E-commerce
The definition of e-commerce is quite a broad one. E-commerce can be roughly defined as the conducting of business transactions and the sale of goods or services using the internet or other electronic means. This can include consumers buying goods through a website as well as businesses buying, selling and exchanging information through electronic means such as EDI (Electronic Data Interchange).
Start small
To most people, an e-commerce store would contain at least:
- A browse-able catalogue of products and services
- A shopping basket
- A secure payment system
However, e-commerce websites come in many forms. A website which contains a simple form that allows users to request a product could legitimately be termed e-commerce enabled. Other e-commerce enabled websites may contain many thousands of products, allow users to configure and purchase these products through a secure payment system and contain complex back-office administration systems which link in with off-line order processing and stock control systems.
The level of sophistication required from an e-commerce enabled website is different for every organisation and depends on a range of factors. When developing an e-commerce solution, it is important to look at your organisation's entire business process to determine how the solution will fit into this process and to what level of sophistication the system should be developed.
Security
One of the most important factors to consider when developing an e-commerce solution is the security of your user's data. This includes personal data as well as credit card information.
It is vitally important that when users are entering sensitive information into a web page, that this page is made secure. This is done by installing a secure certificate on your website. In effect, this certificate encrypts the information that is sent to your website by the user's computer. It is possible for people to intercept this data transfer so it is very important that it is secured.
Likewise, an email can also be intercepted so it is important that details such as credit card numbers are not sent via email.
Online Payment
There are several ways in which an e-commerce solution can take payment. Some systems allow users to pay be cheque or on an account but most will allow users to pay by credit card. There are a number of companies that will process credit card transactions on-line for you, often in a very seamless way. This method is appropriate for many solutions as it provides a good level of security without a high cost
To discuss how Foresite could help you develop an e-commerce solution, email info@fsite.com.
