E-Commerce - (Electronic Commerce) - Is simply trading online or buying and selling electronically. Electronic commerce is the single most significant reason for the internet’s success. Much of the web’s free and useful resources are directly or indirectly supported by electronic commerce. The ability for consumers and merchants to exchange goods and services without the restriction time zones, geographical barriers and distance at any time of the day or night has globally revolutionised the business world. In spite of cut throat competition constantly driving down prices there are rich rewards for merchants who adopt good ecommerce and online marketing platforms.

Successful site always have good web design and navigation and give the consumer easy to understand information at the correct time – when the consumer needs it.

The process of creating an ecommerce platform has many pitfalls so it is essential careful consideration be given to the workflow, consumer interaction, administrative efficiency, account and transaction management, order information flow and order status process. Some business e.g. travel agents provide service consisting of more than one service which they package together and sell.

There are three types of e-commerce business: business to business (b2b), business to consumer (b2c), and consumer to consumer (c2c).