It seems obvious that when you run an online shop you need to make sure that people who want to buy from you can actually pay you. Have you thought about it?

Yesterday, I came across a site and was ready to buy the product – after getting halfway thru the checkout process I see that payments on this particular site are offered only via Google Checkout. Now, I love Google as much as the next guy – I use the Google search engine loads of times per day, I use Gmail, I use Picasa, I use Google maps, I use Adsense and Adwords and so on. But I don't want to give Google my financial details, thank you very much.

So, I emailed the site asking if they accept other forms of payment, specifically Paypal – as yet I've not received a reply. Online I always use Paypal – I've had an account for years and there is always some "spending money" in my Paypal accout. It's quick and easy. I suspect that lots of people have Paypal accounts as it is so integrated with eBay.

So, let's have a think about it, you need to cater for at least two sorts of buyers;

1. Paypal users. Easy – just accept Paypal payments.

2. Non Paypal users. Not so easy. I suppose that you really need to accept Cards, so you need to find a good processor. In my opinion, there are only two that are worth looking at (though I'd be happy to see comments/recommendations from anyone using any others). The two that I have used are; Worldpay and ProtX. Both these can handle Debit and Credit Cards easily.

On top of these you have loads of other 3rd party processors, I've already mentioned Google Checkout, how about 2checkout, iPayment, Chronopay and so on.

I suggest to you that if you don't offer Paypal as a payment method you are losing out on a good chunk of business. I also suggest to you that if you only offer Paypal as a payment method you are losing out on a good chunk of business.

So, with this in mind, are you able to increase the payment options open to your customers? Have a think about that…

I was ready to drop a couple of hundred £ yesterday – but I didn't. Can you afford to lose customers by not offering a suitable way for them to pay?

Quick Tip

Somewhere in your site, PLEASE list the payment options that you offer – there is nothing more annoying than going through the checkout process to find I can't pay because you only offer a payment method I prefer not to use. If you got some icons on your site somewhere, I know immediately that I can buy from you…