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Beginners' Guide to Ecommerce
You have something you want to sell on the Internet. Maybe it's
a book, or a CD or
a piece of software you wrote. You are in luck.
The time has never been better.
Internet shopping has become a mainstream activity. Increasing
numbers of people
are willing to open the wallet to purchase items or services over
the Net.
"But," you say, "How do I collect the money from
the customer?"
Good question. There are several methods of collecting monies
from online sales.
Many online merchants offer 2-3 choices of payment methods so
customers will
have options.
1. First, you can ask online customers to send you a check. When
the check
arrives and clears the bank, you deliver the product. If this
is your only method of
transacting a sale, you will lose many, many customers. The Internet
is based on
impulse buying. Very few people will go to effort of writing and
mailing a check,
and then wait several weeks for delivery. Most merchants offer
this option to
accommodate people who do not have credit cards.
2. If you are already accepting credit card transactions for
products or services
that you sell offline, you can ask web customers to phone or fax
you with their
credit card information. Then, you can process the transaction
manually. Please
avoid asking people to email you their credit card information.
Almost everyone
knows that email is insecure and this request will damage your
credibility in the
eyes of potential customers. If you opt for the phone method,
be prepared to handle
calls 24/7. The Internet is a global community and people expect
to shop at their
convenience.
You will attract more sales if you provide an 800 number. However,
be aware that
800 numbers are not globally accessible. You risk losing international
sales if this is
your only method of transacting payments.
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