Spring into online sales: Strategies for seasonal merchant payment solutions

Summer’s coming. And warmer weather means more people out and about — so many potential customers out shopping, eating, spending on stuff. It’s a busy time for year-round business owners, but this time of year also brings a boom in seasonal small businesses. 

Now is the perfect time to amp up your portfolio with some new clients. You could be their payment hero. 

So let’s explore why this time of year is the right time for new clients.

Let’s make sales momentum: Merchant payment solutions to consider.

From food trucking to personal training to house painting — as well as all the merchants selling the spring and summer good life — there’s a lot of businesses at play in the warmer months. All these merchants making sales will need help with their transactions and payments. 

From hardware to software to back-office solutions, there’s a lot they may not be considering as they get their entrepreneur on. That’s where you come in.

Educating merchants on payment-solution diversity.

Running a business these days means being ready to accept credit and debit cards. Most business owners get that. But they may not be thinking big enough. You can help them understand the importance of diversity when it comes to payment solutions. 

It can be a real competitive advantage. Beyond cards, they may want to consider options for card-not-present (CNP) transactions, not to mention the booming array of digital wallets that consumers increasingly favor. 

The more ways they can accept payments, the more appeal their business will have to customers.

The rise of mobile payment solutions.

When you’re tailoring solutions for merchants, there’s also the kind of business to consider. 

On-the-go businesses such as landscapers, painters, and tour guides obviously need solutions that are highly portable, mobile, and able to wirelessly process transactions. 

Mobile payments are more popular than ever, and the forecast is they’ll keep growing. The appeal to customers is an obvious lead, but educating business owners on the additional benefits of mobile payments is worth your while. Here are a few high notes.

• It gives merchants flexibility to cross- and upsell online and through in-app purchases.
• Integrations can simplify things like taxes, saving time and effort come April.
• It arms merchants with consumer insights and buying trends, seasonal or otherwise.
• It broadens demographic appeal as more and more age groups embrace it.
• It speeds up the checkout process — meaning more sales per hour!

Advocating for contactless payment systems.

On the other “hand,” there's the sanitary approach to consider. Businesses like food trucks are everywhere in the warmer months, and their customers are likely to want a clean, contactless method to pay for those handheld tacos, sliders, and ice cream cones. 

For businesses like these, offering payment options that have health and safety benefits — as well as ease of use — are a winning recipe.

Showing a merchant that going contactless can be as simple as tapping an iPhone is a great way to convince them how easy and efficient it is for their business.

Simplifying the checkout process for merchants.

Finding the right fit for your merchant clientele is obviously important. So is simplicity. Creating a frictionless checkout experience is the goal. 

Crafting a payment plan that’s easy for your merchants to understand and execute means they’re more likely to keep working with you — you know, that retention thing. 

If your SMBs sell online, there’s ways you can help them succeed in this competitive world. Ecommerce has vast potential for success, but it’s not without its pitfalls. 

Cart abandonment, when a customer engages a product or service but then doesn’t follow through on the purchase, is a common problem. And there can be a variety of reasons for it. Here’s a checklist to help mitigate key issues.

• Create transparent pricing, so there’s no checkout surprises like hidden fees.
• Simplify the checkout so that payments get done as fast and painless as possible.
• Offer flexible payment options, like buy now, pay later (BNPL).
• A sense of security makes buying feel better — display those compliance badges.
• An optimized website is often overlooked. Long load times = customers leaving.
• Clear return, refund, and cancellation policies so customers know what to expect.
• Inventory management helps merchants stay on top of what’s in stock, ready to sell.
• Retargeting strategies keep contact with customers who show interest but don’t buy.
• Mitigate comparison shopping by highlighting unique aspects, offering price matching.
• Minimize distractions, so customers stay focused on purchasing.

Any or all of these solutions may fit seasonal business needs — and illustrate that you’re thinking beyond simply processing payments.

Marketing payment solutions to merchants.

Show your expertise in the nuances of well-considered payment solutions. Your insight on best practices will be invaluable to business owners. 

There are many new payment technologies that they may be unfamiliar with — especially if their venture is seasonal and new — you can be their tour guide. Understanding the unique nature of their business will help you understand just what kind of payment options they need. 

Avoid what they won’t use and suggest services they might overlook. Build a plan that fits their needs.

Building long-term merchant relationships.

The payment world keeps moving, with new innovations arriving all the time. Firmly establishing your expertise in this world is critical for building and growing merchant loyalty. 

You can make yourself indispensable to them through knowledge and communication — encourage regular feedback and dialogue with them. Show them your continuing commitment to their success — that you’re in it for this season and beyond. And don’t forget that there’s powerful payment-solutions-building resources right here, on this site.