For an online business that is trying to grow, the notion of adding credit card processing is no longer just a matter of choosing to get a benefit or standing pat. And the reason for this can be traced to modern consumer attitudes.

There have been numerous e-retailing studies that have shown that having merchant account services benefits Web-based businesses in several ways. It brings more traffic and repeat business to a site. And it drives additional sales and profits, as people shopping online with their credit card in hand tend to buy additional items, or are susceptible to making impulse buys.

All those reasons lead some people doing business over the internet to think that while card acceptance may be a good thing, if they don't go down that path they will still be in good enough shape. But other trends indicate this can be a dangerous strategy.

There is an axiom in business that if you're standing still, you're going to fall behind. The notion is that with business conditions changing and evolving, any person who chooses to tread water in a place they consider "safe" is actually going to be left behind as the competition moves ahead. And that's the case with the down side of not being set up to accept credit cards.

First, consumers today are getting more used to shopping with their cards. While they certainly aware of identity theft and fraud issues, they like the convenience of being able to close a transaction quickly using their plastic. Not to mention taking advantage of the additional buyer's protection that comes with some credit card programs.

Second, more and more consumers have grown up doing their everyday business without using cash. Whether it's their credit card, or a debit connected to VISA or MasterCard, they are at home with using their card for everything from buying a new suit to a fast-food lunch. These people have "voted" for a cashless lifestyle, and in doing so they expect the vendors they shop on a regular basis to be ready. In other words, their message to any business is that while you may have the store, we control what goes into the cash register.

And finally, because they do operate cashless, they have gone 180 degrees of their baby-boom counterparts who were once wary of credit cards. Today's consumer now is suspicious of any company that does not accept credit cards. And with the number of people and entities doing business on the internet, well, there's just far too much competition. If a consumer isn't happy with the way a certain site does business they can find three or four competitors with few clicks of their mouse. Taking their business elsewhere now takes a matter of second, as opposed to the days of having to drive across town.

And the great news is that merchant account services companies have made it easier than ever before to apply for card services. So when it comes to ecommerce payments solutions are your standing still/falling back? If so, for goodness sake, why?

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