Answer to Question #158816 in C# for mohsin khan

Question

List down and describe several strategies for implementing e-commerce using the Web, including some of the decisions that need to be made, selecting the appropriate business model, the options available for accepting payments, and the process of designing and developing an effective Web site.

Answer 1

E-commerce business has become a common way of doing businesses around the world. It has become popular due to the capability to reach more customer base which enables businesses the geographical barrier to supply its goods.

Several ecommerce business platforms exist which traders can choose from. They include

i)                   Business to business(B2B)

ii)                 Business to consumer(B2C)

iii)               Consumer to business(C2B)

 Factors that affect the business model that one chooses depends on:

i)                   Target customers - Target customers can determine the model chosen. For example, if the business aim at acing as a wholesaler they may opt for a B2B model in order to sell to other business.

ii)                 Type of goods sold – Some goods such as general consumer goods usually adopt a B2C model. This is because the prospect customers are final consumers. On the other hand, if the type of good sold is usually products such as raw materials or unfinished goods, the platform is most likely to be a C2B the prospect buyers are businesses and companies that will be selling the products for processing.

 

Depending on the geographical coverage and the type of goods sold by an ecommerce store, the owners may choose various methods of accepting payments. They include:

a)     Cash on delivery- This method is most efficient with delivery of goods that are in a small geographical area e.g. a country. However, with the advancement in means of delivery and supply chain in ecommerce, delivery agents can deliver the product to a customer and the customer pays on confirmation of delivery of the product.

b)     Online payment-An ecommerce store can opt for using online payment gateways such as PayPal and Skrill when customers buy products from them.

c)     Mobile money- In some countries some mobile money transfer payments have developed and become common. An ecommerce store may choose to receive money via mobile payment where customers make payment using money from their phones on purchase. Such services include Mpesa service owned by Safaricom PLC in Kenya.

d)    Visa/MasterCard payment- Customers can pay via these cards from money in their bank accounts. This is one of the most popular means of payment in ecommerce.

Process of Designing and Developing an Effective Website

The ease of use of an ecommerce store, time taken to search, pay and checkout as well as the overall look of the website affects the customer experience. The process of designing an ecommerce website includes:

1)     Business strategy- For every business to succeed, there must be an elaborate plan on how the business will operate and its short term and long term goals.

2)     Choose a domain and platform – The domain is purchased where the site will be hosted. This will enable people to visit it via their web browsers. The platform that one develops the website is also an important step. Common ecommerce platforms include Opencart, Magneto etc. One should choose the platform that the developer is familiar with and also based on how the business aims to grow. This is because some platforms are better suited for big websites than others. Some companies however, opt for build from scratch strategy.

3)     Design your pricing and payments – Prices should be competitive as well as have multiple payments options in order to allow as many people to be able to pay with the mode of payment that is most appropriate to them.