The Guide to Safe Online Purchases

You might be tempted to have a go at your first online purchase. If you have friends and relatives living abroad, it probably makes geographic sense to purchase a gift from a shop close to its final destination. Stories of goods purchased for a fraction of price these are available locally as well as the keen enthusiasm of certain groups of individuals who compare "bargains" they just found and the handling out of links may entice a newbie to take the plunge. Fear of being ripped off, of ending up with a dud, of using a credit card on the internet or of making a mistake during the transaction may prevent some from joining the e-commerce community.

If you follow the following guidelines you can make internet purchasing a pleasant experience and practically eliminate the risks associated with this type of commerce:

1. Understand what you are purchasing.

Read carefully the description accompanying the item. Is its condition new or used? Does it work, or is it being sold for parts? Where is the minor scratch or slight dent situated? Is this an auction or is it a normal sale? If the web site allows purchasers to rate the seller and pass comments about their own shopping experience read these reviews.

Read More... »

How To Sell Digital Products And E-Books Online

Are you an E-book writer? Do you have some files or software that you wish to sell? If you are, you will need to know how to sell digital downloads online.

There are several ways to do it. Some ways are easier while others are more complicated. Below listed are some of the methods. For all the methods listed below, you will need to have a Paypal account:

1. Host the file on your web host.

For this method, you create a download page which has a download link to your product.

Firstly, go to Paypal, create a 'buy now' link or button in Paypal. In Paypal, you set the option of directing the URL to the download page after your customer has made a payment.

The problem of this method is that it is not secure at all. After payment, the download URL is revealed to the customer. If the customer is not honest, he or she can share the link to others and they can download your product for free!

2. Install a download script on your web host. This method is the most complicated of all. You will need to buy the download script and that is the easy part. After that, you will need to install the script on your host and configure the script to work with Paypal's IPN. The good point about this method is that, once done it can be quite an accomplishment. The downside side is that your host's bandwidth is shared with the downloads. If your sales are brisk and download files are large, it can bog down the entire website!

2. Find a secure 3rd party vendor. Another method is to find a secure 3rd party vendor to host your digital products. The good thing about this is that setup is usually very easy and you can sell products immediately after the setup. Additionally, you can also sell the products on the vendor's site besides on your own website. Also, you do not need to worry about bandwidth problems. For myself, I recommend E-junkie as a 3rd party vendor.

Read More... »

Online Business - Accept Credit Cards

If you are planning on running a web based business where you are selling services or products, you will need to find a way to accept credit cards online; today, most young people could not live in a world without this service.You can't run an online business by taking checks or money orders; lost business and long term custom will be the result. Not accepting online payments is not a way to retain customers; potential customers are going to get frustrated and will place an order elsewhere.

Perhaps we have become impatient, but whatever the reason, customers to any website that offers goods or services, demand an instant payment facility. Any professional company that has an e-commerce website will make sure that every type of payment system is in place including the ability to accept credit cards online; they know that their customers are looking for fast service when they are shopping on their site. Competing with the big boys means you can sell products as easily as they can, but you will need to have the facility of accepting online payments as soon as the website is up and running.

Although there are a variety of ways to accept credit cards online, not all of them will be a viable proposition; this has the potential to attract additional customers but some are too expensive for smaller companies to consider. Accepting credit cards online does pose some problems though, as some payment systems are quite expensive to set up and maintain.

Most online payment systems are similar to those you will find in any retail store or restaurant; however, a good alternative is to use Paypal to accept your credit card payments. Paypal is not as common as the first method, but it is gaining in popularity. Though there are some that are wary of using it, I honestly think if you are going to use a credit card this is the way to go.

A Paypal account lets a customer use their credit card in the same way they would on any other internet site; customers can then pay for goods or services in full knowledge that their credit card details are safe. It is important you offer an online payment facility where your customers feel secure; by ensuring your site is secure, your sales will increase and less potential customers will leave.

All transactions from your site must be encrypted if you want to guarantee your customers' information is not available to others. Secure sites always start with https:// so if your customers see a site that accepts credit cards online that doesn't start with this in the website URL, then they will not place an order with you. With internet fraud being one of the top concerns on the internet it is your responsibility to make your customers feel safe and secure when they place an order otherwise they will leave and order elsewhere.

Read More... »

Cruising the Shopping Cart Software Aisle

The average consumer rarely takes notice of what kind of shopping cart software an ecommerce website uses. Most who shop online gravitate to the sites that are always well organized and easy to use. Customers want to find what they are looking for, make their purchase on an encrypted connection and move on.

In truth, customers should never really have to notice anything but their own shopping experience when making purchases online. They rely on the website owner to make sure things are in good working order and that there is reasonable access to the necessary features. To be taken seriously as an online merchant, one will need to offer not only an attractive online environment but professional checkout services as well.

If a website is set up properly, rarely is there any cause for concern; however, setting up a website to offer a good shopping experience means paying attention to detail. Many who start a website pay attention to the obvious areas but sometimes forget or skimp on areas that they shouldn't. It is not until problems arise that one must turn around and go back to the details they overlooked.

Many focus intensely on creating a unique and distinctive ecommerce site and then spend a great amount of energy on Internet marketing. However, opting for mediocre shopping cart software is often the undoing of even the most well organized website. After all, it is unrealistic to expect phenomenal sales if the ability to exchange currency for goods is incomplete or hampered in the slightest way.

Website owners can sometimes opt for a software package that ends up being too big or too small for the type or number of products offered. Unless the website is offering something extraordinary, a checkout process that is baffling, drawn out or a complete hassle will result in a lost sale nearly every single time. Even if it does result in a sale, it's unlikely the cu

Read More... »

What To Do With Money When You're Young

So you are a young person with some extra money and you don't know what to do with it, but you know you can get rich by spending it wisely. Congratulations! The sooner you start to investing, the sooner you will be able to become financially free.

Let's say you have a $500 - $1,000 to invest and need know the best place to put your money. What you really want to know is how you can use that money to make more money, right? Unfortunately, there is not one right answer, just a lot of opinions and different advice. Before you invest, do your research, understand that in the short term you may lose some money, but in the long run it will make money, and then take action. Here are some places to start:

* Stocks: Investing in individual stocks can be considered a bit more risky, particularly when considering the stock type and sector. Penny stocks, for example, can be a great way to loose all your money very quickly. High quality, blue chips are more likely safer bets - in general. Learn to understand how stock prices are valued and spread your risk across a few stocks that you plan to own for a few years. A subscription to www.morningstar.com may be your greatest investment, which can help you understand investing and quickly screen for the investment that is right for you.

* Mutual Funds: A mutual fund is an investment with a financial organization that manages a portfolio of stocks or assets. Since mutual funds invest in a number of stocks, your risk is spread and the value of the fund is reflected in the performance in the securities the fund owns. Be sure to look for funds that have a minimum initial investment that is in line with what you are able to spend. Consider the fees as well, which can eat up your profits. A good fund to start with may be an index fund, which tracks one of the major stock indexes such as the S&P 500. This would provide a relatively safe, yet consistent return on your investment.

* Start a Part-Time Business: Do you want to become really wealthy? Most of America's wealthiest people are all business owners. Researchers claim that 1 in 10 business fail, so 9 out of 10 succeed! Why not start now at building your first business? Think about what you already do with your time and how you can turn that into a cash-generating business that will return your money several times over.

* CDs: A certificate of deposit is a perfect place to stash your cash if you want guaranteed returns and can afford to stash your money away for relatively short periods of time. Depending on the interest rates, you can generally make 5 - 10 percent on your money in a year, but you won't be able to make any withdrawals without a paying a penalty. BankRate will show you the best deals.

* Prosper.com: At Prosper, you get to be the banker and loan other people money at a rate you negotiate.

The important thing is to just do it and get started as soon as you possibly can. You will learn more about investing by actually trying it yourself than by reading how to invest. If you lose some money, that is okay because that is to be expected. Only invest what you can afford to lose, and diversify properly by buying a mutual fund and you will minimize your loses. You will likely make many mistakes throughout your investing career. Better to lose some now and gain experience so when your income increases with age you already have the experience to turbo-charge your wealth. You cannot put a price tag on experience.

Most importantly, try to find an experienced money mentor that can help teach you the basics. You will learn there are multiple ways to make money, and you just want to find the one that you enjoy, understand and is right for you.

Read More... »

Three Easy Ways to Save Money

If someone gave you a dollar for every Canadian person you met that wished he or she had more money, you'd be pretty rich by now. Why's that? Because the majority of Canadian people have a great desire to improve their current financial status. Now, unless you win the grand jackpot in the Canadian national lottery, there are only two ways for you to increase your bank account balance: you either increase your income or you save money. Increasing your income can be a sticky issue sometimes. After all, it's not like you can just walk into your boss's office and ask for a raise. And that hot new job isn't always waiting for you around the next corner.

Saving money, on the other hand, is a lot less sticky. You have complete control over your actions. All it takes is a little creativity and discipline. Apart from the lack of discipline, most Canadians find it hard to save money because they overlook the most basic expenses in their lives. If you take a closer look at the way you spend your money on a daily basis, you may find some simple ways to save. For starters, you could try these three:

1. Cooking at Home

Many Canadians come home feeling too tired to cook, so they either eat out or order in. Did you ever think about how much money you could actually save if you took the time to cook your own meals at home? Cooking at home does not mean you have to do it everyday. The trick is to cook in bulk - you only cook once or twice a week but make sure the meals last for the rest of the week. You freeze daily portions and just pop them in the microwave when the time comes. Not only is this economically smart, it is also healthier than eating mass-produced food.

2. Cut down on driving

Let's face it, gas and car insurance is expensive. Being stuck in traffic isn't all too pleasant either. Have you ever thought about walking or bicycling to work instead of driving? Not only will you save several thousand dollars every year with this, but you may also lose a couple of pounds and become more fit. And if you live too far away from work for walking or biking to be a possibility, how about car pooling?

3. Housing repairs - do it yourself

How difficult is it really to give the kitchen a new coat of paint?. And is it really impossible for you to put in a new bedroom carpet? Many of the home improvements and repairs that people usually hire contractors for are simple enough that you can do them yourself. There are plenty of Canadian hardware and DIY stores that have trained personnel who will give you advice and tips on home repair issues. Set some time aside on the weekends to make those small repairs instead of paying a contractor to do them for you. Sure, you will save quite a bit of money, but you will also feel much more proud of yourself.

Monty Loree is the founder of http://www.canadian-money-advisor.ca which helps Canadians better understand their money, credit and the financial industry in Canada. In our financial podcasts, we are interviewing industry experts who give our visitors the truth about the financial industry. Canadian Money Advisor is an important source for Canadians to learn more about their money. Saving money for retirement?: http://www.canadian-money-advisor.ca/tags/retirement-planning.html


By Monty Loree

Read More... »