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What Is It?

E-commerce, also known as e-commerce or eCommerce, is a shortened version of Electronic Commerce, or the ability to buy and sell products and services over electronic systems such as the Internet. eCommerce has expanded significantly over the past decade, resulting in the expansion of services such as electronic funds transfers, supply chain management systems, Internet marketing, online transactions, revised inventory management systems and automated data collection systems. Many electronic commerce transactions use the web at some point in the transaction.

Who Is it For?

eCommerce is for buyers and sellers of products and services. The wide spread use of the Web as a means of communication has spawned the ability to purchase or sell just about anything known to mankind to and from any country in the world. With the development of security protocols during the period between 1998 – 2000, the ability to offer products and services for sale became more widespread. Currently, over 67 Fortune 1000 companies boast eCommerce revenues greater than $10 million. On the other hand, many cottage industries and home businesses have discovered the Web as a venue to sell their handmade products, eBooks, music, services, and more.

Features

The person who wishes to purchase goods and services often can find businesses on the Internet through digital Yellow Page directories for local business or through search engines designed to carry products and services specifically. Users can download digital information, order goods to be shipped, or services that can be conducted locally or from a distance through what is known as “outsourcing.”

This form of consumer consumption has increased to the level that the consumer never needs to leave home. Online banking, investments, bill payments, groceries, furniture, and home purchases all can be conducted online. On the institutional level, corporations and financial institutions use the Internet to exchange financial information and data to facilitate business on local to international levels.

The major problem with this consumerist and business expansion center on Internet security, as hackers who want to steal financial and personal information still remain an issue for both consumer and institutions.

Compatibility

Anyone who wants to sell on the Internet or through the Web can find shopping cart software designed to handle everything from “stocking” the online store to finalizing the sale with consumer credit cards. So many services are available that the Web site designer can patch together a store from various services that range from providing supplies and services from a third party to finalizing sales through an online banking service.

f the seller does not want to integrate an online store into a Website, the seller can utilize a third-party Web site to sell or auction products and services for a percentage of the sale price or for the price of setting up an online store. Finally, while many venues now exist to sell goods and services, the seller must, as with any store, struggle with marketing those goods and services so that consumers will find their Web site. The ability to sell online has increased competition globally, even amongst the smallest cottage businesses.

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