Lesson 1

This page discusses how your company can enter the potentially lucrative and high stakes world of Web-based e-commerce.
On the surface, turning a business into an e-business may seem deceptively simple. Unfortunately, if the goals, expectations, and grasp of the business are not well defined and understood, turning your business into an e-business may jeopardize a company's very existence.
Nonetheless, your company may have no choice. In so many markets and industries, Web-based e-commerce ranks as a differentiator. In some industries, particularly in retail consumer markets, having a Web-based sales channel has become a competitive necessity. Ironically, once you get beyond the hype, e-commerce really involves the same business practices as any other form of commerce.
The key to e-commerce success, just like success in any other sales channel, involves building an understanding of the competitive dynamics, lingo, best practices, and operational methods that apply to e-commerce. In this module you will gain an understanding of basic business practices within the context and special nature of e-commerce. In particular, the lessons in this module will focus on how these elements can change practices within your company, and even potentially in your entire industry or market.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

1. Describe the basics of creating demand and drawing attention to e-commerce Web sites
2. Explain the importance and implementation impact of customer service for e-commerce
3. Describe the effect of using e-commerce one-to-one marketing techniques like personalization and portals
4. Differentiate B2B from B2C sites
6. Define supply chain and third-party service provider roles in e-business fulfillment processes
7. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of payment processing for e-commerce sites
8. Justify your company's participation in e-marketplaces

In the next lesson, you will learn how to create demand and draw attention to your B2C site.