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In this post:\nWhy customer loyalty matters to small, local businesses\nDo loyalty programs increase sales?\nThe characteristics of an effective loyalty program\n6 elements that are critical for loyalty program effectiveness\nDid you know the average American household belongs to 29 different loyalty rewards programs? It makes sense. These programs benefit consumers and businesses alike. In this post, we’ll show you how to start a loyalty program.\nBusiness owners know the key to a stable and thriving business requires a loyal customer base. \nRepeat customers\n alone can increase sales by 47%, and customers who belong to \nloyalty programs\n typically spend 12-18% more than non-members.\nHaving a loyal customer base who purchases from you on a regular basis increases sales, stabilizes your business during lean times, and helps you get the word out.\nThat said, of the 29 loyalty programs to which customers belong, they only participate in about 12 of them. So just having a loyalty program in place isn’t enough. \nYour loyalty program needs to be engaging, compelling, and mutually beneficial for the business and the customer.\nhappy cafe owner accepting credit card for loyalty program\nSo, if a loyalty program is a part of your customer retention strategy (which we would recommend), you’ll want to put one together that keeps customers coming back. After all, that is the reason to have one in the first place, right?

But where do you start, and how do you make your program stronger? We’ve put together the six key elements of a successful rewards program.\n1. A great loyalty plan is frictionless\nJoining and using a loyalty program should be easy. People don’t want to divulge all their personal information at sign up, especially if they are signing up at check out. Nor do most people have room for another card in their wallets. If your current idea or existing plan requires a card, consider ways to make keeping track of that card optional.

A note on enrolling members: While people may not love being asked to join at check out, it still is one of the most effective places to enroll customers. It doesn’t have to be a tedious process. Often a phone number is sufficient to keep on record. It also helps to make it clear what the sign-up process is like. Make sure customers know it’s easy and be sure to reveal the benefits of the program upfront.\n2. Make your loyalty rewards exclusive\nDon’t fear exclusivity. If something is available to everyone, it’s usually exclusive to no one. One of the biggest reasons people join loyalty programs is to get something special or unique. \nEven if the program is available to all your customers, (there is nothing wrong with that), find ways to make the membership feel like they are part of a club, not just a list of customers who shop at your store. The offers they receive shouldn’t be the same offers you use to attract new customers.\nA note on exclusivity: Two temptations often get in the way of building a successful program. \nOne is to build a program that has multiple levels and rewards the most loyal customers more than the rest of the members. This may work for your business, but keep in mind, the more levels there are, the more time it will take to build and manage. Don’t let the program get in the way of the purpose, which is to make customers feel appreciated and feel like they belong.\nThe other temptation is to get as many customers in the program as possible. It is not uncommon for businesses to offer loyalty cards or memberships to first-time customers. But is it really a loyalty club if first-time buyers are members? Food for thought. \nThere is no right or wrong level of exclusivity, so long as it feels exclusive and increases customer retention. That may mean inviting everyone who walks through the door or reserving the club to your biggest spenders. It’s your call.\n3. Make your loyalty campaign repeatable\nThe difference between an offer and a loyalty program lies in the ability of the customer to repeat the process. If customers only get the offer, discount, or deal after their second purchase, it’s not going to entice them back in for a third or fourth purchase.\nLikewise, if it requires dozens of purchase to get the first reward, it may seem a bit out of reach and decrease a customer’s likelihood to participate.\nWe see this a lot with credit card companies. In many cases, getting a reward requires lots of spending and lots of time to rack up points. It’s not an easily repeatable program. It takes years to get to that second reward, and that can discourage participation. \nThat said, they are playing the long game and enticing customers to be lifelong card holders. So this fits their model and mission. Tailor your customer loyalty program to support your strategy. \nPrograms with a repeatable process increase usage. There are many ways to make a program repeatable. It is not as much about the offer as it is about keeping members interested in the program. Keep in mind the timeframe in which you’d like customers to come back.\n4. A good loyalty program compels action from customers\nThe loyalty program should encourage members to take action. A compelling offer is something the customer wants and is willing to work for. It should require some work on the customer’s part, but not so much that they give up. You can’t afford to give an item away for free every other purchase, but it can’t require 15 purchases to redeem. \nPoint systems were one of the most prominent reward methods in the past. However, more and more, these programs are replacing points with other, more compelling rewards. Many companies have found that points don’t encourage usage nearly as much as tangible rewards that make your customer feel more connected to the business.\n\nCarol Roth\n – creator of the \nFuture File\n legacy planning system, former investment banker, small business advocate and host of \nThe Roth Effect\n – says:\n“Loyalty programs can be very effective, but in today’s day and age, your loyalty program should be more personalized and less points-per-dollar oriented. That is very transactional and loyalty is built on building relationships. Access to special perks, events, content, services, products, and more can be customized to your business and your customers’ wants.”\n5. A great customer loyalty program must be reciprocal\nBuilding a rewards program can take a bit of work, especially as you work out the initial kinks, but it can also be one of the best ways to increase customer retention. \nWhen outlining the program, be sure there is a high level of reciprocation, meaning your customer gets real value and so does your business—in other words, make it a win-win. \nWhether the value you’re trying to create for your business is increased sales, customer retention, or increasing word of mouth referrals, be sure the rewards program provides equal value in the eyes of your customer.\n6. Make sure your loyalty plan is “on brand”\nYour brand is your business. The relationships you have with your customers, the general atmosphere of the store, the products or services you offer, and the lifestyle you help them support all contribute to that brand. \nAs you consider the various rewards you can offer your members, be sure they mirror your business’s personality and reputation.\nFor example, if you run a high-end restaurant, giving away a free T-shirt may seem like a good idea because it gets your name out there, but it doesn’t fit the expectations of your customers. They’ll expect high-value rewards, not random swag with a logo on it.\nbeautiful young women buying high-end shoes for loyalty program\nOn the other hand, people who enjoy going to the salon to be pampered will likely enjoy a gift certificate to a high-end restaurant in town. Both are “on brand” in that they support the experience of pampering oneself. \nThink about \nwhy\n your customers come to you. That should be the core of the rewards you offer. \nPro tip: Think outside of the box when it comes to your rewards. Points, discounts, limited deals, and punch cards may be the perfect fit, but there is so much more you can offer. We talking about this in more detail in our post entitled \n5 simple strategies to keep customers coming back\n. If you need some help getting your creative juices flowing, check it out. And remember, the more on-brand your offer, the more compelling it will be for your loyalty members.\nLoyalty program effectiveness depends on your customer knowledge and management\nNone of these elements is more important than the other. In fact, each element depends heavily on one another; they’re intertwined. \nUltimately, you need to understand your customer base if you want to build a program that speaks to their needs and wants and meets the standard they’ve come to expect from your business. You deserve to know how much of your total customer base is made of repeat customers. It will help structure the best plan to improve the health and stability of your customer base. \nSmall businesses have flexibility beyond that of larger corporations. Big companies, like airlines or big-box retail and wholesale stores, have to accommodate millions of people and provide an experience that is universal across state lines. They have to play to their averages. \nSmall businesses don’t. They can be far more specific, engaged, and personal to win the neighborhood. But that starts with understanding your customer base.

The 6 elements of an effective customer loyalty program

In this article:\nBest free receipt tracking apps, with features, pros, and cons\nAny business owner’s receipt pile can quickly grow out-of-hand and become overwhelming to manage. And it’s important to make sure you have a good handle on receipts for business expenses and keep them well organized to ensure a smooth tax season (whether you’re the one taking care of your own taxes or not). \nThis article will cover some fantastic free options to help you organize and keep track of your receipts along with the pros and cons of each app.\n7 best free apps to track your business receipts (review of features, pros, and cons)\nEach of the following apps are free, however, some of them have additional add-ons that you can purchase or even desktop/in-browser solutions that you can subscribe to. \nExpensify\n(Image)\n\nExpensify allows you to scan in receipts by snapping a quick photo, making it easy to keep track of personal and business expenses. Sort and categorize your receipts or even send have the app email them to the right person who handles your expenses. \nExpensify also has a card that you can sign up for that can be connected to your business bank account. Using this card will automatically place your business transactions into app for easy management. (The card is part of the Expensify subscription plan which is $4.99/month per user and does not come free with the app.)\nFeatures of the app include:\nUnlimited receipt scanning\nExpense management\nTravel booking through Concierge\nApproval workflows\nMileage tracking\nReceipt integrations (Uber, Lyft, and others)\nAccounting integrations (QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, and more)\nCustom reports\nPros of the Expensify app\nEasy to learn and use\nSet regular reminders\nSaves time and money\nCons of the Expensify app\nConcierge pops up to give tips now and then, this could be annoying to some users (but it could also be super helpful)\nEmails from Expensify are sometimes duplicated\nAutomated receipt processing doesn’t always work, so make sure you check the categories when uploading your receipts\nWave\n(Image)\n\nPreviously Wave had an app called Receipts by Wave, but it has been incorporated into this Wave Invoicing app that provides an all-in-one solution for your business, from sending mobile invoices to managing expenses. \nYou can easily connect your bank accounts to the app to manage your transactions, and it has a Guest Collaborator feature that allows you to share access with an accountant, staff member, or business partner. \nPlus, if you need to send customer invoices, this is a free solution that you can start with. \nOther features of Wave Invoicing include:\nUnlimited receipt scanning\nAccounting reports\nInvoice data backed up and securely stored in the cloud\nPros of Wave Invoicing app\nFree\nEasy to use and understand\nProfessional-looking invoices\nAllows creation of new categories\nCons of Wave Invoicing app\nLimited capabilities with reporting\nPredictive categorizations aren’t always right\nFreshBooks\n(Image)\n\nFull disclosure: This app is only free for the first 30 days and no credit card is required to start using it. After that time, you will need to subscribe to keep using it. But that gives you a good amount of time to decide if you like it. FreshBooks has pricing options starting at $4.50/month.\nFreshBooks is another all-in-one accounting software for small businesses. The FreshBooks app allows business owners to take their invoicing, expense tracking, and even time tracking on the go.  \nFeatures include:\nTrack expenses by taking photos of receipts\nProfessional invoices\nAccept online payments\nClient conversations \nTime tracking\nPros of FreshBooks app\nEasy to learn and use\nReliable invoicing\nGreat customer service\nCons of FreshBooks app\nFreshBooks has multiple apps out there, the classic version and this newer one, and they each have some different capabilities. This newer app doesn’t have some features of the classic app\nDivvy\n(Image)\n\nDivvy touts itself as the world’s first free, fully-automated spending and expense management software. It allows you to track business expenses with real-time budget insights to help you avoid going over budget. \nYour entire team can have access to the app to be able to make quick requests and approvals for budgets, and it allows the accounting team to see and record expenses in real-time. \nFeatures include:\nAutomatically record and submit expenses\nItemize spending data\nGlobal currency compatibility\nOnline card generator\nIntegrations with accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, and more)\nPros of Divvy app\nIncorporate budgets for individuals and departments\nGreat customer support\nEasy to use and understand\nCons of Divvy app\nLimited capabilities with accounting software integrations\nShoeboxed\n(Image)\n\nIf you need something simple to just keep track of receipts and mileage, this could be just what you’re looking for. Take a picture of your receipt and let the app automatically pull all of your data like vendor, transaction amount, payment method, and date for you. \nFeatures include:\nUnlimited receipt scanning\nCategorize receipts\nCreate and send expense reports\nSoftware integrations (QuickBooks, Wave Accounting, Excel, Xero, and more)\nPros of Shoeboxed app\nEasy to use\nInvite multiple users\nSaves time and money\nCons of Shoeboxed app\nCan take a little time to load new receipts\nLimited functionality\nSmart Receipts\n(Image)\n\nSmart Receipts is another simple expense and mileage tracker. It also has fully customizable reporting capabilities so that you can easily keep track of your finances and/or send reports to accounting and business partners. \nFeatures include:\nUnlimited receipt scanning – take photos, import existing photos, import PDF receipts\nCategorize receipts – credit, edit and delete categories\nAutomatic exchange rate processing\nGenerate custom PDF, CSV, and ZIP reports\nAutomatic backups with Google Drive\nPros of Smart Receipts app\nEasy to use and understand\nSave time and money\nGreat for capturing receipts while traveling\nCons of Smart Receipts app\nLimited sorting/filtering capabilities\nAutofill data from receipts isn’t free (but this can be purchased)\nClear Scan\n(Image)\n\nThis app is for the people that still enjoy the DIY aspect of managing their receipts. It is simply a document scanning app. So you can take a photo to scan a document (or receipt) and then upload it to your file managing system–Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc. \nIf you send everything over to an accountant, this could also be a good solution for you. Just take a photo from the app and send it over. Then you have it stored in one place, rather than having to look through the photos on your phone if you need to resend it. \nFeatures include:\nCreate folders and subfolders for categorizing\nExtracts text from images\nBackup and restore data\nConvert images to PDFs\nPros of Clear Scan app\nQuick and easy to use\nGreat scanning capabilities for a phone\nCons of Clear Scan app\nContains ads in the free version\nScans aren’t always perfectly clear\nThere you have it! Good luck, and have fun tracking your receipts.\nSources:\n
\nhttps://www.trustradius.com/products/expensify/reviews\n
\nhttps://www.trustradius.com/products/wave-accounting/reviews\n
\nhttps://www.trustradius.com/products/freshbooks/reviews\n
\nhttps://www.trustradius.com/products/divvy/reviews\n
\nhttps://reviews.financesonline.com/p/shoeboxed/\n
\nhttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=wb.receipts&showAllReviews=true\n
\nhttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.indymobileapp.document.scanner\n

7 best free receipt tracking apps (review, features, pros, and cons)

In this article:\nHow to tell if a review is fake\nHow to respond to fake reviews\nHow to remove fake reviews\nGet more positive reviews\nGetting regular online reviews is an important part of keeping up with your online reputation. Often times these will come naturally, and sometimes you have to do a little more work to maintain a good supply of fresh reviews. But sometimes, people who weren’t ever your customers take it upon themselves to try to badmouth your company with fake Google reviews. \nFake reviews are frustrating. They sometimes come from a disgruntled former employee or a competitor and they are loaded with false claims. But occasionally people mistake your business for another and leave a negative review in the wrong place.\nAs part of your small business's review management strategy, you need to know how to handle a fake review if you ever receive one. \nWe’ll walk you through the best course of action in handling fake Google reviews. \nHow to tell if a negative Google review is fake\nFirst, you need to determine if the review is indeed fake. Sometimes this is guesswork, but more often than not you’ll be able to tell.\nWatch out for these top identifiers of fake reviews on Google:\nThe person who left the review doesn’t match up with anyone in your customer list or a current customer/patient that you have record of\nThe profile of the reviewer is anonymous\nThe timing of the review is suspicious (after an employee was let go or a new competitor enters the market)\nThe profile of the reviewer is suspicious (only leaves negative reviews for specific types of companies or uses repetition in their reviews across different companies)\nThe comments of the review are generic or full of keyword spam\nGo deeper: \nHow to spot fake online reviews\nPay attention to the review and do a little deeper dive to determine if the review is fake. When you have made that discovery, take the next steps to handle the fake review. \nHow to respond to a fake negative review on Google\nEven though you know the review is fake, that doesn’t mean that potential customers who read your reviews will catch on. That’s why it is important to respond in a professional manner to fake reviews (even though you may not want to give them the time of day). \nIt’s important to respond to \nall\n reviews that come across your Google Business listing, including those that are negative or fake. \nThe best way to respond to a fake review is to point out that it is fake in a subtle and professional way. This will help others who read the reviews to recognize the spammy review and discredit it. \nwoman with paper bag over her head with frowny face for fake reviews\n\nHere’s an example of a response you might use on an anonymous review or a review from someone you don’t recognize:\n“Hello, we are sorry you had a negative experience with our company. However, we are unable to identify you as a customer in our records. If we are mistaken, please reach out so we can improve this situation.”\nCheck out our complete guide: \nHow to respond to negative reviews\n\nReporting fake reviews on Google\nThe next step is to report the review. Google will only remove reviews if they are in clear violation of their review content policies:\nNo fake or spammy content \nNo off-topic content\nNo restricted content\nNo illegal or sexually explicit content\nNo offensive, dangerous, or derogatory content\nNo impersonating\nNo conflicts of interest (reviewing your own company or a competitor’s listing)\nIf you are certain the review is fake, then it goes against Google’s policies and has a high chance of being removed. \nThis doesn’t guarantee that Google will remove the review, though, because they do need to be convinced that the review is fake. So it’s good to provide as much insight as possible into the report of a fake review (or at least as much as Google will allow you to). \nTo report a Google review, you simply need to navigate to the review on the Google My Business listing, or within your Google My Business dashboard, and click the three-dot icon in the right corner of the review. Click “flag as inappropriate” and then follow the prompts to report the review to Google. \nRead our comprehensive guide: \nThe complete guide to removing fake reviews\nWork to get more positive reviews\nThe best course of action after dealing with a negative review on Google, especially a fake one that you can’t remove, is to consistently be working to get more positive reviews. \nDon’t let fake reviews ruin your online reputation. Instead, continue to improve it with a good review management strategy. \nHappy customers generally aren’t as motivated to leave reviews as unhappy customers (or, unfortunately, as ill-advised competitors). That’s why you need to have a strategy in place to encourage satisfied customers to leave your business online reviews. \nReminding happy customers that you appreciate their honest feedback can encourage them to leave reviews, and will help you drown out the noise of any fake and negative reviews you’ve acquired, and show potential customers the awesome things that your company is doing well. \nThe best way to invite a customer to leave a review is to make it as easy for them as possible. Simply reminding your customers that their feedback is important to you, or sending a text or email link to your Google My Business page, makes this process much easier. 

What to do when you get a fake Google review of your business

In this article:\nIs selling online right for your business?\nHow to start selling online\nUpdate your customers\nBest practices for selling online\nSetting up an online store can help maximize profits and customer reach. In this guide, we’ll walk you through some of the best e-commerce solutions for your business and what best practices you should be keeping as you get set up. \nIs selling online right for your business?\nYour business doesn’t have to be a retail store to benefit from selling online. Even service industry businesses can often reap the rewards of online sales. \nIf you don’t have physical products to sell, as a service business, you can still market and sell your services, and even schedule appointments online. \nThink about what your business can offer and sell online and consider whether the potential cashflow you’ll receive from it will outweigh the costs to get it started. \nHow to set up an e-commerce store\nSetting up an e-commerce store and selling online take a lot more than just uploading your products to a website. There are several aspects of online sales that you need to consider as you move into this sales venue. \nWhat will you be selling?\nAre you going to offer all of your products online? Or are there a specific few that are popular that you want to focus on?\nConsider what you can viably sell online and what items will bring you the most profits. It’s important to try to keep costs to a minimum so only sell items that are easy and quick to fulfill orders on or that bring in good profits. \nDropshipping or selling from your inventory\nYou’ll need to determine if you’ll keep your store stocked up (if you’re in retail) or if you’ll ship directly from your manufacturer. Some businesses may not have the option to do the latter, but it’s something to think about. \nIf you have a physical location, you may have a large enough inventory on-hand right now to start selling products that you have in-store, in which case you’ll need to determine how best to ship your products from your store (see below for more info). \nfemale business owner shipping and warehousing\n\nWith dropshipping, you can have products shipped directly from the manufacturer, so if this is an option for you, it might be a good one to take since it takes less people to fulfill the order. \nE-commerce website builders and platforms\nIf you’ve never sold online before, you’re going to need to find a platform that will allow you to do so. \nIf you have your own website that your customers regularly visit, then you might consider one of the following options which you can integrate into your current website:\nEcwid is a subscription-based ecommerce platform that can integrate seamlessly with most content management systems. You just set up your account and online store and have your web developer drop the code into your website. If you only have 10 products or less, you can use their free plan. \nShopify works similarly where you’ll need to create an account, upload your products, and then you can integrate them onto your website. Their lowest plan starts at $29/month for unlimited products. \nIf you don’t have a website or you prefer to sell through third-party platforms, you might look into Amazon or Etsy, depending on the type of items you sell. \nShipping and order fulfillment\nThe point of having an online store is to maximize profits and increase customer reach. Most of your orders will likely be shipped directly to your customer’s home or mailbox. You’ll need to determine how you will fulfill those orders. \nMany businesses offer free shipping to encourage customers to make more online purchases. If you choose this route, just make sure that you are still making a profit and that shipping costs aren’t going to pull you under. Raise the prices of your products to cover the cost of shipping if needed. \nChoose the shipping service that you will use to get your orders to your customers: USPS, FedEX, UPS. \nGo deeper: \nComplete guide to fulfilling and shipping orders for your online store\nTest your store to make sure everything works\nBefore launching your online store and advertising it, make sure everything works like it should so you aren’t missing orders.\nLearn more: \nHow to set up an eCommerce store for your small business\nInform your customers that you are selling online\nCustomer communication is critical, so make sure you inform them of any changes you make to your business—including selling online. \nCreate a bold call-to-action on the home page of your website that links to your online store or products. \nShare the news on your \nsocial media channels\n and \nonline business listings\n, and create \nonline advertising\n that targets new customers who are looking to shop online. \nBest practices for selling online\nKeep these best practices in mind as you are setting up your online store. They will help draw in more customers and convert more sales. \nOnline promotions\nCreate enticing promotions like BOGO deals and free shipping that encourage customers to spend more in one transaction. \nQuality photos\nTake appealing photos of your products. Spend a little time to make your photos look professional. Not sure you can do this on your own? There are likely plenty of local photographers looking for work right now that can help you. \nRead our helpful guides:\nDo-it-yourself photography guide for small business\nTop 3 ways to get (and use) professional quality photos for your business\nProduct names and descriptions\nCreate well-written product names and descriptions. Keep the names simple and descriptive of what the product actually is. Add any additional and essential details (color, size, weight, etc.) in the description of the product. \nAutomate as many processes as possible\nSuper-small businesses typically have limited time and resources, so it's important to find ways to be as efficient as possible. Your e-commerce platform should be able to do a lot of this for you, like automatically creating packing slips and determining sales tax. \nSet up online newsletters\nAs you are creating your e-commerce platform, add an online newsletter/email campaign to your website and social media platforms to allow customers to stay up to date on new deals and changes that your business may be facing right now. \nRead more: \nBest practices for small business email marketing\n

How to get your business started selling online

In this article:\nWhy add business to Apple Maps\nHow to add and claim your business on Apple Maps\nWhat to do next\nWhen it comes to navigation apps, Google Maps definitely takes the cake in terms of usage, with 72% of the market while Apple Maps only takes 11%.\nHowever, that 11% is still equal to more than 23 million monthly users, so Apple Maps is still an important platform to be thinking about when adding your business to various online directories. \nWhy add your business to Apple Maps\nAs you can see, many people are using Apple Maps to navigate from place to place. That means they are likely using it to find their way to new businesses that they want to try out too. (Hint: that’s you!)\nIn order to reach the most customers for your business, you should be adding your business to multiple online directories and map services. The more directories you are listed on, the better opportunity you have to reach more people. \nBeyond people finding your business on Apple Maps directly, adding your business to multiple online directories (Apple Maps included) can help your business rank better in local searches on Google, Bing, and other search engines. \nGo deeper: \n25 free business listing websites every small or local business should be on\nHow to list and verify your business with Apple Maps\nLet’s get started. \nStep 1: Log into Apple Maps Connect\nThe first thing you need to do to add your business to Apple Maps (or check to see if it is there) is sign into Apple Maps Connect. \nGo to \nmapsconnect.apple.com\n and sign in with your Apple ID. If you don’t have an Apple ID, create one. \n(Image)\n\n
If you need to create an Apple ID, you will be redirected to appleid.apple.com. Click “Create Your Apple ID” and follow the steps to set this up. \n(Image)\n\nStep 2: Choose your language and agree to terms\nOnce you’re signed into Apple Maps Connect, you’ll be prompted to select a language. Choose the most relevant language for your business, and click “Done.” \n(Image)\n\nThen you’ll be directed to a window to agree to Apple’s term before proceeding. Check “I have read and agree to these terms of use” and click “Agree.”\nStep 3: Find your business\nNext, search for your business to see if it already exists on Apple Maps. Type your business name and address into the fields provided and click “Search.”\n(Image)\n\nClick on your business if you see it. Once you click on your business, look to the bottom of your screen and click “Claim this place.” Proceed to Step 4.\n(Image)\n\nIf you don’t see your business listed when you search for it, click “Add new place” and then continue to Step 4 of this guide. \n(Image)\n\nStep 4: Add and/or claim your business on Apple Maps\nWhether you are clicking to claim your business or clicked “Add new place,” the next steps will be the same. \nYou’ll be provided with a few options to add or update your information: \nBusiness name (make sure this is accurate)\nPlace status (open or not)\nCategories\nPhone number\nWhether or not you accept Apple Pay\nComplete this form and click “Next.”\n(Image)\n\nTo finish claim your listing, you will be prompted to have Apple call your business to verify your phone number. Click “Call me now” and they will place an automated call to your business with a code. \n(Image)\n\nEnter the code you received and click “Done.”\n(Image)\n\nCongratulations, you have now claimed your business on Apple Maps!\nWhat to do next\nNow that your business is listed on Apple Maps, you’ve just increased your opportunities to gain more customers and improve your brand awareness. \nBut you shouldn’t stop there.\nWe have some guides that will help you further improve your online visibility:\n25 free business listing websites every small or local business should be on\nLocal SEO: 15 free tips for better search rankings\nIt’s important to add your business to multiple online directory sites and navigational apps to improve your opportunity to rank well in the search engines, as well as to show up on every channel that customers use to find new businesses. 


How to add your business to Apple Maps

In this article:\nWhat is an alternative payment method?\nCommon types of alternative payment methods\nAdvantages to accepting APMs\nHow to get your business set up to accept alternative payments\n“Business” has at its core the process of buying and selling, or the exchange of goods and services for payment. Your small business isn’t going to be around very long if you give your products and services away for free, so you obviously need to get set up to accept payments.\nMost successful businesses (by far) are set up for \ncredit card processing\n. However, a growing number of consumers are looking for “alternative” payment methods to use, even when dealing with small, local businesses.\nLet’s look at some common alternative payment methods and why you should consider using one or more of them.\nWhat is an “alternative payment method”?\nDefinitions vary depending on context, but for our purposes here when discussing small businesses, an APM or alternative payment method is any method of transferring funds from consumer to business other than the usual payment by cash, credit/debit card, or check. \nSome popular APMs include prepaid cards, store cards, eWallets or digital wallets, mobile payments, money orders, bank transfers, and “buy now, pay later” instant financing programs. Some of the big names currently are APMs like Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay, Zelle, PayPal, Venmo, Square Cash, Alipay, Afterpay, and Affirm.\nPrepaid cards generally work like any other credit card, so for the business owner, you usually don’t have to get “set up” to accept this particular form of APM if you’re already able to accept credit or debit cards. \nAnd not many local businesses have the wherewithal to extend in-store lines of credit or “store cards” (anyone remember the old Sears card?). However, since many of today’s customers use mobile payment, digital wallets, or other payment services providers, you should consider discussing these types of payment with your merchant services provider or payment processor, or whoever helps you process digital payments or facilitates your POS (point of sale) hardware and software.\nAPMs came into being to reduce payment friction. Example: PayPal\nPayPal was the first widely accepted alternative payment method and gained popularity during the explosion of the Internet in the 1990s-2010s. PayPal was for a while the only practical way two non-commercial parties could pay each other online without getting a bank transfer involved, or sending a check, money order, or cash via the mail.\n(Image)\n\nPayPal got so popular on eBay (since it made the sending and receiving of funds between eBay buyer and seller so much simpler) that eBay bought PayPal for about 1.5 billion dollars in 2002, and the two companies grew together until eBay split PayPal off into a separate publicly traded company in 2015. PayPal is worth about $100 billion currently.\nPayPal payments can be sent online (via the website) or using the PayPal app, and funds can be drawn from a linked credit or debit card, or a linked bank account. PayPal has also issued its own credit card, just to confuse things further.\nVenmo (owned by PayPal) was intended to be a “social networking” app that allowed P2P (person to person) payments. They’ve (wisely) dialed back on pushing the social networking functionality over the years but Venmo has exploded in popularity because it’s very quick and easy to use, and is free for friends or acquaintances to connect their bank accounts to the Venmo app and pay each other, split a check, etc. \nHowever, there's still considerable "friction" for individuals or small businesses that want to accept payments via Venmo, since you have to have your buyers/payers sign up for accounts, download the app, and connect their bank accounts before they can make payments.\nWearables, “smart cards,” and other contactless payments\nWhile so-called “contactless” payments may certainly be considered “alternative” compared to the more traditional way of processing credit card payments, they may or may not fit into our definition of an APM, depending on how they are funded.\nContactless payments can be made via certain credit cards, debit cards, key fobs, smart cards, “wearables” (such as wristbands, watches, rings, etc.), or other devices including smartphones, that are capable of using radio-frequency identification (RFID) or near field communication (NFC). These cards and devices allow payments to be made without actually requiring any physical contact between customers or their devices/cards and your payment terminal or employee, and without forcing the customer to carry any other form of payment or ID.\ncustomer paying with a contactless payment wearable\nThis has obvious advantages in speed and convenience for both businesses and customers, and is particularly useful during a pandemic since there is no required physical contact between the device/card/wearable and the payment terminal, nor the exchange of any item between cashier and customer.\nSome well-known contactless examples include Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay, and Fitbit Pay. Your bank’s mobile application may also support contactless payments, and you more than likely have a “smart card” in your wallet. These are simply standard credit cards with RFID chips embedded in them that allow near-field validation of your card at compatible payment terminals.\nWhy should local businesses consider accepting alternative payment methods?\nToday’s customers expect that businesses they like will move toward a more “omnichannel” business model for providing goods and services via multiple avenues, allowing for convenience and flexibility for their customers.\nThe same thing goes when it comes to payments. The more ways you have for customers to pay, the better it is for them—and thus the better it is for you.\nIf you suddenly had a lot of people coming to you wanting to pay with, say, gold bullion, you’d probably quickly learn all you could about gold bullion, determine how to accept it and value it correctly, and convert it into a form of currency you could use.\nIt’s the same thing with APMs. Cash is falling in popularity, particularly among younger consumers, who may also be skeptical of traditional credit cards (and don’t even think about asking them to pay with a check).\n\nModern customers expect multiple avenues to pay, even from small, local retailers, and some customers don’t even carry wallets, cards, or cash anymore. A smartphone or even a “wearable” can be enough for a postmodern consumer to carry out daily life and typical in-person purchases.\nWhat types of alternative payments should I consider accepting?\nFor the purposes of this article we are going to treat all “mobile payments,” app-based payments, online payments, digital wallets, and digital payments services as functionally identical. \nWhether customers’ funds are sourced from a linked bank account, a credit card, a PayPal balance, or stored digitally on the device in question is not really the main point where business owners are concerned.\nWhat you care about is how complicated is it to accept these payments, how much is the fee (if any), and how easy is it to get set up with your current POS system (if you have one). The best way to get a relevant answer to these questions is to discuss them with your specific payment processor, merchant service provider, or business advisor familiar with the payments process. Or check out \nSolo.co\n and learn why it's perfect for small businesses, solopreneurs, freelancers, contractors, gig workers, and more!\nGenerally the fee (when a fee is charged) is similar to what your processor would charge you to accept a traditional credit card payment (perhaps around 3%) but in some cases it can vary, and it may be lower, which is another reason you might consider APMs.\nZelle is free for consumers and person-to-person transfers, but your bank may charge you a fee depending on several variables. Your business account will also need to be with a bank that offers Zelle if you wish to accept that type of payment.\nKnow your customers and tailor your APMs to them\nAnother thing to consider is your customer base. In some places and for some businesses it may make sense to go through the process to accept, say, Fitbit pay, and in other places it may not, due to lack of customer adoption. Talk to your customers and fellow business owners and see what people are using and what they want to be able to use.\nAlipay is a good example as well. Alipay is an online and mobile payments system that is huge in China and growing in popularity in the US, particularly where there are large Chinese populations or in locations where Chinese tourists frequently visit. \nIf this describes your business, you may want to get set up to accept Alipay, because it can greatly reduce friction for payments where communication is a problem and cross-border payments can be complicated. If you never deal with any customers wanting or expecting to be able to pay using Alipay (or WhatsApp pay or whatever else), it may not make sense for your business.\nDepending on what kind of store you run, you might consider partnering with an instant consumer financing company like Affirm or Afterpay that allows customers to get their purchases immediately (after a short approval process) and pay over time, sometimes without any fees. \nGenerally the merchant (you) get your full amount up front (minus the financing company’s fee), and the 3rd-party financing company handles any installments, fee collection, and the repayment process from there. This type of purchase is exploding in popularity and it might make sense for you.\nHow do I get set up to accept alternative payment methods?\nChances are, you already have the capability to accept one or more APMs. Many POS systems (depending on the processor) already come with the capability to accept mobile- or app-based payments.\nYou may need to upgrade your POS hardware if you don’t have the capability to accept “contactless” payments made with RFID/NFC enabled cards, phones, and devices, but since more and more customers are moving toward this type of low-contact payment, it may be worth it to you. \nBartering, trading, discounting\nWhile not technically part of the strict definition of “Alternative Payment Methods,” bartering or trading for goods or services is pretty much the O.G. of the payments world, and in some business models this “alternative” can still make sense, depending on the attitude and willingness of the parties involved.\nA dairy farmer might trade fresh milk to a local piano teacher in exchange for weekly lessons. A baker might barter a couple of dozen hot donuts for a local printer to make up some business cards. A tax preparing firm might offer free analysis and tax return preparation to all members of a local chamber in exchange for waiving annual dues. These are just a few examples of how this might work.\nOf course, be sure to comply with all regulations related to your industry and adhere to proper tax laws.\nSolo can help you accept APMs\nSolo is the easy way for small businesses, solopreneurs, freelancers, and sole proprietors to pay and get paid. Buyers can pay you using cards or APMs like Apple Pay or Google Pay, and they don't have to sign up for an account to pay you! Check out \nSolo.co\n and learn why it might be perfect for you.

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