A person, commercial business, or other entity such as government, who conducts trade (merchandise or services for sale to customers) on the internet is an e-commerce merchant.
The merchant sets up an internet website loaded up with the items or services for sale, and usually has a shopping cart within which to electronically place items being purchased, and one or more payment gateways to ease the sale.
The customer orders items or services, selects a payment option, and after approval, the merchant ships or electronically delivers the purchases to the customer.
Anyone can become an ecommerce merchant.
All that is needed is a website, merchandise, and a method of payment.
The payment methods do not have to be through a payment gateway.
Payments can also be taken through regular mail with checks or money orders, or over a phone connection either directly or automatically.
If automatic, a payment gateway would be needed.
The website can be a stand-alone "virtual store", a syndicated, preloaded, ready to go website, an affiliate website, or an adjunct to an actual brick and mortar retail store.
Many people will create a website and place affiliate banners or text within it, and then work on commission through various retail organizations by obtaining sales from customers who then buy merchandise by clicking through a banner or link to that retail store.
Taking payments electronically, through SSL encrypted secure technology, has revolutionized merchandise trade worldwide.
This technology only takes seconds to transact, and people can complete monetary exchange transactions all over the globe on the internet, through merchant websites.
An ecommerce merchant has all the responsibilities of any commercial merchant.
They must display merchandise on the website attractively, provide descriptions, determine pricing, and set up text that will explain their operations or business, and provide secure payment gateway access for purchases.
They must keep records of transactions, collect taxes and pay those to the appropriate government agencies, maintain records for tax purposes, pay employees if any, and keep up the website.
They have to set up their own banking accounts and sign up with payment gateways for processing credit card payments.
The merchant must deliver the goods when paid for to customers, and provide adequate protective packaging, or send electronic goods over the internet.
They have to know how to calculate shipping and handling charges, and get the deliveries delivered through various shippers such as UPS, FED EX, or US MAIL.
The e-commerce merchant should also practice high quality customer service activities to keep previous customers coming back for more.
They can join merchant associations and attend conventions, just like any ordinary retail agent.
Being an e-commerce merchant can be very rewarding and satisfying.
It is easy to begin selling, and you do not have to have a lot of merchandise to start, nor do you have the overhead expenses of a brick and mortar retail store.
Many stores that began as an internet website have later expanded from virtual reality to actual reality as traditional street stores.
And, many real stores have expanded via ecommerce stores on the internet.