What is Slideshare?

SlideShare launched several years ago with the goal of share knowledge online. Since then, SlideShare has grown to become the world’s largest community for sharing presentations and other professional content.

How Does Your Business Benefit from Slideshare?

According to the SlideShare website:

SlideShare consists of more than 15 million uploads from individuals and organizations on topics ranging from technology and business to travel, health, and education. Share the content that matters to you with your colleagues, customers, friends and followers. SlideShares can be embedded into websites and blogs, and are easily shareable on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and other popular social media platforms. They can be viewed publicly and privately. Connect with other SlideShare users via comments, “likes,” and profile pages.

Have content, presentations, photo collections or expert knowledge on a topic?
Upload it to SlideShare and you'll reach a wide audience!

A few tips for making the most of your SlideShare marketing:

1. Use the lead capture capabilities of SlideShare (You have a couple options for this)

• If the viewer wants to download the original presentation, he/she is prompted to fill out a short contact form first.
• When the viewer is browsing the presentation, the contact form displays at an increment specified by you (on a specific slide, at the end, or via a button that's displayed throughout) 

2. Upload White Papers to Showcase Your Expertise

SlideShare is more than PowerPoint. You can also upload documents, including PDFs. Why EVERY business doesn't take advantage of this feature is beyond us. It's simply another way to publish your information and make it easy for people to share. TIP: Be sure that you include your contact information on EVERY business piece you publish, as well as a call to action!

3. Promote Your SlideShare Content Across Other Social Channels

Don't stovepipe your marketing efforts across the social channels ... be sure to share and promote across all of them. Certain segments of your audience may only be on Facebook and may have never heard of SlideShare. If you aren't promoting your SlideShare channel on your business Facebook page, you could be missing an entire group of people.

4. Post your Presentations to LinkedIn

Add your SlideShare content to your LinkedIn profile summary page. LinkedIn has really become the go to platform for business to business marketing, network building, and reputation growing. Tying your SlideShare presentations to your LinkedIn profile can only enhance your credibility in your field.

5. Write "How To" Guides for your Area of Expertise and Share them on LinkedIn

People learn visually. Any time they need to know how to do something these days they Google it. This is a perfect combination for your business! A great "how to" guide featuring something in your service arena or area of expertise on SlideShare can be indexed by Google and findable by your prospects. This type of content is highly popular and very sharable.

6. Use audio in your slides

Did you know you can add voice-overs in PowerPoint?  If it makes sense for your content, include a voice-over in your slides. When you upload the presentation to SlideShare, the voice-over stays with the presentation and can be listened to by anyone viewing it. Talk about powerful!

7. Embed Your SlideShare Presentations on your Website

When you upload a presentation to SlideShare, they offer you a nice little "widget" that you can send to your webmaster to add to your website. This literally embeds the presentation right on your website. Visitors don't have to leave your website to view the presentation. If you've added a lead generation form to the presentation in SlideShare, this carries over to the embedded presentation too.

Shhh ... it's a secret!

SlideShare is "best kept secret" of professional marketers ...but it's actually free for any business who wants to use it!  Of course, there is a paid option available that unlocks additional features. We encourage you to check it out and use this powerful tool in your content marketing plan for your business! Visit their website at http://www.slideshare.net

About Novera Payment Solutions

Novera Payment Solutions is a leader in the credit card payments industry. We are committed to helping businesses improve their bottom line by providing significant savings on credit card processing fees through our innovative flat fee merchant account pricing model.

Contact Novera to learn more about how we work with businesses  to provide the most fair and transparent pricing structure available on the market today!

Novera Payment Solutions and WorldPay offer businesses the most reliable and affordable payment processing services in the industry.

Who is Novera Payment Solutions?

Novera Payment Solutions, LLC  is based in Atlanta and is a registered Member Service Provider (MSP) of WorldPay. Novera is also a registered Independent Sales Organization (ISO) with Visa & MasterCard.  We represents an innovative approach to doing business in an industry where integrity and a positive customer experience is absent at many levels.

What does this mean to you?

Our payment processing services are designed to bridge the gap between the  brand and buying power of WorldPay, combining that with the sales and service experience of your smaller home town business.

Who is WorldPay?

WorldPay is one of the most reliable and affordable credit card processors in the industry. WorldPay offers fast, reliable payment processing for the full range of card types, including credit, debit, prepaid, loyalty, and payroll. WorldPay provides access - and advocacy on its customers' behalf - to the credit card associations including Visa®, MasterCard®, Discover®, American Express® and all of the major PIN-secured debit networks. Its customers are also on the forefront of new payment acceptance, including RevolutionCard®, the nation's first PIN-secured credit card.

WorldPay acquires transactions coast to coast and around the globe ranging from brand name companies you already know to independent businesses in your own community. Point of sale authorization through settlement of funds, WorldPay provides the highest standard of payment processing to businesses ...businesses just like yours. WorldPay also offers seamless support and integration with industry-leading point-of-sale platforms and middleware providers, and it works with POS providers to certify new systems to their network on a ongoing basis.

What Makes Us Different?

Our flat fee pricing for payment processing saves merchants thousands and tens of thousands per year over other merchant account providers. If you are looking for a credit card processing program that can deliver maximum savings for your business (or for your  merchants) we can provide the guidance and know how to help you accomplish your objectives, save money on fees, and be as competitive as you want to.

Novera has a unique pricing format that passes along all the direct transactional costs; a) interchange, b) the processor fees (including mark-up) and features a c) TRANSPARENT FLAT FIXED FEE per month depending upon the monthly merchant volume.  

This flat fee merchant account pricing format delivers:

• Substantial savings based upon volume
• Transparency in pricing
• Detailed reporting on statement
• One of the best “cost plus formats” available

Contact Novera Payment Solutions today!  We'll do a free, no obligation cost/savings analysis with your current merchant processor and let you know how much money Novera's flat fee merchant account can save you annually.

Sys2K’s Infinity complete dealer management software now offers U.S. customers integrated PCI compliant payment processing through a new integration with Novera Payment Solutions, LLC.

Sys2K™, a leading provider of Windows®‐based dealer management software that features real‐time integration across all dealership departments, is pleased to announce a partnership with Novera Payment Solutions, LLC. The Novera integration allows US customers to securely process credit card payments directly through the Sys2K. Infinity software suite.

As part of this partnership, Novera provides its integrated payment processing solution to Sys2K customers utilizing a cost‐effective, transparent monthly fee structure; all additional fees normally associated with payment processing integration such as gateway fees, interface setup, and maintenance fees have been absorbed into one bundled package.

“The partnership between Novera and Sys2K is exactly the type of relationship we look for with Integrated Software Vendors or (ISV’s)… The collaborative effort between Sys2K and Novera has produced a great offering for Sys2K clients, and we are extremely pleased to be partnered with them,” said John Wisniewski, Director of Business Development for Novera Payment Solutions, LLC.

“With Novera, we are excited to offer our clients a straightforward, secure and robust integrated credit card processing solution that will save them time and money,” said Carl Sconnely, President of Sys2K.

About Novera

Novera specializes in partnerships with Integrated Software Vendors or (ISV’s) for payment acceptance.

These partnership programs include the initial design plan, including optimization for maximum adoption of uses and the ongoing management of the program. Novera is one of the largest registered Member Service Providers (MSP’s) for WorldPay and delivers flexibility in accepting credit card payments, debit card payments, and virtual terminal solutions through PCI‐compliant payment processing plans.

About Sys2K

Sys2K™ (Systems 2000, Inc.) is a premier provider of Powersports, Bus, Marine, Automotive, and Class 8/Heavy Duty, and RV dealership software. Sys2K’s Infinity software is a fully integrated, indows®‐based DMS that features modules including CRM, F&I, Parts and Service, Payroll, Accounting, Rental, Advanced Reporting, Premium Websites, Cloud Hosting, and Mobile Apps. Founded in 1984, Sys2K prides itself in developing the highest‐quality software solutions for the dealership environment. For more information, visit http://www.sys2k.com.

For more information, visit: www.noverapaymentsolutions.com/sys2k

Your customers should feel confident about the security of your website every time they pay online. As a merchant, it's your responsiblity to understand the fundamentals of online credit card payments and security. At the root of online security is SSL, or secure sockets layer. 

Here's what you need to know about SSL and Online Credit Card Payments for merchant account security.

What is SSL protection?

When SSL is enabled on a website, it helps the consumer’s web browser scramble their personal information before it gets sent to you (the merchant) to complete the transaction. Once sent, SSL allows only your software to unscramble the data sent. With SSL, you can complete transactions with the assurance that others cannot access the personal information (i.e. credit card numbers) as it travels across the Internet, from the consumers computer to your website eCommerce software.

How to Tell if a Website has SSL

To find out if your online credit card payments are protected by SSL, look for the picture of the unbroken key or closed lock in your browser window. Either indicator confirms SSL is activated.

Another way to verify if SSL is protecting your online credit card payments is to check the URL of the website you are on. You should see it change from "http" to "https" when processing secure transactions.

How to Get SSL on Your Website

There are four basic steps involved in getting SSL on your website.

1. Purchase SSL Certificate
2. Generate a CSR (Certificate Signing Request)
   
3. Enroll for a SSL server certificate
   
4. Install the SSL server cerificate

It sounds pretty technical, but typically your website hosting provider guides you through this process as you setup your online storefront and merchant account credit card payments capability.

SSL is Just the Beginning of Your Security Requirements

SSL is only the beginning of your responsibility for protecting card holder data transacted through your website. PCI Compliance is an absolute must. According to the PCI Security Standards Council, more than 340 million computer records containing sensitive personal information have been involved in security breaches in the U.S. since 2005, and more than 80% of the attacks targeted small merchants. If you are at fault for a security breach involving card holder data, the fallout and penalties can be severe for your business. For more on PCI Compliance, read our recent blog article: 7 Reasons Why You Should Care About Protecting Card Holder Data

At Novera Payment Solutions we work hard to take to take the headache out of PCI Compliance for you.  Give us a call ... not only will we save you money over your current credit card processing solution with our flat fee merchant account, but we will guide you through PCI Compliance maze and make it simple to get up and running!

Did you get a GREAT deal on your credit card processing rates and receive a statement from your merchant processor with surprise added extra fees? 

Unfortunately, you are not alone.

It's common in the credit card processing industry for merchants to be lured into attractive credit card processing rate deals, only to find out later they have been misled. Reading the fine print could have prevented it, but really ... who reads the fine print?

Three terms in the merchant processing industry that you should make yourself familiar with as  a business owner are:  Qualified, Non-Qualified, and Mid-Qualified.

These are common in tiered credit card processing rates and are very easily manipulated by merchant processors to the disadvantage of the merchant.

Let's take a close look at each.

Qualified Credit Card Processing Rate

The qualified rate in tiered pricing structure merchant accounts is the lowest rate a business will pay. Obviously, this is the rate that is advertised by the processor because it is lowest, yet depending on your business type a low number of your transactions could actually be categorized into this fee bucket.

Here are a couple of additional things that they don't tell you:

1. Typically, only non-reward consumer credit cards and debit are included in this rate bucket. You know all the TV commercials advertising "reward" cards and "cash back" on purchases? If a consumer uses one of these cards during the purchase, you will not get the "qualified" rate on your fees.
2. Worse yet, some processors use bait and switch tactics where they advertise the Qualified rate lower than Mastercard and Visa's lowest credit card interchange rate. When this happens, they only route debit card transactions to this bucket. That means credit card transaction (non-reward or not) go to the higher rate Mid-Qualified and Non-Qualified automatically, regardless of the type of credit card used in the transaction.

Non-Qualified Credit Card Processing Rate

This is the most expensive rate bucket and can be the most common, hence the surprise added cost to your credit card processing fees. Typically, all transactions using high-end rewards program cards are routed here.

What else they don't tell you:

1. Business card purchases are typically routed here.  Are you a business-to-business company? If so, there's a good chance that most of your credit card transactions are being routed to the highest fee bucket, the non-qualified rate!
2. Do you hand key in transactions through a virtual terminal? If you do, and if the complete billing information isn't entered, your processor likely pushes that transaction to the non-qualified rate bucket and you are paying a higher fee.

Mid-Qualified Credit Card Processing Rate

This is the most nebulous credit card processing tier (or fee bucket). Typically any consumer credit card with a basic rewards program will find its way to the Mid-Qualified bucket. 

What else they don't tell you:

1. Do you swipe credit cards in your retail location? Typically, swiped reward credit cards, as well as consumer transactions that are manually keyed-in (both credit and debit) hit the mid-qualified rate bucket.
2. Additionally, the merchant processor can change what makes a transaction qualified without notice. That means a transaction that was qualified when you signed the contract for your credit card processing, may not be qualified 6-months down the road.

The Novera Approach

Novera Payment Solutions has developed a unique flat fee credit card pricing format that passes along all the direct transactional costs:

1. Interchange
2. The processor costs
3. A small “flat fixed fee” per month depending on the monthly merchant volume (usually between $19.95 and $99.95 per month).  This amount is essentially the gross margin on the account.

Since everyone knows we are in business to make a profit, we are not hesitant to let our merchant clients know what a reasonable profit margin will be instead of hiding it within inflated rate buckets.

In most cases, Novera Payment Solutions also offers the option of either “Next Day” or “Weekend Funding,” and always with “Gross Deposits.”  Unlike many processors who deduct their rates/fees daily from your deposits, fees for our services are not collected until the month after the month you have been processing.  This means you get your money faster and it’s easier to reconcile with your bank statements.

Are you ready to stop paying too much for your credit card processing?

Request a free quote from Novera Payment Solutions.  The question is not, can we save you money" ... rather how MUCH money can we save your business!

WebRezPro cloud property management system offers US customers integrated PCI-compliant payment processing through a new interface with Novera Payment Solutions, LLC.

WebRezPro™, a complete, cloud-based property management system (PMS) for independent hotels, hotel groups and chains, vacation rentals and inns, is pleased to announce a partnership with Novera Payment Solutions, LLC. The Novera interface allows US customers to securely process credit card payments directly through WebRezPro PMS.  

As part of this partnership, Novera provides its integrated payment and credit card processing solution to WebRezPro customers utilizing a transparent flat fixed monthly fee structure; all additional fees normally associated with payment processing integration — gateway fees and interface setup and maintenance fees— have been absorbed into one bundled package.

“The partnership between Novera and World Web Technologies Inc. is exactly the type of relationship we look for with Integrated Software Vendors or (ISV’s)….. The collaborative effort between World Web Technologies, Inc. and Novera has definitely produced a great offering for the WebRezPro clients, and we are extremely pleased to be partnered with them” said John Wisniewski, Director of Business Development for Novera Payment Solutions, LLC.

 “With Novera, we are pleased to offer our clients a straightforward, secure and robust integrated credit card processing solution that will save them time and money,” said Frank Verhagen, President of World Web Technologies Inc., the company behind WebRezPro.

About WebRezPro

WebRezPro™ is a powerful and cost-effective cloud property management system designed to meet all front- and back-office needs of independent hotels, hotel groups and chains, vacation rental management, and inns. WebRezPro offers all the features of a traditional PMS such as integrated accounting, GDS connectivity and multiple interfaces, as well as advantages unique to cloud-based systems, including remote accessibility, integrated Web and mobile reservations and automatic data back-up. Serving hundreds of clients in 20 countries, WebRezPro is a product of World Web Technologies Inc., a pioneering Internet marketing and software company for the tourism and hospitality industries since 1994.

About Novera Payment Solutions

Novera specializes in partnerships with Integrated Software Vendors or (ISV’s) for payment acceptance.  These partnership programs include the initial design plan, including optimization for maximum adoption of uses and the ongoing management of the program. Novera is one of the largest registered Member Service Providers (MSP’s) for WorldPay and offers optimal flexibility in accepting payments, and virtual terminal solutions through PCI-compliant payment processing and transparent flat-fee pricing plans.

As you are browsing the internet for resources on how to accept credit cards for your business, you may stumble upon an ad that looks something like this:

Regardless of how many times you have seen an ad like this on Google, these “Free” credit card merchant accounts don’t exist.  When processors advertise “free merchant accounts,” they are usually referring to equipment or application fees.  All businesses have to pay interchange fees to card-issuing banks, assessments to the card brands and a markup of some sort to the processor.  Therefore, it can’t be entirely free.  Don’t waste your time looking for a completely free merchant account; instead use Novera Payment Solutions which offers a unique transparent pricing model unparalleled in the merchant services industry.

Understanding Credit Card Fees

Most processors still prefer to use tiered or a form of cost plus pricing in order to preserve the highest profit margins on merchant accounts.  Understanding these pricing forms is key in determining if your paying more than you should be for your merchant account.  Twice a year, the credit card brands review and adjust their transactional costs and pass them along to the processors.  In turn, the processors use this as an opportunity to raise the entire expense for the merchant.  Ultimately, this is what causes the merchant fee to creep upwards over time.  It’s not simple, it’s not transparent and it’s not fair pricing.  

The Novera Approach

Novera Payment Solutions has developed a unique flat fee credit card pricing format that passes along all the direct transactional costs:

1. Interchange
2. The processor costs
3. A small “flat fixed fee” per month depending on the monthly merchant volume (usually between $19.95 and $99.95 per month).  This amount is essentially the gross margin on the account.

Since everyone knows we are in business to make a profit, we are not hesitant to let our merchant clients know what a reasonable profit margin will be.

Over time, the savings can actually increase because unlike the “tiered” and/or other forms of cost plus pricing structures, our program only raises the one line item that is affected rather than increasing each tier when the credit card brands change their rates.  This is the only true transparent way of offering merchant processing. 

In most cases, Novera Payment Solutions also offers the option of either “Next Day” or “Weekend Funding,” and always with “Gross Deposits.”  Unlike many processors who deduct their rates/fees daily from your deposits, fees for our services are not collected until the month after the month you have been processing.  This means you get your money faster and it’s easier to reconcile with your bank statements.

Facebook is rolling out a new look to business pages in April 2014. The new look not only allows visitors to view your business information more easily, but it also helps your page administrators better navigate through the available Facebook business tools. 

Key Changes to Facebook Company Page Layout

1. Timeline Design

No more jumping from the left to the right to read the most recent posts on a business page.  The new timeline design for business pages will be similar to the news feed and current personal profile timelines.  Now you will see the most recent posts on the right side of the page, while the left side of the page is filled with your business information.  All of the information that is currently horizontal along the top of your business page will be moved to the left-hand column on the timeline.  This information includes a map, your business hours, phone number and website URL. Your videos, photos and apps will also be featured in the left-hand column.  Below that information you will find your reviews and posts by others on your page.  Now your posts will be the first thing visitors see on the right instead of who likes the page and posts by others.   

2. Access to Admin Tools

Wherever you are on your page, you will always have access to the most important information for business administrators: page likes, post reach, notifications and messages.  A box on the right-hand side will display these numbers for you to easily view at anytime as it moves along with you while you scroll down the page.  Instead of the current admin panel you have at the top of your business page, the new layout features a navigation bar where you can easily access the specific information that you want.  These tabs include Activity, Insights, Settings, Build Audience and Help.  On the Insights page, you can access the statistics on your likes, reach, engagement, visits, people and posts.  The Build Audience tab will provide access to your Ads manager.   

3. Pages to Watch

Currently, there is a spot in your admin panel where you can add pages to watch such as your competitors or other pages related to yours.  This feature has been moved to Insights tab in the new admin navigation bar.  In the Overview section, you can see some key statistics about the pages you are watching and compare them to your own page.  You can view more detailed information on what posts are working for them and their engagement over the past week under the Pages tab of the Insights.  This feature allows you to stay on top on your competition! 

4. Relocation of Facebook Tabs

The Facebook tabs for photos, events, apps and more that were customizable with photos and text will no longer appear horizontally under your cover photo.  These are now available under the more tab and in the left-hand column of the newly designed timeline layout under your business information. 

5. Encouragement to “Like” Page

Visitors to your business page (who have not already) will be encouraged to “like” your page.  As they are scrolling through your timeline looking at the content, a white bar prompt will pop –up that says “Get updates from Your Business in your News Feed” with a call to action button to “Like” your page.  As the visitor scrolls down, the bar floats along with them so it is always in front of them while they are on your page. 

Administrators should watch for a notice as Facebook gradually rolls out this new look.  Once you have clicked to reserve your spot on the waiting list, give it a few days for the new version of your page to appear.  As with other updates, Facebook is known to reset your page settings to a default setting.  This can actually cause some of your posts to be hidden which will result in a “Facebook Oops” graphic on your page instead of the content you intended to be shown.  Once you receive the new 2014 Facebook page layout, be sure to check and reconfigure your settings where needed. 

For more information:

https://www.facebook.com/business/news/A-Streamlined-Look-for-Pages

http://www.steamfeed.com/new-facebook-page-layout-2014-expect/

About Novera Payment Solutions

Novera Payment Solutions is a leader in the credit card payments industry. We are committed to helping businesses improve their bottom line by providing significant savings on credit card processing fees through our innovative flat fee merchant account pricing model.

Contact Novera to learn more about how we work with businesses  to provide the most fair and transparent pricing structure available on the market today!

Looking for QuickBooks online credit card processing?

Consider InstantAccept

How it Works

InstantAccept provides an application that integrates with QuickBooks® and allows you to process transactions as the point of sale either online or via a mobile device or tablet.  Customers can pay however they like, cash, credit or debit cards, ACH, electronic check or Check21.  Without even opening QuickBooks®, you can assign payments to an invoice or customer.  The seamless two-way data exchange allows the data you create in InstantAccept to automatically generate a corresponding record in QuickBooks®. 

Bookkeeping is a Breeze

InstantAccept takes care of all the behind the scenes bookkeeping making sure all the details are taken care of.  The application can create new accounts and new invoices, update accounts as needed and generate reports in real time. You don’t even need to reconcile or rekey data because all of it happens automatically. The bookkeeping that used to take you hours is much quicker and more efficient when you use InstantAccept. Rather than opening QuickBooks®, looking up the customer and creating a new record, InstantAccept makes it easy to maintain your QuickBooks, while freeing you and your customers to complete transactions quickly, simply and securely. 

Robust Reporting Functions

InstantAccept also allows you to generate daily, weekly, monthly or annual reports so you can keep close tabs on transaction processing issues and gain quick insight into payment status and activity.  In addition, you can use the executive dashboard to view a visual representation of key customer metrics on the entire database or you can filter it by active or inactive customers, customers with open balances, customers with overdue balances, etc.   

Novera Integration

The great thing about InstantAccept is that you can easily use Novera Payment Solutions as your payments processor and take advantage of our money saving flat fee merchant account pricing model.  We provide the InstantAccept plugin for  our customers who are QuickBooks® users!  We are committed to helping your business improve the bottom line, and Novera Payment Solutions is a leader in the credit card payments industry.

Sometimes referred to as the business version of Facebook, LinkedIn is considered a critical place to connect with other businesses.  While many people have profiles set up, most are not optimized to provide the best business opportunities possible. 

Here are 7 tips to help you get your LinkedIn profile to All-Star status.

1. Create a Complete, Detailed and Updated Profile

The only way to effectively be found on LinkedIn is to have your profile complete. The LinkedIn search algorithm looks for 100% completed profiles, so if yours is not complete, you will likely end up at the bottom of search results.  Not only does a complete profile help you rank well within LinkedIn searches, public LinkedIn profiles are also indexed by Google.

Look to the right of your profile page and you should see a space titled “Profile Strength.”   The levels are Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert and All-Star.  You can increase your profile strength by clicking the “Improve Your Profile” button at the top of your profile page.  You will be prompted to answer questions that will help to complete your profile.  You can also manually edit any section of your profile that you wish. 

The following areas must be filled in to reach All-Star status:

• Your Industry and Location
• Your Current Position (with a description)
• Two Past Positions
• Your Education
• Your Skills (minimum of 3)
• A Profile Photo
• At Least 50 Connections

Think of your headline on LinkedIn as the subject line of an email.  You need something to catch the reader’s attention and make them want to check out your profile.  By default, your company name and title is used by LinkedIn in the headline area. This does not make for a very good headline.  Fortuantely, you can edit the headline, but you only have 120 characters, so make them count! 

Headline tips to consider:

• Use Keywords When Appropriate
• Use Words that Appeal to Your Clients
• Include a Call-to-Action

A LinkedIn profile with a professional headshot is seven times more likely to be viewed than a profile without one.  In order to obtain a 100% LinkedIn profile status, a profile photo is required. 

Profile photo tips:

• Use a headshot, preferably in professional attire
• Do not use images with cropped out people or selfies
• Do not use grainy, pixilated or poorly lit photos
• Your photo should be square, rather than rectangular in layout
• Limit the file size to 4 MB (maximum size allowed by LinkedIn)
• Crop the photo to pixel size between 200 x 200 and 500 x 500

Don't annoy your profile viewers with excessive keywords; however, LinkedIn’s search algorithm does value keywords in certain sections more than others, so keep that in mind when writing various sections of your profile. 

The strategic use of keywords in your LinkedIn profile can be important, so be sure to place them in these sections:

• Headline
• Summary
• Current Work Experience
• Past Work Experience
• Skills and Expertise

To gain "All-Star" profile status you have to boost your connections to at least 50.  So how can you get more connections? Make your message stand out, so the person on the other end wants to connect with you. LinkedIn gives you an option to include a personalized message with the email that LinkedIn generates ... be sure to use it.

Adding your skills is also necessary for "All-Star" profile status; however, you can go beyond that and use recommendations to build credibility on the skills you’ve listed. People tend to give more credibility to a third party recommendation, so LinkedIn recommendations are so important. When trying to build your recommendations, embrace the idea of givers gain. If you give a recommendation to someone else, they are more likely to give one in return. 

Tips on giving great recommendations:

• Keep it short and sweet
• Include specific facts (eg. "saved our company $1,000 quarterly) in credit card processing fees)
• Add sizzle (eg. "Jane Doe is absolutely brilliant!” rather than “Jane Doe is great at what she does.” 

By default, your LinkedIn profile URL consists of random alphanumerical characters.  However, you can edit this by going to “Settings,” “Edit Public Profile,” then “Customize Your Public Profile URL.”  You can enhance your personal brand by adding your name to your LinkedIn URL.  For added coverage, make sure that your Facebook, Google Plus and LinkedIn vanity URLs are all the same.  For example: www.linkedin.com/profile/janedoe and www.facebook.com/janedoe.    

You can enhance your profile in different ways by taking advantage of LinkedIn applications.  For example, if you write a blog for your company, you can install the WordPress app allowing you to sync blog posts with your LinkedIn profile.  Other sample applications that allow you to show off your work include Slideshare (for sharing presentations) and Box.net (for embedding videos in your profile).   

LinkedIn is All About Business Connections

Whether you are an entrepreneur, working for a non-profit, working for a company, or new to the business world altogether, LinkedIn is a great networking and connection tool to help you achieve your professional goals.  Having a professional LinkedIn profile set up with "All-Star" status can help you take advantage of business opportunities and connect with influencers in your industry.

About Novera Payment Solutions

Novera Payment Solutions is a leader in the credit card payments industry. We are committed to helping businesses improve their bottom line by providing significant savings on credit card processing fees through our innovative flat fee merchant account pricing model.

Contact Novera to learn more about how we work with businesses  to provide the most fair and transparent pricing structure available on the market today!