The main problem facing business to business transactions online is in the back end of Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment applications. Invoicing, review, approval and payment authorization and instructions take place over the Internet. Settlement is then accomplished through clearing houses, initiating payments of $2.750 trillion in 2006. The anonymity of the Internet and lack of the cardholder being present with a required signature create susceptibility to fraud and having the bank issue a chargeback. Businesses disputing chargebacks find the process discouraging, so paperwork is necessary. Documentation must be obtained, retained and required for every stage of the sale. Human intervention is necessary at times, such as with international orders, P.O. box orders and orders over a certain amount and suspicious orders. Shippers with proof of delivery signatures can be used for safety, and seller fraud protection may be provided by payment processors.
From the perspective of advertising products and services, it is easy for a merchant's product or service to get lost in the thousands of other merchants offering the same thing. To rise above the rest, a merchant can employ search engine advertisements, in order to appear first to the seeker of that merchant's service or product. Another way of advertising is "cost-per-click" advertising...
Keywords that define the service or product are important to post so seekers can find the merchant by how they define the product or service. Banners, pop-ups and embedded ads on popular sites are other ways that merchants can advertise. Pricing is a set cost per thousand impressions (CPMs). Reciprocal links are an inexpensive way to advertise on free sites and online forums provide "information" to seekers about a merchant's services or product. (Advertising 1)
Payments, customer satisfaction, supply chain management and advertising are just a few of the challenges that an e-business faces when offering products or services over the Internet.
Works Cited
Advertising Online." Business Victoria. 2006. http://www.business.vic.gov.au/BUSVIC/STANDARD/1001/PC_50952.html.
E-business customer satisfaction is moving up -- slowly" Internet Retailer. 20 Aug 2003. http://www.internetretailer.com/internet/marketing-conference/18819-e-business-customer-satisfaction-moving-up-slowly.html.
Report Highlights." bcc Research. 1999. http://www.bccresearch.com/ift/IFT036A.asp.
Seitz, Patrick. "Defense E-Business Tool Streamlines Payment Process." Washington Technology. 08/16/99; Vol. 14 No. 10: 234.
