outdo the scammers!

E-COMMERCE START UP

Recognize your potential sales agent liability. Understanding your risk exposure can help you take appropriate steps to minimize it, and protect your agency from losses associated with customer disputes and fraud.

As a sales agent of an airline, for example, your agency may be liable for the entire amount of an airline ticket if it is disputed by the customer or purchased with a stolen account number. To mitigate risk, you need to establish e-commerce policies and procedures that address the following factors:

1. An approved authorization request indicates that the account is in good standing. However, the response is not proof that the legitimate card holder is making the purchase, nor is it a guarantee of payment. In most cases, therefore, airlines are liable for fraudulent card not present transactions even when they were approved by the Issuer.

2. Even if a travel agency is not a Visa merchant subject to Visa regulations, the airline partner is. In most fraud-related cases, the airline transfers financial liability to the travel agency partner as part of the contractual agreement.

WEBSITE UTILITY

1. Require website membership to book airline tickets and other travel series such a hotel accommodations and car rentals. By requiring customers to become members of your website service, you can collect additional customer data that can help you assess risk. When establishing member profiles:

-Verify the customer data that you collect before you store it.
-Ensure that strong security measures such as secured data storage and limited employee access are in place to protect sensitive customer data.

2. Capture and retain Internet protocol addresses. It is important to know the IP addresses if the ISPs from which your customers make purchases. With a database of these addresses, you can develop fraud-screening tools based on transaction characteristics.

3. Display a website notice that the customer's billing addresses will be verified. If you access Address Verification Service (AVS) offline, you may encounter address verification failures long after your customer has completed booking. By letting customers know that the billing address will be verified, you can prepare them to understand potential address inquiries later. This website notice should clearly state that airline tickets cannot be issued until the customer's billing address has been verified by the Issuer.

4. Require a waiting period of at least four to six hours between ticket purchase and flight time. Tickets purchase just before a flight may indicate fraud risk. To protect your company from potential losses, you need adequate time to verify the validity of the customer and payment card before travel begins.

VISA CARD ACCEPTANCE

FRAUD PREVENTION

VISA e-COMMERCE GUIDE TO RISK MANAGEMENT

More of VISA's e-commerce protocol will come in the future articles. Just be reminded that for every high risk merchant account service you render to your customers, there's always a great percentage that your customers may be hackers or spammers. It pays to destroy their modus operandi.

High Risk Merchant Tips on Targeting Your Market

2007-07-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

A quick lecture on target marketing. To a high risk merchant account applicant, your target market dictates the possibility of whether your merchant account application will be approved or not. Why? Because as a general rule, the more international your client base is, the higher the risk involved in your business. I'll go straight to the point. If you're an exporter or a shipper, watch out over your application. More than likely, if you have nothing solid to back it up like a good credit rating or no fraud and minimal chargeback history, your application will have a great chance of being declined.

But so much for the gloomy outlook. Targeting the market is a skill, since many merchants commit mistakes in this area. Foremost of all, targeting your market is plain and simple common sense. If you don't know "who exactly" are coming over to buy your products and services, then where will the profit come from?

TARGETING YOUR MARKET IS A TRICK

"Target marketing contrasts with mass marketing, which offers a single product to the entire market." I would say it is tricky because as far as marketing is concerned, many merchants would like to mass market and be everything and produce everything that customers want to have. In this case you would have to decide whether to attack a particular segment of the market (niche market) or the masses (mass market). And it's not always an easy job.

So what do you need to consider to make sure you're targeting a good market, whether locally or internationally? As a high risk merchant for online casinos, for example, you need to do a lot of research on the saleability of your products according to:

number of casino gamers
possible increase/decrease in the number of gamers
number of competing casino merchants
continuing interest of casino gamers
how far you need to go to get a good percentage of the market share
profit percentage and sales potential

RACE, RELIGION, CREED...

Of course let's not forget the criteria for targeting your market. Geographics is a big factor among high risk merchants. You may only want to target U.S. poker enthusiasts...

article continues here!

High Risk Merchant Tips on Targeting Your Market

Trafficking Human Pheromones Online: How Risky?

2007-07-25T23:26:00.000-07:00

The sale of human pheromones is quite a controversial issue today. For high risk merchants, however, it is but another desirable drug that helps increase sexual attraction among men and women. Marketing it online may be a bit of a challenge, mostly because people find it hard to believe that pheromones actually work. We won't contest their effectivity. The scope of high risk merchant services guarantee that if you intend to sell this product in your online pharmacy, you can get your application approved as long as you pass your MAP's requirements.

THE AXE PHENOMENON

One time I picked up my fiance's AXE Body Spray, Orion bottle and read the back label. "...when you spray it, women will come."

"Did AXE really say that?" he said. "Yeah!" And we both burst out laughing. I didn't think AXE would go that far to describe its masculine body sprays as phenomenally attractive to women that they will be compelled to...err, come. No pun intended!

WHAT'S WITH PHEROMONES?

Whether AXE has added pheromones in their list of body spray ingredients or not, we do not know (well maybe check the back label again?) but we know for sure that it smells amazing. It does have an effect on me and I don't intend to endorse the product. However, unlike AXE Orion, human pheromones are considered non-prescription drugs and if you sell them online, they are considered high risk products. What's the catch?

Unfortunately, not only CDs and clothes can be pirated. The danger of buying drugs online is that you will never really find authenticity unless you've seen and touched and tried them. The catch is when buyers are sold with so-called pheromone colognes or perfumes that are diluted or fake. And when they receive fake products, naturally they will ask for a chargeback, or worse, sue the manufacturer. Chargebacks are the number one cause of problems among merchants and high risk merchant providers. So how can anyone make sure they are buying the real thing?

See more of this article:

Trafficking Human Pheromones Online: How Risky?

Underwriting High Risk Merchant Accounts

2007-07-25T01:31:00.000-07:00

High risk merchant account providers hire an underwriter to help them assess whether an applicant should be approved for an account or not. Like a quality control personnel, an underwriter makes sure that the applicant passes the requirements outlined by the provider in its criteria of merchant account approval. Different MAPs have different criteria of judging whether a business is high risk or not. Among domestic MAPs, an applicant is declined if it is considered high risk. But for those who apply for offshore merchant accounts, the likelihood of getting approved is far greater.

The task of underwriting an application may be complicated, but there are criteria involved that make it easier. Underwriters are responsible for assessing how much rolling reserve should be put on a company, as well as check on the following:

THE PRODUCT:

Product Type

Means of Delivery to Customer

Lifetime Membership

THE COMPANY BACKGROUND:

Fraud History Checking

Processor Switching

Chargeback History

Credit History

THE PRICING

THE BLACKLIST

HOW UNDERWRITERS SEE RISKS

There are several types of risks involved when assessing a high risk merchant account application. However, the most aggravating of these is the contingent liability. As mentioned above, a business that relies on lifetime delivery of product is the most likely to be declined. Unlike risks on fraud or credit, contingent liability increases the possibility of chargebacks in the future. If a merchant is not able to deliver the product or service as promised, customers will want a refund. Generally, the longer the allowance period from the payment to the delivery of the product/service, the higher the risk. Also, if there is little or no proof that it has been deliverd, such as a movie file downloaded online, the higher the risk that is involved.

See the whole article:

Underwriting High Risk Merchant Accounts

More High Risk Merchant Account ezinearticles by Gerri Bryce:

OsCommerce for High Risk Merchants - The Good, The Bad, and The Possibilities
[Finance] Just because osCommerce is the most popular merchant account software doesn't mean it's the best solution for your online business. Agree or disagree? Do you find osCommerce to be overrated? A lot of high risk merchants adopt osCommerce as their primary merchant account solution because of so many advantages.

Insider Tricks to Successful High Risk Merchant Account Application
[Finance] Many merchants complain about the lack of information when it comes to high risk merchant account application. It's not that there's no information at hand; it's more likely because merchant account providers do not give standard customer service or are simply too lazy to share the nuts and bolts that the applicants need.

Women Gamblers and the World of High Risk Merchants

2007-07-24T02:49:00.000-07:00

What's new in the gambling world? Well, apart from Jerry Yang bagging the 2007 WSOP prize, nothing much. The same old story goes that internet gambling can be addictive and this is exactly what motivates the U.S. government to curtail, if not ban, online gambling. High risk merchants have a way of dealing with these current restrictions by being based offshore. I have nothing against it. In fact, I think that being based offshore is practically what makes online gambling businesses survive. Do I have anything against online gambling too? Well, my knowledge is as good as what I hear and read. Consider this:

WOMEN BETTING HIGHER THAN MEN?

"High-stakes women gamblers who use the Internet to wager on games win more often than men, according to a Harvard Medical School study." Initially, anyone would think that the gambling online arena is permeated with middle-class American/European/Asian men who take off a percentage off their income and use it play online, for entertainment's sake. But the report says when it comes to internet betting, women are less afraid to stake big dough and win/lose according to their bets. They are, in short, more fierce online gamblers.

I GOT HUSTLED!

What does it imply? These days I wouldn't call addiction as the main issue in internet gambling. This report is kinda funny though. It reminds me of when my fiance and I went to a casino somewhere in South East Asia. I was then a stupid dork who didn't know the first thing about poker tournaments and stuff. One time...

Story continues here:

Women Gamblers and the World of High Risk Merchants

Does your Water Filtration System Need a High Risk Merchant Account?

2007-07-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

The good thing about a water filtration system business is that compared to other high risk merchant accounts, the discount rates are quite lower. The tricky part is selling them online. Merchants who intend to sell or lease water filtration equipment must inevitably have a website set up as well as a merchant account in order to process credit cards online. The cost of set up and merchant account must be industry standard. For example, the average discount rate may be 3% to 6%, but may be lower because of the less risky nature of this business.

China: Slowly killing its people?

What's the price of progress? Ask the Chinese. Whether they are aware or not, China's rapidly growing economy has resulted in a depressingly polluted country that will soon cause hundreds of millions of premature deaths from contaminated air and water in a few years. This is according to a 18-month study done by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Although China has structured plans to curtail the catastrophic effects of their economic growth, we have yet to see the good results. In the study, it has been declared that not only has pollution in China affected human health, but the ecosystem as well. Especially the aquatic system. China has given its share of toxins in the sea as well as greenhouse gases mostly emitted from highly industrialized countries...

Is the water filtration business as risky as it seems?

How can a high risk merchant account provider help?

Multilevel Marketing: A High Risk Merchant's Experience Told Part 2

2007-07-18T22:44:00.000-07:00

In Part 1 of this article I mentioned about my own experience with MLMs, what most people would call a high risk business by virtue of high incidences of scam involved. I must admit there's a difference between the legit ones that sell real products and ones that merely ask you to recruit new distributors so that you may gain commissions off their membership fees. High risk merchant providers are aware of these. They will certainly not accept your application if they learned you had been previously involved in a MLM fraud. To learn more about this topic I wrote, see Insider Tricks to Successful Merchant Application.

PYRAMID SCAMS VS. LEGIT MLMs

I was then in my college days and seeking some help for my university fees when I saw an ad about scholarship opportunity on the local paper. I contacted the number and was told to attend a meeting to find out more about it. Soon I realized it was some sort of MLM business with a variety of benefits for the members. In my desire to get the scholarship, I joined. I paid a downpayment for my fee but it took long for me to realize that the scholarship I wanted from them would never materialize. Why?

Read the rest of the story:

Multilevel Marketing: A High Risk Merchant's Experience Told Part 2

Multilevel Marketing: A High Risk Merchant's Experience Told Part 1

2007-07-17T01:50:00.000-07:00

High risk merchant providers include Multilevel Marketing in their list of industries. To some, MLM has earned a bad reputation for being a lousy business scheme in which members could supposedly become wealthy by virtue of "downline recruitment". To others, MLM is a decent way to make a profit out of sales as well as commission from new salespersons enrolled in the company. High risk merchants who own successful MLM businesses know that despite being tagged illegal or fraudulent, MLM is still a highly profitable industry. That is, if distributors aim to earn through product selling and not through recruitment alone.

SECRET MEETINGS

It was back in 2004 when my cousin approached me and asked me to come with him to some mysterious business meeting at a building downtown. He said if I was open to opportunities to make money part time more than I made then, I could learn a lot just by mere listening to the speakers of that meeting. There was no commitment to join or pay for anything. I was optimistic and joined. Yep, I was hardly surprised when I sat in the corner of the room with my cousin, listened to the highly motivational lectures of three self-professed millionaires, and learned that it was possible to make a lot of dough with the MLM scheme. We had to sell Asian coffee...

continued:

Multilevel Marketing: A High Risk Merchant's Experience Told Part 1

Marketing the Human Growth Hormone Online: A High Risk Merchant's Dilemma

2007-07-16T01:58:00.000-07:00

"The US Food and Drug Administration has not approved Jintropin and that the drug is not a recognized treatment for any medical condition." This is an excerpt from The Sidney Morning Herald, who told of news about Sylvester Stallone caught carrying 48 vials of human growth hormones (HGH) in his baggage. This happened exactly five months ago. Stallone has pleaded guilty and apologized to the public for the mistake he committed. Apparently, "Australian laws prohibit the importation of natural and manufactured growth hormones without a permit." Stallone was not only guilty of importing human growth hormones but also four vials of testosterone. According to his lawyers, Stallone was undergoing medical treatment and his only mistake was that he has not been informed too well of the customs laws in Australia.

Legal Issues Associated with HGH

I bet you think this news is kinda outdated. While Stallone is facing charges of illegal possession of prohibited substances, elsewhere in the world high risk merchants continue to sell human growth hormones to customers who are willing to try their purported benefits to the body. HGH is being used by bodybuilders, along with steriods, to help them increase muscle mass. HGH is a prescription drug and is used for medical purposes to treat deficiency in human growth and other related disorders. Anyone caught possessing it in the U.S. without a doctor's prescription may be imprisoned for up to 5 years (10 years for minors).

Side Effects?

HGH comes with its own side effects, if taken in excessive amounts. Although it can improve muscle mass and reduce fat (and is purported as anti-aging other than its ability to improve height for stunted children), HGH does not improve muscle strength. A high dose can cause overgrowth of extremities and internal organs. Its known side effects when taken in normal amounts include fluid retention, joint pain, and nerve compression symptoms.

Now who doesn't want to reverse the aging process and resort to the miraculous HGH? According to doctors...

continued: Human Growth Hormones and High Risk Merchant Account

High Volume Merchant Account: Should You Get One?

2007-07-12T01:39:00.000-07:00

I feel a need to go back to the basics. After years of hearing the phrase high volume merchants, I still encounter some perfectly running businesses who have not acquired their own high volume merchant account. For reasons I don't know. When I tell them execs about the possibilities it offers, they say they will consider applying for one. It seems to me that these businesses have reached their equilibrium, and at this point wish nothing but to maintain it. I say otherwise. Equilibrium in business is death. Seek constant disequilibrium -- that's a way to survive. We all live in a cycle and once this cycle becomes static and reaches plateau, there's nowhere else to go but down. Right, Tom Peters?

WHAT'S YOUR BEEF?

My friend Kent was downright frank with me. He says it has nothing to do with equilibrium. It's just that these businessmen haven't caught up with the trend of accepting credit cards online. Sure they accept credit cards, apart from the usual checks and the occasional debit cards, but they only use a POS and other manual processing equipment. And even though they've heard of virtual processing, they are iffy about applying because of the high incidence of fraud associated with it.

HIGH VOLUME IS NOT HIGH RISK?!

So maybe they have not educated themselves well enough about high volume merchant account. Or maybe they got it wrong. Let me just make it clear. Some of these execs may have even mistaken high volume for high risk. This is kinda funny. HIGH VOLUME identifies itself uniquely from all other high risk merchant accounts. How?

Continued:

The Benefits of Acquiring High Volume Merchant Account

1. Virtual Terminal

2. Savings and Reduced Rates

3. Statement Account History Reporting

4. Protection from Fraud

5. Shopping Cart

see whole article:

High Volume Merchant Account: Is it Worth Acquiring One?

In Praise of Porn: The Brave Old World

2007-07-11T01:04:00.000-07:00

This time I'll refrain from my know-it-all stance and bow my head to the porn industry. Not praising it for the "immorality" the whole world considers repulsive, but by the bravado of adult webmasters who have created their niche in this subject online. It wasn't easy. The true concept of adult websites, high risk merchant accounts, sexual e-commerce, and everything in between can get boring in the long run. That's why adult webmasters deserve an accolade. The sex industry has evolved from crude Neanderthal beds to sophisticated Virtual Reality sex. And among those who make and break the industry are the actors and actresses. Ordinary people who make money getting laid over and over for the pleasure of online surfers.

Of course if you've been working in the industry you've seen sex models come and go. You've seen the nastiest acts shot on film repeatedly till the "act" is perfected. According to veteran webmasters, this type of work, like anything else, sells so good but in the long run can desensitize them. I've known a few friends who have managed to work freelance for the development of porn websites. They tell me that they curse the day they learned graphic design...

continued:

In Praise of Porn: Adult High Risk Merchant Accounts by Gerri Bryce

Setting Up an Online Dating Merchant Account

2007-07-10T01:44:00.000-07:00

A lot of so-called e-commerce gurus tout the online dating business as fun. It must be, as countless new business-minded individuals come up with certain ideas for a dating website, apply for a high risk merchant account provider, and start earning money in no time. Or is it that easy? It would be a lie to say yes. There's no such thing as an easy money-making scheme. Nor will ever be. Everyone takes some pain if not during the set-up of the dating website, but in the process of maintaining it.

Setting it up Good
Go ask Wells Fargo!
A Tale of Taking Chances

But why won't domestic banks take care of your business? The answer is truly simple. Let me tell you a story. A friend of mine, young, beautiful, and very engaging, joined a really popular dating website in the hopes of finding a nice guy online. She did it for fun, and not surprisingly, got a lot of responses for her profile and ad. So many men from all over the world sent her messages and tried to ask her out for a date. And yes, scammers too. She was even courted by a lesbian. She found all the responses exciting until one day she met the man she would marry not in the dating website she joined, but in another non-dating website relevant to her job. That man admitted he also joined a dating website, but met too many scammers so he quit his subscription. And while they were dating, my friend decided to quit her dating website membership too. Just like that. Why? Because she no longer needed it, having found the man that makes her happy.

see more articles here:

10 Questions to Ask Your Gaming Merchant Account Provider

2007-07-09T00:31:00.000-07:00

The thing that strikes me as funny when my fiance and I go visit the casinos is that the slot machines area is always populated with old Chinese women. Their husbands are probably off somewhere in the card tables playing Pai Gow or engrossed in baccarat. Not that there's anything wrong with seeing Chinese ladies wasting bundles of cash or pails of coins in the King Cashalot machines. It just feels different when you play it online. You don't see no faces. The card games are just as fun. But of course you're not guaranteed of cashing out your win when you do win. All online casino players know this but refuse to agree. They still put their faith on high risk merchant account providers because they know they can appeal for chargebacks once the casino denies them the cashout.

But the players' problem is not ours.

Story continues here:

10 Questions to Ask Your Gaming Merchant Account Provider

The Why's and How's of Travel Merchant Account Application

2007-07-06T00:18:00.000-07:00

"HONG KONG, July 1 — With helicopters pumping out streams of red smoke and boats carrying giant red Chinese characters — and with demonstrators calling once again for the elusive goal of full democracy — Hong Kong marked on Sunday the 10th anniversary of its return by Britain to Chinese rule."

Unfortunately, we weren't able to go to Hong Kong early this week. All Cathay Pacific flights were chock full of passengers excited to see the events (which were uneventful, by the way) and we didn't like risking money for sweepstakes seats. It's likely that some travelers may have booked flights earlier and canceled them for some reason too. We don't call it high risk merchant business for nothing.

WHY (NOT) APPLY FOR A TRAVEL MERCHANT ACCOUNT?

HOW MAPs LOOK AT YOUR BUSINESS

...I won't put your hopes high and suddenly burst your bubble. It is extremely challenging to apply for a travel merchant account. And hardly will you get accepted if you file for it on a domestic bank. What's your option? Go offshore. Offshore high risk merchant account providers not only cater to all types of high risk businesses, they also are very flexible when it comes to accepting many international currencies and payment methods. Travel agencies with poor credit rating may still apply, as they have a high acceptance rate.

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES?

...Common sense will tell you that along with the benefits (have I mentioned tax reductions and very little government interference?), you also need to pay for a price.

The rest of the article continues here:

TRAVEL MERCHANT ACCOUNT APPLICATION: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

High Risk Merchants Quick Guide on Telemarketing Frauds

2007-07-04T00:30:00.000-07:00

My friend Anna won't even answer telemarketers when they call. Sometimes I tell her to give them the benefit of the doubt as they might offer something good but she refuses flat out. Says she's tired of glib spiels and doesn't want to be bothered. She knows when it's a telemarketer calling. It's always on her landline phone. Her mobile phone is the only scam-free phone she has. Ooops, maybe not. At times she still receives weird messages saying she won trip for two cruise tickets. But we know very well it's just a scammer. We call them up and tell them we need money to return their call as our phone credits are used up. Talk about swallowing your own pill.

Making Money by Phone?

...So what exactly constitutes a clean and a dirty telemarketing gimmick? I won't generalize and say all telemarketers are a pain in the neck. The only problem is when you cannot detect the difference and you become a victim of fraud. This industry is riddled with high incidences of frauds and chargebacks -- hence operators may always have a hard time finding a good high risk merchant account provider to handle the credit card processing transactions. But the possibilities online are endless. Surf online and you might find just the right provider for you.

Telemarketing Frauds: 2006 Statistics

Tips and Tricks Against Phone Scammers

more tips from www.highriskexperts.com Gerri Bryce
Insider Tricks to Successful High Risk Merchant Account Application

Unbeatable Techniques in Buying and Selling Online

2007-07-03T02:11:00.000-07:00

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ONLINE BUYING PART 2

How do people buy online? There's no mystery to it. The world wide web is constructed such that when people want to buy online, they just scan the pages and spot the most conspicuous objects in their vision. If you know what you're looking for in a figurine store, you don't look at every single crystal or ceramic on display (unless you're OC). You don't even stop at one store to buy as soon as you get inside the mall (unless you're a patron). This buying pattern of your customers occurs whether you're selling brick and mortar, or whether you own a low risk or a high risk merchant account store.

Inside the article:

BUY ONE CAR, GET TWO DRIVERS FREE!

WHAT PRICE THOU YE FANCY?

YOUR SECURITY IS OUR PRIORITY

PERISHABLE, DO NOT DELAY

THANK YOU, COME AGAIN!

More tips from www.ezinearticles.com by Gerri Bryce

Top 3 Goals All High Risk Merchants Should Know

2007-06-28T03:46:00.000-07:00

Credit card processing is a confusing world. It is. Until you get hold of the details it is unwise to dip your foot in the murky waters. Established high risk merchants know that it's more than just getting a reliable payment gateway or the ability to accept debit cards. It is also about being able to provide security to your customers as well as getting the lowest rates on the best processing service. An efficient shopping cart is also a must.

The good thing about high risk merchant credit card processing is that it continues to evolve.

New merchant account providers surface to bring more competitive rates. New technical knowledge enhances open source software for free online shopping cart construction. More and more ways to accept payment online are being devised.

GOALS, GOALS, GOALS

But the core of building your own merchant account can be outlined in simple terms. The first goal is to make sure your customers are satisfied. The second goal is to profit more from low overhead costs and efficient payment processing. The third goal is to keep the business thriving with as few chargebacks as possible.

Goal 1: Customer Satisfaction

Goal 2: Profit

Goal 3: Survival

The rest of the article continues here!

Top 3 Goals All High Risk Merchants Should Know

High Risk Merchants' Guide on Building E-Commerce Websites

2007-06-27T00:22:00.001-07:00

Building an e-commerce website -- what does it entail? Again, don't let me go into that harangue of telling you guys that this task is something only 21-year old eggheads in stiff white collars can do. You would either need a little of their help or search online for a reliable company that offers a package of services for high risk merchant account owners. And if you got lucky on the latter, you still would need to create a checklist on which elements you need to prioritize for your website. I'm talking about the bare bones. After you have decided on those, it's time to figure out whether to add some fancy stuff on your website or keep things simple.

So what elements should you consider added on your e-commerce website? If you've published a book before (not e-book, but if you want to go into that detail, see my article Homemade Remedy for Download Theft), most likely you'd already be familiar with the steps you need to take from the time you've conceived the story to the moment it's out in the bookstore shelves. Yes, you would need an endorsement from celebrities, too! Remember Harvey Mackay's "Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive"? Well yeah, that one's a classic.

Web copy, layout and other visuals, e-commerce elements, marketing elements, and customer service tools, are some of the basic stuff you need to incorporate in your e-commerce website. Each one of these elements comes with its own set of structure that would also require a bit of search engine friendliness or better yet, full-blown SEO campaign.

The Web Copy

Image and Flash Files

Shopping Cart

Customer Service Add-Ons

Homemade Remedy for Download Theft

2007-06-26T02:15:00.000-07:00

It's not for the geeks.

Many online sellers aren't bothered so much by copyright infringement as they are of losing money by theft of their online products. Most popular among these is the e-book. Guess we already know why those who are selling e-books are considered high risk merchants: the sole fact that the e-book they are selling can be easily downloaded for free (without being dubbed "freeware" or "shareware") makes them vulnerable to frauds and chargebacks in the long run.

Now, some first time e-book sellers are not savvy when it comes to protecting their products online. Of course it would be extremely helpful (and imperative) to learn how to do it before launching the e-book for paid download. It would be worth taking a look at my past article "What Every High Risk Merchant Should Know About Intellectual Property Rights" to find out more about what you can and cannot do on a legal basis when it comes to online product theft.

IT'S IN THE PACKAGING, SILLY!

Normally, a high risk merchant would find a way to counter hackers from getting access to the download page. But this takes a certain degree of skill.

Article continues here:

Homemade Remedy for Download Theft

(Highriskexperts.com tips by Gerri Bryce)

E-Commerce Success: When High Risk Merchants Go the Brick and Click Way

2007-06-20T02:20:00.000-07:00

Too lazy to shop out?

I have always believed in the empowerment of human potential. Sounds deep huh! Well, a decade and a half ago, when the Internet has started to boom and online shopping carts or high risk merchant accounts were unheard of, everyone foresaw that it's the end of the human urge to leave the house, travel, and experience the world using the tactile senses. Virtual reality became a challenge. The Internet morphed into a breeding ground for experimentation in which people would be immersed into a world that was so convenient they would do nothing more than click the mouse (or anything similar to pushing a button) and have the stuff that they want. In fact, today the pioneers of VR have created games in which you would only use your brainwaves (connected to electrodes) to move objects on the screen. Not bad.

When e-commerce sites are a must

E-commerce faces the same situation today. People would normally go to the malls, window-shop, pick their goodies, fall in line at the counter, cash out from the wallet or swipe the credit card, then leave with the big ol' shopping bag in hand. Obviously, everyone still does it. But brick and mortar stores are becoming less and less attractive without an integrated e-commerce website. Whether you are an ordinary businessman selling toiletries and cosmetics or a high risk merchant selling adult products, it usually pays to put up your own website and let it expand your customers' buying experience.

Convenience, convenience, convenience

In-store pick up: Save costs, make money

The Psychology of Online Buying

2007-06-19T01:12:00.000-07:00

So you got your merchant account. Then you got your credit card processor, a spiffy shopping cart, and a choice of your international bank. Being a high risk merchant is not easy -- NOT if you only know the bare bones of establishing the account but not maintaining it. Too vague? The logic here is simple: You can have all the infrastructure set up, but if you can't keep up with the rising waves of competition in the e-commerce industry, then you're going to sink.

Keeping yourself afloat means keeping your "online sales" on the sizzle. The last decade has seen a surge on Internet-based purchasing from various parts of the world. As a merchant, you may have taken the risk to actually set up a website and eventually sign up for a low risk or high risk merchant account. This is a big step, but it is only going to result in something really fruitful if you know the techniques in increasing your web business sales.

More...

A Quick Peek at Your Web Page

Bait, Hook, and Everything in Between

Look out, SMS! High Risk Merchants' Guide to New Trends in Mobile E-Commerce

2007-06-13T23:02:00.000-07:00

What does mobility mean to you?

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Short Message Service (SMS). I hate punching on the small RAZR alphanumeric keyboard and I hate doing it a fifty-five times a day. But I have friends that do it effortlessly, and my hats are off to them. I don't mind sending text messages to my folks and colleagues as long as I'm in the mood for a little bit of sacrifice. I don't think it's atypical of me at all. It's just that I'd rather make a quick call than take forever to send a TM to the president of the socks-shoes company.

SMS: The New E-Commerce Cult?

But how convenient can a single text message be! It's cheap, it's fast, and it certainly is hip. In most underdeveloped countries, text messaging is simply an excellent way to communicate without having to spend sevenfold for a local call. And there are so many ways to pull off a TM these days. You can use Yahoo SMS, register at Chikka (hey if you haven't heard of it, come out of the cave, will ya?), or use Verizon's onsite TM service. What I like about it is that 90% of the time the TM reaches your recipient pronto. Two billion subscribers sending out their voices to people they know without having to spend for more than a dime per TM.

Now, veering off a little from the track, we can spot the E-COMMERCE sign on the turnpike. Or better yet, the M-COMMERCE. What exactly does the road sign mean? Most mobile operators have done their share of advertising to consumers with the help of mobile phones. I wouldn't say it's as hardcore as traditional media like TV, radio, newspaper, and the Internet, but I'd say that because it's a powerful and snowballing communication medium these days, it has a huge potential for marketing. Online merchants can take advantage of creating a bridge between mobile phones and the Internet to increase their sales. And a great percentage of the market remains untapped.

How Mobile Phones Can Help High Risk Merchants

Although I sympathize with mobile operators undergoing through hurdles in order to profit from mobile advertising, I would like to focus on the emerging trends that affect e-commerce in general. For one, high risk merchants can easily jump into the possibilities that one day, any kind of service or product can be advertised on the mobile phone. Whether it's through the service provider self-generated ads or WAP, that will be the question.

Another thing is that online consumers who may or may not be able to log in to the Internet using their mobile phones can easily pay their bills and purchases if this mobile phone billing phenomenon takes off. Now that's some real mojo high risk merchants should look forward to happening. Why? Because once that happens, it will be as prevalent as credit card processing online (with or without the help of merchant accounts). As long as the payment process is secure for customers, they will be able to shop on virtual stores through their mobile phones, pay through the online shopping cart through their mobile phones, and manage their credit and other banking activities through their mobile phones. They can do that wherever they are in the world. Nothing could be easier.

First Things First!

If these trends develop, the future of mobile buying, selling, and banking looks rosy. In fact, that might even convince me that SMS is not so bad (in other words, way, way excellent). I have been communicating with people I know through SMS anyways. In the future, you and I will find it so essential that we may not be able to take a morning shower without first checking if Wells Fargo had really transferred some five thousand dollars onto our checking account. Or not.

How Much Do You Know About Online Shopping Today?

2007-06-12T23:22:00.001-07:00

Doing It The buySAFE Way
In the last online meet-up that I had attended to I had been informed by my colleagues that, well, e-commerce is drastically taking the next big step when it comes to security and purchasing power for online shoppers. See, our concern here is not merely focused on low risk or high risk merchants, but for online customers who are the bread and butter of this business. The question is always, how do customers find merchants that they can trust and what else can the new breed of e-commerce vendors can offer them?

BuySAFE: The New Authority in Merchant Security?

The next big step that I'm talking about has something to do with security in which buySAFE plays a big role. What is buySAFE? It's essentially an emerging authority when it comes to making sure the online stores you are buying your goods from are legit, reliable, and safe. I'm sure all of us would rather buy in the safest places we could if we can help it. Checking out to see if a store has buySAFE seal is a good guarantee that a merchant isn't a mere scammer or a poser. Online merchants have to undergo rigorous buySAFE Certification Process to ensure that they are doing legit and trustworthy business. The test doesn't go from there, as buySAFE also monitors merchants' performance on a regular per transaction basis.

I wouldn't have to emphasize how much relief it would cause online shoppers to go through their favorite virtual shops knowing these shops are doing good business, as long as they have passed the buySAFE test. Low risk and high risk merchants, on the other hand, would be egged to strive in raising the quality of their service, products, and general business status to attract as many customers as they can.

buySAFE has reportedly teamed up with open source (online shopping cart) software application providers and a few more security programs to raise e-commerce standards. Nothing could be more beneficial. These open source shopping carts include osCommerce and CubeCart. All online merchants have to do is download the module that buySAFE provides for free and guarantee customers of safe transaction through buySAFE's bond.

Google: Peddling in 12 Tongues

Now who says doing web business overseas is a boon only to offshore merchants? From online shopping security we hop to Google's new translation marketing gimmick that goes like this: You as an American online shopper (for example) who's spending a week's vacation in Rio de Janeiro forgot to buy your snorkeling gear but couldn't quite figure out what store in Rio you could pick out your favorite snorkeling gear brand at. All you need to do is type your search in English and click "Portuguese" so Google will translate the search results for you. Good enough? Not yet. The program comes only in 12 languages and is still in the beta stage. But watch out! As I've mentioned earlier, doing business offshore isn't just something high risk merchants banking outside of the U.S. can take advantage of. It's also something online buyers from any part of the world can now participate in, thanks to Google's shrewd online marketing programmers' cutting edge ideas. Bravo!

osCommerce for High Risk Merchants: The Good, The Bad, and The Possibilities

2007-06-07T01:34:00.000-07:00

Just because osCommerce is the most popular merchant account software doesn't mean it's the best solution for your online business. Agree or disagree? Do you find osCommerce to be overrated? A lot of high risk merchants adopt osCommerce as their primary merchant account solution because of so many advantages. But, knowing osCommerce is open source (hence the name), there will always be loopholes before merchants can actually find it functional for their specific business' needs.

OsCOMMERCE BUGABOOS

So what are the likely monkey wrenches that might pop out once you start using osCommerce? For those having second doubts, you may be justified. Consider:

1. There are way too few templates in the osCommerce solution. If you attempt to tinker with the stylesheets, it would take a lot of time and a developer's help to be able to accomplish the best template for your needs.

2. Merchants may be vaguely aware of "attributes". In order to take full advantage of the limited attributes system, merchants will need to get a good developer to modify it. Otherwise, osCommerce's shopping cart may not be the best solution to use.

3. Even osCommerce's administration area isn't keen on password protection. However, this is remediable by simple research on the site and discussion with your developer.

4. As osCommerce is heavily dependent on the contribution of programmers worldwide, even product catalog capacity needs to be modified. osCommerce's solution won't suffice for big scale catalogs unless it has been altered to adopt new products that the server can handle.

Based from these loopholes, we can tell that a lot of osCommerce's capabilities are dependent on the software developer who is responsible for the alterations and extensions in the system. osCommerce is so powerful but without the ability to customize it to your merchant account's needs, it loses its potential to provide a cheap (or free) and efficient credit card processing solution.

THE SWEETER SIDE OF OsCOMMERCE

Now what makes osCommerce absolutely attractive for low risk and high risk merchants alike? Hands down, it beats other solutions simply because it's free! You can download the software, add-ons, and modifications grais. Also, osCommerce was being utilized by online merchants all over the world since March 2000, so it's pretty much universally trusted.

Although osCommerce's main weakness is the great necessity to modify the attributes, it is also its biggest strength. Its flexibility for customization as well as the capacity to support several languages and accept many international currencies make it the best open source merchant account software around. Security, user-friendliness, and a strong developers' community support also add up to its usability.

osCommerce's features can easily be checked out on their website. It lists down general functionality, set-up or installation, design, administration, customer, product, payment, shipping, and tax functionalities. Indeed, low risk and high risk merchants may only realize the full potential of osCommerce as shopping cart and card processing tool only when they pick out the features that would seamlessly work with their business –- then, enlist the help of developers for further customization and expansion.

What Every High Risk Merchant Should Know About Intellectual Property Rights

2007-06-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

Intellectual Property Rights: An Age-Old Trouble

Legal battles are not uncommon. Throughout the history of mankind, people have fought for their intellectual property rights and won and lost and paid for damages. In fact, its history dates back to the medieval ages when Gutenberg has invented the printing press. During this time, social information is distributed exclusively by the scribes. Gutenberg has opened a world of possibility when it comes to public distribution of text.

As mass reproduction of books could not be curtailed, the British government during that time (circa 1500s) sought solace with regulating it through license. Eventually the writing and printing of books became a liability for the authors whose names were bound on books as copyright. The true reason is to control the content of material being published, not to give credit to the author. The Licensing Act became obsolete and it was replaced by the Statute of Anne, which turned the tables for the authors. Authors were then given the exclusive right to publish under their own copyrights for up to 14 years and renew it. It has become the precursor of modern intellectual property ownership that we know today.

What You Can and Cannot Do

Now, in the world of online merchants, owning intellectual property rights is considered one of the most troublesome issues. Most local merchant account providers would not admit violators of intellectual copyright to own even a low risk merchant account. The reason is obvious enough. Selling digital items may cause infringement on merchants' intellectual property. Digital items fall into high risk merchant account category as the products are intangible and are likely targets of fraud. This is the reason why intellectual property right ownership is something online merchants should never take for granted.

The good news is that as long as your products and services are registered as copyright, trademark, or patent, you can legally sue anyone who infringes on your intellectual property rights. This can be done under certain provisions, of course. However, it may not be 100% successful. As infringement of digital property cannot be avoided, many so-called "violators" may still get away with it. Consider the following:

You cannot sue if the other party used it for non-profit or educational purposes.
You cannot sue if the copyrighted item you sell doesn't fall on the level of worthiness. Some items are more "copyrightable" than the others.
You cannot sue if the other party merely used an excerpt to illuminate a matter (if it was text, e.g. e-book), or simply did not use the entire item for their commercial purpose.
You cannot sue if the copyrighted item posed a neutral effect on the market in general.

What do these all mean for the high risk merchant? Simple. You can still sell digital items, have them copyrighted, and sue if certain provisions have been violated in your intellectual property rights contract. But the key is to prevent rather than find a cure. It would be distressing to pay for lawyers if you soon find out that the website who copied your Biological Warfare e-book only took an excerpt and used it to teach junior high school students. Preventing the infringement in the end is more cost-effective than going through court sessions and paying exacting attorney fees.

Fixing Before It Breaks

Prevention will require you to go through several avenues, depending on the product or services you sell. High risk merchants should be aware that digital items have special ways to be protected. E-books have to be registered for a copyright. Instead of pushing for sales on downloadable material, it would always be better to ship them via CDs. It then becomes less likely for fraud to happen.

Brand names have to be registered for trademark rights. If you own an imaging company that sells stock photos, it would be wise to put watermark seals when you publish them on the web. When other websites use your photos by the bulk and post them without your permission, you can legally sue (as long as you have registered for the trademark rights).

Music and videos have to be registered for copyrights as well. Tangible products such as a new adult toy with unique features must be registered under a patent right. Adult products and pharmaceuticals always fall under the high risk category. Fanatic high risk merchants may even employ a commercial anti-copycatting and security software.

7 Best Tools for Providing First-Rate Customer Service

2007-06-04T02:02:00.000-07:00

"People used what they called a telephone because they hated being close together and they were scared of being alone." Chuck Palahniuk could be right and wrong! In the world of e-commerce, the telephone could be the single most important tool next to your car keys. An online merchant will not exist and survive in the cutthroat world of online business without key customer service tools. First and foremost, the phone! It's true that people do not want to literally knock on the company's door to ask for technical support when they're having trouble. But they also do not want to be left hanging in the air not knowing who to contact when they need help. If you can provide this means of contact and more, your online business has crossed the line from zero profit to a treasure trove.

DIAL TOLL-FREE

Needless to say, if you can provide toll-free phone numbers for your customers to contact, it would be easier for them to gain confidence on you. The same goes for fax numbers which customers can use to send documents when they need to, such as checks and billing proofs. This is extremely important for you and your customers as it helps establish a quick, reliable way to communicate with the simplest tools.

USING VOIP AND IM

Some companies provide a way for customers to talk via voice-over internet protocol (VOIP). VOIP, for the uninitiated, connects people through the internet on a phone call basis without having to disconnect (if they are using dial-up). All they need to do is use a program similar to Skype. Most Instant Messenger programs allow VOIP calls but companies may buy an in-house program that is exclusive for their business transactions.

LIVE CHAT, ANYONE?

Although I would say live phone calls are more favorable than IM text messaging, live chat is also an excellent tool that helps customers easily reach you in real time. Most high risk merchant account owners such online casinos and adult websites offer live chat customer services to ensure that their clients get all the support they need.

AN AUTORESPONDER, DAY IN, DAY OUT

The e-mail is another great channel for customer service. If you're a Mom 'n Pop, brick and click store and have a small clientèle, providing business e-mail address to your customers is the next best thing to a phone number. You may be out on the holidays and will be back in a few days but still want customer queries coming. The best way to deal with this is to use an Autoresponder program. The Autoresponder is programmed into your server so that every time a customer sends an e-mail, a message such as "We will get back to you shortly" will be sent to her. This way the customer knows that she is taken cared of even though technically at the moment you are out sunning and drinking papaya shake in the Bahamas!

ONLINE SHOPPING CARTS

Perhaps the best way to complete the set of customer tools is to employ a highly efficient, user-friendly virtual shopping cart. A shopping cart works for low risk and high risk merchant business owners alike. The purpose of the online shopping cart is obvious enough: it allows customers to browse through your online store using their registered accounts, pick the services or products that they intend to buy, add them to the cart, and check out after they fulfilled the information it requires such as billing address, shipping method preferred, credit card details, and sender/receiver details.

FORUMS, PODCASTS & BLOGS

A company that has grown with a considerable customer base can take advantage of establishing a forum. Customers can use it to tackle problems, build rapport, or help each other in the community. This is the best way for online merchants (who may act as moderators) to know how else they can improve their products and customer service. They may also take advantage of creating product-oriented blogs. These blogs may be customized in order to be highly readable for the clients. Merchants can make use of newsletters, webcasts and podcasts to reach their customers when they release new promos and announcements.

In fact, there are a hundred and one ways to prove to your customers that they come first. Whether you are a low risk merchant affiliated to a local bank or a high risk merchant whose account is established offshore, there's no shortage to happy ways you can serve and keep your customers who are, in the end, the bread and butter of your business!