E-commerce as a Revenue Stream

for editorial web sites

Home

History of E-commerce

E-commerce Models

Editorial Site Significance

Industry Impact

Effect on Visual Presentation

E-commerce User Experience

New Businesses Spawned

Conclusion

History of E-commerce

E-commerce began before personal computers were prevalent and has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry, but where did it come from? By looking at the evolution of e-commerce, it will be easier to judge its trends for the future.

Year	Event
1984	EDI, or electronic data interchange, was standardized through ASC X12. This guaranteed that companies would be able to complete transactions with one another reliably.
1992	Compuserve offers online retail products to its customers. This gives people the first chance to buy things off their computer.
1994	Netscape arrived. Providing users a simple browser to surf the Internet and a safe online transaction technology called Secure Sockets Layer.
1995	Two of the biggest names in e-commerce are launched: Amazon.com and eBay.com.
1998	DSL, or Digital Subscriber Line, provides fast, always-on Internet service to subscribers across California. This prompts people to spend more time, and money, online.
1999	Retail spending over the Internet reaches $20 billion, according to Business.com.
2000	The U.S government extended the moratorium on Internet taxes until at least 2005.