In the last period, you will certainly have heard in some conversation or read in some article the term ecommerce. Have you ever wondered what it actually is?

According to the definition given by theTreccani Encyclopaediaecommerce is a "transaction and exchange of goods and services through the use of telecommunications and information technology (Internet, Intranet, personal computers, digital television, etc.)". The site goes on to point out that the markets in which ecommerce is discussed are classified into three categories: B2B (Business to Business, enterprises); B2C (Business to Consumer); C2C (Consumer to Consumer; consumers).

When we refer to ecommerce we are therefore talking about a virtual commerce in which goods and services are sold to customers directly over the Internet, in an online shop, without the need for the intermediation of a physical shop.

We should not think of this sales mode as a recent phenomenon. The development of online sales began in the mid-1990s, when a user of NetMarket sold a Sting CD with the first fully digital exchange. A short time later, in 1995, the main ecommerce domains still active today were born as Amazon, Ebay, and in 1999 Alibaba.

In recent times, the sale of goods online has increased exponentially and the management of ecommerce has become increasingly complex.

This is why companies often choose to rely on professionals to manage all the steps necessary for the creation and success of the online sales platform. The ITS E-commerce Course is designed to train experts in the field, providing students with the necessary skills to design e manage ecommerce activities, promote marketing strategies, with the aim of increasing brand awareness and boosting sales.

What is needed to open an ecommerce

Opening an ecommerce certainly involves a advantage competitive for companies, but it is essential to rely on a business project well structured to avoid running into management and legal problems.

You need to follow a few steps to find out whether opening an online shop can boost your company's performance and whether you have the necessary means to finance the project.

First of all, one must start from a design and planning phase in which some preliminary questions are carefully considered: what to sell, what market to enter, how to sell it. This step is evaluated by the company with the help of an accountant, web marketing experts, consultants and web developers.

If the project is approved, the actual design phase begins, which must comply with the following specifications:

  • Being of legal ageThis may sound trivial, but this is the first prerequisite for the project to start taking shape;
  • Choosing the legal form of the e-commerce owner companylimited liability company, public limited company, sole proprietorship or simplified limited company;
  • Open a dedicated VAT number, register with the relevant Chamber of Commerce, submit the S.C.I.A. to the relevant municipalityThis is the most bureaucratic step in the whole process of setting up an ecommerce store. However, it is an essential step to avoid incurring legal penalties.
  • Having a Certified Electronic Mail (CEM) addressThis step is necessary because for online commerce, certified e-mail has the same legal value as registered mail with acknowledgement of receipt;
  • Comply with the General Terms and Conditions of Sale (GTC), Cookie Policy and Privacy PolicyThese pages are intended to inform you of your rights and obligations, how your data is processed and the type of cookies that are issued by the site in compliance with the GDPR.

At this point, you will rely on experts in the field, typically web agency, for the realisation of the site who will also register the Internet domain used.

Author of the article

ITS MOVE - Editor