Keeping Online Payments Secure in Times of Uncertainty

Keeping Online Payments Secure in Times of Uncertainty by Tomer Bar-Zeev

More and more people around the world are earning their livings online, often from US-based companies and organizations. Programmers, photographers, online publishers and more have found opportunities online that may be more convenient and/or lucrative than working in a traditional office setting. Despite the relative weakening of the US dollar, earning paychecks, royalties and commissions in dollars from US companies is still an advantage for many living outside of the United States.

But getting paid can be complicated. International workers can wait up to 6 weeks before a US check arrives in the mail, and then wait some more for the check to clear. Wire transfers require the recipient to have a bank account, and usually charges high bank fees. There are a number of electronic funds transfer (EFT) services available that are faster, more convenient and less expensive than the traditional methods of checks and wire transfers, but the different EFT services have varying degrees of security.

The introduction of innovative payment methods has meant that publishers can receive their money more quickly and keep more of it. For example, online payments offer more flexibility and are more cost-effective for workers who do not have US bank accounts. These methods generally offer an online account or "wallet" where money can be deposited and spent. This is an excellent option for workers who may have a lot of online expenses and generally spend their earnings with participating suppliers. However, cashing out payments from online wallets can complicated and can become as cumbersome as using the traditional payment methods.

The financial crisis also has its impact. More than ever, workers want to know that the organizations they work for and the financial institutions behind them are strong enough to pay them. The most secure is an account that is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in the US. Now that same insurance is available to international workers as well.

Until today, only United States bank accounts have been insured by the FDIC, which are unattainable for most people living overseas from the US. A new, secure option is to get paid directly to co-branded prepaid debit cards such as MasterCard and Visa. The funds are transferred to the card accounts, and are accessible instantly online. As long as the issuing bank is based in the United States, all funds up to $100,000 loaded to a prepaid debit card is insured by the FDIC. Furthermore, the cards themselves offer cardholders additional protection against unauthorized purchases, such as MasterCard's Zero Liability program.

Getting paid to a prepaid card is not only secure, it is convenient. No need to run to a bank to cash a check. MasterCard and Visa cards are universally accepted for purchases online, at shops and for withdrawing cash at ATMs. If a card is lost or stolen, replacement cards are generally provided immediately, with the funds that had been loaded to the card intact.

In times of financial insecurity, international workers making their livings online can protect their paychecks by carefully selecting the way they get paid.



Tomer Bar-Zeev is the VP Marketing for Payoneer, the online mass payout solution that pays directly to universally accepted Prepaid MasterCard cards. For more information on Payoneer visit http://www.payoneer.com

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What Is Paypal IPN?

What Is Paypal IPN? by Jonathan Hook

Let's talk about your business for a minute and do a little dreaming. How would it be to have an easy, instant, fool-proof way to process your payments? What if you could respond to customer purchases in real-time? What would it be like to have total security against having your digital products stolen? Wouldn't all those things be great? Well, good news! You don't have to dream anymore. PayPal's IPN does all those things for you. So, What is PayPal IPN? Read on.

IPN is PayPal's Instant Payment Notification system, designed to help alleviate many of the concerns of dealing with customers during the check out process. When a payment is sent to your account, IPN sends you notification and confirmation immediately. Not only that, but you'll receive a status report that lets you know of any pertinent information such as when a transaction fails, is cancelled or pending.

One really cool aspect of PayPal IPN is the customizing options. You can set up your site's response to purchases in real-time, track customers and automate your fulfillment operations. The system can deliver the access keys to your product directly to the customer for pick up, and all the resulting purchase information is stored right in your own database.

Imagine how easy doing business is with these kinds of payment processing systems in place.
So to summarize, the PayPal IPN basically uses a 3 step process:
1.The customer makes a payment or requests a refund, triggering the IPN
2.A notification is sent from the IPN to your server for validation
3.Your server returns the validation (or invalidation) notice to the IPN

Your business transaction is done, and all without you having to do anything beyond the initial set up of the IPN on your site.

Something that should be mentioned here, is the fact that installing the IPN can be a bit tricky if you're not familiar with how computer codes work. If that describes you, you are probably not going to want to frustrate yourself with trying. Besides, getting it wrong is a bad idea. The payments may not go into your account if you have improperly installed the IPN code.

It's best to look for help with this. There is software that makes the installation a breeze, and you'll have the peace of mind knowing that it is done correctly.

Regardless of how you install PayPal's IPN, please consider doing so. It will save you a ton of work and worry. The added security against having your digital products stolen is reason alone to use this program.

What is PayPal's IPN? Very possibly your payment system dreams come true.



Jonathan Hook helps website owners use the Paypal IPN with absolutely no programming required. Automate your digital product delivery and increase the security of your downloads with a unique piece of software at www.minisite-sales-system.com

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Online Business in South Africa - Why it is Failing!

Online Business in South Africa - Why it is Failing! by Robert Thomson

Consider the last 10 years of online business in South Africa. Literally, not one successful online business has reached the top and made a global impact. E-commerce growth in commercial websites sites has been dismal, and we are yet to see a Cape Town-style Google or a Jo’burg based Amazon.

E-commerce success depends on many factors if it wants to be an online sensation and generate any profit. Why do most South African developed websites struggle to generate a profit? Over 90% of them fail in the first year. What are their shortcomings and where can you implement changes in order to see a healthy profit? Read further to discover how you can affect change in your website with these modern principles for online success.

Perhaps you have heard of the 5 P’s. No, it’s not some obscure Jazz band, but an acronym for Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. This is a key factor to keep in mind. When it comes to online business your product can change in the blink of an eye as demand is governed by the daily search patterns and needs of the customer. Unlike a physical business that must be rebuilt and altered, a websites image and product changes on the fly to reflect the diverse needs of the consumer.

Always consider the competition. When you first started your website and the initial planning stages started, were you surprised to see how many websites offered the same product? No matter how unique and original an idea is, there is another business performing the same service-so keep an eye on the competition. Know your ‘enemy’ and garner valuable information on their shortcomings and successes so you can further improve your areas that need development. Rather focus on the elements of the business that the competition is less interested in or does not focus on at all. For instance, you sell pots online and they sell pots as well but at a cheaper rate. Instead of just selling pots, you could offer custom designed pots for consumers looking for unique kitchenware.

Perhaps you would rather sell the pots at a cheaper rate then the competing websites. Drawing customers in with very low prices is an excellent way to attract a large client base, as customers who mostly shop on the web will always use price comparison websites to find the most attractive deal. However, don’t let your guard down. Lower your rates enough to be competitive in regards to the other websites and make sure you can still generate enough profit to maintain your expenses and of course, the costs of marketing. Make sure that you offer what few businesses do not, that is the USP – the Unique Selling Point. A unique and interesting product usually guarantees returns on your investment.

How does one generate traffic though, how does your website become number one in the top search engines? By using both SEO and PPC. SEO is search engine optimization, a process that search engines use to identify keywords in websites, and then rank them according to keywords usage. Pay Per click only works when a user actually clicks on an ad to visit your website. Advertisers bid on keywords that predict target markets. When a user types a keyword query matching the websites keyword list, or views a page with relevant content, the website may be listed.

The final helpful hint for today is Conversion ratio. Your websites effectiveness is directly linked to how many unique users are accessing said website and purchasing your product. There is a formula for working this out but a simple example would be for every 100 unique users, you would need two users purchasing your product. This gives a desired conversion rate of 2%. The average rate is less than 1%; this is well below the global standard of 2.4%. However, as the market for online shopping grows in SA, so will eventually our conversion rate. So refine your sites conversion rate and you will increase your revenue in leaps and bounds. If you follow these steps we have outlined, then there should be no limit to the success of your online business.



Allen heads up R.O.I. Media's seo
and pay per click departments. He has over 10 years experience in building and managing successful online businesses.

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Make An Absolute Fortune Teaching Ecommerce To Local Businesses

Make An Absolute Fortune Teaching Ecommerce To Local Businesses by Willie Crawford

I've been marketing goods and services online since late-1996, and I have never seen a better time to start your own Internet marketing business. Current economic conditions around the world are driving millions to the Internet looking for additional income and a better lifestyle.

Sadly, thousands of people coming online every month enter the WRONG niche. They enter the most challenging niche that I can imagine. They enter the niche of people earning a living by teaching people how to earn a living online, teaching people how to earn a living online.

No, I didn't make a mistake. That's how I'd describe the "Internet marketing niche" that I'm most familiar with.

However, anyone who has studied ecommerce for more than six month probably knows enough about leveraging the power of the Internet to easily earn a six-figure income serving an entirely different market.

Many "Internet marketers" with YEARS of experience are foolishly ignoring this market.

This market is local businesses who need to learn how to use the Internet to drive more leads, and more buying customers through their doors.

Local business owners understand that they MUST spend money to grow their business or they'll quickly be out of business. Those that have been in business for more than a few years understand that even during an economic downturn, they MUST invest in advertising or lose market share.

That's where you can enter the picture, help them, and earn a nice six-figure income for yourself.

You contact local businesses and explain how to use the Internet for direct response marketing that's infinitely more powerful than advertising in the yellow pages or local newspapers. You explain to them how to leverage the power of things that you already understand such as:

- Autoresponders - Building and following up with an email list - Search engine optimization... especially for longtail keyword - Testing and tracking - Linking campaigns - Direct response copywriting

Yes - all of those things that we Internet marketers consider common knowledge are totally foreign to most local business owners.

All you really have to do is find a place, schedule a local workshop, and spend a day or two teaching ecommerce to local businesses. Local business owners will see the value in what you teach and many of them will want to tap into it immediately.

Many local business owners will also understand what you are teaching but also "gloss over" and ask if you can simply do it for them. At that point, you simply smile and tell them that your website ecommerce packages cost $3000, $5000, even $10,000.

Then you simply outsource the work - pocketing 50% or more.

Can it really be that easy?

Yes, that's EXACTLY what I'm doing.

"But, I don't know enough to actually teach a class or workshop," you argue!

Not a problem - enterprising individuals who have already blazed this trail will make their material available to you. You can find complete seminar packages that include:

- Newspaper ads to run to find outside sales people to sell the seminar seats for you

- Newspaper ads to run to get attendees

- PowerPoint Presentations for 1 or 2 day seminars ready-to-use

- Complete scripts to go along with the PowerPoint Presentations

- Handouts to give your attendees

- Supplement materials to give or sell to attendees

In other words, others who are already doing this will provide the material for you. If you're really lazy, you could just hand the materials to an assistant, and let him/her run the events for you!

My friend Rachel Rofe created the very presentation package that I use. That's right, I didn't create the presentation that I use, I got it here: http://TeachingEcommerceToLocalBusinesses.com

If you don't feel comfortable contacting local businesses and getting them into your events, my friend David Preston taught me a technique where you get the local governmental agencies to promote you and fill the room for you.

David wrote an ebook that tells how the U.S. government actually advertises for you on radio, television, in newspaper, etc. They actually send you the business owners who come to them for guidance!

When David showed me his system, I so fell in love with it that I invited David and his wife out to dinner so that I could really pick him mind. You can see a photo of the David and I on his website :-)

I'm telling you, if you're marketing to "Internet marketers" and ignoring local businesses that have money already budgeted for building their businesses, "you're barking up the wrong tree!"

You can read more about what David does at: http://HelpingOfflineBusinesses.com

After reading David's and Rachel's material, I serious considered getting out of the "Internet marketing niche" altogether. I'm someone who's built a solid reputation, and lots of name recognition in the niche. Yet, when I saw how serving local "brick and mortal" businesses was so much easier, the sift made a lot of sense.

Let me close with one example of how easy it is to make $50k when you use what I've just shared with you.

In most cities, during certain times of the year, you'll notice civic and fraternal organizations, such as The Knights of Columbus, or the Kiwanis, holding fundraisers. All you need to do is get THEM to promote your event, you teach the workshop, and split the proceeds with them.

If they get 100 local businesses owners to pay $1000 each for a 2-day workshop, and you split it 50/50 with the sponsors, you walk away with $50k, plus you'll have 100 business owners wanting you to continue teaching them.

Can it really be that simple? Yes, you can get an organization that also has facilities and lots of business owners as members to sponsor an event for you. They'd actually prefer doing that to holding dozens of car washes, or collecting donations on street corners.

Think about it!




Willie Crawford has been teaching others how to build their own
home-based Internet businesses since late-1996. He teaches easy,
proven methods that he and other leading Internet marketers
actually use. Discover more of Willie's hype-free teachings at
The Internet Marketing Inner Circle: http://TIMIC.ORG

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