Ecommerce was seen as a passing fad or gimmick when the pioneers of the process began. Certainly being tied to a computer screen to make a purchase you would need to wait for wouldnt hold the interest of consumers. Yet inroads were made and sales were conducted.
One of the prevailing difficulties associated with early online transactions was the safety of personal financial information. As hackers gained access to non-encrypted data it was a rallying point for many ecommerce businesses. There had to be a better way to do online business.
The Debut of Encryption
Webopedia describes encryption this way, The translation of data into a secret code. Encryption is the most effective way to achieve data security. To read an encrypted file, you must have access to a secret key or password that enables you to decrypt it.
The keys to ecommerce were given back to online business when transactions became encrypted. The privacy of customer data allowed ecommerce to become a viable option for consumers once more.
Suddenly the world of cottage industry and extensions of brick and mortar stores began to flourish and entrepreneurs began to willingly dip their...