Electronic Commerce : Introduction

Electronic commerce, or e-commerce, is the buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet. The large number of Internet users and the ability to present information simply and effectively on the world wide web have made e-commerce a boom industry.

Traditional companies are competing with new companies which only trade on the Internet to sell products. Companies which only trade on the Internet are known as e-businesses. Some e-commerce companies sell goods direct to the public whilst others sell products to other companies.

Selling goods over the Internet has benefits for both sellers and buyers. Sellers can gain cheap access to a worldwide marketplace and buyers can purchase a wide range of goods and services from their homes.

GCSE ICT Companion 04 - (C) P Meakin 2004