E-Commerce

Tired of standing in long lines? Why not enjoy the same shopping experience while sitting at home on the couch? Online shopping has become very popular over the years. There’s nothing like being able to purchase items from home while stores are closed. Consumers like I love to take advantage of mobile shopping and browsing online. How is this all possible, you may ask? It is all possible with the use of E-commerce and systems development. An overview of E-commerce has been provided to help understand the fundamentals of running a business online. According to Management Help,

E-Commerce is Like Any Other Business, Except ...

Developing a business over the Internet requires many of the same major activities as starting any other business. You should do some basic business planning. After all, you need a product. You may need funding to get your business going. You need customers. You need to market products to your customers. You need strong customer service. You need to manage purchases by customers, finances, staff and other resources.

Not All Products Are Very Compatible to Sales Over the Internet

But there are some features unique to e-commerce. Not all products are real compatible to be sold over the Internet. For example, they may require a lot of face-to-face selling. They may cost a lot to ship (a primary practice in e-commerce is that customers buy products, and you ship the products to them). You need to make sure that, because your product may be advertised to the world, that you remain in control of your ideas, or "intellectual property".

You Need an Online "Store"

Basically, you need an "online store" to be an "e-tailer". (Don't fret. You may be able to outsource, or hire, a current store to work with you.) Your store will need a "merchant" account, or the ability to process your customers' credit card transactions over the Internet. This includes needing a "secure server", or that your online store be on a computer system that ensures that...