B2C and B2E – A Summary of Differences

1. B2C and B2E – A Summary of Differences Sometimes farmers selling their produce can be in a quandary when they have to choose between two business models - Whether to sell their stuff in small quantities directly to a continuous flow of customers or to large outlets that are willing to purchase their entire lot consistently at a predetermined cost. Here the models referred to are B2C (Business to customer) in the first case and B2B (Business to Business) in the latter. For the benefit of those who are not familiar, here are the differences between B2B and B2C. A longer evaluation A decision to sell B2B requires cultivating a longer term relationship with the buyer. For the buyer, an in-depth evaluation of the sellers’ products is a must. A purchaser of wholesale products is unlikely to make a decision in a hurry. More stakeholders involved Unlike in a B2C relationship you are not reaching out to only one buyer or seller. There could be multiple people or stakeholders involved when making a long term relationship. Decision making groups can include people from business, financial, and even technical fields. You will have to convince each of them.

2. Purchasing modality In B2C, you sell products for the consumers’ personal use. On the other hand, in a B2B environment, buyers buy your products for use in their companies. In E-commerce In B2C E-commerce is the process of selling products directly to the consumers via the internet. Consumers browse product information, select product(s), and check out using a debit or credit card. In B2B, transactions are of a far more complex nature. The buying transaction system can have plenty of queries both from the buyers’ and sellers’ side, as well as accepting orders in different formats such as emails, hard copies, and electronic orders. The infrastructure In B2C, the infrastructure is relatively quite simple with the information confined to just the product(s) of the seller. In B2B, the seller arranges products tailored for different customers. The system itself is so designed that business browsers do not have to go through the laborious process of reading an entire catalogue to find the products/services they want. In this regard, Esources is an excellent example of a B2B portal that provides information on scores of companies selling wholesale products as well as trade leads in a systematic manner. According to an Esources.co.uk review, a company by listing itself on this portal can get noticed better than any other directories.