1	Electronic Commerce Doing Business on the Internet
2	Objectives Visit Web sites that conduct electronic commerce. Understand the basics of electronic commerce. Learn how companies generate revenues. Learn how companies reduce costs and improve operational efficiency using Web technologies
3	Objectives Learn about new ways of doing business on the Web, such as online auctions. Learn about consumer concerns regarding purchasing items online. Understand why international, legal, and ethical concerns are important in electronic commerce.
4	What is Electronic Commerce? Business processes include all the things that companies do to achieve their objectives. The terms electronic business and electronic commerce are used interchangeably to include the broadest definition: any business process, or any collection of business processes, conducted using Internet technologies. E-business and e-commerce are shorter forms of the words.
5	Participant-Based Classification A participant-based electronic commerce classification scheme is based on the types of participants in the process. Participants might be businesses, consumers, or government entities. Business-to-consumer (B2C) electronic commerce: a process undertaken by a company to sell goods or services to individuals.
6	Participant-Based Classification Business-to-business (B2B) electronic commerce: a process undertaken by a company to sell goods or services to other business firms or not-for-profit organizations. Business-to-government (B2G): using Internet technologies in business processes dealing with government agencies. Consumer-to-consumer (C2C): the processes that occur when individuals who are not operating formal businesses use the Internet to conduct transactions.
7	Activity-Based Classification An activity-based electronic commerce classification scheme is organized by what the business activities are designed to accomplish. The way a company does business, the sum of its business activities and processes, is called the company’s business model. Revenue model: the business processes that a company uses to find new customers, make sales, and deliver the goods or services that it sells.
8	Activity-Based Classification Operations model: the other business processes in a company, such as purchasing, hiring, receiving, and manufacturing. Some electronic commerce activities are designed to improve a company’s revenue processes, others are designed to reduce the cost or increase the efficiency of its operations processes.
9	Competitive Advantage and Transaction Cost Reduction To stay in business, a company must have a competitive advantage. Competitive advantage: a way of generating more revenues, incurring lower costs, or performing tasks more efficiently than other companies in the same business. Transaction costs: the total of all costs that a buyer and a seller incur as they gather information and negotiate a purchase-sale transaction. They include brokerage fees, sales commissions, and the costs of information search and acquisition.
10	Revenue Models for Electronic Commerce Businesses today take many different approaches to generating revenue on the Web: Online catalog revenue model Advertising and Subscription Revenue Models Direct Fee Model
11	Online Catalog Revenue Model A company replaces or supplements its distribution of printed catalogs with a catalog on its Web site. Customers can place orders through the Web site, by telephone or by mail. Three types of companies use this model: those that sell only on the Web, those that sell through print catalogs and the Web, and those that have physical stores and also sell on the Web.
12	Online Catalog Revenue Model Dot-com or pure dot-com companies: the name give to Web-only businesses. One strategy used frequently by pure dot-com companies is the development of strategic alliances (or strategic partnership) with existing companies. This is an arrangement in which one company performs some business processes for another company in exchange for money or the sharing of expertise or access to customers.
13	Online Catalog Revenue Model Most companies on the Web today are not pure dot-com companies, but are established companies that use the Web to extend their existing businesses. Channel conflict (Cannibalization): the threat of losing sales from existing channels (stores, phone, mail-order) to the new online catalog.
14	Advertising and Subscription Revenue Models Some businesses, like television networks, have relied on advertising as their sole source of revenue for many years. Advertising revenue pays for operations, buys programs, and generates a profit for the television networks. Other businesses derive their revenue only from subscription fees (i.e., a magazine that carries no advertising).
15	Advertising and Subscription Revenue Models It is more common for magazines to charge a subscription and also carry advertising. Mixed advertising-subscription revenue models are used by many Web sites.
16	Advertising and Subscription Revenue Models The success of Web advertising has been hampered by two major problems: No consensus has emerged on how to measure and charge for advertising on the Web. Very few Web sites have enough visitors to interest large advertisers. The most successful advertising on the Web is directed at very specific groups.
17	Advertising and Subscription Revenue Models Demographic information: the collection of characteristics that marketers use to group visitors. Demographic information includes such traits as address, age, gender, income, education, hobbies, political affiliation, and religion. Target marketing: delivering ads to site visitors with specific demographic characteristics.
18	Advertising and Subscription Revenue Models A Web portal (or portal): a doorway to the Web. Portals are starting points for Web surfers. Web Portals usually include general interest information and can help users of the portal find just about anything on the Web. Portals earn most of their revenue by selling advertising.
19	Advertising and Subscription Revenue Models Web portals share many common characteristics: Free e-mail Links to search engines Web directories Membership services News headlines and articles Discussion groups Chat rooms Links to virtual shopping malls Calendars and address books
20	Advertising and Subscription Revenue Models In recent years, Web portal sites have had to rely on paid services to bring in sufficient revenue to survive. One way that a portal site can increase its advertising revenue is to sell target marketing opportunities to advertisers through use of its search engine. Newspaper and magazine publishers have tried to use the advertising supported model for their sites, but few have been successful in attracting sufficient advertiser interest to operate their sites profitably.
21	Business Week Online Home Page See www.businessweek.com Sponsored links
22	Advertising and Subscription Revenue Models Web sites that offer classified advertising have been more successful than magazines and newspaper publishers in their implementations of the pure advertising-supported model. Some sites specialize in employment advertising, while others offer classified ads for autos, boats, motorcycles, houses, etc. E.g. Monster.com
23	Direct Fee Revenue Model In the direct fee revenue model, businesses offer services for which they charge a fee. The fee can be based on the specific service provided or it can be based on the number or size of the transactions processed. If companies can provide the service over the Internet or give Web site visitors the information they need about the transaction on the Web site, companies can offer a high level of personal service. The cost of providing this type of personal service can be much lower on the Web than in physical store locations.
24	Direct Fee Revenue Model A wide range of services, from online games to tax-planning advice, is available on the Web today. As more households obtain broadband access to the Internet, an increasing number of companies will provide streaming video of concerts and films to paying subscribers. Web entertainment sites must charge a high enough monthly fee to cover the additional bandwidth costs and still make a profit.
25	Direct Fee Revenue Model Sties that charge fees for specific professional services are increasingly appearing on the Web: Prepare tax returns online (H&R Block or TurboTax) Legal services (PrePaidLegal.com) Services of attorneys who will review your case online (Law Office Live) Resume preparation (Resume.com) Travel agencies Ticket agencies Banks and insurance brokers
26	Direct Fee Revenue Model Disintermediation: the removal of an intermediary from an industry, such as the traditional travel agencies. Reintermediation: the introduction of a new intermediary into an industry, such as the travel agency Web sites.
27	Using the Web to Reduce Operational Costs and Increase Efficiency Companies can earn more money by either increasing revenue or reducing costs. The real challenge is using the Internet to reduce costs or increase efficiency. Increased efficiency makes the amount spent on a particular cost do more work.
28	History of Business Cost Reductions Using Electronic Technologies Electronic funds transfers (EFTs or wire transfers): electronic transmissions of account exchange information over private networks. Electronic data interchange (EDI): when one business transmits computer-readable data in a standard format to another business. Both parties to the transaction must have compatible computer systems, some kind of communications link to connect them, and must agree to follow the same set of EDI standards.
29	History of Business Cost Reductions Using Electronic Technologies When two businesses meet the three criteria, they are called trading partners. EDI replaces the paper purchase order and invoice with electronic messages. When EDI includes payment information, it is called financial EDI.
30	History of Business Cost Reductions Using Electronic Technologies Banks settle most of their customers’ business transactions through automated clearinghouses (ACHs), which are systems created by banks or groups of banks to electronically clear their accounts with each other. Businesses called value-added networks (VANs) were created to meet the demands imposed by EDI. A VAN is a natural third party that can offer assurances and dispute-resolution services to both EDI trading partners.
31	Reducing Transaction Costs The Web can help buyers conduct their information searches more cheaply and efficiently than by making telephone calls, sending faxes or driving store to store. Some firms have started services that help buyers find products. One of these firms is PriceWatch. One of the most expensive components of purchase transactions is the provision of after-sale support.
32	Using Intranets and Extranets A set of Web pages or sites that is accessible only to employees of a company is called an intranet. When an intranet is made available to users outside the company, it is called an extranet. Many companies use intranets and extranets to coordinate employee, supplier, and customer activities.
33	Using Automated E-Mail Messaging E-mail can be a good way to stay in contact with existing customers—but only if they agree to receive it. Marketing experts recommend that automatically generated e-mail messages with announcements of new products and services not be sent more often than once a week to clients. Many companies offer e-mail management services.
34	Online Auctions One of the more interesting and innovative implementations of electronic commerce is the creation of Web sites that conduct online auctions. Online auctions provide both revenue opportunities and cost-reduction opportunities for businesses. Each online auction site establishes its own bidding rules. Most auctions remain open for a few days or a week.
35	Online Auctions The advantages of conducting online auctions include a large pool of potential bidders, 24-hour access, and the ability to auction hundreds of similar items simultaneously. By the end of its second year in operation, eBay had auctioned off over $95 million worth of goods and was profitable. http://www.ebay.com Both buyers and bidders benefit from the large marketplace that eBay has created.
36	Online Auctions Buyers of more expensive items generally protect themselves by using a third party escrow service which holds the buyer’s payment until he or she receives and is satisfied with the purchased item. Businesses are turning to online auctions to improve the process of clearing out old and slow-moving inventory. A liquidation broker is an intermediary who matches sellers of obsolete inventory with purchasers who are looking for bargains.
37	Consumer Concerns Participants in electronic commerce have two major concerns: Transaction security That their privacy not be violated in the course of conducting electronic commerce An assurance provider is a third party that, for a fee paid by the electronic commerce Web site, will certify that the site meets some criteria for conducting business in a secure and privacy-preserving manner.
38	Transaction Security and Privacy SSL protocol is used to protect sensitive information as it travels over the Internet. Hacker or cracker: an intruder that breaks into an electronic commerce site’s computer and steals names, addresses, and credit card information. By recording a user’s clickstream, the Web server can gather extensive knowledge about that visitor. A clickstream is a record of which pages the user visited on a site.
39	Transaction Security and Privacy No general standards currently exist in the U.S. for maintaining confidentiality regarding clickstream information. Many business Web sites include statements of privacy policy directed at concerned customers, but no U.S. laws exist requiring such statements or policies. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 makes it illegal for Web sites to collect identifiable information from children under the age of 13 without first obtaining their parents’ consent.
40	Assurance Providers Several assurance providers have started offering various kinds of certifications. Web sites can purchase these certifications and display the logo or seal of the assurance provider on the Web site for potential customers to examine. There are currently five major assurance providers: the Better Business Bureau, TRUSTe, the International Computer Security Association, VeriSign, and WebTrust.
41	Ethical Standards Companies that conduct business on the Web should try to follow the ethical standards that they would follow if they were doing business in the physical world. Although high ethical standards can be more expensive, in the long run they can help establish a company’s reputation and can increase the level of trust that customers, suppliers, and employees have in the company. When customers are active on the Web, ethical lapses can cause immediate damage to a company’s reputation.
42	International Nature of Electronic Commerce: Language Issues The Internet brings people together from every country in the world because it reduces the distances between people in many ways. Once a company overcomes the language barrier, the technology exists for it to conduct electronic commerce with any other business or consumer, anywhere in the world. Many companies hire a translation firm to translate their existing Web pages into other languages.
43	International Nature of Electronic Commerce: Language Issues Computer-automated translation (machine translation) can provide rough translations very quickly, but human translators must refine the translations before they are accurate. Translation that takes into account the culture and customs of the country is called localization. Human translation can be an expensive proposition.
44	Translators http://world.altavista.com/tr Meet me at the town square English → Dutch → French → Greek → English Translate their page to French Asssignment: Internet ADD 4: Additional Research Assignment 2
45	International Nature of Electronic Commerce: Legal Issues Businesses on the Internet must adhere to the same laws that regulate the operation of all businesses. Electronic commerce can expose even small businesses to a broader range of laws and regulations than they would face if they were not operating on the Internet. An e-business can become subject to laws and taxes about which its managers are unaware.
46	International Nature of Electronic Commerce: Legal Issues Doing business internationally presents a number of challenges. Many of the international issues that arise relate to legal, tax, and privacy concerns. Each country has the right to pass laws and levy taxes on businesses that operate within their jurisdictions.
47	International Nature of Electronic Commerce: Legal Issues Many smaller sites restrict the countries to which they will deliver merchandise or in which they will provide services. A terms of service statement can be placed on a Web site to protect it from laws and regulations of which thy might be unaware. It can include rules for site visitors, a copyright statement, and restrictions on the types of business that a visitor can conduct with the site.
48	Future of Electronic Commerce Many businesses, organizations and individuals are interconnected through the Internet. The Web has given the Internet an easy-to-use interface. The combination of the Web’s interface and the Internet’s extension of computer networking have opened new opportunities for electronic commerce.
49	Summary Companies use Web strategies to generate revenues, increase operational efficiency, and reduce costs. Online auctions are a new type of business that did not exist before the Web. Companies doing business on the Web have taken steps to reassure consumers that their transactions will be secure and that their privacy will be respected. Electronic commerce operates in an international, legal and ethical environment.