YNOT – According to the Chinese zodiac, 2012 is a water-dragon year. Traditional philosophers predicted a wild ride for the roughly 12-month period beginning Jan. 23, 2012, full of innovation and unconventional thought. Both of those things had the potential to lead in positive or negative directions.

While financial disasters certainly loomed over much of the worldwide economy throughout the year, for the payment processing industry the dragon proved beneficial, according to one internet payment processing service. The company added unusual-for-the-industry adjuncts to its portfolio of add-on services; consequently, according to a spokeswoman, SegPay enjoyed a spike in new-client sign-ups and revenues increased by 15 percent over the previous year’s levels.

As the dragon gives way to a water snake on Feb. 10, 2013, SegPay President and Chief Executive Officer Cathy Beardsley predicted the observant, analytical attributes of the snake will prevail, leading to expansion and technological evolution rather than innovation. Traditionally, snake years are times for building and are especially propitious for business.

“Technology innovations, with a focus on mobile, will continue to dominate the landscape for IPSPs in 2013,” Beardsley said Cathy Beardsley. “Webmasters are seeing a larger portion of their revenue coming from mobile devices. SegPay has made it a priority to advance this technology to make mobile payments easy for both webmasters and customers. One-click payments and mobile-friendly payment pages allow webmasters to sell their content to an ever-growing number of tablet and smart phone users.

“We have made a concerted effort to boost our mobile offering,” she continued. “It’s something clients have been asking about, and it’s a service we are proud to offer. I expect to make additional technological investments in 2013 that will positively impact the user experience for SegPay clients.”

Mobile isn’t the only front upon which IPSPs will build in 2013, according to Beardsley. Others include:

Revenue streams

Content remains king. In the new digital age, webmasters can never have enough platforms for their original content. SegPay has partnered with some of adult entertainment’s biggest names to provide a daily content feed that clients can include in their members area. In 2012, SegPay became the first IPSP to partner with Mr. Skin to offer a one-click up-sell. More content partnerships may emerge in 2013.

Stats and reporting

Today and in the future, webmasters need more information, faster. Whether through a customized dashboard or daily email updates, SegPay gives clients options that allow them to receive critical information in ways that make sense for them.

The cloud

Cloud technology allows IPSPs to add servers as they’re needed to support peak-time traffic and quickly expand the infrastructure as the business grows. In August, SegPay upgraded its entire network and moved all of the front-end transactional servers and reporting servers to a 24/7, PCI-complaint cloud-based network.

“During 2013 — much like in 2012 — both webmasters and IPSPs will focus on user experience and additional revenue streams,” Beardsley said. “Webmasters will focus on enhanced offerings for customers, and IPSPs will ensure transactions process smoothly. These innovations and more mobile platforms will lead to growth in the IPSP industry for those able to create a rich, simple and reliable experience for clients.”

For more information about SegPay and its portfolio of business solutions, visit SegPay.com.