The internet has become a mecca for the business world through e-Commerce. Buying and selling online is an everyday occurrence with the colossal buying power of people shopping online. And being a player in the online world has become big business for many.
The process of eCommerce is simply defined as buying and selling of goods online. Many people set up stores online to sell products and services directly through the internet without any physical business address. It can be a way for people to do business and lower the extreme overhead costs that are passed on to the consumer for a physical retail store must have to survive for selling goods and services.
The online shopper has a larger ability to compare pricing when they shop online. Because of this competitors must know what prices are out there and people can outbid others by the click of compare pricing button. There are even search engines set up for the sole purpose of navigating through the web and finding the best price of an item.
On top of this competitive pricing people in eCommerce also offer perks such as buying power for quantity and free shipping making it appealing to the consumer. If a person finds a store online that they like and have competitive pricing they will not only return themselves but give others referrals to the site. A smart store owner online will give discounts and incentives to pointing business their way from their current clients.
Setting up an online store is simple and there are several business models to choose from that offer this competitive pricing. Paypal makes the shopper feel secure with buying online and now even other sites such as Google are climbing on board to offer secure purchasing for a competitive rate for the online store owner.
Online shopping and eCommerce is here to stay and the amount of store owners are growing every year. If you are interested in the idea of making your own online store there are companies that will offer you a model store with options for your goods at a competitive monthly rate for services. Check them out online or build your own site for your personal services you would like to offer.
During CODI-3, the ECA and the GKP jointly organized the GKP Africa Day that focused, among other things, on ICT and governance experiences from African countries, strategies for promoting e-governance in Africa, progress on ICT policies, and information and knowledge developments. In addition, participants showcased successful best practices, demonstrated project experiences, and conducted multimedia demonstrations and poster sessions during the GKP Marketplace.
Presentation was made on ePol-Net to the CODI plenary and the second GKP Africa Day that focused on concepts, strategic goals, principles & priorities, partnership model, role of ECA, and the way forward. Over 400 people participated in CODI-3 including delegates from 41 African countries and observers from over 80 national, regional and international organisations.
Participants recommended that ECA should assist in publicizing the ePol-Net initiative to all stakeholders in Africa. In addition, it was suggested that the ePol-Net activities be included in and linked to the AISI Outreach programme and other African-based ICT initiatives that can strengthen information and knowledge sharing among member States.
The ASN is the Africa regional network of the United Nations ICT Task Force created in January 2002, with its secretariat based in ECA. It aims at ensuring that UN’s efforts to bridge the digital divide in Africa are better coordinated, more inclusive and reflective of the significant efforts already underway to develop an African information society.
During the ASN Steering Committee meeting, a presentation was made by Mr. Richard Bourassa and Mr. Raymond Lepage of Industry Canada that focused on the goals, principles, priorities, and partnership mechanisms for the global ePol-Net and its regional node for Africa.
Participants noted that the initiative is very important in assisting developing countries in formulating ICT strategies, and that ECA has been partnering with Canada as the regional node of the initiative and will serve to channel demand and supply and coordinate with partners. The discussions highlighted the importance of benchmarking, sharing knowledge and experiences with ongoing initiatives, coordination with partners and evaluation with clear performance indicators.