We see a lot of trends in the business of merchant services, some for better, some for worse, such as:
- Banks abruptly halting services for certain industries
- Merchant account solutions once easy to find, now difficult
- Payment solutions once popular, now not so much
One trend we’ve noticed the last three years is the constant emergence of web design services companies seeking merchant accounts, for which we have numerous banking solutions. In fact, we’re hard-pressed to refer to it as a mere trend, because people will be shopping, working and playing online for the forseeable future.
Why web design firms are constantly emerging
The business of web design services is always perpetually active and changing in terms of design style, SEO and SEM requirements. Here are four reasons web design services business keep popping up:
- What business do NOT have a website? It’s unfathomable to gauge the number of businesses in the world – they emerge like weeds and most need merchant account solutions for them (hence the number of leads we receive each day). Web design services merchants are not at a loss for opportunities.
- Accommodating different payments: Nowadays, consumers can pay for goods or services online with a credit card, online wallet, virtual check or bitcoin. Different countries and regions of the world have different payment preferences. To accommodate such, e-commerce web masters and administrators are wise to add payment varieties to their sites.
- Constant care, needs: Maintaining a healthy website is similar to owning an automobile. There are oil changes, tire rotations, tune-ups and winterizing. A website needs redesigning every 3-5 years. SEO and SEM practices are constantly changing. For example, as little as three years ago, mentioning a key word 5-10 times in a 300-word blog now works against websites in search results. Links break, outbound and inbound. With a website, maintenance is constant.
- Google, Bing getting smarter: Echoing our point above, SEO standards are always changing, a fact that seasoned website developers know well. It is a little known fact that Google makes two updates affecting SEO standards everyday – usually unannounced. Each year seems to bring new, directly impactful updates – Mobilegeddon, Penguin, Panda and Fred – that leave web design services merchants scrambling to comply.
As long as Google and Bing keep making changes, web design merchants will always have work.
Why banks might deem web design services merchants more risky
While some website design merchants opt to accept payments online, others prefer a check. Those that do offer online payments are considered higher risk: Since the credit card is not present with the merchant at the time of payment, the risk of fraud is higher.
Website development businesses are subject to chargebacks as well (for example, a customer unhappy with a designer’s work might file a chargeback).
There are also other factors impacting risk level: Country of operation, currency, startup or existing business with history, to name few.
Attention: Web design is not tech support. And don’t try to tell us different.
There is a world of difference between web design services and tech support. The most significant (we think) is that tech support is an industry among the highest of high risk types plagued with high chargeback rates while web design services is a relatively easy industry for which to find payment processing solutions.
We often receive leads and calls from merchants who honestly believe they are website designers and developers, when they are truly tech support merchants. A small fraction of those inquiries will make every attempt to pass their businesses off as website services to wrongfully bypass the risk. It’s also a good way to land on the MATCH list.
Merchant Accounts for Web Design Services
Instabill has proven solutions for both startup and existing web design merchants including e-wallet services, check solutions and of course credit card processing. Our merchant account managers will match your business with our best acquiring banking partners to get your business accepting payments.
We’re available at 1-800-530-2444 or by selecting the live chat option below.
