Webware 100 winner: Amazon

Site: Amazon.com
Category: Commerce

Amazon.com was one of the first online retailers in the world. It started out with books and now sells nearly every consumer good, including groceries and over-the-counter medicines. The service is well known as one of the best places to find new or used books at prices below what you'd pay in most retail stores. It also features free shipping on many of its items.

One of the things that makes Amazon.com dynamic as an online retailer is its community of users who write reviews and rate nearly every product on the service. Amazon.com is also transparent about which products are selling well in each category, which provides a secondary means for consumers to find out what's hot.

Since last year, Amazon has introduced an updated version of its Kindle eBook reader, along with a Kindle application for the iPhone. The company also began selling direct downloads for computer games through its Web storefront.