On the Internet, there are two kinds of marketing B2B and B2C. B2B is 'Business to Business' and B2C is 'Business to Customer'. However in recent years two other terms have also evolved and they are B2E (Business to Employees) and B2G (Business to Government).

A B2C website is a typical ecommerce website that sells its product or service to its customer base. However there are a few exceptions such as a 'lead generation' website. Here the website is basically collecting data on the visitor by making him fill out a form. Then many websites are involved in selling such data to other suppliers who are in the business of supplying the necessary product or service. And since the person who is filling out the form is opting-in (opt-in), sending communication to him would not be considered as spam. The person who is filling out is considered as the customer and so lead generation websites can also be termed as B2C. But such websites often also become B2B.

B2C websites can be typical ecommerce websites or they can also be establishments trying to reach out to the customer base. For example a bank enabling a customer to login and view the balance in his account and also perhaps transfer some money comes into the domain of B2C marketing. And here are a few examples of some of the biggest ecommerce websites that are all typically B2C Amazon, Ebay, Yahoo Stores, Barnesandnoble.com, Buy.com and others. In fact most traditional big businesses are now going in for B2C marketing because they know that the customer base is also shifting to the Internet. For example, Dell Corporation now allows a visitor to the website to configure his computer. This is how the company is engaged in B2C marketing.

What's Typical About B2C Marketing?

B2C marketing is great because the business is able to beat the geographical barriers and reach a global audience. Also, the business is able to reach the customer directly and cut all the middlemen who come in the picture when the product has to be delivered in the traditional way. B2C marketing also allows the business to cut costs.

Another great thing about B2C marketing is that it allows most businesses a space. This means that even a small home business is given the opportunity to compete with the biggest retailers, and that is because the costs involved in online B2C marketing is much less that of traditional marketing.

For example if you are into selling watches over the Internet, and if you are a small or a mid sized retailer, then it would have been extremely difficult for you to create a corner for yourself in a traditional market simply because the big brands have a deep pocket. They can beat you easily through hundreds of insertions in newspapers and the television. But B2C marketing gives everyone a level playing field. Well almost!