Guide To Safe Online Shopping
Online shopping can be a little frightening to people who are new to the internet,but as long as you follow a few easy rules you should have no problem shopping online. What are the rules ? First before buying from an online store find out what that online stores return policy is. If you wait till after the purchase of a product you make find out returning it is almost impossible. Second ,now days it's good to know what the privacy policy of any website you fill out forms on is.If you don't want your information spread all over the internet. Third,Now for the purchase itself,When filling out a form to order something make sure all your information is correct,email adress must be right it's important,your postal address must be right and your credit card info must be correct.If any of the above is wrong your order may not go through. Fourth,Most online stores will send you an order confirmation email to confirm your order was received,this is very important file it away if you ever have a problem with an order you will need the information contained in the email to get it corrected Finally, Most stores will let you know when your order has been shipped What if I have a problem with something I ordered at an online store ? If you have a problem there are a few easy steps to having it corrected if you followed the rules above. If you want to return something,if you checked what the online stores return policy is ,refer to that and follow thier instructions If you have a question about your order look for a link to either the online stores customer service section where in most cases you can find a form to fill out or an email address If you find a form fill it out completely,the more completely you fill it out the better your problem with your order can be solved If you find an email address send an email explaining your problem with a copy of your order confirmation either attached or the information from it added to your email Remember to be polite in your email,it doesn't help to be rude it only will make the person who recieved it mad and less likely to care about your problem. About The Author This Article was created by the Webmaster of Ultimate Shop-The ultimate online shopping directory directory with over 600 online stores listed on an easy to use directory of shopping http://ultimateshop.us
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
7 Questions to Ask A Potential Internet Merchant Account Provider
Recently I went looking for an online merchant account, with disastrous results. I made the mistake of taking information at face value and relying on the ecommerce merchant account provider's good reputation in other areas.
Online Payments Make It Easy For Your Customers To Buy
In the last column we discussed the process of credit card enabling your brick-and-mortar business. I pointed out that research has shown that accepting credit cards can help increase revenue and speed up cash flow. This week we will look at setting up an online payment system for your business website. If you think hooking up a brick-and-mortar location with a credit card system stymies most bankers, try asking them how to do it on your website.
Bringing the World to Your Door
According to Internet.com, by the year 2008 nearly 30% of offline purchases will be influenced by online research. If your site is a well-implemented ecommerce site, the web can significantly lower both order-taking costs and customer support costs after the sale has been made. You could also experience larger purchases per transaction. Through automation, you can sell the 'back-end" on the front end by suggesting additional items at the time the purchase is made. You can offer your customer more information, such as order tracking. A customer can shop from the comfort of her or his home, in her bunny slippers or his boxer shorts. You can give the customer a larger variety of offerings. No need to send a great big catalog through the mail anymore. When you run out of an item, you simply remove it from the website. Makes shopping so much easier.
Getting Started in ECommerce - Part One
In 2004, Enquiro.com conducted a study of the search behaviors of men vs. women. They found that women spend more time in their searches and at specific sites. The study also revealed that women tend to be more deliberate in reading search results, linger longer at sites and have a greater satisfaction in the overall shopping experience. Another study conducted by iProspect.com revealed that women are more apt to click the paid search advertising because they find it more relevant to their searches than do men (WebProNews - July 14, 2004).
E-commerce: Is It Right for You?
The birth of the Internet and the mass availability of personal Computers in the late 80's changed peoples life forever, Everyone now has had the potential to be their own boss whether you are mother at home looking after your children or a manual laborer there are opportunities in abundance . Just a search on Google for business opportunities will bring up more offers than your parents would have had in their whole life. So it must be easy to make a living from the internet right? No it's not, you need a firm business plan and you need to work hard at it.
7 Key Steps To Reduce Refunds and Chargebacks
One sure-fire way to loosing out big time on your business profits is from incidences of excessive refunds and chargeback requests. If the number is high in any period you could risk loosing your third party merchant account altogether. So what do you do when there are some who will request a refund within 15 minutes of purchasing your product? Or even more pettier are those who will wait until the last possible moment to request a refund. Well not all is lost because merchant account providers are very well informed as to the credit card numbers of persistent refund and chargeback claimants. Just like their list of fraudulent credit card users, stolen credit cards etc they have a database of what I call "Refund Junkies". There appears to be no end to the unethical tactics some people will use to get your product for free.Use the following tips to further safeguard against refunds and expensive chargeback costs. The good news is that refunds are easy to process and do not carry any additional fees. However as a merchant you want to ensure that refunds are kept to a minimum.1. Clearly State the Billing NameFirst and foremost state the name of your third party credit card processor on your sales pages and include them in your terms and follow up email receipts so
that customers are fully aware of what company name will appear on their billing statements. This will reduce the number of customers who do not recognize the billing name on their statements from contacting their credit card issuers for a chargeback. This one factor can lead to an unprecedented number of chargebacks claims.2. Provide Your Customer Support DetailsProvide your email address so that customers can contact you regarding any queries about their order. Make sure that you answer them in a timely manner to avoid unnecessary delays. If a customer is not responded to promptly they are very likely to make a refund request.3. Offer Lifetime UpdatesOffering your customers lifetime updates to your product and services to add value and will encourage them to remain customers in the knowledge that they will always receive your most current edition of your goods.4. Reward Loyal Customers With Exclusive PrivilegesOffer your customers a product that can be used freely as long as they are fully
paid members, as part of a membership site. Or use a tool which is only available to customers and cannot be accessed after a refund request is made. As long as your offer is valuable to your customers and members you are will substantially reduce the number of refund requests.5. Provide The Best GuaranteeYour guarantee could become a thorn in your side if you have a very short time span before customers can test out and use your product. But studies show that the longer the guarantee period the less refund requests are made because customers are more comfortable with their rights to cancel if the product or service does not meet their needs.This is at your discretion as a merchant so testing is important to work out what is best for you. Remember to take into account that some third party processors have a limit on the maximum refund time their merchants can issue to customers.6. Accurate Product DescriptionsAvoid making bold claims that are "too good to be true" if you cannot deliver the results. You could be setting yourself up for a big fall and your customers will request refunds if your product description does not fulfill their needs. You could also be breaking the law and be liable to charges if a law suit is brought against your company. Make sure your sale letter accurately reflects your goods for sale and highlight the TRUE benefits of owning the goods.7. Surprise BonusesIt is a great surprise when you buy something and receive additional unadvertised
bonuses. This can warm your customers to your company and can only please them. It also demonstrates that you do not need to publicize your bonuses because you believe in your product so much that it will sell on its own merit.Dispelling MythsAll too often I have read articles and statements claiming that with third party merchant accounts there are no chargeback fees and that you never have your company name display on customer statements. These claims are inaccurate.
The facts are that some do not have chargeback fees. I have personally researched 90+ third party processing companies and have contacted them to verify certain key points in their terms of contract and fee schedule. There are some third party processors that do not issue chargeback fees or refunds, such as can be found with some digital gold currencies. In this case the merchant must initiate a refund directly to the customer.There are some third party processors who do not levy chargeback fees but you will find that these are very few in number and they will typically have a higher processing fee to cover their costs. Don't be mistaken in thinking that third party processors do not pass on chargeback fees to their merchants. You only have to read their terms in full to find out exactly what you can expect to be charged for per chargeback incident. I highlight these important facts in my book The A-Z of No Merchant Accounts for your convenience.
Your Readers are Publishers Too
Too often we charge ahead and treat the web as if it were just like any other medium. We know it isn't, but somehow we just can't resist retaining complete control of the creation and publication of our website and newsletter content.
Intranet Project ? RAD or Waterfall?
Building Bridges
Six Components Of A Good E-Commerce Site
Businesses, which are still sitting on sidelines and not doing business on the Internet, should think seriously about their position! If you are one of them, chances are there, that you have to pay dearly for your indecision as you might lose significant market share to your more proactive competitors in a very short period of time.
Guide To Safe Online Shopping
Online shopping can be a little frightening to people who are new to the internet,but as long as you follow a few easy rules you should have no problem shopping online.
Increasing E-Commerce Website Sales: A Guide for the Online Newbie
Because of this encouraging surge in activity, many individuals are now interested in becoming e-commerce merchants. To profit from your online business, you must first produce a unique website that will intrigue visitors and interest them in your items.
Your Affiliate Web Site Is Built ? Now What?
When I first got my web site built, I thought I finally had
a presence on-line. Wrong! I soon found out that I needed someone to host my site, and I needed a domain name.
Tell Site Visitors What To Do
Your site visitors make all the choices when it comes to browsing the Web.
Content Ever be Profitable?
THE CURRENT WORRIES
E-commerce Software That Will Safeguard Your Business against Fraud
Fraud is a huge issue when it comes to the Internet, and if you operate an e-commerce website then it should be one of your main concerns. Your potential customers will not want to buy from you unless they feel 100% certain that their information is encrypted and secure and that their credit card numbers will not be stolen in the order process. There are several things you can do to protect your website against fraud.
Is Your Website Credit Card Friendly?
In my last column I discussed the process of credit card enabling your brick-and-mortar business. I pointed out that research has shown that accepting credit cards can help increase revenue and enhance cash flow. I also pointed out that you may have to look beyond your local bank for help in getting things set up. This week we will look at setting up an online payment system for your business website. If you think hooking up a brick-and-mortar location with a credit card system stymies most bankers, try asking them how to do it on your website.
How to Boost Conversion Rates, While Lowering Merchant Account Fees!
Using an Address Verification System (AVS) when processing your online credit card transactions can help to reduce the number of fraudulent transactions you receive. However, most online merchants don't know that using AVS can also reduce your number of legitimate orders.
Are You Making These E-Commerce Excuses? (part 2)
Last time, we started to take a look at the most common reasons
why most people don't make progress on their e-commerce and
Internet marketing goals. Today, we continue the discussion. [See
part 1 of this article at http://www.ecommercediva.com/articles/excuses2.html]
The Five Steps of E-Commerce
You set up a retail business, you advertise in your local newspaper, you get customers coming into your store, and you receive payment at the cash register. Create an online store, and...how do you get customers? How do you receive payment?
Shopping Carts and the E-Aisles
Have you ever gone to the store and thought you only needed a few things so you didn't grab a cart? The next thing you know your hands are full and groceries are crashing everywhere making a big mess. If only you had gotten a cart. Shopping carts are not necessary on your website as long as you do not mind doing a little extra work (just like carrying all those groceries) and processing each order individually. If you choose to forego having a shopping cart on your site, it is important to remember you will have to calculate all the taxes and fees yourself. This delay will ultimately kill your sales.
|
