Types of e-commerce (Business Models).

Different types of e-commerce business models

• Electronic commerce can be categorized into four categories. This categorization is on the basis of parties that are involved in the transactions. So the four basic electronic commerce models are as follows...
• Business-to-business (B2B).
• Business-to-consumer (B2C).
• Consumer-to-consumer (C2C).
• Consumer-to-business (C2B).

Business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce 

• It refers to the electronically exchange of products, services or information between businesses(company to company) rather than between businesses and consumers.
• Here two or more companies are doing business with each other. The final consumer is not involved between them.
• So the online transactions only completed among the manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers etc.

• Examples include online directories and product and supply exchange websites that allow businesses to search for products, services and information and to initiate transactions through e-procurement interfaces.

Business-to-consumer (B2C) 

• It is the retail part of e-commerce on the internet. It is when businesses sell products, services or information directly to consumers. The term was popular during the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, when online retailers and sellers of goods were a novelty.

• Business to Consumer. Here the company will sell their goods and/or services directly to the consumer. The consumer can browse their websites and look at products, pictures, read reviews. Then they place their order and the company ships the goods directly to them. Popular examples are Amazon, Flipkart, Jabong etc.

Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) 

• It is a type of e-commerce in which consumers trade products, services and information with each other online. These transactions are generally conducted through a third party that provides an online platform on which the transactions are carried out.

• Consumer to consumer, where the consumers are in direct contact with each other. No company is involved. It helps people sell their personal goods and assets directly to an interested party. Usually, goods traded are cars, bikes, electronics etc. OLX, Quikr etc follow this model.

Consumer-to-business (C2B) 

• It is a type of e-commerce in which consumers make their products and services available online for companies to bid on and purchase. This is the opposite of the traditional commerce model of B2C.
• This is the reverse of B2C, it is a consumer-to-business. So the consumer provides a good or some service to the company. Say for example an IT freelancer who demos and sells his software to a company. This would be a C2B transaction.

• A popular example of a C2B platform is a market that sells royalty-free photographs, images, media and design elements, such as iStock. Another example would be a job board.

But on the basis of administration it can be divided into two more categories

• Business-to-administration (B2G or B2A)
• Consumer-to-administration (C2G or C2A)

Business-to-Government or Business-to-administration (B2G or B2A) 

• It refers to transactions conducted online between companies and public administration or government bodies. 
• Many branches of government are dependent on e-services or products in one way or another, especially when it comes to legal documents, registers, social security, fiscals and employment. 
• Businesses can supply these electronically. B2A services have grown considerably in recent years as investments have been made in e-government capabilities.

Consumer-to-Government or Consumer-to-administration (C2G or C2A) 

• It refers to transactions conducted online between individual consumers and public administration or government bodies. The government rarely buys products or services from citizens, but individuals frequently use electronic means in the following areas...
• Education: disseminating information, distance learning/online lectures, etc.
• Social security: distributing information, making payments, etc.
• Taxes: filing tax returns, making payments, etc.
• Health: making appointments, providing information about illnesses, making health services payments, etc.