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E-commerce refers to financial transactions conducted over the Internet or by other electronic means, typically for products or services. When people purchase books or DVDs from an online retailer, for example, they participate in e-commerce. The enormous reach of the Internet makes e-commerce an attractive approach for small business owners selling products. Some companies sell only through online transactions, rather than maintaining a physical store location. The majority of e-commerce falls into one of five main types.

Business to Business
B2B, e-commerce consists of online deals between companies, with no responsibility of either company’s local consumers. For example, an automobile company that requires 50,000 lug nuts requires them through the vendor’s website. Both the vehicle manufacturer & the lug nut manufacturer sell their products to individual consumers through other outlets, but the automobile manufacturer’s order excludes both companies’ retail customers. B2B e-commerce reduces errors while enhancing efficiency.

Business to Consumer
The type of e-commerce most easily recognized by most people, business to consumer (B2C) e-commerce consists of online transactions between consumers & online retailers or service providers. B2C typically works in one of two ways. In one approach, the company carries on a website where customers can buy the products or services directly from the enterprise. The other model consists of a company maintaining a website that third-party companies use to sell goods or services.

Consumer to Business
A classic example of the consumer to business e-commerce is a person seeking bids from different construction businesses to build a home. The Internet opens the door for a much broader variety of C2B transactions. C2B e-commerce typically means that a person needs a professional to accomplish a task. The consumer posts a job description to a forum or website dedicated to C2B transactions, & solicits bids from businesses. After selecting a bidder, the buyer typically pays the business through an electronic medium. Websites that cater to C2B transactions frequently offer or require the consumer to use the site’s secure financial services.

Consumer to Consumer
Consumer to consumer (C2C) e-commerce represents an evolution of the much older yard sale. Individuals with products they no longer need or want offer them for sale online, generally through a third-party website that collects a commission. Other consumers select the products they need or want from the available offerings &, typically, make secure payment through the site. The seller ships the product to the buyer & collects payment from the site.

Mobile E-commerce
Mobile e-commerce, or m-commerce, occurs when a consumer or business purchases products or services on a web-enabled mobile device. Many online businesses provide apps that allow smartphone users to browse & purchase products easily. Authentically, m-commerce encompasses all the other major forms of e-commerce, with the distinction resting on the device rather than the services.

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