Online Services --> E-Commerce

E-Commerce

An E-Commerce is the buying and selling of goods and/or services via the Internet.  There is 'Business-to-Business' E-Commerce, 'Business-to-Customer' E-Commerce (and although it is not necessarily seen as an E-Commerce, 'Customer-to-Customer'). There are examples for each of these:

• Business-to-Business
• Are examples such as a business that sells poultry selling their stock to a department store
• Business-to-Customer
• Amazon
• Next (and most supermarkets and department stores)
• Customer-to-Customer
• EBay

Amazon

Amazon is a 'Business to Customer' E-Commerce site. It is a secure site that allows you to buy items; sell items; trade items etc.

Amazon have different applications that allow you to:

• View Items --> you can view items that you had recently seen and that the computer feels you may want to look at again.  It makes it a lot easier to find when they are all in the same place.
• Track Packages --> it also allows you to track packages that you have purchased on the site.  This allows you to make arrangements in advanced for someone to pick it up at home.
• Lists --> Amazon also has several applications that allow you to make lists. The lists consist of 'Wish', 'Gift' and 'Shopping' lists. In all of these lists you can add items that you either want to have for yourself (Wish), want to buy as gifts for other people (Gift) and have saved as lists for up-coming weeks.
• Your Account --> this is an application that allows you to change the settings of your account. Including e-mail; bank details; password; username; e-mail notifications; media library; magazine subscriptions.
• Reviews --> this is an application that allows you to look at all the reviews you have given for the things you have purchased and also the items you have purchased that you have not reviewed.

Amazon is very easy to set-up and below is a link that will take you step-by-step through how to set-up an account:

Advantages

1. Control --> have control over the items in you inventory.
2. Packing --> don't have to pack up all the goods. They get packed for you and sent to you.

Disadvantages

1. Bank Details --> when you have put your bank details into the site, anyone who can access your account will have that information; identity theft is the hardest type of theft to fight.

XtremeMac

XtremeMac is an example of a 'Business-to-Business' E-Commerce.  It allows people (customers) to purchase all kinds of Apple accessories, from docking stations; to portable docking stations and alarm clocks; chargers that charge more than one Apple product simultaneously.

It offers any kind of Apple product that will enhance or change the way in which you use your Apple product.  Making it more attractive; easier to use or able to use in everyday situations.

There are many products that XtremeMac have available for Apple merchandise.  Here are some of the products that are available:



This product is a "Dual" Alarm clock with
optional detachable speak



This product allows you to charge, play and awake
to your iPod/iPhone (depending on what you place)
on the dock.

This product gives your iPod individuality, it is
a silicon case which (in many cases) portrays the
personality of the owner.

This product charges 2 Apple products simultaneously.
It is compatible with an iPod, iPhone AND iPad



This product is also an Alarm Clock, however you are
able to set it in a way that it plays a certain group of
songs (playlist) when you want it to i.e. at any
time you feel appropriate, for instance when you
are waking up.




This product allows those who are quite active, for
instance runners etc. to listen to their iPods and iPhones
on the go without risking damage to the device. This
is because of the clasp that keeps the device secure.
















Advantages

1. Up-To-Date --> you are able to buy up-to-date Apple accessories at affordable and reasonable prices.
2. Access --> it is extremely easy to access the site. There is nothing complicated about the HTML and the website is very easy to understand.

Disadvantages

1. Details --> as with most E-Commerce sites, there is always a risk of personal details being stolen.
2. Access --> in order to receive the product, the customer must have a great deal of patience because the product has to get to them from America; which can quite a long period of time!
3. Quality --> although the picture may look very nice and therefore the product very well taken care of, because you cannot see it first-hand, there is a chance that it can arrive to you damaged (and seeing as it has been sent from overseas it may be very hard to return and get changed).