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When the Internet began to be used for commercial purposes back in the mid-1990s，no one could have predicted the effect it would have on the business world．Web sites were viewed as optional extras that looked impressive，but didn't actually do very much．^①E-mail was treated with suspicion and considered by many as either an impersonal or an impractical way of communicating．Now，however，things are different．As millions of people around the world now use the Internet on a regular basis，any business worth its salt is expected to have a Web site and to keep in touch via e-mail．

Cheaper Internet access，ever faster and more powerful connections and the rise of the“mobile Internet”have all played their part in the online revolution．^②The main factor，though，is the Internet itself:a vast network of information and resources that also allows people to interact with each other from anywhere in the world．However，it is not enough to recognize the significance of the Internet without understanding what it means for your business．We therefore need to take a closer look at how the Internet is used．

Succeeding at e-Business is not a question of six-figure marketing budgets or technological wizardry．Rather，it is about understanding how and why people use the Internet．There are four main reasons for people going on the Internet．These are:

●To find information

●To be entertained

If a website cannot satisfy any of the above criteria(and many don't)，it is unlikely to become a cyber success．If，on the other hand，you design your e-Business efforts from the perspective of the end-user，you will be on the right track．This“outside-in”approach is the key to every effective site，from Amazon to Yahoo!．Even if your online activity is only intended to support or supplement your offline business，you must be able to offer something of real substance，be it information，entertainment，interaction or fantastic products．^③Furthermore，although the world population of e-shoppers is rapidly on the increase，online shopping is a completely different practice to shopping on the high street．^④For a start，nobody is going to just“Pass by”your site and make a spur of the moment purchase．^⑤People who arrive at your site are there because they have sought you out，not because you have an attractive workplace or because you are conveniently located．

Businesses are now expected to inform and interact with their customers at a closer level than ever before．The old business cry of“location，location，location”has now been overshadowed by the voice of e-Business:“information，information，information．”

Another difference is that you have a lot more competition．While a record shop in Cambridge may be the only seller of rare jazz album in that area，on the Web，there will be many other places people can visit to satisfy their jazz cravings．This means that simply laying out your wares isn't enough．No matter how“niche”your business is，the chances are that there are other people out there doing something similar(for instance，there are over 100 websites out there selling nothing but hot chili sauce)．The Internet may have made the world a smaller place，but it has made the market a whole lot larger．You therefore need to add value to your website，and to differentiate your e-Business from its competition．This is the challenge．

To succeed on the Internet，it is important to realize that what works well in the real world may not work online，and vice versa．

The Internet is not just a new form of media—it brings with it a whole set of ground rules．These rules are centered on five Web watch words:speed，intimacy，communication，information and interactivity．^⑥

●Speed　The Internet is said to move at seven times the speed of normal time．It's expected that e-mail messages are responded to on the same day，websites are continually being updated and online markets evolve within a matter of weeks．

●Intimacy　Although the Internet is often viewed as cold and inhuman，it actually allows businesses to get closer to their customers than ever before．As Kevin Roberts，CEO of Saatchi＆Saatchi Worldwide，says，“people open up and share how they feel on the Net—something they just don't do in more classical research formats such as focus groups．”

●Communication　The Internet aids communication both between a business and its customers，and within the business．The convenience of e-mail and the accessibility of websites mean that employers and customers are less likely to be kept in the dark．

●Information　The Web is the world's largest and most up-to-date research library．You can find out more information about your competitors，your customers and your industry than ever before．At the same time，people will also be able to find out more about you．On the Internet—as in the X Files—the truth is always out there．

●Interactivity　Un like traditional media，the Internet is highly interactive．One of the consequences of this is that people pull information towards them⑦．This means that on the Net more effort is sometimes needed to differentiate your business from its competition．The Net's interactivity makes it possible for users to tailor information according to their own particular requirements．It therefore allows a business to communicate on a one-to-one level with all its customers simultaneously．Instead of broadcasting your message to the world in general，the Net enables you to narrowcast and communicate with individuals on their own terms．

E-Business experts generally agree that the secret to online success is doing business from the outside in．Essentially this means that instead of starting with what you do and how you do it，you start with what the customer wants．The Internet is a“pull”not“push”medium．Users pull the data they need towards them—in cyberspace there is no successful way of pushing your business message on to people who haven't asked for it．^⑧“Spamming”(the act of sending junk e-mail)is，after all，the ultimate breach of online etiquette．

As the Internet is a two-way medium，it enables a great deal of consumer feedback．Companies can interact with customers and discover what they really think about their service．

The time when the Internet was the preserve of desktop computers is now over as it can now be accessed via mobile phones，TV sets，even passport photo booths．^⑨As the dividing line between cyberspace and the real world becomes blurred，the Internet is increasingly seen as significant for business that have traditionally remained offline．

Although the Internet has the potential to make your business environment more competitive，it should not be seen as a threat．It is，instead，an opportunity to consolidate and build on your business achievements．

The benefits of the Internet for real-world business are clear．It can help in all the following areas:

●Saving money　The Internet can help your business save on the administration costs of taking orders by automating the process．E-mail can help you save on stationery costs，and online marketing often proves a lot more cost-effective than marketing offline．

●Improving customer service　By increasing the possibilities for communication between your business and its customers，you can offer an improved level of service to your existing customers．

●Keeping records of your activities　Because the Internet enables you to store information，you can keep track of all business correspondence very easily．

●Attracting new staffThe World Wide Web is now one of the most important resources for job seekers．According to a survey conducted by the UK Organization Jobtrack，79 per cent of college and university students say that the quality of a potential employer's Web site is an important factor when deciding whether or not to apply for a job there．

●Preserving your market share　The Internet is not only a means of expanding your business，it is also a way to protect and hold on to the market you have already established．Real-world business risk losing out to slick start-ups if they don't embrace the Internet with open arms．^⑩

●Making money　The Internet offers business new ways of making additional revenue．As well as providing a new platform from which to sell your products，you can also make money from affiliate programs，selling advertising space，securing sponsorship and various other methods．

●Going worldwide　Your website can help you reach a world-wide market as geographical limitations are all but eliminated．

●Being in constant contact　The Internet transforms your 9 to 5 business into a 24-hour operation．Your Web site works while you are asleep．

●Knowing your market　As the Internet is interactive，you can receive constant feedback from your audience．The Internet can therefore help you take market research to a whole new level．

When people think of the Internet，they tend to think of the World Wide Web．In part，this may be explained by the fact that the media's coverage of the Internet tends to centre on websites．The fact remains，however，that e-mail，not the Web，is the most widely used Internet application．Most people who log on to the Net do so either to send or to receive e-mail messages．In fact，it is possible to do e-Business without using the Web at all．E-mail can be used to improve communications both within and outside your business．

Although to a certain extent the Internet can be seen as separated to the“brick and mortar”real world，the dividing line is becoming increasingly blurred．For a start，the Internet is no longer confined to the desktop．Owing to technological advances，it can now be accessed virtually anywhere，via TV，mobile phones，passport photo booths and car stereos．It is ever more difficult to ascertain where the real world ends and cyberspace begins．

Whether your business originated offline or online，it is now necessary to take a fully integrated“clicks and bricks”approach．

Within less than a decade，the Internet has grown from being an obscure technology used only by government officials and academics to what many have heralded as“the future of business”．With phenomenal and unprecedented growth in the number of users，as well as the amount of information that can be accessed，the Internet has become the fastest-growing medium in history．

Because the rise in Internet usage has been so fast，its real business impact has often been hard to assess．At the close of the last millennium，it seemed that the new breed of slick and shiny Internet start-ups would be the real winners of the online era．Traditional“bricks and mortar”business were confined to the sidelines as the real world and cyberspace seemed completely incompatible．

The success of both large and small real-world business on the Internet，however，has brought about a radical rethinking of the significance of e-Business．Many more companies are reaping real and substantial rewards via their online efforts．There are the big US names of Web profitability(AOL，Yahoo!，eBay and so on)，but there are also thousands of small companies around the world that have figured out how to make a profit．Equally，more established companies have discovered ways in which to use the capabilities of the Web to expand their business or offer customers better service．

New Words and Expressions

1．predict(v．)to state，tell about，or make known in advance预测，预知

2．extra(n．)anything that is in addition to what is already there额外的人(或物)

3．suspicion(n．)the act of suspecting something，especially something wrong，on little evidence or without proof猜疑，怀疑

8．wizardry(n．)a power or an effect that appears magical by its capacity to transform魔力

17．overshadow(v．)to make something insignificant by comparison遮蔽，使…失色

20．niche(n．)a special area of demand for a product or service产品或服务所需的特殊领域

22．evolve(v．)to progress or to take a different shape over time(使)发展，(使)进展，(使)进化

28．tailor(v．)to make，alter，or adapt for a particular end or purpose制作、修改或调整

35．etiquette(n．)the practices and forms prescribed by social convention or by authority礼节

39．administration(n．)management，especially of business affairs管理，经营

41．correspondence(n．)communication by the exchange of letters通信，信件

1．Web sites were viewed as optional extras that looked impressive，but didn't actually do very much．本句中，动词短语be viewed as．．．，指“被看做…”;but后面的do带有强调的意味，全句理解为“网站作为商用手段曾被认为是可有可无，虽然看上去挺精彩，但实际上不会有多大用途”。

2．Cheaper Internet access，ever faster and more powerful connections and the rise of the“mobile Internet”have all played their part in the online revolution．本句中，“their”指代前面出现的作主语的三个并列的名词短语，其中心词分别为“Internet access”，“connections”和“rise”。主语可理解为:“接入互联网更加低廉，连接速度比以往更快捷，‘移动互联网’的功能更为强大”。

3．Even if your online activity is only intended to support or supplement your offline business，you must be able to offer something of real substance，be it information，entertainment，interaction or fantastic products．本句中，it指前面出现的“something of real substance”，“be it．．．”相当于“no matter it is．．．”指“不管它是…”。全句可译为:“即便你的网上活动只是想对离线企业进行支持或补充，你也必须能提供一些实质性的东西，不管是信息、娱乐、交流，还是什么奇异的产品。”

4．Furthermore，although the world population of e-shoppers is rapidly on the increase，online shopping is a completely different practice to shopping on the high street．本句中，“be a completely different practice to shopping on the high street”可理解为“与在现实的商业区中的购物却截然不同”。

5．For a start，nobody is going to just“Pass by”your site and make a spur of the moment purchase．本句中的“make a spur of the moment purchase”可理解为“心血来潮，一阵采购”。

6．The Internet is not just a new form of media—it brings with it a whole set of ground rules．These rules are centered on five Web watch words:speed，intimacy，communication，information and interactivity．前句中，“to bring sth．with sb．“指“将…一同带来”。后句中所列出的互联网的五个口号为:“速度、亲密性、交际、信息和交互性”。

7．One of the consequences of this is that people pull information towards them．本句的主语较长，为“one of the consequences of this”，用作单数。句子可理解为“由此产生的结果之一就是，人们自己主动索取信息”。

8．The Internet is a“pull”not“push”medium．Users pull the data they need towards them—in cyberspace there is no successful way of pushing your business message on to people who haven't asked for it．本句中使用了“pull”和“push”两词，使得Internet带上了人物化的色彩。句子可理解为:“互联网是一个“索取”而不是“推销”的媒体。用户按需要索取信息，在网络空间里，将你的企业信息推送给那些不需要的人的方法是行不通的。”

9．The time when the Internet was the preserve of desktop computers is now over as it can now be accessed via mobile phones，TV sets，even passport photo booths．本句中，“when the Internet was the preserve of desktop computers”从句修饰“the time”，译为:“互联网专属于桌面电脑的时代”;而as作连词，连接因果关系的两个分句。“passport photo booths”指“护照相片拍照亭”。

10．Real-world business risk losing out to slick start-ups if they don't embrace the Internet with open arms．本句中risk作动词，指“有…的风险，有可能…”;“lose out to”指“败给…”;在if从句中，“embrace the Internet with open arms”是拟人的修辞手法，可译为:“张开双臂接纳互联网”。

11．As well as providing a new platform from which to sell your products，you can also make money from affiliate programs，selling advertising space，securing sponsorship and various other methods．本句中，定语从句“from which to sell your products”修饰“platform”;“affiliate programs，selling advertising space，securing sponsorship and various other methods”是四个并列的部分，为介词from的宾语，可译为“会员项目，出售广告空间，拉赞助以及种种其他的方法”。

12．Your website can help you reach a world-wide market as geographical limitations are all but eliminated．本句中，“as”用作连词，指“因为”;“be all but eliminated”相当于“be not eliminated”。网站可以帮助你进入一个没有地理界限的世界范围的市场。

13．In part，this may be explained by the fact that the media's coverage of the Internet tends to centre on websites．本句中，that引导的定语从句进一步说明“fact”的内容，可理解为“互联网媒体覆盖主要集中于网站这一事实。

14．Traditional“bricks and mortar”business were confined to the sidelines as the real world and cyberspace seemed completely incompatible．本句中，“as”用作连词，指“因为”;“bricks and mortar”常用于指“传统的不借助于互联网的企业”;动词短语“be confined to the sidelines”可理解为“被罚出界外”。