E-commerce

The Internet has significantly changed many aspects in the field of commerce. In fact, it can be observed that such technological advancement has provided more opportunities when it comes to trade conducts than any point in history, including the Industrial Revolution. E-commerce, which pertains to the buying and selling of products and services with the aid of electronic techniques, has been widely facilitated over the Internet. For the past decades, e-commerce has grown significantly that virtually anybody can start his or her own businesses online. The opportunities offered by e-commerce are endless, but failures are also subjective. Hence, along with the opportunities found within e-commerce, there should be a proper understanding of the possible barriers in order to set means that could prevent failures.
Opportunities for Success in E-Commerce
    Since the development of e-commerce, incredible opportunities for success in this field has become apparent. To begin with, many producers of goods and services are given the ability to market their goods in a global scale of consumers, irrespective of the geographic locations of both their business and target markets with a lesser overhead costs. For the most part, e-commerce provides equal market access to all market players no matter how small or big their businesses can be. In this sense alone, every individual who has the capability to facilitate or take part in trade online has the opportunity to compete in the global marketplace regardless of business size and even with limited amount of money. What is only required to be successful in e-commerce is to establish a consumer base and a search engine-focused website that is backed up by a reliable host with an equally effective customer service strategy. It should be taken into account that websites are the best gateway for customers to get acquainted with the company the merchant is representing as well as the products and services that are being offered. Hence, creating a search engine that is directed toward the target market is the best route for success of an individual who is into e-commerce (Net Starter, 2010).
    Once a focused website is put in place, one could identify possible opportunities that could later on develop into a  successful business. Wide range of existing e-commerce models and opportunities are constantly evolving. However, the most common of these are those that focus on direct sales, the pre-sales, and post-sales support. Direct sales is perhaps the most common of the e-commerce models as the e-commerce landscape has been widely facilitated for a long time now in selling goods and services. Pre-sales is a successful e-commerce opportunity to use ones website for pre-sales activities that is, to exploit the Internet to generate sales leads through  brochurewares  or the online versions of promotional materials. Post-sales support is a model that uses the Internet to automate the process of customer support so as to reduce the number of customer calls that are routinely accepted in the customer service. By making ones site available to accommodate frequently asked questions, an individual can generate clients that are willing to do business partnerships (Brick Technology Limited, 2006). Hence, it is an opportunity to do business without the hassle of promoting products to individual persons. Whichever model that one tries to use, what is important is the ability to define set expectations from the business outset this way, one can ensure the success of the business.
Avoiding E-Commerce Failures
    Just like any other form of business, e-commerce is also subject to failure when not properly facilitated and monitored. Commonly, e-commerce fails due to its technical vulnerabilities     which may result in the loss of trust from consumers. As the Internet is far reaching and can be considered as an unsafe environment, there are many instances when trades conducted online are placed at risk. Alongside this is the failure to target the right consumer base, a disorganized site that is truly difficult to navigate, lack of pertinent  information concerning products and services, as well as information about purchasing policies and contact information (Maravilla, 2010).
    It is important to note that in order for e-commerce to be successful, it is necessary to have efficient technology and strong marketing strategies to achieve the goal of making it easier for consumers to purchase goods and services online. Considering that most e-commerce businesses are facilitated online, it is imperative for an individual who wishes to establish his or her business within the cyberspace to hold a market research to ensure that the business would have a strong consumer base. Conducting market research also allows e-commerce entrepreneurs to determine if the products and services they are offering address and satisfy the needs and preferences of their target consumers (Maravilla, 2010).
    In order to avoid failure, having a professional-looking website that would attract consumers and make them feel that they really have to buy the products and services being offered is also highly important for e-commerce. For those who facilitate the business, it is perhaps preferable to place oneself in the customers position to realize their needs. Of course, by doing that, it should then be realized that most consumers prefer a website that is organized and easy to navigate, and if the website is informational, it should be search engine-friendly, presents promotional deals, product and services descriptions, and other related items and includes policies concerning shippings, returns, check out procedures and the likes. By ensuring that these things are incorporated in the website, consumers will not have trouble navigating the system (Maravilla, 2010).
    Credit card payments are the usual form of transactions when it comes to e-commerce. As stated earlier, e-commerce is technically vulnerable which, if not properly attended, could produce damaging results for both parties. In this regard, a merchant should ensure that the security of the consumers is its primary concern. In order to do so, measures should be taken to enhance the trust of consumers by implementing a secure system of payment that guarantees the confidentiality of personal information and provides protection from violations against intellectual property rights. This way, merchants would be able to win the trust of the public and send out the message of their reliability (Net Starter, 2010).
Conclusion
    E-commerce offers the greatest opportunities for both big and small companies as well as common people to launch new businesses of their choice. The power of the web, along with strong marketing strategies, allows these companies to sell goods and services to millions of prospective consumers in virtually every part of the globe at a very low cost. As e-commerce has now emerged as the new trend of buying and selling products, it is thereby necessary for both consumers and producers to take precautions that would protect their interests in a good way. On the entrepreneurs end, to survive and become a long-term success in e-commerce, the ability to become aware of common mistakes and pitfalls that can possibly ruin best laid plans is the most important strategy that can be taken. As for the consumers, to become vigilant about the purchasable products online is perhaps the best defense that they can take in order to avoid becoming victims of fraudulent marketing activities.