Electronic Commerce: Determining B2C Website Functions

Abstract

The web site is a central component of B2C Electronic Commerce. However, there are few guidelines on how to design and develop an effective web site. Most discussions address technical issues of building WebPages. The requirement stage of web site design is poorly understood. This chapter discusses requirements for web site functions from the point of view of both the firm and the customer. Firm’s business strategies and customer decision support needs are mapped into web site functionalities. Two existing web sites of firms in the building industry are analyzed for illustrative purposes.