Development of an E-Commerce Website for a Brick and Mortar Business

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I certify that the work presented in the dissertation is my own unless referenced

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I would like to express my thanks to my advisor, for his suggestions, comments, patience and understanding. Very special thanks to my parents, my father, my mother, my brother and my sister who were continuously supporting me throughout my life and leaving me free in all my decisions. I would also like to thank my colleagues for his technical support whenever I needed. I would like to thank to Department, all the university managers, teachers and students with whom I have worked.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the Study1

Research Aims and Objectives4

Purpose of the Study4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW6

E-Business Concept6

E-Commerce and Web Services7

From the Manufacturer9

Hosting E-Commerce Platform WEBSTIE9

Expanding Your Brick and Mortar Store into a Web Business10

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY12

Research Methodology12

Ethical Issues13

Limitations13

REFERENCES15

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Use of the Internet for commerce or E-business is a popular topic of research efforts and mass-media press reports. Just as the Internet has changed the way people communicate and share information, shopping activities have also been dramatically affected (Bharadwaj, 2000). Online shopping has been touted by some researchers and the press as the replacement for traditional retailers that sell via physical storefronts (Bharadwaj 2000). The promise of a new, preferred retail commerce channel is juxtaposed to the reality that in the second decade of use, electronic commerce has been able to achieve less than four percent of total retail sales (Bharadwaj 2000). This paradox between promise and reality has created a fertile ground for investigation into the motivations and concerns of online shoppers and how E-businesses can allay the fears and concerns of consumers (Bharadwaj 2000).

In less than two decades Internet has been used as a shopping medium, attitudes, assumptions, and perceptions concerning the viability of online-only storefronts and mixed-channel operations that offer a combination of offline and online capabilities have evolved (Bharadwaj 2000). Central to the changing landscape of retailing via the Internet is a growing understanding of consumer motivations and concerns, especially online shoppers (Bharadwaj 2000, p.169). Research into the psyche, motivations, and concerns of people who use the Internet for commerce and other purposes is a popular topic of studies by academics and 2 practitioners (Bharadwaj 2000). How online shoppers select which E-businesses to patronize and why has resulted in the development of multiple theories, concepts, and models (Bharadwaj 2000). Numerous studies report consumers are concerned with how they can determine the trustworthiness of online stores that may not have an associated physical storefront, uses an anonymous medium, requires the sharing of personal and sensitive information, and offers interaction many times only with an intangible object, an E-business site (Bharadwaj 2000).

Online store owners are concerned with how they can make their sites appealing and valuable to consumers as well as how sites can demonstrate a level of legitimacy and trustworthiness sufficient to convince shoppers that purchases can be made with assurance. Researchers agree that for online shopping sites, the development ...