Comments on: A Better Sales Process for Your Customers http://blog.photoshelter.com/2012/01/a-better-sales-process-for-your-customers/ Daily discussion of photography business issues & photography websites. Marketing and sales tips for smart photographers, plus a dose of inspiration from the PhotoShelter team. Wed, 22 May 2013 21:43:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Volker Adamietz http://blog.photoshelter.com/2012/01/a-better-sales-process-for-your-customers/#comment-71853 Volker Adamietz Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:34:49 +0000 http://blog.photoshelter.com/?p=18547#comment-71853 Would be great, if it would work in Europe/Austria - too!!! {:-) Another great feature request - please bring UTF-8-Support to create correct Umlaute in German! Europe is not as far away you may think. ☺ cheers, Volker Adamietz Would be great, if it would work in Europe/Austria – too!!! {:-)

Another great feature request – please bring UTF-8-Support to create correct Umlaute in German!

Europe is not as far away you may think. ☺

cheers, Volker Adamietz

]]> By: David Dodds http://blog.photoshelter.com/2012/01/a-better-sales-process-for-your-customers/#comment-69841 David Dodds Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:08:16 +0000 http://blog.photoshelter.com/?p=18547#comment-69841 Wasn't George 911 Bush responsible for saying something like..'we must get this message to the world..! Oh! And also internationally.' Wasn’t George 911 Bush responsible for saying something like..’we must get this message to the world..! Oh! And also internationally.’

]]> By: Nigel http://blog.photoshelter.com/2012/01/a-better-sales-process-for-your-customers/#comment-68561 Nigel Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:49:02 +0000 http://blog.photoshelter.com/?p=18547#comment-68561 What a bummer! After reading all of that and getting excited only to get to the bottom and find out it's no use to man or beast outside the US! What a bummer! After reading all of that and getting excited only to get to the bottom and find out it’s no use to man or beast outside the US!

]]> By: Nancy C. Faria http://blog.photoshelter.com/2012/01/a-better-sales-process-for-your-customers/#comment-68485 Nancy C. Faria Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:12:39 +0000 http://blog.photoshelter.com/?p=18547#comment-68485 I looked into a PS website but didn't go with you cause I had to use PayPal. I may have to research PS again. @Emeric-check out PayPals' fees. They are not free. Perhaps when Stripe gets more established, they will cut down on the 7 days. I looked into a PS website but didn’t go with you cause I had to use PayPal. I may have to research PS again. @Emeric-check out PayPals’ fees. They are not free. Perhaps when Stripe gets more established, they will cut down on the 7 days.

]]> By: Allen Murabayashi http://blog.photoshelter.com/2012/01/a-better-sales-process-for-your-customers/#comment-61958 Allen Murabayashi Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:32:24 +0000 http://blog.photoshelter.com/?p=18547#comment-61958 @emeric, there was always a charge from the payment gateways; stripe adds nothing new in that regard. and the total fee is completely in line with what you'll find from other providers. @emeric, there was always a charge from the payment gateways; stripe adds nothing new in that regard. and the total fee is completely in line with what you’ll find from other providers.

]]> By: Emeric Prodiko http://blog.photoshelter.com/2012/01/a-better-sales-process-for-your-customers/#comment-61922 Emeric Prodiko Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:58:03 +0000 http://blog.photoshelter.com/?p=18547#comment-61922 So now, above the 8 to 10% transaction fee PS is taking, you add 3% more… You must have lost your mind. The good thing is that you have now publicly admitted that your usability "sucks", so being also outside the US, I join Derek to urge you to find better solutions. So now, above the 8 to 10% transaction fee PS is taking, you add 3% more… You must have lost your mind. The good thing is that you have now publicly admitted that your usability “sucks”, so being also outside the US, I join Derek to urge you to find better solutions.

]]> By: Derek Fogg http://blog.photoshelter.com/2012/01/a-better-sales-process-for-your-customers/#comment-61399 Derek Fogg Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:10:54 +0000 http://blog.photoshelter.com/?p=18547#comment-61399 Interesting that this post should come out just after I have been highlighting the problems with the current PS checkout process to Ruby(Customer Support) Allen's words above about Paypal have just reiterated everything I said to Ruby. Convinced loosing sales because of it. Has I am UK based Stripe is not available so alternatives need to be found or existing process streamlined or made more customer friendly ASAP. Interesting that this post should come out just after I have been highlighting the problems with the current PS checkout process to Ruby(Customer Support) Allen’s words above about Paypal have just reiterated everything I said to Ruby. Convinced loosing sales because of it. Has I am UK based Stripe is not available so alternatives need to be found or existing process streamlined or made more customer friendly ASAP.

]]> By: Bob Fisher http://blog.photoshelter.com/2012/01/a-better-sales-process-for-your-customers/#comment-61385 Bob Fisher Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:26:13 +0000 http://blog.photoshelter.com/?p=18547#comment-61385 Actually, what you see as integrated may actually be redirected in many cases. With the needs of PCI compliance, many companies that accept online payments are using a 'hosted gateway', or similar solutions. The payment process is actually redirected to the website of the merchant service provider but the payment page is completely branded to look just like the site of the retailer. To the customer it looks like they never left the retailer's website. Once the payment process is complete, they simply go back to where they were previously. It's completely seamless to the customer. This puts the onus for record keeping and much of the PCI compliance onto the merchant services provider rather than the retailer. I'd be highly skeptical that Stripe is actually a fully integrated solution. The reason I'm skeptical is because then every photographer who uses it would have to be verified as PCI compliant. Not a process that many photographers are going to (a) want to go through or (b) can afford the cost to become PCI compliant. Looking at Stripe's website, it explicitly states that information is stored on their servers and not the merchant's. They use an API which does much the same thing as a hosted gateway. It's essentially a redirect for payment authorisation and record keeping. Actually, what you see as integrated may actually be redirected in many cases. With the needs of PCI compliance, many companies that accept online payments are using a ‘hosted gateway’, or similar solutions. The payment process is actually redirected to the website of the merchant service provider but the payment page is completely branded to look just like the site of the retailer. To the customer it looks like they never left the retailer’s website. Once the payment process is complete, they simply go back to where they were previously. It’s completely seamless to the customer. This puts the onus for record keeping and much of the PCI compliance onto the merchant services provider rather than the retailer.

I’d be highly skeptical that Stripe is actually a fully integrated solution. The reason I’m skeptical is because then every photographer who uses it would have to be verified as PCI compliant. Not a process that many photographers are going to (a) want to go through or (b) can afford the cost to become PCI compliant. Looking at Stripe’s website, it explicitly states that information is stored on their servers and not the merchant’s. They use an API which does much the same thing as a hosted gateway. It’s essentially a redirect for payment authorisation and record keeping.

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