Amazon has launched the beta version of its ‘Kindle for the Web’ tool this week, allowing customers to try e-books before they buy, and showing the true power of the web.

Amazon’s latest development should frankly scare others out there hoping to compete in the market for e-books.

The e-book market may still be small compared to the overall books market, but the Kindle for the Web tool shows that just when you think e-commerce is approaching maturity, new developments come along that could change the game again.

The tool allows bloggers and affiliates to embed the first chapter of Kindle books in their websites. Website owners will earn referral fees when consumers click on the links and buy the book from Amazon after reading the first chapter of the book for free.

But not only that, once they click through to read the first chapter, consumers can also share the book with friends and family via Facebook, Twitter and email.

Amazon is perhaps the best advert for why allowing third parties to use content from your ecommerce site can bring you whole new audiences. Expect to see more developments such as this in the future, whether it is fashion retailers leveraging their catwalk videos, or supermarkets leveraging meal planner tools, to drive customers to their sites.