B2C describes the model of selling directly from a business to a consumer. A B2C company is a business that sells its products or services straight to the end user. E-commerce is one of the best known examples of the B2C market.

According to UNCTAD, the UN trade and development body, global B2C e-commerce sales reached 4.9 trillion dollars, inside a total e-commerce volume of 26.7 trillion dollars. B2B makes up 82% of that total.

According to Eurostat, 23.8% of enterprises in the European Union made online sales in 2023, against 17.2% in 2013.

The Features of B2C Marketing

One of the biggest difficulties for B2C marketers is having to keep up with consumer behavior and preferences that change constantly. As Türk SEM we keep our partners informed about the changes in their own sectors, using a range of tools. In fast moving markets in particular, we should say that consumer tendencies shift very quickly. That is why predictive modeling tries to foresee future market trends by analyzing past consumer behavior.

On our Türk SEM Academy page we share the subjects that matter in digital marketing.

B2C marketing takes in SEO, Google Ads and social media marketing, all of them digital marketing methods. Sales made through Instagram and Facebook hold an important place in B2C marketing.

An online intermediary marketplace listing page, where the platform does not own the goods

B2C Buying Behavior

B2C customers are generally called consumers. A consumer is a person who buys goods and services along the lines of their own needs and wants. Every purchase a person makes for themselves, their family or a friend, whether it is a packet of biscuits or a car, falls inside consumer behavior.

The B2C sales cycle is generally short and can often be a one off; it is made up of transactions with smaller sums of money than B2B sales.

Sales Models for B2C Businesses

B2C companies sell online using five different models:

  1. Direct sellers: brands such as Apple and Nike, which sell their own products straight to the consumer.
  2. Online intermediaries: platforms such as eBay and Etsy, which do not own the products but bring buyer and seller together and take a commission per transaction.
  3. Advertising based B2C: businesses that buy advertising space on high traffic platforms such as YouTube and Instagram.
  4. Community based B2C: businesses selling to a particular community through Facebook groups or neighborhood apps such as Nextdoor.
  5. Subscription based B2C: platforms such as Netflix and Spotify, which charge for access to content.