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E-commerce, also known as electronic commerce, refers
to selling your products and services over the Web. E-commerce
transactions fall into three categories: business-to-business
(B2B); business-to-consumer (B2C); or less commonly consumer-to-consumer
(C2C). This guide discusses B2B and B2C transactions.
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| An e-commerce transaction may begin when
a buyer views an online catalog and retrieves product or service information;
places an order; and provides credit and shipping information. The
seller verifies the credit information, processes the order and payment,
and schedules fulfillment and shipping. |
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| It's usually a good idea to deploy e-commerce
capabilities in phases, although you can move through the phases in
quick succession. Be sure to consider how you will integrate your
online business into your existing business strategy and how you will
promote your site to attract traffic. The four phases of an e-commerce
site are: |
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Brochureware — Your company's earliest e-commerce
efforts may be confined to "brochureware" or a location for
general information about your company and its products and
services. While many sites may be considered "online brochures,"
your site will be more effective if it takes advantage of the
Internet's interactive capabilities. Rather than simply promote
your business online, you can encourage customers to send questions,
provide feedback, and inquire about products. You can turn these
contacts into valuable leads to complement your company's sales
channel, or test-market specific products or services online. |
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Web Storefront — The Web storefront expands
your site's functions to include online buying and selling.
This allows a customer to visit your site and purchase goods
or services. Web storefronts generate demand, acquire customer
information, fulfill orders, and process payment. |
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One-to-One Relationships with Customers — At
this phase, you use customer data-acquired from past interactions-to
personalize your site's content, products, and services to the
customer's needs and preferences. You can also create Internet
marketing campaigns that better address your customers' needs.
This can increase customer satisfaction and retention and result
in higher sales. |
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Communities of Interest — In the "communities
of interest" phase, you use customer data to identify and engage
an online community with personalized products and services
tailored to the community. These communities may already be
established and accessible through a third-party site-an e-marketplace
or exchange. An e-marketplace is a Web-based intermediary that
brings together buyers, sellers, and brokers with similar trading
needs. By ensuring your systems and standards mesh with those
of the exchange, you'll be able to streamline transactions with
a multitude of new customers, suppliers, and purchasers. |
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