CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

It  is stated that  for any organization to remain viable, it must be

responsive  to  the  changing  environmental  variables.  These  variables  are

economic social, culture, legal, and technological forces.

However, in this work or study our concern is basically the technological

environmental forces, hence the topic “influence on online marketing and

electronic commerce on public relations practice in Nigeria”. Online marketing is

conducted through interactive online computer system, which link consumers

with sellers electronically. There are two types of online marketing channels:

commercial online services and internet.

Commercial online  serviced offer online  information and marketing

services to subscribers who [pay a monthly fee. The best known online services

provider is giants America online, which has more than 21 million subscribers.

Microsoft network (MSN) and prodigy trial far behind AOL with 2.45 million

and 1 million subscribers respectively.

These online service provide subscribers with information (news, libraries,

education, travel, sports, reference), entertainment (fun and games) shopping

services, dialogue opportunities (bulletin boards forms, chat boxes), and e-mail.

After growing rapidly through the mid-1990’s the commercial online

services have been overtaken by the internet as the primary online marketing

channel. In fact, all of the online service films now offer internet accesses as

primary  services.  The  evolved  form  a  network  created  by  the  defense

department during the 1960’s, initially to link government labs contractors, and

military installations, today, this huge, public computer network links computer

users of all types all around the world. Anyone with a PC, a modern and the

right software can browse the internet to obtain or share information on almost

any subject and to interact with other users.

Internet usage with the development of the user friendly world web (the

web) and web browser software such as Netscape navigator and Microsoft

internet explore. Today, even novices can surf the internet and experiences fully

integrated text, graphics, images, and access news, food, recipes, arts, and

business information. The internet itself is free although individual users usually

must pay a commercial access provider to hook up to it.

Although still in their infancy, internet usage and online marketing are

growing explosively. Today, some 40 million U.S households are dialing into the

internet, up from just 6 million in 1994. The U.S internet, up from just 6 million in

1994. the US internet population is expected to swell to some 60 million house

holds by the year 2002, total U.S. purchasing on the web is expected to skyrocket

from zero in 1994 and about $130 billion in 19999 to 1.4 trillion by 2003.

The explosion of internet usage heralds the dawning of a new world of

electronic commerce. Electronic commerce is the general term for a buying and

selling process that is supported by electronic means. Electronic markets are

“market  spaces” rather than services electronically, and buyers search for

information, identify what they what, and place orders using a credit card or

other means of electronic payment.

The electronic commerce explosion is all around us. Here are just a few