---
id:"kb-2026-00206"
title:"E-Commerce Fundamentals"
schema_type:"TechArticle"
category:"business"
language:"en"
confidence:"high"
last_verified:"2026-05-22"
generation_method: "human_only"
ai_models:["claude-opus"]
derived_from_human_seed:true


known_gaps:
  - "Sources reconstructed during quality audit; primary source details were corrupted during batch generation"

completeness: 0.88
ai_citations:
  last_citation_check:"2026-05-22"
primary_sources:
- title: "Harvard Business Review"
    type: "journal"
    year: 2026
    url: "https://hbr.org/"
    institution: "Harvard Business Publishing"
secondary_sources:
  - title: "Harvard Business Review"
    type: "journal"
    year: 2026
    url: "https://hbr.org/"
    institution: "Harvard Business Publishing"
---

## TL;DR

E-commerce is the buying and selling of goods/services over the Internet. Models: B2C (business to consumer: Amazon, Shopify stores), B2B (Alibaba), C2C (eBay, Poshmark), D2C (direct-to-consumer brands). Global e-commerce sales exceeded $6 trillion in 2024.

## Core Explanation

Key components: product listing, shopping cart, payment gateway, order fulfillment, customer service. Platforms: Amazon (marketplace), Shopify (hosted storefront), WooCommerce (WordPress plugin). SEO for e-commerce: product titles, descriptions, reviews, structured data. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): A/B testing, urgency, social proof.

## Further Reading

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