e-Commerce:

Buying and Selling on the Internet

 The Internet and Selling
How has the internet changed the way
that items are bought and sold?

How can farm business owners take

advantage of the internet for buying
or selling?
 What We’ll Cover
Selling on the Internet

Buying on the Internet

 Selling on the Internet
Unless they have done it before, few
know how to use the internet as a
sales tool.

There are different ways to use your

website for sales.

You may also use a third-party site to

make sales
Question…

What steps are necessary to make a

sale in any format?
 Selling on Your Website
Conceptually no different from any
other sales outlet
– Display products
– Answer questions
– Provide price information
– Allow customer to make the purchase
– Accept payment
– Provide product & receipt
 Selling on Your Website
To display your products, you should
have a “catalog” that provides photo
& written description with price

Thumbnail photos (Database or static

interface)

Electronic Publication (Can print & view

offline)
 Selling on Your Website
Facilitating the Transaction

Two basic options

• Traditional sales options (phone, fax,
email…)

• Online “shopping carts”

 Selling on Your Website
Traditional Sales Options

Phone
Fax
Email
“Snail Mail”
 Selling on Your Website
Online Shopping Carts

• View order details

• Change order

• Provide running total

• Process sales tax if applicable

An Example Shopping Cart from Amazon.com
 Selling on Your Website
Online Shopping Carts

• You could buy or develop your own

shopping cart technology
• Most use a third party’s services
• See “A Primer on Shopping Cart
Technology” in text.
 Selling on Your Website
Considerations for Making the Sale

1. Don’t ask the buyer to do too

much!
2. Security is vital!
3. Shopping cart technology also
facilitates order processing
 Selling on Other Websites
On-line malls – similar to consignment
shops, most provide
– Tools to build & maintain your shop
– Credit card processing (with security)
– Advertising for the mall
– The ability to easily interface with on-line
auction services
– Flexible fee structure, depending upon
your needs
 Buying on The Internet
• Perform research before determining
which products are right for you
• Be sure that the purchase is secure!
• You may be able to track your order
• You should receive an electronic receipt
• As you make purchases, note what you
like and what you don’t like.
 Section Wrap-Up
• Selling on the internet can be
beneficial
• There are several different ways to
make sales on the internet
• When buying, make note of good and
bad items. Incorporate the good into
your own selling interface.