How to Launch an E-Commerce Website and Accept Payments Online

e-commerce website paymentsA guide to implementing a payment ready e-commerce platform that is secure and seamless for optimal conversion

With an e-commerce site, your business can serve customers practically anywhere an Internet connection is available. This freedom to conduct business anytime, anywhere gives small businesses unbridled opportunity to reach new markets. Niche businesses, indie businesses, and micro-businesses are thriving today because e-commerce removes the constraints of selling within a particular geographic area.

Online businesses have at least one thing in common with most brick-and-mortar retailers: Accepting credit card payments is essential to their survival. Shopping online safely and efficiently is the preferred method for more and more consumers. By accepting payments online, you give shoppers the convenience of shopping at your business from their own homes.

Getting Started in E-Commerce

A merchant account or payment gateway is the starting point for most businesses venturing into e-commerce. Look for an e-commerce gateway provider that streamlines online transactions for efficient online shopping.

Look for Integrated E-commerce Solutions

When considering an online payment processor, choose a provider who can help you integrate your e-commerce merchant account with major shopping carts. It’s also worth finding a processor that integrates with other software platforms. Your business operations will be much more streamlined.

Pay Attention to PCI Compliance

As several big box retailers learned this winter, compromising customers’ data can crush your bottom line. Websites can be a prime target for data theft and credit card fraud, so make sure your online payment processor offers PCI-compliant solutions. Risk tools such as tokenization, point-to-point encryption (P2PE), Address Verification Systems (AVS) and card verification values (CVV2/CVC) help keep your customers’ data safe so they can shop confidently.

Make the Leap

Launching an e-commerce website is no small undertaking, and payment processing is just one thing to consider. How will you market your website? What other infrastructure does your e-commerce site need? How is your business prepared for expanding to a global online marketplace?

When you’re ready to make the leap, remember: A growing business begins with satisfying demand, serving customers, and differentiating from competitors. A well-tuned e-commerce site lets you do all three.

The following two tabs change content below.
My Twitter profileMy LinkedIn profile

Kristen Gramigna

Chief Marketing Officer at Bluepay
Kristen Gramigna is Chief Marketing Officer for BluePay (www.bluepay.com), offering mobile credit card processing services. She brings more than 15 years of experience in the bankcard industry in direct sales, sales management, and marketing to BluePay and also serves on its Board of Directors.