this website has some pretty nifty resources, like, it lets you know you need a computer and internet access to run an e-business... anyway ill be adding my notes from it here:
Understanding
What is e-business?
Broadly speaking, using the internet to do business
The difference between e-business and e-commerce
The term e-commerce has a narrower meaning than e-business. It refers to using the Internet to order and pay for products or services. So e-commerce is a sub-set of e-business.
E-commerce happens when a consumer orders a product from a business and pays for it either when they receive the product or directly online at the time of ordering. It happens when a business pays another business via its website for supplies.
E-commerce refers specifically to the paying for goods and services, whereas e-business covers the full range of business activities that can happen or be assisted via email or the Web.
What are the Benefits?
Create cost-savings and operational efficiencies
Some businesses make a great deal of money from their websites through greatly increased sales and uptake of services. Many more benefit from the ability of an e-business plan, properly thought out and implemented, to minimise day-to-day costs and save staff time.
Many companies still rely on purchasing and back-office systems that revolve around the fax machine, telephone, or even handwritten forms. Companies that have adopted e-business are reaping the advantages that come from replacing manual processes with automated, digital systems that provide fast, accurate, customer-centric experiences. This can lead to a range of efficiencies such as getting paid faster.
Create additional revenue
Some company’s website will not generate income directly; rather it supports their offline activities and contributes to meeting business goals and financial targets. Others reap considerable additional revenue from their website via selling information, products or services online.
Reach more customers and markets
One of the great benefits of the Web is that it can help broaden your customer base at a relatively low cost. As more and more people get access to the Internet and become confident Web users, the potential to expand customer-bases will increase proportionally.
Improve marketing and promotions
A website provides some unique promotional potential because:
- it is visible to potential customers and suppliers 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- it does not know about borders and oceans so it is visible to potential customers wherever they are in the world
- a great deal more information can be provided on a website than on a brochure
- products can be illustrated from multiple angles and animations can be used, allowing the user to turn an image of the product around, up and down, giving a better understanding of its advantages
- it is very easy to collate and analyse information about those visiting and buying from the site and equally easy to change the promotional aspects to maximise their impact on sales.
Meet the needs and expectations of customers and suppliers
Customers, suppliers and interested parties are less and less satisfied with being restricted to the traditional opening hours of business and will not be impressed if they cannot do such things as order items, book tickets or discover information for themselves in the comfort of their own homes and offices when it suits them.
Concentrate on the things that matter
Using the Internet for your business can reduce the time staff spend doing administrative tasks, freeing them up to concentrate on the things that really matter - servicing customers and increasing sales.
Make it easier for people to do business with you
Your website and email address form another shop-front, helpdesk, outlet, channel, advertisement and contact point, through which you make your information, products and services available twenty four hours a day, seven days a week to the whole world
The cost of not being there
Cost of not having a website online, of not being able to be found by your customers
- Loss of customers to competitors who do have a good website and email contact with customers
- Loss of potential revenue from online sales or uptake of services
- Mounting costs associated with existing inefficient office practices that an effective e-business plan could minimise
- Mounting costs associated with existing inefficient supply-chain management
- Loss of credibility as an innovative, forward-thinking business.
Play on a level playing field
the Web is a great leveller because there is no main shopping street or business address or hierarchy of web addresses on the Internet. Website front doors are all on the same street and are the same size on the Web. This levelling effect can help neutralise any prejudices potential customers, clients or suppliers might have about the size of the company they prefer to deal with.
Help meet business goals
The Internet can be used to help businesses research their business plans and as a tool for achieving the aims of the plan. The Web provides a relatively cheap means of investigating competitors, testing out the market, entering new markets and seeking new strategic partners. A company's website can contribute to achieving increased sales and can be used to improve the management of relations with customers.
Trusting the Internet
The internet can be a bad place, there are viruses and hackers that might attempt to steal information from you or your customers, but it also offers a great platform for getting your company out there. By setting up the appropriate security you can trust that your customers and your information should be safe.
Getting Started
In order to get started using e-business you will need:
- a computer that can connect to the Internet reliably and at an acceptable speed
- software on the computer that allows you to send email, browse the Web for websites and protects your computer
- an email account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP)
- training in using the equipment and software efficiently.
