Online Retail Journal

Adding SNAP EBT to a grocery store website

9/16/2020

South Dakota’s request to allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households to take advantage of online food ordering options received approval from the US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in June 2020.

If you want to offer an online option to your EBT customers, requirements include:

You must be an eligible SNAP retailer
A separate FNS authorization to participate in SNAP online purchasing; submit a letter of intent to the SNAP Online Purchasing mailbox at sm.fn.snaponline@usda.gov
Your company must have an online ecommerce presence
The business must abide by the FNS retailer stocking requirements
You must meet online purchasing requirements, such as ensuring that only eligible foods can be purchased with SNAP benefits
As with in-store purchases, you can’t charge sales tax on online SNAP purchases
Your website must have a method for handling estimated pricing for items that are variably priced based on weight

For additional information, check the technical assistance questions and answers from FNS.

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First Steps to Set Up Your Online Business in South Dakota

9/9/2020

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If you’re setting up an online shop in South Dakota (and we think it’s the best place to base your business!) there are a few key steps to take before you go live and start shipping purchases to customers.

A few basics:

If you plan to hire employees or if your business will operate as a partnership or corporation, you’ll need a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN). Learn more here.
If you’re operating a partnership or sole proprietorship and are using a fictitious name, you’ll need to register your business with your county Register of Deeds office. Limited partnerships, corporations and LLCs must register with the South Dakota Secretary of State’s office. Start the process by visiting this site and this site.
Get a South Dakota sales tax license. It’s easy and free! Apply online here.
Depending on what you’re selling, you may need other South Dakota licenses. The Governor’s Office of Economic Development has compiled a handy list of some of the state agencies that require licenses. View the list here.

Selling online means the whole world can visit your store without taking a single step – but if you want to get off on the right foot, be sure you take those key first steps!

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Tips for Taking Better Photos | Enhancing your Online Presence

9/2/2020

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Professional, high-quality images are critical to your small business marketing and branding strategy. When people hear information, they're likely to remember only 10% of that information three days later. If a relevant image is paired with that same information, people retain 65% of the information three days later.

Visual content is more than 40X more likely to get shared on social media than other content types.

Facebook posts with images see 2.3X more engagement than those without images.

Tips for Taking Better Photos
Lens: The lens is an essential piece for taking a good photo. Carrying your phone in your pocket or purse often leaves the screen grimy with fingerprints, food, etc. Be sure to wipe your lens off with a cloth, or even your shirt before taking a photo. This small step can turn a blurry photo into a much crisper image.

Angle: It's a habit to grab your phone and shoot from shoulder-height. But especially when it comes to product photos, it is important to change your perspective! When taking pictures of food, consider an angle that puts you "eye-to-eye" with that cheeseburger (or cookie!); for apparel or smaller merchandise, make a flat lay, and take a picture from a bird's-eye view.

Light: When possible, always take your photos where natural light is available. This might require creating a little photo set up by a window or door, but the additional sunlight is worth the hassle!

Burst: If you have a moving subject and want to get the perfect shot, hold down the button to take a photo, and your phone will enter burst mode and take multiple shots in a row. You can then scroll through this set of shots later, select the perfect one and discard the rest. Taking a video and screen-shotting the ideal frame is another way to achieve the perfect shot on a moving subject.

High-angle and natural light make this ice-cream sandwich from the KreeMee look even more delicious! (For National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day.)

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SOUTH DAKOTA RETAILERS ASSOCIATION | ONLINE RETAIL JOURNAL

Adding SNAP EBT to a grocery store website

First Steps to Set Up Your Online Business in South Dakota

Tips for Taking Better Photos | Enhancing your Online Presence

SDRA Online Seller Resources

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