Millions of brick-and-mortar store owners shifted to B2C ecommerce stores in the last decade and more are joining fast. Digital Ecommerce 360 reports that online sales hit $204.62 billion in the Q3 of 2021. This number is expected to grow by 14% by the end of 2022.
Launching a B2C ecommerce store is not a walk in the park if you are not a techie. A lot of business owners, in fact, still have no idea about its benefits and launch challenges. In this blog, Techosquare will tell you everything about launching a B2C ecommerce store in 2022.
From meaning to benefits and best platforms to FAQs, we will cover all important aspects. Let's start with the meaning first!
Since some of you might be in a hurry to learn about B2C ecommerce and don't want to know the major differences, here's a FAQ version of the blog!
Business to consumer (B2C) ecommerce refers to the business model of selling products and services directly between customers. Amazon, Newegg, and AliExpress are some popular B2C ecommerce websites.
Here are some benefits of B2C ecommerce model for your business:
Here are the best B2C ecommerce platforms to launch an online store in 2022:
Yes, it's super cheap to launch a B2C ecommerce store
Small and mid-size businesses benefit the most from B2C ecommerce business operation.
Now that we are done with the TL;DR version, let's dig deeper and learn everything about the B2C ecommerce business model:
Let's clear some basics first!
Business to consumer (B2C) ecommerce refers to the business model of selling products and services directly to end-users. It is one of the four pivotal ecommerce business models, the other three being B2B (business-to-business), C2B (consumer-to-business), and C2C (consumer-to-consumer)
We bet all of you have heard about and used websites like Amazon, Newegg, and Target. All of these sites are B2C ecommerce websites. While empowering businesses to directly sell to customers, B2C ecommerce also gives customers liberty to make transactions at any time, from any place, and at best discounts.
The majority of manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers have now started to sell their products online. If your motive is to generate more sales and give a boost to your market share, you need to understand the value of B2C ecommerce. So, why exactly should you be moving to a B2C ecommerce store?
The reasons are clear and obvious!
Running a physical B2C store is really nerve-racking. That's because you have to pay for infrastructure, electricity, delivery, and staff. As if this wasn't bad enough, COVID-19 pandemic has limited physical interaction and sales to a great extent. Meaning, businesses aren't making enough profits to easily pay those additional costs.
*Enters B2C ecommerce model*
With the B2C ecommerce model, you can forego all the aforementioned problems. It will help you lower your operational costs by a long chalk. You can easily handle inventory and warehouses with a pint-size workforce and resources. The B2C ecommerce model also gives enough horizon to lessen your product prices too. That's because marketing costs are lower with a more outstretched reach.
One of the biggest benefits of a B2C ecommerce model is that it lets you communicate with your consumers virtually yet personally. From listing your products online to community special offers and lending after sales support to marketing, the communication is very much direct. There is no wholesaler or distributor in-between to take a cut. By removing the intermediaries, B2C ecommerce creates new possibilities for businesses.
72 online store features to build a super B2C ecommerce website.
According to Statista, over two billion people purchased goods or services online in 2020. Ecommerce sales also surpassed 4.2 trillion U.S. dollars worldwide during the same year. Since more people are now active on the internet, your ecommerce business can reach a wider base of customers by focusing on B2C ecommerce.
Truth to be told, gone are the days when businesses used to attract customers through newspaper and billboard ads. B2C ecommerce lets your business go places at a very low cost. Someone visiting your virtual store from Boston can purchase your products or services being sold in Alaska!
Another major benefit of going with the B2C ecommerce model in 2022. If you are currently running a physical store or have shut it down due to the COVID-19, you must be aware of the fact that you can set shop hours for a limited time. Say your shop’s hours are between 9:00 am to 10:00 pm to account for all of the customers in your city. What if your customers want to visit and buy after 10:30 pm?
B2C ecommerce will increase accessibility to your products and services. Your buyers will be able to purchase them from anywhere and at any time of the day. In other words, the B2C ecommerce model will let your business outgrow the timing barrier and function 24/7 to sell more proficiently.
Now that you know about the meaning and benefits of going with the ecommerce B2C model in 2022, let's talk about the platforms that will let you build fully functional and aesthetically pleasing ecommerce stores!
All you need is a decent budget, some technical knowhow, and a good online store builder to get things going. To make sure you go with the best option for your B2C ecommerce business, we have prepared a list of amazing platforms.
Here are the best B2C ecommerce platforms to launch an online store in 2022:
Swiftkart is a promising B2C ecommerce platform to launch B2C stores. It is basically a turnkey solution that lets you create an online store quickly and easily without asking much from your end. The developers behind the B2C ecommerce solution will do all the hard work for you.
SwiftKart is also one of the cheapest self-hosted ecommerce store launchers out there. Ideal for B2C business owners who seek high security and scalability from their online store, this ecommerce platform lets you build a responsive B2C online store for just $999 (one-time price).
Serious about launching a B2C ecommerce store but have a very low budget? Shopify is a perfect option for you. This ecommerce platform will let you develop a nice B2C online store with ease. Shopify has hundreds of pre-made templates to put down the warp and woof of your ecommerce website.
However, most of them are premium. Meaning, you have to spend extra greenbacks to put your hands on those templates. Want your online store to truly stand out? Be prepared to spend on customization. This could be a problem for those B2C business owners who don't want to keep spending on upgrades.
Want to sell jewelry? Electronic devices? Medications? Whatever your business is, Magento Commerce can be tailored to meet your business requirements. Best suited for mid-size companies and large enterprises, it offers a variety of out-of-the-box features that can help you run your B2C ecommerce store efficiently.
Although Magento Commerce is also well-known for being incredibly complicated, this platform supports tremendous levels of security permissions, control internal access, and ensure your site's safety. Another problem with this B2C ecommerce platform is that it is an expensive solution as compared to SwiftKart and Shopify.
Another famous B2C ecommerce website builder. Wix lets you build modern and elegant-looking online stores cheaply. With an annual basic business plan of US$500 (excluding taxes), Wix lets you have a versatile, responsive, and pixel-perfect online store that comes suitable for all browsers and devices.
Talking about its cons, SEO is a pain in the neck with this B2C ecommerce website builder. Also, you can't move your online store to any other platform after developing it on Wix which is a major drawback.
Our list of best B2C ecommerce platforms will be considered incomplete without talking about Weebly. It is a good ecommerce platform that lets you utilize the plans and ideas you have for your online business. Unlike Wix, SEO settings can be easily put through and updated.
But sometimes, Weebly can be glitchy and needs a refresh. Also, some formatting and placement options are not customizable which could be frustrating to some B2C ecommerce business owners.
There you go!
We told you about the best B2C ecommerce platforms to launch an online store in 2022. As you witnessed above, different online store builders offer different features and capabilities. It's totally up to you which option you want to go with. Whichever option you want to go with for building your B2C ecommerce website, make sure it fits your budget and matches your business requirements. Do proper research and request demos to experience the solution before buying.
Got any queries to ask? Send them to info@techosquare.com and have them answered by our experts.
10 niche ecommerce business ideas to dominate 2022
Ecommerce website and app trends to dominate 2022
Retail website design to grab more sales in 2022
Check out these affordable services that hundreds of businesses are benefiting from:
PHP development services in India
