THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN E-COMMERCE WEBSITE: (I.E ELECTRONIC SHOPPING CART)

ABSTRACT

The need for expansion in business cannot be overemphasized, this brings about the development of this project for business starting the new and old businesses to grow in other to maximize their profit and attract customers from all over the world.

The project work through a mini one, it’s a Design and Development of Electronic Commerce Website (Portal) also known as shopping cart which involves buying and selling on the internet.

Thorough research has been made on how e-commerce can fail or succeed. The Portal is a market place where buyers and sellers meet to bargain on products PHP (Server Side Scripting Language), Macromedia Flash (Animation Tool), Joomla (Content Management Software) Dreamweaver, (HTML), My-SQL (Backend Database), Fireworks (for web graphics design) are the development tools used in the project.

  TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER ONE: Introduction

1.1     Background of  the Study

1.2     Statement of Problem

1.3     Aim and Objectives of the Study

1.4     Significance of the Study

1.5     The Scope and Limitation of the Study

1.6     Research Methodology

1.7     Definition of Terms       

CHAPTER TWO: Literature of Review

2.0     Introduction of E-Commerce

2.1     What is E-Commerce

2.2     History of E-Commerce

2.2.1  Emerging Technologies

2.2.2  Industries Impacted

2.2.3  Economic Issues

2.2.4  Privacy Issues      

2.2.5  Social Issues

2.2.6  Overall Effects      

2.3     Types of E-Commerce Websites

2.4     Step-By-MP Guide to Going Online

2.5     E-Payment and Taxes

2.6     Research on Top Internet Market’s FAQ Covered

2.7     Pricing, Tariffs, Shipping and Licensing

2.8     E-Essentials

          References

CHAPTER THREE: System Analysis and Design

3.0     Overview of the Website

3.1     Graphical Description of the Proposed System

3.2     System Design     

3.2.1  Input Design

3.2.2  Process Design    

3.2.3  Output Design

3.3     Design Criteria    

CHAPTER FOUR:

System Implementation, Testing and Documentation

4.0        System Implementation

4.1     Choice of Development Tools

4.1.1  Programming Language   

4.1.2  The Methodology

4.2     System Documentation

4.3     Programs/System Testing      

4.3.1  System Testing    

4.3.2  Program Testing

4.4     System Requirement     

4.5     Data Base Structures

CHAPTER FIVE:

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation                     

5.0     Summary   

5.1     Recommendation

5.2     Further Improvements

5.3     Conclusion

          References

          Appendix B

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGOUND OF THE STUDY

The internet has revolutionized business perspective, small medium and big companies worldwide have utilized the benefits provided by internet to bring commerce (buying and selling) close the customer/consumers. Thus with the internet, which involves the combination of the computer and other sophisticated communication facilities, we talk of E-Commerce - which is the bedrock of doing business online. E-Commerce is the online transaction of business featuring linked computer system of the vendor, host and buyer. When purchase are made, electronic payment processors like pay pal, MasterCard, will be responsible for fund transfer.  

According to wilki.anmswers.com, a public opinion and interactive session website states that approximately, Two Billion people visit the internet everyday. What this means is that the internet has provided a kind of enabling and competitive environment for companies, organizations and individual to get involved in the Multi Billion Dollar Mega Market called E-Commerce.

Although, one's business may be small but the internet allows one to think big. Whatever product or service a person's business offers, the internet level the playing fields enabling one to compete with bigger business, connecting customers around the world who can conveniently from buy from one 24 hours a day.

1.2   STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

The invention of faster internet connectivity and powerful online tools has resulted in a new commerce arena – E-commerce. E-commerce offered many advantages to companies and customers but it also caused many problems.

·        E-Commerce historically lacks defensibility from a technology perspective. With software, you can have IP, or it is just difficult to build, which creates some level of market entrance barriers.

·        Any one, good or bad, can easily start a business. And there are many bad sites which eat up customers’ money.

·        There is no guarantee of product quality.

·        Mechanical failures can cause unpredictable effects on the total processes.

·        As there is minimum chance of direct customer to company interactions, customer loyalty is always on a check.

·        There are many hackers who look for opportunities, and thus an e-commerce site, service, payment gateways, all are always prone to attack.

1.3   AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The aim of this project work is to design and host an electronic commerce (e-commerce) website that will advertise and sell goods 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.

The objectives of the study include:

v    To build a transactional e-commerce website that will enable customers have access to products sold in our traditional off-line shop and online from any part of the world.

v    To design a Shopping Cart that allows products chosen by customers to be added to online basket for easy viewing and summary of products selected and the amount before checking out.

v    To research into how e-commerce can be effectively and successfully setup to generate mega income for interested investors.

v    To use the advertising power of the internet to promote the products.

1.4   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of the study is to enlighten the intending e-commerce investors on how to effectively setup an e-commerce websites, and to enlighten and encourage customers to get involved in online purchases.

It is very crucial to familiarize both e-commerce investors and customers with the Dos and Don'ts of the e-commerce most especially platform where a lot of scams are carried out. Meanwhile security is built into the website and effectively managed by Verisign Inc- is the trusted provider of internet infrastructure services for digital word.

1.5   THE SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The project work is meant to design an e-commerce website. Although there are different categories of e-commerce website and the scope of the project is limited to transactional website (i.e. an electronic storefront for a brick-and-motor retailer or a catalog business.

1.6   RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

E-commerce website is an internet application that entails sophisticated server and client side programming. The need for a good and robust programming language can never be over emphasized as it is what makes the logic to work.

Development tools that will be employed in the project work are:

v    PHP:- This is a server side programming language used for developing internet applications. It is a revolutionary language which has gained popularity amongst developers since its birth. It has up to 60% programmers out of the 100% as its evangelists.

v    My SQL: This is a Database Management system designed for PHP Administrator. It is a scalable database for commercial back end database programming. It is a multi-user database management system.

v    Adobe Dream Weaver: This is a "what you see is what you get" (WYSIWYG) Web development tool that has support for many scripting languages in the market like ASP, NST, PHP, ASP, COLD FUSION, JSP, e.t.c. It also has supports for cascading style sheets (CSS) e.t.c.

v    FIREWORKS:- Macromedia fireworks is the definitive solution for professional web graphics design and production.It is the first production environment to address and solve the special challenges facing web graphics designers and developers.

v    MACROMEDIA FLASH:- This is an animation tool that allows developer to build animations into Web application and standalone applications for desktop computers. It is a fantastic tool for web application, Simulation, and standalone desktop application. It is used to create light weight vector graphics.

1.7      DEFINITION OF TERMS

Application Server: This is software that resides on the client Computers that request for resources from the web-server.

ADR: Alternative Dispute Resolution

AOL: America Online

Business-to-Customer Electronic Business BidPay: Accept a credit card payment form the payer and Send a money order to the payee.

Client: These are workstation

EDI: Electronic Data. Interchange

E-Commerce: Is the online transaction of business featuring Linked computer system of the vendor, host and Buyers.

E-Market Place: These sites are market makers.

FAQ:        Frequently asked question

GTA:        (Global Trust Mark Alliance) is a new membership organization created to encourage cross border e-commerce by forte ring consumer trust, encouraging food online business practice and discouraging the development of burdensome and disparate government regulations.

Information Delivery Site: It is similar to a brochure, Providing information about the product or service and contact information on how to proceed with a purchase.

Internet: is a world wide interconnection. It means International networking.

ODR: Online Dispute Resolution

Pay Pal:   lets anyone with an email address securely send and receive online payments using the credit card or bank account. It also allows the customer and merchant to operate in their preferred currency.

Transactional Site: An electronic storefront for a brick-and­-Mortar retailer or catalog business.

UCE: Unsolicited commercial E-mail

UBE:Unsolicited Bulk E-mail

VAT: Value added tax

Web Host: It is host computer that gives out resources to the client

Web Browser: It is communication software that acts as an Interface between the internet users and the Internet.

Website:  Is a collection of multimedia files, multimedia means combination of different media.

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