E-commerce, short for electronic commerce, refers to the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet. It encompasses a wide range of online business activities for products and services. The term e-commerce also includes other activities such as online auctions, payment gateways, online ticketing, and internet banking. It enables consumers to electronically exchange goods and services with no barriers of time or distance. E-commerce operates in all four of the following major market segments: business to business, business to consumer, consumer to consumer, and consumer to business. It can be thought of as a more advanced form of mail-order purchasing through a catalog. Almost any product or service can be offered via e-commerce, from books and music to financial services and plane tickets. E-commerce has experienced rapid growth since its humble beginnings with the widespread adoption of the internet. It has revolutionized the way companies do business and has enabled small and medium-sized enterprises to access the global market. With the advent of e-commerce, the potential reach of businesses has expanded exponentially, allowing them to engage with customers around the world irrespective of their physical location.
