Plain old "commerce" is, quite simply, the exchange or buying and selling of commodities, usually for money. While the E-Commerce sales channel has all the elements of the traditional commerce, E-Commerce applies only to the buying and selling of products, information, and services over the Internet and is a subset of E-Business.

E-Commerce allows people to create and use completely new business models. For example, with mail order there are high costs to print and mail catalogs, along with the high cost of staffing an order-taking department. In E-Commerce the catalog distribution cost and order taking costs fall to zero. Therefore, with E-Commerce it may be possible to offer products at a lower price or offer products that couldn't be offered before because of the change in cost dynamics. Let's explore some of the other lures of E-Commerce:

• Lower transaction costs - automated processes
• Integration into business cycle - offers customer more information than previous available
• Customers can shop in different ways - luxury of shopping "whenever and wherever"
• Larger catalogs - can build catalogs that would never fit into ordinary mailboxes
• Improved customer relations - automated tools allow richer interaction with customers at virtually no cost
• Higher levels of collaboration with partners
• Instant response to customer's needs and wants - new products can be brought to market more quickly

In addition, there is many opportunities to integrate other business functions and practices into E-Commerce, such as:

• Checking status of an order
• Gift sending
• Affiliate programs
• Special discounts
• Repeat buyer programs
• Seasonal or periodic sales

These are just a few of the elements of E-Commerce that our team will explore in developing strategies for you to do business on-line. We will provide the architecture for Internet success and guide your business to increased revenues, reduced costs, greater market share, enhanced customer services, and a distinct competitive edge. Contact us now so we can create an Internet Blueprint for your business.