E-Commerce

  1. E-commerce - transactions over the Internet involving the transfer of goods, services or information or any intermediary function; buy or sell goods over the internet.

  2. Product, Process, and Delivery Agent - dimensions of e-commerce.

ADVANTAGES OF E-COMMERCE

  1. Convenience - Ecommerce can occur 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

  2. Increased Selection - many stores that solely exist online may offer consumers exclusive inventory that is unavailable elsewhere.

  3. Potentially lower start-up cost - E-commerce companies may require a warehouse or manufacturing site, but they usually don't need a physical storefront.

  4. International Sales - an e-commerce company can sell to anyone in the world and isn't limited by physical geography.

  5. Easier to retarget audience - as customers browse a digital storefront, it is easier to entice their attention towards placed advertisements.

DISADVANTAGES OF E-COMMERCE

  1. Limited Customer service - you cannot simply ask an employee to demonstrate a particular model's features in person

  2. Lack of instant gratification - you must wait for it to be shipped to your home or office.

  3. Inability to touch products - Online images do not necessarily convey the whole story about an item

  4. Reliance on technology - If your website crashes, garners an overwhelming amount of traffic, or must be temporarily taken down for any reason.

  5. Higher competition - this means other competitors can easily enter the market.

CATEGORIES OF E-COMMERCE

  1. B2C (Business to Consumer) - companies sell directly to the product end-user. Performers transactions with the consumer that will ultimately use the good.

  2. B2B (Business to Business) - same to B2C, instead of being a consumer, that user may be another company; companies doing business with each other.

    • 2 PRIMARY COMPONENTS OF B2B

      • E-infrastructure - is the architecture of B2B which primarily consist of logistics,

      • E-markets - is an online electronic market where buyers and sellers meet to exchange goods, services, money or information.

  3. B2G (Business to Government) - specialize as government contractors providing goods or services to agencies or administrations.

  4. C2C (Consumers to Consumers) - may be auction-style listings or may warrant further discussion regarding the item or service being provided

    • 3 PLAYERS OF C2C

      • Seller

      • Buyer

      • Platform provider

  5. C2B (Consumers to Business) - Modern platforms have allowed consumers to more easily engage with companies and offer their services

  6. C2G (Consumers to Government) - Less of a traditional ecommerce relationship, consumers can interact with administrations, agencies, or governments

  7. B2E (Business to Employee) - uses an intra-business network which allows companies to provide products and/or services to their employees.