Ecommerce solutions: how it all started and where do we go

During the generations humanity developed the means of trading. We can't imagine conducting marketing operations the way cave men did them and at the same time we will not do it alike in the 90's. So, concerning ecommerce, both prehistoric times and the last decades of the twentieth century seem great antiquity for us. It's quite difficult do define an item or a good we don't rummaging for hours in Internet before buy it. Can you recollect the times when you bought an airline ticket at the cash desk? Or found out the information about your favorite band gig in your town through poster advertisement? We are so used to on-line selling and buying that sometimes it's seems really interesting where it all has roots at.

By its definition e-commerce (or ecommerce) means buying and selling goods and services over Internet. It may seem surprising but the history of ecommerce started in far 60's. Primitive networks were used for electronic transactions consisting of business document share with another company's computer. In the 70's ecommerce ancestor, Terminal Interface Processor (TIP), was introduced for dialing into computerized military digital system (legendary ARPAnet) from an individual computer. But the real overturn took place in 1982, when ARPAnet was converted into Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol.

In the 80's research universities actively utilized this technology. Networks like BITNET and USENET were used for e-mails sending, taking part in newsgroup and listserv. The first vivid example of what we know as ecommerce was a service called the Electronic Mall within the framework CompuServe. The system allowed users to make purchases from 110 on-line merchants. But still, it was not a big break.

The way for ecommerce was ploughed in 1991 with the ban lifting on commercial operations over internet and introduction of the first browser called "WorldWideWeb".

The mid-90s became a break-through for the whole ecommerce system. Virtual and CyberCash became the first services providing on-line credit cards services. The company called Verisign worked to provide e-commerce services with proper security and encryption.

The possibilities of a human's will integrated with internet advantages are indeed boundless. Jeff Bezos was the first who got this and faced the challenges. Now he's a president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Amazon, Person of the Year named by Time magazine in 1999, one of America's Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report. In 1996 the first book soled on Amazon.com was boxed up - this became the first step to a great success of the most influential dot.com entrepreneur of here and now.

Wise marketing politics, when online business bubble burst and many dot.com companies failed helped Amazon become the leader on the market and boom its business through expansion its offers beyond books. The company currently offers CD's, DVD's, toys, jewelry, clothing, software, gadgets and many more%u2026
Amazon's marketing philosophy is intended to satisfy any customers' demand. This policy is vividly represented in the company name: offers from A to Z.
One of the most essential features made Amazon so popular is the reader review option. Authorized users possess the capability to compile reviews and publish it. The review can be ranked according to the rating scale from 1 to 5 stars, forming the top of the reviewers. This woos nearly 50 million customers from the U.S. monthly.

On January 15, 2009 Verdict Research submitted the data on a special survey revealing that Amazon is the most popular music and video retailer in the UK.

While Bezos was making a reality of his plans in the garage in Seattle, another e-marketing genius named Pierre Omidyar started his promising business with the sale of broken laser pointer -surprisingly, great start. The company that Omidyar founded called AuctionWeb. The company made a treaty with the Electronic Travel Auction Company to utilize SmartMarket Technology. Later on the company diversified into an independent company and eBay went public on 21 September, 1998.

In contrast to Amazon, eBay provides sellers with separate accounts, so there's no need to be a businessman to sell your useless stuff on-line when dealing with eBay. How did this scheme affect Pierre Omidyar and his partner Jeffrey Skoll? Just compare: in 1996 there were two full-time employees in the company that sold $7 million worth of goods. In 2007 there were 13,000 employees, $52.5 billion in auctions and 220 million authorized users. Pierre Omidyar was admitted to be the 120th richest person in the world according to Forbes magazine.

Both eBay and Amazon were the pioneers in practically unexplored world of electronic commerce. They ploughed a way through for those who possess inspiration and will to develop the means of consumers' needs satisfaction.

The total recession in these tough times can make anyone loose hope, so even the examples described above may not inspire. The fact is, that decrease in e-commerce retail sales by 0.4% is forecast. But don't be cast down, as any business is always "ups" and "downs", better times for ecommerce will inevitably come. Moreover, the research on future revenue streams from on-line stores is optimistic.

While consumer demand is being pent up during the crisis, consumer wants for future are being accumulated headily. The shift from spending in "physical" shops to on-line stores is expected to enlarge the number of on-line buyers. The most moneyed year is expected to be 2011, with average sales growth by 13%. Unfortunately, the further contraction in 2012 and 2013 is inevitable with 11% and 10% decline in sales accordingly. But, anyway an up-growth in retail online business at a 9% compound annual growth rate is foreseen.

Let's switch from the far future to the closest prospects. First, Internet will be searched in details for new markets. Fast-developing social networking looks ultimately irresistible outlets for goods and services future promotions. The most popular social network sites are predicted to become sources where one can buy or sell his offers. Who knows, maybe in the nearest future namely these sites, that have already accumulated millions of potential customers, will become main rivals of Amazon and eBay. Smaller social networkings will be forced to track larger audiences, which will extremely suitable for social network giants to "gulp" them. For example, Twitter represents extremely tempting advertising resource for Facebook.

As we can see, global ecommerce system development has come through several stages: from primitive "infancy", to the stage of coming into being and then to its triumph. I do believe that the times we're experiencing in presence will not turn into the decline of such a convenient thing as on-line marketing, but on the contrary, ecommerce will diversify to make our lives easier. The examples of people who took advantages from ecommerce challenges serve a great stimulation.