一 电子商务的定义
电子商务是指在互联网、企业内部网和增值网上以电子交易方式进行交易活动和相关服务活动，是传统商业活动各环节的电子化、网路化。电子商务包括电子货币交换、供应链管理、电子交易市场、网路营销、在线事务处理、电子数据交换（EDI）、存货管理和自动数据收集系统。在此过程中，利用到的信息技术包括：互联网、外联网、电子邮件、资料库、电子目录和行动电话。
而广义上的电子商务—电子业务则是指对整个商业活动实现电子化，也就是指应用电脑与网路技术与现代信息化通信技术，按照一定标准，利用电子化工具（有时甚至指整个电子媒介领域，包括广播、电视、电话通讯等等）来实现包括电子商务(或电子交易)在内的商业交换和行政作业的商贸活动的全过程。

二 发展历史
在过去的30年间，电子商务的概念发生了很大的变化. 最初，电子商务意味著利用电子化的手段，将商业买卖活动简化，通常使用的技术包括电子数据交换（EDI）和电子货币转帐，这些技术均是在20世纪70年代末期开始应用。典型的应用是将采购订单和发票之类的商业文档通过电子数据的方式发送出去。 电子商务中的“电子”指的是采用的技术和系统，而“商务”指的是传统的商业模式。电子商务被定义为一整套通过网路支持商业活动的过程。在70年代和80年代，信息分析技术进入电子商务。80年代，随著信用卡、自动柜员机和电话银行的逐渐被接受和应用，这些也成为电子贸易的组成部分。进入90年代，企业资源计划（ERP）、数据挖掘和数据
仓库也成为电子商务的一个部分。
在“.COM”时代，电子商务增加了新的组成部分——“网路贸易”，客户在数据加密传输技术支持下，利用网上商店的虚拟购物车和信用卡等电子货币支付形式，通
过互联网完成商品和服务的采购。 如今，电子商务的涵盖十分广泛的商业行为，从电子银行到信息化的物流管理。电子商务的增长促进了支持系统的发展和进步， 包括后台支持系统、应用系统和中间件，例如宽频和光纤网路、供应链管理模块、原料规划模块、客户关系管理模块、存货控制模块和会计核算/企业财务模块。
当互联网在1994进入公众的视线时，很多记者和学者预测电子贸易将很快成为主要的商业应用模式。然而，安全协议（例如HTTPS）用了四年的时间才发展的足够成熟并获得大范围的应用。接下来，在1998年和2000年之间，大量的美国和西欧公司开发了许多不成熟的网站。
虽然大量的“纯电子商务”公司在2000年和2001年的“.COM”衰退期消失了，还是有很多传统的“水泥加砖块”的零售企业认识到这些“.COM”公司揭示了潜在的有价值的市场空间，开始将电子商务的功能增加到网站上。例如，在在线食品销售公司Webvan倒闭后，两家传统的连锁超级市场Albertsons和Safeway都开始了附属的电子商务功能，消费者可以直接在线订购食品。
三 电子商务的成功因素
技术和组织方面
在很多案例中，一个电子商务公司存活下来，不仅仅是基於自身的产品，而且还拥有一个有能力的管理团队、良好的售前服务、组织良好的商业结构、网路基础和一个安全的，设计良好的网站，这些因素包括：
足够的市场研究和分析。电子商务需要有可行的商业计划并遵守供需的基本原理。在电子商务领域的失败往往和其他商业领域的一样，缺乏对商业基本原则的领会。
一支出色的被信息技术策略武装起来的管理团队。一个公司的信息战略需要成为商业流程重组的一个部分。
为客户提供一个方便而且安全的方式进行交易。信用卡是最互联网上普遍的支付手段，大约90%的在线支付均使用信用卡的方式完成。在过去，加密的信用卡号码信息通过独立的第三方支付网关在顾客和商户之间传递，现在大部分小企业和个体企业还是如此。如今大部分规模稍大的公司直接在网站上通过与商业银行或是信用卡公司之间的协议处理信用卡交易。
提供高可靠性和安全性的交易。例如利用并行计算、硬体冗余、失败处理、信息加密和网路防火墙技术来达到这个需求。
提供360度视角的客户关系，即确保无论是公司的雇员、供应商还是伙伴均可以获得对客户完整和一致的视角，而不是被选择或者过滤得信息。因为，客户不会对在权威主义（老大哥）监视的感觉有好的评价。
构建一个商业模型。如果在2000年的教科书上有这麼一段，很多“.com”公司可能不会破产。
设计一个电子商务价值链，关注在数量有限的核心竞争力上，而不是一个一站购齐的解决方案。如果合适的编制程序，网路商店可以在专业或者通用的特性中获得其中一个。
运作最前沿或者尽可能的接近最前沿的技术，并且在紧紧跟随技术的变化。（但是需要记住，商业的基本规则和技术的基本规则有很大的区别，不要同样在商业模式上赶时髦）
建立一个足够敏感和敏捷的组织，及时应对在经济、社会和环境上发生的任何变化。
提供一个有足够吸引力的网站。有品味的使用颜色、图片、动画、照片、字体和足够的留白空间可以达到这一目标。
流畅的商业流程，可以通过流程再造和信息技术来获得。
提供能完全理解商品和服务的信息，不仅仅包括全部产品信息还有可靠的顾问建议和挑选建议。
自然，电子商务供应商行业需要履行普世的原则，例如保证提供的商品的质量和可用性、物流的可靠性，并且及时有效的处理客户的投诉。在网路环境下，有一个独一无二的特点，客户可以获得远多於传统的“砖块+水泥”地商业环境下关於商家
顾客为先
一个成功的电子商务机构必须提供一个既满意而又具意义的经验给顾客。都由各种顾客为先因素构成，包括以下:
提供额外的利益给顾客: 电子销售商如要做到这一点，可提供产品或其产品系列，以一个较低的价格吸引潜在的客户、如传统商贸一样.
提供优质服务: 提供一个互动及易於使用的购买经验及场所，亦如传统零售商一样， 都有助某程度上达至上述目标。为鼓励顾客再回来购买。可利用赠品或促销礼券、优惠及折扣等。 还可以互相连接其他相关网站和广告联盟等。
提供个人服务: 提供个人化的网站、购买建议、个人及特别优惠的方式，有助增加互动、人性化来代替传统的销售方式。
提供社区意识: 可以聊天室、讨论板以及一些忠诚顾客计划(亦称亲和力计划)都对提供社区意识有一定的帮助。
令顾客拥有全面性的体验: 提供电子个人化服务，根据顾客的喜好，提供个别服务，使顾客感受与别不同的体验，便可成为公司独特的卖点及品牌。
自助方式: 提供自助式服务网站、易用及无须协助的环境，都有一定的帮助。包括所有的产品资料，交叉推销信息、谘询产品补替、用品及配件选择等。
提供各种资讯: 如个人电子通讯录、网上购物等。透过丰富的比较资料及良好的搜索设备，提供信息和构件安全、健康的评论给顾客。可协助个人电子服务来确定更多潜在顾客。

一、The definition of e-commerce
E-commerce refers to the Internet, corporate Intranet and Internet value-added approach to electronic trading transactions and related services activities, is a traditional commercial activities of the various aspects of electronic, web-based. Including e-currency exchange e-commerce, supply chain management, electronic trading market, network marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management and automatic data collection systems. During this process, the use of information technology including: Internet, Extranet, e-mail, databases, electronic directories and mobile phones.
While the broad e-commerce - e-business refers to the entire e-business activities, but also refers to the application of computer and network technology and modern information and communication technology, according to certain standards, the use of electronic tools (and sometimes refers to the entire electronic the field of media, including radio, television, telephone communications, etc.) to achieve including e-commerce (or electronic transactions), including the exchange of business and administrative operations of the entire process of business activities.
二、The history of the development
In the past 30 years, the concept of e-commerce has changed. Initially, the e-commerce means that the use of electronic means to simplify the trading activities of commercial, technology used, including electronic data interchange (EDI) and electronic money transfer account, these technologies are in the 20th century the application of the late 70s. A typical application is to purchase orders and invoices, such as business documents through electronic data sent. E-commerce "e" refers to the use of the technology and systems, and "business" refers to the traditional business model. Is defined as a set of e-commerce through the Internet to support business activities. In the 70's and 80's, and information analysis techniques to enter the e-commerce. 80's, with credit cards, automatic teller machines and telephone banking has been the gradual acceptance and application, which has become an integral part of e-commerce. Into the 90's, enterprise resource planning (ERP), data mining and data
Storage has also become a part of e-commerce.
In ". COM" era of e-commerce has added a new component of the - "trade network", the customer data encryption transmission technology in support of the use of online virtual stores to car and credit card form of payment such as electronic currency, customs
Over the Internet to complete the procurement of goods and services. Today, e-commerce covers a very wide range of commercial activities, from electronic banking to information technology in logistics management. Growth of e-commerce support systems to promote development and progress, including the background support systems, applications and middleware, such as broadband and fiber-optic networks, supply chain management module, planning module of raw materials, customer relationship management module, inventory control modules and Accounting / Corporate Finance module.
When the Internet entered the public's attention in 1994, many journalists and scholars predict e-commerce will soon become a major mode of business applications. However, the security protocol (eg HTTPS) spent four years before the development of mature enough and a wide range of applications. Next, in 1998 and 2000, many of the United States and Western Europe, the company developed a number of immature site.
Although a large number of "pure e-commerce" companies in 2000 and 2001 ". COM" disappeared recession, there are still many traditional "cement bricks" retail enterprises to become aware of these ". COM" the company revealed the potential valuable market space, began to increase e-commerce website features. For example, in-line food distribution company after the closure of Webvan, two traditional supermarket chains Albertsons and Safeway have begun a subsidiary of e-commerce features, consumers can order products directly online.
三、E-commerce success factors
Technical and organizational
In many cases, an e-commerce companies survive, not only based on their own products, but also have the ability to have a management team, a good pre-sales services, well-organized business structure, network infrastructure and a safe, well-designed Web site, these factors include:
Adequate market research and analysis. E-commerce need to have a viable business plan and to comply with the basic principles of supply and demand. Failure in the field of e-commerce and other business areas are often the same, the lack of understanding of the basic principles of business.
A good strategy to be armed with information technology management team. Information on a company's strategic business processes need to be a part of the reorganization.
Provide customers with a convenient and safe transactions. Internet credit card is the most common means of payment, about 90% of online payments are completed using credit cards. In the past, credit card number encrypted information through independent third-party payment gateway in the transmission between customers and businesses, most small businesses and individual enterprises or so. Today, a little larger than the size of the companies most directly on the site with commercial banks or credit card company to deal with an agreement between the credit card transactions.
Provide high reliability and security of transactions. Such as the use of parallel computing, hardware redundancy, fail to deal with, and information encryption and firewall technology to meet this demand.
Provide 360-degree perspective of the customer relationship, that is, to ensure that both the company's employees, suppliers or partners can be a complete and consistent customer perspective, rather than by choice or filtering of information. Because customers will not be in authoritarianism (Big Brother) have a good sense of surveillance evaluation.
To build a business model. If in 2000 there is such a textbook, many ". Com" companies may not be bankrupt.
The design of an e-commerce value chain, concerned about the limited number of core competencies, rather than a one-stop-shop solution. If the establishment of appropriate procedures in the professional online store can be a common characteristic or get one of them.
The forefront of the operation or as much as possible close to the cutting-edge technology, and closely follow the changes in technology. (But need to keep in mind that the basic rules of business and technology of the basic rules of the difference between great and not on the same business model in fashion)
Sufficient to establish a sensitive and agile organization, timely response to the economic, social and environmental changes taking place in any.
Attractive enough to provide a web site. There are tastes of the use of color, pictures, animation, photos, fonts, and enough blank space to achieve this goal.
Flow of business processes through process reengineering and information technology to get.
Fully understand the provision of goods and services, not including all the product information are reliable and the selection of the recommendations of the consultant's recommendations.
Naturally, e-commerce industry suppliers to meet the principle of universal, for example, provided to ensure the quality and availability of goods, logistics, reliability, and timely and effective handling of customer complaints. In the network environment, there is a unique characteristics, customers have access to far more than the traditional "brick + cement" in a business environment on business
Customer
A successful e-commerce must provide a satisfactory and meaningful experience to customers. By a variety of customer factors, including the following:
Provide additional benefits to customers: e-vendors to do this, can provide the product or its product line to a lower price to attract potential customers, such as the same as the traditional business.
To provide quality service: to provide an interactive and easy-to-use experience and places of purchase, as well as traditional retailers, like to a certain extent, will help to achieve the above objective. In order to encourage customers to come back to buy. Can make use of gifts or promotional coupons, special offers and discounts. Can also be connected to other related websites and advertising alliances.
The provision of personal services: the web site to provide personalized purchase recommendations, personal and special concessions, to help increase interaction between the human to replace the traditional sales approach.
The provision of community awareness: You can chat rooms, discussion boards, as well as customer loyalty schemes (also known as affinity programs) to provide community awareness of some help.
Our customers have a comprehensive experience: the provision of electronic services to personal, according to customer preferences, to provide individual services so that customers feel unique experience and become the company's unique selling point and brand.
Self-help approach: to provide self-service Web site, ease of use and do not need the assistance of the environment, have some help. Including all product information, cross-sell information, consult the replacement products, supplies and accessories selection.
Provide a variety of information: such as personal electronic address book, online shopping. Through a wealth of comparative information and good search facilities, to provide information and component safety, health comments to customers. E-services can help individuals to identify more potential customers.