| The Internet has lead to the birth and | | | | site must be strongly aware of technological |
| evolution of electronic commerce or | | | | issues that pertain to such initiations. |
| E-commerce, and with that to the development | | | | |
| of a feasible internet marketing strategy by | | | | The potential market that the Internet |
| every company. E-commerce has now become a | | | | provides has little or no restrictions by |
| key component of many companies in the daily | | | | either geography or time, and therefore poses |
| running of their business. | | | | a huge impact on any company considering |
| | | | e-commerce in its strategic marketing |
| Simply defined, electronic commerce is a | | | | formulation. Opportunities in e-commerce are |
| system of online shopping and information | | | | enormous, as present growth and development |
| retrieval accessed through networks of | | | | have proved. |
| personal computers. E-commerce challenges | | | | |
| traditional organizational practices, and | | | | The Internet provides a virtual marketplace, |
| opens up a vast array of issues that | | | | providing huge opportunities in the marketing |
| companies must address. | | | | strategies that a company may wish to |
| | | | develop. The trends of internet users and in |
| In assessing the implications of e-commerce | | | | fact the use of e-commerce in general is |
| in terms of marketing, it is important to | | | | extremely valuable information that the |
| understand its impact in respect to marketing | | | | company must be aware of. By knowing how the |
| strategy formulation. As the Internet, and in | | | | advances of the Internet are being used, a |
| turn E-commerce has developed, and continues | | | | marketing strategy can be focused keeping |
| to evolve and grow, it is vital that any | | | | these ideals in mind. |
| company, in any particular industry, must | | | | |
| base its strategic planning around such a | | | | By having an understanding of users of the |
| rapidly growing medium. | | | | Internet and e-commerce resources, the |
| | | | marketing strategy can be further advanced, |
| However, e-commerce provides companies with a | | | | and tailored in a favorable direction to the |
| unique medium to analyze, requiring | | | | company. Various factors make-up the analysis |
| information relating specifically to its | | | | of the consumer when addressing both |
| environment. E-commerce ideals place | | | | E-commerce and the more tradition means of |
| particular emphasis on environmental factors, | | | | commerce. Ideals such as demographics and |
| due to the high rate of change and | | | | cultural influences must be identified when |
| development it constantly undergoes. | | | | assessing the characteristic of any market. |
| | | | It is important that the users of Internet |
| Technology is ever-changing, and as such | | | | technology are identified, and the relevant |
| E-commerce is absolutely influenced by its | | | | consumer attributes understood. In terms of |
| evolution. Rapid changes in recent | | | | E-commerce, this aspect of the environment |
| technological advances have bought about the | | | | provides a basis for how an organization |
| Internet and in turn E-commerce, and such | | | | would structure their marketing strategies |
| dramatic evolution is likely to continue. In | | | | based on the attributes that make up the |
| terms of strategic formulation, technology is | | | | general Internet consumer. Only by careful |
| a huge issue that any organization must be | | | | analysis of all these factors can a company |
| aware of when realizing e-commerce's | | | | build a strong and effective internet |
| strategic implications. For example, an | | | | marketing strategy. |
| organization thinking of developing a Web | | | | |