2005-5-22-Business-to-consumer electronic commerce

王朝other·作者佚名  2006-01-09
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Business-to-consumer electronic commerce

Business-to-consumer electronic commerce (B2C) is a form of

electronic commerce in which products or services are sold from a firm

to a consumer.

Contents

1.Five Classifications of B2C E-Commerce1.1.Direct Sellers1.1.1.E-tailers:1.1.2.Manufacturers:1.2.Online Intermediaries1.2.1.Brokers1.2.1.1 Types of Brokers:1.2.2.Infomediaries1.3 Advertising-Based Models1.4 Community-Based Models1.5 Fee-Based Models2.Advantages of B2C E-commerce3.Challenges Faced by B2C E-Commerce4.What Separates the Best from the Rest?5.See Also6.Sources

1.Five Classifications of B 2C E-Commerce

1.1Direct Sellers

Companies that provide products or services directly to customers

are called direct sellers. These types of B 2C companies are the most

well-known. There are two types of direct sellers: e-tailers and

manufacturers.

1.1.1 .E-tailers:

Upon receiving an order, the e-tailer ships products directly to the consumer or to a wholesaler or manufacturer for delivery.

* Example: Amazon.com

1.1.2 .Manufacturers:

The manufacturer sells directly to consumers via the internet. The

goal is to remove intermediaries, through a process called

disintermediation, and to establish direct customer relationships.

Disintermediation is not a new idea as catalog companies have been

utilizing this method for years.

* Example: Dell.com

1.2.Online Intermediaries

Online intermediaries are companies that facilitate transactions

between buyers and sellers and receive a percentage of the

transaction's value. These firms make up the largest group of B 2C

companies today. There are two types of online intermediaries: brokers

and infomediaries.

1.2.1 .Brokers

A broker is a company that facilitates transactions between buyers and sellers.

1.2.1 .1.Types of Brokers:

(1)Buy/Sell Fulfillment

A corporation that helps consumers place buy and sell orders.

Example: eTrade

(2)Virtual Mall

A company that helps consumers buy from a variety of stores.

Example: Yahoo! Stores

(3)Metamediary

A firm that offers customers access to a variety of stores and

provides them with transaction services, such as financial services.

Example: Amazon zShops

(4)Bounty

An intermediary that offers a fee to locate a person, place, or idea.

Example: BountyQuest (now defunct)

(5)Search Agent

A company that helps consumers compare different stores.

Example: MySimon

1.2.2 .Infomediaries

An infomediary is a firm that acts as a filter between companies and

consumers. Individuals provide infomediaries with personal information

and in turn receive targeted ads. Companies pay these infomediaries for

the information that they collect.

1.3.Advertising-Based Models

In an advertising-based system, businesses' sites have ad inventory,

which they sell to interested parties. There are two guiding

philosophies for this practice: high-traffic or niche. Advertisers take

a high-traffic approach when attempting to reach a larger audience.

These advertisers are willing to pay a premium for a site that can

deliver high numbers, for example advertisements on Yahoo! or AOL. When

advertisers are trying to reach a smaller group of buyers, they take a

niche approach. These buyers are well-defined, clearly identified, and

desirable. The niche approach focuses on quality, not quantity. For

example, an advertisement on WSJ.com would chiefly be viewed by

business people and executives.

1.4.Community-Based Models

In a community-based system, companies allow users worldwide to

interact with each other on the basis of similar areas of interest.

These firms make money by accumulating loyal users and targeting them

with advertising.

* Example: Yahoo! Groups

1.5.Fee-Based Models

In a fee-based system, a firm charges a subscription fee to view its

content. There are varying degrees of content restriction and

subscription types ranging from flat-fees to pay-as-you-go.

2.Advantages of B 2C E-commerce

* Shopping can be faster and more convienient.

* Offerings and prices can change instantaneously.

* Call centers can be integrated with the website.

* Broadband telecommunications will enhance the buying experience.

3.Challenges Faced by B 2C E-Commerce

The two main challenges faced by B 2C e-commerce are building

traffic and sustaining customer loyalty. Due to the winner-take-all

nature of the B 2C structure, many smaller firms find it difficult to

enter a market and remain competitive. In addition, online shoppers are

very price-sensitive and are easily lured away, so acquiring and

keeping new customers is difficult.

4.What Separates the Best from the Rest?

A study of top B 2C companies by McKinsey found that:

* Top performers had over three times as many unique visitors per

month than the median. In addition, the top performer had 2,500 times

more visiters than the worst performer.

* Top performers had an 18% conversion rate of new visitors, twice that of the median.

* Top performers had a revenue per transaction of 2.5 times the median.

* Top performers had an average gross margin three times the median.

* There was no significant difference in the number of transactions per customer and the visitor acquisition cost.

Essentially, these masters of B 2C e-commerce (eBay, Amazon, etc.)

remain at the top because of effective communication and value to the

customer.

5.See Also

* E-commerce

* Business-to-business electronic commerce

* Bricks and clicks

* Disintermediation

6.Sources

* Krishnamurthy, Sandeep. E-Commerce Management. Mason , Ohio : Thomson/South-Western, 2003.

* Haag, Stephen, Maeve Cummings, Donald J. McCubbrey, Alain

Pinsonneault, and Richard Donovan. Management Information Systerms: For

the Information Age. 2nd Canadian ed. New York : McGraw-Hill Ryerson,

2004.

 
 
 
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