Conducting e-commerce on the World Wide Web no longer qualifies as a novelty. Companies, both large and small, non-profit organizations and governments, now enable customers to purchase products and services over the Web. Web-based e-commerce has already had an earth-shattering impact on the world of business, yet the Web's effect on business is still only in its adolescence.
Companies and organizations of all types should expect several more years of dramatic change to their business models due to the influence of Web-based e-commerce. E-Commerce's phenomenal penetration in all kinds of industries means that understanding the fundamentals of e-commerce, both from a business and technical perspective, is necessary for practically every business endeavor - and thus for every business person!
In this module, we will introduce the basic concepts of Web-based e-commerce, how e-commerce has influenced business, and begin to explore the business advantages and disadvantages of deploying a Web e-commerce site.

At the end of this module you will be able to:

1. Define e-commerce
2. Distinguish between various e-commerce models
3. Discuss how e-commerce has, in general, impacted business models
4. Identify key pros and cons to conducting business using Web-based e-commerce

As your online business grows, you will need to respond to the changing needs of your customers. In the next lesson, you will see how the concept of e-commerce is continually being redefined.