The Motive Web Design Glossary
e-commerce
E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the purchase and distribution of goods or services across the internet.
This method of business is seen as a viable alternative to export driven economies to overcome geographical distance.
While large organisations (such as amazon.com) dominate media attention, e-commerce also allows less-commercial ventures such as artists collectives to capture and benefit from international exposure.
References and further reading
- How to choose an e-commerce package (Shannon Watters, Digital Web Magazine)
- New Zealand model code for consumer protection in electronic commerce (Ministry of Consumer Affairs)
The objective of this model code is to provide guidance to businesses on: fair business practices; advertising and marketing; disclosure of the identity and location of businesses; disclosure of the terms and conditions of contracts; the implementation of mechanisms for concluding contracts.
- A guide to online payment options (Andy Kirkwood, Motive)
An introduction written for New Zealand small businesses covering: payment processing; setting up a merchant account; and payment gateways. - Pocket change is not easily spent (Dan Mitchell, New York Times)
Aug 2007: Are micropayments (charging Web users tiny amounts of money for single pieces of online content), now viable? - Solve the payment processing problem (John Conde, Sitepoint)
On overview of credit card payment methods: establishing a merchant account or using a third-party processor.
opt-in policy, Secure Sockets Certificate (SSC)
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