eCommerce

E-Commerce

conducting business activities electronically over computer networks; ideal for business activities that are:

• paper-based

• time-consuming

• inconvenient for customers

Forms of E-Commerce

• Business-to-Business (B2B)

• Business-to-Consumer (B2C)

• Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)

• E-Government

  • Government-to-Consumer (G2C)

  • Government-to-Business (G2B)

  • Government-to-Government (G2G)

Business-to-Business (B2B)

largest subset of e-commerce in terms of transaction volume and total dollar value; involves transaction between businesses

Buy-Side E-Commerce

businesses purchase goods/services from suppliers

Sell-Side E-Commerce

businesses sell products to customers

Business-to-Customer (B2C)

consumers purchase products directly from business online; eliminates middlemen; provides cheaper goods/services; allows customers to customize products

Consumer-to-Consumer

involves transactions between consumers, facilitated by a third party; requires compliance with various legal regulations

E-Government

use of information and communication technology to enhance government processes

M-Commerce (Mobile Commerce)

conducting e-commerce transactions via wireless devices such as smartphones and tablets; requires different tactics due to smaller screens and limited processing power

E-Commerce Software

supports five core functions

• catalog management

• product configuration

• shopping cart facilities

• e-commerce transaction processing

• web traffic data analysis

Advantages of E-Commerce

• reach new customers

• reduce operational costs

• accelerate flow of goods and info

• increase accuracy in orders

• improve customer service

Challenges of E-Commerce

• customer privacy concerns

• lack of trust

• global issues

Advertising & Marketing

leveraging online tools such as social media, email campaigns, and targeted ads to drive traffic and sales on e-commerce platforms

Strategies for Successful E-Commerce / M-Commerce

• easy to navigate

• secure

• aligned with company goals

• affordable to maintain

Tech Infrastructure Required to Support E/M-Commerce

• fast response times

• reliable servers

• adequate bandwidth

• effective catalog management & transaction processing

PCI (Payment Card Industry)

set of security standards to protect credit card transactions from fraud and theft

EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa)

global standard for secure credit card payments, primarily using embedded chip technology

Intermediary

entities that connect buyers and sellers (e.g. Amazon, Ebay)

Disintermediation

eliminating intermediaries to reduce costs and simplify transactions (e.g. B2C e-commerce)