Question

Discuss the salient aspects of B2C commerce.

Answer 1

The following are the various salient aspects of business-to-consumer (B2C) commerce.

(a) Wide coverage: The term ‘B2C commerce’ refers to the transactions between a business firm and its customers; B2C e-commerce enables businesspersons to extend their trade to a large number of consumers by providing them online global access to their products. It can be said that B2C e-commerce has shrunk the world, and that international boundaries do not play any role.

(b) Effective promotion: Compared with the traditional product promotional methods (advertisements in newspapers, on the radio and on hoardings), products can be promoted and advertised in a more innovative and interactive manner with the use of multimedia and animations through B2C e-commerce. Using e-commerce, sellers can promote their products either on their own websites or on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Gmail.

(c) Low promotional costs and quick post-sale services: B2C e-commerce benefits businessmen because of its low promotional costs. In addition, it also enables them to provide post-sale services through their registered call centres, which facilitates cheaper and provide faster resolution of complaints compared with traditional post-sale services.

(d) Consumer-friendly payment methods: B2C e-commerce provides a wide range of payment options such as via debit cards, credit cards, cash on delivery and equated monthly instalment (EMI) schemes, which are consumer friendly. These methods save time and effort and are also considered safe, by and large.

(e) Easy access: Unlike the traditional modes of business, e-commerce provides easy accessibility to consumers round the clock. At any time during the day, throughout the year and in all seasons, customer can contact the registered call centres and support centres.

(f) Customised goods: In view of the growing complexities and competition in today’s world, custom-made goods have become the need of the hour. In this scenario, e-commerce has emerged as a boon for businessmen, as it allows them to manufacture products according to the individual tastes and preferences of their customers.