In order to be successful online, you must provide your customers many quick and easy ways to pay for your goods and services. It is not enough to ask folks to send a money order or check to your house or place of business. You must go further.

OFFER MORE PAYMENT OPTIONS THAN YOUR COMPETITION

The Internet offers too many options to consumers to find the same products and services, for consumers to remain complacent with just one or two payment options.

People are becoming more and more comfortable with the idea of making secure online purchases. As a newcomer to the Internet, folks may be apprehensive about spending money online, but after having made a few successful purchases they become more and more comfortable with this new medium and marketplace.

For a lot of folks, the ability to pay with a credit card is of the greatest importance to them. Yet, a lot of small businesses either cannot or will not use a merchant account for the purpose of offering their customers more ways to pay.

THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT MERCHANT ACCOUNTS

Some advise that you must absolutely have a merchant account to successfully operate an online business. They suggest that any business without a merchant account is seriously lacking credibility.

Well that argument may be the absolute truth for some consumers. But, if you were to look at Main Street USA, you would notice that a majority of the sole proprietorships in this country do not offer credit cards as a payment option. Yet, many of these businesses do extraordinarily well.

There is a reason why small business owners often forego credit cards as a payment option. The reason is that merchant accounts can cost a considerable amount of money to acquire and maintain.

Simply put, the cost of the merchant account makes it a prohibitive option to a lot of small businesses.

IN THE ABSENCE OF A MERCHANT ACCOUNT

While small businesses may not use merchant account services, they still need to have many payment options available for them and their customers.

Many processors have popped up to fill this need. Some examples include: