The meaning of the term "electronic commerce" has changed over time. Originally, "electronic commerce" meant the facilitation of commercial transactions electronically, usually using technology like Electronic Data Interchange (EDI, introduced in the late 1970s) to send commercial documents like purchase orders or invoices electronically.
Later it came to include activities more precisely termed "Web commerce" -- the purchase of goods and services over the World Wide Web via secure servers (note HTTPS, a special server protocol which encrypts confidential ordering data for customer protection) with e-shopping carts and with electronic pay services, like credit card payment authorizations.
When the Web first became well-known among the general public in 1994, many journalists and pundits forecast that e-commerce would soon become a major economic sector. However, it took about four years for security protocols (like HTTPS) to become sufficiently developed and widely deployed (during the browser wars of this period). Subsequently, between 1998 and 2000, a substantial number of businesses in the United States and Western Europe developed rudimentary Web sites.
Although a large number of "pure e-commerce" companies disappeared during the dot-com collapse in 2000 and 2001, many "brick-and-mortar" retailers recognized that such companies had identified valuable niche markets and began to add e-commerce capabilities to their Web sites. For example, after the collapse of online grocer Webvan, two traditional supermarket chains, Albertsons and Safeway, both started e-commerce subsidiaries through which consumers could order groceries online.
As of 2005, e-commerce has become well-established in major cities across much of North America, Western Europe, and certain East Asian countries like South Korea. However, e-commerce is still emerging slowly in some industrialized countries, and is practically nonexistent in many Third World countries.
Electronic commerce has unlimited potential for both developed and developing nations, offering lucrative profits in a highly unregulated environment.
Showing posts with label eCommerce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eCommerce. Show all posts
Labels:
eCommerce
Os Commerce - An Intro
Executive Summary
eCommerce platforms are being commoditized. Enterprise level solutions are coming down in price and new open source solutions are being made available to anyone with an internet connection for free.
The most robust of these open source solutions is OS Commerce (OSC) – a community driven eCommerce solution that is flexible, scalable, and user friendly. As eCommerce becomes even more a part of mainstream retail, OSC will provide businesses of all shapes and sizes with the functionality and capabilities of the big boys. This brief examines some of the advantages of OS Commerce and provides insights into how it can help your business.
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
Maybe so, but you CAN get an eCommerce platform for nothing. Offered for free at www.oscommerce.com, this eCommerce solution provides tons of bells and whistles and provides a user friendly interface to manage the administrative portions of the store. The code is based in the PHP scripting language and runs on the Apache web server – a user also needs access to a SQL database to initially upload the files that manage the categories and products within the admin section.
Now that sounds complicated, but really anyone can do it with some concentrated effort. Much of the documentation online regarding OS is very thorough and provides step by step plans on how to get your store up and running. Any newbie to this type of work will likely come across some roadblocks, but the OS Commerce community forums are only a click away to start trouble shooting.
The solution is community driven, meaning that like minded OSCers are ready to help out their peers with answers to posted questions. Yes, at times this can be extremely frustrating waiting for an answer, but it is very rewarding to overcome a technology bug on your own.
Contribute to the Cause
The best part of OSC is the number of contributions that can be added to your site at any time. Again, there is no cost for these enhancements and upgrades – just the need to be patient in your installations. In most cases, contributions are located on the OS commerce community section and are downloadable via zip files. After opening the file, read the "read me" file which will walk you through the file additions, subtractions, and code changes needed to make your enhancement work properly. If you explore the OS platform be sure to upgrade with the following contributions.
Ultimate SEO URL's by Chemo
This cool contribution allows the site owner to create static URL's out of a database driven site. This will dramatically help in search saturation as more pages are able to be indexed. Its no secret that search spiders like traditional urls better than ones that are dynamic and this contribution helps achieve that.
Easy Populate
No need to input product data manually, this contribution allows you to import data from a basic excel file into your store. A true timesaver!
Featured Products
If you have an ecommerce store – certain products are more attractive to sell than others. This contribution allows you to tailor the featured products that you want to showcase within both your home and category pages.
Final Thoughts on OSC
Myself, I am a marketer. But after learning OS I really feel like I have some programmer blood in me! This platform is easy to use and perfect for a small to medium size business in getting online. Yes, there will be headaches along the way but stay with it and you will overcome them and soon have an ecommerce store to bring you in a new revenue stream.
eCommerce platforms are being commoditized. Enterprise level solutions are coming down in price and new open source solutions are being made available to anyone with an internet connection for free.
The most robust of these open source solutions is OS Commerce (OSC) – a community driven eCommerce solution that is flexible, scalable, and user friendly. As eCommerce becomes even more a part of mainstream retail, OSC will provide businesses of all shapes and sizes with the functionality and capabilities of the big boys. This brief examines some of the advantages of OS Commerce and provides insights into how it can help your business.
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
Maybe so, but you CAN get an eCommerce platform for nothing. Offered for free at www.oscommerce.com, this eCommerce solution provides tons of bells and whistles and provides a user friendly interface to manage the administrative portions of the store. The code is based in the PHP scripting language and runs on the Apache web server – a user also needs access to a SQL database to initially upload the files that manage the categories and products within the admin section.
Now that sounds complicated, but really anyone can do it with some concentrated effort. Much of the documentation online regarding OS is very thorough and provides step by step plans on how to get your store up and running. Any newbie to this type of work will likely come across some roadblocks, but the OS Commerce community forums are only a click away to start trouble shooting.
The solution is community driven, meaning that like minded OSCers are ready to help out their peers with answers to posted questions. Yes, at times this can be extremely frustrating waiting for an answer, but it is very rewarding to overcome a technology bug on your own.
Contribute to the Cause
The best part of OSC is the number of contributions that can be added to your site at any time. Again, there is no cost for these enhancements and upgrades – just the need to be patient in your installations. In most cases, contributions are located on the OS commerce community section and are downloadable via zip files. After opening the file, read the "read me" file which will walk you through the file additions, subtractions, and code changes needed to make your enhancement work properly. If you explore the OS platform be sure to upgrade with the following contributions.
Ultimate SEO URL's by Chemo
This cool contribution allows the site owner to create static URL's out of a database driven site. This will dramatically help in search saturation as more pages are able to be indexed. Its no secret that search spiders like traditional urls better than ones that are dynamic and this contribution helps achieve that.
Easy Populate
No need to input product data manually, this contribution allows you to import data from a basic excel file into your store. A true timesaver!
Featured Products
If you have an ecommerce store – certain products are more attractive to sell than others. This contribution allows you to tailor the featured products that you want to showcase within both your home and category pages.
Final Thoughts on OSC
Myself, I am a marketer. But after learning OS I really feel like I have some programmer blood in me! This platform is easy to use and perfect for a small to medium size business in getting online. Yes, there will be headaches along the way but stay with it and you will overcome them and soon have an ecommerce store to bring you in a new revenue stream.
Labels:
eCommerce
Negotiations: The art, science, & sport of online deals
Negotiations can seem as complex as physics, and in fact, people go to college to study the science of negotiating just as they would the laws of nature. At the same time, negotiation is like an ancient art form, some sort of Zen mental jujitsu. When neither the Zen nor the science works, though, no one wins.
Just ask any hockey fan out there. The recent lockout and cancellation of the 2004-2005 NHL season is a perfect example of poor negotiating. Both the players' union and the league owners broke all of the rules when it came to brokering an agreement on player contracts. The result are hockey rinks across North America that are so quiet that you can hear a pin drop-unfortunately, not a puck. In dollar terms, professional hockey is missing out on television contracts, advertising fees, and tons of ticket sales.
Of course, you won't lose billions in revenue if you fail at the latest negotiation at your favorite online classified or auction site. But you could let a treasure slip through your fingers. Success in deal making, on the other hand, could land you that rookie Bobby Orr card, signed Stanley Cup puck, or whatever other fantastic item you're bidding on.
Plus, proper negotiations and compromise can ensure that you get the item for its fair value, including a good price on shipping and taxes. This increases the profitability of the trade for both you and the seller. The deal gets closed without nasty disputes, blow-ups, or hip checks. And both of you are left to do business again in the future.
To score all of these benefits, and avoid your own mini lockout, follow these simple tips on negotiating that will net results at online classified sites. As you'll see, victory isn't so much an exact science or a mystic sixth sense. It's more about simple know-how and common sense.
Warm up. Don't jump into a negotiation cold. Before you even face off with your opponent, figure out for yourself what would count as a victory. What do you exactly want out of the trade-and at what price?
Consider a truce. It may not even be worth dropping the puck at all. In other words, negotiations, like hockey games, can end in a loss for the home team, you. So weigh this risk before you start. If the item at hand is a dream buy, you may not want to endanger your purchase with a drawn-out negotiation.
Know when to pass. On the other hand, if the item is far from dreamy-and you're pretty sure something better may come along later-you could pass on negotiations. Or go for the score. Offer a lowball price. If you win, you won't be out too much, and if you lose, it won't leave a mark either. But be certain if you play this game. You could miss this opportunity without a guarantee of future prospects
Know your enemy. Coaches and players spend hours before games watching films of their impending competition to study their tendencies. You need to take the same approach when it comes to making a deal. Try to read your opponent's mind. What is his or her goals in the negotiation? Does he or she have any strengths that they can use against you? Are there any weaknesses that you can use against them?
Spot all of your passing lanes. During your research, you may find that this particular vendor isn't the only one in the game with what you're looking for. Using these other vendors, and their prices, to your advantage can help you skate circles around your competitor.
Practice before you play. Also, research the item before you make a play on it. This knowledge, such as the going price and quality markers, can work as leverage during the negotiating, too.
Translate thought into action. Your strategy can become more complicated and unpredictable-and effective-once you're in the heat of battle. Just remember to think on your feet and remember all that you learned in your "training." For instance, if you know that the vendor has other items for sale besides your target, agree easily to one of these other purchases. Go for the easy one first. That will lure them into trusting you and giving you an easy pass on future, and more important, deals.
When it comes down to it, negotiation is all about this kind of give and take. It works out best when both parties get what they want out of the deal, without feeling ripped off as if they gave too much for too little.
That brings you to the one "don't" of negotiating. Don't fear a standoff. They are part of the art and science of trading, so don't be tempted to cave in just to break the deadlock. Instead, let your opponent make the first move. They will. They want to close the deal, too, don't forget. You both will be better off for this in the long run. And you won't end up like the NHL, the No Hockey League.
Just ask any hockey fan out there. The recent lockout and cancellation of the 2004-2005 NHL season is a perfect example of poor negotiating. Both the players' union and the league owners broke all of the rules when it came to brokering an agreement on player contracts. The result are hockey rinks across North America that are so quiet that you can hear a pin drop-unfortunately, not a puck. In dollar terms, professional hockey is missing out on television contracts, advertising fees, and tons of ticket sales.
Of course, you won't lose billions in revenue if you fail at the latest negotiation at your favorite online classified or auction site. But you could let a treasure slip through your fingers. Success in deal making, on the other hand, could land you that rookie Bobby Orr card, signed Stanley Cup puck, or whatever other fantastic item you're bidding on.
Plus, proper negotiations and compromise can ensure that you get the item for its fair value, including a good price on shipping and taxes. This increases the profitability of the trade for both you and the seller. The deal gets closed without nasty disputes, blow-ups, or hip checks. And both of you are left to do business again in the future.
To score all of these benefits, and avoid your own mini lockout, follow these simple tips on negotiating that will net results at online classified sites. As you'll see, victory isn't so much an exact science or a mystic sixth sense. It's more about simple know-how and common sense.
Warm up. Don't jump into a negotiation cold. Before you even face off with your opponent, figure out for yourself what would count as a victory. What do you exactly want out of the trade-and at what price?
Consider a truce. It may not even be worth dropping the puck at all. In other words, negotiations, like hockey games, can end in a loss for the home team, you. So weigh this risk before you start. If the item at hand is a dream buy, you may not want to endanger your purchase with a drawn-out negotiation.
Know when to pass. On the other hand, if the item is far from dreamy-and you're pretty sure something better may come along later-you could pass on negotiations. Or go for the score. Offer a lowball price. If you win, you won't be out too much, and if you lose, it won't leave a mark either. But be certain if you play this game. You could miss this opportunity without a guarantee of future prospects
Know your enemy. Coaches and players spend hours before games watching films of their impending competition to study their tendencies. You need to take the same approach when it comes to making a deal. Try to read your opponent's mind. What is his or her goals in the negotiation? Does he or she have any strengths that they can use against you? Are there any weaknesses that you can use against them?
Spot all of your passing lanes. During your research, you may find that this particular vendor isn't the only one in the game with what you're looking for. Using these other vendors, and their prices, to your advantage can help you skate circles around your competitor.
Practice before you play. Also, research the item before you make a play on it. This knowledge, such as the going price and quality markers, can work as leverage during the negotiating, too.
Translate thought into action. Your strategy can become more complicated and unpredictable-and effective-once you're in the heat of battle. Just remember to think on your feet and remember all that you learned in your "training." For instance, if you know that the vendor has other items for sale besides your target, agree easily to one of these other purchases. Go for the easy one first. That will lure them into trusting you and giving you an easy pass on future, and more important, deals.
When it comes down to it, negotiation is all about this kind of give and take. It works out best when both parties get what they want out of the deal, without feeling ripped off as if they gave too much for too little.
That brings you to the one "don't" of negotiating. Don't fear a standoff. They are part of the art and science of trading, so don't be tempted to cave in just to break the deadlock. Instead, let your opponent make the first move. They will. They want to close the deal, too, don't forget. You both will be better off for this in the long run. And you won't end up like the NHL, the No Hockey League.
Labels:
eCommerce
Move Into The Top 1 percent Of All Ebay Sellers - Accepting The Best Methods Of Payment
eBay is becoming a more competitive environment to make money these days. As such, there are certain things that you can do as an eBay seller to separate yourself and distance yourself from your competition.
As you set up your eBay selling systems, make the commitment to accept all methods of payment. If not, you'll lose out on potential customers.
The following short list should be considered your preferred method of accepting payment on eBay:
1. PayPal
Paypal, owned by eBay, now has over 100 million members and is the most accepted payment method online. While some sellers don't like the 3% PayPal fees – remember that 97% of something is better than 100% of nothing.
PayPal is simple (and free) to set up – you are only charged a fee when there is a transaction. PayPal makes it easy for every seller to accept credit cards safely online without the time and expense of setting up a typical merchant account.
Many people shop on eBay for convenience. PayPal provides the simples and most convenient way for a buyer to pay. You can register for a free PayPal account at: http://www.paypal.com.
2. Money Order or Personal Check
Some sellers don't like accepting a personal check for fear of the check bouncing. 99.9% of all checks are good. As long as you follow the basic strategy of not shipping your item until the check clears you have nothing to lose – even if the check is not good.
Remember that there are some buyers who don't have a credit card. If you make them go to the bank to get a money order, they may simply buy from someone else who takes a personal check.
I would suggest NOT taking checks from International Buyers as it simply takes too long for the check to clear. Reminder: In your payment terms in your auction, you'll need to disclose your payment policies – and be sure to specify whether you'll accept a personal check or money order from an International Seller.
3. Cash
While it's not the best method of payment, some eBay sellers do accept cash payments. It's not likely that a buyer will send you cash for their purchase.
4. Escrow
For a high-ticket item (car, real estate, jewelry, etc.) escrow is a safe and secure way to accept payment for the simple reason that the escrow service will guarantee full protection prior the close of the transaction. NOTE: With escrow, the seller has to wait for the confirmation that the buyer has received the merchandise prior to receiving payment.
Safe Payments Policy
Recently, eBay instituted a "Safe Payments Policy" in an effort to continue the safe and secure transactions on their site. eBay evaluates various payment methods to insure that transactions are safe within the eBay marketplace.
As such, their recent policy states that sellers may accept the following methods of payment:
-PayPal
-Direct Credit Cards (for those sellers with a merchant account)
-Bank Wire Transfers
-Personal Checks, Money Orders, Cashier's Checks and Certified Checks
Not permitted on eBay.com: Sellers may not solicit buyers to mail cash. Sellers may not ask buyers to send cash through instant cash transfer services (non-bank, point-to-point cash transfers) such as Western Union or Moneygram. Sellers may not ask buyers to pay with Stormpay, Greenzap.com or e-gold payments. Finally, sellers may not request payment through online payment methods not specifically permitted in this eBay policy.
As you set up your eBay selling systems, make the commitment to accept all methods of payment. If not, you'll lose out on potential customers.
The following short list should be considered your preferred method of accepting payment on eBay:
1. PayPal
Paypal, owned by eBay, now has over 100 million members and is the most accepted payment method online. While some sellers don't like the 3% PayPal fees – remember that 97% of something is better than 100% of nothing.
PayPal is simple (and free) to set up – you are only charged a fee when there is a transaction. PayPal makes it easy for every seller to accept credit cards safely online without the time and expense of setting up a typical merchant account.
Many people shop on eBay for convenience. PayPal provides the simples and most convenient way for a buyer to pay. You can register for a free PayPal account at: http://www.paypal.com.
2. Money Order or Personal Check
Some sellers don't like accepting a personal check for fear of the check bouncing. 99.9% of all checks are good. As long as you follow the basic strategy of not shipping your item until the check clears you have nothing to lose – even if the check is not good.
Remember that there are some buyers who don't have a credit card. If you make them go to the bank to get a money order, they may simply buy from someone else who takes a personal check.
I would suggest NOT taking checks from International Buyers as it simply takes too long for the check to clear. Reminder: In your payment terms in your auction, you'll need to disclose your payment policies – and be sure to specify whether you'll accept a personal check or money order from an International Seller.
3. Cash
While it's not the best method of payment, some eBay sellers do accept cash payments. It's not likely that a buyer will send you cash for their purchase.
4. Escrow
For a high-ticket item (car, real estate, jewelry, etc.) escrow is a safe and secure way to accept payment for the simple reason that the escrow service will guarantee full protection prior the close of the transaction. NOTE: With escrow, the seller has to wait for the confirmation that the buyer has received the merchandise prior to receiving payment.
Safe Payments Policy
Recently, eBay instituted a "Safe Payments Policy" in an effort to continue the safe and secure transactions on their site. eBay evaluates various payment methods to insure that transactions are safe within the eBay marketplace.
As such, their recent policy states that sellers may accept the following methods of payment:
-PayPal
-Direct Credit Cards (for those sellers with a merchant account)
-Bank Wire Transfers
-Personal Checks, Money Orders, Cashier's Checks and Certified Checks
Not permitted on eBay.com: Sellers may not solicit buyers to mail cash. Sellers may not ask buyers to send cash through instant cash transfer services (non-bank, point-to-point cash transfers) such as Western Union or Moneygram. Sellers may not ask buyers to pay with Stormpay, Greenzap.com or e-gold payments. Finally, sellers may not request payment through online payment methods not specifically permitted in this eBay policy.
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