Personal Finance and Investing

An eCommerce Web Site provides a secure Internet-based facility for transactions between a business and a customer. It can use rich media presentations to help customers in their buying decisions, provide live support for customer inquiries, take and fulfill orders, and even provide real-time tracking of deliveries for physical products. Whatever feature these eCommerce web sites may have, they have one primary purpose and that is to bring in sales for the company 24 hours a day.

Although setting up an eCommerce web site has never been easier, the bigger challenge for most businesses is to set-up an effective website that tirelessly pulls-in sales for the company day in and day out.

The crucial element is in the design and structure of your eCommerce web site. This will make or break your online venture. It’s like having a 200 horsepower engine but without the proper chassis, it will end up nowhere.

So, in order to ensure a good return on the time, money and skill to be invested, make sure you take these factors into account.

1. Answer the #1 Question in Your Customer’s Mind

All successful eCommerce web sites know how to answer one critical question of customers – “What’s in it for me?” Let’s face it, all customers are “me-oriented.” You, yourself, are a customer and you can attest that before you give any bit of attention to a product or service, it must first answer, “what’s in it for you?”

So if you don’t give site visitors a reason to care about your product or services, no amount of sophistication to your eCommerce site can deliver the sale.

2. Organized content

Ever been into a market place where every vendor yells at you about what they have to offer? Not only is it confusing, it’s irritating. This would also be the case if you’re trying to present all your products benefits, features, prices and promos on a single page.

So structure your content wisely. Categorize your products or services based on functionality, benefit, feature, color, or size. However it may be, always put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Organize your products/services on how you think your customer can best find and decide on what he or she is looking for.

3. Use color and images to your advantage

Colors and images inspire feelings. It’s no accident why coffee shops like Starbucks and Coffee Bean are using almost the same color tones and images. Upon entering them, you instantly feel soothed by the ambiance and the cozy chairs invite you to sit, unwind, forget the world while enjoying the warmth, aroma and taste of coffee.

In almost the same way, proper use of color and images in your eCommerce web site will set the mood for your clients to stay awhile, read, listen or watch about what your product can do for them.

4. Don’t over sell or over promise

Nothing will make a customer hold-on to his wallet and ran away faster that an infomercial sounding sales pitch. No matter how other marketers would vouch that it’s effective, don’t degrade your web site by sounding like a used car salesman.

Your website should convey a lot of credibility and prestige to gain your customers trust.

And lastly…

5. High touch vs high tech

It’s no doubt that an eCommerce web site has a lot of intricacies wired into it in order to quickly process multiple online transactions at any given time. It’s a whole lot more efficient compared to hiring a lot of sales people to handle every customer on a one-on-one basis. However, you should never use the ‘high-techness’ of your web site to impress your customers. Gone are the days when people are awestruck by technology. As a matter of fact, some are already nauseated by it.

Instead the your eCommerce web site should interact to customers the way a real person would. It should be User-intuitive where only information and functions relevant to the customer are presented to him or her.

Since people want information and they want it now, your eCommerce web site should create an impression that you can quickly cater to their wants.

No Comments yet »

Best forex indicators – you can trade the foreign exchange using many different timeframes. Some of the most popular ones are the 1 minute, 5 minute, 15 minute, 1 hour, 4 hour, 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month charts. So many choices can really confuse the novice trader, so in this article, we will talk about which one is right for you.

The one you choose will largely depend on your personality and trading goals. If you want to be in and out of trades quickly, then you might use a 1 or 5 minute chart. If you want more time to analyze your trades, then you will use a 1 hour or higher.

Also your experience will be a factor when choosing. Generally the smaller the time sample, the harder it is to trade. For one reason, you have to make quick decisions on quick charts, and quick decisions for beginners usually end in losses. Secondly, patterns that develop on smaller charts are less reliable because they reflect only a small sample of time. Chart patterns using higher time samples are generally more reliable.

One more point – you will probably use a combination of timeframes when you trade. These different market perspectives will be one of the best forex indicators you ever use. You might look for a good trade on a larger timeframe and then drop down to a smaller one to identify the exact entry and exit points. But it is best to choose 1 and use it the majority of the time.

So which timeframe should you choose?

If you are a beginner, you should use the 15 minute or higher. Anything less is too quick. You first need to recognize patterns, learn the market, and become very familiar with your trading station before you focus on trading often.

Most people suggest that novices start on the 1 hour chart. You won’t get a lot of trade opportunities on the 1 hour, but you don’t have to take a lot of trades to make money. I repeat – you do not have to take a lot of trades to make money. Many traders get the feeling that if they are not actively trading then they are wasting their time. Usually traders that over-trade waste more than just their time – they waste their money.

So try different timeframes and see which one works best for you. The right one for you will be one of the best forex indicators you can have.

No Comments yet »

The modern financial world is definitely a lot more complicated than not-so-long-ago. Then, keeping a savings account would suffice for many people. To some, it was even already a symbol of wealth. These days though, there are many services and financial products that you can choose from to manage and make your finances grow. In order to make the right decisions on what to get into or sign up for, everyone certainly needs financial education. After all, who would want their hard-earned money go to waste? Here are three reasons why.

Credit card debt: Nowadays, even teenagers have credit cards and they use them to buy everything they need and want. It is a very common scenario that they purchase more than what they can pay for. Knowing how emotional these youngsters can be, they can fall into impulsive buying and splurging in no sweat. They max out their credit limits without even having a full understanding of what compounding interests are. Neither do they care about what they may face in the event of mishandling their accounts. Without proper financial education, they would be in a debt crisis at such an early age. Unfortunately, this will not only be their burden but their parents’ too.

Unforeseen debt: To prevent this from happening, this type of education must be given ample priority by every individual-young adults and adults alike. For instance, before signing up for a credit account, you must have a comprehensive understanding of the credit rules. How will unpaid balances affect your future statements of accounts? What will happen if you keep on failing to pay? As with anything the fastest way to get unforeseen debt, is to not take the time to read the fine print.

Knowing where and how to get the information: Another reason why being financially literate is very important is because people need to cope with the technical advances happening in the world. People must know the great roles of computers and the internet in managing finances and how they can use them to their advantage. The technologies of the World Wide Web and telecommunications have made financial services more affordable and broadly available to all types of consumers. But because of this, people must exert extra efforts in understanding them too.

If we are putting the benefits of financial education in a nutshell, there are two things that would come to mind: it will help us avoid losing unnecessary money and will help us save as much as possible. If you know how to handle your money, you will not spend more than what you can afford to pay for. Consequently, you will not have to play against debts you did not even want to accumulate in the first place. Now, when you are able to do these, you would have a bigger probability of saving up and having some funds you can greatly benefit from in the future. If you want these, be financially educated now.

No Comments yet »

With lower-paying jobs after graduation and several student loans to pay off, twenty year old students can be deep in a financial hole with a long climb out. Timely information on what an unsecured loan can mean will help a college student preserve their finances.

Parents Role

Parents should do explain how fast interest can pile up on a credit card and help their college student determine a budget to pay any personal loan. If parents are going to provide their child with a credit card they have several options. But be sure to tell your student about how hard it is to get an unsecured loan with bad credit.

You can consider adding your college student to your credit card account or open a separate account for him as long as you set some ground rules and limits. One option lets your child have a prepaid credit card set up against his bank account. He can deposit his earnings or allowance into the account and pay his car loan. Nothing helps teach your child the value of money than using his own! That way he doesn’t get behind and he won’t have to look for a home loan with bad credit.

Thinking Ahead Can Be Thought

Buying a home or vehicle may seem way down the road for your child, but explain to him that a loan with bad credit is difficult to come by. Make sure he knows that even one late payment could show up on his credit report. Young students need to understand that their current decisions will affect their future and limit their ability to get finance and make their dreams possible.

Personal Loans As a Source of Finance

A short term personal loan may be an option if a student needs finance due to getting over-extended. Don’t just give him the money, however. Set up payments for him to pay you back. This is an excellent way to teach proper financial behavior. Even though the loan is in your name, you can make him think that he or she is the one who owes the money and create the sense of responsibility that is needed in financial life.

You can explain the concepts: interest rate, loan term, repayment program, loan installment, income, debt, income to debt ratio, etc. You can also explain what the consequences of late payments or missed payments are, how credit is measured, how it can drop and how it can rise and what can happen to their credit score if they fail to meet their obligations (default and bankruptcy). At this stage young people can assimilate a lot of information so it is wise to explain to them what will help them live a life with ease in the future.

No Comments yet »

If you were asked how many years it takes to earn a Bachelor’s Degree from college, you would probably say 4 years right? Unfortunately, if you go by the averages, you’d be off by 2 years. Those 2 extra years can cost you thousands of dollars.

It’s No Longer “4-Year College”

According to a study by the U.S. Department of Education, the average time it takes to earn a Bachelor’s Degree is now 6.2 years. Only 36% of those who begin public 4 year college graduate in 4 years!

Why is it taking longer? Research shows that there are a handful of key reasons:

Just Enough to Get By Many students view college as an entitlement. They go to college not because they see value in it, but because it’s what is expected. As a result, these students do just enough to get by. Without the motivation, direction, or focus, they take longer to graduate or ultimately, drop out. Not Prepared Many students simply aren’t prepared for the academic challenge of college. Without planning early in their high school years, they opt out of the more challenging classes that would have prepared them for college. As a result, when they reach college, they need remedial courses to catch up. “I’ll Decide Later” Some students don’t take the time to think through what they’ll do after they graduate. Without some idea of their interests and aspirations, they find it easier to postpone decisions about their future. College becomes a comfortable place to hangout until they decide. Transfers Studies have shown that students who transfer from one college to another (even once), typically take longer to graduate. Changing Majors It is not at all unusual for college students to change their majors. But the further a student is into their college experience, the greater impact changing majors can have on meeting graduation requirements. Working Their Way Through College With today’s high cost of college, many students are having to work their way through school. Juggling the demands of both school and a job can delay graduation.
The Cost of Delayed Graduation

Based on data from The College Board’s 2006-07 Annual Survey of Colleges, if a student takes 6 years to graduate, the cost difference could be anywhere from $33,000 to $67,000 more than planned! The data shows that the average cost of attending a 4-year college including tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies is:

Public In-State:
4 Years: $65,428 6 Years: $98,142 Difference: $32,714
4-Year Public Out-of-State:
4 Years: $105,216 6 Years: $157,824 Difference: $52,608
4-Year Private College:
4 Years: $133,204 6 Years: $199,806 Difference: $66,602
Don’t Pay More Than You Have To

Many factors such as financial aid will determine what you’ll actually pay for college. But why spend any more money than you have to? If you focus on the things that you can control to insure on-time graduation, college doesn’t have to be a 6 year journey.

Step 1:
Increase Self-Knowledge. The more a student knows about his/her own interests, strengths, and aspirations, the easier it is to focus and direct one’s educational path.

Step 2:
Plan Ahead. By taking advanced placement classes in high school, students accomplish two things. First, they increase their chances of getting accepted to the college of their choice. And second, they can actually “place out” of college level classes which can accelerate earning a degree.

Step 3:
Get Guidance. College is a big investment. Getting advice from someone trained in education and career guidance can save you time and money. Guidance can replace guesswork with a planned approach to deciding which college to attend, what to major in, and how to align an education with best-fit career options.

No Comments yet »