E-commerce refers to business conducted over the Internet. It began growing rapidly in 1995 at an annual rate of 16% and led to both market successes and failures. The key features of e-commerce include its global reach, ability to incorporate rich media like video and audio, interactivity with users, and high information density. Common business models are virtual storefronts, information brokers, and online marketplaces. The main types of e-commerce are business-to-consumer, business-to-business, and consumer-to-consumer. Advantages include faster transactions, 24/7 availability, lower costs and better quality, while disadvantages comprise lack of quality guarantees and susceptibility to failures and bad actors.