Today, an evolution is occurring that will forever change the relationship between retailers and their customers. This new retail model, known as electronic commerce, consists of

– Mobile commerce supported by mobile devices and tablets

– Emerging social commerce platforms that bring together advertising, shopping and selling in a social media environment (s-commerce)

While the e-commerce piece of retail today is significant and a huge growth engine, the total impact of digital shopping on the retail enterprise today extends to the majority of retail sales. Around 60 percent of retail sales in the US are influenced by digital tools in some way. The influence works both ways. According to a November 2013 survey of US digital shoppers by consulting firm Accenture, 78 percent of respondents reported “webrooming”, or researching online before heading to a store to make purchase. The same Accenture study found that 72 percent of respondents found said “showroom” or digital shopping after seeing a product in a store”. Consumers then, have merged online and offline into a single shopping experience.

Digital shopping doesn’t always lead to an immediate conversion but it does translate to influence throughout the path to purchase.While this may seem like nominal growth, some major retailers have already experienced e-commerce revenues accounting for 14.3 percent of their total revenues as of the second quarter of 2014. The top 43 percent internet retailers in the US reported $24.53 billion in combined e-commerce transactions during the second quarter of 2014, a 19.2 percent increase over the same quarter in 2013.

Indian digital shoppers will spend Rs 54,700 crores buying products from other countries, and that is expected to rise by more than 75 percent in 2016, a report by payment firm Pay Pal said. “The Indian e-commerce space is experiencing an exciting time where innovation is the key. Our research reveals that the advent of technology is slowly diminishing borders form digital shopping. Within the number of digital shoppers set to grow exponentially, it will lead to increase in the number of shoppers who shop from global retailers with online presence, as per managing director of PayPal India.

The emerging trends show that young consumers have developed a strong taste for shopping online. It has also been seen that the primary source of traffic for online shopping and social media activity are young consumers in the age group of 13 to 25. As a result of this, the number of online shopping platforms has increased and expanded dramatically over the last few years.

As per a report out of about a total 10 million online shoppers in India, roughly million online shoppers in India, roughly 3.8 million shop across borders. The average cross border spend is also higher than domestic digital shopping spends. Average spend on cross border transactions by the estimated 3.8 million actions cross border shoppers was estimated to be about Rs 1.42 lakh per cross border shoppers in 2015. A Goldman Sachs report in May 2015, pegged the average transaction size of about Rs 1,800 for the Indian e-commerce industry. In the survey, 62 percent of those surveyed only shopped domestically, 36 percent shopped domestically and cross border while 2 percent shop only cross-border. That number would be higher, but for concerns about shipping and custom duties that would be levied on the products. Trouble returning products that proved defective or not as described also contributed to fewer people buying from foreign countries.And 53 percent of those who bought products in other countries, used the address of a family or a friend in another country.

In 2013, the number of active sellers participating in Amazon’s FBA program rose 65 percent: 73 percent of participants who were surveyed admitted their unit sales on Amazon increased 20 percent since joining the program.

Alibaba – China’s biggest e-commerce company that also held the largest initial public offering in history in 2014 – handled a total of $248 billion in transactions on its online sites during 2014, more than those of eBay and amazon combined. Airplay, Alibaba’s online payment platform, handled more than triple the amount of mobile payment processed by PayPal. Alibaba’s IPO and business operations stirred a great deal of interest among investors but delivered precious few details a bout how they intend to operate in the United States.

Part of their strategy, experts believe, is to reach an estimated 50 million people of Chinese descent living outside their country and to provide Chinese locals with access to the world’s best retail brands. These two factors, they say, are likely to expand Alibaba’s global influence and have a ripple effect across the world’s real estate markets.

Benefits of Digital Shopping

Shopping online is better for many reasons. You don’t have to go out to find what you want, you can avoid traffic, compare prices easily and get better discounts. However all this comes with risk of internet security. We are all familiar with phishing mails and the dangers of transacting on an unsecured site and using public computers or shared wi-fi connections.

Precaution to be taken

while doing digital shopping, people should be careful about the following:-

(a) Beware of devious discounts

You see a 40 percent discount sign and conclude you are getting a good deal. However, check the current market price of the product before clicking on the buy online button. Prices of products, especially electronics, fall within a few months of launch. Many websites, however, give discounts on the original maximum retail price.A simple solution is to compare the price on a site like http://www.junglee.com. Or, check out the price at your neighbourhood store. You may get a better deal there, especially if you go for an exchange offer. Also, find out about the site’s business model. Is it an e-retailer, where the site is the seller, or a trading platform such as http://www.ebay.in/ where the site is just a middleman? In the latter, the guarantee comes from the seller and not the website facilitating the transaction. Similarly, complaints will have to be resolved with the seller, not the site that lists the product.

(b) Check for Coupons

While websites themselves offer discounts and deals, you can end up with an even better deal if you follow certain coupon websites. Few websites list deals and offers across different websites, product categories, even specific products. pick a deal from here before making the payment to save more money.

(c) Avoid direct bank transfers: Pay through official payment service.

Cash on delivery and net banking are the safest ways to transact online.However, if these options are not available, go for a virtual credit card. It is an add-on ‘card’ issued on your primary credit card. All relevant details are available only online. It has a validity of a few months and you can set a credit limit of your choice. A lot of shopping websites are following the marketplace model- they are essentially a platform for sellers to list the products they are selling. The website itself doesn’t stock inventory, it monitors the order till it is delivered to you. A lot of sellers accept payments using credit cards, debit cards, e-wallets, cash on delivery, or direct transfers to their bank accounts. Each shopping website has its own payment service through which you can pay using cards and wallets. The websites can then track the order status and help with refunds, if needed. Strictly avoid direct bank transfers, unless you know the seller really well.

(d) Shoddy security and privacy policy

Many websites require you to register before placing an order or even viewing products. The web merchant might ask you to enter personal details such as name and address. This should act as a red alert. Such information can be used to send spam mails. Don’t answer questions that you think are unnecessary for processing the order. Moreover such sites require you to agree to certain terms and conditions. Read through these as you might be giving permission to share your details. E-merchants often share your information with affiliate companies. An easy way to avoid privacy issues is to shop from sites that are members of a ‘seal of approval’ programme that sets voluntary guidelines for privacy-related practices such as TRUSTe http://www.truste.org

(e) Clear your browsing history daily

Have you ever wondered how e-commerce sites show you previous searches when you visit later? Websites use cookies and other technology such as pixel tags and clear gift to capture information to track shopping habits. Some of these cookies are saved on your system and are used to send advertisement banners and mailers, both by the site and third party sites with which the information was shared. You can opt out of this by changing your browser settings to not accept cookies. However, this usually means a poor digital shopping experience as parts of the site inaccessible. The middle path is to clear your browsing history daily.

(f) Don’t forget to check the reliability of Seller

The ratings are good parameters to know the reliability of sellers as they are based on user feedback and how previous orders were executed. Any seller with a higher ranking will be a safer bet than one which has been flagged for wrong order delivery or poor quality products. For example, there may be five sellers on a particular web site selling a particular product. Always compare their ratings and go for the one which has a better past record.

(g) All about apps

Smartphone apps are a rage among shopping websites. Digital shopping sites have apps and some deals are available only through these apps. More so other players are also pushing apps. In essence, you can shop easily using your smart phone but always ensure that you running the latest version of the app. Keep looking for the update notifications whenever a new version is available-install these, because there may be critical security and usability updates.

Though the digital shopping has made the consumers life very easy but there are certain precautions to be taken before making a decision to purchase online. Now since we are completely in the digital world, the use of e-commerce can not be avoided. This is a simple time saving and cost effective way of shopping.

The basic definition of “turnkey” itself is rooted in visual imagery; just picture getting a key to a car, inserting the key, and having it start without any problems. If a person makes use of the term “Turnkey”, what it is they are likely mentioning is a thing which is made for instant using (this term is mostly used for the sale or when one offers the supply of services and/or goods). Common examples include a “turnkey” home which is completely built and ready to be lived in (having everything from the construction to the carpeting and cabinets being finished), or another being a “turnkey” business where 3rd parties contracted are used to set up certain locations or needed equipment (ie the rail lines or a train) and putting them into operation, after which they turn it over to the one who hired them.

Using that line of reasoning, the definition of a turnkey eCommerce site would be when a brand new eCommerce site is completely created by a hired entity who will then turn the finished website over to the owner. In order for a website to be able to claim to be a real turnkey eCommerce site, it must have, from when it is turned over to the owner, a usable backend (the administration site) allowing important changes and updates (ie products, pictures, text, categories, subcategories, etc) to show up on the front end (the site a customer sees). In essence, the owner must have total control of the site from the get go in order to be defined as a turnkey eCommerce site.

So, for example, say have get the idea for creating a eCommerce site that imitates a more famous eCommerce website such as Amazon.com (not stealing the site’s layout or format naturally!). In this case, you could locate a turnkey eCommerce company, tell them as to what your needs are (with some helpful examples), have them set up the site to your specifications, pay them, and receive the proverbial keys for your set up eCommerce site that can sell your own niche products. You can even have them help you to set up a url and a domain hosting service for a small fee (when it is not included) if you need it.

Being as the eCommerce field is a savagely competitive one, it probably isn’t smart if you go for an open or closed source do-it-yourself eCommerce website design, even if it is said to be simple to set up. Finding and hiring a capable maker of turnkey sites is the easiest and fastest way for those interested in getting into eCommerce.

Online selling is on the rise because of the changing shopping habits of today's consumers, those under 30 years old who were either entering into their teens or have just graduated from college when the Internet bloomed in the mid-90's.

This is the generation who spend most of their time reading and sending Twitpics, shout-outs, reposts or jejespeak on their FB, Flickr, tumblr, and Blogspot pages, in their desire to be visible and look cool on the Internet (now broadband and a powerful tool for business) that has become collaboration-friendly, thanks to Web 2.0 technologies.

Fast forward to a cool question. Do you want to join the world of Internet retailing as a pure player to earn extra income out of the Net Geners which disposable income will remain 'awesome' at least until 2020. Do I hear a resounding 'yes' out there? That means you're getting into a winning ambit.

Online retailing poses the largest opportunity for all Internet users to earn from the web. After all, you spend more than 4 hours before your computer screens doing any or all of these: researching, working, playing games, online chatting or instant messaging, Skyping.

Caveat: you will not immediately strike gold from your Internet selling but, initially it will give you an extra income and one that will grow in due course.

Consider this data from the March 2010 ITIF (Information Technology & Innovation Foundation) report.

For the last 10 years, among the world's top 10 Internet firms are those that have been successfully selling products and services like Amazon, eBay, Expedia, TD Ameritrade (into trading services), and of course Yahoo, Google and AOL, which collectively earned $ 58-B in 2006. Countries leading in e-commerce are UK, US, Sweden and Denmark.

E-commerce is growing in Asia too, where total B2C sales in Japan, China, Korea and India are expected to reach $ 115-B this year. At 52% (in Asia), Japan has the highest percentage of online buyers, followed by Korea at 45%. China, the world's second largest Internet population with its 210 million Internet users, is expected to see large growth in its online retail sales – $ 18 billion in 2010.

In other parts of Asia like the Philippines, about 90 percent of the 28-M Filipinos with access to the Internet visit social networking sites to chat, play games and promote business and civic events. Social media has become a ubiquitous tool in any business marketing campaign.

To cut your mark in online retailing:
number 1 – you must have products or services to sell
number 2 – study the basics like on-time deliveries and packaging (you do not want the merchandising getting squashed or broken)
number 3 – you must know how to use new media.

It is wise to focus first on a small range of products and know where to source reliable suppliers. Your products or services must be sellable like mobile phones, gadgets, fashion and accessories, souvenirs, homeware, health and wellness, appliances, travel reservation, insurance.

You can earn from your hobbies and interests like bead stringing, cross-stitching, photography, handicrafts, gardening, carpentry, used or antique items.

The Internet gives you the global marketplace, since there will be customers in Trinidad, Los Angeles, Glasgow, Shanghai, Puchong, Cebu who will like to have those items on your web store.

Here are basic tips on becoming a trusted online retailer in the net world.

Build your website. If you can not, ask friends and kinfolk who can. It's an integral part of running an online business. Or you can buy an e-commerce software that has a complete e-trading platform that integrates payment gateways and logistics system for local and international deliveries. This way, you do not have to worry about setting up payment and distribution intermediary services on your own. It's never too late to have your own website up and running and be one of the over 80 million dotcoms in the world. Going by their sheer numbers, you're in great company.

Get yourself discovered through social sites. Your FB friends and Twitter followers will be excellent starting points for engaging with consumers. You can advertise on popular social sites or you can create a Facebook fan page or a Multiply product page. Be innovative in your spiels (but do not overdo it) about the benefits of your products so that consumers can connect emotionally to them, notwithstanding your commercial agenda.

Attend trainings. Learning additional skills on creating compelling customer content, photo editing, viral videos, SEO, etc. will boost your confidence as a netpreneur and if you cleverly apply them, you're on your way to building a good customer base.

It's usually in the first year when it's all about deciding what to sell, where to source your products, and generating awareness for your online store. You need to keep your enthusiasm for your business and your customers so that in the succeeding years, you can get ahead and stay ahead.

Now this is looking beyond 2020, Net Geners and their progeny – because of their online behavior – put premium on time and convenience which online retailing meets 100% spot-on.

The Warm Mouse has many names, has many descriptive titles and is multi-functional. Yet, it is simply as it is called – a computer mouse with a warm effect to keep a computer user's mouse hand warm. The heated computer mouse does more than provide warm, infrared heat to a computer user's mouse hand. The infrared heated computer mouse is ergonomic. It's a healthy addition to a computer user's desktop.

Here's information about the evolution of the heated computer mouse. The ergonomic computer mouse called the Warming Mouse, Warm Computer Mouse, Heated Mouse, Heated Computer Mouse, Infrared Mouse, USB Warmer Mouse, Warmest Mouse, Warmer Mouse, etc., etc., etc. Whichever way you look at it, whatever name you call it, the warmer mouse, like any other innovative invention, has a story – an evolution of sorts.

Warm Mouse I

The Warm Mouse I is an ergonomic shaped computer mouse with a wide grip to provide a comfortable, standard mouse hand posture. This mouse was the first computer mouse designed with heat. The heated computer mouse uses a carbon fiber and generates infrared heat. Infrared heat is deep healing. It is a healthy, therapeutic source of relief for tired, aching mouse hand muscles and joints.

Infrared heat has been used for many centuries by Eastern cultures as a therapeutics source of healing. In the USA, infrared saunas are used for deep penetrating relief of aching muscles which in turn creates a detoxifying result for the blood. Through perspiration and urination, the body rifts itself of unwanted toxins as a result of a deep penetrating infrared sauna experience.

Around 2005-2006, infrared heated computer devices were introduced to the market through an invention and patent in China. The Warm Mouse I is the original heated mouse – the first design sold on the internet. In 2007, the patent was registered in China. The Warm Mouse I is currently sold online at select ecommerce sites throughout the world – USA, China, Japan, UK and others.

Warm Mouse II

The Warm Mouse II has a sleek profile and provides a deep healing infrared heat to the computer user's mouse hand. It is easy to hold, and it does not require a tight grip. The sleek profile enables the mouse to move easily across the mouse pad with a slight push of the mouse hand. The infrared heat is deep healing and a source of heat therapy for an over worked mouse hand. Just 20-30 minutes of infrared heat daily can produce positive results and improve blood circulation. Like all the warm computer mice, this design has an on / off switch on the cord and can be used with or without heat.

Some people call the Warm Mouse II the warmest mouse! It's sleek, small profile produces a very warm mousing experience. The heat is generated via the USB port on the computer and uses a low 5v carbon fiber heating element. When not in use, turn off the heat using the control on the cord or unplug the mouse from the computer.

The Warm Mouse II is sold throughout the world at select ecommerce sites in a variety of bright, shiny colors.

Warm Mouse III

The Warm Mouse III is the newest of the heated computer mouse designs. It has a large angled design making it very comfortable to use. The hand rests on top of the Warm Mouse III in a flat handshake style posture. This computer mouse forces the user to use new muscles lessening the usual strain from regular mouse hand repetition.

The top of the Warm Mouse III, heated computer mouse, is shaped like a large tear-drop oval. The bottom of the heated mouse is shaped like a kidney bean. The slick, new design gives mousing a whole new perspective. The hand rests on top of the smooth warm mouse and with effortless motion glides its way across the mouse pad.

The Warm Mouse III measures about 5 "x 2.25" in size. The hand lies flat on top of the heated mouse with a slight side post using the left grip for the thumb and the right grip for the fingers position. The Warm Mouse III design eliminates arm twisting because of its more natural hand position and improvements comfort.

Each of the warmer mouse designed computer mice has a 800 dpi scroll wheel and is plug and play. No additional software is needed to install the warmer mouse. All styles are optical computer mice with a convenient on / off switch or heat control dial on its long USB cord. They all use a 5v infrared heating element to produce healthy, deep healing, infrared heat. The heat level ranges from about 99 – 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and it's safe for computers and people.

The heated mouse was designed to produce a deep therapeutic massaging effect for the mouse hand. Massage therapists use infrared heat for treating muscle aches and pains. Now, computer users can use the same Infrared heat in the comfort of their home whenever they use the computer. Infrared heat soothes aching hand muscles, relaxes tension and reduces stress. The result is reduced hand pain and improved blood circulation. The healthy effects of infrared heated computer devices like the heated computer mouse is helpful for those who suffer with chronic cold hand problems: arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD), Raynaud's Phenomenon and other computer -related cold hand pain conditions.

“Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come”.

Victor Hugo

French Novelist and Poet

Victor was right. In the short ten years we’ve had access to the Internet; the world has changed dramatically.

Just contemplate these statistics for a moment:

– There are now approximately 934 million Internet users worldwide

– Projections from technology research company Forrester indicate that, by 2006, total online sales will increase to more than $560 billion dollars a year.

– In the last few years, China has grown to 99 million Internet users

– Online advertising spend has reached a record $9.4 billion in the US alone, with research firms expecting businesses will double their spending on web advertising by 2008.

Think about all the things you can do online that were impossible (or at least a little ‘sci-fi’) just ten years ago:

– Researching your favorite topics

– Booking plane trips

– Paying household bills

– Internet banking

– Getting in touch with long lost friends

– Buying or selling houses; and almost anything else you can think of

Just as the industrial revolution radically changed the way mass goods were produced, the Internet is now changing the way business operates at its core.

Small businesses that were once restricted to a small local market can now trade on a global scale. Selling goods and services to the world out of your garage is now a practical reality.

But the flip side to this amazing growth is that the competition for customer dollars is now fiercer than ever.

The web makes it easy to shop around for anything, so just ‘having a website’ is not enough. Whatever industry you’re in, your website needs to offer compelling benefits to your customers.

You need to stand out from the crowd.

Web surfers need an easy way to find you when using their favorite search engine.

Your website needs to save customers time, money or hassles (preferably all three). It needs to solve their problems or provide them better value than they can get from your competitors.

The bottom line is – your website needs to deliver real value.

Unfortunately, lack of quality traffic is the number one reason why many small business websites fail.

Most people would agree that getting your website up and running is relatively easy – the hard part is getting people to visit your website and take action.

This is called the ‘Billboard in a Desert’ problem.

As an example, imagine you’re building a five star restaurant:

– You spend a fortune fitting it out and buying the best equipment you can get your hands on.

– The food is fresh and prepared by the best chefs money can buy.

– All of your staff have been trained at the best hospitality schools in the world.

In short, you’re a perfectionist and no detail has been spared… except the location – it’s in the middle of the Sahara Desert.

Would it survive?

Of course it wouldn’t. Without prominent exposure and foot traffic you’d be dead in a week. The same goes for your website.

Real World Internet Marketing Strategies

Fortunately, there are several simple and cost-effective ways you can attract people to your website.

These include:

1. Search Engine Optimization

Major Search engines like Google, Yahoo! and MSN are the first place 85% of all web surfers visit to find information.

If your website is built to be search engine friendly, you can generate a great deal of free traffic to your site.

We’ve all heard the real-estate mantra of ‘location-location-location’.

Well, getting listed in search engines is exactly the same – it’s all about ‘position-position-position’.

Most web users don’t look past the first two pages of search results – so anything past this point is useless. To be truly effective, your website needs to be ranked within the top 30 results.

Search engine optimization (SEO) refers to a combination of strategies designed to make a website more appealing to search engines and therefore achieve a higher ranking.

In layman’s terms, search engine optimization (SEO) means getting your website found in search engines.

Please note that there is no magic wand to magically place you in the top results. If there were, everybody would be using it and it would lose its effectiveness overnight.

There are, however, proven guidelines that will dramatically increase your chances of getting a good ranking.

2. Pay-Per-Click Advertising

In addition to the regular search results, all major search engines sell advertising space called ‘sponsored links’.

This form of advertising is called ‘Pay-Per-Click’ and is the fastest way to attract targeted traffic to your website.

Pay-Per-Click advertising works by allowing you to bid on keywords that are relevant to your business.

For example, if you sell cell phone accessories, you might bid 20 cents for the keyword phrase ‘cell phone accessories’.

When a user searches for ‘cell phone accessories’ your ad will appear in the sponsored links area. By clicking on the ad they are taken directly to your website and you’re charged 20 cents for the click.

Pay-Per-Click advertising is extremely effective because it’s targeted.

Unlike a typical ‘shot-gun’ marketing approach, your ad is only displayed to the people who are actively searching for your products and services.

Search engine optimization focuses on improving your ranking in the natural results. Pay-Per-Click advertising focuses on the sponsored results area.

As indicated by the name, Pay-Per-Click advertising means you only pay when somebody clicks on your ad. This is a vital point that distinguishes PPC from other forms of Internet advertising.

Because of its highly targeted nature, PPC is fast becoming the most popular type of online promotion available to small businesses.

3. Free Traffic Sources

In conjunction with paid advertising, the Internet also offers numerous free sources of traffic.

These include:

– Writing helpful articles to promote yourself in industry-based websites.

– Publishing media releases to get free exposure.

– Establishing joint ventures with other businesses to promote your product and services to their database of customers.

– Funneling traffic from popular websites like eBay and online shopping directories.

4. Email Marketing

Did you know that most people spend more time reading their emails than they do surfing the web?

It’s true – email is the number one application on the Internet with over 500 million users worldwide.

According to Forrester Research, in 1999 email marketing revenue was $164 million; today, email marketing is more than a $5 billion a year industry.

When you take into account the negligible cost of producing and sending an email, compared with 25 cents to $3 for the postal equivalent, it’s easy to see why email marketing has grown so much in popularity.

Permission-based email marketing is used by over 80% of the world’s largest companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, Ford, Dell, HP and eBay.

According to a recent DoubleClick Consumer Email Study:

– Permission-based email is the most preferred method of communication from online merchants to consumers: 75% rated it as their first preference, with only 25% preferring postal mail and 0% choosing telemarketing.

– Over 78% of all online shoppers have made purchases online as a result of email marketing.

– 80% of all online shoppers say they want to receive email from their favorite online merchants.

Regardless of what industry you’re in, email is one of the most powerful mediums you can use to communicate with your customers.

By keeping in constant contact with your customers, you can substantially increase your sales and reduce your expenses.

While political uprisings all over the world are making headlines, another less visible revolution is also underway. This upheaval crosses national boarders and comes at the intersection of payments and e-commerce. The old regime was typified by a relatively small number of large merchants processing large numbers of in-country transactions. The “insurgency” is being driven by an increasingly large number of small merchants located all over the world. And the volume is increasing at a startling rate. Unfortunately, legacy payment infrastructures are not capable of efficiently managing the global aspects of these changing economies. With the help of Yuval Tal and his company, Payoneer, this is quickly changing.

This new world order is driven by industries including, mobile applications, freelance outsourcing, gaming and outlets like the iTunes&reg store. Comprised mostly of individuals and small teams, these smaller merchants and developers represent the “democratization” of modern day e-commerce. Were this revolution limited to one country, the transition to the new model would be relatively smooth, as payment infrastructures within developed countries tend to be robust. When we start looking at underdeveloped nations — and cross-border transactions in general — the efficiencies quickly break down.

Let’s take the US as an example. There are three robust payment platforms in this nation: i) the credit card companies (namely Visa&reg, MasterCard&reg and American Express&reg), ii) the Federal banking system with paper and electronic checks (ACH), and iii) PayPal – the predominant alternative payment network. Keep in mind that only the latter two have historically been used to pay merchants. We will see momentarily how Yuval Tal, Payoneer and the branded prepaid debit card are changing this. Now, consider a native US application developer selling its wares on platforms like iTunes. For this developer, getting paid is easy. Most application stores will tend to remit payment by ACH because it is exceedingly inexpensive.

Most developed nations enjoy the same basic infrastructure with some subtle differences. Getting paid in-country is relatively simple, with multiple choices at varying costs. In developed countries, like the “G7” nations, vendors may get paid via direct debit or via wire transfer. PayPal and more localized alternative payments also exist in most of these countries. Vendors and sales platforms usually arrive at a payment choice based on cost and convenience.

Now, let’s take the case where the developer and the sales platform are in different countries. All of a sudden, payment options become a lot more limited, and have a lot to do with sophistication of the banking systems within the respective countries. Generally speaking, it has always been possible to remit payments via wire transfer. Unfortunately, this method can be time consuming and expensive. Usually, both payer and payee incur a fee, and these fees tend to be a lot more expensive than ACH (in US) and direct deposit elsewhere. What’s more, in some countries it can take up to 10 days for a wire transfer to clear. But, what about remitting payments to vendors in countries with less developed or more restrictive banking systems?

“When you discuss the democratization of e-commerce, the last places you probably think of are China and Russia – former bastions of anti-capitalism,” says Payoneer CEO, Yuval Tal. “Interestingly enough, both areas are becoming major players in the digital world.” It is widely accepted that Russia and China have developed a reputation for producing some of the world’s best educated software engineers. Many of these engineers are writing apps for mobile devices and freelancing their skills to companies across the globe.

Getting paid in these countries has not necessarily been that straightforward. Of course, making in-country payments has always been the easiest. While not as developed as the US or EC, these banking systems are capable of processing paper checks and various types of electronic interbank payments within the country. But, what about cross-border transactions? It is said that nature abhors a vacuum, and this can be seen in both China and Russia. Alternative payment systems like Alipay in China and to some extent, WebMoney in Russia are trying to fill the void. Both are leading “third party” payment companies within their respective countries, and both are trying to augment their cross-border functionality.

Competition for international remittance is heating up, and the credit card associations like Visa and MasterCard may very well have the greatest advantage. “Why should vendors and digital merchants spend money to develop a robust international remittance solution when an existing network can easily do the job.” asks Tal? “Why string up 15 square miles of copper phone lines when you can put up one cell tower?” The card brands offer a sophisticated, well developed financial network. People like Yuval Tal have leveraged this network to create reloadable pre-paid debit card programs that make it possible and economically feasible for vendors to get paid on their own debit cards regardless of where they live. These cards can be used to withdraw cash in local currency at millions of ATMs worldwide. They can also be used to buy goods and services from merchants accepting the brands.

The democratization of e-commerce is well underway, and the international payment infrastructure to support it is following quickly behind. Traditional bank payments are giving way to third party alternatives. It should be no surprise then, that people like Yuval Tal, his company, Payoneer, and the ubiquitous debit card card may offer the cheapest, most expedient solution of all.

The rate of internet penetration by the Pakistani community has remarkably exceeded in comparison to the neighboring countries like India and China in recent years. According to a survey conducted in 2009, India was the only country from third-world region with 3G services. It was then just the matter of time that India’s internet penetration rate sky-rocketed. Same is the case with Sri Lanka, the hockey-stick of the same pattern as of India worked.

According to a recent survey, it has been estimated that the online community of Pakistan will be populated to 55+ million users by the end of 2019. The core reason behind the encouraging growth of online consumers is none other than the same pattern as of India and Sri Lanka. In addition to it, the advancement to 4G has opened new corridors of access.

Ease of Access with Online Payment:

People are fond of purchasing online stuff when they are offered cash on delivery (COD) option. Around 95% of the users take it as a leap of faith and feel quite satisfied to pay the cash after the stuff is delivered. However, the trending banking sector has also initiated different means of online payment as well.

With growing reputable online brands, online consumers have started to share their credit card information for online purchasing as well. This has brought a major breakthrough in the history of IT industry in Pakistan.

Maturing Parcel Delivery & Logistics Infrastructure:

It was the same phenomenon that the entrepreneurs had to face in Silicon Valley in early 90s. With no basic infrastructure of delivering the stuff to consumer’s doorstep, IT industry has suffered a lot in its initial phases in Pakistan as well. It was getting quite hard for the online consumers to put their trust with money to cloud shops prior to the fact that the delivery can be a major issue.

Seeing no positive change in the attitude of online consumers towards e-commerce, the then-brands for the first time in history of Pakistan utilized the medium of main-stream media. People seeing advertisements on reputable TV channels thought to give it a chance and it worked.

Educating Consumers:

Keeping in mind the growing trend of e-commerce stores, government of Pakistan has recently passed a bill ensuring that all the universities are bound to teach importance of e-commerce to youth.

Barriers:

Apart from all the achievements, there are still dozens of barriers that e-commerce industry of Pakistan has to cope with:

• Discouraging policies of Government.

• Low literacy rate.

• Misconception regarding e-commerce industry of Pakistan.

Conclusion:

It is no wrong to say that Pakistan’s IT industry has joined the party quite late. Even then the booming response from citizens has raised eye-brows of leading IT gurus in recent years. Within no matter of time, the brands like iShopping.pk, Kaymu.pk, and daraz.pk have developed an appealing worth to online consumers.

All these efforts put by the major e-commerce brands have ultimately encouraged the online users to purchase stuff. While offering number of facilities, these brands became major economic stabilizer of Pakistan. All in all, it was only the matter of educating online consumers of Pakistan.

E-commerce is a very important aspect of website development. To be able to sell your products and services to a target market that may be located thousands of miles away, a website has to have full e-commerce capability; the ability to accept orders, process payments and deliver the product / service that the client paid for.

Why is this important? Humans have an instinct for impulse buying, especially when given access to buying anything without paying for it immediately. This has been made possible by credit cards. A combination of the impulse buying instinct and having access to credit purchases can be used by website owners to their advantage.

Studies have shown that 60% of website visitors looking to buy something online are more likely to purchase when prompted to do so immediately through a checkout page than if they had to make the payment offline to a bank account. This is what has given birth to e-commerce.

With over $ 149 billion spent on online transactions in the first quarter of 2010 by China alone, the importance of websites having e-commerce capability can not be overemphasized. To survive in today's online marketplace, a web business must incorporate a good e-commerce module as part of its website development project.

What makes a good e-commerce module? An e-commerce module should be able to perform the following functions for a website:

1. Transform a website into a retail shop that is open 24/7.
2. Confer an ability to sell worldwide.
3. Possess an effective content management system that gives the web business owner complete control to manage products, prices, inventory, payment methods, delivery / shipping costs, promotion codes / discount coupons, customer marketing by email, manage downloadable products.
4. Possess a cookie-enabled checkout system to track returning customers as studies have shown that customers are turned off by having to fill out several pages of ordering details repeatedly.

For a long time now, China has served the entire world with fascinating products. There is practically no product in the world that Chinese manufacturers have not produced. Little wonder international buyers flock into China day and night for commercial reasons. For buyers who can not or do not want to visit China, online shopping is the way to go. Online shopping provides awesome benefits for people who want products from China without the hassles of long distance traveling.

While online shopping is great, it does not come without significant downsides. With the exception of Alibaba and its direct affiliates, most other popular Chinese online stores like 1688, Tmall, Taobao and JD have their texts written in Chinese language. Obviously, this is a challenge for international customers. Often times, Buyers looking to purchase from China encounter a myriad of problems, some of them are:

– Communication with the sellers
– Selecting the best quality products
– Making payments
– Shipping purchased items.

How to Overcome These Challenges

There is just one proven way to buy from a foreign country, especially if language and logistics could prove to a herculean task – shopping agents. Shopping agents help to eradicate the hurdles that could be faced when purchasing products online. Using shopping agents is almost the same as shopping from your favorite online store. The only difference is the purchase will be made on the buyers' behalf and shipped to them. Basically, the following steps are involved:

Step One: Registering on the Website.

First of all, buyers looking to have a third-party shopping agent make purchases for them must create an account with the shopping agent. This involves a registration, setting up a profile, adding addresses and providing a means of payment. Once the buyer's account is complete, orders can be placed. However, it is important – not just in the ecommerce industry, but in any online subscription service – to read the terms and conditions of the company in question before concluding.

Step Two: Placing an order

Once registration is complete and a buyer has familiarized him / herself with the website, the next thing to do is to proceed with placing orders. To do this, buyer needs to follow simple instructions and fill custom fields on the form that will be displayed on the shopping agent's website.

The steps highlighted below should be followed next:

Search for Desired Item:

Browsing through online stores in search of desired items. Once a desire item is found, buyer has to copy the product link and head directly to the shopping agent's website. Alternately, buyer may just copy the product name (not link this time), head over to shopping agent's website and search for it there. If the item is found – good. If not, the site offers alternatives. But if a buyer is still not satisfied with the results, the agent will complete the order using the link to the given product.

Submit Order:

This is as simple as clicking the submit button on the page that displays after pasting the product link. Before clicking on the "Submit Order" button, it is important that buyers specify the number of products they need, as well as the colors and sizes. This information helps reduce or eliminate mistakes while the agent processes order. Upon receipt the button, all displaced items are added to shopping cart from where payment and subsequent shipping will take place.

Pay for the Item (s):

An order is not complete until they are paid for. Although the option of Cash on Delivery (COD) has made it possible to pay upon receiving purchased items, it is not a convenient mode for payment for purchases made (especially cross-continental purchases). So, this is where the buyer commits to the transaction financially. This is also where buyer chooses currency of choice (sometimes currency conversions cost a little bit) and the method of payment.

Payment methods vary from international credit cards to bank transfers to e-wallets. For security reasons, many merchants prefer using e-wallets like PayPal, Neteller, Skrill and their likes to credit cards as they help to prevent internet fraud.

For the buyer, this is where the job ends. The agent will do the rest. Of course, buyer must fill shipping address properly so that the purchased items do not get missing during delivery.

Shopping Agent Completes the Rest

From the moment, the buyer completes an order request, the rest is in the hands of the shopping agent. What the agent (s) do can be summarized in the following steps:

Agent Places a Direct Order:

Having known the item (s) the buyer needs, the agent places an order to local seller. The local seller packages these items and ships them to the agent.

Inspection and Storage:

On receiving the items, the agent thoroughly checks them for consistency with the buyer's claims, originality, quality and condition of arrival. If fake or broken or not exactly in tune with the specs the buyer wants, the items will be returned for replacement. If it reaches standard, the next step begins

Repackaging and Storage:

While some agents will ship the items with the manufacturer's default packaging, some repackage it with their own materials so as to promote their brand and all that. Thereafter, the items are stored in the agent's store room pending when they will be shipped.

Shipping and Delivery:

Now the agent forwards the items for delivery to the buyer. Typically, the shipping fee is incorporated in the total purchase. This means the buyer pays for the shipping fee as at when payment for the items was made. This fee is calculated based on the weight of the item and the distance the package is expected to travel.

Confirmation and Review

This brings us back to the buyer. Once buyer receives the items ordered, examines them and discovers that they are up to standard and is satisfied, the next step would be to confirm successful delivery of the items. This is often accompanied by writing a short review of the buyer's experience with the shopping agent.

It is beautiful to use shopping agents when trying to buy from countries where a buyer does not know much about, especially when language is a barrier. It could extremely save the buyer both time and money on the long run as mistakes are often avoided when expert shopping agents do the job.

E-commerce in business is huge business, and for a lot of reasons – as a general rule this is due to increasing your businesses profit.

The key is to let your computer to increase revenue and reduce unnecessary expense for your company, if you do then you are on to a winner.

Lets look at the top three ways e-commerce can help your company.

1. Reduce your paper trail. We all know that endless filing and picking up paper after collections is a nasty business. By exchanging information with suppliers and fellow businesses creates a paperless process. I know that since the birth of internet banking I can pay all of my suppliers online, who would have thought that back in the 90s? This reduces your workload considering when I think back to the old days of collecting invoices and visiting suppliers it would take me days on end.
2. Minimize those laborious tasks and costs. By getting your staff on board, instead of your staff entering data from one piece of paper to the next then finally entering it on a computer system (we have all been there right?) You can arrange for your staff to use the computer exclusively for of the businesses needs. Such as outgoing correspondence, work rotas, customer information and many more.
3. Competition and automation. In this modern age e-commerce makes shipping for goods and services much faster, you can put an order in with a supplier in China within two minutes and have it delivered within days, that is the beauty of e-commerce, there are also trading communities available online where you can. These are called e-marketplaces where you can compare many goods and services from a range of hundreds of even thousands of sellers.

Just about any business can benefit in some way from e-commerce, whether that be a company website, selling goods on eBay or getting your businesses name out there on social media such as Facebook or Twitter. The great thing about it is there is little or no cost involved.