In ecommerce, business models are commonly divided into two groups: B2C (Business to Consumer) and B2B (Business to Business).
In the B2B model, the end customer is a company. A key characteristic of B2B is that transactions are carried out between two or more legal entities.
B2B sales goals go beyond a high order conversion rate. They include simplifying the relationship between companies, reducing costs, and increasing performance by providing the customer with an online experience that is as excellent as the offline experience.
B2B projects are usually more extensive and complex than projects in the B2C business model. This is why having good relationships between companies is so important.
These relationships determine the level of customization in customer service. Therefore, defining custom payment methods, catalogs, and prices for each customer are common tasks in this model.
In B2B ecommerce, there are usually three types of shopping experiences:
| Experience | How it works |
|---|---|
| Self-service | Customers go through the entire purchase flow on their own. There are many tools available in this scenario to enable this experience. |
| Sales force automation | A sales rep places orders on the customer's behalf. |
| Marketplace | The end user buys the product from a manufacturer through a reseller, wholesaler, or distributor. This model usually relies on marketplace tools to provide this experience. |