What is e-commerce?
E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the buying and selling of products or services over the internet. From Amazon to local shops, e-commerce has changed how consumers shop.
Types of online stores
B2C (Business to Consumer)
Business sells directly to the customer — the most common model. Example: an online clothing store.
B2B (Business to Business)
Business sells to other businesses — wholesale products, professional services.
Marketplace
A platform where many sellers sell — like eBay or Etsy.
What do you need?
Website and infrastructure
E-commerce website with product catalog
SSL certificate for security
Hosting and domain
Business systems
Payment system (credit card, PayPal, etc.)
Inventory management
Order and delivery system
Growth tools
SEO for visibility
Marketing to attract customers
Popular platforms
WooCommerce (WordPress)
Flexible, no monthly fee
Shopify
Easy to use, hosting included (~€29/month)
Custom (Next.js + Stripe)
Maximum performance and full control
How much does it cost?
Basic store
€1,500+
Advanced store
€5,000–15,000+
Conclusion
E-commerce is not the future — it is the present. Customers expect to shop online. If you are not there, you are losing sales every day.