eCommerce Solutions
eCommerce Overview
Statistics indicate that more than half of the homes in North America
are now equipped with at least one personal computer and virtually every
office has one or more. The consumers craving for convenience and choice
is rapidly winning out over their fears about online privacy and security.
Day by day online transactions are becoming safer and easier. By
shopping online consumers save from 15-25% or more on the price
they would pay for the same product in the classic store. Even with
shipping charges factored in, the savings are significant and the merchandise
often arrives at their door in as little as 2-3 days. Computer and
online shopping is perceived nowadays as tools to get things done conveniently
and quickly. More and more women are involved in online purchasing and
therefore the shaping of online commerce.
eCommerce Trends
The Shop.org, a trade association for etailers (electronic
retailers), estimates that shopping online this past Christmas holiday
season reached at least $ 9 billion US dollars. That represents a 300
% increase over the same period in 1998. The survey in November 1999
showed that eretail sales for Q3, 1999, were up 160% compared
to the same period a year earlier and etailors expect to
generate 30-40% of their total revenue for 1999 in Q4. These numbers
reflect a rapid growth in online shopping activity year after year.
More than 75 % of the ecommerce revenue for 1999 was generated
by the 15 or so largest online retailers, several of them online bookstores.
Many mail-order retailers have successfully made the move to online
retailing, especially clothing merchants and "outfitters".
The ActivMedia Research projects that online shopping will continue
to expand with projected revenue growth of more than 650 % over last
year. Most of the growth will come at the expense of traditional catalogue
and brick and mortar retailers.
Benefits
The most obvious benefit of online retail is "convenience". The consumer
can get an instant price quote and check specifications without running
around or spending hours on the phone. Among other features available
is an instant indication from the database of the availability of the
goods the consumers is interested in. Once the order is placed many
etailers email the online shopper a confirmation note
indicating which selected goods were picked and shipped, when the order
went out and its estimated delivery.
Transaction and Order Information Processing Security
Every time the online visitor uses a credit card to make an etransaction,
he or she automatically takes advantage of a whole list of electronic
processing safety features. It is safer to use a credit card online
than to send payment via cheque or money order.
The credit card companies like VISA, MASTERCARD or AMEX have been developing
and improving safe and secure systems for Internet transaction processing
for a long time now and the technology currently available for this
service has theirs and other financial institutions full backing.
The usage of a credit card for any online transaction results in a detailed
record keeping and centralized billing which makes tracking of online
transaction activities easy and systematic.
In case of a dispute over a transaction - e.g. charged twice for the
same purchase or wrong item, the purchaser just applies to the card
company for a credit.
If the merchandise was lost or damaged in transit, the customer may
be covered by the insurance plan of his credit card. Such plans usually
cover the goods purchased on the card for a period of several weeks
or months.
On-line
Shopping Tips
Despite the relative safety of etransactions, it is a good
idea to follow these guidelines when engaging into ecommerce:
- Use credit card - always.
- Get a money-back guarantee (Ask about shipping and restocking fees!)
- Get a factory-backed warranty (Details should be available online)
- Get a clear shipping and delivery date (Check the ability to cancel
the order)
- Accept no substitutes (Do not accept the shipment if different from
order)
- Get what you paid for
- Hold onto the product (Return it only after
the conflict or complaint was resolved)
On-line Help
The online better eBusiness Bureau:
ePurchases can go wrong sometimes. There are some organizations
that you can turn to for help. eComplaints.com is
a new Web site that mediates disputes in online environment. The system
is simple, open and public and therefore effective in getting results.
The eshoppers with a complaint visit the site www.ecomplaints.com
and fill out a short form. eComplaints then emails the complaint to the
party in question under its letterhead. Complaints are also posted on
their site without the personal information for the public to view and
the companies involved are invited to post replies. Complaining sides
can rate their satisfaction with the company responses. Complaint data
is then analysed, filed and compiled into a report for the company and
its competitors to view.
Contact Information
OttawaOnline.com, Agnitio Networks Inc.
Tel: (613) 742-5453
Fax: (613) 748-5772
Email: info@ottawaonline.com
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