Having a brand presence on social media is a requirement, not an option in today’s socially connected world. It’s valuable for advertisement, brand presentation, fan connection, and customer service. And while social media is transforming the way that people interact with brands, it is also making waves in the way people shop with those brands.…Click to read more >
The Psychology of Live Sales: The Formula for Addictive Shopping Experiences
Every Thursday at 6pm, small business owner Mindy Switzer Mass of Mindy’s MVP Boutique, stands behind her smartphone to greet her loyal customers via Facebook Live. As the viewer ticker starts, you can watch it rise from one to hundreds in a matter of seconds. Comments start to pour in almost as quickly as the…Click to read more >
Developing a Customer Experience Strategy
What is Customer Experience? What is customer experience? It’s defined as “interactions between a brand or company and its customers throughout their business relationship.” An interaction can include awareness, discovery, cultivation, advocacy, purchases,and service. In a study by Oracle, concluded that customer experience impacts the willingness of a customer to be a loyal advocate. If…Click to read more >
How to Prevent, Dispute, and Reconcile Chargebacks for Online Businesses
The majority of sale transactions happen smoothly, working much like this: the sale is authorized by the customer’s card issuer, you ship the merchandise to them and get paid. Once in awhile, though, the customer may file a dispute, asking their credit card company to reverse the transaction. Why does this occur and what can…Click to read more >
How to Protect Your Ecommerce Store from Payment Fraud
According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, almost 50% of small businesses fall victim to fraud at some point in their business life cycle, costing them an average of $114,000 per occurrence. Aside from phishing and hacking, if you accept a fraudulent payment, you could be held financially responsible for the loss. Having to…Click to read more >
Accepting Credit Card Payments Online – Your Best Options
Figuring out the best ways to accept credit cards online and choosing the right payment processor can be overwhelming at the beginning. It is the lifeblood of your ecommerce operation and a necessary cost to consider when selling online. If you can not properly take payments online, you have no business. Before we dive into…Click to read more >
Why Small Businesses Should Think Like Big Businesses
I recently read an article in Authority Magazine, an online publication that features interviews with authorities in business, film, sports and tech, who tell stories that are both empowering and actionable. Yitzi Weiner, the magazine’s editor in chief, interviewed Mohammed Ali, chief marketing and growth officer at Format. Ali previously served as VP, Marketing and…Click to read more >
What to Know Before Choosing a Payment Provider
Choosing the right payment processor for your business is one of the most important decisions you make when setting up your ecommerce website. And once you’re up and running, ensuring you have the right payment gateway to suit your business only grows in importance. To make an informed decision, you’ll need to get caught up…Click to read more >
Your Front Door – Website & Social Presence
In today’s world, you have more than one front door – your opportunity to show who you are to potential customers. One is the actual front door to your store or business, the other is your website and presence on social media. Every day, when you walk into your store, you look to make sure…Click to read more >
Bridging the Gap Between In-Store and Online Retailing
Global e-commerce sales are expected to surpass $3 trillion this year and reach $5.8 trillion by 2022. Brick-and-mortar shops may be feeling the effects of this aggressive growth, but the growth is far from tragic. E-commerce currently represents only 11.9 percent of the global retail market. Yes, this is a daunting and growing number, but…Click to read more >