If you're commencing an eCommerce business, you'll almost certainly fall into any one of these four types. Each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, and many companies work in multiple categories at the same time.

Knowing which pot your big idea belongs in will encourage you to think about your threats and opportunities in a more creative manner.

B2C 

B2C stands for business to consumer.

Businesses that are selling to customers are known as B2C. Since the B2C prototype is the most standard business model, it encompasses an array of approaches.

Any purchase you make as a customer in an online store — think clothing, household goods, and entertainment — is a B2C exchange. A B2C shopping has a much-shortened decision-making method than B2B shopping, especially items with lower prices. 

Consider this: deciding on a fresh set of sneakers is much easier than vetting and acquiring a new email service provider and perhaps even a caterer for your firm.

Due to the shortened sales cycle, B2C companies spend less money on marketing to make sales. However, they also have a lesser average order value and fewer recurring orders than B2B companies. B2C doesn't just refer to products but services as well.

B2C inventors have taken advantage of technology such as mobile app stores, branded content, and targeted ads to market directly to the customer while making their lives simpler.

B2B 

B2B stands for business-to-business.

A company sells its good or service to another company in a B2B business strategy. The buyer is often the final consumer, but most of the time the purchaser resells to the customer.

B2B transactions have a lengthier selling process, but higher-order values and more repeat purchases.

Latest B2B creators have carved out a niche about themselves by eschewing catalogues and order sheets in favour of eCommerce storefronts and better niche market targeting.

Millennials will represent more than half of B2B buyers in 2020, approximately double the number in 2012. B2B marketing in the online space has become more essential as newer folks join the era of making business transactions.

C2B

It stands for a consumer to business. 

Inside this e-commerce model, a website may allow users to publish work they need done and also have businesses compete for the job. 

The competitive advantage of the C2B eCommerce model is in the pricing of goods and services.

This strategy gives customers the power to set their costs or have companies directly compete for their business. Recently, this model has been innovatively used to link businesses with social media influencers to market their goods. 

C2C

C2C stands for consumer to consumer.

A consumer-to-consumer (C2C) business, also known as an online marketplace, connects consumers to buy and sell products and makes revenue by charging listing or transaction fees. 

In the early days of the web, companies like Craigslist and eBay invented this model.

C2C businesses can benefit from the self-propelled development of energised market participants, but quality assurance and technology preservation are significant challenges.

Any web page that sells a product or service is classified as an eCommerce website. This website can follow any of the eCommerce business models listed above.