What constitutes B2B e-commerce? (need slight clarification)

[Ayush94]

Hi all,

I am a university student writing a paper on the adoption of B2B e-commerce amongst SMEs.

Just needed a clarification on whether this counts as e-commerce or not --- companies(e.g manufacturers, distributors) that list all their products online in extensive detail, and then have a make a sales query button for it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Iain_Henderson]

If the transaction can't be completed online (ie ordered and paid for) then I wouldn't consider it e-commerce.

It's a business with an online presence who uses it for lead generation.

 

[antropy]

If the transaction can't be completed online (ie ordered and paid for) then I wouldn't consider it e-commerce.

It's a business with an online presence who uses it for lead generation.

I'd agree.

 

[Cathey]

It is an interesting question. Yes, the established ecommerce-only businesses are easy to classify e.g. online only shop on their own website with an ebay and amazon store.

We have many customers though who do more of their business through a bricks and mortar store than they do through their website. Are they an e-commerce business or are they a B&M business who have an e-commerce function?

My personal experience is that these B&M Businesses with an e-commerce function are significantly different in their needs and their internal business processes to those who have been born purely as ecommerce businesses and have never sold through a physical outlet.

True ecommerce in my opinion requires payment to be taken online. i.e through the website etc.

Websites that are used for lead generation only that drive telephone enquiries and do not lead to payment transactions that actually take place online are not e-commerce businesses.

In the example you gave - I would classify that as lead gen only.

Does that help?

 

[Vadym Gurevych]

My opinion is that today we rarely have businesses that operate JUST Ecommerce or JUST B&M. It is all mixed up, called "omni channel".

One of my local clients, for example, is a tool shop. SME. He has a B&M with a long history. He sells to retail in his shop, and to his trade clients as well. He uses an ePOS to account for it. And he takes telephone orders from retail and trade clients.

Then, we built him an Ecommerce website. That too sells to retail and B2B clients. Naturally, B2B clients have their own logins and can see their own price list when they log in.

Then, he also sells on eBay and Amazon! That is retail only.

Finally, there's a back end that we developed, that connects to ePOS, the website, Amazon and eBay, and downloads all sales into one database - and then connects it to QuickBooks. Naturally, product data and stock get uploaded to all those channels as well.

Most of our clients are like that. They do not stick to one channel only, but prefer to be visible everywhere, sell everywhere to diverse customer base. I think it makes their businesses more stable, and also increases chances of success in a particular channel.

I hope this makes sense and is of help.

 

[Cathey]

It depends how big a business with an online presence is as to whether or not it is likely to be B&M as well. It is reported variously that eBay have more than 400,000 stores registered in the UK. The vast majority are likely to be selling online only.