First what do B2C and B2B mean as knowing this will give the most of the answers.
1. B2C means Business to Customer or Consumer as in the end user, or the car showrooms who sell complete Ford motors.
2. B2B means Business to Business as in the suppliers of parts for cars to Ford to make the complete cars.
The customer requirement is different for each. One, B2C deals with business transactions to the end consumer, the customer.
The other ,B2B, deals with other businesses as the end customer and so the marketing and selling is different as the target market is different.
Another difference may be the type of order, a customer in a B2C relationship may order or buy only one item or small quantities.
The B2B customer may order on the thousands or millions, depending on the size and scale of the business. A small family or one man operation may order small quantities but mainly large firms will want to place larger orders and therefore deal with other companies that can supply those type of numbers.
Regularity or guarantee of delivery is also important as JIT or just in time delivery may be required.
How products are paid for may vary as well, small companies or end user type customers may use cash, cheque or credit card. B2B may have credit lines and open orders paid by invoice monthly.
How you browse a product line may be different, B2C may have a brick and mortar shop, catalog, website etc. B2B may have a factory, business type brochure marketing and sales information, contracts etc.
When it comes to internet transactions the type of website will be different.
B2B will concern itself with supply chain management. A B2C website may be a portal type website like Amazon allowing the end consumer to search every product available, information, price, tax etc by catagories and reviews and allow many items to be added to a shopping cart and finally purchased and paid for with delivery all arranged.
Many B2C businesses exist now as just e-commerce websites with just the bricks and mortar being the warehousing and distribution and management. The end user never walks into any building itself.
A B2B business will deal mainly with other businesses. To use Amazon as an analogy again, the B2C side is the website, the B2B side is their relationship with the suppliers of the goods that they sell via the B2C website, the suppliers of books, music, electronic goods etc that they stock in the warehouse ready to sell on the website.
Technology is now allowing these lines to be blurred to a greater extent, a B2B business may take individual orders from someone who found them on the website and enquired of there goods. Surplus stock can be listed in trade directories and sold to other companies or individuals who want them worldwide. Goods may be made in China, sold in the US direct through public or private business auctions or trade deals done over the web.
A new classification is the C2C or customer to customer who may find a wholesaler and sell via their own website or auction to other customers either small businesses individuals.
Some C2C bussinesses are more efficient and able to sell more goods at a profit than many B2C or B2B companies in the same market. The internet is levelling the playing field especially for digital goods that can be delivered online. Apple with iTunes have shown just how big a digital market can grow.
B2C and B2B and C2C are all interchangable now to some extent over the internet depending on what you want and how you want it and how much.
B2C and B2B and C2C are all interchangable now to some extent over the internet depending on what you want and how you want it and how much.
Source: http://www.ArticlePros.com/author.php?Rob Macleod
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