Starting E-Commerce (2)
E-commerce, or electronic commerce, refers to the process of buying and selling products, services, and information in an electronic environment. Essentially, it encompasses commercial activities conducted online without a physical store or marketplace.
The most commonly known among these commercial activities are:
Online Shopping,
Electronic Payment Systems,
Online Ticketing and Reservations,
Digital Content and Service Sales,
Online Banking and Finance.
Online Shopping: Platforms where consumers purchase products over the internet. These can be digital versions of traditional retail stores, as well as businesses that operate entirely online.
Electronic Payment Systems: Refers to payments made online using credit cards, bank transfers, or other payment methods.
Online Ticketing and Reservations: Platforms where transportation (airplane, train, bus) or event (concert, cinema, theater) tickets are purchased online.
Digital Content and Service Sales: The sale of digital content such as software, music, videos, e-books, or services like online courses and consulting services.
Online Banking and Finance: Conducting bank transactions over the internet, making investments, or obtaining financial services online.
E-commerce also encompasses commercial activities between businesses (B2B). For example, a business purchasing raw materials from another business or acquiring services.
E-commerce is not limited to the possibilities provided by technology. In the future, technological advancements like virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and blockchain may further expand this definition. However, at its core, e-commerce is a modern business model that allows buyers and sellers to trade without being in a physical location, facilitated by the internet.