Gary,

No sense even trying to read this in this email... I'm sticking it in the forum for reference and for "easy reading."

B. From: Elizabeth Marshall
To: Bill Dale
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 00:39:28 -0900

B2B eNews
Internet Business Journal
January 1999

CONTENTS:

• Internet Credit Card Sales

• The 1999 eCommerce Directory

• FootSaver.net ~ selling online within a week!

• Proven 17-Step Internet Marketing Plan checklist

• BrainwareMedia.com gears up for global digital distribution

INTERNET CREDIT CARD SALES

~ At present only one in 10 eCommerce sites can process credit card transactions without staff intervention. Manual processing slows down the sale and can introduce human error and security breaks. The report found that 60 percent of sites expect to have automated credit card transactions in place by the summer of 1999 and 38 percent of sites plan to automate credit card transactions in early 1999.

~ Consumers will be far more confident about using their credit cards to pay for online purchases following the 1998 holiday season, predicted ActivMedia. Describing the 1998 season as a watershed, Harry Wolhandler, VP of Market Research estimates that eCommerce transactions are expected to total USD73 billion in 1998, over three times the revenue generated in 1997, an estimated USD21.8 billion.

Consumers and merchants have been slow to adopt electronic payment systems other than credit cards, as recent failures on the e-cash market highlight. Consumers buying online have opted to pay by credit card over e-wallet systems. Visa and Mastercard have become the currency of the Internet worldwide.

~ Almost 10 percent of U.S. consumers made a purchase online the week after Thanksgiving, according to a survey by the Marketing Corp. of America cited by Reuters. "We continue to see virtually exponential growth in online purchasing penetration, >from barely one percent a year ago, to four percent last spring, and now to 10 percent," said Craig Johnson, a partner in the research firm. E-shopping is gaining, he added, because more people have online access and consumers are feeling more secure about giving their credit card number on the Net.

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1999 E-COMMERCE DIRECTORY

~ B2B eNews asked thousands of business readers to suggest or recommend Internet Credit Card Merchant Services that meet each of the following 11 criteria for complete, secure, international Internet sales:

1. online, real-time, automated, secure, credit card processing for US merchants with their own merchant account AND for non-US merchants or US merchants who cannot get or do not want their own merchant account for any reason

2. up-to-date, routine, fraud prevention measures

3. compatibility with leading merchant shopcarts

4. automated, secure shopcart link to existing merchant websites

5. no bank qualifying required -- no US presence required

6. no required lease or purchase of software or equipment

7. experience and track record in international credit card processing

8. worldwide service and sales capability

9. low set-up fee / month-to-month service with no long-term contract

10. full bank support and legal review by Visa / Mastercard

11. free affiliate program that pays referrals and residuals on international merchants' Visa and Mastercard sales volume

B2B eNews received hundreds of responses, however the rate of change as companies appear, disappear or evolve is too high to maintain a complete directory at this time. We will keep working on it.

There are three types of credit card services available:

1. Complete, International, Internet Credit Card Merchant Services

Only one company met all 11 of the criteria required (above): Vantage Services, Inc.

Their Self Service option (US merchants only) provides a secure, sophisticated, complete VanCart shopcart with back office for tracking orders. Processing is through ECHOnline, an attractive alternative to Cybercash. Discount rate starts at 2.57% for an Internet merchant account.

Their Full Service option is designed specifically for non-US merchants AND US merchants who cannot get or do not want their own merchant account for any reason. VanCart is included.

Vantage appears to be the clear leader in International Internet Credit Card Merchant Services.

2. Traditional Merchant Account Providers. (US only)

These typically promise that (almost) everyone qualifies for their merchant account, but they want to sell you an expensive, 48-month lease (that you cannot get out of) for hardware or software that is useless on a website. They require you to re-enter sales data into software or into a terminal (which slows down the sale and introduces human error and security breaks). Merchant's rates and terms are known to increase after the initial contract. Most traditional merchant accounts cannot be configured directly to a website with a secure shopcart for online, real-time processing. B2B eNews does not recommend this route for eCommerce.

3. Inexperienced, Illegal and Insecure Operations:

B2B eNews has watched numerous Internet companies pop up offering credit card processing -- only to disappear in a short time, often taking their clients funds with them. Typically, these operations are illegally "factoring" other merchants' credit card orders through their own merchant account. They do not have adequate security measures for international credit card fraud. Some appear to be practically free with no security deposit.

They are generally Internet Service Providers or Internet promotional services with no experience in credit card processing, which is very complicated and carries definite liabilities and financial risks. When they fold, they take your funds with them. Visa and Mastercard actively search out these operations to close them.

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FOOTSAVER.NET

As an example of how to launch a new product in today's international Internet marketplace, FootSaver.net did all the right things. Within a few days of deciding to use the Internet, FootSaver.net was accepting credit card orders online. The website is clean, fast and clear.

FootSaver.net is a new, prevention product for diabetics worldwide.

FootSaver.net

"We chose DoyleMarketing.com for our Internet marketing because of their track record in eCommerce," said Royce Brooks, President of FootSaver.net. "Within one week we were selling online and communicating with prospects and customers worldwide. We are very impressed with their Internet marketing plan," he said.

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17-Step Internet Marketing Plan Checklist:

DoyleMarketing.com

- develop clear sales objectives

- write and create a site that sells

- register domain name

- arrange reliable, cost-effective hosting

- setup secure credit card capability for online, real-time, international sales

- setup a proven, effective search engine strategy in the html codes

- post the site correctly

- manually index individually with the Big 8 search engines

- automated indexing with 400+ specialized search engines and directories

- automated posting to all related NewsGroups and Mailing Lists

- news release to 1,300+ business editors via email and fax

- search strategy to contact organizations, associations, distributors, retailers online

- immediate personal response mechanism to each new prospect and customer

- maintain automated customer and prospect email database

- email monthly merged automated newsletter to all prospects and customers

- consider potential affiliate program to pay commissions on referral sales

- consider potential Internet advertising campaign on websites and publications

DoyleMarketing.com developed this 17-step Internet Marketing Plan Checklist which has proven itself through numerous, successful eCommerce projects since 1996. DoyleMarketing.com is expanding and is considering new clients with exciting projects.

http://DoyleMarketing.com

mailto:e-Commerce@DoyleMarketing.com

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BrainwareMedia.com gears up for global digital distribution

~ With a substantially faster Internet on the horizon in 1999, BrainwareMedia.com is gearing up to convert from physical distribution to digital online delivery of its business videos, audios and CDs.

"In one year, BrainwareMedia.com has grown to become the largest Internet distributor of affordable, business training videos, audios and CDs. We sell to large and small companies all over the world," said Phil Doyle, President.

The company is 100% Internet, except for outsourced, physical shipping via Federal Express. With a substantially faster Internet, it will be feasible to deliver digital products to the customer online immediately after the real-time authorization of their credit card. That means the customer can be using the product within minutes of ordering online.

"With digital products, we will cut the time and costs of duplicating, inventory, packaging, shipping, returns, and international video format incompatibilities. And we will pass those savings to our customers. Already we have cut telephones, printing, postage, mailing, employees, space and other costs. Digital delivery will open a major global market for these business training videos, audios and CDs," said Mr. Doyle.

BrainwareMedia.com is organizing a group of professional, private investors who recognize the Internet opportunity and who want to participate through stock in the privately-held corporation. The company will sell up to 49% of its stock for cash to pay for digital conversion and increased marketing efforts both online and offline with traditional media including print and direct mail.

For details, contact Phil Doyle at: mailto:video@Brainware-tm.com

BrainwareMedia.com

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Please email contributions, questions and letters to the editor to mailto:B2BeNews@pacbell.net

Elizabeth Marshall, editor B2B eNews Internet Business Journal covering eCommerce for 100,000+ readers ~ since 1996

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-- Anonymous, December 14, 1998