I braced myself for the up-sell, thinking I had been duped into giving out my information and now they would never leave me alone, but that wasn’t the case at all. We had a great conversation; she answered my questions and offered to turn on other features like direct credit card processing. Now I have an email address and direct phone number to a personal representative any time I, or a client has questions.

It is mind boggling, isn’t it? Customer service! I barely recognized it!

WePay may not be the preferred choice for everyone. I found that the higher fees were worth their out of box features and customer service provided, but do the pros and cons balance out for you? I’ve listed them below, categorized by the features provided by WePay.

WePay Storefront

Pros:Multiple stores per account.

Add products with a click of a button
Easily integrated into a website with copy and paste code.
Easy Integration with Facebook and Twitter (sell Items on your Facebook Page)

Cons:

Higher fees (3.5% – compared to 2.9 at PayPal)
Fewer per item customization options
Only two shipping settings

Ticket Sales

Pros:

Create different categories of tickets
Control ticket sale start and end date
Control quantity of tickets
Easily integrated into a website with copy and paste code.
Add a form for people to fill out when buying a ticket

Cons:

If you add a form, your fee per order jumps from 3.5% to 6%

Invoices

Pros:

Simple and easy to use
Recurring Invoicing is easy to set up
Recipients can use Credit Cards or their Bank

Cons:

Any customization to your invoice (logo and colors) will give you a fee increase from 3.5% to 6%

Donations

Pros:

Set suggested Donation
Display campaign goal and progress towards goal on donation page.
Set campaign end date
Accept donations on your Facebook page
Easily integrated into a website with copy and paste code.

Cons:

Customization like Information form, personalized email response to donators increases fee per transaction from 3.5% to 6%

WePay will also lower all payment processing fees for Non -profit organizations, making them an excellent choice for charities looking for an easy to use donation or online shopping engine.

Their services are currently available to the US only but they are a company I can see quickly expanding to offer services worldwide. They are friendly, eager to help, and see their clients as individuals. I really do recommend visiting their website and exploring their features if you are searching for merchant service alternatives.

Visit them at WePay.com

1. Commenting that you feel someone’s price for a service is high.

Don’t get me wrong; haggling does have its place and purpose. However, whining that someone’s services cost too much is rude and ineffective. You’re more likely to be met with silence than an immediate adjustment of price to suit your needs. The problem with whining about price is that you are doing nothing but whining. You aren’t offering a rate you can afford and you are not discussing alternative solutions that will cost less. You are simply whining and expecting others to conform to your wishes.

2. Say you could get the same services at a better price from someone else.

This is an eye roller and no one is fooled. If you already have a solution that fits your budget, WHY are you soliciting for these services elsewhere? This is not a flea market so when you are haggling over price, skip this pointless step.

3.  “I’m trying to pay my bills.”

In this one sentence you have written yourself off as a self centered jerk who likes to use guilt tactics to get what they want. Here’s a hint: We’re ALL trying to pay our bills, especially when it comes to small businesses. Staying within budget is important and something almost everyone can understand, however this tactic is playing the guilt trip card without contributing anything useful.

4. Offer something in trade instead of money.

This should only be done when what you are offering in trade is honestly equal in value to the services the other person is providing you. Mixing this tactic with believing that their prices are too high will result in you offering something they don’t need and them finding your proposal insulting. There is a reason services and products are generally exchanged for money: We need money to buy things and pay bills. If what you are offering in trade is not going to seriously benefit the person you are haggling with, just skip this step and avoid the seething cauldron of resentment.

5. Say anything related to “I didn’t think that it was so complicated to do.”

- In response to a price tag or an explanation of the work that will go into the services you are requesting. Just stop. Do yourself a favor and never say this again. If you knew the amount of work it took, you would probably be able to do it yourself and wouldn’t need to go out and hire someone to do it for you. Sometimes it’s cool to find out how much work goes into making something you’ve rarely considered before you needed it (that’s why How It’s Made is on its 18th season) but hagglers using this technique seem to feel that uttering this magical sentence will make the other person go “Oops! They caught me!” and cave in to whatever counter offer is on the table.

Bonus!   “Well, with the economy and all…”

Stop… Just… No.

In closing, discussing costs and adjustments is fair game for everyone. When done correctly you either walk away with a cheaper invoice or with the same price and no hurt feelings. The important thing is to not alienate yourself from the people you need things from!

I know it’s a little macabre, but it’s not very dramatic to the people who have lost job opportunities or suffered pay cuts because the businesses they are trying to work with have decided that IT services are too expensive and not valuable enough to keep or hire.

To the IT professional, this whole situation is pretty baffling. Why is this happening?

Before I go any further, I want to make it clear that the Technology Gap has surprisingly little to do with age or level of education. The Technology Gap runs a jagged and crooked line, dividing those who know and those who don’t, regardless of age or educational background.

When you encounter the Technology Gap, you will likely be attempting to introduce an IT solution that will improve security, productivity and save money, and yet meet nothing but resistance from a client or boss who sees a price tag deemed too high for something “intangible”.
Who can really blame someone for feeling doubtful about a solution that is supposed to pay off in the long run, especially when they don’t understand the technical aspects of said solution?
What is the greatest problem you encounter as an IT Consultant? You are advising based on past data, present problems, and projecting future solutions.  That seems simple enough, yet when you encounter the technology gap (which is often) the business you are working with exists only in the immediate:  “I have a problem, and you are trying to charge me money to fix it.”

We have always trusted the professionals to take care of things we lack the knowledge or the equipment to do by ourselves: Roofers, plumbers, financial advisors, electricians, car mechanics, food preparers, you name it, we rely on them to provide services to us and gladly pay for it because it’s necessary.

Why isn’t IT Services deemed necessary? Without it, your business is at risk for many frustrating nightmares like power failure, data loss, security issues, lawsuits, and scams. Despite this, countless businesses seem to prefer to take their chances in an effort to keep from signing a check and often wind up paying an even steeper bill later.

It’s hard for anyone who has suffered the process to not be bitter about something so simple becoming such a battle. It’s not all the hesitant business owner’s fault either. Shady IT companies have been working overtime to give the rest of us a bad name by taking advantage of what people don’t know and offering cardboard box services for a staggering fee. Who can blame a client for being suspicious going forward after that? Our so called IT is just expensive and ineffective, and now we’re trying to sell them ANOTHER solution?

I’ve found, in my experience of web design, that education is the key element in establishing trust and moving forward into actually starting a project with a client. It’s a habit of mine really because it’s how I function. When someone is telling me that something I am unfamiliar with must be done a certain way, I want to know why. It’s not because I don’t trust them, I just need to make sense of it in my own mind.
Because of this, I always try to extend an offer to educate in layman’s terms and keep people in the loop.

Does it always work? No, because people aren’t all the same. This is definitely not a one size fits all sort of solution. I have encountered people who downright do NOT want to know a thing about the process at all, you know the routine, “I don’t want to know this, that’s why I’m HIRING you to do it!!!” and so all you can do is back off and stare in wonder at the person who supposedly doesn’t care at all about where their money is going…
The solution to these problems has to come from both sides: Client and IT professional.

IT Professionals need to be more open and driven to sharing information that is easily understood and clients need to wake up and research solutions that are being put in front of them. Clients also need to realize that buying cheap is not shopping smart; the price vs. worth scale is very different in the IT world. Trust me; you did not pull one over on your IT person by finding a cheaper “solution”. We could all find cheap ineffectual solutions to our problems or better yet, do nothing at all, but does that really save us anything?

All of this seems like it is too good to actually happen, but like every other attempt at a resolution, it takes team work and effort from both sides. I have literally told a client that I needed them to trust me, after laying the entire project out on the table and guess what? It worked! We have been happily working together ever since.

Trust. Education. Right Solutions. Treating your clients like people. Hey, it’s way better than cold calling.

]]> http://www.clearpathdesign.com/the-technology-gap/feed/ 0 http://www.clearpathdesign.com/facebooks-business-page-changes/ http://www.clearpathdesign.com/facebooks-business-page-changes/#comments Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:26:38 +0000 CPDAdmin http://www.clearpathdesign.com/?p=239 Most people with personal profiles on Facebook are now used to the “Timeline” setup of their profiles, but did you know that Facebook is making the same changes to business pages? Continue reading →]]> Most people with personal profiles on Facebook are now used to the “Timeline” setup of their profiles, but did you know that Facebook is making the same changes to business pages?

The changes aren’t permanent for everyone until March 30th 2012 so now is a great time to get a jump on playing with your design without having to make it live

The rules for business pages are disappointing to be sure, for instance:

• Your banner cannot have your website, phone number, mailing address or any information that is made available in your About section. – Apparently this is too close akin to advertising?
• You cannot reference site interface elements, such as the Like or Share features.
• You cannot mention deals, sales or promotions.
• You may not use call to action phrases like “Get it now” or “Tell your friends”.

Banner measurements are best at 851 pixels wide and 315 pixels tall.

Now I for one am a person who disdains boundless advertising, however I do believe that basic company information hardly qualifies as excessive. I suppose Facebook fears that it is a slippery slope but one can’t help but wonder if they just can’t stand the thought of people not paying them to advertise…

Regardless of the limitations, now is a great time to get the jump on picking your Business Page Timeline appearance because you can keep it unpublished until you are fully ready to “show the world” your new finished look!

More information:
Facebook Cover Photo Guidelines
Page Guidelines

Make a time budget
Decide in advance how much time you want to devote to your writing. Ask yourself how long you are willing to focus on writing in one sitting. Twenty minutes at a time? Ten?  It’s up to you and it is important to set this rule because it will help you avoid getting burnt out.

Write where you are comfortable
Find a place, free of distractions where you may spend a designated amount of time writing. I often take a pen and notebook to the couch or venture out to a park to write. Hard copy blogs can be later typed out and refined but I feel that it is important to record initial thoughts while they are fresh. Many times, being in a comfortable and familiar environment helps those creative juices flow.

Jot down ideas
Get in the habit of storing away blog ideas or other interesting business thoughts for later. Look for inspiration in your daily activities. Do you feel like you answer certain questions over and over again for different people? Consider writing an article about those questions, FAQ (frequently asked questions) can be the best blog fodder.

Stop when you’re done
Don’t feel pressured to create heaps and heaps of content. More isn’t always good! In fact you may want to take time to read back over everything you’ve penned and ask yourself, can this be simplified?
Knowing when to stop is also about not being a perfectionist.  Ask a friend or family member to read your unpublished blog and for some feedback, then once you can be sure there are no glaring errors and everything makes sense, it is time to publish.

Everyone has their own way of going about creative writing. I’m sure many of us have not yet forgotten our childhood years in school and having to complete writing assignments. While we are somewhat “graded” by the blogs we produce, there is no reason to fear failure.

Consider this for your blogging goal: Balance quality with quantity. Don’t write one great blog and then not write anything else for months. I know, it sounds like a high maintenance project but this is why forming your own writing structure will help you complete these projects without tearing your hair out and denouncing the entire concept of blogging.
This is a good thing!

This is also why it is important to have a well designed blog along with a call to action so those potential clients can easily get in touch with you.  Unless you want to maintain an air of mystery as you dispense thoughts and ideas, a contact form, email address or telephone number help people take that next step to tell you they’re interested.

The big question about blogging is; how can we find the time to be active and interesting online? It’s a little irritating to hear over and over again how important online networking is. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and now blogging too?!
I figure most business people are in the same boat as I am: We’re often too busy actually doing business to stop and talk about it online. That doesn’t mean blogging and social networking aren’t important enough, it means that these forms of marketing need to be efficient and easy.

The good news is that they are. It just takes a little bit of practice.

Next up, spend less time creating great content: Tips on how to blog efficiently.

They are the same in the sense that you cannot plop yourself and your business in a social networking atmosphere and expect to immediately garner a following, yet many people do. You might refer to this as single level marketing and it will eventually obstruct further success whether you’re online or standing in a big room with other people wearing business casual and holding a plate of cheese.

As you group with others making awkward chitchat, you take another bite of a delicious jalapeño cheese cube and realize that your current networking tactic can only take you so far. Well if not networking, then what, psychic advertising or paper airplanes?
Networking is the answer, but not all of it can or should be business to business. When you are handing out business cards like they’re candy and you’re on a parade float, are you bothering to get to know these people at all?

That’s always the worst to me; when someone thrusts their card at me or worse, interrupts a conversation I am having with someone else to tell me their name, what they do, and to call them if I ever need the services they just listed. I have to admit that I rarely remember these individuals and their business cards tend to stray from the pile belonging to those I will be getting in touch with.

It’s a silly contradiction of concepts; face to face networking without bothering to make any kind of connection. The same applies to online. You want to reach and connect with people so they will be interested in what you have to offer.

It’s true that nearly everything worthwhile takes effort, but there is no reason to be discouraged.  Once you become comfortable with the similarities between networking online and face to face as well as the technical aspect of navigating online, you can begin to successfully build a following.
This shouldn’t be regarded as a time consuming task; devoting constant attention to networking isn’t realistic so it’s important to make it count when you do.

Next up, Blogging and building a following

Anyway, not too long ago they began a project: School Supply and Uniform Program. They endeavored to provide 3 school uniforms, shoes and school supplies to the children of families who need assistance in order to send their children to school.

I have to say that watching this project unfold was beyond inspiring. Everyone did as much as they could and it is so wonderful to work with the people of SamCen, who really embrace everyone and their efforts.

Long story short: This year they raised $14,000.00!

My jaw dropped when I heard the final number. The generosity of all the people who contributed and the hard work of the volunteers has truly done a world of good to the children and their families.

Congratulations to all involved!

What do I need from my hosting service?
This question is more easily answered when you have considered other questions first.

1. Do you plan to sell online, display a gallery, or have a blog? If so, your hosting provider should include multiple MySQL databases, which make e-commerce, gallery and blog solutions possible and easy to create.

2. Will you need your own domain email? At Clear Path, we always advise business owners to use their own domain emails. Consider it a way to advertise your business online every time you send an email.

3. Would you like to advertise your business online? You may want to get a jump start on advertising with sites like Google, Facebook, and Yahoo. Will your Hosting provider provide Advertising credits to get you started?

4. Who will own your domain? No one wants to discover a nasty surprise; the domain you paid for doesn’t even belong to you! Be sure that you are the sole owner when you register a domain with a Hosting provider.

We believe these are the basic essentials for any company making its mark online, regardless of size or market, and meeting all of these needs with a Hosting provider at a fair and low price is not too much to ask for.

Harness the online presence of your business with Clear Path Design; we have it all:

Multiple MySQL Databases – Create blogs, galleries, e-commerce sites, CMS sites, forums, web calendars, and more all with the click of a button!

Unlimited Domain Email – Create as many as you need! Set up auto responders, auto forwards, send newsletters, and connect to Outlook with ease!

Jump-Start On Advertising – Facebook Ad Credits, Free YellowPage.com listing, Google AdWords Credits, and Yahoo Search Credits, they’re all included!

Owning your Domain – The terms are clear, when you choose Clear Path as your Hosting provider, you are the owner of your domain and retain all rights to your Company’s name online.

Search Engines and Site Results – Automate search engine submissions to increase your site’s visibility in search results and examine real-time site activity data and see who is visiting your web pages and where they are coming from, all from your easy to navigate control panel!

Unbeatable Tech Support – With an intelligent control panel help option that makes finding the answers you need fast and easy as well as our web technicians who are ready to answer your questions and only a phone call or email away, Clear Path Design provides consistent web services that can’t be topped.

I’ve made a previous article concerning 5 Myths about Search Engine Optimization, giving light to the misconceptions about SEO work that I have encountered but I never really went into the details of how important web marketing is and how vital it is to the success of your business on the internet.

Consider your website a storefront on a busy street. Even though there are many people passing by, if your store had no sign and no advertising to make your presence known, how would you appeal to the interests of potential clients who are seeking the services and products that you can provide?

Your website is a representation of your business and while it may help direct clients to your products and services, by itself, it cannot bring in people from all over the web.

Discover web marketing.
One of the greatest things about websites and marketing online is the wide variety of promotional mediums. From blog posts to link building (links other places on the web that lead back to your site) social networking integration and promotion, keyword implementation, and more… It’s all there and all proven to be extremely effective in improving the visibility of websites that correctly implement each tool.

However, harnessing all the methods of marketing can be a time consuming challenge. So how do you juggle it all while still performing the most important mission: running your business? The answer relies heavily on the budget planning for your website.

It’s about a solution and it’s about you.
Every website created and managed by Clear Path Design is tailored to make room for online marketing services, both in aspects of design and in price. More goes into a successful website than the initial design, and we understand this. That’s why we are determined to provide services beyond the completion of websites by keeping budgets in mind and staying below the line, giving our clients the open door to invest in online marketing with the money they’ve saved on both hosting and design.

When and how to get started
Whether you’re starting a website for the first time or you’re interested in shaping your current website into a powerful advertising medium, now is the perfect time to take advantage of the numerous ways you can make your presence on the web be noticed, bringing you business and success.

Give us a call at (716) 200-4479 to learn more about advertising and networking on the web and how you can utilize it to grow your business, all while staying within budget.