Spotlight Features

Investors scarred by the recent performance of several noteworthy e-commerce stocks will probably not see much near-term relief, but might be pleasantly surprised by the long-term outlook, a sampling of industry analysts revealed.

In August, women became a majority of Web users in the U.S. for the first time in history, a milestone for an Internet once considered to be a male-oriented environment.

In anticipation of the predicted boom in online sales, Internet companies are updating their Web sites and double-checking their fulfillment processes. Everyone is talking about enhancing Web-based customer support and creating online experiences that increase site loyalty and drive sales. The goal ...

When dot-coms and other high-tech companies exploded on the world stage several years ago, a new entrepreneurial class thumbed its collective nose at staid corporate culture by offering a bevy of workplace perks and redefining the conventional work environment. Meanwhile, "Old Economy" businesses j...

Not so long ago, the dot-com startup myth held that a young entrepreneur with great ideas, access to the Internet and not much else could step into a world of venture capital. A company would make or sell or provide something, and then hold a much-publicized IPO or, better yet, be acquired by a larg...

"Consumers don't think they want the wireless Web yet, but they will." So said Forrester analyst Patrick Callinan, explaining his firm's recent conclusion that there is "latent demand" for Internet-enabled mobile phones in the United States.

Problems facing e-commerce seem to turn up as often as eggs on Easter Sunday.

Last year's holiday season exposed some troubling weaknesses in e-commerce fulfillment infrastructure. Frustrated consumers levied blame on overwhelmed e-tailers who found much criticism in their outside vendors and distributors, as well as overworked carriers.

The shakeout shark may not be finished gobbling up little dot-coms just yet, but for reasonably cautious investors, the news is good: It's safe to go back into the water.

Internet auctions have become a place for businesses of all sizes to make money -- to the tune of nearly $55 billion (US$) in sales a year. Still, the leading auction sites have retained something of their original flair as a place for passionate collectors of odds and ends to exchange prized posses...

People all over the world travel to see the tombstones of celebrities, from Marilyn Monroe in Los Angeles to Jim Morrison in Paris. Why should online businesses be treated any differently?

One year ago, all indicators pointed toward the most successful and lucrative e-holiday season yet. But by the night before Christmas, far too few delivery sleighs filled with toys clattered on the lawns outside U.S. homes. The e-tailers had failed a significant customer service exam.

iToke delayed its anticipated launch for a second time this week, hindering any immediate possibility of turning the marijuana trade into a mainstream Internet venture. Still, illegal drug dealers continue to use the Web as a tool for making purchases and sales contacts, as well as facilitating the ...

In the 1980s, Irish citizens were leaving the country in droves. The economy was in miserable shape and the country's spirit was sagging. Isolationism and intransigence over bitterly divisive internal issues contributed to a national malaise.

Those e-commerce marketers who think that American college students are only good for downloading free music files from Napster should think again. Students are headed back to campus this fall with as much as $80 billion (US$) of disposable income, and they represent one of the most Web-savvy segmen...