What is eCommerce?

by Ecommerce TipsSEO Tips

What is e-commerce?

E-commerce stands for ‘electronic commerce’ or ‘internet commerce’ which occurs when people buy or sell things through online services/the internet. E-commerce can be done through a variety of technologies and ways such as simply buying a pair of brand new shoes from your smartphone, selling your services to customers online, downloading a paid for song and more. E-commerce is broken down into four main categories including:

Business to business (B2B)
Business to consumer (B2C)
Consumer to consumer (C2C)
Consumer to business (C2B)

When looking at electronic commerce, it’s easy to believe that it just entails simple transactions such as a business selling their product online to a consumer. For instance, Amazon is selling you your favourite cookbook. While this is an example of ‘business to consumer’, e-commerce spans over many more types of transactions as long as the web is being utilized for at least part of it. A simple way to look at the lifespan of an e-commerce transaction is the transfer of services and/or goods, the transfer of funds and then finally the exchange. Whether this occurs only between consumers, businesses or both depends on what type of model the transaction is. E-commerce has become one of the biggest and fastest growing industries across the world especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when people resorted to shopping online even more.

Business to business e-commerce

B2B e-commerce occurs when businesses carry out transactions with one another without involving consumers. This can happen when a manufacturer sells their products to a retailer or wholesaler. This is a very popular e-commerce model as many businesses order their goods online and have left traditional in-person transactions behind. The reason for this all comes down to convenience and what saves a business time and money. B2B e-commerce takes away stress and time by providing a business with a safe and reliable way to restock merchandise, access services and get quotes on items. This means a B2B wholesaler will sell their products online in bulk to other businesses and retailers. And in recent years many wholesalers have invested in creating online platforms to sell their products and services, widening their reach and utilizing the positive effects of B2B e-commerce. Other ways a business can involve themselves in B2B commerce is selling their online services to companies in need, just like what we do here at RAD Websites! The variety of B2B commerce models is large and the opportunities are endless. Other examples of B2B include websites like AliExpress, Rakuten, HubSpot, Amazon Business and Salesforce.

Business to consumer e-commerce

This type of e-commerce is the most popular model as the average person has purchased items or services online through e-commerce giants like Amazon, Knix, Spotify, Walmart, Adidas and even Netflix! Let’s say you are an average consumer looking to purchase an item such as a new blender or a service such as movie streaming online. You carry out an online transaction to achieve this good or service and then you finally receive your goods or services. Boom, you’ve just participated in a B2C e-commerce transaction! Having access to business to consumer e-commerce alleviates the need to physically go somewhere in order to purchase goods. This has allowed for convenient spending while turning many consumers away from traditional shopping at brick-and-mortar locations. Because of this, many brick-and-mortars have invested in creating online websites for their customers to use while also vastly increasing their brand awareness. B2C e-commerce gained even more popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic when people were told to stay home and limit their in-person contacts. Now that lockdowns and mandates are no longer affecting people, consumers have more of a choice on how they get their goods and services although many have realized how easy it is to shop online.

Consumer to consumer e-commerce

C2C e-commerce is simply a model which sees two consumers engaging in online business with one another. If one person decides they want to sell a used coffee machine and they decide to list it for sale on a third party website for $20 and you buy it, you and the seller have engaged in C2C e-commerce. Some third party sites will charge sellers a small fee in order for them to sell their items but others are free. Depending on the quantity and frequency of the items you sell, you may find paid-for sites are the way to go. Some great examples of C2C e-commerce websites include eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and Esty. Lots of people love this form of e-commerce because it’s less costly than buying new products, it’s easier to sell things because of the lower price expectations, it’s extremely convenient and it’s good for the environment. However, there are some things to be aware of when engaging in C2C e-commerce. You cannot guarantee the quality of products which means people can misrepresent the product they are selling. It’s also important to note that scammers will sometimes use C2C e-commerce to take advantage of buyers. Never make an online payment before receiving your item and always exercise caution when it comes to providing payment.

Consumer to business e-commerce

Last but not least, C2B e-commerce flips the script when it comes to the ‘business and consumer’ relationship. This happens when the consumer offers a business a service or product. The exchange involves payment to the consumer through funds or other benefits. A freelance writer who writes copy for a business in turn for payment is a perfect example of C2B e-commerce. These individuals are considered consumers and not businesses because they create their own terms and they negotiate their own transactions when offering a service and/or product to a business. This model is great for individuals who want to provide products to businesses without making a business of their own. It allows consumers to pick and choose who they want to provide their services to for whatever benefits they decide and it offers great flexibility to both the consumer and the business. This idea has grown exponentially through social media and social media influencers who promote and showcase a company’s products on their platforms in turn for free products, money and or experiences.

Conclusion

E-commerce can be a tedious subject but once you familiarize yourself with the different categories, it won’t take long for you to understand the processes and benefits it can have for your business. RAD Websites is a great starting point for you to grow or start your own online presence. After being awarded the Best E-Commerce Website Agency in Western Canada and the Best E-Commerce Design Agency Canada-wide, it’s obvious that we have all the tools you need to achieve your goals.

Why A Good Web Design On Your Page Is Your Best Bet To Grow

by SEO Tips

When building a website, having a Good Web Design that works is crucial for your website’s success. If you haven’t designed a website before, you probably don’t know what elements you need, but that’s totally okay!

Having a properly designed website that continues to grow with your business will ensure you succeed, online and in real life. Keep reading to learn about how what you need to ensure your website’s success. 

Setting a good first impression

Having an aesthetically pleasing and functional design on your website will ultimately mold how someone views your business. This happens in only seconds upon their visit which means making a good impression is vital for you, if you want them to remain on your webpage.

For example, if you haven’t updated your website with new features or content in a while, someone may find your website outdated and they might decide to check your competitor’s website because it looks more up to date.

Another common mistake that people make when designing their website is that their design is unappealing because they haven’t stuck to a concrete them or layout. You want to be sure your website is easy to understand and navigate or people will quickly lose interest. 

Web design and SEO

Your web design and how you create content for your website work hand in hand. Having the right search engine optimization fundamentals is one of the most important things for your website because this is what draws in your audience and the more people visiting your website means more people are taking an interest in your business.

You want to ensure your web design is functional with your content – this means your web page coding is SEO compatible. If you’re just familiarizing yourself with SEO and need help designing your website, Best SEO in Canada is a perfect company to turn to for help.

Customer service

When someone sees your website and thinks it is designed nicely, it could mean that they think you will treat them nicely when it comes to customer service. Having a good web design gives your audience insight into how much you will care about them as customers.

Simply put, if your design is lacking in effort, someone looking at your page might think you won’t put any effort into them if they were to become your customer. We’re living in 2021 and an online presence is just as important, if not more important than in-person impressions. Having a modern and appealing web design means your audience will feel welcomed and invited when they visit your page.

The design of your website is the face of your business in the digital world so make sure it gives viewers the best possible first impression.

Building trust

If you visit a poorly designed website, are you going to trust that company? Likely not. If the information is outdated and the design is difficult to follow, they might not think your website is real or it could come off shady all because of its poor design.

If someone is online shopping for a product and they are planning to put their banking information into a website, they aren’t going to do so on a webpage that is poorly designed or something that doesn’t look legit.

Instead, they will find a different website that comes off trustworthy and will place their order there, meaning you’ve lost out on a potential customer.

Having this trust with your online audience will keep them on your site for a longer period and will compel them to return. In turn, you will create more opportunities for your business to grow.

To keep up with your competition

To stay relevant and on top of your business, you must keep up with your competitors. This is huge when it comes to web design because your competitors are most likely producing proper websites if they are indeed your competitors.

Having a proper and unique web design will help you stand out from your competitors but if your website is old and outdated, your website might be the reason you’re falling behind them. 

The design of your website might be the only thing that makes you stand out if your prices and services are similar to other businesses. 

Consistency and Branding

Staying consistent with your website will help you build your brand. If you want more people to remember your business, stay on top of your website when it comes to things like colour, font, accessibility, style and layouts.

You want to make sure that each page on your website is consistent. Avoid having a different theme or design on each page because this will make it look unprofessional. If you’re starting from scratch, then you must decide on what colours to use for branding.

If you already have brand colours or a logo, you will want to align this to match with your website. Once you figure out your colours, you want to focus on keeping your layout clean and simple while drawing attention to important parts such as what you’re trying to sell or the services you’re trying to provide.

Stay simple when it comes to font as well. You want to choose something that is easy to read and easy to view if your webpage is coloured. But also be sure to focus these elements on your desired audience – whether that be young people or an older crowd and make sure it also reflects your brand as a whole. 

To conclude

Your website’s design is one of the most important factors when it comes to growing your business. A good design can be what draws people into your business, what makes them spend time on it and what makes them revisit it, time and time again.

If your website provides a positive user experience and sets itself apart from your competitors, you’re ultimately going to continue to succeed and grow.