Every day, humanity is increasingly beginning to use information technology. To do this, it uses the Internet. Today in this system, almost all organizations open their sites. Ordinary citizens do not stand aside. They start their own pages in various social networks.
The Internet is an open system with an extensive audience, allowing for completely new interactions between users. And there is nothing surprising in the fact that it began to be widely used for electronic business. This is a completely new level of not only market and economic, but also socio-cultural relations between organizations and people.
History of creation
E-business is an integration of legal entities and individuals who work in the field of electronic commerce. All of them are united in a network of entrepreneurship. Today, such a system is developing at the level of the entire world Internet.
What is e-commerce? Unlike e-business, this concept has a narrower meaning. It involves the use of the Internet as an information channel for the purpose of organizing business processes. In this case, there is no traditional money-commodity scheme. It is replaced by "information-information."
E-commerce is nothing more than online shopping. Moreover, this type of activity appeared back in those days when humanity was not familiar with the Internet. This happened in 1979, when the American Michael Aldrich decided to connect a computer and cable television into a single whole. To do this, he used landline telephone lines. This technology allowed users to order goods that were displayed on the screen. And only in 1990, Tim Behrens invented the first browser. After that, electronic business and electronic commerce began their rapid development. So, in 1992, Charles Stack opened the world's first online bookstore. In 1994, Amazon.com began its work, and in 1995 - E-bay.
The development of electronic commerce in Russia can be characterized by the following stages:
1.1991-1993 During this period, the Internet is a means of communication only between scientists, technical centers, computer specialists and government organizations.
2. 1994-1997 At this time, the population of the country is beginning to become actively interested in the capabilities of the worldwide network.
3. From 1998 to the present, with the help of the Internet, electronic business and electronic commerce are actively developing.
New opportunities
Enterprises that conduct their business along the traditional path are responsible for each stage of their activities. At the same time, they spend huge amounts of money on the development of goods and their production, the further delivery and sale of finished products. Logistical support of the entire implementation process also requires large financial resources.
But now there is electronic commerce. She began the gradual transformation of enterprises into a network of virtual organizations. Moreover, each of the members of this community has the opportunity to concentrate their activities in the most acceptable areas. This made it possible to deliver to consumers the most complete production solution.
After the emergence of electronic commerce, the business received new opportunities. With the help of this modern tool it has become possible:
- organization of video conferences;
- conducting online training;
- the development of new marketing models;
- creation of business information environment systems;
- obtaining a variety of information;
- implementation of financial interaction;
- the development of new relationships between companies based on electronic technologies;
- the opening of new cheap channels;
- strengthening cooperation;
- support for alternative ideas;
- the development of a new economy of production and purchase of goods.
The main tasks of trading on the Internet
Using e-commerce involves:
- Establishing preliminary contacts with potential suppliers, customers and customers via the Internet;
- exchange of documents created in electronic form, which are necessary for the implementation of sales transactions;
- the sale of goods or services;
- pre-sale advertising of products and after-sales support of the buyer in the form of detailed briefings on the purchased product;
- electronic payment for purchased goods using electronic money, transfers, credit cards and checks;
- delivery of products to the customer.
Business-to-business scheme
There are various types of e-commerce. Moreover, their classification implies a target group of consumers. One type of e-commerce is a business-to-business or B2B scheme. Such interaction is carried out according to a rather simple principle. It consists in the fact that one enterprise trades with another.
Despite the fact that today there are other types of e-commerce, B2B is the most actively developing area with the best prospects. Thanks to online platforms, the entire trading process becomes more efficient and transparent. At the same time, the representative of the customer company has the opportunity to carry out interactive control of the entire process of performing work, providing services or delivering goods. To do this, he uses the databases of the organization-seller.
One of the features of the “business-to-business” model is that in this case, conducting e-commerce is impossible without fully automated interaction of organizations for carrying out entrepreneurial activities. And this has a very favorable perspective. Conducting business in the B2B sector, the company simultaneously solves the problem of comprehensive automation of its internal management.
Trading floors for the business-to-business scheme
In e-commerce, there are special places where transactions are made and relevant financial transactions are carried out. This is the trading platform, which in this case is virtual. They can be created:
- by customers;
- sellers;
- a third party.
To date, there are three types of trading floors for the B2B model. This is a stock exchange, auction and catalog. Let's consider them in more detail.
Creating a directory promotes the use of the search capabilities that modern information systems possess. At the same time, the buyer has the right to compare and select the product at a price, delivery date, guarantee, etc. Catalogs are used in those industries where the most frequent are transactions for the sale of inexpensive goods, as well as where demand is predictable and prices are changed very rarely.
As for the auction, this model of the trading floor is characterized by unfixed prices. The final value of the goods is established in the bidding process. Auctions are applied when the goods or services sold are unique in their kind. It can be rare items or capital equipment, stocks, etc.
The third type of virtual trading platform - the exchange - is different in that the prices it offers are regulated by supply and demand, and therefore are subject to strong changes. Such a model is the best suited for the implementation of common items that have several easily standardized characteristics. The exchange is most attractive for those markets where prices and demand are volatile. In some cases, this model allows you to trade anonymously, which is sometimes important for maintaining competitiveness and constant prices.
Experts predict good prospects for e-commerce using this model. First of all, such sales are beneficial to customers. After all, trading takes place on a corporate commercial portal without the participation of intermediaries. In addition, a similar trading platform is characterized by the work of one seller with a large number of buyers.
Recently, new varieties of sales models have appeared in the B2B sector. These are catalog systems that combine several sellers. Electronic platforms combining the features of the exchange and auction also begin to work. Such e-commerce reduces the time and financial costs for selecting and searching for the best products, as well as for processing a transaction between a buyer and a seller.
The scheme "business consumer"
E-commerce, built on the principle of B2C, finds its application in the case when the customers of the enterprise are not legal entities, but individuals. This is usually a retail sale of goods. This method of making a commercial transaction is beneficial for the client. It makes it possible to significantly speed up and simplify the purchase of the necessary things for him. A person does not have to go shopping. It is enough for him to study the characteristics of the goods on the seller’s website, select the desired model and order a product that will be delivered to the declared address.
E-commerce on the Internet according to the "business-consumer" scheme is also beneficial for the supplier. He has the opportunity to quickly track demand, while spending minimal resources on staffing.
According to the B2C scheme, traditional online stores operate. Their activity is aimed at one or another target group of consumers. In 2010, the so-called social commerce appeared and began to develop. It covers the sales of services and goods on social networks.
One of the largest B2C-based businesses is Amazon.com, an American company. It is a retailer of books and has more than a million customers worldwide. Using the “business-consumer” scheme, the company equalized access to goods between customers of different countries. And it does not matter where the customer lives, in a large city or in a remote region.
Trading floors for the business-consumer scheme
In the B2C sector, goods are sold through:
- electronic stores and malls;
- Web showcases;
- specialized Internet systems;
- auctions.
Consider these trading floors in more detail. E-commerce by medium and small businesses is usually conducted through online stores. These virtual sites are nothing more than company sites. A more complex structure is the online series. They host several virtual stores at the same time.
E-commerce in Russia is often conducted through small Web-windows. These malls are usually owned by small businesses. The main elements of such sites are catalogs or price lists that describe the product or service itself, as well as a system for collecting orders from buyers.
Trading Internet systems (TIS) are used by large holdings, companies and corporations. Such virtual sites allow enterprises to increase the efficiency of the supply and sales services, as well as build the most rational supply chains to ensure the production process with raw materials, materials, equipment, etc.
Many e-commerce organizations use dedicated Web sites. Any seller can display their goods at the original price on them. Such websites are electronic auctions. Buyers interested in acquiring a product may indicate a higher price for it. As a result, the seller makes a deal with the organization that is willing to pay more.
The scheme "consumer-consumer"
The development of e-commerce has led to the emergence of C2C transactions. They are committed between consumers who are not entrepreneurs. Under this e-commerce scheme, sellers place their offers on special Internet sites, which are a cross between a regular flea market and newspaper ads. For example, in the USA such provider is ebay.com. This is a third party that allows consumers to conclude any transaction in real time. Moreover, they take place directly on the Internet and have the format of an electronic auction. The C2C model has gained great popularity today. At the same time, buyers are pleased with product prices that are lower than in stores.
Other schemes
What else can be electronic commerce? In addition to the most common schemes described above, there are several others. They are not very popular, but find their application in a number of specific cases. So, the use of electronic commerce has become possible with the interaction of both legal entities and individuals with government agencies. This applies to filling out questionnaires and collecting taxes, working with customs authorities, etc. Such forms of interaction became possible only with the development of Internet technologies.
A significant advantage of such an e-commerce scheme is the facilitation of the work of public servants and the release of payers from some paperwork.
Basic rules for entrepreneurs
The basics of e- commerce should be known to everyone who wants to have their own business, based on information technology. There are certain simple rules that should be a kind of multiplication table for any seller. Anyone who wants to become a winner in the competition must:
- create a convenient website optimized for search engines;
- turn your visitors into buyers;
- conduct marketing activities that will popularize the site on the Internet;
- analyze sales statistics.
Prospects for the Development of E-Commerce
Today, Russia has developed certain factors that have a significant impact on the development of EC. Among them:
- a large extent of the country's territory, requiring a reduction in the impact of the current restrictions on the sale of goods that are associated with the remoteness of market entities;
- the importance of increasing the integration process for the merger of Russian business with world information and economic processes;
- the problem of reducing trade costs, which would allow our products to become competitive in the world market;
- the need for more careful control over the sale of goods of enterprises and fiscal authorities;
- the importance of the dynamic development of the technological base of organizations with the introduction of the most modern means of computer science.
The development of EC in Russia is facilitated by the traditionally high level of higher education. In addition, the country's financial authorities have already developed the latest banking technologies, the use of which allows
remote banking
services to customers' operations. The security of electronic commerce in Russia is ensured by existing technical solutions. They involve the use of cryptographic protection of information provided by participants in virtual tenders.
But in our country there are some problems of electronic commerce. So, the process of developing virtual trade is significantly inhibited due to:
- low level of culture of new market relations for us;
- imperfections in the legislative framework;
- a high degree of monopolization of the economy;
- insufficient development of the infrastructure of commodity markets;
- imperfections in the system of credit and financial relations.