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Wednesday, 2 July 2014

Brief History of e-Commerce

A Brief History of e-Commerce

The term e-commerce generally refers to the ability to buy and sell products online. The e-commerce industry has rapidly evolved right along with the increase of internet users around the world. Here’s a brief look at how we came to the point where most retailers choose to sell products online.

Some of the first instances of electronic transactions occurred in the 1970s on internal business networks designed to streamline certain business processes, such as filling customer orders and sending invoices. Once electronic transactions were possible, it was only a matter of time before home computer users would be offered the opportunity to purchase items through the internet.

In the 1980s, CompuServe introduced Electronic Mail, which allowed individuals to purchase products online from 110 different businesses. With a few more developments in internet technology in the early 1990s, including better encryption companies processing credit cards online, the world was truly on its way to buying and selling on the internet.

Globally, eCommerce is a rapidly expanding industry. In China, eCommerce sales rose to $36.6 billion in 2009. Online purchasing per capita in the UK is higher than in the United States and projected to increase 10% by 2015. Some of the most well-known companies in the U.S., Amazon and eBay, are e-commerce sites.

With identity theft and the credit card black market always a concern, safeguarding data remains a high priority for the industry. While these issues can sometimes make business owners hesitant to expand into the virtual world, our solution for online retail is cost-effective, easy to use, and processes secure transactions. eCommerce and online retail sales in the U.S. alone are projected to reach $226 billion in 2012, which represents 12% growth from 2011. If you want to go beyond brick and mortar, today’s the day. More and more people are shopping online than every before, and this is a huge opportunity to grow your business in just a few easy steps.

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