So what’s behind all this ‘one click buying’? E-commerce usually uses a database containing all the products, prices and descriptions, linked to the Web server using a content management system (CMS) that arranges and publishes this content onto the site. The merchant clearing house and warehouse also use either the database or the Web server. When you choose your product, the CMS queries the warehouse systems to check if what you want to buy is there, and when it can be dispatched, and lets you know a delivery date. Your credit card details are then encrypted and sent to the clearing house where the bank checks your credit card balance and clears the transaction. This is then referred back to the merchant, who dispatches your order once the bank honours payment.

Now that the dot-com bubble has burst, many companies are taking a more realistic view of e-commerce. It’s certainly not a cure-all for a badly thought out business, but with good site design, product support and an appropriate product range, the future for e-commerce is bright. Who, after all, would have thought that the holiday industry would have so successfully embraced this new booking method?