Author: Judith Diaz

How to Use Promoted Videos to Generate More E-commerce Sales

Organic and promoted videos serve multiple purposes for consumers in their increasingly multi-channel B2C journey. More than half of the participants said they switched between search and video channels (Google and YouTube) to make an informed decision about a purchase in a YouTube study. But it’s not just YouTube—Instagram’s video content consumption has shot up by … Continue reading How to Use Promoted Videos to Generate More E-commerce Sales

New comment by gidan in "Ask HN: Who wants to be hired? (October 2020)"

I’m a JavaScript developer with 10 years of experience (have been nearly full-time js all these years). First thing first, i’m not particularly good at speaking english (french accent..). That being said, I’m efficient with all kind of javascript application, and i’m not afraid to dive deep into complex code. I would be delighted if your hiring process requires a coding challenge, if so, please contact me. Oh, and I’m also an expert in CSS.

Rate: 60€/hr

Resume: http://julesbou.net/resume.odf

Example of code: https://github.com/julesbou/lock-async/blob/master/lock.js

The post New comment by gidan in “Ask HN: Who wants to be hired? (October 2020)” appeared first on ROI Credit Builders.

How to Choose The Right SEO Agency

Today, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of SEO agencies out there. 

And each one of them is good for something. 

Thus, your question shouldn’t be, how do I find the right SEO agency, but how do I choose an SEO agency that’s right for me?

I’m glad you made it here, as I’ll guide you through how to avoid choosing an SEO agency that’s right for something not relevant to growing your business. 

Deal? 

Well, then, keep reading. 

First things first, why do you need an SEO agency?

Know Your Goals and Desired Outcomes

Imagine you hurriedly booked a last-minute flight from New York to meet some business partners. Thankfully, the airplane you boarded flew fast with no delays. 

And you land safely at the airport.

On arrival, the announcer congratulates you for a safe journey and welcomes you to Beverly Hills in Texas. Meanwhile, your intended destination was Beverly Hills in California. 

You’ll regret the waste of your time, right?

Hiring SEO agencies is like boarding that airplane – each one could be great at flying your site’s organic ranking somewhere. Your first job before you start flying, therefore, is to ensure you choose and are on the right plane. 

Thus, to choose and onboard an SEO agency that’s right for you, you must:

  • Know your business destination (your goals), and 
  • What you want to achieve when you get there (your desired outcomes).

In SEO, where you’re going requires a different airplane (or agency). The main ones being: 

  • SEO-optimized content marketing
  • Voice SEO
  • Link building,
  • Local SEO, and 
  • eCommerce SEO

And for outcomes? 

You may need to:

  • Rank your entire website or specific keywords higher
  • Get more qualified traffic and leads, or
  • Drive sales directly from organic search. 

Your target business goals and outcomes determine what SEO strategies and tactics you’ll need. 

And because no SEO agency is a one-size-fits-all for all strategies, industry verticals, and company sizes, knowing these basics lays the foundation for who you’ll partner with. 

Let’s take some hypothetical examples. 

Example #1 

Pretend that your goal is to show up on Google’s 1st page when certain people use certain words to search for certain information relevant to your business. 

And the outcome? 

You want to attract this set of people, educate them with engaging content, and pull them into your sales funnels. 

In this case, you’ll need an agency with expertise in SEO-optimized content marketing. And you’ll need one with proven results in helping other companies achieve similar results: 

Example #2

Okay, let’s assume you have freelancers creating excellent content pieces for your site. But you realize Google isn’t ranking them for your target keywords. 

Instead, when people search, content pieces below the quality of what you’re creating keep showing up on the top pages while yours languishes on Google’s 17th page. 

This situation indicates your competitors probably have higher domain authorities or more backlinks pointing to their website and high-ranking content pieces. 

In this case, to increase your website’s domain authority, get relevant links pointing to your content, and boost ranking, you’ll need an SEO agency with expertise in link-building: 

As you saw in both examples above, it’s easier to know what type of SEO agency is worth considering when you’re definite about your goals and outcomes. 

Taking this first step to look at yourself in the mirror and know exactly what you need streamlines the selection process. 

It also ensures you only shortlist agencies with expertise and experience driving other businesses to your intended destination. 

But, it doesn’t end there. 

Even with only a few dozen agencies to consider, choosing one that’s right for you still demands you look out for characteristics that prove they walk the talk.

Doing this further helps you vet and choose an SEO agency that’s perfect for you.

6 Characteristics That Make a Great SEO Agency

Regardless of the specific SEO needs you have, you’ll still find dozens, if not hundreds of agencies, vying for your business. 

The search engine optimization service providers’ industry is valued over $65 billion. 

Thus, expect anyone with a laptop and internet access to make wild claims of being an SEO agency, as they yearn for a slice of the industry’s billions. 

There are characteristics great SEO agencies possess. And you’ll find these traits in all the best SEO companies.

I’ll list the fundamental ones below. 

Use them to vet an SEO agency from the list you shortlist before choosing to work with any.  

1. A Defined Process to Execute SEO Strategies

Excellent SEO execution follows a battle-tested process. 

As an SEO agency gains experience working with numerous clients, they outline their winning process to give potential customers a peek into how they deliver results. 

Thus, each company with practical SEO experience has its own process. And this makes it a characteristic of SEO agencies with proven results. 

For example, at Neil Patel Digital, our process follows eight unique steps: 

2. A Diverse Team of Specialists

The next characteristic to look out for before choosing an SEO agency is the team to put their process and recommendations to work. 

A lot of thought goes into SEO execution. 

From strategic ideation and leadership to account management and execution specialists, ask for the team who’ll work with you to achieve your goals. 

Again, experienced SEO agencies are proud to make their team public: 

3. An Impressive Client Portfolio

Results-generating SEO strategies are hard to manage from ideation to execution, but they also take time and commitment. 

Thus, as exceptional SEO agencies work with clients to achieve results, displaying their clientele has become a common characteristic. 

Doing this does two things. 

It shows you they’re experienced. And it helps your decision to choose, using the type of companies they’ve worked with as a benchmark: 

4. Real Customer Testimonials

If an SEO agency helped increase your website traffic, leading to more sales, you’d be open to giving them a testimonial, right?

In the same vein, when choosing an SEO agency, scan their website for what past customers say about them. 

A common characteristic you’ll find with the best SEO agencies is the proud display of what happy customers say about their service: 

5. Industry-specific Thought Leadership

Exceptional SEO agencies are always on the forefront of the latest trends, especially how it impacts rankings, traffic, and business in general. 

In most cases, you’ll find a top executive of the company sharing insights via blogs, social media, and research papers, which makes them maintain thought-leadership.

So, before you hire an SEO agency, check if they’re up to date and share recent trends about the SEO industry that help you keep pace with the market: 

6. A Crisp-clear Company Culture

An SEO company may have the unique expertise you seek and all the characteristics listed above. Yet, their company culture may not fit with yours.

The truth is, exceptional SEO agencies don’t take on toxic clients; neither would you like to work with people whose values you don’t agree with.  

To avoid this, top SEO companies have the characteristic of displaying their company culture, so potential customers can decide if working with them aligns with their culture:

How to Work With an SEO Agency

Most SEO agencies work as an extension of your in-house marketing team. 

Thus, there are steps to working with an SEO agency that’s right for you. These steps are essential, as they ensure your collaboration with them is successful.  

Let’s explore the major ones.

1. Prepare your in-house, front-facing team

Before you work with an SEO agency, get relevant teams in your company on the same page. Let them know why your company needs to hire SEO professionals and how working with them will impact your business. 

Also, select those who’ll work directly with the SEO agency to drive the results you seek. The people you choose would help to bridge the communication gap between your company and the agency.

Doing this ensures that there’s always someone to keep the SEO agency in sync with your company culture, goals for working with them, expectations, and timeline. 

2. Discovery session

Working with an SEO agency could be to rank higher for target keywords, generate more traffic, drive sales, or all three. 

But, no business case and needs are precisely the same. And SEO strategies that worked for company A may not work for yours. 

Thus, take the time to share everything about your business as it concerns SEO with an agency you choose to work with. Doing this helps them develop custom strategies and plans unique to achieving your goals. 

Exceptional SEO companies allow you to share this information with them via a discovery session: 

3. Research and Recommendations

After you share your business situation, needs, and goals with an SEO company, be on the lookout for what they do next. 

Top SEO agencies don’t jump into sending you quotes and invoices. 

They delve into research, using what you shared with them to gain the right context about your business situation. Doing this brings them on the same page with your company, target audience, business goals, and competition.

After this research, they usually share recommendations of what needs to be done to get maximum results. They can send this recommendation via a report sent over email or talk you through it over a phone call.

4. Contract with Deliverables

After your discovery call and follow-up conversations, expect to receive a contract with deliverables from an SEO agency, if working with you looks like a good fit.

It’s best to share this contract with relevant members on your team, especially those working directly with the agency. Ensure to go down to the nitty-gritty of the contract’s terms and conditions. 

Also, share it with your legal department to avoid signing an agreement that hurts or binds your company in the future. 

5. Onboarding, Project Scoping, and Management

To work with you, an SEO company would request access to some of your digital assets. 

Depending on your work scope, such access could include your website or blog passwords, your analytics tools login codes, selected in-house staff, etc. 

To kickstart a working relationship with your company, SEO agencies usually take you through a detailed onboarding process. 

So, you should expect one. 

Over this onboarding session, the scope of your project, delivery timelines, communication channels, and an understanding of how both parties manage your project is defined and communicated. 

How to Find The Right SEO Agency For You

So far, I’ve outlined the characteristics of exceptional SEO agencies and walked you through some fundamentals steps to working with one. 

But, as I established at the beginning of this guide, you don’t just need the right SEO agency, you need an SEO agency that’s right for you. 

How do you find one?

To help you, we put together a list of companies that we believe to be the best in the business.

Also, we skipped SEO agencies who can’t even rank their site organically. Finally, we looked away from digital marketing generalists who do everything under the sun for a quick buck.

The result?

What follows is our vetted list of the five best SEO companies of 2020 by the types of projects they’re exceptional at working on.

The 5 Top SEO Agencies

1. Neil Patel Digital – Best For SEO-optimized Content Marketing

At Neil Patel Digital, we’re great at SEO-optimized content marketing.

Our team of highly experienced SEO experts and content marketers brings decades of hands-on experience to the table. We believe brands can influence how their customers think through the creation of distribution of thoughtful, engaging content. 

And we put this belief to work by partnering with forward-thinking companies to develop SEO-focused content, performance-based digital marketing strategies and programs that get the attention it deserves. 

When you work with us, you’ll deliver content the right types of content to your target audience at the right time:

2. Voice SEO – Best For Voice Search

Voice SEO started as a small team of SEO experts. Initially, they focused on using their SEO skills to help businesses like them to grow online. 

Through dedication and close observation of the ever-changing SEO industry, Voice SEO realized the growing use of devices such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Echo, to query search engines. 

Seeing that 50% of all online searches in 2020 would be voice-based, a statistic in the upward trend, Voice SEO followed the highest standards in SEO to narrow its focus on helping companies with voice search engine optimization: 

3. ReachLocal- Best For Local SEO

When it comes to executing best-in-class local SEO strategies, ReachLocal needs no introduction. 

This SEO agency is responsible for generating over 201 million local leads for more than 19,000 clients across the globe. 

Not only are they the go-to company for practical and strategic local SEO executions, but ReachLocal’s experience also spans over 15 years, and they have offices in five continents:

4. FATJOE – Best For Backlinks Acquisition

FATJOE comes highly recommended for acquiring backlinks for SEO. Turn to this SEO agency if you need help generating high-value backlinks. 

And you can do this with the assurance that even other SEO agencies rely on them for the same. 

FATJOE was founded in 2012. Today, they’ve grown to become one of the world’s biggest outsourced link building agencies, and they serve more than 5,000 clients:

5. OuterBox – Best For eCommerce SEO

OuterBox is our pick for eCommerce SEO. 

They’re an SEO and performance marketing company focused on helping eCommerce brands drive growth through search strategy, design, and conversion rate optimization. 

Irrespective of which eCommerce platform your business is built on—Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify, Drupal, or others; OuterBox’s eCommerce search engine optimization strategies and tactics are effective and reliable: 

Conclusion: Be Patient with Your Chosen SEO Agency

Choosing and partnering with an SEO agency, even one that’s perfect for you, isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. 

It takes time before you’ll start seeing results. 

However, it is worth the wait because once things kick-off, SEO is like a flywheel that gets better by the day and works like a vicious cycle: 

So be patient. 

Only ensure you choose an SEO agency that’s right for you. And most notably, one with a diverse team of experienced experts who breathe SEO:

The post How to Choose The Right SEO Agency appeared first on Neil Patel.

Do You Want To Receive More Affiliate Checks?

Do You Want To Receive More Affiliate Checks?

Associate Marketing is without a doubt, among the simplest means to generate income online. It is an income sharing service connection in between the associate that accepts advertise the solutions or items, as well as the seller that supplies them.

The associate markets the vendor’s solutions as well as items as well as obtains a payment for every effective reference. Every time a client is referred to the vendor’s website, with the associate’s initiatives, as well as makes an acquisition, the associate obtains a share of the revenue.

Associate Marketers can gain a couple of dollars to thousands of bucks with associate programs. The chance to make in associate advertising can just be restricted by the associate’s method, creative thinking and also resolution.

There are lots of manner ins which an associate marketing expert can do to optimize their revenues. They will certainly most likely desire to obtain as lots of as feasible if you ask any kind of associate online marketer just how lots of associate checks they would certainly desire to obtain. Some associate checks are tiny, totaling up to absolutely nothing greater than $25.
Over time, these associate checks might develop up to an actually outstanding quantity. Making a ton of money in associate advertising is not instantaneous.

A lot of associate marketing experts will enthusiastically respond that they desire to obtain as numerous associate checks as feasible. Many associate online marketers presume that signing up with several associate programs is a sensible alternative. Due to the fact that, it is really simple to sign up with associate programs and also there is actually absolutely nothing to shed, associate online marketers are lured to sign up with as several programs they can obtain their hands on.

The ideal method to accomplish several streams of revenue is to focus on one associate program. Pick an item or solution that you can advertise passionately. The ideal solutions as well as items to advertise are those that you make use of directly.

As quickly as your initial associate program is making a sensible revenue after that you can continue to signing up with one more associate program and also repeat the procedure. “Too a lot, prematurely” is a typical challenge in associate advertising. Signing up with way too many associate programs at the same time in the hopes of having numerous streams of earnings merely does not function.

Emphasis initially on one associate program and also job on it so that it makes a great revenue. The concern needs to not be exactly how numerous associate checks you desire to get, yet exactly how several “high-paying” associate checks can you get.

If you ask any type of associate marketing professional just how several associate checks they would certainly desire to get, they will certainly most likely desire to obtain as numerous as feasible. The majority of associate marketing experts will enthusiastically respond that they desire to get as lots of associate checks as feasible. Due to the fact that, it is really simple to sign up with associate programs as well as there is actually absolutely nothing to shed, associate marketing professionals are attracted to sign up with as numerous programs they can obtain their hands on. As quickly as your initial associate program is making a practical earnings after that you can continue to signing up with an additional associate program and also repeat the procedure. The inquiry must not be just how numerous associate checks you desire to get, yet just how several “high-paying” associate checks can you obtain.

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Economic situation of Panama

Economic situation of Panama

Widely called Panama, the Republic of Panama lies in the southerly component of Central America. It is a transcontinental nation that belongs to an all-natural land bridge that attaches both continents, particularly North America as well as South America. The economic climate of panama is solution based, which suggests that the economic situation of Panama greatly spends for the area of financial, tourist as well as business; primarily due to the vital topography placement of the Republic of Panama.
The entire solution market of the economic situation of Panama stands for three-fourths of Panama’s Gross Domestic Products. The well established solution market of the economic climate of Panama consist of the Panama Canal, financial field, the Colon Free Zone, insurance policy industry, container ports, front runner windows registry and also the tourist market.
The Gross Domestic Product (or GDP) development of the economic climate of Panama on that very same year was just around 2.3%, a great deal reduced contrasted to its GDP development in 1999 which was 3.0%. On the various other hand, on 2001, the federal government of Panama has actually prepared added public jobs programs, tax obligation reforms, as well as additional arrangements concerning its local profession with the purpose of boosting the development of the economic climate of Panama.
The hand over of the Panama Canal as well as the armed forces installments by the United States of America has actually led means to some brand-new building jobs by the Panama federal government as well as the personal market of Panama. The joblessness price of the Republic of Panama went beyond 14% last 2002.
The “acquiring power parity” of the GDP of the economic climate of Panama has actually an approximated 18.78 billion bucks by 2003 as well as the GDP actual development price has actually enhanced to 4.1% on 2003. The GDP of the economic situation of Panama is made up of: 8.3% by the farming market, 14.7% by the market and also 77.1% in the solutions market.

The economic situation of panama is solution based, which indicates that the economic climate of Panama greatly spends on the area of business, financial and also tourist; primarily since of the crucial topography setting of the Republic of Panama.
The entire solution industry of the economic climate of Panama stands for three-fourths of Panama’s Gross Domestic Products. The well created solution market of the economic climate of Panama consist of the Panama Canal, financial market, the Colon Free Zone, insurance policy industry, container ports, front runner computer registry as well as the tourist market.
The hand over of the Panama Canal and also the armed forces installments by the United States of America has actually led method to some brand-new building and construction jobs by the Panama federal government and also the personal field of Panama.

The post Economic situation of Panama appeared first on ROI Credit Builders.

Crush This Economy – Spirituality Information

Crush This Economy – Spirituality Information Economic climate I recognize not, Neither the GDP all brief, Numbers they are for the intelligence, What usage it that for the inadequate to remember… Economic climate has an odor … Economy has actually come a cropper … History stands witness … There are extremely couple of individuals that … Continue reading Crush This Economy – Spirituality Information

Time for a Change? 6 Reasons to Swap Your Old Card for a New Business Credit Card

…And How to Find the Best New Business Credit Card for Your Business

Just as Thor has his hammer and Captain America has his shield, every business super hero needs an ultimate tool.  You cannot really call them all weapons right?  I mean, a shield is not about destroying, but about protection.  Everyone knows a hammer is a tool.  So, in short, tools can be used as weapons, and superhero tools can serve a variety of purposes, all for the greater good.  So too, can your business credit cards.  Sometimes, however, it is necessary to pursue a new business credit card, also for the greater good.  How do you know when that time has come?  Read on and we’ll tell you.

How Do You Know It’s Time for a New Business Credit Card?

You might not think it’s a hard decision.  Most business owners fall into two camps.  Either they are happy with their card and there is no need for a new one, or you just get a new card whenever you feel like it.  Unbeknownst to most, there actually is a right time and a wrong time to get a new business credit card.  Not only that, but there is also a right and a wrong way to handle the old one.  We can help you with both.

It might be time to ditch the old business credit card and get a new one if:

1.      The Fee is More than the Benefits are Worth

Maybe you are paying a hefty annual fee, but you justify it by weighing it against the rewards and interest rate you receive with the card.  It’s always wise to review that however.  Next time you are about to fork over that fee, take a look at what your options are.  Do you actually use the rewards offered with that credit card?  Are the rewards based on fuel spending and maybe you don’t travel?  Perhaps the rewards are at dining establishments you do not frequent.

Is that interest rate really the best?  Maybe you had a great promotional rate when you first got the card but now it’s nothing special.  Maybe the interest rate was the best available at the time but you are not so sure any more.

If either or both of these situations sound familiar, it may be time to ditch the old card and look for a new business credit card.  There is no point in paying the annual fee if you are no longer reaping the benefits that made you willing to pay it in the beginning.

2.      Your Spending Habits Have Changed

Have you outgrown the credit limit on your own card?  Maybe you spend more now that your business has grown.  It could also be that you spend on different things now.  In the beginning you may have used your card mostly for business supplies and sales dinners, whereas now you may use the funds for travel expenses and inventory more often.

Things change, and those things include spending habits.  The card that worked for your spending habits before may not be the best option for your current spending habits. Take a look at what you have versus what’s available in light of this, and you may see its time to ditch your old card and get a new one.

3.      You Now Qualify for Better Perks

For most business owners, their first business credit card is the first one for which they qualify for approval.  As your business, and your credit score, grows, you can get so much more.  If it’s been awhile since you shopped around, or if you see that you are getting unsolicited offers for cards that offer better perks than your currently have, it may be time to check out what new business credit cards are out there and ditch your old one.

Hit the jackpot with our best webinar and its trustworthy list of seven vendors who can help you build business credit.

4.      You Can Get a Better Interest Rate with a New Business Credit Card

Another thing that you can get stuck with in the beginning, simply because you qualify for nothing better, is a lousy interest rate.  After you spend some time managing your business, and your finances, wisely, you are likely eligible for much better.

You can start with calling your current credit card company, but if they won’t budge, it’s time to drop the old card and start looking for a new business credit card.

5.      There is Any Better Offer With No Fee

Aside from a lousy interest rate and non-existent or useless perks, you can get stuck with an annual fee.  Sometimes the fee it worth it for the perks.  However, it is important to keep watch for cards that have better perks, better rates, and no annual fee.  Even if you get the same perks and the same rates, if there is no fee you are better off. If you are getting offers that do not include an annual fee, it might be time to find a new business credit card.

6.      You Anticipate an Upcoming Large Purchase

Sometimes it is simply a matter of dollars.  If you foresee a larger purchase in the near future, you may need to start looking for a new card.  For example, if you need to buy a new industrial refrigerator or oven, or both, you might not want to put that on a card you use for regular purchases.  Not only can it mess with the amount of funds you have available, but often you can find great deals on interest rates from dealers that sell what you are looking to buy.  It can help to save money and manage finances, by keeping larger purchases separate, if you just go ahead and open a new business credit card.

Bonus: Your Old Card Is Connected to Your Personal Credit Score

You need your business cards to be based on and reporting to your business credit.  In the beginning however, most businesses do not have business credit.  They can get cards based on their personal credit score, so they never even think about business credit.

When it comes to running a business however, business credit is better.

If you have great personal credit, you may think business credit is a non-issue.  Regardless of what your personal credit looks like, as a business owner it is important that you begin to build business credit. Here’s why.

If you use business credit to handle business transactions, your personal finances will not be affected by those transactions.  This means that if your business fails, your personal credit score will stay intact.  Also, you will not be personally liable for your business debts.

In addition, paying business expenses with personal credit cards can keep balances near the credit limit.  This is true even if you pay everything off each month.  Business expenses are large, and personal credit cards usually have smaller limits than business credit cards.

Your debt-to-credit ratio is affected by this.  That will negatively affect your personal credit score even if you make payments on time.

How to Build Business Credit

You know the why, now here’s the how.

Get an EIN

It is a number for your business, kind of like your personal SSN. Apply on the IRS website.  It doesn’t cost anything, and you can use it on business credit applications instead of your SSN.  You may still need to provide your SSN for fraud prevention, but it will not be used to access your personal credit score.

Formally Incorporate

A business must be incorporated to have business credit. The idea is that your business needs to be established as an entity separate from yourself in every way.  Incorporation not only accomplishes that, but it also offers you some liability from business debts.

Dedicated Contact Information

You need a dedicated business address and telephone number.  The phone number should be toll free, and the business should be listed in the directories with its own contact information.

Professional Website and Email

All businesses these days need a professional, user friendly website to be able to compete.  You also need an email address that is specifically for the business.  Do not use a free email service such as Gmail or Yahoo.  The business email address should use the same URL as the business website.

Business Bank Accounts

A separate business banking account is a must.  You can pay yourself from this account, but do not run personal expenses through it.

You Need a D-U-N-S Number

Yes, another number. This time it comes from Dun & Bradstreet.  They are the largest and most commonly used business credit reporting agency, so having a credit report with them is necessary for getting business credit.  The number is free on the D&B website, but they will try to sell you other services.  You don’t need any of them.

A Quick Note on How to Start Building Business Credit

Once you accomplish this, it is time to work on building your business credit score.  There is a process, and you have to work your way through it patiently.  It takes time, but the payoff is big.

Hit the jackpot with our best webinar and its trustworthy list of seven vendors who can help you build business credit.

The Vendor Credit Tier

This is your way in.  These are vendors that will extend net 30 terms on invoices and then report your payments to the credit reporting agencies.  Once they start doing that, your business credit score will be established and grow from there.

This tier includes vendors such as Quill.com, Granger, and Uline that sell items you can use in your business every day.  Make a few purchases with net 30 terms, make your payments on time, and watch your business credit score explode. Find more about vendors that can help you build business credit here.

Working Through the Credit Tiers

After you have 7 to 10 accounts reporting from the vendor credit tier, it should be possible to get approval in the retail credit tier.  These are credit cards attached to specific stores such as Best Buy, Amazon, and Office Depot.

After you have several accounts reporting from the retail credit tier, you will qualify for cards in the fleet credit tier.  These cards are issued by companies like Shell, Fuelman, and WEX to be used for fuel and vehicle repair and maintenance.

The last tier is the cash credit tier.   When you have enough accounts reporting from each tier, and if you are keeping current on all your payments, your score will be strong enough to get your approval for these cards.  They are general credit cards such as MasterCard and Visa that are not attached to a specific store.  Typically, they have higher limits and more rewards options.

 

What to Look for in a New Card

This part is easy. You want something, everything if possible, to be better than the old card.  Your old tool should by default be more powerful than the old one.

  • Annual Fee– Whether the fee is the actual reason for the change or not, if you are changing anyway look for the lowest annual fee possible that also fulfills all your other needs.
  • Interest Rate– Again, maybe you are changing specifically for the lower rate, and maybe you aren’t. Either way you need to find the lowest interest rate possible that still gives you everything else you need.
  • Perks– look for perks you will actually use. If it’s all travel miles and you never travel, there is no point.
  • Credit Limit– A limit that will not handle your spending habits or the amount of your new purchase isn’t going to do you any good. Look for the highest limit you are eligible for. Remember that if you do not use it all, it will only help your debt-to-credit ratio, which in turn helps your credit score.

Hit the jackpot with our best webinar and its trustworthy list of seven vendors who can help you build business credit.

As with all things, you can do an analysis of the cost versus the benefit. If the annual fee means you get a super low interest rate or perks that will save you several hundred dollars a year, it may be worth it.  Before you make a decision, consider this in light of the reason why you are changing versus what is available to you at the moment.

Should You Shut Down the Old Card?

This is where it can get iffy.  You might think it obvious that you close the old account.  That is not always the best option however.  It can actually be beneficial to keep it open.

The average age of all of the accounts on your credit report affects your credit score.  The older your accounts are, the better it is for your score.  Opening a new account already lowers that average, so closing an older account is going to lower it even further.

If you have had the account for a while, it might be better to zero it out and keep it active.  Be sure to determine what level of activity is necessary to keep the account active.  If you have to make a small monthly purchase and pay it off every month or so it may be worth it to keep and older account open.

Is it Time for a New Business Credit Card?

The short answer is, maybe.  If your credit is at a point where you can get better rates and incentives with a lower annual fee, then it is time to get a new card.  If your credit limit on your old card can’t support your current or changing spending habits, it’s time for a new card.  Lastly, if your business credit cards are on your personal credit report, it’s time to build business credit and get a new business credit card.

 

 

 

The post Time for a Change? 6 Reasons to Swap Your Old Card for a New Business Credit Card appeared first on Credit Suite.

The post Time for a Change? 6 Reasons to Swap Your Old Card for a New Business Credit Card appeared first on Buy It At A Bargain – Deals And Reviews.