E-commerce

. The internet is changing the balance of power between business and the customer. Before online shopping, companies could be reasonably certain that buying almost anything was not easy, so once a customer found a supplier they were comfortable with they tended to stick with them, at least until something went wrong.

But with the advent of e-commerce, customers can check out the options anywhere, and then buy from anyone. Customers can use comparison sites or shopping agents, or "bots" as they are known, to search the web for a bundle of products and report back on which supplier is offering them the cheapest.

The key to getting customers to buy online is having a site that inspires visitors with confidence. If your company is unable to put up a good website, then it seems natural to assume that your company cannot deliver good products or services. The people who visit your site are called "surfers". They have the same short attention span as TV "channel surfers". The average visitor to a website looks at only three pages before going somewhere else. They will leave at the slightest obstacle.