The bottom line: Accion loans are a good option for borrowers who’ve been in business for three months or more and have been turned down by other lenders.

• A broad range of loan amounts from $5,000 to $100,000.

• Loans are available to businesses in operation for as little as three months.

• Expanded credit guidelines for borrowers.

• Customized loan terms.

• No prepayment penalty.

• It can’t be used to get a business off the ground.

• Shorter loan repayment periods of one to five years.

• Slow processing speed compared to online lenders.

• Not available in all U.S. states.

Accion Opportunity Fund is a nonprofit community lender offering customized loans to small business owners throughout most of the U.S.

Over 80% of Accion clients identify as women, people of color or immigrants. In addition to small business loans, educational resources and coaching support in English and Spanish are also provided.

• Prefer customized options. Loan terms are structured based on your business needs.

• Don’t have perfect credit. Factors other than your credit score can be used to determine qualification.

• Have new businesses and can’t get funding elsewhere. Businesses only need to be in operation for three months to apply.

Accion says that most of its borrowers have not been able to get loans with traditional lenders because they have poor credit, no credit history or require a small loan amount. Accion can use more than a borrower’s credit score to determine qualification for a business loan.

Accion can structure a loan to meet your specific business needs. After submitting an application, you may be able to choose from several loan options with different term lengths, interest rates and payment amounts. In addition, if Accion can’t provide a loan, it will refer you to one of its partners or provide other financing options for you to explore.

Accion does more to help small businesses than just offering loans. Business coaching and mentoring are also available. You can set up an appointment for one-on-one assistance provided by a business expert. Your coach can also help you enroll in training programs to enhance your leadership skills. In addition, its resource center offers videos, articles, and interactive learning materials.

Accion loans are designed to support existing small business owners. But, again, your business must be in operation for a minimum of three months to qualify for an Accion loan. That means you won’t be able to use loan funds to start a business.

Accion loans are available in most U.S. states, but you won’t be eligible if your business is located in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee or Vermont. Also, Southern Opportunity and Resilience (SOAR) funding is limited to businesses located in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, or Washington, D.C.

• Credit score: No minimum required.

• Time in business: Minimum of 3 months in business.

• Annual revenue: Varies depending on the loan program.

After completing an application online, you’ll receive a quote. Accion says that the quote won’t affect your credit score. You will need to provide some basic information about your business, including revenue and expenses. Accion will then review your loan options with you, including interest rates, repayment amounts and the repayment period. If there are no options that work for you, Accion can refer you to other resources.

If you decide to move forward with the loan offer, you’ll be asked to provide documents that Accion can use to verify the information you provided on your application. After that, your loan will be finalized; you’ll sign loan documents and then receive funds.

An SBA loan is another option to consider. These loans are offered through banks but partially guaranteed by the Small Business Administration. This can make it easier to qualify because the lender takes on less risk. In addition, funds from an SBA loan can be used to start a business. This differs from an Accion loan, which requires your business to operate for a minimum of three months to qualify. SBA loans also offer flexibility when a borrower has less-than-perfect credit.

Kiva is another nonprofit that is an option to ponder. You can get up to $15,000 at 0% interest if you qualify. Kiva loans don’t require a minimum credit score or collateral. Still, there are other eligibility requirements, such as the business must be based in the U.S. and you can’t currently be in foreclosure, bankruptcy or under any liens. One unique Kiva provision is that borrowers are asked to demonstrate their strength of character by having friends and family make loans to them.

The companies that offer merchant services vary in the related products and services they offer, and in their pricing models (flat rate, interchange-plus, membership). Here’s our list of the best merchant services and what sets them apart.

Payment processing: In addition to the interchange rate — which is set by the card issuer and generally ranges from 1% to 3% — you also pay a processing fee (hence the term “interchange plus”). For a monthly card processing volume of up to $25,000, the markup is 0.3% plus 8 cents per in-person transaction and 0.5% plus 25 cents per keyed and online transactions. Lower rates are available for higher volume levels.

Software: Free.

Hardware: Card reader is $109. Stands, printers and other equipment available through Helcim Shop.

Why we like it: Helcim’s transparent pricing, lack of monthly fees and volume discounts are what pushes it to the top of the list. It’s easy to sign up for an account online by providing some basic information. And without a contract or cancellation fees, there’s no penalty to close your account. Funds from your transactions are deposited within one to two business days. Customer support is available weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time and on the weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time. You can sync data with both QuickBooks Desktop and Online. Other integrations include WooCommerce, Magento and Zone 4.

Payment processing: Flat-rate pricing model that charges 2.6% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction, 3.5% plus 15 cents per keyed transaction and 2.9% plus 30 cents per online transaction.

Software: Free option.

Hardware: Free card reader. A register costs $799 or $39 a month for 24 months.

Why we like it: Square is our top pick for flat-rate pricing with no monthly fees, low transaction rates and free virtual terminal. It can accommodate all types of credit card transactions. You receive your funds as fast as the next business day for free, or you can pay a fee to receive funds instantly. Square offers free dispute management for chargebacks and doesn’t charge processing fees for customer refunds. Free phone support is available during the week from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time. Square integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, Stitch Labs and other popular apps.

Payment processing: In addition to the interchange rate, a processing fee is charged. For Visa, Mastercard and Discover, that’s 0.15% plus 8 cents per in-person transaction. Rates for American Express in-person transactions are 0.30% plus 11 cents. And you’ll pay 0.2% plus 11 cents for keyed and online transactions.

Software: $25 monthly fee.

Hardware: Terminals start at $229 and a Clover Mini standalone device can be purchased for $749.

Why we like it: Dharma specializes in helping e-commerce businesses and has one of the lowest rates for card-not-present transactions. Businesses with monthly card sales over $100,000 or more than 5,000 transactions may qualify for volume discounts, as well as restaurants with average ticket amounts of less than $25. Funding is guaranteed in two business days. Customer support to process your card transactions is available 24 hours a day. You can export data into an Excel file to import into QuickBooks.

Payment processing: Flat-rate pricing model that charges 2.7% plus 5 cents per in-person transaction and 2.9% plus 30 cents per online transaction.

Software: Free option.

Hardware: Card readers cost $59 and up. A POS register is $249.

Why we like it: Stripe is best for online sales because it supports processing payments in multiple currencies, allowing customers to charge in their native currency and businesses to receive funds in theirs. Payments are typically processed in two business days. Stripe integrates with a large number of apps and automatically syncs with QuickBooks and NetSuite. You can use the developer tools in Stripe Terminal and pre-certified card readers to build your own in-person checkout system.

Payment processing: In addition to the interchange rate, 15 cents per transaction is charged. This could be less depending on the plan selected.

Software: Plans starting at $79 per month.

Hardware: Free and up. Terminals and POS systems from Clover, Ingenico and other brands available for purchase.

Why we like it: Payment Depot offers membership plans that give businesses access to wholesale interchange rates at a set fee per transaction. It’s an independent sales organization that handles merchant accounts for Wells Fargo Bank. You can get access to next-day deposits based on the membership plan you select. Support is available 24/7 through the bank. Payment Depot integrates with Shopify, OpenCart, QuickBooks, PrestaShop, Shift4Shop, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Magento, Zen Cart, Revel, NCR and Authorize.net.

Payment processing: Rates determined on a case-by-case basis.

Software: $10 and up monthly.

Hardware: A card reader and terminal included with the account. Mobile POS systems, terminals, POS registers, kitchen printers, kiosks and other devices can be purchased.

Why we like it: PaymentCloud specializes in services for high risk industries, although they also offer services to low and medium risk businesses. Payment processing is available for in-person, online, mobile, keyed and cryptocurrency transactions. It has over 10 banking relationships that can be used to secure a merchant account for your business. Next-day payment processing is offered as part of retail POS services. The platform integrates with QuickBooks and most shopping carts including BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Shopify and Magento.

Payment processing: In addition to the interchange rate, fees based on business type are charged. For example, 0.14% plus 7 cents per transaction for restaurants, 0.18% plus 10 cents per transaction for retail businesses and 0.29% plus 15 cents per transaction for e-commerce business are applied.

Software: $9.95 per month or more based on industry.

Hardware: A mobile reader is included with most plans at no additional cost. Based on the plan you select, a terminal and PIN pad may also be included. A large number of POS devices are available including Clover hardware.

Why we like it: National Processing customizes its fees based on industry and risk. For example, the rate a restaurant pays is less than that of a retail organization. Also, processing services are offered for some high-risk businesses. You can expect to receive your funds in two days with an opportunity for next-day deposits. Phone support is available 24/7. Integrations are offered for popular business apps including QuickBooks, WooCommerce, Ecwid, Zendesk, BigCommerce, OpenCart and Shopify.

Payment processing: Pricing varies. QuickBooks Online users pay 2.4% plus 25 cents per in-person transactions; 3.4% plus 25 cents per keyed transactions; and 2.9% plus 25 cents for invoiced transactions.

Software: Free and up.

Hardware: A PIN pad costs $389 and a hardware bundle that includes a cash drawer, receipt printer, wired barcode and PIN pad is $900. Additional devices available.

Why we like it: For loyal QuickBooks users, QuickBooks Payments can process online, in-person and invoiced transactions. Payment for the next business day is typically available when the cutoff time of 3 p.m. Pacific time is met. Phone support is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time. QuickBooks Payments integrates with Shopify, Amazon, eBay, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce, Walmart and Etsy shopping carts.

When a payment processor freezes your account, everything stops: You can no longer process credit cards and or access settlement funds until the freeze is resolved. These disruptive freezes can be triggered by transaction patterns that appear suspicious, such as higher-than-average transaction amounts or frequent chargebacks. You can typically get these freezes resolved by providing any information your processor requests — but you’ll also want to figure out what went wrong so you can avoid ending up in the same situation again.

Here’s what to know about frozen accounts, what can trigger freezes and how to avoid them in the future.

Payment processors’ responsibilities

Payment processors must comply with credit card network operating regulations and federal law, which put them on the hook for certain unauthorized charges on stolen credit cards, money laundering schemes and other types of fraud. Allowing fraudulent transactions to go through can result in violations and fines for processors.

“We don’t have any flexibility on what we are required to uphold,” says Angie Dobbs, vice president of risk and fraud with Wave, a payment processing company. “Sometimes if we detect something that’s off, it’s actually our requirement to protect our business, to protect our customers and to meet the regulations that are set forth by U.S. and Canadian regulatory bodies, the banks and networks.”

A frozen account doesn’t mean the processor has determined you’re at fault; they’re just pausing transactions to investigate what’s going on.

“We know how scary it is when we have to reach out and say we’re holding your funds until we feel that it’s safe to proceed,” Dobbs says. “It’s a really difficult conversation to have.”

What payment processors are looking for

Customer fraud can occur at various stages of the payment process. A few examples of how consumers defraud merchants include:

• Using stolen credit card information to make a purchase.

• Testing a list of stolen credit card numbers on a merchant’s website to see which are approved and still usable, costing the merchant money in processing fees.

• Requiring a merchant to open an account with a specific payment processor to process a large amount on what turns out to be a stolen credit card.

Merchant fraud occurs when fraudsters open payment processing accounts with the intention to process illegal transactions or violate processor agreements. This can happen when a merchant:

• Sets up an account under a stolen identity to avoid being identified.

• Sets up illegitimate storefronts to accept payments but never fulfill orders.

• Opens a payment processing account for a low-risk business while actually running a high-risk business.

Because some merchants are able to create accounts with fraudulent information and get through the onboarding process, payment processors continue to monitor activity after approval for any red flags that pop up when transactions are being processed. Each new transaction provides new data for them to analyze for potentially fraudulent behavior, says Dobbs.

This is why you might make it through the onboarding process and be approved for an account but be flagged for investigation after you begin accepting transactions. It’s not that the payment processor changed its mind about your approval — it’s more likely that something about those first transactions flagged its system and it wants to ensure no one, you included, is being scammed.

Why your business might have its account frozen

Merchant fraud occurs when a fraudster opens a merchant account using a fake identity. Because they’ve already developed credit with the identity and are able to answer all of the payment processor’s verification questions, a processor assumes the merchant is legitimate. However, fraudsters can use these merchant accounts to process stolen credit card numbers and run transactions that don’t fit the business model they were approved to operate.

Payment processors expect businesses to process transactions within certain price ranges, depending on the industry or types of products a business is selling. If a business begins processing transactions that are higher than that of the average business within the given industry, this can be a sign of a business either selling a different product than it originally applied to sell or processing stolen payment methods.

Processors are constantly looking for activity that doesn’t fit the template of an average consumer. For example, if you’re processing transactions on multiple credit cards with the same physical address, there’s a high chance that the credit cards are stolen. The payment processor might freeze your account while it investigates the charges to determine if they are legitimate and to ensure that you aren’t involved in fraudulent activity.

A business that is constantly getting chargebacks is a liability for payment processors. Because consumers can request a chargeback as much as 60 days after a transaction — and up to 120 days in some cases — processors see frequent chargebacks as a signal that something isn’t quite right and want to hit pause on transactions until they can figure out why a company is having so much trouble.

How to avoid having your account frozen

While small businesses can’t avoid fraud altogether, they can implement practices and take steps to ensure they are on the same page as their payment processors to minimize the risk of having their accounts frozen.

If possible, use any fraud tools that are available through the e-commerce platforms you already pay for, such as having a code texted to a cell phone or a temporary password sent to an email address, says Kimberly Sutherland, vice president of fraud and identity strategy at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, a technology company that focuses on reducing risk. “Being able to link that transaction back to a user is the way that a lot of businesses try to reduce some of that risk,” she says.

If your processor places a limit on how much you can process in one transaction, don’t try to process a larger amount. If your business will be regularly processing more than your transaction limit, talk with your processor about increasing your limit.

Letting your payment processor know in advance that you’ll be processing a transaction that’s larger than your usual amount gives it time to ask questions and verify information. By being proactive, you lessen the chance that your processor is going to flag your account for suspicious activity, says Dobbs.

Some fraudulent customers will try to get away with multiple purchases if they can. Look for red flags before you accept payments. “Are you seeing the same device come across with multiple payment instruments or the same address is being used across multiple payment types?” asks Sutherland. “Being able to really pay more attention to the frequency of that identity appearing or aspects of that identity appearing is a really effective approach.”

You can’t avoid all chargebacks because some of them might be legitimate, like when a customer’s credit card number has been stolen and used at your business. But minimizing the frequency of chargebacks can potentially avoid a sudden freeze on your account. You can reduce chargebacks by offering return policies, responsive customer support and clear information about when items are shipped and delivered.

Online businesses need a payment gateway, a portal where customers can securely enter their payment information to process transactions on their websites. White-label payment gateways, unlike traditional gateways, let businesses customize the online checkout process with their own names, logos and brand components without having to create their own systems from scratch. Many payment processors now have white-label checkout tools or open software for developers to fully customize the checkout process, and some companies make products solely for white-label use.

Nerdy tip: White-label products are produced by one company and rebranded by another. In the case of payment gateways, it means that you can rebrand the checkout process so your customer doesn’t see the name of the payment software you used.

Benefits of a white-label payment gateway

A white-label service increases brand recognition and consistency because the customer won’t have to leave the business page to checkout or see multiple brand logos and layouts. This can make your online business appear more streamlined and reliable.

A customizable platform can make online store customization much easier, as businesses may be able to take advantage of advanced tools without hiring someone to code a custom checkout page.

Drawbacks of a white-label payment gateway

Most payment service providers offer checkout customization through the platform’s application programming interface, or API, which can require developer experience to use. Platforms like Dwolla or WePay Clear, which are made to be white-label, may be easier to use but can have less flexibility than payment giants like Stripe.

Many white-label payment gateways and payment service providers that offer customization are geared for online businesses. Payment services that offer brick-and-mortar payment processing tend to be less individualized, so businesses might have to compromise or choose a separate option.

Best white-label payment service providers

Cost: 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction.

Stripe is one of the most popular payment platforms. In addition to its large suite of features and add-ons, the platform is highly customizable through its sandbox API and developer tools. Though it may take developer experience to take full advantage of the tools, Stripe can be completely branded to match your website.

Customization options include color, font, shapes and brand logos, plus the option to use your business URL instead of Stripe’s so customers aren’t redirected during checkout.

Cost: Quote-based pay-as-you-go pricing. Plans free and up.

Dwolla is a white-label payment service that integrates your business with the Automated Clearing House network to send and receive ACH payments. The software, when integrated with your online website, can be fully customized to match your business’s branding.

With lower per-transaction fees than a typical payment processor, it’s a good option for businesses that only accept payments via bank transfer, like real-estate investors, utility providers, wealth management businesses and reimbursement services. API access for further customization costs an additional $250 per month.

Cost: Quote-based.

WePay offers a white-label payments integration on top of its standard payments platform. The Clear service helps businesses integrate WePay into their websites and checkouts without redirecting customers. You can either build your own checkout form or customize existing templates, enabling you to have your brand colors and logo appear seamlessly throughout the payment process.

Like Stripe, you may need some developer experience to get the most out of the API, but customer support can assist with more basic customization.

Cost: 2.59% plus 49 cents per transaction for card and digital wallet payments.

Braintree is a merchant services provider within the PayPal brand suite that offers payment processing services for mobile apps and websites. Like Stripe, Braintree has an advanced API that developers can use to customize checkout and payment pages.

Here are the top five credit card readers that made our list for Android users.

Clover Go: Best for payment processing fees

Runs on: Android or iOS.
Style: Handheld.
POS: Free.
Hardware: $49.
Payment processing: 2.6% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction.
Why we like it: The Clover Go’s sleek design is easy to use on the go. You can accept all credit cards along with Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay, and it takes offline payments when you lose Wi-Fi or a cell signal. While you’ll have to choose a monthly plan, Clover offers a free option with basic POS features, including processing payments and sales tracking.

• Doesn’t have a screen to view transaction details.

• Doesn’t print receipts.

• Requires paid monthly plan for advanced features.

PayPal Zettle: Best for QR codes

Runs on: Android or iOS.
Style: Handheld.
POS: Free.
Hardware: $29 for new customers; $79 per additional reader.
Payment processing: 2.29% plus 9 cents per card transaction.
Why we like it: PayPal’s Zettle accepts credit cards, digital wallet payments and QR codes for PayPal accounts. QR code transactions are charged from 1.9% plus 10 cents to 2.4% plus 5 cents per transaction for a cheaper alternative to traditional credit cards. Without a monthly fee, the platform offers a cheaper option for businesses that need to accept payments on the go.

• Accepts chip and contactless payments and digital wallets.

• Creates QR codes for an additional payment method.

• Has a screen to show transaction details.

• Doesn’t require a contract or monthly fee.

• Doesn’t swipe magstripe credit cards.

• Doesn’t support offline payments.

• Doesn’t print receipts.

SumUp Plus: Best low-cost option

Runs on: Android or iOS.
Style: Handheld.
POS: Free.
Hardware: $19.
Payment processing: 2.75% per chip, swipe or contactless payment.
Why we like it: The SumUp Plus reader is small but efficient, processing magstripe and chip cards as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay. It includes a screen to show transaction details and charges pay-as-you-go processing fees so you pay only when you charge customers.

• Accepts magstripe and chip credit cards and digital wallets.

• Has a screen.

• Doesn’t require a contract or monthly fee.

• Doesn’t print receipts.

• Doesn’t process offline payments.

Square Reader for contactless and chip: Best for POS features

Runs on: Android or iOS.
Style: Handheld.
POS: Free.
Hardware: $49.
Payment processing: 2.6% plus 10 cents per chip or contactless payment.
Why we like it: Square’s Reader accepts chip cards and contactless methods including Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Apple Pay. It uses a pay-as-you-go structure, so you don’t have a monthly fee and pay only when customers are charged. Square’s processing rates start at a competitive 2.6% plus 10 cents and come with POS features that include reporting and inventory management.

• Accepts chip credit cards and digital wallets.

• Doesn’t require a contract or monthly fee.

• Doesn’t accept magstripe credit cards.

• Doesn’t have a screen to show transaction details.

• Doesn’t accept offline payments.

• Doesn’t print receipts.

Stripe Reader M2: Best for customization

Runs on: Android or iOS.
Style: Handheld.
POS: Free.
Hardware: $59.
Payment processing: 2.7% plus 5 cents per card transaction.
Why we like it: Stripe’s Reader M2 doesn’t require a contract and comes with pay-as-you-go pricing for accepting magstripe and chip cards, as well as digital wallets. The reader requires you to use a software development kit, or SDK, to integrate it with your application, so some coding knowledge is helpful. But the POS comes with a lot of features that make customization and integrations easier, including embedded checkout, currency conversion, reporting, 24/7 support and a developer dashboard. With these features, skilled users can customize their reader to do more than most others on the market.

• Accepts magstripe and chip cards and digital wallets.

• Doesn’t require a contract or monthly fee.

• Doesn’t accept offline payments.

• Doesn’t have a screen to show transaction details.

• Doesn’t print receipts.

Comparison table

“Net 30” is a shorthand term used on invoices to indicate that a customer has 30 days to pay. This simple concept connects to other areas of business operations, including customer communication and accounting.

An invoice contains details of a transaction like a sale date, the name of the good or service the customer received, and its cost. Another component of an invoice is the time given to the buyer to pay the bill. For example, a business can use the term “Net 30” to show that a customer must pay within 30 days from the date the invoice was sent.

While 30 days is a typical time frame, it’s not the only one you’ll see:

• 10, 20 and 60 days are also commonly used time frames. On an invoice, these could also be written Net 10, Net 20 and Net 60, respectively.

• Other payment terms can be added. For example, Net 30 EOM means the payment must be made by the 30th day of the following month. If the invoice is dated Oct. 15, the payment is due on Nov. 30.

• A business might alter the time frame from customer to customer. Trusted customers with a record of on-time or early payments might be given a longer time frame as a courtesy or perk.

• There’s no requirement to use this shorthand. You can instead write the specific date the payment is due or opt for a phrase like “due within 30 days of the invoice date.”

Many factors go into choosing how much time you’ll give customers to pay. The decision ultimately balances your need to be paid with a financial courtesy extended to your customers, as an invoice is essentially a 0% loan. Things to consider include:

• Shorter windows can prompt faster payments. Accounting software company Xero states on its website that short time frames will likely mean more customers pay late. However, invoices with shorter payment windows tend to be paid quicker than invoices with longer time frames, even accounting for late payments.

• Some merchants offer a discount if the buyer pays quickly. For example, a payment might be due within 30 days, but you could offer a 2% discount if the buyer pays within 10 days. This can be written as “2/10 Net 30.”

• Don’t delay. Sending invoices to customers can sometimes float to the bottom of a to-do list. If you’re looking for ways to speed up your cash flow, see if there’s any time you can save on the front end by getting invoices out the door faster.

Keeping track of invoices takes time and can require multiple contact points with customers. Many modern online invoicing services can automate most of these steps. If you receive payments via invoice, make sure the software you use can:

• Create default payment terms. Auto-populate new invoices with the terms you prefer.

• Automate reminder emails. A set number of days before the deadline, automatically nudge customers who haven’t settled up. Then, prompt them if they still haven’t paid when the deadline passes. Or, send an alert to every customer whose invoice is past due with one click.

• Maintain customer profiles. Note if a customer has billing issues in a customer management system.

• Include a link to a payment page. Doing so in your digital invoices removes friction and can speed up payment time.

• Add a late fee. This can discourage late payments. Automatically apply the fee to overdue invoices.

When you send an invoice, the amount is added to your accounts receivable. When a customer pays, you subtract the amount from accounts receivable and add it to your cash account.

If you send invoices regularly, it can be hard to quickly grasp when cash will start flowing your way and what those amounts will be. Reporting tools found in many invoicing and accounting services consolidate the various balances and due dates into a usable format. One standard report that does so is the accounts receivable aging report, which shows you not only the total amount due but a day-by-day breakdown of amounts coming due in the future, as well as information about overdue invoices.

Nearly 1 in 2 people who visit your website will look at only one page before leaving, according to the 2021 Digital Experience Benchmark report from Contentsquare, an analytics platform. Making the split-second decision to bounce from one website to another is easy — figuring out how to keep consumers’ attention isn’t so simple.

To generate a positive first impression and make your small-business website more customer-friendly, consider these seven tips.

Jennifer Fortney, founder and president of Cascade Communications — a virtual public relations and marketing communications company — tells people to seek out unbiased feedback immediately after designing a website. She focuses on helping businesses tell their stories strategically, and to achieve that, business owners must be able to see their products through consumers’ eyes.

If you’re unsure which questions to start with, Lesa Seibert, CEO and CFO of Mightily, a digital-first brand advertising agency, and Xstreme Media, a web design and digital marketing firm, suggests the following:

• How did you find us?

• Why did you choose us instead of our competitors?

• Why did you become a customer?

Candice Stennett, vice president of marketing at the Service Corps of Retired Executives, or SCORE, is responsible for the small-business networking organization’s online presence and stresses the importance of using high-quality photos and videos. Instead of relying on stock images, she says hiring a professional photographer could be worth the extra money. She also recommends looking for opportunities to add photos of menu items, retail products, the small business’s owners and real-life customers.

According to the Contentsquare report, 64% of website traffic comes from smartphones. Maybe you’ve already tested out your website to make sure it’s mobile-friendly, but Seibert cautions against stopping there. Instead, consider including only the most important information on your mobile website. Sometimes, packing all the desktop components into the mobile version can make it difficult for consumers to navigate a website on the go.

Make sure your contact information is easy to spot, and try to avoid using contact forms.

“It makes me not trust you,” Stennett says about using a contact form instead of an email address or phone number. “It makes me feel as if your site might not be credible or trustworthy or reliable.”

Fortney says you might want to think twice before including a phone number, though, unless you own a service-based business. Sometimes, she adds, it’s more cost-effective from a time management perspective to respond to emails on your own schedule, as opposed to being reachable by phone all day.

It’s extremely important that your website is accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired, Seibert says. And this goes beyond adding alternative, or alt, text to images. She says it involves taking color palettes and navigation into account too.

For more information on improving your website’s accessibility, she suggests consulting The American Printing House for the Blind. You also can browse the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which are helping to establish international standards for website accessibility.

The integrations you might contemplate depend on your industry and whether you’re active on social media channels. Seibert mentions e-commerce platforms, like WooCommerce, for online businesses and reservation software for restaurants, such as OpenTable.

And make sure to incorporate social media feeds you post on regularly, like Twitter or Facebook, Stennett adds. This can be done with plug-ins or widgets.

Stennett recommends doing quarterly reviews of your website to ensure everything is up to date, working correctly and still relevant. Pretend you’re a potential customer navigating the page and check for any unforeseen hiccups.

Online invoicing lets businesses email invoices with built-in payment options directly to customers. Compared with paper invoices or emailed PDFs, online invoices are easier to track and help companies get paid more quickly. While you’ll need to get set up with software that supports online invoicing, switching to a digital solution is usually easy. Here’s what you need to know about online invoicing.

Nerdy tip: Online invoicing is sometimes referred to as digital or electronic invoicing.

How does online invoicing work?

Online invoicing is a similar process to paper invoicing in that you send customers the same information but in a digital format.

You can use online invoicing software, such as Zoho, Hiveage or Invoice Ninja, to select a template and add the billing information. Once you generate the invoice, the software notifies the customer by email. The customer can view the invoice immediately and pay digitally on the spot if you’ve enabled online payments.

Online invoicing also streamlines aspects of the billing process for you. Some systems track invoices and can tell you when a customer has viewed an invoice and even send reminders when the due date gets close. You can also sort paid and unpaid invoices. Plus, many invoicing systems allow you to set up recurring billing, so you don’t have to worry about initiating new invoices for repeating services.

Invoicing is often a common feature of popular accounting software services, such as FreshBooks and Wave, as well as an additional feature of payment processing and point-of-sale options, like Square.

Pros of online invoicing

Online invoicing creates a number of benefits for small businesses, including:

• Immediate customer receipt. Customers receive online invoices immediately and can pay just as quickly, cutting out the delivery time of nondigital methods.

• Faster payments. Adding a link in an invoice to pay it online is not only convenient for customers, but also good for your business’s cash flow.

• Streamlined accounting records. Many software options for online invoicing integrate with accounting programs and consolidate record-keeping into one location.

• Saved time. You’ll spend less time tracking which invoices are paid, prepping new ones and mailing them to customers.

Cons of online invoicing

There are a few disadvantages to using online invoicing, which include:

• Some invoicing software or features require a monthly fee. Not all options are free and might require a small investment on your part, depending on which one you choose.

• Spam filters can hide invoices. Sending invoices by email means a customer’s inbox could tag them as spam, so you might still have to call a few customers who are unaware they have an invoice waiting.

• Email can be hacked. Privacy might be compromised if a customer’s email is hacked, which is much less likely if an invoice is mailed.

• Some customers might not like digital formats. You’re likely to have at least a few customers who aren’t tech savvy and want good old-fashioned paper invoices.

Online invoicing recommendations

With no monthly fee, Zoho Invoice is a great invoicing option for small businesses. You can customize invoices to match your brand with up to 17 languages for multilingual customers, get alerts when customers view invoices and set up recurring invoices for regular billing.

If you’re looking to integrate online invoicing into other financial applications like accounting software, FreshBooks is a good option. Small businesses can customize their invoice design, remind customers to avoid late payments and structure invoices to get deposits on projects. FreshBooks doesn’t have a free plan, but its tiered pricing plans start on the cheaper end at $15 a month and grow with your business.

Another free option that’s great for freelancers is Wave, which lets small businesses combine invoicing and accounting into one platform. It automatically syncs invoicing and payment info with its accounting software, saving you time and keeping your records up to date. You can also set up recurring billing with customer reminders and get notified when invoices are paid to keep on top of cash flow.