In few years
Electronic commerce over the Internet is predicted to grow at an ever-increasing rate over the next few years, with on-line sales already heading for several billion. Many companies are using this new sales channel, and a few retailers now have established major on-line sales sites. There have been some successes, particularly in technology, business-to-business and niche markets.
This paper has been produced to summarise the basics of electronic commerce, covering on-line catalogues and on-line purchasing. We have not attempted to review the subject of Electronic Document Interchange (EDI) which is clearly related, but is a much specialised subject.
The following sections cover:
• The Market, Its Size and Characteristics
• Selling vs. Marketing on the Internet
• The Basic On-line Catalogue Mechanism
• Payment Processing
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