The Mall
If you are accepting credit cards at your storefront and at your on-line store, then you are being wise. People are going to be resorting more and more to credit cards despite the increases in the rates. People buy because of the value they perceive in your products. If they see something that meets their needs, they will use a credit card if they lack the cash.
The other thing that you can do for your business is to promote your business with gift and loyalty cards. Gift cards will bring you more cash while bringing in new customers. They are more beneficial if you are selling an inventory of products such as auto parts, handbags, or jewelry. Your customers could purchase gift cards for friends and family.
When friends and family shop at your store, this will be an opportunity to encourage them to return to the store by establishing a rapport with them. By offering rewards or discounts off of future purchases, you are developing a good relationship with the customer and insuring they will return at a later date to take advantage of your offers.
Ralph Palmatier, author Interfirm Relational Drivers of Customer Value says, “Overall, a seller that has more interpersonal ties (i.e., contact density) with a customer should gain better access to information and sales opportunities and be more efficient at building and maintaining customer relationships, thus increasing the seller’s ability to generate profits.”
In conclusion, the better the relationship with the customer, the better the opportunity for the retailer to make him into a long-standing customer, which will in turn, bring him more customers.
Press Release: Gail Cavanaugh’s Business Solutions Informs Teens about Credit Cards
Marketing Tools
If you plan on marketing your business on-line there are tools which will make your business more profitable and attractive to your prospects.
First, you will need to design a website or have one designed for you. It must be attractive enough to attract customers to it. The content you include on the website should be well researched and appropriate for your target market. You will need to research the keywords to determine how your customers are most likely to reach your website. The more planning you do around the keywords, the easier your prospects will find you. You should choose enough keywords that will get you to the top of the search engines.
If you decide to market the website yourself, you will need to learn Basic HTML. This is the very least amount of information you will be using to design the website. If you want a more detailed and content rich website with more graphics, it would be best to take a course in website design or hire an expert.
It will benefit you to do the necessary research into network marketing to learn how to attract your tagert market and retain your customers. The more research you do, the better your results will be. Internet marketing is a highly specialized field and should not be taken lightly if you want to be successful on the Internet.
Writing a blog is a good way to promote your business. It contains additional information of interest to your target market which would help them make a buying decision. If you do not write on a regular basis, it would be advisable to take a course in writing. The writing of the content on the blog will attract your followers and encourage them to refer your blog around to other interested parties. If you do not have a desire to write, you can hire an expert to write the blog for you.
You can be as creative as you want in the design of the blog and the content which you include in the blog. Once the blog is wriiten, you can submit and the website to the search engines so that others may find it when researching a particular subject. There are also blog directories where you can register your blog.
There are many social networks on the Internet where business owners can market their products while networking with others.
In conclusion, if you research your target market and the marketing of your business on the web, you will be more successful in earning money.
© Gail Cavanaugh and The Merchant’s Guide to Credit Card Processing, 2008. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Gail Cavanaugh and The Merchant’s Guide to Credit Card Processing with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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Note: If you are interested in learning more about marketing your business with gift and loyalty cards, please leave a comment.
Twitter Tools
Twitter is a very powerful network where you can form relationships and acquire a database of prospects for your business. You can acquire a seemingly unlimited list of followers. Therefore it is important to be organized and have a plan for gathering the information and using your Twitter account.
Here are some tools which can help:
Twitter Counter will post your Twitter profile on thousands of websites resulting in new followers. I have been averaging 38 new followers per day for the last week.
Social Too will greet all new followers for you. This adds a nice touch. The experts recommend adding a personal greeting rather than a message to promote yourself.
Tweet Later combines the two services, but you have to pay for other services as well.
Ping.fm will allow you to post updates to each of you blogs and socila networks from one site instead of going to each site.
Utilizing these tools will save you time and help you to do the other things that are important in running your business. Twitter is very social, contains a mountain of information, and some of the people are very witty. As your database grows, you may not always have the time to review and prospect for new business as well as read all of the posts. These tools will enable you to work smarter.
Choosing a Credit card Terminal
There are four types of terminals: the land line terminal, the wireless terminal, the virtual terminal and the Point of Sale System. Each one processes credit and debit cards, but only one or two are suitable for your needs. Choosing a terminal is dependent upon where you perform most of your transactions.
For instance, for most retailers, the land line terminal, such as the Hypercom T7P or Nurit 8320, is the appropriate choice. Most retailers place this terminal next to or somewhere near the cash register. It is called a land line terminal because it is connected to the telephone line. If most of your transactions take place in the store, then this is the terminal for you. Credit cards and debit cards are swiped though the terminal. Businesses such as convenience stores, clothing stores, or gift shops would use a land line terminal. If you spend most of your time on the computer, a virtual terminal would suit your needs.
A virtual terminal is on-line and transactions are manually entered or cards are swiped by way of a USB card reader attached to the computer’s key board. Businesses transacting business by telephone or mail order, such as limousines, the medial offices, or pizza shops would use a virtual terminal. If you are selling your products on-line or engaged in fund raising through a web-site, then you need an e-commerce package which includes a shopping cart and payment gateway to transact your business. A Point of Sale System is a good choice for restaurants or retail stores which carry a large inventory. Restaurants can manage a dining room and deliveries with this system which also accepts credit cards and debit cards. It is a computer with cash draw, thermal printer and card reader. This system will make your operation more efficient and effective.
Finally, if you do trade shows, flea markets, drive a truck or are on-the-go, a wireless terminal would be suitable for your needs. This highly reliable and portable terminal comes in two types: the counter top version, such as the Nurit 8010 or the hand held type, The Way, which resembles a cell phone. For some businesses, more than one type of terminal is necessary. All of these terminals will accept debit cards VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover. For a determination on the type of terminal suitable for your business, please write or call your representative.
