Value Chain in E-Commerce

A value chain is a model that includes every step a company goes through- from
the initial idea through delivery to customer.

The E-commerce value chain is a process whereby businesses create and deliver
goods or services via the Internet.

The chain involves six key components: content, infrastructure, fulfillment,

customer service, security, and payment.

1. Content refers to the digital products or information that businesses offer

for sale on their websites.

2. Infrastructure includes the hardware, software, and networking

capabilities that businesses need to run their eCommerce operations.

3. Fulfillment refers to the process of fulfilling customer orders, including

warehouse management, order processing, and shipping.

4. Customer service encompasses all the activities that businesses

undertake to provide assistance to customers before, during, and after
purchase.

5. Security refers to the measures businesses take to protect their

eCommerce systems and data from unauthorized access or theft.

6. Payment includes the methods by which customers can pay for goods or
services online. By understanding and managing these components
effectively, businesses can create a successful eCommerce operation.

Legal Guide for E-Commerce

Trade Mark is an essential thing as it protects your brand names & logos. This
helps every business to establish their brand name in the market
TRADEMARK SYMBOLS:

TM [™]

• The TM symbol is used when a trademark owner files the trademark

registration application with the Registrar of trademarks.

• The TM symbol indicates that a trademark registration application exists

concerning the trademark and serves as a warning for infringers, copycats,
duplicators and counter-fitters.

• Trademark owners use the ™ symbol after a text, logo, design or picture,
which they claim as their own but have not been legally registered with a
regulatory authority.

• Usually, businesses will use the TM symbol to indicate their first usage or
that they have applied for its registration

(℠)

 A service mark is similar to a ™ trademark in that it’s an unregistered

designation, but it refers to services rather than a product or good.
 Blue Cross and Blue Shield, American Express, and Planned Parenthood all
use service marks as opposed to the ™ trademark used on something like
an unregistered clothing brand.

® R Symbol
 Once a trademark is registered, then the applicant can start using the ®
symbol next to the trademark.
 The R symbol signifies that the trademark is registered and enjoys
protection from infringement under the Trademark laws.
  Use of the ® symbol after filing a trademark application or without
obtaining trademark registration is unlawful.

E-Commerce Website

Things to consider when choosing your ecommerce solution:

Several systems have to work seamlessly to give your customers the best
ecommerce experience.

1. Website Performance:

Make sure the platform works consistently and has a strong uptime record, so
your website is available when customers want to shop. Pages that load quickly
give customers the best experience.
2. Traffic Capacity:

Can the platform meet your current traffic needs? Does it have the scope to grow
with you as your business expands? Does it handle big days like Black Friday and
Cyber Monday?

3. Mobile Optimization:

More consumers are shopping on mobile device’s so it’s essential that your
platform can optimize your website for an excellent mobile encounter. Look for
ways to enhance customer experience through mobile technology, like
geolocation, which helps customers find the nearest store.

4. Secure Payments and Data:

The platform must be able to protect your data and your customer’s data. Self-
hosted and open-source solutions require you to have a greater understanding of
security, as there’s a higher chance of attack.

3. Ecommerce website builders to use.

Your website builder is the foundation of your online store. Options explicitly
designed for ecommerce give you more options and room to grow than generic
website builders with an ecommerce add-on. Here are a few to consider:

Big Commerce

It has 24/7 support with priority support available for large accounts. There are
plenty of built-in features. Multi-layered security keeps data safe, and local
payment methods bring in customers from around the world.

Shopify:

It is another solution that’s fully hosted and known for being quick and easy to
set up. They have an extensive range of plug-ins, but if you need to use a lot, the
price can quickly add up. Shopify can handle a high number of transactions per
minute, so it can easily cope with traffic spikes.
WooCommerce

It is an open-source WordPress plug-in, so it’s free to install. It’s generally used by

those with an existing WordPress site. WooCommerce is flexible, has limitless
customization, and industry experts audit its secure code.

Purchase a Domain Name

If you already have a domain name, it can be transferred to your online store
builder. If you don’t have a domain name, make sure to purchase. It should be
easy to remember, and generic names should be avoided.

Pick Your Templates: Find a Theme that Matches Your Ecommerce Website
Vision

Templates and Themes are ready-built pages that you can customize to suit your
brand and help your site look good without design or coding skills. Think about
the following areas when selecting a template:

1. Customer navigation.

Smooth navigation is essential to an excellent customer experience. If a customer

can’t find what they want, they’ll hit the back button and shop somewhere else. A
navigation bar is easy to read and located on the left side of the page, as
customers read from left to right.

2. Style of the homepage.

Does the template’s homepage reflect your brand? Does it have areas where you
can include images, slideshows, or videos? Is there space for you to share your
story with site visitors?

3. Customization options.
What parts of the page can be customized? Is there a font and color scheme that
matches your branding? How many images can you include? How are products
displayed, and can they be changed? Can social media be embedded?

Add Your Products

Product pages are among the most critical pages on your site, as they show your
customers what you have to sell. Take the time to ensure you display your new
products in their best light by including optimized product descriptions, eye-
catching images, and easy to navigate categories.

1. Product descriptions.

2. Product images.

3. Product categories.

Set up Payment Methods

The right method is essential for closing a sale. If the method is too complicated
or not trusted, your customer could abandon their cart and not return. Make sure
it also meets your payment processing needs.

1. Three types of ecommerce payment gateways.

There are three types:

1. Redirects

A redirect takes the customer to a separate site to process the payment. The
most widely used example is PayPal. This is a simple solution for retailers and
passes on security concerns to the third party, but adds another step for
customers, which may drive some away.

2. Checkout on time and payment off-site:

This gateway hosts the front-end, including collecting details, but the payment is
processed off-site. Stripe is a popular company offering this service. It takes away
extra steps for customers, but you have to ensure your site is encrypted correctly
so information can be safely sent to the payment processor.

3. On-site Payments

On-site payments happen on your site, which gives you complete control and
responsibility. It’s suitable for large corporations who process a lot of payments,
as they can afford to keep it working and secure.

Sort out Your Shipping Settings

Shipping is a critical component of ecommerce. Customers want products

promptly, so choose your shipping settings wisely.

1. Determine your shipping policy.

Your shipping policy includes fees and carriers. Are you offering for free, a flat
rate, or a variable fee? Who are you shipping with? Also, consider whether you
plan to ship internationally and, if not, make sure that information is readily
available, so international customers aren’t frustrated at checkout.

2. Select ecommerce shipping solutions.

Decide on your shipping solution.

Preview and Publish Your Online Store

A successful launch relies on everything on your site working as it should. If a link

doesn’t work, payments don’t process, or the site doesn’t look good on mobile
devices, it can send customers away and lead to time delays while you fix
mistakes. Make sure you test everything before hitting the publish button.

1. Does checkout work?

2. Are the store’s functions working?

3. Does the store work on mobile?

4. Test your store on different browsers.

5. Set up the store’s settings.

TERMS OF USE

Terms or use or terms & conditions or terms of service is basically a document

that regulates rules to which user should agree if they want to use the service or
product of the company.

It is important as personal data of the online users is stored by the company.

Every user or customer agrees to the terms and conditions provided by the
website owner.

As a company or brand your duty is to make the terms of use available to the
users if they want to review before accepting.

Documents Required:

1. Company details or Information: To establish a connevt between the comaony

and online user, first part of the document contains information about the
company.
2. Rights & Responsibilites of users: This part is focused on user rights related to
website, products or service. User should also know their responsibilities and
actions that may be prohibited.

3. Disclaimer : In this section of the terms of use, you clarify the legal liability for
the damage incurred by the users. This particular section helps you protect your
business from any loss or damage that cannot be foreseen

5. Terms of Use: The term of use is an important part and this is to state of fact
that there can be change in terms of use from time to time if required and user
may or may not be informed. Sometimes the document is necessary by law.

Terms of Payment

Terms of Delivery

Terms of Shipping

Terms of Refund

Terms of use of your website

6. Privacy Policy: One of the most important legal document and it is used to
define the use of online data users data. This data can be customer name,
number, DOB, address, credit card number etc.

It is moral and legal repsonsibilty of companies to declare how they will use that
data or information of users or customers

A privacy document can include:

1. Define information you collect

2. Usage of Cookies

3. Purpose of collecting Information

4. For how much time information will be stored

 Flipkart: Revolutionizing E-Commerce in India - A Case Study

In the dynamic world of e-commerce, few stories stand out as prominently as

that of Flipkart, India's largest online marketplace. Founded in 2007 by Sachin
Bansal and Binny Bansal (unrelated), Flipkart has not only rewritten the rules of
online retail but also played a pivotal role in shaping the e-commerce landscape
in India. This case study examines the journey, strategies, and impact of Flipkart
on the Indian market.

Background:

In the early 2000s, e-commerce was a nascent industry in India, with limited
internet penetration and consumer skepticism. Flipkart recognized these
challenges but also saw the immense potential in a country with a burgeoning
middle class and a desire for convenience and variety in shopping.

Challenges:

1. Infrastructure: Limited logistics and delivery infrastructure posed a challenge

for timely and efficient order fulfillment.

2. Customer Trust: Building trust among Indian consumers wary of online

shopping was critical.

3. Fierce Competition: Competing with global giants like Amazon entering the
Indian market was a constant threat.

Strategies:

1. Customer-Centric Approach: Flipkart focused on understanding and catering

to the unique needs and preferences of Indian consumers, offering features like
Cash on Delivery and easy returns.

2. Logistics Innovation: The company invested heavily in developing its logistics

arm, Ekart, to overcome India's infrastructural hurdles.
3. Marketplace Model: Flipkart transitioned from a pure-play e-commerce
model to a marketplace, allowing third-party sellers to reach a wider customer
base.

4. Big Billion Days: The introduction of annual sales events like Big Billion Days
created buzz, boosted sales, and became a cultural phenomenon.

Results:

1. Market Leadership: Flipkart emerged as the dominant player in the Indian e-

commerce market, with a significant market share.

2. Ecosystem Expansion: Flipkart diversified into various verticals, including

fashion (Myntra), digital payments (PhonePe), and groceries (Flipkart
Supermart).

3. Job Creation: The company played a pivotal role in job creation, both directly
and indirectly, contributing to India's economic growth.

4. Competition and Acquisitions: Intense competition with Amazon led to

mergers and acquisitions, such as Flipkart's acquisition by Walmart in 2018.

Lessons Learned:

1. Adaptability: Flipkart's ability to pivot and adapt to market dynamics was key
to its success.

2. Customer-Centricity: Prioritizing the needs and trust of Indian consumers was

central to building a strong brand.

3. Innovation: Continuous innovation in logistics, technology, and marketing

kept Flipkart ahead of the curve.

Conclusion:

Flipkart's journey from a startup to an e-commerce giant is not just a business

case study but a testament to the power of vision, adaptability, and unwavering
commitment. Its impact on the Indian e-commerce landscape will be felt for
years to come, and its story serves as an inspiration to entrepreneurs and
businesses globally.