E-commerce for new business owners will help business owners looking at putting their business online to understand the different types of e-commerce, as well as its advantages and disadvantages. E-commerce is all around us, it has been for many years, even long before the Internet has existed as we know it now. In the 60s, businesses began sharing files and information with each other electronically, the very first form of e- commerce. With the Internet, consumers gained the ability to purchase goods and services from businesses and each other, electronically. All of these make up what we know to be e-commerce today.
Business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce is the exchange and transfer of files and money between businesses, and as mentioned, this began in the 60′s, albeit mainly between banks and then later between businesses and banks. Business to business e-commerce took hold in the 80′s, though, when one standard was set for electronic transactions that allowed all businesses to connect in this way. Today, there are many businesses that work with the B2B model selling goods and service online to other businesses, for example e-commerce web design services.
Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) e-commerce is when a consumer goes online and exchanges goods and services with another consumer. E-bay, for instance, is the original consumer-to-consumer site, with its auctions in which anyone can put up goods for sale to the site’s visitors.
Peer-to-peer (P2P) e-commerce began with Napster offering free music downloads via a file-sharing system. Now there are many more sites and computer programs that operate on this model, where users share files with each other, whether they be legal or not.
Of course, business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce is simply when consumers purchase goods or services from businesses online. With increase the of mainline media use to disseminate information and advertise goods and services, the Internet has increased in popularity in recent years, this type of e-commerce has become a multi-billion pound industry that’s only expected to keep growing. How many adverts in the media do you see these days without a website address appended for further information or direct access to products or services?
The popularity and the main advantage of e-commerce consumers is the ability to comparison shop from the comfort of your own home or office. There’s no need to stand in line, trudge from shop to shop on the high street fighting the crowds as consumers go to purchase almost anything you can imagine these days. The business owner can view other business services and products without having to leave the office, making the buying process faster. E-commerce websites cater to each shopper, often with other shopper’s recommendations of products based on the items the shopper browses, or based on their own previous experience with a specific online shop. It’s convenient, secure, and much less hassle than moving from store to store.
Some people are unsure about the idea of purchasing online, either because they’re simply unfamiliar with how to do it, or they don’t trust that their credit card information is truly safe. Often, if they’re not familiar with the store, they might doubt whether they’ll ever receive their purchased items. And some people do enjoy the act of browsing through shops for a day with family or friends. Also, some types of stores do better online than others. Large purchases, where a consumer wants to be able to see and touch the items before purchase, like furniture, for instance, typically don’t see as many online sales as the smaller consumables on offer.
The popularity of shopping via the Internet and society’s growing familiarity with everything online has increased dramatically in recent years, more and more people have become comfortable shopping online, even for larger items. As more people are introduced to e commerce by their friends, and even their children, sales continue to rise.
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