E-Commerce Infrastructure

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Introduction

Together the Internet and the World Wide Web make e-commerce possible by allowing computer users to access product and service information to complete purchases online. Web features that support e-commerce are numerous (i.e. email, instant messaging, search engines, online forums, streaming media, cookies, social networks, blogs, RSS, podcast, wikis, music and video services, Internet telephoning, online software and services) and vary in their effectiveness in enhancing the key features of the e-commerce model.

E-Commerce Infrastructure

I visited esty.com and explored how it uses web services to complete its business. The first thing on esty.com website is customer sign in and sign up page. This page requires the customer to use his/ her email so as to get registered with the company (Laudon & Traver, 2007). Once a client gives their email and clicks a sign-up button, an instant message is sent to their email, and they use the message for verification. The customer can then use the email and their details to log into their accounts.

 

On the esy.com homepage is a search text box. This box allows the client to type the names of anything they are looking for and they are directed to a list of items matching the name. This is a web service called search engine that enables clients to locate information on the site by matching a series of keywords provided by the user and provides a list of documents containing the keywords and any other closest matches (Tsur, Abiteboul, Agrawal, Dayal, Klein  & Weikum, 2001). This allows quick services to the user and gives an accurate information to the user. The client does not have to go through all the products provided by the site, he/ she can locate a particular product and save time and energy. The search box also uses intelligent agents(bots) to filter out information and provide a list of results according to a particular topic or certain keywords and phrases.

 

Once a client is registered and logged into esty.com, he/she can edit their profile, add information, delete information, upload pictures on their profile. This is made possible by use of wikis web service. It allows a customer to add, edit, or delete information on a web page or site (Laudon, K. C., & Traver, (2007). On the cart page, a user can add an item or remove an item from the cart quickly. Esty.com also allows other business or individuals to sell their product online. It gives a platform where the person or the company uploads their product, adds information about the product or even delete a product and its information.

 

Users of esty.com can communicate while on sight via instant messages, emails or even video calls. A client can communicate to the seller via email or instant messages. An instant message is a web service that allows a typed text to appear on a user’s computer almost immediately (Tsur, Abiteboul, Agrawal, Dayal, Klein, & Weikum, 2001). It allows real-time communication between two people using a website.

 

Esty.com has a chat forum where clients and sellers can comment on their views, give their feedback and ask questions at the same time (Laudon & Traver, 2007).. This is made possible by online forums and chats web services. These services enable users to have a real-time conversation using messages, discussion forums, or bulletin board.

 

In conclusion, e-commerce would be minuscule and impossible without the internet and the web. The internet has made it possible for electronic commerce to grow rapidly because of its ability to store and display its products. The web services have also made it easy for e-commerce to complete its transaction by enabling payments and exchange of goods and services using credit cards. An e-commerce company can link payment processes, product inventor, necessary data and services, shipping methods, by using a number of web services.

 

Referemces

Tsur, S., Abiteboul, S., Agrawal, R., Dayal, U., Klein, J., & Weikum, G. (2001, September). Are Web Services the Next Revolution in e-Commerce?(Panel). In VLDB (pp. 614-617).

Laudon, K. C., & Traver, C. G. (2007). E-commerce (Vol. 29). Pearson/Addison Wesley.