Make your site interesting so that your visitors keep coming back. Invite them to bookmark site and assure them that new things are added regularly. Give plenty of free information and other things for them to download or use while on site. The Internet is full of information sites that you can link with and free stuff that you can get and give away on your site.

Remember that your business is no longer just a corner store in your peaceful neighborhood! People of all nationalities from around World are now visiting your store. Do your best to present your wares so that everybody will understand. This is a monumental task, but English is considered to be a universal language and this helps. Stay away from slang and other expressions with limited use. You might even want to consider translations for your site if you are concentrating on specific nationalities.

Last, but not least, give plenty of consideration to load time. We live in an impatient age and people will not wait for slow pages to load. One of best tools I've found is SiteInspector at http://siteinspector.linkexchange.com/ . You can check just last item…load time…and it will help you minimize time. Remember that people have to stay to buy!

In Summary

The Internet is still in its infancy. It is like a ball of play dough…ever-changing and being reshaped by everybody everywhere. To be a successful merchant on Net you must present your wares well, make it easy and safe to buy on your site, and promote, promote, promote! The Internet population is growing daily. More customers, but more competition also. He who stands still will be left behind forever.

4.Insufficient processing limit on merchant account The majority of banks that accept Internet merchants only allow a certain volume to be processed on a monthly basis. The limit for newer businesses typically ranges from $5,000 to $17,000 per month. Furthermore, as part of fine print in their merchant service agreement, some banks prohibit you from obtaining a second merchant account. Businesses that breach their merchant service agreement are subject to immediate termination of their merchant privileges. As your business grows, you can find yourself in quite a bind. To avoid this type of trouble, be sure that merchant service provider you choose to work with can help you establish a relationship with a bank that can offer you higher processing limits and is flexible enough to grow with you.

5.Higher processing and transaction fees due to credit history Some merchant service providers will penalize you with higher processing and transaction fees if you have less than perfect credit. They may want you to believe that bank passes on these fees. The reality is that processing fees have nothing to do with your credit. It's simply a way for them to make more money from your account. Your discount rate should be no higher than 2.5% (unless you have a high-risk product such as an adult site) and transaction fee should be no higher than $0.50 per transaction. The only area where your personal credit plays a factor is in rate you receive when you are leasing processing equipment.

Don't get taken for a ride! Be sure that you work with a merchant service provider that's honest with you and will take time to answer all of your questions. The rates you receive today will have a long-term affect on profitability of your business.

6.Up front cash reserves required Often, a new or home-based business is required to pay thousands of dollars up front to get their merchant account approved. Banks require reserves from "high-risk" merchants to protect themselves against potential losses that they may incur. For example, if a merchant processes $20,000 in one month and then disappears, bank would incur all losses due to chargebacks.

If you plan on processing a high volume, have high priced items, or high-risk products, be sure to select a merchant service provider that has enough experience to negotiate reasonable terms with bank for you. It's to your advantage if bank will agree to take just a small percentage from each sale to build up reserve as opposed to asking for cash up front.

AIS Media was founded in 1997 with goal to be a one-source solutions provider for companies wanting to do business on Internet. Today, AIS Media offers:

·Lightning-fast and reliable web hosting services ·Complete credit card and online check processing solutions ·Integrated shopping carts and easy Internet storefront builders

Contact one of AIS Media's knowledgeable and friendly e-commerce Account Executives today for a FREE, no-obligation consultation at (800) 784-0919 or (678) 382-2247 in Atlanta.

Or visit us on web to get fast answers to most frequently asked questions and COMPLETE A FREE ONLINE NO-OBLIGATION APPLICATION TODAY AT http://www.aismedia.com/home/merchant_services/index.htm?co1866xsmartbiz.

Thomas Harpointner, CEO of AIS Media 3541 Habersham at Northlake, Building E Tucker, GA 30084 800-784-0919 www.aismedia.com