B2C and B2B are the two types of business in the digital marketing world. The strategies used in B2C are very different than those used in B2B. this article will talk about business to consumer in detail and at the end would focus on the differences between both these digital marketing business types.
What Does B2C Mean?
Business to consumer or B2C is a commerce transaction where services or products are sold by businesses to consumers. The primary driver in the B2C business market is the behavior of the consumer. It can only be successful when one knows the customer’s wants and have the convincing power to make the customer’s purchase. The drive is the most challenging part of the drive. Here the products and services are sold directly to the consumer. Traditionally, the alternative of B2C was shopping from malls or buying clothes from shops, going to a restaurant and eating, etc. But today, in B2C, products, and services are e-tailed or sold online. This concept was coined as teleshopping by Michael Aldrich in 1979.
B2C Evolution
Now that we know the B2C meaning, it is important to know about its evolution as well. Many domain names were registered in the 1990s with the growth of the internet. “Future Shop: How Technologies Will Change the Way We Shop and What We Buy”, a book from the year 1992 was where the upcoming revolution of e-commerce was seen. Earlier there were security issues, but after the development of SSL, consumers felt secure. Even today, it is a vital part of e-commerce and web security.
It is Zappos and Amazon due to which the world saw a rise in e-commerce in mid-1990-2000. Today there are hardly any businesses that are consumer-based and do not have a presence online. Both consumers and businesses are benefitted from online shopping as consumers are at ease to shop remotely as well as businesses do not have to spend a lot on set-up.
B2C Sales Model
The 5 models involved in Business-to-consumer sales include:
1. Direct Sellers
Most people are aware of direct sellers. It is mostly the sites for retail stores where products are bought by consumers. Either it can be manufacturers who have an online presence as well like Dell, Apple else online version of department stores having products from various brands like Target, Zappos, etc.
2. Online Intermediaries
Online intermediaries are “go-betweens” that put sellers and buyers together without owning the service or product. For example, Etsy deals with crafts and arts, and Trivago and Expedia are websites for travel.
3. Advertising-Based
Observer and Huffington post are the two greatest examples when it comes to advertising-based sales models. It leverages web traffic in a high volume for selling ads that further sell services or products to the consumers. In this model free content of high quality is created for gaining visitors who further encounters online advertisement.
4. Community-Based
Businesses or advertisers with common interests can directly market products to users of the site using the online communities. Anyone who has a particular illness, photography buffs, etc can form an online forum on social media like Facebook, Instagram, etc.
5. Fee-Based
A subscription fee is charged by direct-to-consumer sites for giving their content access. Publications are mostly involved in this model. They share free content for a limited period and then start charging. Hulu, Netflix, WSJ, etc are a few great examples.
Importance of B2C
Here are a few benefits of using the B2C e-commerce model.
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Excellent Customer Service
As it is already discussed above that in B2C, the business and consumers are involved directly which makes it easier for direct communication between them through websites. This further helps for resolving issues, getting feedbacks, and providing satisfactory services to customers.
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Business Growth
Businesses get a chance to expand by using e-commerce software focusing on B2C. Today, one can have a global presence, through B2C and be able to grow tremendously.
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Niche Marketing Scope
Even traditional businesses can grow through niche marketing provided by using b2c. with an online presence of such businesses, one can expand in the market and succeed.
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Low Set up Cost
Traditional businesses demanded a lot of funds for setting up, storage places, etc. But with an e-presence, all the costs can be cut short, giving wider scope to make greater profits.
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Easier Business Management
The administration of business becomes very easy through B2C e-commerce. Storing record lists, receiving logs, delivery process, etc can be stored, get a real-time update, and classified automatically and further can be accessed as per the consumers demand.
Challenges Faced by B2C
There are many challenges faced by B2C e-commerce.
- It is difficult to retain the loyalty of customers
- Difficult to maintain the return policy according to customers
- There is a need to sell services and products through multiple channels
- The latest system of voice ordering is very difficult to adapt
- With the increase in demand for bitcoins and digital currency, there might be a need to accept it as a mode of payment that is not just challenging but risky
- Consumers these days want mobile-oriented experiences which further demands higher cybersecurity
B2C Future
A 500 percent growth was seen in the e-commerce industry between 2000 to 2009 and even post that continued to grow, which shows e-commerce is here to stay. With an increase in the use of tablets and phones, e-tailing would also continue to expand and evolve. Though there were many demerits of the COVID 19 pandemic, e-commerce is one industry that continued to grow because of an increase in the dependency on a social media platform and digital communication.
Difference between B2C & B2B
People often get confused between the b2b and B2C models. Here is a difference that would give a clear understanding.
