This week we learned about Site Design and how to include a Credit Card Payment option in our site. One of the assignments that I found particularly useful was to check two successful websites that operates under the same business model than ours and then try to identify what similarities they have in design and layout.
We also needed to choose one that would be a good pattern for our site, which helped me imagine what my site would look like, and what I wanted my site to include.I think this is a great exercise to try before starting any type of business, because even if you want your business to be unique, having a pattern to follow makes the creative process a lot easier.
We also read about design and layout in three different sites, all of them were very interesting and gave me a lot of specific ideas that I need to take into account when making my own site like the color scheme, easy navigation system, external links, etc.
When it comes to credit card payment options, we reviewed PayPal and actually designed a button for our site. The assignment also consisted in coming up with at least three questions that we needed to have answered to know if the button will really work for our business.
My questions were mostly related to whether this method is used in my country or not, but my classmates came up with really good questions that I also think are important to have in mind, some of them are:
Will I be protected from liabilities in a partnership with PayPal?
“While PayPal Fraud Protection Services significantly reduces your chances of experiencing online fraud, PayPal does not directly provide liability protection.” https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_payflow-fraud-faq-outside#Do_I_get_liability_protection
Will the majority of my potential clients be willing to use PayPal?
18% of ecommerce transactions are represented by PayPal http://www.statisticbrain.com/paypal-statistics/
How can I make the check-out process more user friendly?
“Making Paypal standard checkbout more user friendly” –http://www.isummation.com/blog/making-paypal-standard-checkbout-more-user-friendly/
How will I link PayPal to an account?
Payment buttons let you securely accept credit card, debit card, and PayPalpayments on your website from any mobile device, tablet, or PC. Simply log in to thePayPal website to create, and optionally customize, a payment button. Then copy and paste the payment button’s HTML code snippet to your website.
Why are certain payments delayed?
“Payments are delayed to help ensure a safe environment for both buyers and sellers. There’s a slightly higher risk associated with manually-entered payments because the card holder and the card don’t necessarily have to be there for the transaction to take place. We want to make sure that you have money in your account to cover any payment reversals.”
https://developer.paypal.com/docs/faq/
How do I get my money?
“Make sure you add your bank account to your PayPal Business account. Money from your transactions can be added or removed from the bank account associated with your PayPal account.”
https://developer.paypal.com/docs/faq/
Are there PayPal Alternatives? Why might you need PayPal alternatives?
https://www.sitepoint.com/8-paypal-alternatives/
How to Create a Successful Online Business 