CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
E-Commerce websites are online portals that facilitate online transactions of goods and services through means of the transfer of information and funds over the online or Internet. Now, with a single website, anything and everything that a transaction needs, can be executed online. Online Market, commonly known as electronic-business or electronic-commerce consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. The amount of trade conducted electronically has grown extraordinarily with widespread Internet usage. The use of commerce is conducted in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the transaction’s lifecycle, although it can encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail as well.
A large percentage of electronic commerce is conducted entirely electronically for virtual items such as access to premium content on a website, but most electronic commerce involves the transportation of physical items in some way. Online retailers are sometimes known as e-tailers and online retail is sometimes known as e-tail. Almost all big retailers have electronic commerce presence on the World Wide Web (W.W.W). Online shopping system is the process whereby customers directly buy goods eservices from a seller in real time, without an intermediary service over the internet. It is also seen as a form of e-commerce which allows customers to directly buy goods or services from the seller through online or internet using a web browser or App. The notion that internet use has grown exponentially in just a couple of years lead us to believe that internet commerce is expected to boom as well in the near future.
In order to justify internet commerce and internet shopping, an Online shopping System permits a customers to submit Online or order for items or services from a store that serve both walk-in customers and online customers. The Online Shopping System present an Online display of an order cut-off time and an associated delivery window for items selected by the customer. The Online Shopping is a web based application intended for online retailers. The main objective of this application is to make searching, viewing and selected of a product easier. It contains a sophisticated search engine for uses to search for products specific to their needs. The search engine provides an easy and convenient way to search for products where users can search for a product interactively and the searching engine would refine the products available based on the users inputs, the users can then view the complete specification of each product. In Online Shopping System if an intermediary service is present the process is called Electronic Commerce (e-commerce). Historical Overview of Online Marketplace Over the past decade, there has been an extreme jump in internet sales. For example, in 2006, from November 1st to December 26th online shopping soared to $23.1 billion dollars, increasing by 26% from the previous year. Creating a competitive battle with retail stores, online shopping presents a more convenient method of shopping without the lines and the crowds, however, buying online takes away from the social aspect of shopping.
Having recognized the lack of social appeal that e-commerce presents, new navigating tools to ease decision- making are being implemented as a result, people are becoming more comfortable with shopping online. As the pressure from online shopping sites increases, retailers have to focus on better marketing strategies to promote products and influence customers to shop in their stores instead of online. In fact, many retailers are now making their products available online. Thus, a new influx of click and mortar retailers are surfacing. The click and mortar retailers that provide online shoppers with easy-to-use features are increasing their online profits and becoming strict competitors to the top online-only companies. However, the study tends to examine the design and implementation of electronic marketplace.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
In human endeavour, there is a lot of development which helps to maximize production, income and operation of businesses at the market. These have brought increase in complexity of marketing system like B2B (Business to Business) and B2C (Business to Consumers) and its operations. Based on these, most shops are experienced some draw back in their operation due to the current shopping system (manual shopping) which are: Lack of accuracy in customer record, slow in processing customer records, Lack of proper accountability. It does not give a customer the incredible convenience to shop at any time of the day due to the limited working hours. There is a need to change from manual way of shopping to a computerized way, where customers can browse through online or the Internet and the system administrator to approve requests shoppers can buy products anywhere and a database that will maintain the products detail information. Hence, this study is conducted to design and implement an electronic market place.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
This study aims at the design and implementation of an E-commerce web portal
Specific objectives include;
i. To design a E-commerce web portal
ii. To implement a E-commerce web portal.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The following are benefits of this study:
i. It will provide effective communication for management, workers and customers.
ii. Provision of advertisement resources in form of online/electronic articles where people can access them and information passed to appropriate quarters.
iii. Effective dissemination of news and upcoming events of the Product like promo and discounts.
iv. Improved services, teaching and learning style.
v. The study will equally help E-commerce to better their operations in Enugu.
vi. Consumers who patronize E-commerce will be better informed and educated not only on product sold but on their services.
vii. Above all the study will benefit to researcher as it will provide the researcher with an in-depth knowledge and understanding in the area which could stir up further study
1.7 Scope of the Study
This project looks into the processes involved in marketing of goods and services in the marketplace. The researchers concentrated on the operation going on the general marketing activities like sales, management of stocks, pricing and registering of customers, security and policy guiding sales.
1.8 Delimitations/Limitation of the Study
The researchers encountered a lot of problems in the course of carrying out this study effectively and efficiently. Prominent amongst them are non disclosure of information and uncooperative attitude of most of the staff of the power Holdings company of Nigeria in responding to some of our questions.
Another problem is that of finance, the researchers being students and thus dependent on their older relations and greatly limited in their source of finance to travel from school to the organization under study in order to obtain relevant information needed. This was rather difficult and tasking because of the huge transportation fare spent and the risk involved on roads in trying to get in touch with staff who sometimes, seemed not to be keeping appointment schedules. However, reasonable amount of the money was out into achieving out aims.
1.9 Definition of Terms
ONLINE: An online is a condition of connected to a network of computers of other devices. The term is frequently used to describe someone who is currently connected to the internet. INTERNET: this is a global connection of computer network co-operating with each other to exchange data using common software standard protocols
DATA: These are raw fact that to proposed into meaningful information
MANUAL SYSTEM: Any system that does not involve the use of electronic computer.
COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM: This is process of operation of integrated with a computer system. SHOPPING: Is the processing of browsing and purchasing items in exchange of money
USERS: An agent either human agent, (en 0 user) or software agent who uses a computer or network services.
SECURITY: Its objective are to establish rules and measures to against attacks over the internet
SHOPPING CHART: A chart supplied by a shop, especially supermarket, to use by customers inside the shop for transport of merchandise to the check- out counter during shopping.
ACCESSIBILITY: A general term used to describe the degree to which a product, device, or environment is accessible by as many people as possible.
DATABASE: A systematized collection of data that can be access immediately and manipulated by a data processing system for a specific purpose
E-COMMERCE: Electronic commerce refers to the process of marketing, buying and selling of product and services online.
ROBUSTINESS: The ability of a compute to cope with errors during execution or the ability of an algorithm to continue to operate despite abnormalities in input calculation etc