Types of E-Commerce

The term commerce refers to the trading of goods and/or services. E-commerce is a modern-day invention that facilitates the trading of goods and/or services through electronic means, or more precisely, the internet. 

types of e-commerce

The Types

he following are the different types of e-commerce platforms:

  1. Business-to-Business (B2B)
  2. Business-to-Consumer (B2C)
  3. Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)
  4. Consumer-to-Business (C2B)
  5. Business-to-Administration (B2A)
  6. Consumer-to-Administration (C2A)

Business-to-Business (B2B)

A B2B model of business involves the conduct of trade between two or more businesses/companies. The channels of such trade generally include conventional wholesalers and producers who are dealing with retailers.

Business-to-Consumer (B2C)

Business-to-Consumer model of business deals with the retail aspects of e-commerce, i.e. the sale of goods and/or services to the end consumer through digital means. The facility, which has taken the business world by storm, enables the consumer to have a detailed look at their proposed procurements before placing an order. After the placement of such orders, the company/agent receiving the order will then deliver the same to the consumer in a convenient time-span. Some of the businesses operating in this channel include well-known players like Amazon, Flipkart, etc.

Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)

This business model is leveraged by a consumer for selling used goods and/or services to other consumers through the digital medium. The transactions here are pursued through a platform provided by a third party, the likes of which include OLX, Quickr, etc.

Consumer-to-Business (C2B)

A C2B model is the exact reversal of a B2C model. While the latter is serviced to the consumer by a business, the C2B model provides the end consumers with an opportunity to sell their products/services to companies. The method is popular in crowdsourcing based projects, the nature of which typically includes logo designing, sale of royalty-free photographs/media/design elements, and so on and so forth.

Business-to-Administration (B2A)

This model enables online dealings between companies and public administration, i.e. the Government by enabling the exchange of information through central websites. It provides businesses with a platform to bid on government opportunities such as auctions, tenders, application submission, etc. The scope of this model is now enhanced, thanks to the investments made towards e-government.

Consumer-to-Administration (C2A)

The C2A platform is meant for consumers, who may use it for requesting information or posting feedbacks concerning public sectors directly to the government authorities/administration. Its areas of applicability include:

  • The dissemination of information.
  • Distance learning.
  • Remittance of statutory payments.
  • Filing of tax returns.
  • Seeking appointments, information about illnesses, payment of health services, etc.

Why E-Commerce?

  • E-commerce bridges the gap between local sellers and global audiences, thereby helping them in widening their reach across the global market segment without making further investments.
  • The consumers are provided with a gamut of options for procurements.
  • It facilitates the round-the-clock conduct of trade.

FAQs

What is e-commerce?

E-commerce, short for electronic commerce, refers to the buying and selling of goods or services over the internet or other electronic networks. It encompasses a wide range of transactions conducted online, from online retail (e-tail) to business-to-business (B2B) sales.

What are the differences between the types of e-commerce?

The main differences between the types of e-commerce lie in the nature of the parties involved in the transactions (businesses, consumers, or government), the direction of the transactions (e.g., business-to-consumer vs. consumer-to-business), and the types of goods or services being exchanged.

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