Journey to the Roots of the Digital World
E-commerce is a revolution that has radically changed the way we do business today, enabling the digitization of global trade. However, the roots of this revolution go back long before the birth of the modern internet. The history of e-commerce reveals how technological innovation has intertwined with commerce and expanded the boundaries of the digital world.
The First Steps of E-Commerce: 1960s and 1970s
The foundations of e-commerce were actually laid in the early 1960s with the advent of early technologies such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Telnet. EDI was a system that allowed businesses to share invoices, orders and other documents electronically. By the 1970s, this technology was widely adopted and made sharing information between businesses more efficient.
The Birth of the Internet and the First Online Sales: 1980s and 1990s
The 1980s was a period when e-commerce began to spread more widely. Commercial use of the Internet gained momentum during this period. In 1984, a woman in the UK made her first online purchase from home at a supermarket called Tesco, marking the true beginning of e-commerce. During this period, small businesses also started to sell their products with the help of computers.
The 1990s is the closest e-commerce has come to what it is today. In 1994, Netscape’s secure web browser enabled secure payment transactions over the internet. In the same year, giants such as Amazon and eBay pioneered the mass adoption of online shopping, increasing its popularity. During this period, it radically changed consumers’ shopping habits.
The New Millennium and Mobile Commerce: The 2000s
In the early 2000s, it continued to grow rapidly. Emerging technology, coupled with the proliferation of mobile devices, saw the birth of mobile commerce, known as m-commerce. People could now shop from their smartphones and tablets. Throughout the 2000s, Amazon, Alibaba and other e-commerce platforms grew worldwide and the development of digital marketing enabled businesses to increase their online presence.
E-Commerce Today
Today, it has become an integral part of the global economy. Innovative technologies such as digital payment methods, AI-powered customer service, augmented reality (AR) have enriched the shopping experience. The pandemic further increased the importance of e-commerce and accelerated the digitalization process of businesses.
Conclusion
The history of e-commerce shows how technology has transformed commerce and what innovations we can expect in the future. This transformation process has made businesses’ relationships with customers more personal, more accessible and more efficient. The evolution of e-commerce continues to offer countless opportunities for both consumers and businesses.
