What is B2C Ecommerce? (With Examples)

Posted 1 year ago by Max Komonov

B2C is one of the most popular business models in the retail landscape. In 2020, B2C was valued at $3.67 trillion and is expected to expand at a rate of 9.7% through 2028.

The online shopping industry is powered by convenience; consumers can browse for products and services from the comfort of their own homes rather than going to a brick-and-mortar store.

The rise in B2C ecommerce has made it much more possible to create an online business. Regardless of the products you’re selling or your location, anyone can successfully run an online storefront, thanks to technology and the help of an ecommerce platform.

What is B2C Ecommerce?

B2C, or business-to-consumer, is a business model where businesses sell products directly to consumers.

B2C companies range from retailers like Target and Amazon to streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, services like cable networks, phone companies like Verizon, or ride-sharing apps like Uber.

As you can see, B2C commerce encompasses a massive amount of the market because of the sheer number of players in the industry.

B2C electronic commerce, or ecommerce, is the most common form of B2C in today’s business landscape. B2C ecommerce refers to businesses selling their products online via a B2C store.

The common types of B2C ecommerce companies include:

Direct sellers (Target, Apple, and H&M)
Intermediaries (Poshmark, eBay, Etsy)
Ad-based (HuffPost, BuzzFeed)
Community-based (Facebook)
Fee-based (Netflix, Hulu, Spotify)

Common B2C Ecommerce Challenges

As consumer behavior changes, B2C ecommerce companies must adapt to stay relevant. In turn, this presents many new challenges for companies in the ecommerce space. Let’s explore those here.

Customer expectations

From new competitors to competing in an already saturated market, ecommerce companies must provide a premium experience to keep customers happy. This includes a seamless, personalized shopping experience, easy order tracking, and consistent communication.

Channel consistency

Every interaction with your brand should feel consistent and cohesive across the board. This means social media platforms, your website, customer service interactions, and more.

To ensure the customer experience remains the same across the board, check in with the critical components of your company. Branding, messaging, copy, and the interactions on your website, social media platforms, and teams should all feel cohesive and consistent.

Security

Despite the technology available today, data security is, unfortunately, still a prevalent issue for ecommerce companies. There’s simply so much to consider when collecting customer data online.

From fraud protection to data encryption and compliance, data security can be a serious challenge for businesses of all sizes.

How to Find the Best B2C Ecommerce Platform for Your Business

An ecommerce platform is a powerful software solution that supports B2C companies to manage and operate an online store. From listing products to processing payments, tracking orders, and more, B2C companies need an ecommerce platform to offer the best customer experience.

Various B2C platforms offer unique features and advantages designed to serve different businesses. Above all, the platform should focus on the customer experience first and foremost.

As you shop around, ask yourself what features and functionality in an ecommerce platform will set your business apart from the rest.

Here’s what you should consider as you search for the best B2C ecommerce platform.

Functionality

Platform functionality ensures your visitors get an optimized experience every time. The best platforms will offer advanced functionality like site search, opt-in emails, multiple payment options, and a mobile responsive design.

Scalability

Every B2C business wants to experience growth, right? As you prepare for it, you’ll need an ecommerce platform that supports your growth. Scalability supports increased website traffic, inventory, sales, and every other facet of your business. As your B2C ecommerce development needs grow, your platform should grow alongside you.

Tools and analytics

From website performance to shopper behavior, your selected platform should offer robust marketing and data analytics for your business. You’ll gain access to valuable insights that will support future promotions and campaigns while getting an inside look at what your customers want.

Integrations

To enhance your efficiency as a business, many ecommerce platforms offer integrations with other solutions. From email marketing tools to CRM and inventory management, shipping and fulfillment, social media management, and more, integrations make managing your business easy from one platform.

Customer experience

Selecting the best ecommerce platform for your business should ultimately center around the experience it offers customers. You want visitors to be able to easily browse your site, find products, make a purchase, and track their goods. Features that boost the customer experience include simple site navigation, easy search, and more.

You’ll also want access to a user interface that is easy to navigate and customize to your brand. The best platforms offer various site templates to create a memorable shopping experience for customers.

Personalization

On-site personalization ensures every visitor feels like your most important customer. Your ecommerce platform should offer segment tools so you can target various demographics, including age, gender, location, shopping behaviors, and more.

Some platforms offer personalized product recommendations based on previous interactions with your website. Offering a unique, tailored shopping experience for visitors increases the user experience and will drive more sales.

B2C Ecommerce Examples

Here are a few examples of popular B2C companies that expanded into ecommerce to follow the market trends and cater to a wider audience.

Target

Target has done a fantastic job adapting to ecommerce alongside its customer base. Offering intelligent shopping solutions online and through a mobile app, Target’s ecommerce offering is convenient, easy to use, and consistent.

Amazon

The online shopping behemoth Amazon is an excellent example of adapting to the times (or even ahead of the curve) and staying relevant. Amazon prioritizes customer experience in impressive ways. The company offers same-day shipping, tailored product recommendations, and a fee-based subscription model to create an air of exclusivity.

Power Up Your Ecommerce Business With Ecwid

Every B2C business needs a powerful, solution-oriented platform to find success and reach its target audience online. Ecwid is committed to offering companies of all sizes the platform they need to grow.

Don’t wait to have an ecommerce platform on your side — get started today and start growing your online business with Ecwid!

About The Author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.