I see a lot of fantastically innovative applications out there, where creative developers take APIs and make all kinds of new functionality with them. A stop by ProgrammableWeb shows so many great ideas–every day there are new web applications (or “mashups”) built by simply combining two or more APIs in a new, sometimes unexpected way.
Well, we’re wondering what people might do with the Intellivative Payments API. The goal of our payments API is to simplify adding payment functions (e.g., credit card, debit card, echeck transactions; recurring payments; card on file) to business applications–making it easier to integrate payments into whatever it is you might want to build.
So what WOULD you get if you crossed a payments API with a:
- billing API, an e-mail service, and an SMS messaging service?
- travel service and a map?
- claims processing system?
- movie?
- retail store, SMS messaging service and shipping API(s)?
- Twitter?
Perhaps none of these are groundbreaking ideas–some of them I’m sure have already been done. But maybe you have a business idea that hasn’t been done, or maybe a way to do something that has been done, only better. Or perhaps you have a new twist on an old business idea? Whatever it is, we’d like to hear it.
Are you a developer? Would you like us to feature your work on our blog? Tell us–What would you build with the Intellivative Payments API? We’d love to tell your story.
(Add a comment below by clicking on the little thought bubble thingy.)
I ran across a blog post from Brendan Regan of FutureNow on one of my own pet peeves: disruptive advertising on the internet. He describes an annoying Domino’s ad popping up on MySpace and literally interrupting the music he was listening to. He was so angry he had to blog about it. Hey, I’d be mad too. My task flow has been rudely interrupted many a time on the Internet, and every time it does, I make a mental note never to do business with that company again.
Invasive ads are the norm on television and nobody gets upset (they might skip over them, but they don’t get mad about it …), but on the Internet it’s a different story. Why?
Active vs. Passive Medium
Television is a passive medium. Someone watching TV is usually sitting there, not really doing anything important. On a passive medium like TV, you can interrupt the viewer with ads and suggestions (hey, wouldn’t you like a pizza right now? Look, yummy, hot, cheesy piiiiizza …) and it might even tempt them into buying something.
The Internet, on the other hand, is an active medium–when someone is on the Internet, they are trying to get something done. Users on the Internet are focused on the task at hand (even if the task at hand is Play), and they can get more than a little upset if someone interrupts their task, especially if the interruption has absolutely nothing to do with what they were trying to accomplish.
On the other hand, if someone supports the task at hand with helpful information, products, or services, Internet users respond positively. In eBusiness, if you can find a way to support the user’s task at hand, you win customers and therefore, more business. This is why ads that interrupt the user’s flow tend to get ignored, or worse yet, drive business away. Those who criticize performance-based marketing on the Internet just don’t get the reality of this active medium.
It’s almost funny how many big businesses (like Domino’s Pizza and Dell computers) don’t understand the difference between passive and active mediums–they keep interrupting users from their task. It’s like walking up to a football player on the field in the middle of a game and asking him if he’d like to buy a computer. It’s not going to work. First of all, you’re not going to stop him from his task. He’s playing football, you idiot, and he’s going to do whatever he’s got to do to get back to it. If that means plowing over you in the process, he will do it. And then (after the game) he will tell all his friends how stupid your company is. If he’s a blogger, that bad press might find it’s way all over the Internet.
So think of the user’s task as the football game. If you offer him an incredible football or some awesome cleats before (or even after) the game, he might go for it. But he’s not going to stop the game to go buy your product or service–it would be foolish to even try to interrupt him in the middle of the game.
Success for your eBusiness
So if you want to succeed at eCommerce, then, you have to find a way to suggest your products or services just at the right moment–and no moment is better than when they are searching for it. Search engine optimization is so critical on the Internet. The second key for eCommerce success is the usability of your site (the ability to help the user through their task). Every aspect of your eBusiness strategy, from advertising to checkout, has to focus on supporting the user’s tasks, offering helpful information when they need it, suggesting your product or service just when they need it, and ensuring you make it painless and quick for them to get it once they do decide to buy.
Usable Payment Systems
So your payment processing system has to be painless and quick, right at the point the customer makes the decision to buy your product or service. Your payments solution should:
- Be available at the moment when the user decides to purchase (even it it’s at 3 a.m. on a Sunday night).
- If your payment system is not ready to go when the user wants to purchase, you’re most likely going to lose the sale.
- Offer payment options that fit your customers (not too many payment options, though!)
- Offering too many options tend to overwhelm the customer and get in the way of completing the task.
- Most customers on the Internet tend to pay by credit card.
- Fit seamlessly into the flow of your eCommerce site
- Your web site has to be straightforward and simple, so the user can readily accomplish what they want to.
- If they can’t figure out how to pay, or if it’s too much work, there are plenty of other eCommerce sites out there that will be glad to help out your customers.
- Securely process the payment and protect the customer’s private information
- Security on the web is a very major factor. Make sure you check the methods that your payment processor uses to protect the customer’s information to make sure it’s the highest level of security available.
- Offer the user assurances at the point of sale–tell them why their credit card information is secure, how it’s secured, and who is securing their payment transaction. Calming the user’s fears goes a long ways towards getting the sale.
Oh, and speaking of payment systems, if you’re looking for a flexible, secure eCommerce solution for your business that will fit into the flow of your web site, give you all the popular payment types, and work with your shopping cart software, take a look at the Intellivative Payments API.
I ran across a blog post from Brendan Regan of FutureNow on one of my own pet peeves: disruptive advertising on the internet. He describes an annoying Domino’s ad popping up on MySpace and literally interrupting the music he was listening to. He was so angry he had to blog about it. Hey, I’d be mad too. My task flow has been rudely interrupted many a time on the Internet, and every time it does, I make a mental note never to do business with that company again.
Invasive ads are the norm on television and nobody gets upset (they might skip over them, but they don’t get mad about it …), but on the Internet it’s a different story. Why?
Active vs. Passive Medium
Television is a passive medium. Someone watching TV is usually sitting there, not really doing anything important. On a passive medium like TV, you can interrupt the viewer with ads and suggestions (hey, wouldn’t you like a pizza right now? Look, yummy, hot, cheesy piiiiizza …) and it might even tempt them into buying something.
The Internet, on the other hand, is an active medium–when someone is on the Internet, they are trying to get something done. Users on the Internet are focused on the task at hand (even if the task at hand is Play), and they can get more than a little upset if someone interrupts their task, especially if the interruption has absolutely nothing to do with what they were trying to accomplish.
On the other hand, if someone supports the task at hand with helpful information, products, or services, Internet users respond positively. In eBusiness, if you can find a way to support the user’s task at hand, you win customers and therefore, more business. This is why ads that interrupt the user’s flow tend to get ignored, or worse yet, drive business away. Those who criticize performance-based marketing on the Internet just don’t get the reality of this active medium.
It’s almost funny how many big businesses (like Domino’s Pizza and Dell computers) don’t understand the difference between passive and active mediums–they keep interrupting users from their task. It’s like walking up to a football player on the field in the middle of a game and asking him if he’d like to buy a computer. It’s not going to work. First of all, you’re not going to stop him from his task. He’s playing football, you idiot, and he’s going to do whatever he’s got to do to get back to it. If that means plowing over you in the process, he will do it. And then (after the game) he will tell all his friends how stupid your company is. If he’s a blogger, that bad press might find it’s way all over the Internet.
So think of the user’s task as the football game. If you offer him an incredible football or some awesome cleats before (or even after) the game, he might go for it. But he’s not going to stop the game to go buy your product or service–it would be foolish to even try to interrupt him in the middle of the game.
Success for your eBusiness
So if you want to succeed at eCommerce, then, you have to find a way to suggest your products or services just at the right moment–and no moment is better than when they are searching for it. Search engine optimization is so critical on the Internet. The second key for eCommerce success is the usability of your site (the ability to help the user through their task). Every aspect of your eBusiness strategy, from advertising to checkout, has to focus on supporting the user’s tasks, offering helpful information when they need it, suggesting your product or service just when they need it, and ensuring you make it painless and quick for them to get it once they do decide to buy.
Usable Payment Systems
So your payment processing system has to be painless and quick, right at the point the customer makes the decision to buy your product or service. Your payments solution should:
- Be available at the moment when the user decides to purchase (even it it’s at 3 a.m. on a Sunday night).
- If your payment system is not ready to go when the user wants to purchase, you’re most likely going to lose the sale.
- Offer payment options that fit your customers (not too many payment options, though!)
- Offering too many options tend to overwhelm the customer and get in the way of completing the task.
- Most customers on the Internet tend to pay by credit card.
- Fit seamlessly into the flow of your eCommerce site
- Your web site has to be straightforward and simple, so the user can readily accomplish what they want to.
- If they can’t figure out how to pay, or if it’s too much work, there are plenty of other eCommerce sites out there that will be glad to help out your customers.
- Securely process the payment and protect the customer’s private information
- Security on the web is a very major factor. Make sure you check the methods that your payment processor uses to protect the customer’s information to make sure it’s the highest level of security available.
- Offer the user assurances at the point of sale–tell them why their credit card information is secure, how it’s secured, and who is securing their payment transaction. Calming the user’s fears goes a long ways towards getting the sale.
Oh, and speaking of payment systems, if you’re looking for a flexible, secure eCommerce solution for your business that will fit into the flow of your web site, give you all the popular payment types, and work with your shopping cart software, take a look at the Intellivative Payments API.
