Monthly Archives: May 2016

Business Tips, Merchant Accounts

The Best Questions to Ask Before You Open a Merchant Account

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open-a-merchant-accountIf you want to use a merchant service provider, you’re eventually going to need to speak with a merchant service provider. These calls can be intimidating for newbies who are more interested in selling a product than finding a mechanism to accept payment. This guide will help you direct some pointed questions at your representative.

After reading this guide, you’ll be able to choose the best payment gateway for your business based on the benefits that directly help you the most.

 Ask About Pricing

One way to tell you’re working with a good company is to ask about pricing structures, which is a fairly common question. Your rep should be able to clearly explain the differences between the different payment structures (flat rate, tiered pricing and interchange).  If the rep doesn’t understand these differences, or doesn’t have a good explanation for why one is better for your business than another, then you should pass.

Ask the Right Questions

Contracts are fairly standard, but it’s best to get month-to-month service so you have the freedom you need as a business owner to choose whichever payment processors work best for you. You should also ask about funding times, which ideally should be no longer than about 48 hours. Other questions to ask include online reporting, setup fees (which shouldn’t exist without software or hardware to incorporate), and any questions you may have regarding Amex.

With mobile wallets catching on, mobile credit card processing might be another concern you’ll have during this process. If you’re planning to accept Google Wallet, Apple Pay or any of the other services that utilize mobile devices, be sure to inquire about fees and implementation for that technology as well.

 

Technology

Finding a Local App Developer

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Today, the app development Los Angeles market is incredibly lucrative. For you to attract success, however, you must have the right app, the right support, functionality, and the appropriate roll-out. This is why it is advisable to work with a local premier partner.

Great App Portfolio
The portfolio is, in fact, the most important detail you must focus on when choosing an app developer. Be sure that the quality of the app is impressive. Their portfolio should demonstrate their skills. Also, if there are any created apps in the app stores download a few and give them a test drive for some time. Have the developer explain to you how the app was created. It means that a quality app developer has no problem showing off their past successes on their page. Consider the following:
• A good rating of the apps
• Review details from other clients
• The interaction of the pages in terms of how fast they load
• Check if there are any bugs
Note that the polishing of the apps could have been affected by factors such as a client’s budget. Therefore, give the iPhone app developers Los Angeles a chance to explain bad polishes and how they feel about the results.

Expert IPhone App Skills
There are more basics that come into play in an iPhone app than just a code. This is why you must be certain that the developer is specialized in every aspect of IPhone development. That has to include an all rounded professionalism on design, coding, and more. Developers that can assist you in building your app tend to have more value than those who just code. If your potential iPhone app development company in Los Angeles has a solid portfolio and a proven track record, they probably are the best deal.

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Bio: Are you a Los Angeles based company in need of iPhone or Android app development? Contact Halcyon Innovation today.

Sales

How to look after your cash register

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1Written by cashregistersonline.com

Cash registers are not the same machines they used to be. At one time they were devices that had lots of mechanical moving parts. With the exception the printer, which still remains mechanical due to the nature of the printing required, the rest of the cash register is now a piece of electronic equipment. The one thing that has not changed though, is much like the older models, the modern machines also need to be maintained in order to maximize its lifetime. Here are some basic maintenance tips:

Keep it clean – Use a can of compressed and clean out any debris and dust trapped within the machine. If the dust and dirt accumulates it can affect components like the feed roller. Schedule this activity monthly.

Moisture – Make sure the machine is always dry. This is harder in places like coffee shops where items are sometimes handed over the machines. Avoid any issues from spillage by covering the device with a plastic cover. This is especially important if used outdoors.

Replace – Always replace consumables as quickly as possible. For example, running out of paper can mean the feed roller will get soaked with ink and can swell. This is not necessary if the machine is one of the new units with a thermal printer. Avoid running out by keeping a few spares of each consumable on hand for quickly replacement.

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Cashregistersonline.com is an online provider of cash register parts and other cash register supplies.

Social Media

The top web properties for small business

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bebetteratbusinessArticle Written by : Trade Submit

Most websites have a website and some presence on social media. However there is more to choosing what networks to be on than seeing what is currently the most popular. Here are some of the leading social networks and under what conditions they should be used.

Instagram

Any business that has a food or fashion focus can use instagram effectively. The best practice here is to post regularly, even several times a day. Hashtags should be used on every post and should match the target markets.

Snapchat

This is a service used mostly by teenagers and your users. Although it is getting more popular with adults, millennials are still the primary users. Any product or server that they will find interesting will be a good fit. Even better would be to get a product promoted by one of the popular celebrities on the service.

Facebook

Everyone should have a Facebook page. The difference is that if you want to promote the page itself, then advertising is the best way to go. The targeting options give great flexibility when it comes to showing your ad only to your target market.

Google+

At this point it is mostly tech sites and photography sites that use Google+ the most. However, a Google+ page has another added benefit. Any follower of a page will see posts from it in the search results and that can be very useful, especially for local searches.

These are just a handful of the options, but are the most popular and useful. With the fast changing landscape that is the internet, it is best to keep reviewing the social media presence regularly.

Internet Marketing, Marketing & Advertising, Social Media, Technology

How Agencies Measure SEO Efforts

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Every firm is interested in increasing their bottom line through online advertising, and they increasingly are turning to a search engine optimization firm in order to generate results. There are certainly plenty of firms working in this space, but how can you judge the effectiveness of your search engine optimization efforts?

A search engine optimization agency uses a few metrics in assessing the effectiveness of an SEO campaign. Keywords are a crucial component of SEO marketing, and checking the ranking for page using certain keywords is a good way to assess effectiveness. If your business is using keywords to advertise their services, this should be reflected in page ranking and search results.

An SEO agency is also focused on the amount of traffic generated by their work. The goal of SEO marketing is to increase customer awareness and increase sales. However, page views aren’t the only part of web traffic to consider. Another metric used is average time spent on page, as this gives valuable insight into the user experience. When consumers don’t like a webpage, they leave. Thus, longer time spent on page is often an indicator of higher quality web design. It can be helpful to also assess if traffic is coming from mobile users or traditional browsers. If a business is not receiving mobile traffic, this is potentially a signal of poor advertising or web design for mobile. This variety of metrics allows search engine optimization agencies to assess how well their efforts are supporting your business.
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Sticky Web Media offer local and search marketing solutions to small and mid-sized businesses looking to improve their exposure online. For an SEO agency, contact Sticky Web Media.