uccess is simple. Understand what your customers want, and have a handle on what they need. Then provide a solution to meet those needs. Oh yes, the solution must be easy for the customer to implement and use. It should also require little to no maintenance. And it must be cost effective.

OK, it's not so simple after all.

Many of you, as ISOs and merchant level salespeople (MLSs), know this firsthand. So does goEmerchant.com, a registered ISO/MSP with Key Bank National Association.

To help merchants thrive, goEmerchant.com offers affordable, uncomplicated, secure credit card processing solutions to all business types in every market sector.

The company's product mix includes flexible and customizable e-commerce solutions such as a shopping cart, payment gateway, virtual terminal, Web site templates and, of course, credit card processing.

Ray Kenney, goEmerchant.com Director of Reseller Operations, said the company "provides easy-to-implement and easy-to-use solutions that minimize the merchant's required knowledge of computer hardware, software and programming. We make setup easy so merchants can focus on the things that matter most to their business, like generating revenue."

Lasting relationships

Based in Haddon Heights, N.J., goEmerchant.com has 30 employees dedicated to the company's mission, which is to provide cutting-edge, user-friendly e-commerce solutions to merchants of all sizes.

Regardless of available technologies and software, merchants will not survive unless they effectively market and operate their businesses. Therefore, goEmerchant.com strives to help its clients build businesses that last.

"GoEmerchant.com believes in building long-lasting relationships and working with merchants to help make their online businesses successful," Kenney said.

Bill Ward, the company's Vice President of Operations, added "We have been doing this ... since 1995, and our customer-focused approach has helped us build long-term relationships. GoEmerchant.com prides itself on its high level of customer support and security."

Easy implementation

At goEmerchant.com, making things easy means that neither merchants nor ISOs need programming experience. The company's flexibility allows it to assist businesses at various stages of growth. It can accommodate merchants who already have partial solutions, for example.

Kenney said merchants need not sign up with multiple companies to sell their products and services online because goEmerchant.com provides all necessary tools, no matter where merchants are in the business cycle.

GoEmerchant.com serves merchants of every stripe. "We can work with mom and pops, brand new businesses and high-volume businesses," Kenney said. "Our products can grow with them as they grow."

The customer focus extends to customer service as well: Knowledgeable company representatives are available seven days a week, every day of the year.

Peace of mind

Since its inception, goEmerchant.com has set up more than 20,000 businesses. The company has grown and evolved, keeping pace with technological changes. It has also focused on security.

"We want to give the merchant peace of mind," Kenney said. "GoEmerchant.com provides the highest level of security against credit card fraud." The company reports it has achieved compliance in Visa U.S.A.'s Cardholder Information Security Program for the past three years and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard compliance in the past year.

Colleagues in prosperity

GoEmerchant.com provides merchants with marketing plans to help incubate and grow online businesses.

"We don't say, 'Here is the software and goodbye,'" Kenney said. "We are partners with them and want to make them long-term success stories." Ward added that in business, as in life, there are no guarantees. "We offer tools and suggestions that, if followed, give the merchant a greater chance of being successful," he said.

Another way the company helps merchants is through training via webinars and teleconferences. Training schedules are flexible and designed to accommodate ISOs and MLSs.

GoEmerchant.com does not offer services such as ad word management, domain name registration or e-mail marketing. However, it can recommend expert associates to help merchants meet needs in those areas.

Certain ISO/MLS advantages

GoEmerchant.com has multiple affiliate and partner programs for ISOs and MLSs. These include a referral program, two residual programs and a buy rate program. "They [ISOs] benefit by making available to their client base e-commerce solutions that will generate revenue for their customers," Kenney said.

MLSs can earn revenue from each referred merchant who becomes a goEmerchant.com customer. Kenney noted his company provides one of the most generous referral programs found on the Web today.

GoEmerchant.com has two residual levels. ISOs and MLSs choose the program that works for them. They can receive residuals on transactions or on software placement. One residual level is designed for ISOs and MLSs who are invested in their business relationships with goEmerchant.com and thus have a higher volume of referrals.

For example, an agent at this tier may have a merchant account provider but lack the necessary software to effectively serve his clients. After selling goEmerchant.com software to a merchant, this agent would receive a percentage of attendant monthly service fees.

Another tier is designed both for agents who need merchant accounts and those who do not. Agents in this tier receive a portion of transaction fees if accounts are set up to process through goEmerchant.com's primary processing company. They do not receive a portion of monthly service fees. "If the merchant is successful, they [the agent] will be successful," Kenney said.

Regardless of tier, all ISOs and MLSs are informed of account activity, so they can monitor their progress. Residual and activity reports are e-mailed monthly, but agents can receive reports more frequently if necessary.

In addition, the company is developing a Web interface that will enable ISOs and MLSs to manage account activity online.

Customer-centric service

GoEmerchant.com is interested in working with ISOs and MLSs who share its customer-focused approach to providing full service.

"Most companies just specialize in only one aspect of e-commerce such as just the payment gateway or just the shopping cart," Kenney said. "GoEmerchant.com has built solutions that benefit merchants of all sizes with no programming knowledge required."

The company prides itself on providing merchants the best solution to meet their needs, using cutting edge technology that is still easy to use. It's just that simple.