The e-Commerce Tools and their Use in the Global Market

Abstract

This paper aims to contribute to the foreshadowing of the future of commerce, identifying key directions for change impact analysis of new technologies and the possibilities offered by some emerging solutions such as those in the field of electronic commerce. It addresses the issue of business model innovation in trade and changes in the retail industry's structure, cataloging some software products, their characteristics and specific solutions offered. The result is a set of tools and useful recommendations for the creation of advanced electronic commerce applications that take into account both the technology and the protection of consumer rights in the global marketplace.

Headnote

Abstract

This paper aims to contribute to the foreshadowing of the future of commerce, identifying key directions for change impact analysis of new technologies and the possibilities offered by some emerging solutions such as those in the field of electronic commerce. It addresses the issue of business model innovation in trade and changes in the retail industry's structure, cataloging some software products, their characteristics and specific solutions offered.

The result is a set of tools and useful recommendations for the creation of advanced electronic commerce applications that take into account both the technology and the protection of consumer rights in the global marketplace.

Keywords: e-Commerce, Global market, Web technologies, Software tools

JEL Classification: O3

Introduction

Traditional trade activity must change and adapt constantly to the market conditions and technological changes to remain a highly competitive sector. The buyer today is more hurried, more mobile, more informed and concerned about health issues, environment, comfort and aesthetics, more demanding in terms of quality and level of customization. Trading activity should provide an appropriate response to changing demographic factors such as population migration, expanding urbanization, increasing average age, reducing the average size of households or demographic decline and also to the effect of globalization.

The operating costs of traditional commercial enterprises are growing while buyers are savvier under the impact of the global financial crisis, which put additional pressure on the profit levels. Under these conditions, increasing innovation and applying the newest and modern technologies is the main way for enhancing trade competitiveness [Papazoglou & Ribbers, 2006].

The use of new information and communications technologies provide innovative solutions represented through competitive software tools, web technology and content development; new forms of shops, new types of commercial technologies, new methods and new strategies for market sale, which this paper aims to investigate. The results will contribute to the analysis and predictability of expected mutations in the structure and methods of commerce activity and solutions to acquire the knowledge and skills needed in the field, the issue of achieving multi-channel commerce, setting and development the main modules of the electronic commerce platforms.

1. Electronic commerce software tools

For those who want to develop a successful business in the field of electronic commerce there is a very varied supply of software products designed to achieve a fully standardized electronic shop with all the necessary modules, quickly, easily and especially without much cost [Powers, 2010 ], [Nixob, 2009].

The following software products are designed to create and manage online stores and are among the most famous and popular product of its kind.

They belong to two distinct categories:

* firmware products;

* freeware products.

1.1. Firmware software tools for e-Commerce

There are two ways of implementing and working:

* by download from the official websites a trial, a program aimed to achieving an electronic commerce site with this product, for a limited period, usually a wizard that guides through the process of making site. This system don't offers all the functionality of the paid product but only a limited functionality, to convince the user about product's performance.

* by creating test sites on the server, using the product for a limited period (approx. 14 days), in this case with available and free hosting. Similar to the previous case, this variant offer only a part of the basic modules and product's functions.

The main characteristics of firmware software tools for electronic commerce:

* for the site: product catalog, product descriptions, shopping cart, search by various features of the products, VAT, inventory, multiple currencies, order history, invoice issuing, electronic payment, remote management, other;

* for the software product: software price, the platform on which to install, operating system, server scripting (ASP, PHP, other), acceptance of third-party modules.

Firmware software provides a complete set of tools for developing electronic commerce applications. These products typically have multiple modules and their integrated functionality level depends on the modules chosen and their properties.

Among the most used and powerful software firmware:

* CoreCommerce

* Interspire Shopping Cart

* X-Cart

* LiteCommerce 2.2x

* EROL Business

* StoreFront XE

1.2 Freeware software tools for e-Commerce

The category of freeware software tools for e-Commerce offers greater flexibility in adding personal module, a narrower range of features of the site, cost, optionally even the possibility of hosting the site on the own server.

There are two ways of implementing and working:

* by download a site structure in ASP or PHP or anything that allow to make changes and to upload databases;

* by download a program, which, using a wizard, is guiding the development of the electronic commerce application that later will be customized.

The most important features for software products selected:

* for the site: product catalog, product descriptions, shopping cart, search by various features of the products, VAT, inventory, multiple currencies, order history, invoice issuing, electronic payment, remote management, other;

* for the software: software price, the platform on which to install, operating system, server scripting (ASP, PHP, other), acceptance of third-party modules, other. Among the most used and powerful freeware software for e-Commerce: Magento, Zen Cart, Ubercart, osCommerce Online Merchant, Quick.Cart

2. Comparing features for e-Commerce software tools

2.1 CoreCommerce

CoreCommerce is an electronic commerce tools for solution all-in-one, providing tools for building websites, shopping cart technology and web hosting through the hosting provider called Rackspace http://www.corecommerce.com/. This firmware software allow to quickly create online shops based on an existing design or using one of the professional design templates and functionalities.

CoreCommerce is considered one of the most innovative software for electronic commerce, constantly updated with new features suggested by customers. Is ideal for small and medium businesses for areas such as clothing, automobile, electronic goods, downloadable products, food and drink gifts, toys, sports and games, others.

With CoreCommerce there are no fees for installation and configuration and the first 30 days of using the product are free. Basic package provides the ability to sell up to 50 products, use up to 1 GB of bandwidth per month and 100 MB of storage space on the server. There are still three packages differentiated by the maximum number of products that can be marketed, bandwidth and amount of memory allocated to the server.

2.2 X-Cart

Qualiteam Software is the firm that developed X-Cart, a software tool for electronic commerce that is one of the best shopping-cart system in the world.

This software has ensured the success of many businesses around the world http://www.x-cart.com/ecommerce_software.html.

X-Cart offers for retailers the necessary tools to sell online: dynamic product catalog, shopping cart, ability to oversee the stock, tools, top and cross sale, up-sell and cross-sell, the administration Web based, search engine optimization, integration with the leading couriers in order to deliver and more than 100 portals and payment systems.

This software electronic commerce tool is based on the template and the code is open source, which means that the interface and its functionality can be modified or extended depending on the particular needs of different business.

This product does not require logical limitations in terms of the number of products that can be transitioned. Rear code is optimized to obtain good performance up to 20.000 products, but depending on server settings that will be installed can cover up to 500.000 products.

X-Cart is available in two variants, X-Cart Gold and X-Cart Pro, with distinct features and functions, depending on the size and the type of business.

General characteristics of the two software are the same, but X-Cart Pro is an electronic commerce solution that offers a way for more companies to sell products online in the same virtual store, while in terms of X-Cart Gold only one trader can operate in an online shop.

System Requirements for X-Cart tool:

* X-Cart can be installed and running on multiple operating systems: Linux, Windows, MAC, other;

* The server must provide support for MySQL databases versions starting from 3.23 to 5.x version;

* The server that hosts the site must allow running some external executable files such as modules Pearl, HTTPS, other;

* It is recommended to obtain an SSL certificate for securing online transactions.

2.3 Magento

Magento is an electronic platform from freeware category, which gives traders flexibility and also an unprecedented control over the interface, content and functionality of their virtual store www.magentocommerce.com

Magento intuitive administration interface exposes powerful marketing tools, search engine optimization (SEO) and to manage product catalogs through which offers traders the power to make websites tailored to the unique needs of their business.

It is designed to be completely scalable and offers a final solution ecommerce holding company Varien offers a network of maintenance and operation.

Regarding the facility for implementing the software solution, Magento is available free and downloadable as open source under OSL 3.0 license.

Beneficiaries of this solution can receive technical support from the company Varien according to business needs, requests and packages of support services. Even without the benefit of the services offered by the company owning Magento, the product is supported by a large community of users and there are many sources with information regarding the exploitation of this program, including discussion forums.

Magento is a solution developed as open source and is therefore free of cost, but that is as "bright" and sophisticated as a commercial solution. Figure 3 summarizes its main functionalities.

3. Performance criteria

Regardless of the software used, an electronic commerce online platform must meet a range of performance characteristics [Nastase & Timofte, 2004]:

* The strategy of selling: grouping and presenting the products very clearly explained, the order fulfillment policy, understanding the basic requirements of the potential buyers;

* Confidence in the company standing behind the virtual store: how much the site is set up with all the information that would interest a buyer, to inspiring confidence; sometimes, insignificant details can make the difference between a finalized command or an abandoned one;

* The navigation catalog; all products must be found easily and intuitively;

* Increasing the probability to keep customers: knowing how buyers search in the site, using the own search-engine;

* Product description: paying attention to some hidden traps that can cause confusion and problems for buyers;

* The order system: online customers have certain expectations about the way to order. Failure the usual steps, imposition of restrictions or lack of information erodes purchasing desire and customer confidence.

4. The result of technological change

In the market economy the consumer is dominant, it constitutes the reference element of all actions taken by both the manufacturer and the retailer.

As a result of the technological revolution brought by the Internet, digitization and globalization of trade, consumers face an environment of increasingly complex, leading to the emergence of significant challenges regarding the protection of consumer rights.

Guaranteeing these rights can be provided if the online solutions will include in the interface of applications menus, forms or modules referring to the basic consumer rights: the right to protection of health and safety, the right to information and education, the right to protection of economic interests, right to choose, the right to compensation, the right to ensure basic needs, freedom of association and representation of clients in organizations beneficiaries.

Given that the production, distribution and marketing of goods and services truly global dimension, traders will sell more and more online, their products anywhere in the world via e-Commerce. This globalization makes it difficult to identify unsafe products entering the market. Products and services will be increasingly more sophisticated and customized instead traditional consumer rights will become less and less adapted to the digital age. This increases the difficulties of protecting consumer rights and therefore need to ensure effective market surveillance, so consumer policy to better adapt to these realities.

The inclusion of customer satisfaction questionnaires for testing and the possibility of submitting online feedback in the e-Commerce platforms can help to improve this.

These issues involve a practically effort to create an economic, informational, institutional and appropriate legal basis which could be fully used for protecting consumer rights, guaranteed by law and implemented by web technologies.

Conclusions

Electronic commerce is being increasingly used in product design, supply chain, sales and marketing. Having the support of advanced software for online tools development, electronic commerce will be adopted by organizations having infrastructure, applications and business management skills to support collaborative practices.

There is a strong correlation between the adoption of electronic commerce and the adoption of a new set of rules regulation for financial services and communications; banks and financial investment companies are among the fastest growing technology users. Very soon, most trade and financial services will be made online. Email addresses are becoming as important as geographical addresses, and in some areas they are even more. Collaborative trade optimizes supply and distribution channels to make an organization more competitive and profitable.

Analyzing the electronic commerce from the perspective of a sustainable business and appropriate strategies specific to an efficient organization we could conclude that requires the introduction of new indicators for sustainable implementation of such solutions, companies or business.

Developing a sustainable online business concept needs a business mindset change from all stakeholders and interested partners. It refers to understanding business in a holistic way, involving all the stakeholders in a partnership cooperation.

These features attract accountability to closely monitoring the business and also the virtual business throughout the whole cycle of life with appropriate software tools, like those described here.

References

References

Papazoglou, M.P, Ribbers, P.M.A, (2006), E-Business: Organizational and Technical Foundations, J. Wiley USA.

Powers, D., (2010), PHP Solutions: Dynamic Web Design Made Easy, friends of ED, USA

Nastase Fl., Timofte C., (2004), Tehnologia afacerilor pe Internet, ASE, Bucuresti.

Nixob R., (2009), Learning PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Dynamic Websites, Wiley, USA

http://ecommerce-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

http://www.finestshops.com/

http://blog.webdistortion.com/2008/05/03/9-kick-ass-open-source-e-commerce-platformsreviewed/

http://www.blueacorn.com/blog/shopping-carts/magento-commerce-a-first-look/

http://www.corecommerce.com

http://www.interspire.com

http://www.x-cart.com

http://www.magentocommerce.com/