The Complete E-Commerce Book, 2nd Edition

The Complete E-Commerce Book, 2nd Edition

by Janice Reynolds
Released March 2004
Publisher(s): CRC Press
ISBN: 9781482295665

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

'The Complete E-Commerce Book offers a wealth of information on how to design, build and maintain a successful web-based business.... Many of the chapters are filled with advice and information on how to incorporate current e-business principles o

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. Preface
  3. 1. The E-Commerce Phenomenon
    1. The E-Commerce Decision
      1. The Brick-and-Mortar’s Decision
      2. An Entrepreneur’s New Web Venture
    2. The Essentials
    3. Why Go to the Web?
      1. Look Before You Leap
      2. The Challenge
    4. Website Models
      1. Brochureware Site
      2. Online Store
      3. Subscription Site
      4. Advertising Site
      5. Online or Cyber Mall
      6. Business-to-Business Site
      7. Auction Site
      8. Weblog
      9. Peer-to-Peer Site
    5. Conclusion
  4. 2. Designing Your Website
    1. What’s Your Line?
    2. Target “Your” Customers
    3. Your Website’s Blueprint
      1. Storyboard
      2. Site Description
      3. Website Content
    4. Design
      1. Stickiness and Traffic Generation
        1. Content
        2. Search Engines
      2. Performance
        1. Tables
      3. Ease of Use
        1. Site Navigation
      4. Content Visibility
        1. Viewable Site
        2. Frames
        3. Java
        4. Plug-Ins
    5. Conclusion
  5. 3. The Devil is in the Details
    1. Domain Name
      1. Registering Your Website’s Domain Name
    2. Digital Certificates
      1. SSL
      2. Obtaining Your Digital Certificate
    3. Merchant Account
      1. Offline Order Processing
      2. Real-Time Credit Card Authorization
    4. Check Processing
    5. Other Payment Options
      1. Online Escrow Services
      2. Email Payment Services
    6. Conclusion
  6. 4. Server Hardware
    1. The Small Website’s Server Specifications
      1. Server Needs
    2. Server Specifications for a Robust Website
      1. Server Needs
    3. The Terminology
      1. Processor Architecture
      2. Clusters
      3. Load Balancing Switches and Routers
      4. Rack Units
      5. Multiple-CPU Servers
      6. Server Cabinet
    4. Sample Website Server Configurations
      1. Simple Website
      2. Complex Website
        1. Example 1
        2. Example 2
      3. Enterprise Website
        1. Example 1
        2. Example 2
    5. Conclusion
  7. 5. Redundancy
    1. Backup
    2. Uninterruptable Power Supply
      1. Standby Power Supply
      2. Hybrid UPS
      3. True UPS
      4. How to Rate UPSs
      5. Maintenance
    3. RAID
      1. RAID Levels
    4. Mirroring
    5. Conclusion
  8. 6. Connectivity
    1. DSL
    2. ISDN
    3. T-1/E-1
    4. Web Host’s/ISP’s Connectivity
      1. T-3/E-3
      2. Optical Carrier (OC)
    5. Conclusion
  9. 7. Security
    1. Develop a Security Plan
    2. Layer your Security
    3. Common Website Security Measures
      1. Routers
      2. Firewalls
      3. Disable Nonessential Services
      4. User Account Security
      5. Data Confidentiality
      6. Software Security
      7. Content Security
      8. Monitoring Your Website
      9. Security and Certification
      10. Credit Card Security
    4. Internet Fraud
      1. Network Level
    5. Security Resources
    6. Conclusion
  10. 8. Infrastructure Software
    1. The Operating System
      1. UNIX
      2. Linux
      3. Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 Server
      4. Windows XP Professional Edition
    2. Your Web Server
      1. Apache
      2. Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS)
      3. Netscape Enterprise Server (NES)
      4. Xitami
      5. Zeus
      6. Log Files
    3. Log Analysis Software
      1. Traffic Reporting
    4. Databases
      1. Database Management Systems
      2. Types of Databases
      3. Database Models
        1. Text File Database
        2. Relational Database
        3. Object-Oriented Database
        4. Differences between Relational and Object-Oriented Databases
      4. Desktop Database Software
      5. Overview of Robust Database Management Systems
    5. Database Publishing
      1. Static Database Publishing
      2. Dynamic Database Publishing
      3. Dynamic Websites and the Search Engine Dilemma
    6. Conclusion
  11. 9. E-Commerce Solutions
    1. HTML Editors
    2. Shrink-wrap E-Commerce Software
    3. All-in-One Website Services
    4. Commerce Servers
    5. Conclusion
  12. 10. Adjunct Software
    1. Online Auction
      1. Requirements
      2. Software
      3. Tips
    2. Peer-to-Peer
      1. Requirements
      2. Business Model
      3. Tips
    3. Weblogs
      1. Requirements
      2. Software
        1. RSS
        2. RSS Editors
        3. Authoring/Publishing Tools
        4. Weblog Services
      3. Business Model
      4. Tips
    4. Conclusion
  13. 11. Quality Assurance
    1. The QA Plan
      1. Testing the Prototype
    2. Server Error Log
    3. Other Items to Check
      1. Spell Check
      2. Hang Time
      3. Printing
    4. Test and Retest
    5. Continual Quality Assurance
      1. Listen to Your Customers
    6. Quality Assurance Plan Guidelines
    7. Focus Groups and Surveys
    8. Conclusion
  14. 12. Website Maintenance and Management
    1. Establishing a Maintenance and Management System
    2. Avoid Simple Errors
    3. Software
    4. Links Management
    5. Content Management
    6. Hardware and Infrastructure Maintenance
    7. Conclusion
  15. 13. Consultants and Vendors
    1. Selecting a Consultant
      1. The Consultant’s Role
      2. The Consultant’s Qualifications
      3. The Request for Proposal (RFP)
      4. The Interview
      5. Review the Proposals
    2. The Consultant Contract
      1. Work Plan
    3. Website Developers
      1. The Contract
    4. Vendor Selection
      1. Vendor Evaluation
      2. Due Diligence
      3. Finalizing the Selection Process
    5. Conclusion
  16. 14. Web-hosting Services
    1. The Web-hosting Service Models
      1. Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
      2. Sub-domain or Non-virtual Account
      3. Dedicated Web-hosting Service
      4. Local Web-hosting Services
      5. Web Developer Hosting
      6. Free Web-hosting Services
    2. Types of Hosting Accounts
      1. Virtual Hosting
      2. Your Own Dedicated Server
      3. Co-hosting or Co-locating
      4. Basic Server Farm
    3. Different Hosting Needs
      1. The Small- to Mid-size Website
      2. The Large to Enterprise Websites
    4. Finding the Right Web-hosting Service
      1. Windows or Unix?
      2. Size of Pipeline
      3. Know Your Traffic Limits
      4. Space
      5. Uptime
      6. Multimedia
      7. CGI Scripts
      8. Telnet Access
      9. E-Commerce
      10. Technical Support
      11. Value-added Services
      12. Site Administration
      13. Flexibility
      14. Security
      15. Email
      16. Autoresponders
      17. Mailing List Management
      18. Online Promotion
      19. Access/Traffic Reports
      20. Multiple Domain Names
      21. File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
      22. Server Performance
      23. Password Protected Area
      24. Backups (Server and Power)
      25. Redundancy
      26. Scalability
      27. Databases
      28. Other Items
    5. Service Level Agreements
    6. Conclusion
  17. 15. Search Engines and Directories
    1. Search Engines
    2. Directories
    3. Hybrid Services
      1. Designing for Search Engines
      2. Use Optimization Tools
      3. You Can Do More
      4. Submitting Your Web Pages
    4. Designing for Directories
    5. Yahoo!
    6. Sponsored Listings
    7. Conclusion
  18. 16. Marketing Your Website
    1. The Marketing Plan
      1. Preparation
      2. Market Positioning
      3. Performance Analysis
      4. Marketing Objectives
      5. Marketing Strategy
      6. Other Elements to Consider
    2. Implementing Your Marketing Plan
      1. Marketing Venues
      2. Consistency
      3. Analyze
      4. Brick-and-Mortar Advantage
    3. On-site Marketing Techniques
      1. Solicit Customer Feedback
      2. Links
      3. Banner Ads
      4. Affiliate Programs
      5. Newsletters
      6. List Management Software
      7. Email
    4. Data Mining
      1. Personalization
    5. Conclusion
  19. 17. Customer Service
    1. The Problem in a Nutshell
    2. Create A Customer Service Strategy
      1. Two Different Approaches
        1. The Separate Technology Method
        2. The Multi-threaded Contact Strategy
      2. Live Interaction
    3. Automation is the Key
      1. FAQs
      2. Email
        1. Email Management Systems
      3. Automated Customer Service Systems
    4. Call Centers
      1. Multi-Media and Web-enabled Contact Centers
    5. Conclusion
  20. 18. Logistics and Order Fulfillment
    1. It’s Still All About the Customer
      1. Order Processing and Fulfillment
    2. Mired in the Small Parcel Dilemma
    3. Logistics
    4. Have a Plan
      1. Exceptions
      2. Management of Suppliers and Channels
      3. Back-end Integration Issues
    5. Shipping
    6. International Orders
    7. Fulfillment
      1. Keep the Customer Informed
    8. Fulfillment Models
      1. The Single Website Order Model
      2. Kiosk Order Model
      3. The Drop-Ship Model
      4. Same-Day Home Delivery Model
      5. Fulfillment Service Provider Model (FSP)
      6. In-Store Fulfillment Model
    9. In-House Solutions
      1. The Small- and Mid-sized Website
        1. Software, etc.
        2. Shipping Procedures
      2. Large and Enterprise Websites
        1. The Options
        2. Upgrading Fulfillment Operations for E-Commerce Activity
        3. Use an Existing Direct-to-Consumer Operation
    10. Outsourcing
      1. When Should You Outsource?
      2. What an FSP Offers
      3. Drop-shipping
      4. Regional Distribution Centers
      5. Your Outsourcing Plan
      6. Issues Specific to a Small Website
      7. How much does it Cost?
      8. The Contract
      9. The Results
      10. Caveats
    11. Conclusion
  21. 19. Final Thoughts
    1. Factors that Can Slow Growth
      1. Customers’ Security Concerns
        1. Privacy Issues
    2. Globalization
  22. Computer Basics
    1. CPU
    2. Memory
    3. Cache
    4. Hard Drives
    5. The Interface
  23. Glossary

Product information

  • Title: The Complete E-Commerce Book, 2nd Edition
  • Author(s): Janice Reynolds
  • Release date: March 2004
  • Publisher(s): CRC Press
  • ISBN: 9781482295665