RoninApp – Online Billing Software

March 2, 2011 by · 1 Comment 

If you have been using Freshbooks, you may find that there are certain limitations that are very frustrating.

The following limitations were among the frustrations

  • Inability to automatically adding a percentage for online transactions, such as 2.9%
  • Inability to allow a customer to pay a partial amount an invoice online
  • Inability to login easily as a client to preview what they see

After a few disgruntled clients complained, I began searching for a replacement and that’s when I stumbled across RoninApp.  RoninApp is a similar online billing solution, which also includes these features and several others.  I have been thrilled with their support and the ease of use of the system.

You’ll notice some similarities with RoninApp and freshbooks, the interface is very similar.  The added features makes it a pleasure to work with, and I highly recommend it to anyone needing a simple online billing system.  Tracking time is easy as pie, and when an invoice is generated at the end of the month, any unbilled hours will display as an option to add to the invoice in one easy click.

My only hope is that they develop a clean mobile interface, or better yet, an android app!

Otherwise, I’ve been very pleased with RoninApp and would recommend it to any freshbooks user.

2Checkout.com vs. Authorize.net vs. Paypal Website Payments Pro – Which is the best?

December 17, 2009 by · 1 Comment 

As most of you web designers know, payment processing and merchants that process online payments are a royal pain to set up.  The main question is:  Which merchants work best?

We’ve used several, and we’re going to show you some of our results.

2Checkout.com vs. Authorize.net vs. Paypal Website Payments Pro

2Checkout.com
Account Establishment Fees:
To open an Account $49.00
To open each Additional Account $30.00 (Paid as $49 minus $19 refund or special adjustment after account review)
Transaction Fees:
Each Transaction 5.5% of the transaction total, plus $0.45
Changes:
Change URL or Domain Name $19.00
Fees for Payment Options:
U.S. Suppliers
ACH deposit $0.00
Check $4.00
Canadian Suppliers
Direct ACH/DEFT Deposit $0.00
Check $4.00
CAD Wire $6.00
USD Wire $15.00
Paypal Website Payments Pro

With no extra fees, Website Payments Pro is on average 16% less expensive than other credit card processors.1

  • $30 monthly fee
  • No downgrade fees
  • No gateway fee
  • No early termination penalty
  • No monthly minimum
  • No fees on refunds
Pricing

It’s important to look at the TOTAL cost of processing credit cards. Other companies often publish discounted “show” rates, but you still get hit with setup fees, cancellation charges, extra fees for accepting reward cards and corporate cards, and so on.
  • YOUR MONTHLY SALES YOUR FEE PER TRANSACTION
    $0 to $3,000 2.9% + $0.30
    $3,000+ to $10,000 2.5% + $0.30*
    $10,000+ 2.2% + $0.30*
    $200,000+ Call 1-866-836-1648

    *Merchant rate qualification required.

    When your monthly sales exceed $3,000 and you’ve been a PayPal member more than 90 days, please fill out a one-time application, subject to approval.

    The pricing table above applies to domestic payments in US dollars. There’s an additional 2.5% charge for any currency conversion and a 1% charge to receive payments from another country.

    View Full List of Fees

    If you’re using Virtual Terminal with the Website Payments Pro package, it has different transaction rates, but you still only pay a $30 monthly fee. Learn More

Micropayments

If your transactions typically average less than $10, you could save money with our “5% plus 5¢” rate. Here’s an example for a business that usually accepts $2 payments. The savings really add up.

The pricing table above applies to domestic payments in US dollars. There’s an additional 2.5% charge for any currency conversion and a 1% charge to receive payments from another country.

Authorize.net
Gateway Setup Fee $99.00*
Monthly Gateway Fee $20.00*
Transaction Fee $0.10*
Batch Fee $0.25
Virtual Terminal
(to process phone orders)
FREE
Customer Support FREE
Fraud Prevention Tools
Address Verification Service (AVS)
Card Code Verification (CCV)
FREE
Connection Methods
Advanced Integration Method: customer pays on your Web site
Server Integration Method: customer pays on Authorize.Net Web site
Simple Checkout: customer pays on Authorize.Net Web site
FREE
Advanced Fraud Detection Suite™
(identifies suspicious online orders)
$9.95 monthly
(optional)
Automated Recurring Billing™ (ARB)
(subscription billing tool)
$10.00 monthly
(optional)
Customer Information Manager (CIM)
(simplifies storage of sensitive customer data)
$20.00 monthly
(optional)
eCheck.Net®
(to accept electronic checks)
Contact Us*
(optional)

Note: The information below has been taken from the merchant’s websites and is subject to change at any time. We do not guarantee any information shown.

10 Things You Should Know About Web Design

October 27, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

1.  You will GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

Low budget websites do more harm than good.  If your website lacks quality and professionalism, your customers will think your business does too.

2.  A good website TAKES TIME.

A website that works on all computers, performs quickly, at the top of search results, easy to use, and looks professional takes a lot of time.  But it’s worth every penny.

3.  A GOOD DESIGNER must know code.

It’s not just the outside that matters, know what you have under the hood.  A Ferarri body on a Volkswagen frame won’t perform like a Ferarri.  Looks aren’t everything.

4.  You need to PLAN AHEAD.

Make a list.  Look at your competitors’ websites.  Write down what you do and don’t like.  Write out some descriptions about your business, including what you do, about your business, and contact information.  We can help you format it later.

5.  GOOGLE is your key to success.

Friends and relatives are truly unique when they offer their help to get your business off the ground.  But really, you’ll save time and money by doing it right the first time.

6.  A website must be EASY TO CHANGE.

People will most likely find you by searching the internet, which most popular is Google.  You want them to find your business first when they search for your services in your area.  If you’re not on the top for the correct keywords, you’re missing out.

7.  It’s really just more ADVERTISING.

Expensive web design software is a thing of the past.  Modern content management systems (CMS) allow for easy modification from any computer anywhere.  Even if you don’t edit your own content, a CMS will save editing time.

8.  Websites help ANY BUDGET.

Yellow Pages, Newspaper, Radio are all forms of advertising.  How many people use the internet to look for your business?  More than you think.  Almost every home has at least one computer.  Get the market before your competitors do.

9.  Just because you don’t use computers doesn’t mean your customers don’t.

Yellow Pages, Newspaper, Radio are all forms of advertising.  How many people use the internet to look for your business?  More than you think.  Almost every home has at least one computer.  Get the market before your competitors do.

10.  Your nephew is NOT a web designer.

Don’t let your fear or dislike of computers deprive your business of needed advertising.  49% of people are introverted, which means they prefer not to talk to people.  That’s a large chunk of customers who won’t be calling you.

Real Estate Agents

July 22, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

AgentBlogs ScreenshotIf you’re a Real Estate Professional and would like to have a presence on the internet but don’t know where to begin, we have a solution for you.  AgentBlogs.org is a website and/or blog platform designed with real estate professionals in mind.

Anyone in the real estate industry can easily set up and maintain a website for only $10 per month.  It’s super easy and extremely professional.  And the best part is that you don’t have to have any web design experience to operate it yourself.  There’s no fancy web design software to download or learn, it’s all right on the web and accessible from any computer.

Online Invoicing Software

July 10, 2009 by · 2 Comments 

UPDATE: While FreshBooks is still a viable solution, I have now switched to RoninApp.
Freshbooks

For service oriented businesses, you may be interested in finding a web-based billing software.  Of course, we always recommend using the Web Invoice plugin for WordPress, but this may not be enough to meet your needs.

So if you want a more fully featured billing solution that also offers project management, time tracking, and online billing, we highly recommend FreshbooksFreshbooks billing, invoicing, and time tracking solution, as an online service, is by far the best available on the web.  We’ve tried many different platforms and software, but Freshbooks takes the cake.

You can sign up for a free account by clicking any of the Freshbooks links on this page.  With a free account, you can manage up to 3 clients.  If you like the solution, add up to 25 clients by upgrading to their lowest billing solution, which is only $14/mo.  They will even customize a package that’s just for you.