Web Marketing
16.11.2015 06:33
Read the article carefully and underline the most important information about:
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the origins of e-commerce
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the way in which e-commerce works
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What B2C, B2B, C2C stand for
Reasons why mobile commerce and e-banking are two growing fields
E-commerce
E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the selling of products through the Internet. The Internet originally developed in the 1970s and 1980 as a means of exchanging information stored on the computers of scientists and engineers. In the 1990s the Internet was used commercially because of three developments:
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the spread of personal computers into people's homes;
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the connection to the Internet from home and the opportunity to send e-mails at any time;
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the invention of the World Wide Web and browser programs, which made it possible to surf the Net easily and also to transmit images, sounds and texts.
Buying on the net
The Internet, especially in the form of the web and e-mail, became a popular phenomenon and businesses began to think about how they could use it. The most common method is for a company to set up a website where it can display its products. Interested customers can make contact directly through the site or by sending an e-mail message or making a phone call. On many sites it is possible to choose and buy products immediately. Customers click on the products that they want from the online catalogue and then pay, usually by inserting the credit card details. The goods are sent to them by post. The website uses special encryption software to prevent outside hackers from being able to read sensitive data, such as credit card numbers. Almost all products from clothes and food to computers and cars are now available on the web. No business can now afford not to have a presence on the net.
Forms of e-commerce
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Business to Consumer (B2C): the most common form, as described above, in which a business sells its products directly to the public.
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Business to business (B2B): a company uses the Internet to sell its products to another firm.
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Consumer to Consumer (C2C): individual people use the Internet to advertise and sell goods to other people, for example through auction sites like “eBay”.
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Mobile Commerce (m-commerce): extending e-commerce from computers to mobile phones, is a rapidly growing field as smartphones become more powerful and closely linked to the Internet. Many people now use mobiles to download music, book tickets and buy a variety of other products.
E-banking is another growing area: most traditional banks now offer e-banking services to their customers. They can check their accounts online, make payments and even buy and sell investments in funds, shares and bonds. Banks have introduced additional level of security and encryption to protect clients’ privacy and avoid the risk of theft and fraud. New banks have opened which operate exclusively online and have no branches in the high street. Since their operating costs are much lower than traditional banks, they can attract customers by offering high rates of interest on savings and very low banking charges.
(Adapted from “Working in Business” ed. Europass)
