Having a website that looks good is only half the battle in the modern business market. Unfortunately, for credibility purposes, your site also needs functionality. Today’s consumers are used to interactive websites, providing more value than just information.
A good website should act as a useful tool for both conducting and attracting business. Accepting payments or allowing clients to make payments or set retainers on your website should be part of this functionality for a number of reasons—all of which lead towards greater success and efficiency for your firm.
It’s easy
Online payments are a quick, accessible, and efficient method for clients to pay bills. Through payment gateways, clients simply log in, upload credit card or debit card information, and click submit. That easily, bills can be paid at any time of the day or night. Why wouldn’t every business offer this option? Remember, the easier it is, the more likely they are to do it—and making online payments are pretty easy.
Your clients want it
Most businesses have realized by now that consumers love mobility and easy accessibility. More than that, they love technology. Let’s face it: technology makes lives easier. Consumers want to be able to press a few buttons and take care of every bill in their household immediately. They want online payments to be accessible through their mobile phones, in case they are out for the night and just remembered to pay that bill. They don’t want to wait and they don’t want it to be complicated. They want easy payment gateways available to them at any time.
Looking for a New Payment Provider? We Can Help.
It’s more efficient
If your firm already has an online presence, which hopefully is the case, Why not attach an online payment gateway to your website? Payments can be made via invoices online, either to pay off a balance or submit a retainer, or for recurring monthly payments. Best of all, there will be no check processing, no receipt printing costs, no tracking and recording things manually—because that will be done automatically by your payment gateway.
Adds credibility
In today’s world a business isn’t really credible if it doesn’t have a strong online presence. Part of that presence is a having a payment gateway and the ability to take online payments. Maybe existing clients are loyal but new clients may or may not choose to do business with your firm based on payment options.
Don’t lose easy clients because you haven’t updated your online functionality. Setting up an online payment gateway is both easy and inexpensive. It’s also going to become more and more necessary in order to stay successful.
According to one article, total e-commerce sales increased by 11 percent in the first quarter of 2014 , and those numbers are only going to grow. Online payments are simply an inescapable part of current and future business practices. Don’t fight it.