Your customers want to pay online. No one has cheques anymore, cash is hard to come by, and paying with card is easy. Whether it's a $30 food delivery or a $10,000 roof, you need to be able to offer your customers the option to pay online.
If you want to start collecting online payments, though, you will need an payment processing tool. And shopping for software can be a pain in the butt.
Here are 5 things you need to look for when shopping for the best online payment processing software for your business.
1. Integration with your other tools
The goal is to have the least amount of software and subscriptions possible to run your business. Roofr is one tool that does online payments, but also invoicing, digital measurements, proposals, homeowner communication, and more.
If you can run your entire business from one software, it’ll be easier for you and your team, and save you money in the long run.
If you aren’t going to use one master tool, then be sure to look for software that easily integrates with your current CMS, measurement and proposal tool.
2. Processing fees
Card and CH processing will have additional fees, wherever you go. But different tools will have different fees. Always check the fees and maximums before buying into a software.
3. Customer support
You will have questions for your payment software – especially if you’re using a tool that also includes invoicing and other tools. Being able to speak with a person quickly and getting that face to face time in meetings is super important.
Whenever you’re shopping for a new software tool or tech partner for your business, we always recommend asking them to provide you with the contact info for one or two other customers. That way you can speak to someone who’s already using them.
In roofing, many people also lean on facebook groups or other online communities to ask for feedback on specific software providers.
4. Legitimacy and security of the software
When you’re choosing a software to process your business payments, you’re picking a tool to protect your customers information. You want to make sure that it’s a reputable software with security features in place. The last thing you want is to have to tell your customers that their credit card information has been compromised.
One way to look at the legitimacy and trustworthiness of a payment processing software is to look at who they collaborate with. Roofr, for example, collaborates with Visa. Visa is a global payment company well recognized for their high quality security and reliability. A big name like Visa would only work with companies that reflected their own commitment to payment security.
5. Ease of use for your customers
Yes, you need to be conscious of choosing a software that is easy for you or your admin to use, but you can’t forget about the customer experience.
Always ask for an example of what the payment tool looks like on the customer facing side. How do customers input their payment info? What kind of confirmation or post-payment communication does the software offer? How reliable is the software for customers?
When demoing payment software, ask to see the customer-facing side of the software. That could help you make your decision.
BONUS: It’s okay to be picky
Because online payments directly impact your ability to bring in money, you may feel extra pressure to move fast and make a decision about your payment processing tool. We encourage you to take your time and to not move too fast. If you rush into this decision, you could end up with clunky software that doesn’t work well or doesn’t integrate with your current tools.
You may want to take this time to review all your software and conduct a full audit of your tools. Perhaps an all-in-one CMS/measurement/proposal/invoicing/payment software is a better move for your company.
Slow down and be sure you’re making the best choice for your business.
Curious what “one software that does it all” looks like? Our team would love to show you Roofr!
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