What is e-commerce? What is e-commerce on the Internet? Important metrics: LTV

To begin with, it is worth noting that the scope of eCommerce is much broader than the standard idea of ​​it. This is not only the sale of goods or services via the Internet: you can earn money from a percentage of transactions, data exchange, etc.

In addition, online commodity-money interactions have an extremely rich history, the roots of which go back to the middle of the last century. Today we will figure out what it is e-commerce, consider its types, categories, as well as advantages and disadvantages.

Definition of the term

E-commerce is usually called a business process (more broadly, the sphere of economics), including trade or monetary transactions carried out through computer and electronic networks.

Back in the 50s, American Airlines, in partnership with IBM, began developing a unique system that automates bookings seats on airplanes. The system exists to this day, is called SABRE - at one time it significantly facilitated air travel for passengers, helping to navigate fares, directions, etc. Today, SABER is used by more than 350,000 travel agencies around the world, 400 airlines, 100,000 hotels, 25 automobile brands and 14 cruise routes.

In 1971-72, with the aim of organizing purchases and sales between students at the Stanford Laboratory artificial intelligence and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the famous ARPANET was used - computer network, developed by the US Department of Defense to maintain communications in the event of nuclear war. Monetary transactions made through this network have become one of the prerequisites for eCommerce. In 1979, English inventor Michael Aldrich demonstrated the first online shopping system, which involved simple transactions between buyers and sellers.

Over the past two decades, the eCommerce market has been developing particularly rapidly - which is due to the explosion modern technologies, the widespread availability of the Internet, the spread of social networks, and the evolution of Web 1.0 to Web 2.0.

eCommerce categories

Traditionally, e-commerce on the Internet is divided into three groups, according to the consumer segment: B2B, B2C and C2C. Some call two more categories: B2A and C2A. Let's look at all 5 types of eCommerce.

1. B2B: " Business to business" The idea is simple - one company sells something to another company. The Internet here can significantly optimize processes: speed up operations, make relationships more transparent. An example is before your eyes. LPgenerator is a service for creating landing pages for businesses (although, of course, you can run landing page, promoting a person, a personal brand - whatever).

2. B2C: " Business for the client" Everything is obvious here too. The company sells directly to individuals. Often, goods are sold in this format, sometimes services are sold (learning English via Skype, for example). This is where traditional online stores fit in, as well as new trend— social trading (searching for clients and selling on social media).

3. C2C: " Consumer for consumer" An interesting model that suggests trade relations between two people, neither of whom can be called a businessman. The resources that provide this opportunity are like something between a flea market and a classified ad newspaper. The most common format is online auctions. They allow the buyer to save money, and the seller to sell what is unnecessary and recoup money.

4. B2A: " Business for administration" A specific format, the essence of which is the interaction of the entrepreneur with certain government agencies (local, federal). An example is a tender, or some bureaucratic operations that can be automated via the Internet.

5. C2A: " Client for administration" The most exotic type of e-commerce on the Internet, actively developing today. The essence is in the interaction of government organizations directly with people using certain services. The sphere is rather social. An example is the interactive portals of government service centers that exist in many cities.

Types of companies

Western researchers identify 8 categories of e-commerce on the Internet.

1. Big business retail. Conduct direct online sales. Such companies have automated processes for delivery, payment, etc.

2. Multifunctional online portals (domestic example: Yandex.Market). We can call them aggregators of goods and services. They give the client access to an assortment of different brands and charge a commission or placement fee from the seller.

3. Highly specialized portals, operating only in one area of ​​the market.

4. Internet auctions. Allow the seller and buyer to “meet” to conclude a transaction.

5. Cybersants - engaged in the distribution of intellectual, digital property (films, programs, literature).

6. Resources for collective purchasing, wholesale discounts - bring together people who want to save money by purchasing a large batch of goods for many participants at once.

7. Intermediaries for presentation and settlement of bills: public utilities, insurance, medical care, for a certain percentage.

Usability in eCommerce

There are at least three useful advice, or even a trend, the use of which will increase the usability of your resource.

1. Large images

High-quality visual content can be much more expressive than hundreds of words. A large image of the product (or anything related to it/its use) will reveal significant details of the offer, increasing visitor awareness - and therefore their level of satisfaction. In short, properly selected visual content can bring you a lot of additional income.

2. Trustworthy reviews

E-commerce on the Internet

Electronic commerce on the Internet (e-commerce) is a commercial activity in the field of advertising and distribution of goods and services through the use of the Internet. Currently, e-commerce is developing rapidly and, according to statistics, more than 100 million people around the world have already made at least one purchase in online stores, and the annual turnover of e-commerce in 2000 exceeded $100 billion.

One of the fastest growing areas of e-commerce is hosting (from the English word host - server), that is, services for posting information on the World Wide Web. Hosting includes provision disk space for hosting Web sites on a Web server, providing access to them via a communication channel with a specific throughput, as well as site administration rights.

An important component of e-commerce is information and advertising activities. Many companies post on their Internet websites important information for consumers (description of goods and services, their cost, company address, phone number and e-mail where orders can be made, etc.). There are specialized servers that provide the consumer with systematized (by type of product, manufacturer, price, etc.) information about a certain group of goods. For example, the server www.newman.ru contains information on prices for all types computer equipment, which are offered by various companies in Moscow.

Advertising on the Internet is implemented using banners (from the English word "banner"- "advertising headline"). On the Internet, a banner is a small rectangular picture on which an advertisement for a Web site or Web page is placed.

Rice. 4.18 Banner

Banners can be either static (the same picture is shown) or dynamic (the pictures are constantly changing). Clicking on a banner with the mouse takes you to the corresponding site or page where you can learn more about what the banner advertises.

Banners are placed on websites or on a paid basis, or by exchange. Using a banner exchange system, which connects many sites and allows them to advertise each other, increases traffic to each of them.

Widespread on the Internet electronic commerce. Its simplest option is virtual "flea market"(bulletin board), where sellers and buyers simply exchange information about the product being offered (analogous to the newspaper “From Hand to Hand”) - Fig. 4.19.

An interesting form of e-commerce is Internet auctions. A variety of goods are offered at such auctions: works of art, computer technology, cars and so on. For example, on the server www greatdoma-ins ru Internet domain names are put up for auction (Fig. 4.20).

The buyer in the online store has the opportunity to familiarize himself with the product ( technical characteristics, appearance product, etc.), as well as its price. Having selected a product, the consumer can place an order for its purchase directly from the Internet, which specifies the form of payment, time and place of delivery, and so on. Payment is made either in cash after delivery of the goods, or by credit cards.

IN Lately began to be used for payments via the Internet digital money. The buyer transfers a certain amount of ordinary money to the bank, and in return receives a certain amount of digital money, which exists only in in electronic format and are stored in a “wallet” (using a special program) on the buyer’s computer. When paying online, digital money goes to the seller, who transfers it to the bank and receives regular money in return.

Practical tasks

4.26. Find using search engines addresses of online stores and familiarize yourself with the rules of e-commerce.

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E-commerce is one of the components e-business, includes trade and financial transactions carried out through electronic networks.

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The English term E-Commerce refers to purchase or sale transactions using electronic means, conducting business via the Internet.

Let's look at simple example What is e-commerce on the Internet?

This phrase refers to everything related to business automation, organization and support of commercial transactions in the Internet space. Specific examples familiar to everyone include sites for online booking of hotels, tickets, and online stores.

However, it should be understood that E-Commerce is not limited to online trading. Income can be obtained from commissions from transactions, data exchange and other options.

E-Commerce Categories

E-commerce on the Internet can be represented in the form of three directions. Some sources additionally identify two more.

1. B2B " ". Transactions are made between companies. The role of the Internet is to organize and speed up the processing of transactions. Players are not limited by resources; they can afford to use new developments in the banking and auditing sectors. We can say that the service sector is a strategic direction for the development of E-Commerce B2B.
2. B2C “Business client”. The main activity in this category is retail sales. B2C includes the following tools: online stores, services for individuals and online training, online auctions, paid boards for posting advertisements online, trading on online exchanges.
3. C2C “Client-client”. The key guidelines of this category are communication for the purpose of selling/purchasing goods or services. Toolkit: online auctions, consulting services, flea markets, goods exchange sites, tutoring services, freelance exchanges, .
4. B2G “Business-state”. Eat general signs with the first category with the difference that the buyer here is government agencies. We are talking about tenders, government procurement, research on sociological topics. An example of a transaction is production social advertising. Various ministries, for example the Ministry of Emergency Situations, order an advertising agency to develop advertising campaign on a profile topic.
5. G2B “Government-Business”. This niche has room to develop. Firstly, it has the weakest technical base. Secondly, technologies are designed to optimize work, staffing and costs, which is important for the government apparatus. Thirdly, this is the weakest area in terms of established communications. Today, useful and promising projects include the implementation electronic digital signatures, reporting in electronic form.

Types of e-commerce

Types are understood as tools through which players in the E-Commerce market interact.

The list of the most common and used ones looks like this.

1. Catalog sites, aggregators of goods and services. They provide sellers with the opportunity to list for money, and offer buyers a variety of convenient functions by choice, comparison, booking, etc.
2. Internet auctions. The main function is to bring together the service provider (seller) and the buyer. They offer the tools necessary to conclude a transparent transaction; the mechanics themselves include insurance against the risks of non-payment, delay, etc.
3. Websites that distribute films and literature on a paid basis. This type lies in the plane of digital and intellectual property.
4. Discount sites. They accumulate offers from suppliers of goods and services with the obligatory condition of providing a discount.
5. Online systems that accept payments for utilities, medical care and others.
6. Electronic store. This trend area includes a set of actions for purchasing, paying, and delivering goods, implemented by systems with minimal human intervention. You look at the range of products on the website, then place your purchases in a virtual basket and pay with a card.

Taking into account that the concept of E-Commerce includes not only the Internet, you can add several more options.

• Selling information. This includes subscriptions to online services and databases.
• Electronic banks. They appear alongside traditional banking institutions and use all the necessary degrees of protection. By reducing rental costs, staff can offer more favorable financial conditions, such as lower loan rates.

E-commerce problems

Any innovations require preparation and elaboration of the legal framework. Today there is a whole area of ​​e-commerce risk management.

The main risks are determined by the problems existing in the e-Commerce sector.

• Globalization. The very essence of e-commerce helps to reduce distances, as it erases boundaries and helps to establish connections between any points globe. At the same time, issues of intercultural communications, culture of information consumption, principles of doing business in different countries ah remain open and will always be relevant. What are the solutions? Increasing involvement and investment in business not only at the level of numbers, but also partnerships, language learning, and traditions.
• Information security issues. Building a commercial activity through an online network requires sophisticated and effective solutions to guarantee confidentiality. One of the ways is to use system certification and access authorization.
• Copyright. When distributing a product electronically, it is necessary to consider all aspects related to the protection of property rights. This is also quite an acute problem.
• Legal and tax field. Different legislation can be an obstacle. It is not always clear how to interpret transactions and in what jurisdiction to conclude them. Taxation features increase the list of points that need to be agreed upon and unified before a transaction takes place. A solution could be a separate legal framework for e-commerce and the introduction of its standards into the laws of different countries. Obviously, this takes time and resources.
• Features of the legislation of individual countries. In addition to issues of formalizing transactions, there are also global legal acts of international and domestic trade with many restrictions, agreements, and conditions. We have to develop a program on how to transfer all this to online transactions and what this or that measure means in e-Commerce.

E-commerce is one of the most powerful engines for the development of technology and international business. It is in the interests of every country and company to promote integration processes and simplification of procedures as much as possible.

Electronic commerce systems and forms

1. E-commerce as a form of doing business

The European Commission in 1997 defined e-commerce as the science of doing business in electronic format. E-commerce is based on electronic processing and transmission of information using text, sound, video. She covers a lot areas of activity,including electronic trading of goods and services, online transmission of digital information, electronic trading of shares, electronic bill transfer, commercial auctions, joint projects and engineering, public procurement, direct consumer market research and after-sales service. It involves trade in products (for example, consumer goods, specialized medical equipment) and services ( information Services, financial and legislative services), traditional activities (health care, education) and new types of business activities (e-mail).

There are three components of e-commerce:

• participants;
• processes;
• networks.
• The processes that are the content of a commercial transaction are also characteristic of e-commerce.
• E-commerce combines a wide range of business processes:
• information exchange;
• establishing contacts between potential customers and suppliers;
• sale of goods, including information products, and provision of services;
• settlements, including using electronic payment systems;
• delivery management, including transfer (distribution, delivery) of information products;
• pre- and post-sales support;
• organization of virtual enterprises.
• Representing a new technology for conducting business transactions on a global scale, e-commerce is significantly changing the modern business world by:
• globalization of areas of activity (each market entity gets the opportunity to have a global presence and do business on a global scale);
• reduction of channels for distribution of goods (organizations themselves can perform functions traditionally performed by intermediate links);
• increased competition (competition becomes global);
• personalization of interaction (individual approach to each client);
• reducing transaction costs.
• Security, protection of intellectual property rights, legal issues that are part of e-commerce require improvement.
• E-commerce has many advantages.These benefits include better opportunities for product promotion, lower costs, timeliness of information, reduced translation time Money, uniformity of information, improved customer service, competitive advantages and ease of doing business.
• Characterizing e-commerce as a new technology for carrying out commercial transactions, there are two e-commerce models:
• horizontal;
• vertical.

Horizontal e-commerce modelallows you to evaluate the structure of its technology from the point of view of the organization (enterprise). The horizontal model identifies the following components of an organization’s business: market research - sales - deliveries and payments.

From a practical point of view, the horizontal model represents the stages of an electronic transaction. It can be assumed that if at least two of the last three components of the model (contract, delivery or payment) are presented on the network, then one of them will necessarily be present in the electronic transaction.

Vertical e-commerce modelemphasizes the effective role of the various parties involved (government and government bodies, enterprises) in creating conditions for the development of e-commerce in the countries they represent. It includes the following levels: telecommunications infrastructure, emails, basic rules, rules of individual industries, application and implementation of corporate strategies.

2. EC systems

E-commerce involves at least two participants. The main participants involved in cooperation within such a process include: enterprises, individuals, government agencies and departments.

These participants form the main e-commerce systems:

1.“business - business” (business - business, B-B),

2.“business - consumer” (business - consumer, B-C),

.“business - government” (business - government, B - G),

.“consumer - government” (consumer - government, C - G);

.“consumer - consumer” (consumer - consumer, C-C).

The systems “business-to-business” and “business-to-consumer” have received the greatest development.

1. Business-to-business system

In system "business - business"act as buyers and sellers legal entities(commercial organizations (enterprises)). The business-to-business system includes complex interaction in the procurement, production and planning processes, complex payment terms and 24/7 performance agreements.

The involvement of partners in the business-to-business system is ensured by the joint nature of the activity. In particular, commercial enterprises form long-term alliances, thereby reducing the costs of their activities. The joint nature of commercial activities requires the collective use of common information by business partners, including prices for goods, inventory, and the status of supplies. A business-to-business system can use both private networks and the Internet to organize interaction between partners.

Many business-to-business systems are created on the principle of deep specialization and with a clear selection of the potential circle of clients. Wherein financial results is formed in the form of commissions from more clearly calculated turnover and advertising, which makes the forecast of future profit flows more reliable.

Depending on who controls the market (buyer, supplier or intermediary), there are following systems business-to-business e-commerce:

Buyer-orientedin which the buyer purchases a wide range of products and uses the Internet to organize a market on his server, and a Web site for suppliers to participate in bidding.

Supplier-orientedwhen a manufacturer or supplier invites commercial and individual consumers to order goods from an organized location on an electronic marketplace.

Intermediary-orientedin which the central place is given to an e-commerce intermediary organization that organizes an exchange market on which buyers and sellers can make transactions. The intermediary pays special attention to the execution of orders.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), almost all sources talk about the dominance of the business-to-business system in the e-commerce market. The well-known 80:20 rule can be interpreted as follows: about 80% of the turnover of all e-commerce comes from the business-to-business system.

The business-to-business e-commerce market is 10 times larger than the business-to-consumer market.

2. Business-consumer system

The business-consumer system implies that individual consumers act as buyers, and legal entities act as sellers.

For the successful development of the business-consumer system, it is necessary: ​​a significant number of private users who generate sufficient consumer demand; widespread development of the corresponding network in the country; developed payment systems; delivery services; required legislative regulation of this type of business; customer confidence in this type of business; sufficient funds from buyers.

The main interaction operations in the business-consumer system are : viewing a commercial enterprise directory; placing orders; payment for goods (services); execution of orders; sending responses.

The differences between business-to-business and business-to-consumer e-commerce are more significant than between retail and wholesale.

3. Business-government system

Information Technology are used not only by business entities, but also by the state, performing the functions of a regulator of market processes. New information relations of market entities are reflected in the “business - government” system, where legal entities and government agencies act as parties to business relations.

The modern approach to the state is based on the fact that it has all the characteristics of a large corporation: it has a budget; expenses; income; it acts as a subject of the world market, generalizing the activities of its economic agents; it has shareholders and at the same time clients - citizens who are interested in ensuring that government services are as cheap and accessible as possible.

4. System “consumer - government (state)”

The “consumer - government (state)” system is the least developed, but has a high potential for development, especially when organizing interaction in areas such as social and tax.

5. “Consumer - consumer” system

The last distinguished “consumer-consumer” system is also at the beginning of its development. This system includes interaction between consumers for the purpose of exchanging commercial information, as well as forms of auction trading between individuals.

The specifics of the industry in which the organization (market entity) operates, its capabilities and the goals it sets for itself, determine the choice of a system for doing business online. In addition, a commercial organization can combine and complement various types of e-commerce systems.

3. Forms of e-commerce

1. Electronic store

Electronic shop- a specialized website through which you can interactively buy or sell goods and services, having previously familiarized yourself with information about these goods (services).

Unlike traditional stores, an electronic store can offer a wider range of goods and services; provide consumers full information about the properties of goods.

Through the use of modern computer technologies, sales personalization is developing, i.e. individual approach to each customer, taking into account previous experience of working with him.

Electronic stores are closest to our everyday life and therefore attract attention first. In addition, their presence creates a number of advantages for both the store owner and the buyer.

The electronic store allows the owner:

• create an electronic catalog of goods or services offered to the market, which is constantly available on the Internet;
• organize a 24-hour sales channel;
• independently manage the operation of the store, promptly updating information about the goods and services offered;
• automate the order receiving system (e-mail messages about order transactions are sent to the buyer automatically);"
• ?maintain a multi-currency extract of documents (dollars - rubles), using the internal exchange rate of conversion;
• set the mode automatic detection buyer categories (wholesale, retail, etc.);
• organize work in the business-to-business system to service remote branches and business partners;
• provide feedback(surveys, questionnaires, sweepstakes, mailings, etc.) for marketing research on the market and creating a customer database;
• carry out an analysis of the store’s operation based on statistics automatically generated during the store’s operation;
• receive effective advertising support for your business;
• connect one or more online payment systems for immediate payments;
• organize a delivery service for goods to the buyer;
• connect an online guide (the ability to communicate with the buyer in real time);
• connect the news system on the website;
• create an e-mail newsletter informing customers about new products that have appeared in the store;
• integrate the store with office systems, such as warehouse and accounting, to automate the process of transferring information to the electronic store databases.
• The electronic store allows the buyer:
• select a product from the catalog and order it online using the Web interface;
• complete a purchase and sale transaction at any convenient time;
• make a payment using one of the available this moment ways;
• receive confirmation of your placed order by e-mail;
• Constantly monitor the current status of the placed order online or by e-mail.

Electronic storefront- a specialized website containing detailed information about the goods offered for sale and offering to place an order, which is then sent to the regular office by email.

Automated storeis a Web site that not only provides information about products, but also automatically interacts with databases.

Trading Internet System (TIS)- the most complex full-fledged system for organizing trade via the Internet, it is directly related to the internal automated trading system commercial organization. This is very important, because when organizing an electronic store, problems always arise in linking electronic business with traditional business.

Depending on the method of creating an electronic store, the following options are distinguished:

· rent of a ready-made store;

· purchasing a "boxed" software;

· custom development;

· independent development project.

2. Electronic auction

One of the unique features of the Internet is the connection of people from a wide variety of geographic regions around narrow interests. Such user groups are designed to serve electronic auctions.

At each electronic auction there is a person conducting the auction (auctioneer), a seller, and a buyer. To carry it out, a legal framework, objects of trade, and the interest of counterparties in participating are necessary. Only registered users can participate in auctions both as buyers and sellers. Participants are guaranteed that confidential information is provided only by the counterparty to the transaction (after completion of trading). After registration, participants receive a password by email. Bidding on positions in the electronic auction is underway limited time, which is determined by the seller. The auction closing time is indicated in the product description.

Taking into account the proposed objects, auctions are distinguished that sell:

• consumer goods;
• goods and services with a limited period of sale or previously produced goods with a specific period of sale;
• goods of limited demand, such as fine art, collectibles.
• Taking into account the economic effect of participation in the auction, we can distinguish:
• auction as an effective coordinated mechanism in conditions of limited resources;
• auctions as a social mechanism for setting prices;
• auction as an effective unifying mechanism;
• auction as an effective distribution mechanism.
• 3. Corporate portals
• Portals are one of the latest forms of e-commerce, emerging in 1998.
• A portal can be defined as a Web site intended for a specific audience (customers and employees of a commercial organization), which provides:
• Union information content and delivery of information important to a given audience;
• collaboration and collective services;
• access to services and applications for selected audiences, provided on the basis of strict personalization.

At its core, the portal analyzes, processes and delivers information and provides access to various services based on user personalization using any device connected to the Internet.

By 2001 it was formed next classification portals by purpose:

?mega portals(horizontal, public) - are original Internet portals that address the entire Internet community, and not a specific group with a specific interest, for example Rambler, Yahoo, Lycos;

?vertical portals (vortals)- serve highly specialized communities (groups) or markets (for example, the car market, travel agencies, products only for women). Vertical portals are also sometimes called sub-portals. They exist for almost any audience that has a niche on the Internet, and any such market has more than one vertical portal. The number of vertical portals is growing rapidly;

?business-to-business portals- are created in order to so that businesses can interact with each other or complete their joint business operations. Such portals provide customers with a variety of e-business mechanisms (for example, supplier selection, procurement and auctions).

?corporate portals- are formed for target audience limited to large enterprises and corporations.

4. Electronic trading platforms

Increasing volumes of commerce in the business-to-business system lead to the emergence of electronic trading platforms, representing a virtual market space for conducting e-commerce in the field of transactions and sales, providing information about goods, services, as well as supporting communications between sellers and buyers

Electronic trading platforms are a much more complex type of intermediary, since in addition to the information exchange itself, they provide the opportunity to carry out purchase and sale transactions and provide participants with guarantees for the implementation of such transactions.

The economic basis for the functioning of electronic trading platforms is the fee for each transaction (transaction), the so-called. commission fee. Depending on the volume of the transaction and industry affiliation, the amount of commission charged fees range from 1% to 10% of the transaction amount. Transaction fees are the primary source of income for many commercial organizations. Transaction revenue models can be organized different ways, such as charging a certain percentage or fixed amount per transaction, usually based on a purchase order or invoice. In addition, either the seller or the buyer can pay a commission on the transaction.

Electronic trading platforms also perform such functions as:

Software sales;

• professional services;
• advertising placement;
• organization of subscription.
• Many online marketplace solution providers provide access to the valuable information they hold through a subscription. For example, for a monthly fee they allow customers to obtain information they are interested in about computer products and their distributors.
• The emergence of certain types of trading platforms depends on the degree of influence of buyers and sellers in a given area of ​​industry; taking this into account, three types of electronic trading platforms are distinguished:
• platforms created by buyers (buyer-driven type).Large commercial organizations can create their own trading platform to attract many suppliers;
• platforms created by sellers (supplier-driven type).Along with large buyers, large sellers also play an active role in the formation of trading platforms;
• trading platforms created by a third party (such as third-party-driven)(technology companies, associations, banks, information agents, chambers of commerce or other market entities), which is designed to bring together buyers and sellers.
• The following trading platforms are distinguished by type of management:
• independent trading marketplace -a portal as a network community of market participants managed, as a rule, by a purely virtual independent operator that does not have “physical divisions”;
• private marketplace,created, managed and controlled by one large “physical” commercial organization (corporation);
• industry sponsored marketplace,owned by specially created industry consortia. This form of interaction between customers and suppliers is typical for industries that differ high degree concentrations, such as automotive, petrochemical, defense.

Each of the above types of trading platforms has certain functionality, which varies depending on the type of platform.

Taking into account the specialization of the participants’ activities, the following types of sites are distinguished:

? vertical trading platforms,uniting commercial organizations (enterprises) within the boundaries of a selected industry or suppliers and dealers of one enterprise;

? horizontal trading platforms (inter-industry),uniting, within the framework of a trading, settlement or auction system, groups of commercial organizations belonging to different industries, but solving similar problems: search and sale of raw materials, materials, new and unused equipment, free production capacity, capital, etc.;

? mixed,unifying characteristics of the first two.

Ideally, any platform should be neutral in relation to all players; they should be sure that they are working only in their own interests. At the same time, it is necessary for the platform to be liquid so that large volumes of trade pass through it.

There are four models for organizing trading platforms, including:

?online catalog (on-line catalog) - a model for organizing an electronic trading platform that allows, when searching for goods, to compare them according to several parameters at once, including price, delivery dates, warranties, service information, etc.;

?auction- a model for organizing a trading platform, the main difference of which from an online catalog is that the price is not fixed, but is set during trading;

?exchange- an electronic trading platform where the price is regulated by supply and demand, as a result of which it is subject to strong changes;

?community- electronic platforms this type is put together potential buyers and sellers based on common professional interest.

Analysts' forecasts regarding the future of virtual trading platforms are very contradictory.

Literature

e-shop business consumer

1.Abchuk, V.A. Commerce: textbook / V.A. Abchuk. - St. Petersburg: Publishing house Mikhailov V.A., 2000. - 475 p.

2.Automated information technologies in economics: textbook / V.V. Braga [etc.]; under general ed. G.A. Titorenko. - Moscow: UNITY, 2006. - 399 p.

.Varakuta, S.A. Product quality management: textbook. allowance / S.A. Varakuta. - Moscow: INFRA-M, 2001. - 207 p.

.Newspaper "Consumer". 2000-2007

.Magazine "Demand". 2000-2007

.Informatics: data, technology, marketing / ed. A.N. Romanova. - Moscow: Finance and Statistics, 1991. - 224 p.

.Information technologies: textbook / ed. V.A. Grabaurova. - Minsk: Modern School, 2006. - 432 p.

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E-commerce is a rapidly growing activity. What opportunities does it provide to entrepreneurs? What are its features and advantages? You will find the answers in this article.

What it is?

E-commerce is a new way of doing business that provides more profits, benefits and opportunities. There are no or few intermediaries between the manufacturer and the end consumer. A visitor goes to the site, selects the product he likes and orders it. Then he receives it delivered to his home. This is convenient for both the client and the entrepreneur.

Why is e-commerce a significant cost reduction?

With this type of business activity, existing costs can be significantly reduced. In particular, the number of intermediaries is reduced, each of whom wants to get their share. As a result, the final cost of the product is significantly reduced. This means that an entrepreneur can use this to gain profit. One option is that you can significantly reduce the price of your product, thereby attracting more customers. Another option is to reduce the price a little and use the remaining difference to develop the business. For example, to carry out developments or introduce new technologies into production.

Why is e-commerce profitable?

It is much easier for the buyer to go to the website and view all the information he is interested in in a relaxed atmosphere. It saves time because... he doesn't have to get to the store. It saves money because... the price in an online store may be significantly lower. No one is rushing him, the buyer can calmly make a choice. This is also beneficial for the entrepreneur. After all, he does not need to rent premises, set up a store, or pay for utilities. There is also usually no need to hire salespeople. In some cases, you can use the services of an online consultant. But neither security nor payment for warehouses and other costs is required. Products are delivered directly from the manufacturer to the buyer, bypassing many intermediaries.

Where can e-commerce be used?

In a variety of types of business. For example, if you are not the manufacturer of any product, you can act as an intermediary. You enter into an agreement with a company that produces any product necessary for consumers. Next, you create an online store in which you provide comprehensive information about the products and organize the acceptance of orders. You also need to think about payment methods and delivery of goods. The most reliable method of accepting payments is the billing system (Master Card and Visa Classic). However, to use such a calculation, a number of conditions must be met, which is not always possible. A method that many customers like is payment upon receipt of the goods. You can also use electronic payment systems (WebMoney, Ya.Money, etc.). A lot depends on what product you are selling. After all, the product does not have to be physical. Nowadays information is very valuable. E-commerce is an opportunity to sell various courses, trainings, and other materials.