Page 241 - Business Principles and Management

Unit 3

Technology Development
facts & An Internet business relies on computer technology for operations. In Chapter 8,

figures you learned about Web servers—computers that contain the software and store
the data for networks. A Web server is the backbone of an e-commerce business.
In addition to the server, the Internet site must be easily accessible to a number of
customers at one time, at any time of the day. If customers cannot access your
If consumers pay by credit or
Web site whenever they want or if it has technical problems, they will not return
charge card online, their trans-
to your online business.
actions are protected by the Fair
Credit Billing Act. Under this
law, consumers have the right OBTAIN A SERVER AND DOMAIN NAME
to dispute charges under certain
Because many new and small businesses do not have adequate computer or net-
circumstances and temporarily
work technology or the necessary technical skills to build and manage a Web site,
withhold payment while the
they use a Web-hosting service. A Web-hosting service is a private business that
creditor is investigating them.
maintains the Web sites of individuals and organizations on its computers for a
fee. The Web-hosting service often provides design services, the hardware and
software needed to maintain Web sites, and the technical personnel to make sure
the sites operate effectively.
To open your Web business, you will need an Internet address at which to
locate your site. A domain name is a Web-site owner’s unique name that identifies
the site. Most Internet business addresses use the format www.businessname.com.
Amazon.com is a domain name, but it has multiple Internet domains or server
addresses (mirrored sites) to handle sales volume. Before you can use a domain
name, you must register it with one of several companies that maintain and
approve all domain names used throughout the world. Many possible domain
names have already been registered, so you may not get your first choice. Also,
individuals have registered many popular names and specific words related to
products and services, hoping they can sell the domain name at a sizable profit
to a business wanting to use that name.

DEVELOP ORDER PROCESSING AND PROCEDURES

If your business will process orders and collect payments online, you will need
specialized software. Many companies offer software that enables the use of
electronic shopping carts. These are specialized programs that keep track of
shoppers’ selections as they shop, provide an order form for them to complete,
and submit the form to the company through the Internet.
Also, you will need a secure server to accept credit card payments while pro-
tecting your customers’ personal data from theft. Your business will need a process
to quickly check the customers’ credit and approve credit card purchases. You will
also want to offer customers the alternative of paying by check if they are not com-
fortable with using a credit card online.
After the order has been accepted, you will need a process for quickly and
accurately filling the order and delivering it to the customer. Also, customers
will expect you to accept returns, replace products damaged in shipment, and
offer other services to make sure their shopping experience is positive.

DESIGN THE WEB SITE
This step in developing an online business may seem to be out of order. Many
people want to design their Web pages as the first step. However, until you plan
the business completely, you will not know what needs to go on your Web site.
Remember, to be successful, Web sites must be attractive and easy to use. If cus-

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