Every business owner keeps their eyes cast in two directions. One is keeping a watch on what is happening to their business now. The other is focused on the future - what's coming down the road that might be good for that business.

And the online business world is no different, nor should it be. Billions were spent during the final two months of last year by Internet shoppers, setting a new record. That would tell you that November and December of this year could be great for your business.

More than 80 percent of everything bought online is paid for using a credit card, which should tell you that people are shopping online (good) and an overwhelming majority wants to pay by credit card (better).

And as far as the future is concerned think about this statistic. Slightly more than three-quarters of college students hold at least one of the major four credit cards - VISA, Discover, MasterCard or American Express. That is a great piece of news looking to the future.

Think about it - more than 75 percent of college kids have a credit card. Most are probably using it for things like the occasional coffee, reloading minutes to their cel phone or buying music downloads; all of which are in line with their income levels.

However, keep in mind that these are the kids that have grown up with the Internet as a part of their lives. They have always known about e-mail and IM's. Most of these kids have probably never ordered anything then hunted for an envelope, filled out a check and scavenged for a stamp. They are the first virtual shopping generation and have embraced it with passion and enthusiasm. But here's the good part.

Every spring thousand of these kids will graduate, go into the real world and find jobs. Their disposable income will balloon but their preferred way of shopping - over the Internet - won't diminish. So you as the online retailer are seeing your potential audience grow every year - assuming that you have credit card processing on your site.

Indeed, any e-business that has not added an ecommerce merchant account capability is scuttling their own efforts to grow and succeed. It would be like Sony selling a big-screen TV with no high-def receiver, no cable input and no remote control. The model would fail to ever touch its true potential, as is any site without credit card services.

So the essential question is whether you are prepared for the growing number of online shoppers that want to use their credit card as payment. Because they are coming. And when they get to your site and they don't find the merchant services they are seeking they won't fuss or send an e-mail of complaint. They'll click over to your competition that does accept payments online and spend their money there. And they will likely never come back.

And the irony is that adding online credit card merchant accounts has never been easier. The application process takes about 15 minutes, the established companies usually have a decision within 24 hours, and some e-store owners are processing their first card transaction within a day.

So are you going to make your site ready for the next generations?

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