What is eCommerce?

The term eCommerce, or Electronic Commerce, basically means business transactions conducted online. These online transactions are usually between Business to Business (B2B) or Business to Consumers (B2C).

In any case, whether your business is B2B or B2C, if you’re planning to offer your products and services online and would also like to conduct the transactions online, you will need a way to:

1. Present your products and services to your prospective customer, i.e. an onine store;
2. Collect the orders, calculate the shipping and handling, taxes and totals, i.e. a shopping cart;
3. Collect the payment for the order, i.e. accept credit cards or other forms of payment; and
4. Receive and fill the order.

There are many ways to do these and there are systems already available, from simple basic systems to massive complex systems. Prices vary from free to expensive depending on the complexity of the different systems available.

The main benefits of eCommerce revolve around the elimination of time and geographical distance limitations. Online transactions can be placed at any time from anyplace with internet access. It streamlines the operations and lowers the costs too.

Top 10 Benefits of Having an eCommerce Enabled Website:

1. Easily provides an online store to showcase your products and services for your customers.
2. Increases sales by enabling your customers to purchase your products and services online.
3. Provides access to your online store to your customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your business never closes on the internet!
4. Eliminates travel time and cost to your customers by being able to visit your online store, if they prefer to do so.
5. Allows customers to visit your online store at their convenience at any time of the day or night and at the comfort of wherever they are, as long as they have internet access.
6. Displays information, promotions, sales and real-time data on your products and services.
7. Reaches more customers and expands your customer base by breaking through the geographical barrier and becomes accessible, virtually, from anywhere outside your local area.
8. Increases brand awareness, wins new customers and increases customer loyalty.
9. Reduces transaction costs from online orders through payment processing.
10. Opens up an online store with relative ease and avoids some of the overhead costs of a physical store location.