E-commerce

Unit 1

What is E-commerce ?

The word e-commerce or electronic commerce is

widely used nowadays but what is it all about?

What is E-commerce ?

Commerce means trade which simply means buying and selling. Electronic here refers to the use of the Internet.

What is E-commerce ?

So, a simple definition or E-commerce can be:The buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet and their payment.

• A computer or any computing device such as Smartphone, Tablet PC or Laptop.

What do you need to do E-commerce ?

• A Internet access

• Product delivery

The steps to do E-commerce

• Select the product

• Pay for the product

Let us see each step in more

details and learn together by:

1. First observe a picture.

2. Then try to guess how this

step is different from

traditional commerce.

3. Understand what we need

to do.

Selecting the product

Observe the picture

Selecting the product

Compare with traditional commerce

When you go to the

supermarket, you select

what you need from a shelf.

In e-commerce you select

from a variety of products

from a website.

Paying for the product

Observe the picture

Paying for the product

Compare with traditional commerce

At the supermarket, you pay

at the till.

When you buy online you

pay with a credit card

Delivery of the product

Observe the picture

Delivery of the product

Compare with traditional commerce

After shopping at the

supermarket, you take your

articles home.

After buying online, your

product is delivered by postal

services at your home.

• You can buy a variety of products from different countries.

• You Stay at home and do your shopping.

• Best prices are available.

• You can shop at any time and 24/7.

• No need to travel to the shop.

The benefits of E-commerce

The drawbacks of E-commerce

• Not everyone has an Internet connection.

• The product you receive is not the same.

• It may be difficult to return the product.

• You may wait for a long time before delivery.

• Risk of hacking and virus.

• You cannot try the product before buying.

Now, let us see

what you

remember.

Picture A

Picture B

Which picture

shows traditional

commerce?

Picture A

Can you name 3

benefits of

e-commerce

• You can buy a variety of products from different countries.

• You Stay at home and do your shopping.

• Best prices are available.

• You can shop at any time and 24/7.

• No need to travel to the shop.

The benefits of E-commerce

Read the following

statements carefully.

State whether they

are True or False.

You use notes and coins to do e-commerce

You use a credit card to pay for the things you buy online.

You need an Internet connection to do e-commerce.

You can use a computer or

any computing device

which is connected to the Internet

to do e-commerce.

A drawback of e-commerce is the possibility to shop any time.

This is a benefit of e-commerce.

• E-commerce is buying and selling online against a

payment.

• The steps to do E-commerce

• Select the product

• Pay for the product

• Product delivery

• What you need for e-commerce?

• A computer or any computing device such as Smartphone,

Tablet PC or Laptop.

• Access to Internet.

• You can buy a variety of products from different countries.

• You Stay at home and do your shopping.

• Best prices are available.

• You can shop at any time and 24/7.

• No need to travel to the shop.

Benefits of E-commerce

Drawbacks of E-commerce

• Not everyone has an Internet connection.

• The product you receive is not the same.

• It may be difficult to return the product.

• You may wait for a long time before delivery.

• Risk of hacking and virus.

• You cannot try the product before buying.

Exercise : Fill in the blanks by selecting the appropriate word from the list below.

(more, less, selling, stay, payment, possible, personal computer)

• 1. You can ___________ at home and shop online.

• 2. It is not __________ to try the product before buying it.

• 3. You can use a ___________ to do e-commerce.

• 4. E-commerce is the buying and ___________ of goods and services online against a ___________.

• 5. You normally pay ___________ when you buy online.

Answer :

(more, less, selling, stay, payment, possible, personal computer)

• 1. You can stay at home and shop online.

• 2. It is not possible to try the product before buying it.

• 3. You can use a personal computer to do e-commerce.

• 4. E-commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services online against a payment.

• 5. You normally pay less when you buy online.