E-commerce: Your comprehensive guide to success in the world of digital commerce
Definition of the term e-commerce (Oracle Commerce)
E-commerce is an unconventional process of buying and selling goods and services that takes place over the Internet. Purchases and sales are carried out between the two parties via all multiple smart devices and from anywhere in the world.
Types of e-commerce
(Business-to-Business)
It takes place between companies and traditional wholesalers.
●Business-to-consumer B2C or
(Business to Consumers)
It is carried out by those wishing to purchase various products, including clothing, home appliances, electronic products, shoes, and many others. Companies are keen to constantly develop this type in line with customer aspirations to gain customer confidence and build a broad consumer base.
●E-commerce between consumers
This type is done through an intermediary or third party that guarantees both parties. This type is usually for exchanging collectibles, selling used items, or obtaining a service such as designs, graphics, article writing, and translation.
● Business-to-consumer C2B (Consumers to Business)
The consumer presents a presentation of his services and products to companies, such as designing logos or selling video clips.
●E-commerce between companies and administrations B2A or (Business to Administration)
These are transactions that take place between government departments and companies.
Such as providing services from companies to governments related to the implementation of a system, as well as providing tax returns and services related to social aspects, inquiring about foreign transactions, lists of goods allowed to be exported and imported, and many others.
●E-commerce between consumers and administration (C2A or Consumers to Administration)
This type includes all electronic transactions between government departments and consumers, such as paying school fees, paying bills, submitting tax returns for owners of small and medium enterprises, as well as the medical sector, and providing services.
Advantages of electronic commerce
There are many advantages of e-commerce. Although it is new, its continuous development, the abundance of products, and their availability around the clock have made it an important option in recent times. Perhaps the most prominent of these advantages are the following:
1- Perfectly suitable for a huge segment of customers
In light of the fast-paced conditions of life and adherence to the pattern of attendance and departure in companies, a person may not find an opportunity to go shopping, so he resorts to shopping and buying what he needs online. Not to mention the crowding during holidays and special occasions, e-commerce has become a good option for many. We must not forget that there is a significant segment of consumers who abhor the idea of dealing directly with employees in traditional stores. Hence, e-commerce has been a real pleasure in browsing all products without feeling uncomfortable due to the intrusion of employees in some traditional stores.
2- Available around the clock
E-commerce is not limited to a specific time, as customers can conclude deals around the clock without being bound by the closing policy, and thus merchandise owners can gain more customers at any time.
3- A good option for displaying products
Usually, shop owners are forced to spend huge sums of money to change decorations to suit modern updates and to invent attractive ways to display products. They may face multiple problems such as lack of space, but with e-commerce, shop owners are able to display thousands of products easily and conveniently.
4- Product prices are reasonable
If you make a quick comparison between the price of the product on the Internet and traditional stores, you will notice that the price of the same product increases in the latter, because traditional stores add a percentage of what you pay in terms of electricity, rent, and salaries of other workers to the price of the products.
5- Suitable as a source of income
It is possible for individuals to rely on e-commerce as a source of income without the need for huge capital, by acting as intermediaries between wholesalers and consumers. This saves them money on rent and hiring workers if they think about setting up a real store on the ground.
6- Ease of analyzing and benefiting from customer data
Many customers agree to share their email and some information about them when purchasing products, which makes it easier to benefit from that information, analyze it, and know the requirements and aspirations of consumers.
Disadvantages of electronic commerce
1- Sometimes the service is not available
E-commerce is subject to downtime when websites crash or the Internet is interrupted.
2- Products cannot be inspected
Unlike purchasing from traditional stores, where the customer tries the product.
There are persistent attempts to avoid this defect through augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies.
3- Slow arrival of products
Some customers assume that the product will arrive in record time, and they may become frustrated when the products arrive late, which is not the case in traditional stores where the consumer receives what he has purchased immediately.
4- Customer service is not available around the clock
Although deal making is available around the clock, responding to customers and their inquiries is at a specific time, which may sometimes irritate the consumer who may want to know how to operate or face a problem.
5- Exposure to fraud
This is something that cannot be overlooked, as there are some fake sites that the consumer may fall prey to, and the product may also be of lower quality than the pictures shown.
Finally, we talked in this article about everything that interests you about e-commerce, and you can deal with us at the Dopamine Store to conclude agreements in the world of e-commerce.
