Unit 1

Text A

What Is E-commerce？

Electronic commerce or e-commerce refers to a wide range of online business activities for products and services.It also pertains to “any form of business transaction in which the parties interact electronically rather than by physical exchanges or direct physical contact”.

掃一掃，聽(tīng)課文

E-commerce is usually associated with buying and selling over the Internet， or conducting any transaction involving the transfer of ownership or rights to use goods or services through a computer-mediated network. Though popular，this definition is not comprehensive enough to capture recent developments in this new and revolutionary business phenomenon.A more complete definition is：E-commerce is the use of electronic communications and digital information processing technology in business transactions to create，transform，and redefine relationships for value creation between or among organizations，and between organizations and individuals.

The major different kinds of e-commerce are：Business-to-Business（B2B）；Business-to-Consumer（B2C）；Business-to-Government（B2G）；Consumer-to-Consumer（C2C）；and Mobile Commerce （M-commerce）.

1.What Is B2B E-commerce？

B2B e-commerce is simply defined as e-commerce between companies.This is the type of e-commerce that deals with relationships between and among businesses.About 80% of e-commerce is of this type，and most experts predict that B2B e-commerce will continue to grow faster than the B2C segment.The B2B market has two primary components：e-infrastructure and e-markets.

E-infrastructure is the architecture of B2B，primarily consisting of the following：

? logistics—transportation，warehousing and distribution（e.g.，Procter and Gamble）；

? application service providers—deployment，hosting and management of packaged software from a central facility（e.g.，Oracle and Linkshare）；

? outsourcing of functions in the process of e-commerce，such as web-hosting，security and customer care solutions（e.g.，outsourcing providers such as eShare，NetSales，iXL Enterprises and Universal Access）；

? auction solutions software for the operation and maintenance of real-time auctions in theInternet（e.g.，Moai Technologies and OpenSite Technologies）；

? content management software for the facilitation of website content management and delivery（e.g.，Interwoven and ProcureNet）；and

? Web-based commerce enablers（e.g.，Commerce One，a browser-based，XML-enabled purchasing automation software）.

E-markets are simply defined as websites where buyers and sellers interact with each other and conduct transactions.

Most B2B applications are in the areas of supplier management（especially purchase order processing），inventory management（i.e.，managing order-ship-bill cycles），distribution management（especially in the transmission of shipping documents），channel management（i.e.，information dissemination on changes in operational conditions），and payment management（e.g.，Electronic Payment Systems^[1] or EPS）.

2.What Is B2C E-commerce？

Business-to-Consumer e-commerce，or commerce between companies and consumers，involves gathering customers information；purchasing physical goods（i.e.，tangibles such as books or consumer products）or information goods（or goods of electronic material or digitized content，such as software，or e-books）；and，for information goods，receiving products over an electronic network.

It is the second largest and the earliest form of e-commerce.Its origins can be traced to online retailing（or e-tailing）.Thus，the more common B2C business models are the online retailing companies such as Amazon.com，Drugstore.com，Beyond.com，Barnes and Noble and ToysRus.Other B2C examples involving information goods are E-Trade and Travelocity.

The more common applications of this type of e-commerce are in the areas of purchasing products and information，and personal finance management，which pertains to the management of personal investments and finances with the use of online banking tools.

B2C e-commerce reduces transactions costs（particularly search costs）by increasing consumer access to information and allowing consumers to find the most competitive price for a product or service.B2C e-commerce also reduces market entry barriers since the cost of putting up and maintaining a website is much cheaper than installing a “brick-and-mortar” structure for a firm.In the case of information goods，B2C e-commerce is even more attractive because it saves firms from factoring in the additional cost of a physical distribution network.Moreover，for countries with a growing and robust Internet population，delivering information goods becomes increasingly feasible.

3.What Is B2G E-commerce？

Business-to-Government e-commerce or B2G is generally defined as commerce between companies and the public sector.It refers to the use of the Internet for public procurement，licensing procedures，and other government-related operations.This kind of e-commerce has two features：first，the public sector assumes a pilot/leading role in establishing e-commerce；and second，it is assumed that the public sector has the greatest need for making its procurement system more effective.

Web-based purchasing policies increase the transparency of the procurement process and reduces the risk of irregularities.To date，however，the size of the B2G e-commerce market as a component of total e-commerce is insignificant，as government e-procurement systems remain undeveloped.

4.What Is C2C E-commerce？

Consumer-to-Consumer e-commerce or C2C is simply commerce between private individuals or consumers.This type of e-commerce is characterized by the growth of electronic marketplaces and online auctions，particularly in vertical industries where firms/businesses can bid for what they want from among multiple suppliers.It perhaps has the greatest potential for developing new markets.

This type of e-commerce comes in at least three forms：

? auctions facilitated at a portal，such as eBay，which allows online real-time bidding on items being sold in the Web；

? peer-to-peer systems，such as the Napster model（a protocol for sharing files between users used by chat forums similar to IRC）and other file exchange and later money exchange models；and

? classified ads at portal sites，such as Excite Classifieds and eWanted，Pakwheels.com（an interactive，online marketplace where buyers and sellers can negotiate and which features “Buyer Leads & Want Ads”）.

There is little information on the relative size of global C2C e-commerce.However，C2C figures of popular C2C sites such as eBay and Napster indicate that this market is quite large.These sites produce millions of dollars in sales every day.

（1）Advantages of C2C Sites

Consumer to Consumer e-commerce has many benefits.The primary benefit to consumers is reduction in cost.Buying ad space on other e-commerce sites is expensive.Sellers can post their items for free or with minimal charge depending on the C2C website.C2C websites form a perfect platform for buyers and sellers who wish to buy and sell related products.The ability to find related products leads to an increase in the visitor to customer conversion ratio.Business owners can cheaply maintain C2C websites and increase profits without the additional costs of distribution locations.A good example of a C2C e-commerce website is Esty，a site that allows consumers to buy and sell handmade or vintage items and supplies including art，photography，clothing，jewelry，food，bath and beauty products，quilts，knick-knacks，and toys.

（2）Disadvantages of C2C Sites

There are a couple of disadvantages to these type of sites as well.Doing transaction on these type of websites requires cooperation between the buyer and seller.It has been noted many times that these two do not cooperate with each other after a transaction has been made.They do not share the transaction information which may be via credit or debit card or Internet banking.This can result in online fraud since the buyer and seller are not very well versed with each other.This can lead to lawsuit being imposed on either ends or also on the site if it has not mentioned the disclaimer in it’s terms and conditions.This may also hamper the C2C website’s reputation.Companies which handle consumer to consumer e-commerce websites seem to have becoming very cautious to prevent online scams.

5.What Is M-commerce？

M-commerce（mobile commerce）is the buying and selling of goods and services through wireless technology—i.e.，handheld devices such as cellular telephones and personal digital assistants（PDAs）.

As content delivery over wireless devices becomes faster，more secure，and scalable，some believe that m-commerce will surpass wireline e-commerce as the method of choice for digital commerce transactions.This may well be true for the Asia-Pacific where there are more mobile phone users than there are Internet users.

Industries affected by m-commerce include：

1）Financial services，including mobile banking（when customers use their hand-held devices to access their accounts and pay their bills），as well as brokerage services（in which stock quotes can be displayed and trading conducted from the same hand-held device）.

2）Telecommunications，in which service changes，bill payment and account reviews can all be conducted from the same hand-held device.

3）Service/retail，as consumers are given the ability to place and pay for orders on the fly.

4）Information services，which include the delivery of entertainment，financial news，sports figures and traffic updates to a single mobile device.

6.Is E-commerce the Same as E-business？

While “e-commerce” and “e-business” can be used interchangeably，they are distinct concepts.In e-commerce，Information and Communications Technology（ICT）is used in inter-business or inter-organizational transactions（transactions between and among firms/organizations）and in business-to-consumer transactions（transactions between firms/organizations and individuals）.

In e-business，on the other hand，ICT is used to enhance one’s business.It includes any process that a business organization（either a for-profit，governmental or non-profit entity）conducts over a computer-mediated network.A more comprehensive definition of e-business is：

“The transformation of an organization’s processes to deliver additional customer value through the application of technologies，philosophies and computing paradigm of the new economy.”

Three primary processes are enhanced in e-business：

1）Production processes，which include procurement，ordering and replenishment of stocks；processing of payments；electronic links with suppliers；and production control processes，among others.

2）Customer-focused processes，which include promotional and marketing efforts，selling over the Internet，processing of customers’ purchase orders and payments，and customer support，among others.

3）Internal management processes，which include employee services，training，internal information-sharing，videoconferencing，and recruiting.Electronic applications enhance information flow between production and sales forces to improve sales force productivity.Workgroup communications and electronic publishing of internal business information are likewise made more efficient.

New Words

e-commerce n. 電子商務(wù)

activity n. 行動(dòng)，行為，活躍，活動(dòng)性

transaction n. 交易，事務(wù)，辦理，處理

interact v. 互相作用，互相影響

Internet n. 互聯(lián)網(wǎng)，因特網(wǎng)

conduct v. 實(shí)施，執(zhí)行，引導(dǎo)，管理

n. 行為

comprehensive adj. 全面的，廣泛的，能充分理解的，包容的

capture n. 捕獲，戰(zhàn)利品

v. 捕獲，奪取

phenomenon n. 現(xiàn)象

communication n. 通信

digital adj. 數(shù)字的，數(shù)位的

n. 數(shù)字，數(shù)字式

transform v. 轉(zhuǎn)換，改造，使……變形，改變，轉(zhuǎn)化，變換

redefine v. 重新定義

relationship n. 關(guān)系，關(guān)聯(lián)

individual n. 個(gè)人，個(gè)體

adj. 個(gè)別的，單獨(dú)的，個(gè)人的

expert n. 專家，行家

adj. 老練的，內(nèi)行的，專門(mén)的

predict v. 預(yù)知，預(yù)言，預(yù)報(bào)，做出預(yù)言

segment n. 段，節(jié)，片斷

v. 分割

e-infrastructure n. 電子基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施

e-market n. 電子市場(chǎng)

architecture n. 體系結(jié)構(gòu)

logistics n. 物流，后勤

transportation n. 運(yùn)輸，運(yùn)送

warehousing n. 倉(cāng)庫(kù)儲(chǔ)存

distribution n. 分配，分發(fā)，發(fā)送

deployment n. 展開(kāi)，配置

hosting n. 托管

facility n. 便利，敏捷，設(shè)備，工具

outsourcing n. 外部采辦，外購(gòu)，外包

software n. 軟件

maintenance n. 維護(hù)，保持

real-time adj. 實(shí)時(shí)的

facilitation n. 簡(jiǎn)易化，助長(zhǎng)

browser-based adj. 基于瀏覽器的

enabler n. 賦能者，使能者，使能器，推動(dòng)者

automation n. 自動(dòng)控制，自動(dòng)操作

supplier n. 供應(yīng)者，補(bǔ)充者，廠商，供給者

dissemination n. 傳播，分發(fā)

payment n. 付款，支付，報(bào)酬

tangible adj. 切實(shí)的

search n. 搜尋，查究

v. 搜索，搜尋，探求，調(diào)查

cost n. 成本

barrier n. 障礙物，柵欄，屏障

brick-and-mortar adj. 實(shí)體的

firm n. 公司，（合伙）商號(hào)

adj. 結(jié)實(shí)的，堅(jiān)固的，穩(wěn)固的，嚴(yán)格的

v. 使牢固，使堅(jiān)定，變穩(wěn)固，變堅(jiān)實(shí)

adv. 穩(wěn)固地，堅(jiān)定地

attractive adj. 吸引人的，有魅力的

robust adj. 穩(wěn)健的，堅(jiān)固的，強(qiáng)壯的，精力充沛的

procedure n. 程序，手續(xù)

establish v. 建立，設(shè)立，安置

transparency n. 透明，透明度

irregularity n. 不規(guī)則，無(wú)規(guī)律

component n. 成分

adj. 組成的，構(gòu)成的

insignificant adj. 無(wú)關(guān)緊要的，可忽略的，無(wú)意義的

undeveloped adj. 不發(fā)達(dá)的，未開(kāi)發(fā)的

marketplace n. 市場(chǎng)，集市，商場(chǎng)

online n. 聯(lián)機(jī)，在線式

potential adj. 潛在的，可能的

n.潛能，潛力

portal n. 入口，門(mén)戶

protocol n. 協(xié)議

classified v. 分類

adj. 機(jī)密的

interactive adj. 交互式的

negotiate v. 買(mǎi)賣，商議，談判，磋商

indicate v. 指出，顯示

ad n. 廣告

item n.（可分類或列舉的）項(xiàng)目，條款

profit n. 利潤(rùn)，益處，得益

v. 得益，利用，有益于，有利于

handmade adj. 手工的，手制的

cooperation n. 合作，協(xié)作

fraud n. 欺騙，詭計(jì)，騙子，假貨

lawsuit n. 訴訟（尤指非刑事案件）

disclaimer n. 放棄，拒絕，不承諾

condition n. 條件，情形，環(huán)境

v. 以……為條件

hamper v. 妨礙，牽制

reputation n. 名譽(yù)，名聲

cautious adj. 謹(jǐn)慎的，小心的

scam n. 詭計(jì)，故事

secure adj. 安全的，可靠的

v. 保護(hù)

scalable adj. 可升級(jí)的

surpass v. 超越，勝過(guò)

wireline n. 有線線路

telecommunication n. 電訊，無(wú)線電通信，電信學(xué)

e-business n. 電子業(yè)務(wù)

enhance v. 提高，增強(qiáng)

philosophy n. 哲學(xué)，哲學(xué)體系

paradigm n. 范例

ordering n. 排序，分類

replenishment n. 補(bǔ)給，補(bǔ)充

stock n. 庫(kù)存，股票，股份

adj. 常備的，存貨的

v. 進(jìn)貨，采購(gòu)

link n. 鏈接

employee n. 職工，雇員，店員

videoconference n. 視頻會(huì)議

productivity n. 生產(chǎn)力

workgroup n. 工作組

Phrases

electronic commerce 電子商務(wù)

pertain to 屬于，關(guān)于，附屬，適合

associate with 聯(lián)合

transfer of ownership 所有權(quán)轉(zhuǎn)讓

mobile commerce 移動(dòng)電子商務(wù)

deal with 安排，處理，涉及

consist of… 由……組成

Procter and Gamble 寶潔公司

interact with… 與……相互作用，與……相互影響，與……相互配合

purchase order 訂單

inventory management 庫(kù)存管理

shipping document 貨運(yùn)單據(jù)

channel management 渠道管理

information dissemination 信息傳播

trace to 上溯

online retailing 在線零售

personal investment 個(gè)人投資

online banking 在線銀行

transactions cost 交易成本

competitive price 競(jìng)爭(zhēng)價(jià)格，公開(kāi)招標(biāo)價(jià)格

factor in 考慮，把……計(jì)算在內(nèi)，包括

distribution network 配送網(wǎng)絡(luò)

public sector 公共部門(mén)，公共成分

be characterized by… ……的特點(diǎn)在于，……的特點(diǎn)是

bid for 投標(biāo)，許諾以獲支持

peer-to-peer system 對(duì)等網(wǎng)系統(tǒng)

classified ads 分類廣告

a couple of 兩個(gè)，幾個(gè)

debit card 借記卡

result in 導(dǎo)致

impose on 利用，欺騙，施加影響于

handheld device 手持設(shè)備

cellular telephone 移動(dòng)電話

mobile banking 移動(dòng)銀行

brokerage service 經(jīng)紀(jì)服務(wù)，傭金服務(wù)

on the fly 在百忙中；急忙地；直接地

financial news 財(cái)經(jīng)新聞；交易所新聞，股票消息

on the other hand 另一方面

information flow 信息流

Abbreviations

B2B（Business-to-Business） 企業(yè)對(duì)企業(yè)

B2C（Business-to-Consumer） 企業(yè)對(duì)消費(fèi)者

B2G（Business-to-Government） 企業(yè)對(duì)政府

C2C（Consumer-to-Consumer） 消費(fèi)者對(duì)消費(fèi)者

XML（eXtensible Markup Language） 可擴(kuò)展標(biāo)記語(yǔ)言

EPS（Electronic Payment Systems） 電子支付系統(tǒng)

IRC（Internet Relay Chatting） 互聯(lián)網(wǎng)在線聊天系統(tǒng)

PDA（Personal Digital Assistant） 個(gè)人數(shù)字助理，掌上電腦

ICT（Information and Communications Technology）信息與通信技術(shù)

Exercises

[Ex.1] Answer the following questions according to the text.

1.What does electronic commerce refer to？What is it usually associated with？

2.What are the major different kinds of e-commerce mentioned in the text？

3.What is B2B e-commerce defined as？What does it deal with？

4.What is the definition of e-market？

5.How does B2C e-commerce reduce transactions costs（particularly search costs）？

6.What are the two features B2G has？

7.What are the three forms C2C comes in？

8.What is m-commerce？

9.What industries are affected by m-commerce？

10.What are the three primary processes which are enhanced in e-business？

[Ex.2] Translate the following terms or phrases from English into Chinese and vice versa.

1.transportation 1.-----____

2.competitive price 2.-____

3.electronic commerce 3.-____

4.inventory management 4.-____

5.online retailing 5.____

6.通信 6.-____

7.基于瀏覽器的 7.-----____

8.傳播，分發(fā) 8.-----____

9.電子基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施 9.-----____

10.可升級(jí)的 10.-----____

[Ex.3] Translate the following passage into Chinese.

What Is E-commerce？

Electronic commerce or e-commerce is a term for any type of business，or commercial transaction，which involves the transfer of information across the Internet.It covers a range of different types of businesses，from consumer based retail sites，through auction sites，to business exchanges trading goods and services between corporations.It is currently one of the most important aspects of the Internet to emerge.

The history of e-commerce dates back to 1970，when for the first time，Electronic Data Interchange（EDI）and electronic fund transfer were introduced.Since then，a rapid growth of e-commerce has pervaded almost every aspect of business such as supply chain management， transaction processing，Internet marketing，and inventory management.

E-commerce allows consumers to electronically exchange goods and services with no barriers of time or distance.It has expanded rapidly over the past five years and is predicted to continue at this rate，or even accelerate.In the near future the boundaries between “conventional” and “electronic” commerce will become increasingly blurred as more and more businesses move sections of their operations onto the Internet.

[Ex.4] Fill in the blanks with the words given below.

onlineaccountmakeconsiderationbusiness

wantsiteneede-commerceresearch

To start an online business it is best to find a niche product that consumers have difficulty finding in malls or department stores.Also take shipping into 1.Pets.com found out the hard way：dog food is expensive to ship FedEx！Then you need an e-commerce enabled website.This can either be a new 2 developed from scratch，or an existing site to which you can add e-commerce shopping cart capabilities.

The next step，you need a means of accepting 3 payments.This usually entails obtaining a merchant 4 and accepting credit cards through an online payment gateway.Some smaller sites stick with simpler methods of accepting payments such as PayPal.

Lastly，you 5 a marketing strategy for driving targeted traffic to your site and a means of enticing repeat customers.If you are new to 6 keep things simple—know your limitations.

E-commerce has proved to be a suitable alternative for people who 7 to shop and transact from the confines of their home.It can be a very rewarding venture，but you cannot 8 money overnight.It is important to do a lot of 9 ，ask questions，work hard and make on business decisions on facts learned from researching e-commerce.Don’t rely on “gut” feelings.We hope our online e-commerce tutorial has helped your 10 make a better decision in choosing an online shopping cart for your e-commerce store.

Text B

E-commerce and Selling Online

1.Overview

E-commerce plays an increasingly important role in the way in which products and services are purchased.Selling products and services online can help your business become more profitable and lower your costs.E-commerce can also strengthen and improve the efficiency of your relationships with suppliers and other key trading partners.

It's important to plan for the ongoing development and maintenance of any e-commerce system from the start.You also need to be aware of your legal obligations when selling online.

掃一掃，聽(tīng)課文

2.Get Started with E-commerce

Investigate your options for getting online.Make sure you choose the right website and e-mail addresses so your customers and suppliers can find you quickly and easily.

Consider the different ways to connect your business to the Internet.A range of options are available including ADSL，dial-up，cable and satellite.

Pay attention to the design of your site.The overall look and feel will play an important role in its usability.There are also legal issues to consider in the design of the website.For example，you must ensure it’s accessible for disabled people.

If you want to sell directly through your website，you’ll need to have the infrastructure in place to showcase your products and services and process orders electronically.

To complete your e-commerce solution，you’ll need to set up the facility to accept payment through your website.

Once your shop is online，consider how to monitor its effectiveness，make it more powerful and ultimately sell more through it.Think about how you can drive traffic to your site.

3.Maintain and Develop Your E-commerce Services

Your work doesn’t end once your initial e-commerce system is up and running.You need to maintain the site，constantly review how well it is operating and consider new opportunities and ways of working that it may present to you.

（1）Maintaining Your E-commerce Site

You must ensure that the content of the site is accurate and updated regularly.This will help to promote a positive image for the business，attracting and retaining visitors to the site.

As your e-commerce presence grows，you must protect yourself against the threats posed by hackers，viruses and fraudsters.Identify the risks they pose and implement appropriate security controls to counter them.

（2）Identifying New Opportunities

Mobile commerce（m-commerce）is a type of e-commerce using mobile devices such as mobile phones，smart-phones，tablet computers and other devices with a wireless connection.M-commerce brings new opportunities to small businesses both to sell new services and to operate existing businesses more efficiently.

Extranets enables your business to communicate and collaborate more effectively with selected business partners，suppliers and customers.They can play an important role in enhancing business relationships and improving supply chain management.Intranets are an invaluable way to communicate with employees，especially for businesses with multiple locations and staff who work remotely or from home.

An e-marketplace allows you to use a variety of online services such as electronic catalog，business directory listings and online auctions to sell your goods and services more effectively to other businesses.

4.Selling Online：the Advantages

Selling online has a number of advantages over other selling methods，including：

? Savings in set-up and operational costs.You don’t need to rent high street premises or pay shop assistants.

? Reducing order processing costs.Customer orders can automatically come straight into your orders database from the website.

? Reaching a global audience，increasing sales opportunities.

? Competing with larger businesses by being able to open 24 hours a day，seven days a week.

? Quicker payments from online transactions.

? Improving your business using data gathered from tracking customer purchases.

? Using your online shop as a catalog for existing customers.

Online selling will work best if you have：

? well-defined products or services that can be sold without human involvement in the sales process；

? fixed prices for all types of potential customers；

? products or services that can be delivered within a predictable lead time.

5.Selling Online：the Disadvantages

Selling online also has a number of disadvantages over other selling methods，including：

? Authenticity and security.Due to the lack of trust，a large number of people do not use the Internet for any kind of financial transaction.Many people have reservations regarding the requirement to disclose personal and private information for security concerns.Some people simply refuse to trust the authenticity of completely impersonal business transactions，as in the case of e-commerce.

? Time-consuming.The time period required for delivering physical products can also be quite significant in case of e-commerce.Hence it is not suitable for perishable commodities like food items.A lot of phone calls and e-mails may be required till you get your desired products.

? Inconvenient.People prefer to shop in the conventional way than to use e-commerce for purchasing food products and objects that need to be felt and touched before actually making the purchase.So e-commerce is not suitable for such business sectors.However，returning the product and getting a refund can be even more troublesome and time-consuming than purchasing，in case you are not satisfied with a particular product.

6.Selling Online：Types of Shops

（1）Basic Online Shops

Basic online shops allow you to sell a small range of products，providing photos，descriptions and prices as well as accept orders online.

Most customers shopping online will want to pay by debit or credit card.You can create electronic mail-order forms using web authoring software packages.These order forms let customers e-mail their orders to be processed offline.You’ll need a more sophisticated online shop if you want to accept card payments online.

A basic site is of low cost and easy to create for a limited product range.But it might have restricted design and functionality and might be less secure than more sophisticated options.

（2）Intermediate Online Shops

An intermediate online shop is typically an e-commerce package and should include catalog management，enhanced order processing and a broader range of design templates.

It should also include encryption for secure ordering.Using Secure Socket Layer^[2] technology to collect card details（noted by the “golden padlock” symbol in your browser’s status bar）is key to encouraging online sales.

Some e-commerce packages may offer back end systems integration，i.e.they connect to your product database and accounts systems.

An intermediate-level site might not be suitable if you want to offer more complex products and services.

（3）Sophisticated Online Shops

Sophisticated online shops should provide a range of options，including cutting-edge design and functionality，personalized pages and product news.

Software can be integrated to trigger order confirmations and automatically dispatch goods and replenish stocks.

You may need a design and development company to help define your technical requirements and integrate the website with your existing systems.

You could also consider free，open source^[3] shopping cart software packages.This should allow you to set up a sophisticated e-commerce website that has a wide range of options，features and support，even if you have only basic computer skills.

7.Selling Online：Common Mistakes

Customers will be put off by：

? out-of-date or incorrect information；

? difficult site navigation and purchasing processes；

? poor customer fulfillment and late delivery；

? lack of customer support；

? lack of business information；

? poor visual design.

To make customers feel secure about buying from your site，you should：

? make your site easy to navigate and user friendly；

? make sure photographic images on your site are accurate and show products in their best light；

? hire a customer service representative who can give advice on the phone to customers on more complex or expensive products；

? make ordering procedures straightforward and quick；

? confirm orders immediately by e-mail；

? be honest—i.e.tell the customer if you can’t deliver on time；

? provide a way for customers to track down the progress and availability of their order.

New Words

increasingly adv. 日益，愈加

strengthen v. 加強(qiáng)，鞏固

trading n. 貿(mào)易

investigate v. 調(diào)查，研究

dial-up n. 撥號(hào)（上網(wǎng)）

cable n. 電纜

usability n. 可用性

accessible adj. 易接近的，可到達(dá)的，可理解的

showcase v. 展現(xiàn)，在玻璃櫥窗陳列

effectiveness n. 效力

accurate adj. 正確的，精確的

regularly adv. 定期地，有規(guī)律地，有規(guī)則地

retain v. 保持，保留

hacker n. 計(jì)算機(jī)黑客

extranet n. 外聯(lián)網(wǎng)

intranet n. 內(nèi)聯(lián)網(wǎng)

invaluable adj. 無(wú)價(jià)的，無(wú)法估計(jì)的

remotely adv. 遠(yuǎn)程地，遙遠(yuǎn)地

catalog n. 目錄，目錄冊(cè)

v. 編目錄

database n. 數(shù)據(jù)庫(kù)，資料庫(kù)

predictable adj. 可預(yù)言的

authenticity n. 確實(shí)性，真實(shí)性

disclose v. 揭露，透露

refuse v. 拒絕，謝絕

perishable adj. 容易腐爛的

commodity n. 日用品

inconvenient adj. 不便的，有困難的

mail-order adj. 郵購(gòu)的

e-mail n. 電子郵件，電子信函

restricted adj. 受限制的，有限的

template n.（=templet）模板

padlock n. 掛鎖

confirmation n. 證實(shí)，確認(rèn)，批準(zhǔn)

dispatch v. 分派，派遣

n. 派遣，急件

replenish v. 補(bǔ)充

out-of-date adj. 過(guò)時(shí)的，落伍的

visual adj. 視覺(jué)的，形象的

confirm v. 確定，批準(zhǔn)

honest adj. 誠(chéng)實(shí)的，正直的

Phrases

be aware of 知道，明白，意識(shí)到

legal obligation 法律義務(wù)（如合同契約等）

pay attention to 注意

think about 考慮，回想

tablet computer 平板電腦

business partner 業(yè)務(wù)伙伴

play an important role in… 在……中起重要作用

a number of 許多的

operational cost 運(yùn)營(yíng)成本，運(yùn)作成本

high street 大街，主要街道

shop assistant 店員

fixed price 固定價(jià)格

financial transaction 金融業(yè)務(wù)，財(cái)務(wù)事項(xiàng)，財(cái)務(wù)往來(lái)

suitable for… 適合……的

be satisfy with… 對(duì)……感到滿意，滿足于……

order form 訂貨單

Secure Socket Layer 安全套接層協(xié)議

back end 后端，后臺(tái)

replenish stock 補(bǔ)充庫(kù)存，補(bǔ)貨

open source 開(kāi)放資源，開(kāi)源

customer service representative 客服代表

track down 追尋，追蹤，追到

Abbreviations

ADSL（Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line） 非對(duì)稱數(shù)字用戶線路

Exercises

[Ex.5] Answer the following questions according to the text.

1.What can selling products and services online do for your business？

2.Once your shop is online，what should you do？

3.What must you do as your e-commerce presence grows？

4.What do extranets enable your business to do？

5.What should you have if you want your online shopping works best？

6.What disadvantages does online shopping have？

7.How will most customers shopping online want to pay？

8.What may some e-commerce packages offer？

9.What should sophisticated online shops provide？

10.What should you do to make customers feel secure about buying from your site？

Reading Material

E-commerce Advantages and Disadvantages

E-commerce is business transactions through electronic means，including the Internet，telephones，televisions and computers.As the number of Internet users grows，many believe e-commerce will soon be the main way to complete business transactions.There are purchasers and business alike that are affected by e-commerce.Let’s take a look and see the main e-commerce advantages and disadvantages.

1.E-commerce Advantages

（1）E-commerce Advantages for Customers

1）Convenience.Every product is at the tip of your fingers on the Internet，literally^[4].Type in the product you are looking for into your favorite search engine and every option will appear in a well organized list in a matter of^[5] seconds.

2）Time saving.With e-commerce there is no driving in circles while looking and digging in hopes of finding what you need.Stores online offer their full line as well as use warehouses instead of store fronts^[6].Products are easy to locate and can be delivered to your door in just days.

3）Options，options，options！Without driving from store to store the consumer can easily compare and contrast products.See who offers the best pricing and have more options to choose from.While a physical store^[7] has limited space，the same store on the Internet will have full stock.

4）Easy to compare.Side by side^[8] comparisons are readily available and easy to do.When products are placed online，they come with all the specifics，and they want you to compare them with others，know they have the best options and come back for more！

5）Easy to find reviews.Because the competition^[9] is high，companies online want you to look at other consumer reviews.Good and bad reviews are on every site，not only can you see if the product is liked，you can also see the reasons behind the thumbs up^[10] or down.

6）Coupons^[11] and deals.With every online business wanting you，more and more coupons and deals can’t be avoided，which are totally great for customers.With major sites that act as department store，you may find items up to 80% off！Take advantage of the competition and find the best price available.

（2）E-commerce Advantages for Businesses

1）Increasing customer base.The customer base is every business’s main concern，online or off.When online，a business doesn’t have to worry about getting the best property^[12] in town，people from from around the world have access to their products and can come back at anytime.

2）Rise in sales.By not managing a store front，any business will have more sales online with a higher profit margin.They can redistribute^[13] money to make the consumer shopping experience faster and more efficient.While being available to international markets，more products will sell.

3）24/7，365 days.If it’s snowing and the roads are closed，or it’s too hot and humid to even step outside in the summer，or a holiday that every store in town closes，your online business is open for consumers 24/7 every day of the year.The doors never close and profits will keep rising.

4）Expand business reach.A great tool on the Internet is…translation！A business online does not have to make a site for every language.With the right marketing，every consumer around the globe can find the business site，products and information without leaving home.

5）Recurring payments made easy.With a little research，every business can set up recurring payments.Find the provider that best suits your needs and billing will be done in a consistent manner；payments will be received in the same way.

6）Instant transactions.With e-commerce there is no more waiting for the check to clear，or a 30-day wait for certain other types of payment.Transactions are cleared immediately or at most two to three days for the money to clear through the banking system.

2.E-commerce Disadvantages

（1）E-commerce Disadvantages for Customers

1）Privacy and security.Before making instant transactions online，be sure to check the sites certificates of security.While it may be easy and convenient to shop，no one wants their personal information to be stolen.While many sites are reputable^[14]，always do your research for those with less than sufficient security.

2）Quality.While e-commerce makes everything easily accessible，a consumer cannot actually touch products until they are delivered to the door.It is important to view the return policy before buying.Always make sure returning goods is an option.

3）Hidden costs.When making purchases，the consumer is aware of the product cost，shipping，handling and possible taxes.Be advised：there may be hidden fees that won’t show up on your purchasing bill but will show up on your form of payment.Extra handling fees may occur，especially with international purchases.

4）Delay in receiving goods.Although delivery of products is often quicker than expected，be prepared for^[15] delays.A snow storm in one place may throw off the shipping system across the board.There is also a chance that your product may be lost or delivered to the wrong address.

5）Need access to Internet.Internet access is not free，and if you are using free Wi-Fi，there is the chance of information theft over an insecure site.If you are weary of your public library，or cannot afford the Internet or computer at home，it may be best to shop locally.

6）Lack of personal interaction.While the rules and regulations^[16] of each e-commerce business is laid out for you to read，there is a lot to read and it may be confusing^[17] when it comes to the legalities.With large or important orders，there is no one you can talk to face to face^[18] when you have have questions and concerns.

（2）E-commerce Disadvantages for Businesses

1）Security issues.While businesses make great efforts to keep themselves and the consumer safe，there are people out there that will break every firewall possible to get the information they want.We have all seen recently how the biggest and most renowned business can be hacked online.

2）Credit card issues.Many credit card businesses will take the side of the consumer when there is dispute^[19] about billing.They want to keep their clients，too.This can lead to a loss for e-commerce business when goods have already been delivered and the payment is refunded back to the consumer.

3）Extra expense and expertise for e-commerce infrastructure.To be sure an online business is running correctly，money will have to be invested.As an owner，you need to know transactions are being handled properly and products are represented in the most truthful^[20] way.To make sure you get what you need，you will have to hire a professional to tie up any loose ends.

4）Needs for expanded reverse logistics.The infrastructure of an online business must be on point.This will be another cost to the business because money will need to be invested to ensure proper handling of all aspects of buying and selling，especially with disgruntled^[21] consumers who want more than a refund.

5）Sufficient^[22] Internet service.Although it seems that everyone is now on the Internet all the time，there are still areas in which network bandwidth^[23] can cause issues.Before setting up an e-commerce business，be sure your area can handle the telecommunication bandwidth you will need to run effectively.

6）Constant upkeep^[24].When a business has started as e-commerce，they must be ready to make changes to stay compatible.While technology grows，the systems that support your business must be kept up to date or replaced if needed.There may be additional overhead^[25] in order to keep databases and applications running.

參考譯文 什么是電子商務(wù)？

電子商務(wù)是指各類產(chǎn)品和服務(wù)的在線商業(yè)活動(dòng)。它也適用于“當(dāng)事人以電子方式進(jìn)行交互而不是通過(guò)實(shí)際交換或直接物體交換的任何形式的商業(yè)交易”。

電子商務(wù)通常與通過(guò)互聯(lián)網(wǎng)進(jìn)行的購(gòu)買(mǎi)和銷售相關(guān)，或者與通過(guò)計(jì)算機(jī)中介網(wǎng)絡(luò)進(jìn)行轉(zhuǎn)讓商品或服務(wù)的所有權(quán)或使用權(quán)的任何交易相關(guān)。雖然這個(gè)定義很流行，但是不夠全面，不足以捕捉這種新的和革命性的商業(yè)現(xiàn)象的最新發(fā)展。更完整的定義是：電子商務(wù)是在商業(yè)交易中使用電子通信和數(shù)字信息處理技術(shù)來(lái)創(chuàng)建、轉(zhuǎn)換和重新定義組織之間，以及組織和個(gè)人之間的創(chuàng)造價(jià)值的關(guān)系。

電子商務(wù)的主要類型有：企業(yè)對(duì)企業(yè)（B2B）；企業(yè)對(duì)消費(fèi)者（B2C）；企業(yè)對(duì)政府（B2G）；消費(fèi)者對(duì)消費(fèi)者（C2C）以及移動(dòng)商務(wù)（M-commerce）。

1.什么是B2B電子商務(wù)？

B2B電子商務(wù)被簡(jiǎn)單地定義為公司之間的電子商務(wù)。這類電子商務(wù)涉及企業(yè)之間的關(guān)系。大約80%的電子商務(wù)屬于這種類型。并且大多數(shù)專家預(yù)測(cè)，B2B電子商務(wù)將繼續(xù)增長(zhǎng)，其速度會(huì)超過(guò)B2C市場(chǎng)。B2B市場(chǎng)有兩個(gè)主要組成部分：電子基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施和電子市場(chǎng)。

電子基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施是B2B的結(jié)構(gòu)，主要包括以下內(nèi)容：

?物流——運(yùn)輸、倉(cāng)儲(chǔ)和分配（如寶潔公司）；

?應(yīng)用服務(wù)提供商——從中央設(shè)施部署、托管和管理軟件包（如Oracle和Linkshare）；

?在電子商務(wù)過(guò)程中外包功能，例如網(wǎng)絡(luò)托管、安全和客戶服務(wù)解決方案（如eShare，NetSales，iXL Enterprises和Universal Access等外包供應(yīng)商）；

?用于互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的實(shí)時(shí)拍賣操作和維護(hù)的拍賣解決方案軟件（如Moai Technologies和OpenSite Technologies）；

?內(nèi)容管理軟件，用于促進(jìn)網(wǎng)站內(nèi)容管理和交付（如Interwoven和ProcureNet）；

?基于Web的商業(yè)提供者（如Commerce One，基于瀏覽器，支持XML的采購(gòu)自動(dòng)化軟件）。

電子市場(chǎng)被簡(jiǎn)單地定義為買(mǎi)方和賣方交互并進(jìn)行交易的網(wǎng)站。

B2B大多數(shù)應(yīng)用于供應(yīng)商管理（特別是采購(gòu)訂單處理）、庫(kù)存管理（即管理訂單——交貨單循環(huán)）、配送管理（特別是運(yùn)輸單據(jù)的傳輸）、渠道管理（如運(yùn)營(yíng)時(shí)渠道中信息的傳播）和支付管理（如電子支付系統(tǒng)）。

2.什么是B2C電子商務(wù)？

B2C是企業(yè)對(duì)消費(fèi)者的電子商務(wù)，或公司和消費(fèi)者之間的商務(wù)，它涉及收集客戶信息、購(gòu)買(mǎi)實(shí)體商品（即有形產(chǎn)品如書(shū)籍或消費(fèi)品）或信息商品（或電子材料或數(shù)字化內(nèi)容，如軟件或電子書(shū)）以及通過(guò)電子網(wǎng)絡(luò)接收的信息產(chǎn)品。

它是電子商務(wù)的第二大和最早形式。其起源可以追溯到在線零售（或電子零售）。因此，更常見(jiàn)的B2C商業(yè)模式是在線零售公司，如Amazon、Drugstore、Beyond、Barnes and Noble和ToysRus。其他涉及信息商品的B2C例子有E-Trade和Travelocity等。

此類電子商務(wù)更常見(jiàn)的應(yīng)用是購(gòu)買(mǎi)產(chǎn)品和信息以及個(gè)人財(cái)務(wù)管理領(lǐng)域，其涉及通過(guò)使用在線銀行工具來(lái)管理個(gè)人投資和財(cái)務(wù)。

通過(guò)增加消費(fèi)者對(duì)信息的訪問(wèn)，并允許消費(fèi)者為產(chǎn)品或服務(wù)找到最具競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力的價(jià)格，B2C電子商務(wù)降低了交易成本（特別是搜索成本）。B2C電子商務(wù)還減少了市場(chǎng)準(zhǔn)入壁壘，因?yàn)榻⒑途S護(hù)網(wǎng)站的成本比為企業(yè)建立“實(shí)體”結(jié)構(gòu)便宜得多。對(duì)于信息產(chǎn)品而言，B2C電子商務(wù)更具吸引力，因?yàn)槠髽I(yè)不必考慮物理分銷網(wǎng)絡(luò)從而節(jié)省了額外成本。此外，對(duì)于互聯(lián)網(wǎng)人口增長(zhǎng)壯大的國(guó)家，提供信息產(chǎn)品變得越來(lái)越可行。

3.什么是B2G電子商務(wù)？

企業(yè)對(duì)政府的電子商務(wù)或B2G通常被定義為公司和公共部門(mén)之間的商業(yè)。它是指使用互聯(lián)網(wǎng)進(jìn)行公共采購(gòu)、許可程序和其他政府相關(guān)業(yè)務(wù)。這種電子商務(wù)有兩個(gè)特點(diǎn)：一是公共部門(mén)在建立電子商務(wù)方面具有引領(lǐng)或主導(dǎo)作用；二是假設(shè)公共部門(mén)最需要使其采購(gòu)系統(tǒng)更有效。

基于網(wǎng)絡(luò)的采購(gòu)政策提高了采購(gòu)過(guò)程的透明度并降低了違規(guī)行為的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。然而，到目前為止，B2G電子商務(wù)市場(chǎng)的規(guī)模對(duì)于整個(gè)電子商務(wù)而言是微不足道的，因?yàn)檎娮硬少?gòu)系統(tǒng)仍然不發(fā)達(dá)。

4.什么是C2C電子商務(wù)？

消費(fèi)者對(duì)消費(fèi)者的電子商務(wù)或C2C就是個(gè)人或消費(fèi)者之間的商務(wù)。這種類型的電子商務(wù)的特征在于電子市場(chǎng)和在線拍賣的增長(zhǎng)，特別是在垂直行業(yè)中，公司或企業(yè)可以從多個(gè)供應(yīng)商競(jìng)標(biāo)中選擇他們想要的商品。它可能是在發(fā)展新市場(chǎng)方面具有最大潛力。

這種類型的電子商務(wù)至少有三種形式：

?在諸如eBay之類的門(mén)戶上進(jìn)行拍賣，從而允許對(duì)網(wǎng)上銷售的物品在線實(shí)時(shí)出價(jià)；

?對(duì)等網(wǎng)絡(luò)系統(tǒng)，如Napster模型（用于類似于IRC的聊天論壇的用戶之間共享文件的協(xié)議）以及其他文件交換和稍后的貨幣兌換模型；

?門(mén)戶網(wǎng)站的分類廣告，如Excite Classifieds和eWanted，Pakwheels（一個(gè)互動(dòng)的、買(mǎi)家和賣家可以談判的在線市場(chǎng)，以及具有“買(mǎi)家主導(dǎo)和分類廣告”功能）。

關(guān)于全球C2C電子商務(wù)相對(duì)規(guī)模的信息很少。然而，受歡迎的C2C網(wǎng)站，如eBay和Napster的C2C數(shù)字表明，這個(gè)市場(chǎng)是相當(dāng)大的。這些網(wǎng)站每天產(chǎn)生數(shù)百萬(wàn)美元的銷售。

（1）C2C站點(diǎn)的優(yōu)點(diǎn)

消費(fèi)者對(duì)消費(fèi)者電子商務(wù)有很多好處。對(duì)消費(fèi)者來(lái)說(shuō)，主要好處是可以降低成本。在其他電子商務(wù)網(wǎng)站上購(gòu)買(mǎi)廣告空間很貴。賣家可以在C2C網(wǎng)站免費(fèi)或以最低費(fèi)用張貼其商品。C2C網(wǎng)站為希望購(gòu)買(mǎi)和銷售相關(guān)產(chǎn)品的買(mǎi)家和賣家提供了一個(gè)完美的平臺(tái)。找到相關(guān)產(chǎn)品的能力導(dǎo)致了訪問(wèn)者的客戶轉(zhuǎn)化率的增加。企業(yè)主可以廉價(jià)維護(hù)C2C網(wǎng)站、增加利潤(rùn)而不需要花費(fèi)額外的成本建立銷售地點(diǎn)。C2C電子商務(wù)網(wǎng)站的一個(gè)很好的例子是Esty，它允許消費(fèi)者購(gòu)買(mǎi)和銷售手工或復(fù)古的物品和用品，包括藝術(shù)、攝影、服裝、首飾、食品、浴室和美容產(chǎn)品、棉被、小裝飾品和玩具。

（2）C2C網(wǎng)站的缺點(diǎn)

此類網(wǎng)站也有幾個(gè)缺點(diǎn)。在這些類型的網(wǎng)站上進(jìn)行交易需要買(mǎi)賣雙方的合作。已經(jīng)多次注意到，這兩者在交易完成后并不相互合作。他們不分享可以通過(guò)信用卡或借記卡或網(wǎng)上銀行進(jìn)行的交易信息。因?yàn)橘I(mǎi)方和賣方互相不是很熟悉，這就可能導(dǎo)致在線欺詐。如果沒(méi)有在條款和條件中提及免責(zé)聲明，這可能導(dǎo)致訴訟被強(qiáng)加在任何一方或網(wǎng)站上。這也可能損害C2C網(wǎng)站的聲譽(yù)。處理消費(fèi)者對(duì)消費(fèi)者電子商務(wù)網(wǎng)站的公司似乎已經(jīng)變得非常謹(jǐn)慎，以防止在線欺詐。

5.什么是移動(dòng)電子商務(wù)？

移動(dòng)電子商務(wù)是通過(guò)無(wú)線技術(shù)——如手持設(shè)備（如蜂窩電話）和個(gè)人數(shù)字助理（PDA）來(lái)購(gòu)買(mǎi)和銷售商品和服務(wù)。

由于通過(guò)無(wú)線設(shè)備遞送內(nèi)容變得更快、更安全和可升級(jí)，一些人認(rèn)為移動(dòng)電子商務(wù)將超過(guò)有線電子商務(wù)，成為數(shù)字商務(wù)交易的首選方法。對(duì)于亞太地區(qū)來(lái)說(shuō)可能是真的，因?yàn)閬喬貐^(qū)的手機(jī)用戶比互聯(lián)網(wǎng)用戶多。

受移動(dòng)電子商務(wù)影響的行業(yè)包括：

1）金融服務(wù)：包括手機(jī)銀行（當(dāng)客戶使用手持設(shè)備訪問(wèn)他們的賬戶并支付賬單時(shí)），以及經(jīng)紀(jì)服務(wù)（可以顯示股票報(bào)價(jià)并從同一手持設(shè)備進(jìn)行交易）。

2）電信：更改服務(wù)項(xiàng)目、支付賬單和審查賬戶都可以從同一手持設(shè)備進(jìn)行。

3）服務(wù)/零售：因?yàn)橄M(fèi)者能當(dāng)場(chǎng)直接下訂單和支付訂單。

4）信息服務(wù)：包括向單個(gè)移動(dòng)設(shè)備提供娛樂(lè)、財(cái)經(jīng)新聞、體育數(shù)據(jù)和更新交通信息。

6.電子商務(wù)與電子業(yè)務(wù)相同嗎？

雖然“電子商務(wù)”和“電子業(yè)務(wù)”這兩個(gè)詞可以互換使用，但它們是不同的概念。在電子商務(wù)中，信息和通信技術(shù)（ICT）用于企業(yè)間或組織間交易（企業(yè)/組織之間的交易）和企業(yè)對(duì)消費(fèi)者交易（企業(yè)/組織和個(gè)人之間的交易）。

另一方面，在電子業(yè)務(wù)中ICT用于增強(qiáng)自己的業(yè)務(wù)。它包括商業(yè)組織（營(yíng)利性、政府或非營(yíng)利實(shí)體）通過(guò)計(jì)算機(jī)網(wǎng)絡(luò)進(jìn)行的任何活動(dòng)。電子業(yè)務(wù)的更全面的定義是：

“通過(guò)應(yīng)用新經(jīng)濟(jì)的技術(shù)、哲學(xué)和計(jì)算模式，轉(zhuǎn)變組織流程，提供額外的客戶價(jià)值。”

電子業(yè)務(wù)增強(qiáng)了三個(gè)主要過(guò)程：

1）生產(chǎn)過(guò)程包括采購(gòu)、訂購(gòu)和補(bǔ)充庫(kù)存，付款，與供應(yīng)商的電子鏈接以及生產(chǎn)控制過(guò)程及其他。

2）以客戶為中心的流程，包括促銷和營(yíng)銷工作、通過(guò)互聯(lián)網(wǎng)銷售、處理客戶的采購(gòu)訂單和付款以及客戶支持等。

3）內(nèi)部管理流程，包括員工服務(wù)、培訓(xùn)、內(nèi)部信息共享、視頻會(huì)議和招聘。電子應(yīng)用增強(qiáng)生產(chǎn)和銷售部門(mén)之間的信息流以提高銷售人員的生產(chǎn)力。工作組通信和內(nèi)部業(yè)務(wù)信息的電子發(fā)布也更有效。