E commerce.
The World Wide Web has become a tribal vehicle for commerce (e-commerce), creating new ways for interact with one another and their customers. Bo doing business online, such as when a consumer over the Web instead of going to a store to buy t E-commerce technologies are rapidly changing dhe
uals and companies do business. You can go online to by lease a car, shop for groceries, or rent movies. You c pizza delivered to your door without picking in the phone But these kinds of transactions are only the diff e-commerce iceberg.
activities do not involve consumers at all. They we cont among businesses, which have developed complex seni systems dedicated to processing orders, managing inveniries handling payments.
This lesson introduces you to the basics of e-commer consumer and business levels. You will learn how to make your online shopping and browsing activities are secure, to protect your personal information when using the internet
E-Commerce at the Consumer Level
wens of thousands of online businesses cater to the needs of consumers. The mpanies’ Web sites provide information about products and services, orders, receive payments, and provide on-the customer service. Consumer-oriented e-commerce sites take many forms and cover the gaanur of prod and services, but can be divided into two ge fcategories: shopping sites and personal-finance
Online Shopping
Online shopping means buying through a Web site. (Another term for online business-to-consumer (B2C) a product or sitver shopped online, you probably have hende sites such as Amazon.com and Buy.com They are just two of the many popular Weh consumers can buy all sorts of things.
What can you buy online? The list is almost limitless including everything cars to appliances, electronics to jewelry, clothes to books, fine wines to old fashioned candies. You can subscribe to your favorite newspaper or magazine e, hunt for antiques, and order complete holiday meals for delivery to your Ave. You can even buy and sell items of all kinds on auction sites like eBay-a one-time fad that has turned into a full-time business for thousands of eBay.
>> A catalog where you can search for information about products and services.
>> A “checkout” section where you can securely pay for the items you want to purchase.
Online Stores versus Physical Locations
la a brick-and-mortar store (that is, a physical store that you can visit in person to do your shopping), you can wander the aisles and see the merchandise for yourself (see Figure 98.3). If the store too big or the layout too confusing. you can ask a clerk or a customer ser vice representative for guidance. This aone big advantage of going to the store yourself.
You can’t walk the aisles, pick up the merchan- dise, or grab some free samples. You have to do all your shopping in your browser window. Amazon.com and PCC section.com are examples can go to.
A hybrid merchant is called a click and mortar store-a physical store that also has a Web site where you can shop. Best Buy and Nordstrom are examples of click-and-mortar stores because they have physical locations in many cities, as well as Web sites where you can view and purchase their products (see Figure 9B.4). Some click-and-mortar retailers let customers buy items online, then pick them up or return them at the store.
NORDSTROM
store locations, hours & events
Using Online Catalogs
Online shopping would be very difficult if merchants did not provide easy-to-use catalogs on their Web sites. Retail-oriented Web sites need to be maintained and updated on a continuing basis, so that prices and descriptions are always correct. Site manag ers and designers must be careful to balance their own needs against those of consumers, or they risk losing business.
Many e-commerce Web sites are set up like directories (see Figure 9B.5). These catalogs lump products or services into categories and subcategories. If you are shopping for an MP3 player at the Web site of an electronics vendor.