IT applications- E-Cards, E-Shopping, E-Commerce
E-Cards
An electronic card (e-card) is a special occasion, greeting or post card created and customized within a website and sent through the Internet to the recipient. Customizations may include a wide variety of backgrounds and text fonts including some as cursive writing, graphic images, cartoon-style animations (proprietary to Adobe), video and sometimes even music.
This term is also known as ecard, icard, i-card, digital postcard, cyber greeting card or digital greeting card.
Virtual cards were first started by Judith Donath at MIT Media Lab in 1994 and were created by the website called The Electronic Postcard.
Virtual card recipients are often sent an email with a link to a website where the card was created. Then the card may be viewed, played, copied, printed, etc. Such websites invariably include banner ads and others selling a variety of products. Some websites use virtual cards to market and draw attention to their other products and Services, which may be their main product or service. The recipient is offered the opportunity to send their own customized cards to friends, family, etc. using their desktop machines, mobile devices and phones.
Advantages of virtual cards include the ease of sending them to many recipients, being environmentally friendly compared to paper/hard copy cards and the versatile and highly customizable content.
E-Shopping
When you buy a product or a service over the internet, instead of going to a traditional brick-and-mortar store, it is called online shopping. Globally, an increasing number of people are buying over the Internet because it is more convenient.
Online Products
starting with groceries and greeting cards to cell phones and ringtones for the cell phones, everything can be purchased online. While most people still find it convenient to buy their groceries from the neighbourhood shop, many people are purchasing rail and air tickets over the Internet. In addition, people and corporates as well, are also purchasing a variety of services online — such as a broking service or job search service.
Brief History
Online shopping became popular during the Internet boom in 1999-2000. Amazon.com, the online bookstore founded by Jeff Bezos, created history by becoming the first bookstore with a presence only on the Internet. Following the success of Amazon, many bookstores with a physical presence also created an online presence on the Internet. Later, portals such as Yahoo.com and MSN.com also started online shopping channels where people could buy more than just books. Closer home, portals such as Indiatimes.com and Rediff.com came up with similar Options for the Indian consumer.
Advantages of shopping online
It is convenient, faster and sometimes also cheaper. For instance, rather than standing in a long queue and waiting for your turn to purchase a ticket, people are finding it simpler to log on to a website and buy it. In some instances, one may have to pay a premium for an online purchase but it is still preferred because the convenience factor is higher.
Payment
Although online players in India are coming up with innovative ways to make payments, credit cards are still the most widely accepted form of making payments over the Internet.
Security of payment
Security standards for online shopping are now well-established, so it is safe to pay online using your credit card. Your credit card details and other information are encrypted and sent over a secure layer over the Internet. Although no system is completely fraud-proof, the large number of people going online bears testimony to the acceptance and safety of online shopping.
Future scope
Now a days, with more advanced technologies many things are about to come. Cheap internet and Mobile with widely avilable services as well as incresing Mobile apps, giving huge boost to online shopping. With Digital India Scheme and technology development, online shopping has been spread very fast in India.
E Commerce
E-commerce is a transaction of buying or selling online. Electronic commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, Supply Chain Management, Internet Marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems.
Examples of Ecommerce
· Online Shopping
Buying and selling goods on the Internet is one of the most popular examples of ecommerce. Sellers create storefronts that are the online equivalents of retail outlets. Buyers browse and purchase products with mouse clicks. Though Amazon.com is not the pioneer of online shopping, it is arguably the most famous online shopping destination.
· Electronic Payments
When you are buying goods online, there needs to be a mechanism to pay online too. That is where payment processors and payment gateways come into the picture.
Electronic payments reduce the inefficiency associated with writing and mailing checks. It also does away with many of the safety issues that arise due to payment made in currency notes.
· Online Auctions
When you think online auction, you think eBay. Physical auctions predate online auctions, but the Internet made auctions accessible to a large number of buyers and sellers. Online auctions are an efficient mechanism for price discovery. Many buyers find the auction shopping mechanism much interesting than regular storefront shopping.
· Internet Banking
Today it is possible for you to perform the entire gamut of banking operations without visiting a physical bank branch. Interfacing of websites with bank accounts, and by extension credit cards, was the biggest driver of ecommerce.
· Online Ticketing
Air tickets, movie tickets, train tickets, play tickets, tickets to sporting events, and just about any kind of tickets can be booked online. Online ticketing does away with the need to queue up at ticket counters.
Types of Ecommerce
Ecommerce can be classified based on the type of participants in the transaction:
· Business to Business (B2B)
B2B ecommerce transactions are those where both the transacting parties are businesses, e.g., manufacturers, traders, retailers and the like.
· Business to Consumer (B2C)
When businesses sell electronically to end-consumers, it is called B2C ecommerce.
· Consumer to Consumer (C2C)
Some of the earliest transactions in the global economic system involved barter — a type of C2C transaction. But C2C transactions were virtually non-existent in recent times until the advent of ecommerce. Auction sites are a good example of C2C ecommerce.
Benefits of Ecommerce
The primary benefits of ecommerce revolve around the fact that it eliminates limitations of time and geographical distance. In the process, ecommerce usually streamlines operations and lowers costs.
Specialized Forms of Ecommerce
On some platforms, ecommerce has shown the promise of explosive Growth. Two such examples are:
· M Commerce
Mcommerce is short for “mobile commerce.” The rapid penetration of mobile devices with Internet access has opened new avenues of ecommerce for retailers.
· F Commerce
Fcommerce is short for “Facebook commerce.” The immense popularity of Facebook provides a captive audience to transact business.,
E-commerce is the buying and selling of goods or services over the Internet. It is a rapidly growing Industry, with global sales expected to reach \$4.8 trillion by 2021.
There are many different types of e-commerce platforms, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Some of the most popular e-commerce platforms include Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento.
E-commerce payment gateways allow businesses to accept payments from customers online. Some of the most popular e-commerce payment gateways include PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.Net.
E-commerce marketing is the process of promoting a business’s products or services online. There are many different e-commerce marketing strategies, including search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and Social Media marketing.
E-commerce Logistics is the process of storing, picking, packing, and shipping products to customers. There are many different e-commerce logistics solutions, including third-party logistics (3PL) providers and drop shipping.
E-commerce customer service is the process of providing support to customers before, during, and after a purchase. There are many different e-commerce customer service channels, including phone, email, live chat, and social media.
E-commerce analytics is the process of collecting and analyzing data about an e-commerce business. This data can be used to improve the business’s performance in areas such as sales, marketing, and customer service.
E-commerce security is the process of protecting an e-commerce business from fraud and other security threats. There are many different e-commerce security measures, including data encryption, two-factor authentication, and security audits.
E-commerce compliance is the process of ensuring that an e-commerce business complies with all applicable laws and regulations. This includes laws related to taxes, privacy, and Consumer protection.
E-commerce law is the body of law that governs e-commerce transactions. This law is constantly evolving as new technologies and business models emerge.
E-commerce ethics is the study of the moral principles that should guide e-commerce businesses. This includes issues such as privacy, data protection, and fair trade.
E-commerce sustainability is the practice of reducing the environmental impact of e-commerce. This includes measures such as using RENEWABLE ENERGY, reducing packaging waste, and offsetting carbon emissions.
E-commerce social responsibility is the practice of taking into account the social and environmental impact of e-commerce. This includes issues such as fair trade, labor rights, and environmental protection.
E-commerce Entrepreneurship is the process of starting and running an e-commerce business. This includes activities such as developing a business plan, raising capital, and marketing a product or service.
E-commerce innovation is the process of developing new products, services, and technologies that improve the e-commerce experience. This includes areas such as Artificial Intelligence, blockchain, and augmented reality.
E-commerce trends are the changes that are taking place in the e-commerce industry. Some of the most important e-commerce trends include the rise of mobile commerce, the growth of social commerce, and the increasing importance of data analytics.
The future of e-commerce is bright. The industry is expected to continue to grow rapidly, and new technologies will continue to emerge that will change the way we shop online. E-commerce businesses that are able to adapt to these changes will be well-positioned for success in the years to come.
What is a business model?
A business model is a conceptual tool that contains a set of Elements and their relationships and allows expressing the business logic of a specific firm. It is a description of the value a company offers to one or several segments of customers and of the architecture of the firm and its Network of partners for creating, marketing, and delivering this value and relationship capital, to generate profitable and sustainable revenue streams.
What are the different types of business models?
There are many different types of business models, but some of the most common include:
- Product-based business models sell physical or digital products to customers.
- Service-based business models sell services to customers.
- Subscription-based business models charge customers a recurring fee for access to a product or service.
- Freemium business models offer a basic version of a product or service for free, with additional features or functionality available for a fee.
- Advertising-based business models generate revenue by selling advertising space on their products or services.
- Affiliate marketing business models earn commissions by promoting other companies’ products or services.
- E-commerce business models sell products or services online.
- Marketplace business models connect buyers and sellers of goods or services.
- Peer-to-peer business models allow individuals to connect with each other to buy, sell, or trade goods or services.
- Social commerce business models use social media platforms to sell products or services.
- Mobile commerce business models sell products or services through mobile devices.
What are the benefits of having a business model?
A well-defined business model can help a company to:
- Understand its value proposition and how it creates value for its customers.
- Identify its target market and the needs of its customers.
- Develop a competitive advantage by differentiating itself from its competitors.
- Attract and retain customers by providing them with a valuable product or service.
- Generate revenue and profits.
- Grow its business by expanding into new markets or developing new products or services.
What are the challenges of implementing a business model?
Implementing a business model can be challenging, as it requires a company to make a number of strategic decisions, such as:
- What value proposition will the company offer to its customers?
- Who is the company’s target market?
- What are the company’s competitive advantages?
- How will the company generate revenue and profits?
- How will the company grow its business?
These decisions can be difficult to make, as they require a company to understand its industry, its customers, and its competitors. Additionally, implementing a business model can require a company to make significant changes to its operations, which can be disruptive and costly.
What are some examples of successful business models?
Some examples of successful business models include:
- Amazon’s business model is based on selling products and services online. Amazon has a wide selection of products, competitive prices, and fast delivery.
- Apple’s business model is based on selling high-quality, innovative products. Apple products are known for their design, functionality, and brand value.
- Google’s business model is based on advertising. Google provides free search and other online services, and generates revenue by selling advertising space on its platforms.
- Facebook’s business model is based on advertising. Facebook provides free social networking services, and generates revenue by selling advertising space on its platform.
- Uber’s business model is based on connecting riders with drivers. Uber provides a platform for riders to request rides from drivers, and charges a commission on each ride.
- Airbnb’s business model is based on connecting hosts with guests. Airbnb provides a platform for hosts to list their properties for rent, and charges a commission on each booking.
These are just a few examples of successful business models. There are many other successful business models, and the best business model for a particular company will depend on its unique circumstances.
Sure, here are some multiple choice questions about the topics of online shopping, online payment, and online security:
-
Which of the following is not a benefit of online shopping?
(A) Convenience
(B) A wider selection of products
(C) Lower prices
(D) The ability to try on clothes before you buy them -
Which of the following is the most common type of online payment?
(A) Credit card
(B) Debit card
(C) PayPal
(D) Amazon Pay -
Which of the following is the best way to protect your personal information when shopping online?
(A) Use a strong password and change it regularly
(B) Only shop on secure websites
(C) Keep your computer up to date with the latest security patches
(D) All of the above -
Which of the following is not a common type of online scam?
(A) Phishing
(B) Malware
(C) Identity theft
(D) Shipping fraud -
Which of the following is the best way to avoid online scams?
(A) Be careful about what information you share online
(B) Only shop on reputable websites
(C) Use a credit card with fraud protection
(D) All of the above -
Which of the following is not a common type of online fraud?
(A) Credit card fraud
(B) Debit card fraud
(C) Identity theft
(D) Shipping fraud -
Which of the following is the best way to protect yourself from online fraud?
(A) Be careful about what information you share online
(B) Only shop on reputable websites
(C) Use a credit card with fraud protection
(D) All of the above -
Which of the following is not a common type of online security risk?
(A) Malware
(B) Phishing
(C) Identity theft
(D) Shipping fraud -
Which of the following is the best way to protect yourself from online security risks?
(A) Keep your computer up to date with the latest security patches
(B) Use a strong password and change it regularly
(C) Be careful about what information you share online
(D) All of the above -
Which of the following is not a good practice for online security?
(A) Using a strong password
(B) Changing your password regularly
(C) Sharing your personal information online
(D) Keeping your computer up to date with the latest security patches