In the early 90s, the development of the Internet grew rapidly with an enormous speed. Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce) must be seen as a part of the economical process of the Internet-area. It’s the first step of direct communication between users through the Internet. Before this, web sides were only created for presentations of companies or other publishing activities.
Today, the two parts “Business-to-Business” (B2B) and “Business-to-Consumer” (B2C) are the leading-markets of E-Commerce. B2B is the trading between companies on a direct way or through developed E-platforms. This E-market will be future’s fastest growing sector.
The author Steffen Wittenauer gives a very good overview in this part of the early internet-history and takes the reader step by step to future themes of a communication-medium which is used by billions of people.
Table of Contents
1. E-Commerce as part of the E-Business-Process
2. Economical E-Commerce-Laws
3. Consumer-Trends
4. E-Marketing
5. E-Commerce-Solutions
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the evolution, marketing strategies, and emerging technological trends within the E-Commerce sector, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of how digital platforms have transformed traditional business and consumer interactions. It addresses the challenges of customer retention, the logistics of the "last mile," and the necessity for personalized user experiences in an increasingly digital marketplace.
- The historical development and technical maturation of E-Commerce.
- Economic frameworks and laws governing digital business growth.
- Evolving consumer demographics and behavioral patterns.
- Advanced marketing strategies, including personalization and relationship marketing.
- Innovative technological solutions to optimize logistics and customer service.
Excerpt from the Book
E-Marketing
For E-Commerce sides, the first aim is to receive a high number of visitors. It is achieved by online advertisements like banners, pop-ups, searchengine links or newsletters. But to get one new costumer, the companies have often to spend more than 40 US $. After the first trade, it’s very difficult to hold the costumer and to get him to do a second shopping. To handle this problem, new marketing concepts were developed: the “one-to-one marketing” and the “personalization concept”.
In this concept, the costumer is seen as an individual person who wants to be served after his own wishes. The aim of the company is to sell articles as much as possible to one costumer (share of costumer); the contrast to this is the classical concept, which was based on selling articles as much as possible in the market (share of market), that means that companies tried to find buyers for existing articles.
To hold the costumers, the concept of personalization is very important. Leader in this sector was Amazon – they personalized their homepage therefore costumers got the feeling of individual service. When you reach the starting-page, you are welcomed by you name. After this, when the Amazon-Server has identified the person, a special offer side can be clicked. A data bank controls the last trades of the costumer, compares them with new articles and creates a personal offer. These special-offers reduce the quantity of information which appear on the surfer’s screen: now he can choose a product and perhaps search for other articles, but he always has to have an easy to survey screen. If there are too much different offers, the costumer leaves the side. The Only problem of the personalization is the need of information about each surfer: he has to show his identity, his hobbies and his wishes. So the surfer has to get a serious impression of the E-Commerce-side.
Summary of Chapters
E-Commerce as part of the E-Business-Process: This chapter outlines the rapid development of the Internet, the shift from basic web presence to commercial platforms, and the emergence of B2B and B2C markets.
Economical E-Commerce-Laws: This section presents fundamental economic laws and principles, such as Moore's Law and Coase's Theorem, to explain the rapid growth and structural changes in E-Business.
Consumer-Trends: This chapter analyzes the changing profile of Internet users, highlighting demographics and the increasing importance of daily Internet consumption for modern shoppers.
E-Marketing: This chapter focuses on strategies for visitor acquisition and customer retention, emphasizing the shift toward one-to-one marketing and personalization.
E-Commerce-Solutions: This chapter introduces innovative technical solutions, including virtual models in the fashion industry and automated logistics systems like the "tower24" to solve the last-mile delivery challenge.
Keywords
E-Commerce, E-Business, B2B, B2C, Internet development, Moore's Law, Personalization, One-to-one marketing, Relationship marketing, Consumer trends, Digital logistics, Tower24, Virtual catwalk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The paper explores the foundational development, marketing strategies, and economic underpinnings of the E-Commerce industry.
What are the core thematic fields covered?
Key themes include the evolution of the Internet, economic laws affecting digital growth, changing consumer demographics, advanced personalization marketing, and innovative logistics solutions.
What is the central research objective?
The work aims to explain how E-Commerce has evolved into a central economic process and how companies adapt their marketing and logistics to remain competitive in a digital environment.
Which scientific methodology is used?
The analysis is based on an evaluation of economic principles (such as Moore's Law), industry-specific inquiries, and an assessment of current technological and marketing trends.
What does the main body address?
The main body examines the history of E-Commerce, the economic drivers of the Internet, shifting consumer behaviors, personalized marketing tactics, and technical solutions for logistics and online retail.
Which keywords characterize this document?
Key concepts include B2B, B2C, Personalization, Relationship Marketing, and E-Business development.
How has the profile of a typical Internet user changed over time?
Originally characterized as male university students searching for information, users have become more diverse, with older demographics and women representing a significantly larger and more important market share.
What is the "tower24" logistics solution?
"tower24" is a proposed automated vending machine system designed to address high delivery costs on the "last mile" by allowing customers to collect parcels from a local, unattended kiosk.
- Quote paper
- Steffen Wittenauer (Author), 2002, E-Commerce: Development, E-Marketing and Trends, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/20416
