Within the world of digital marketing, it is different to focus a sales strategy for products or services on a person than on a specific company. You should not address a client the same way as a large company, basically, because their needs are very different. Therefore, it is essential that you know what B2C is.
The B2C ecommerce strategies are a much more traditional business model than you might think. Still, despite this, it has been able to adapt to the new times and evolve towards the standards that the Internet sets, such as instant online purchases or having to hit click an item in your home in a matter of hours.
B2C responds to the acronym “Business to Consumer.” That is, it refers to the commercial activity that exists between a company and a consumer.
Most of us are immersed in B2C, a concept that is related to digital marketing and, more specifically, to e-commerce. It’s relatively new, but it first appeared in the mid-1990s when internet trade restrictions were lifted, and it’s been growing exponentially ever since.
Traditionally, a B2C model refers to the exchange of goods and services in malls, supermarkets, restaurants, and high street stores, that is, commerce in general. Today, the term is also commonly used to designate online purchases.
However, some companies have marketing channels in which they carry out both operations, that is, B2B and B2C. An example is Dell, on whose website it can find products intended for end consumers and companies. Another example could be a cleaning service company, which can clean a company’s office space as well as homes, i.e., the customer you sell to determines whether you are doing B2B or B2C.
Street commerce or traditional retail will not end. There are still a series of factors that make the conventional ways of commercializing products and services, which have remained almost unchanged in their main aspects for centuries and centuries, still, guarantee the life of retail as we are used to it. Physical presence in certain situations and especially in some segments is still impossible, but electronic commerce has been advancing at high speed in some classes of products.
The numbers of e-commerce (electronic commerce) around the world prove the paradigm shift in the marketing of specific sectors in which consumer goods correspond to items that customers already know and regularly consume, as is the case of the segment that includes perfumery, cosmetics, and health and which currently leads the list of items purchased (in many orders) electronically, according to data from the e-commerce site in practice.
E-commerce simplifies the shopping experience for consumers. Comprehensive online stores with a good list of products can be created reasonably easily and with much lower investment than an equivalent physical store. All you need is a domain, hosting, SSL, and CMS. At the same time, customers have the convenience, speed, and even savings, when making purchases that previously required travel, time, and work but now occur in the comfort of the sofa at home or while pedaling the bike at the gym.
In the digital age, customers have more control than ever before. In a few minutes, a consumer knows the prices practiced by different stores for the same item that he is in the habit of buying, he knows the delivery time of each practice, and he has different payment methods.
With this in mind, as well as with the old concern that comes from the days of conventional commerce, in which differentiation must be sought by meeting the needs, desires, and expectations of customers, companies have to be creative and constantly seek to offer new solutions.
Want an example? Dog food! Those who have one usually buy the same brand, the same amount, with the same purchase intervals, and based on that, specialized sites in this niche sell feed by “subscription,” which implies that you register, buy just one time, indicate a credit card and monthly the company will deliver on a set date, the required quantity of your preferred brand and still grants you a discount of around 15% about single purchases. Ease, tranquility and economy!
Currently, B2C ecommerce is dominated by big names in the sector that usually also act as portals for other sellers — a marketplace. Some examples are the companies of eBay, Ali Baba, Amazone, etc.
There are other players in B2C ecommerce besides large retailers, such as individual micro-entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized companies. In common, they all have an online store and use the virtual environment to serve the market, carry out marketing actions and win customers.
It is worth remembering that companies that operate in B2C can also work with different business models. For example, it is common for e-commerce to have a physical counterpart, where customers can pick up products purchased on the internet. Some organizations can also expand the audience to other companies, either in the so-called B2B or even to the government, in B2G.
Furthermore, investing in more specific niches (such as the exclusive sale of furniture, sporting goods, cosmetics, beverages, etc.) can be an alternative to seeking sustainability in such a competitive market. In these cases, the main benefits are the variety of products and the personalization of the shopping experience
There are models of B2C sites that differ from each other by the way they operate and the commercial approach. Still, if we make a more rigorous assessment regarding the particularities of each operation, it is possible to expand the models or categories listed below.
The investment in opening a physical store is considerable. In addition to the bureaucratic and legal processes involved, it is still necessary to rent and maintain a property, hire employees, plan periodic renovations, and so on. Now with e-commerce, much of the infrastructure you need is online.
It is much cheaper and faster to invest in a virtual store, and it can still be easily updated whenever a need or an opportunity arises. In this scenario, the only investments in physical structures are linked to logistics, with a place to store goods, contracts with suppliers, choice of carriers, etc.
Every entrepreneur wants to see their business grow. However, ensuring that a proportional cost increase does not accompany increased sales can take time and effort. In practice, you don’t just want to sell more—you need to make sales more profitable.
In B2C ecommerce, the volume of transactions does not imply a prohibitive increase in operating costs since the tools used in management are scalable. You can, for example, increase the capabilities of your e-commerce platform with a relatively low investment, which will not harm the bottom line of your sales.
It’s no secret that the success of a business depends on the company’s management skills. In this sense, online stores can count on a series of digital tools to improve how they handle their business daily.
It is possible to use a specialized platform to create and manage a B2C ecommerce easily, adopt corporate management systems to have a global view of the business, as in the case of ERP, or even a digital customer relationship management system ( CRM). Thus, everything you need to monitor the company’s progress and detect threats and opportunities is available on your computer screen — or even your cell phone- in tools that are both powerful and simple to use.
Like any business, B2C ecommerce also presents some challenges that need special attention from entrepreneurs. But nothing that good preparation and an extra dose of care can’t handle. Check it out!
Even though many people are already used to making transactions online, many people still need to be more suspicious of this universe, especially when the brand is new to the market. The main reason for this fear is the fear of fraud involving payment, problems with product delivery, and leakage of personal data.
And as much as establishing a relationship of trust takes time, some strategies can speed up the process. Using anti-fraud resources and digital certificates, for example, are some of the possible IT solutions to guarantee the security of your store.
There are still other simpler actions that are also efficient. You must provide the store’s physical address and give visibility to your site’s security tools with banners or seals in the site’s footer, especially at checkout. And only request data that is necessary for the online transaction.
Finally, remember to keep communication channels always open and working quickly. In online commerce, this interaction takes place on several fronts, from e-mail to chat integrated with e-commerce, passing through chats on social networks. That way, you can clarify pre-sales questions and solve post-sales problems quickly.
Competition for online consumer attention is huge and involves large national and international companies, ranging from Alibaba to Amazon. This does not mean that small and medium entrepreneurs do not have space but that they need to create ways to stand out among the crowd of players.
In this context, in addition to investing in the quality of products, services, and assistance, it is also necessary to invest in marketing actions aimed at the virtual environment. There are different campaigns, such as purchasing sponsored links and actions on social networks—everything, of course, according to the target audience.
Investing in quality content both on product description pages and in a support space, such as a blog on subjects related to your niche is also important. This content must be created with an eye on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques — optimization for search engines. It’s about using keywords and proper formatting to improve rankings on Google and similar search engines. Thus, the company organically attracts visitors without directly purchasing advertising space.
Although B2C ecommerce generally does not require investments in the physical infrastructure of a physical store, it is necessary to allocate resources to establish efficient logistics. The first step is to have an organized and well-managed inventory with the support of control tools. That way, you don’t run the risk of running out of stock or products.
You also need to think about transport, especially since the price of shipping is a decisive factor when shopping online. Therefore, it is worth evaluating the investment in your fleet or searching for good carriers, always comparing with the deadlines and prices charged by the Post Office. Technology such as the freight gateway can also be interesting solutions for more robust operations.
Analogously to business done with final consumers of conventional trade, here the possibilities are countless and often follow the rules of the real world, even from the point of view of legal conditions and the contractual definition of how the “partnership” should take place. Surround yourself with well-sourced information.
Two very practical questions to assess the level of business you are doing on the Internet are: “What did I get out of this business?” and “Where do I want to go?”. Although quite efficient, often answering questions fully may not be easy and practical, as the fruits sometimes cannot be reaped in a short time. The idea is to be patient and not be seduced just by what gives immediate results.
Always be very objective and impartial (it is understood to exclude all subjectivity) when evaluating the results. Always have data that can be quantified and qualified before and after the implementations to compare the results. Conduct surveys to verify acceptance of new products, always remembering that your client’s information is vital. Ask a lot about everything, always. And always remember that the online market is extremely dynamic, and therefore, what is successful today may be outdated tomorrow.
In the virtual market, betting on innovation is the safest way to remain competitive. To help you in this mission, we have listed here the main trends in B2C ecommerce that should consolidate in the coming years. Keep an eye!
Mobile devices, such as tablets and cell phones, are becoming more ubiquitous and powerful daily. This means retailers need to invest in improving mobile access to their stores. More is needed to allow the customer to search for prices on the cell phone. They must be able to carry out all purchase steps directly from their smartphone.
Responsive design and omnichannel reality come in here, enabling, for example, consumers to initiate purchases via cell phone to finish them later on the computer — and vice versa.
Chatbots are computer software that can interact with customers autonomously through chats on social networks, in a company-owned chat, or even by SMS.
This tool is already old but has gained greater efficiency with artificial intelligence. This means that the program uses Big Data and information the store and customers provided to improve its answers to sound more natural. With this, it is possible to reduce the cost with human SACs and guarantee full-service availability.
Offering good content to customers is the best way to attract and convert leads organically. The use of sponsored links and the use of SEO techniques in stores and on their respective blogs should continue to be on the rise.
In addition, more audiovisual pieces should be created, especially to describe products on the site. Know now: this format has a high conversion capacity and can also easily be shared by customers, especially on social networks.
In addition to being aware of technological innovations, it is also necessary to stay connected to market movements. Therefore, it is necessary to understand better the niches that promise to be more profitable in the future. We’re talking about handcrafted clothing and accessories, eco-friendly products, items for pets, and even custom furniture.
Another trend to watch involves the subscription club model. It works like this: the customer makes a monthly payment and receives products of a certain line, model, or brand with the same frequency. Today there are wine, craft beer, books, and even lingerie clubs. The model is interesting because it is based on recurring payments, which helps the company’s budget management in the medium and long term.
It is only possible to talk about virtual retail by mentioning B2C ecommerce platforms. After all, it is through this tool that most entrepreneurs create and manage the company’s day-to-day business.
But how to choose among so many platforms offered on the market? You need to choose the one that can meet your needs as a shopkeeper. To help you make the right choice, here are some aspects that should be observed. Mount your checklist right now!
The possibility of resorting to an assistance service whenever necessary is the first point to observe before choosing your e-commerce platform. After all, we are talking about an IT tool that, although it is designed to be operated by non-specialist users, can raise a series of doubts and problems that need to be resolved promptly.
Remember, therefore, that you are not buying just a platform but investing in technical support that provides conditions for maximum use of all the solution’s resources. With that in mind, try to find out about the supplier’s support channels, such as email, telephone, and chat, and always choose those who offer quality assistance that works at the same pace as your store — 24 hours a day.
Very important in creating your website, platforms usually already have previously defined templates that the merchant can choose.
The big problem with using ready-made templates is that customization is sacrificed, making the result very similar to other competitor stores and not having the necessary resources to meet your strategy and customer needs.
Thus, opting for complete solutions that allow a high degree of front-end customization (the visible part of the site) is essential for anyone wishing to set up a successful B2C ecommerce.
Also, remember that mobile phones will access the store. Therefore, the platform must provide a responsive design, allowing the site to be displayed as compatible with the screen size and processing capacity of various mobile devices.
Gaining customer trust can be a major challenge in the online environment. Therefore, your B2C ecommerce platform should help in this mission. The tool must allow the use of quality and security certificates and seals and receive resources to protect the company’s and buyers’ data.
The basics, in this case, is the use of SSL Certificates. Visitors easily notice these features thanks to a lock icon in the address bar. They are essential to guarantee the privacy of the data circulating through the website and even free navigation in the case of some browsers. Chrome, for example, usually blocks access to pages that do not have this type of security protocol.
Your e-commerce platform should keep up with the company’s growth, but that doesn’t mean your costs should increase proportionately. Having tools based on modules is a great alternative for those who want to increase their store to keep up with an increase in demand.
In this model, extra modules can be added to the platform whenever necessary, adding new features or making the company more efficient. Thus, if the store stops having a single stock and starts working with distribution centers, the platform can receive a module to accompany this growth without harming the global flow.
E-commerce platforms need to communicate fluently with other company management solutions. They need to integrate, for example, gateways or payment intermediaries, ERP or CRM systems, and even social networks such as Instagram and Facebook.
It is also important to check whether the platform allows the automation of tasks, such as issuing electronic invoices or stock control, detecting products that will soon run out of stock, for example, and automatically preparing a new order from the supplier.
For businesses looking to leap into the digital world of eCommerce, SuiteCommerce is a great choice. This platform allows businesses to create an online storefront, customize their customer experience, and manage their inventory from one central hub. Let’s dive deeper into why SuiteCommerce is the ideal platform for B2C eCommerce.
SuiteCommerce offers users the ability to customize their website in multiple ways. Users can choose between several design layouts or create custom designs with HTML and CSS coding. Additionally, users can easily connect any third-party integrations they need to optimize their website’s performance and enhance their customers’ experiences. With SuiteCommerce, you have full creative control over your store’s looks and functions.
One of the most important factors when creating an online store is ensuring that it looks good on any device—laptops, tablets, and smartphones. SuiteCommerce automatically optimizes your website for all devices so that no matter which device your customers are using, they will always have a great experience on your site. Additionally, you can use SuiteAnalytics to track user behavior across devices so you can make adjustments as needed to ensure a seamless customer experience.
SuiteCommerce also offers robust inventory management tools that allow users to keep track of stock levels and availability in real-time easily. This makes it easy for businesses to be sure they never run out of stock—or worse yet, overstock! This platform also provides enterprise-level security features that protect customers’ data and payment information from malicious actors or data theft.
SuiteCommerce makes it easy to integrate with other systems, such as ERP and CRM solutions, analytics tools, and payment gateways. This allows businesses to get the most out of their website so that customers can have a seamless shopping experience from start to finish.
What are the brands you consume the most? What has led you to choose them? Many of your favorite brands implement the B2C business model, so it is no coincidence that you have chosen them; surely, their strategy has convinced you that it is the best company in the field.
Here are some of the most successful B2C companies in the world:
Knowing consumer habits is essential in B2C, and that is what Spotify, the Swedish multiplatform application, offers the music streaming service. The large amount of data generated by its users has given this company the advantage of personalizing the content it offers.
Spotify is very friendly to all users; it recommends artists, playlists, and albums that you will surely like. The brand has known how to act intelligently since it offers premium plans, a free service with advertising, the creation of playlists without an internet connection; benefits that continue to captivate more users daily.
Another streaming entertainment company is Netflix, the American company that offers quality audiovisual content with which it has gained millions of subscribers to its platform and also, through its algorithms, analyzes users’ browsing behavior to provide them with a better experience.
Need help determining what to see? Netflix algorithms help you choose a series or movie based on its database of similarities and differences between users. He knows that there are varied tastes and takes advantage of this to create original content for customers who like a marathon afternoon.
If we talk about B2C, we must mention the monster in sales; we are referring to the leading American company in electronic commerce that is committed to the experience of its customers, having an extensive catalog of products at affordable prices under friendly navigation on its platform.
Amazon daily offers benefits to all users, from free shipping to audiovisual content via streaming; the entire platform is designed to guarantee customer satisfaction.
It is more common for a physical store to jump to a digital one than vice versa. Still, Alibaba Group, the consortium that integrates several companies of Chinese origin dedicated to electronic commerce, has opted for having a digital and physical environment because they believe that physical stores are the medium in which the products are exhibited. On the internet, they are purchased.
This group of companies has influence in media, data analysis, data logistics, and communications, among others. Their strategy goes beyond the relationship between price and product, and they are taking advantage of the integration of the physical with the digital.
As you can see, the B2C business model focuses on direct interaction with consumers. It is important to personalize the strategies that lead them to love your product or service, so they identify with your brand, and it begins to grow significantly.
Final Thoughts:
The B2C business model is incredibly beneficial for companies to thrive in the ever-evolving digital world. Businesses need to understand their consumers, use data and analytics to personalize strategies, and integrate physical and digital platforms to ensure customer satisfaction. With the right approach and technology investments, B2C companies can reach audiences of all sizes and become successful.
Thanks for reading! We hope you found this information helpful in understanding the B2C business model. Good luck with your venture!
UnlockCommerce partnered with WT Sports & Recognition to deliver two customized SuiteCommerce websites, transforming complex processes into seamless, efficient solutions for their renowned brands, Macron and Wholesale Trophies.
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