Introduction
Starting from the development of the Internet over the last years, with more and more users on both sides, private persons and companies, it can be determined that also e-Commerce gained more and more in significant importance. According to a new report of Forrester Research US e-Commerce grows at a steady 19 percent year-over-year growth rate and the European e-Commerce is following (Cantwell, E., Forrester Research Projects US e-Commerce To Hit Nearly $ 230 Billion In 2008, available: http://www.forrester.com/ER/Press/Release/0,1769,823,00.html, accessed 11.0304).
The economic life of today is among other things identified by global competition and the factor of time. The fact that the sale of products and services via the Internet influences competition strongly and sustainable, was foreseen by many economists and brokers. This is why e-Commerce started euphorically during 1999, when online shops and malls sprung up like mushrooms. Companies of the so- called "new economy" reached high stock exchange values, which exceeded those of large, established and profitable companies of the offline world within a short time.
But in 2000 online vendors were brought back to reality:
The expectations were not only too high, but there was also not enough knowledge or know-how about how to keep an online-shop successfully. The result was insolvencies and closings, especially in the business-to-consumer market (b2c) ? the Internet euphoria became a depression (Siegel 2004, p.76).
Nowadays the position is calculated as being optimistic again. e-Commerce is increasing strongly and potential for growth is looming even in the b2c market. Especially in Germany the online market is flourishing. According to the Gfk Web Scope there was an i ...