Introduction to E-Commerce

E-commerce is defined as the online dealing of business, linking a vendor or seller and a buyer. Various products and services are being offered, but it’s key cornerstones is that the interactions, deal sign-ups and the payment processes happen online. According to www.searchcio.techtarget.com, e-commerce can be split into the following:

E-tailing or “virtual storefronts” on Web sites with online catalogues

Utilization of demographic data through Web contacts

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

Business-to-business purchasing and trading (B2B)

An important facet of e-commerce is online shopping. Online shopping was actually started by Michael Aldrich in 1979. E-commerce has gained a foothold in the today’s world. Nearly in every corner of the globe, people have acknowledged the increasing importance of e-commerce. It gave rise to electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems.

1. Electronic funds transfer – is the computer-based systems that are utilized to do electronic financial transactions.

2. Supply chain management – is the management of interconnected businesses involved in offering products and services to consumers.

3. Internet marketing – is simply put, the marketing of products through the Internet.

4. Online transaction processing – is used to facilitate and manage transaction-oriented applications through data entry and processing.

5. Electronic data exchange – this is the transmission of data among companies or organizations through electronic means.

6. Inventory management systems – it is electronically tracking objects or materials through the use of barcodes, or other automatic identification for the inventory of objects.

Electronic commerce conducted between business is most commonly called B2B or business-to-business. Meanwhile, electronic commerce conducted between businesses and consumers is called B2C. E-commerce actually falls under the umbrella of e-business and also covers data exchange for the facilitation of the financial and payment aspects of business deals and transactions.

Discover more about E-Commerce principles and how you can increase your Company Sales with different Online Marketing strategies.

Posted by Ashtra Bright on Mar 21st, 2010 and filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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