Sell Multiple Products Through a Single ClickBank Account – Merchant Account
Sell Multiple Products Through a Single ClickBank Account
Tim Coulter
A ClickBank merchant account allows you to define and sell up to 50 separate products. If you have more than one product in your range, it makes sense to sell them from a shared ClickBank account. Here are three good reasons why:
Every active ClickBank account incurs a setup fee of $49.95. Why pay this more than once
Managing multiple ClickBank accounts adds unnecessarily to your administrative effort
The combined sales of multiple products through one account will significantly boost your Marketplace ranking
Unfortunately, the architecture of the ClickBank system has, historically, not been well suited to selling multiple products from a single account, especially for merchants who use affiliates to promote their products. The problem is that, although you can define 50 products within ClickBanks account control panel, you can only specify a single landing page URL - the destination page that your affiliates will refer their prospects to.
The result is that all referrals must arrive at your site via a common page. This forces you either to present all your products on a shared sales page or to create an intermediate page, from which your visitors must click through to see the product of their choice. Neither option is ideal as they both create obstacles that will distract your prospects and seriously reduce your conversion rate.
For optimum sales effectiveness, affiliate referrals should go directly to the sales page for the product of interest. This is known as deep linking and is widely acknowledged as the best way to convert affiliate referrals into buyers. But ClickBanks lack of support for this technique is a major barrier that inhibits effective use of its growing affiliate network.
To tackle this problem, a number of pioneering merchants have developed their own techniques to work around ClickBanks shortcomings. Some of these innovations have even evolved into successful commercial software products. Most implementations rely on intercepting the inbound referral and automatically redirecting it to the relevant product page, as indicated in URL parameters passed by the referring affiliate. There are several variations on this theme, but they share a common gambit - using scripts, installed on the merchants web server, to intercept and redirect requests.
However, the need for smoke and mirrors to fix ClickBanks limitations may soon be a relic of the past. In October 2003, ClickBank announced plans for major improvements to its hoplink system - improvements that will all but eliminate the need for workarounds or enhancement products.
The new architecture - known as the enhanced hoplink system - employs a more flexible referral URL format, in which affiliates are able to specify the numeric code of the product they are referring their prospects to. Using this code, ClickBanks server will look up the corresponding sales page URL and send referrals directly to it, handling cookie-tracking and other admin chores in the normal manner.
The main attraction of the enhanced hoplink system is its simplicity of implementation and maintenance. Whereas add-on products require at least a moderate understanding of script installation and configuration, the hoplink system is maintained entirely via the ClickBank account control panel. This means that a merchant selling multiple products even across multiple web domains can expose them for affiliate deep linking, simply by configuring the relevant sales page URLs in his account.
At the time of writing, ClickBank has published the format of the enhanced hoplink URL, but has not completed the database and control panel changes that will allow the configuration of multiple landing pages. So, although we can visualize the new architecture and dream of the benefits it will deliver, we remain in eager anticipation of its release.
About The Author
Copyright © Tim Coulter. All rights reserved.
Tim Coulter is a consultant and software developer who helps netpreneurs to harness marketing technologies.
He is also the author of "ClickBank - The Definitive Guide" The Ultimate ClickBank Tutorial & Reference Manual.
http://www.clickbankrevealed.com/
7 Questions to Ask A Potential Internet Merchant Account Provider – Merchant Account
7 Questions to Ask A Potential Internet Merchant Account Provider
Bobette Kyle
Recently, I went looking for an Internet Merchant Account. My mission was two-fold:
1. Open an account for myself and
2. Research options for my new ecommerce information site Take-Payments-Online.com.
After some research, I thought Id found an attractive Merchant Account offered through a reputable reseller. As it turns out, I learned the hard way that I was wrong.
Fortunately, my experience can help you avoid the same trap. Based on my own experience, I developed a list of questions to ask a potential merchant account provider. Understanding the answers to these questions before signing an application or agreement will help make for a solid partnership between you and your account provider.
But first, the story:
My Internet Merchant Account Experience
I found what looked to be a competitive Merchant Account offered through a program at a popular reseller. Fees were summarized on the resellers site and applying was simple. I paid an $89 set-up fee, which took me to an online application I was required to submit to get the process going.
Thats when things got interesting. Submitting an application meant agreeing to a previously undisclosed 45 page merchant agreement. An unmentioned termination fee was buried on page 11.
If I ever cancelled the account, Id be hit with a $295 termination fee. I knew from my research that the large termination fee was not competitive with other merchant accounts and other aspects of the account were not attractive enough to compensate.
Suddenly, this merchant account was not such a good deal.
More critically, however, the termination fee was not disclosed before I was required to pay for set-up. I immediately asked for a refund.
Non-Refundable
Then things got even more interesting. I was told the $89 fee was non-refundable. Id seen a footnote that the fee was non-refundable, but interpreted it to mean only if they actually did some work and processed an application. I had not completed an application and did not intend to after learning of the extra $295.
Using the email support system so I would have documented proof if I needed it, I insisted on a refund. Still no go.
When I explained there had been no set-up to justify a set-up fee, they responded that the fee was really an application fee - non-refundable, as explained in the footnote on the order page.
Basically, they were telling me Id paid $89 for a link to an online application, which I had not and did not intend to submit.
Finally, A Refund
I explained I would not take no for an answer. If we couldnt work this out Id report them to the Better Business Bureau for undisclosed fees, file a complaint with my credit card company, and copy the company president on each. My complaint was sent to the next level.
Finally, after an additional three day wait, the refund was approved.
Avoid An Internet Merchant Account Trap
I made the mistake of taking information at face value and relying on the resellers good reputation in other areas.
To avoid unpleasant surprises such as mine, insist on all information and agreements up front, before committing to the account or paying initial fees.
Having all of the documentation may not be enough. Be sure you understand all aspects of your Internet Merchant Account agreement as well as fees and equipment required.
If you find incomplete, unclear, or conflicting information, ask questions.
If your sales representative is more interested in getting your signature than helping you understand your commitments, ask for another representative or go elsewhere. There are many, many Internet merchant account options available. You need not be trapped into one that is uncomfortable for you.
Based on my own experience, I developed a list of seven multi-part questions to ask a potential merchant account provider. Before contacting a provider about fees and agreement details, you may also want to familiarize yourself with all of the potential fees associated with an Internet Merchant Account. There is a list here, about half way down the page: http://www.take-payments-online.com/InternetMerchantAccount.html
7 Questions to Ask
Understanding the answers to these questions before signing an application or agreement will help make for a solid partnership between you and your account provider:
1. Can I accept credit cards both online and offline
Do I need to get separate authorizations or permissions when setting up my account for different types of transaction Internet, retail, phone orders, etc.
What other additional fees are involved if I accept both online and offline credit card charges
2. Can I accept online payments using methods other than Mastercard and Visa Discover, American Express, Diners Club, online checks, debit cards, etc.
If so, what are the fees and do I need to do anything to "activate" those payment methods
3. What are the different discount rates and fees for different types of charges Internet, in person, telephone, mail, etc.
4. What are the other fees related to this account - yearly, set-up, application, monthly minimum, statement, support, cancellation, discount, per-transaction, gateway access fees, card reject fee
Are these subject to change
Are there any other fees
5. Do I process charges manually or automatically
If manually, is it possible to get automatic processing
If so, do you provide a secure online payment gateway
How do I do it and what extra charges will I pay
6. What other software and services do I need to become fully ecommerce enabled online such as secure gateway provider, etc.
Do you have a list of compatible or preferred providers
7. Do I need additional hardware or software
If so, what is the cost and how do I get it
Ask these questions and establishing a mutually comfortable relationship with your Internet Merchant Account provider from the start. It will help you avoid "traps" and lay the groundwork for a long, solid partnership.
About The Author
Bobette Kyle draws upon 10+ years of Marketing/Executive experience, Marketing MBA, and online marketing research in her writing. Her book, "How Much for Just the Spider Strategic Web Site Marketing for Small-Budget Businesses", shows how to better find, target, and attract Web customers. Read about it at WebSiteMarketingPlan.com - http://WebSiteMarketingPlan.com.
Copyright 2003 Bobette Kyle. All rights reserved.
Choosing An Internet Merchant Account – Merchant Account
Choosing An Internet Merchant Account
Andy Quick
Surf to Google and perform a search on "Internet Merchant Account". The results are staggering 472,000 results! If you have created a web based business and need to accept credit card payments, your choices are limitless. Before you partner with a provider, take time to understand the different components of internet credit card processing, and know what to look for in a merchant provider.
How It Works
Accepting credit card payments through your web site actually requires multiple components. Between a paying customer and your bank account, three layers exist:
Payment Gateway - This is the code that will transmit a customers order to and from an internet merchant account provider. The payment gateway provides you the ability to accept customer billing information credit card number, credit card type, expiration date, and payment amount and the necessary validation steps that must be followed before the credit card is actually billed.
Internet Merchant Account - A Merchant Account is an account with a financial institution or bank, which enables you to accept credit card payments from your clients. The payment gateway actually transmits the billing information to the internet merchant account provider. Unfortunately, most local banks do not provide internet merchant account capability.
The main reason why most local financial institutions or