Getting Started Guide

6-2 O

NLINE

HOPPING

OME

NTERNET

PPLIANCE

–G

ETTING

TARTED

E-Commerce

E-commerce (electronic

commerce or EC) is the

buying and selling of goods

and services on the

Internet, especially on the

World Wide Web.

In practice, this term and a

another new term,

e-business, are often used

interchangeably. For online

retail selling, the term

e-tailing is sometimes used.

E-Commerce

What Is E-Commerce?

E-commerce can be divided into:

➜

E-tailing or virtual storefronts on Web sites with online

catalogs. Sometimes these are all gathered into a virtual

mall.

➜

The gathering and use of demographic data through Web

contacts

➜

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), the

business-to-business exchange of data

➜

E-mail and fax and their use as media for reaching

prospects and established customers (for example, with

newsletters)

➜

Business-to-business buying and selling

➜

The security of business transactions