Book Contents

• Introduce e-commerce within the context of the rural and regional environment;
• Familiarise rural and regional Australians with their Internet connection options and offer advice on optimising Internet connections for e-commerce;
• Address many of the issues e-commerce consumers should consider before buying goods and service online; and,
• Assist prospective e-commerce merchants in becoming more familiar with a variety of aspects associated with the establishment, maintenance and marketing of an online business.

The Rural and Regional Guide to E-commerce aims to demystify e-commerce and many of the issues relating to it, so that you may be better equipped to determine what opportunities e-commerce can offer you as a consumer or merchant in rural and regional Australia.

In Part I we look at the emergence of e-commerce, what e-commerce is, who can benefit from participating in it and why it is significant for rural and regional Australia.

Part II discusses what is required for connection to the Internet and e-commerce services, a number of safety and security issues to consider when participating in e-commerce, and the types of e-commerce services consumers and merchants can expect to find online.

Part III looks at e-commerce more specifically from a merchant point of view and aims to help familiarise you with some of the issues associated with becoming an online merchant. The discussion in Part III canvases questions relating to developing a business strategy, getting your e-business online, customer support issues, the marketing of your site, and the maintenance of good customer relations.

Complementing these discussions are a variety of case studies illustrating the implementation of e-commerce by rural and regional businesses and the outcomes of this adoption.

Part I - Introducing e-commerce
Chapter 1 - The story so far
The birth of a new economy
What is all the hype about?
What is e-commerce?
  The consumer
  The business
Who can participate in e-commerce?
How is e-commerce significant for rural and regional communities?
  Benefits common to regional businesses and consumers
  Significance of e-commerce for regional business
  Significance of e-commerce for consumers
The inevitable march of e-commerce
Case study - Massey Farms

Part II - Where e-commerce is today
Chapter 2 - Gearing up for e-commerce
A telecommunications overview
What equipment do you need to connect to the Internet?
Dial up connections to the Public Switched Telephone Network
  Equipment you will need for a dial-up PSTN Internet connection
  A computer
  A modem
  Your telephone line
  Internet software
  The Internet Service Provider (ISP)
  Understanding pricing
  The importance of bandwidth
  Redundancy
  What to look for in your ISP
  Customer support
  What information you need from your ISP
  Your ISP configuration work sheet
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
  What is ADSL?
  Equipment you will need for ADSL Internet connection
Satellite
  Equipment you will need for one-way satellite Internet connection
  Equipment you will need for two-way satellite Internet connection
Case study - Crispin Bennett International Horse Transport

Chapter 3 - Play it smart, play it safe
E-commerce security and the Internet
  Firewalls
  Encryption
  Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
  Digital certificates, digital signatures and certification authorities
  What is a digital certificate?
  What is a Certification Authority (CA)?
  RSA secure ID
  Customer protection and e-commerce
  Secure e-commerce payment methods
  Credit cards
  Invoicing
Computer security and the Internet
  Computer access
  Hacking
  Password protection and integrity
  Your ISP account and credit card
  Insecure software
  Java, Active X and plug-in's
  Cookies
  Email
  Viruses
  Virus scanners
  Potential virus sources
  Downloading software
Case study - Innovative Business Resources

Chapter 4 - How can I participate in e-commerce?
Portals
  National portals
  Local community portals
Shopping
Online shopping malls
Independent retailers
  Computing and electrical
  Music
  Ticketing
  Automotive
  Agricultural
General auction sites
Agricultural auction sites & markets
Classified advertisements
Banking and finance
  Banks
  Stockbroking
  General finance
Insurance
  Health insurance & health services
Real estate
Government services
B2B e-marketplaces
Case study - Freedom Pools

Part III - Establishing an e-business
Chapter 5 - Look before you leap
Adoption of Information Technology and e-commerce participation
Reasons for going online
Defining your strategy
  First things first - where to go for help?
  Developing a strategy
  E-commerce business models
  Developing your plan
  Your budget
  Benefit-cost analysis
Case study - Posh Pots World

Chapter 6 - Taking on e-commerce
The e-journey
  Internet active business (no web site)
  Business with basic web site (information based)
  Business with an interactive web site
  Transaction and integration based web sites
E-marketplaces
Building your web site
  Content
  Categorisation and display of content
  Design and layout of your web site
Development options
Building your own site
  Using HTML?
  Using HTML editors
  Some WYSIWYG HTML editors
  Some HTML code-based editors
  E-commerce packages
Leasing space on a web portal or shopping mall
Web development agencies or Application Service Providers (ASPs)
  Custom-made web site
  Hiring consultants
Registering a domain name
Putting your site on the Internet
Do you need your own web server?
Case study - Davis Engineering

Chapter 7 - Marketing
Brand your business and your products
Attracting visitors to your web site
  How search engines work
  Maximising referrals from search engines
  Optimising page titles
  Optimising the page text
  Optimising meta tags
  Optimising hyperlinks
Registering with search engines and directories
  Search engines
  Web directories
Establishing reciprocal links
Other types of online promotion
  Online advertising
  Banner advertising
  Webrings
  Affiliate programs
  Joining an online mall or portal
  Email advertising
  Newsletters
Offline marketing
Tracking visitor information
Case study - Hindmarsh Valley Stone

Chapter 8 - Customer service and support
Identifying customer needs
Meeting expectations
Competitive services
Building customers' trust
  Security
  Privacy
  Pricing information
  Product guarantees
  Delivery information
  Tracking orders
Building online relationships with customers
Learning from visitors to your web site
Case study - Bulb Express

Appendix A
NOIE E-Commerce Ready Reckoner

Appendix B
Internet connection troubleshooting guide

Appendix C
Some useful Internet resources