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Top 6 Best Ecommerce Business Models in 2024

Ecommerce Business Models

Successfully executing an ecommerce venture is the most challenging task for any entrepreneur. Each day thousands of online stores are emerging on the market but very few can survive.

Have you ever wondered about the reason behind the success of any leading e-commerce platform? The real and unrevealed reason is those platforms have wisely selected their ecommerce Business models and also their delivery models.

Choosing one of the best e-commerce business models is a crucial aspect and every entrepreneur who is new to digital transformation should put more focus. Here we will explain all leading business models for your online store along with examples.

What are e-commerce business models?

An e-commerce Business model is a structure that determines how the online business sells goods or services to its customers. Before we finalize the business model, we need to first identify two main aspects.

First, you need to be sure about what you are going to sell. You can sell either physical products digital products or any type of service. This will help you to set the business model accordingly.

The next will be the delivery method which is followed to deliver the product or the service to the end-users. Once you are set with these main aspects you can proceed with analyzing 0 best e-commerce business models.

What ecommerce business model should you use?

Selecting the optimal e-commerce business model represents a critical obstacle to overcome during this phase of your entrepreneurial journey. However, it’s equally imperative to deliberate on your “product model.”

While your product model may change as your business progresses, it constitutes a fundamental component of your overarching framework during the initial stages.

Single-product business

A one-product e-commerce business is mainly focused on selling a single item, which basically concentrates all efforts and resources on the flagship offering. It is commonly used to gauge market interest because it involves little costs and risks, thus undivided attention on sourcing and selling the chosen product.

After achieving success, the ventures can later decide to increase the products being offered. But failing in this model will mean having nothing to fall back on. One needs to begin from scratch. It suits people venturing into e-commerce and people who are sure of their newly designed product.

This model suits newcomers venturing into e-commerce, those who are sure of their newly designed product, and those seeking startup tools to streamline the process.

It’s a straightforward and streamlined approach, yet it can yield significant results when executed effectively. Hedging all your bets and going all-in on your flagship offering.

This is a common way for people to test the market. It’s low-cost and low-risk and allows you to focus all of your efforts on sourcing and selling one product.

If you are successful with one product, you can always expand your offering. If you fail, you’ve got nothing to fall back on and need to start again.

This model is best for people who are new to e-commerce and those who have invested in creating a new product that they believe in.

It’s minimal, it’s simple, and it can be highly effective.

Multi-product, single-category business

An e-commerce business model focusing on a single category provides an array of products within a specific niche. Initially, it may start with just one product but later it will expand its offerings. For now, if you were to launch a groundbreaking travel coffee maker, you might also need to include dropshipping for related coffee products such as grinders, mugs, and beans.

Under this model, the primary category is “coffee products,” and your store could feature a diverse selection falling within this category. Managing this model is more intricate compared to focusing solely on one product since it involves sourcing multiple items and leveraging supplier diversity to work with different suppliers at the same time.

Additionally, allocating a budget for marketing, product photography, and inventory becomes more challenging as the product range broadens. However, the advantage lies in diversification. By offering a range of products, you’re not reliant on the success of a single item to generate revenue.

If one product isn’t performing well, there are hopefully others that are popular enough to maintain cash flow. While it’s advisable for beginners to start with a limited product range, the single-category model presents a viable option for both novices and experienced entrepreneurs alike.

Multi-category business

A multi-category e-commerce business model offers a diverse array of products spanning various categories.

A renowned retailer like Walmart exemplifies the multi-category model, featuring an extensive range of merchandise. For a solo e-commerce venture, adopting the multi-category approach may prove daunting due to its demanding nature in terms of capital, time, and effort.

Nonetheless, a business initially focused on a single category could gradually transition into a multi-category entity.

Consider, for instance, a niche store specializing in travel coffee makers; it could progressively broaden its offerings to include related travel essentials like car chargers, travel pillows, passport holders, cosmetics kits, and apparel.

Over time, this single-product enterprise could evolve into a multi-category retailer. Such a model is best suited for entrepreneurs well-versed in e-commerce practices.
Alternatively, it can serve as a viable option for those leveraging dropshipping—a low-investment strategy—to explore various product lines and identify successful ones.

Many dropshippers on platforms like Amazon and eBay inherently operate as multi-category businesses.

Nevertheless, I advise starting with a focused, niche approach and gradually expanding into multiple categories as the business grows.

1. B2B

B2B stands for Business-to-Business where the exchange of products, services, or information is done between two Businesses. B2B companies operate in several sectors like manufacturing, technology, construction, retail, telecommunication, food and beverage, real estate, and many more.

B2B is considered to be one of the best e-commerce business models as the global revenue of B2B has reached $20.9 trillion. All purchases made through this business model are huge in numbers and so the returns are also huge.

Example – Alibaba is a perfect example of a B2B e-commerce business model

Business-to-Business eCommerce

Benefits of B2B e-commerce business model

  • Large deal sizes can be experienced as the customer will not be an individual but a company or a store.
  • Easy customer retention as the customer will be an organization and they will not easily switch their brand unless they are not satisfied with the quality and price.
  • Ordering bulk products would be easy if there was a dedicated B2B e-commerce platform.
  • Delivery can be faster as the B2B e-commerce tools will effectively automate fulfillment, and can easily manage complicated orders.
  • The built-in order management system will connect orders with the back-end system and the B2B sellers can easily synchronize their inventory with orders.

Challenges of B2B e-commerce business model

  • Satisfying companies is more difficult than satisfying individual customers. You need to give quality as well as economical solutions to your customers.
  • The market is very limited as B2B can focus only on companies, and organizations in all industries. This is very risky for any small or medium-sized companies.
  • The decision-making is a lengthy process as the order will be in bulk quantity so more attention is needed in finalizing the order.

2. B2C

B2C stands for Business-to-Consumers and as the term defines, this e-commerce Business model will directly sell products or services to the end-user who will be an individual consumer. B2C sales can be seen in day-to-day transactions. Users may buy phones, clothes, or even order food and all these come under the B2C business model.

Consumers’ buying behavior is the primary driving tool for any B2C company. Maintaining a good rapport with the consumers is very essential for the business to run.

Example – Amazon is the leading and successful e-commerce platform that sells products directly to consumers.

B2C e-commerce business model

Benefits of B2C e-commerce business model

  • The unlimited marketplace is the main benefit where you can have a huge audience for your products or services.
  • 24-hour online B2C stores will let consumers purchase products at their convenience time and this ends in better sales and revenue.
  • No third party is entertained to sell products to your customers. As there is no intermediary, there is no need to spend commission on any third party.
  • B2C e-commerce supports business administration as the seller finds it easy to maintain his inventory, shipments, and other back-end processes.

Challenges of the B2C e-commerce business model

  • Cut-throat competition is the greatest threat to any budding entrepreneur. As the market size is huge, the competition is also heavy.
  • There is a limitation in exposing products on an e-commerce store and you may not be able to display your entire product section.
  • Shipping charges are the real headache. Whether you sell a single product or a bulk product, you need to spend on shipping. With B2C, most consumers order a single product and you need to bear the shipping cost.

3. C2B

C2B stands for Consumer-to-Business where the consumer who used to buy products from businesses will create their product or service and sell them to companies. This model is gaining more responses in recent days due to the usage of the internet.

This is a reverse model of B2C and social media has a crucial role in developing the C2B e-commerce business model. The key aspect of C2B
e-commerce is the market research and audience engagement.

Example – Google AdSense and Shutterstock are real-time examples of this business model.

C2B e-commerce business model

Benefits of C2B e-commerce business model

  • This creates more employment opportunities as youngsters can make use of their skills and can offer services to companies by staying remote.
  • Companies also get more options as thousands of individuals are available for services and they can select the one that is affordable for their business.
  • Multiple incomes are possible as an individual can offer services to multiple companies.

Challenges of C2B e-commerce business model

Delay in delivery is one of the major threats that this model faces. Being an individual, the seller may not spend more on fulfillment which affects the delivery.

Setting a price will be the toughest part as there is no particular standard of price fixing with this model.

Breach of information also happens as individuals may leak the company’s business details to others.

4. C2C

C2C stands for Consumer-to-Consumer where the buyer and the seller are considered to be a consumer by the C2C e-commerce platform. This model is relatively a new model where the seller is also a buyer. There will not be any business practicing on both ends.

This is one of the old and best e-commerce business models where it was carried out through Newspaper classified and live auctions before the invention of the internet.

This business model is booming in recent days and making use of technology to the core to gain better returns.

Example – eBay, and OLX are a few examples of C2C marketplace platforms.

C2C e-commerce business model

Benefits of C2C e-commerce business model

  • Higher margins and lower prices are the main benefits of this model as there won’t be any middleman to sell.
  • Consumers can find second-hand items on the platform with affordable pricing which cannot be found in traditional businesses.
  • Very convenient for both parties as they can directly get in touch with each other and can finish the deal without any confusion.

Challenges of C2B e-commerce business model

  • The quality of the product cannot be guaranteed as the platform cannot take responsibility for the product.
  • A hassle payment process is carried out and there will be an additional transfer fee charged to both parties by the platform.
  • It is difficult to find genuine sellers as many frauds make use of the platform to scam people.

5. B2G

B2G stands for Business-to-Government which implies a relationship between a company and a government agency. The term may be new to many of us as it has less exposure in the market. Some enterprises will specialize in selling products or services to the state and some may also terminate this model B2A (Business-to-Administration).

Unlike other business models, this needs to have strict compliance with business laws and it is quite complex. A business tax advisor can be invaluable in ensuring compliance with these regulations and maximizing available tax benefits. The government will announce its tenders through this platform and businesses should strictly meet the requirements and conditions

mentioned by the government and can apply for the tender and take orders.

Example – online business tax-paying platforms are an example of this model.

 B2G e-commerce business model

Benefits of B2G e-commerce business model

  • High profit margins and longevity are enjoyed by both parties.
  • Additional tax benefits can be availed by businesses that work under B2G.
  • Government can complete their tasks and operations in a shorter time.

Challenges of the B2G e-commerce business model

  • A change in government could highly affect the work and also the business.
  • Huge capital is required to complete the work as the government will pay only after completion of the task.
  • Although e-commerce is known for borderless transactions, this model will have geographical restrictions.

6. C2G

C2G stands for Consumer-to-Government which is the reverse of B2G. In this model, consumers who are the public will offer products or services to the government or public administrative agency. The process will be initiated by the government and transactions will be carried out by the public administration agency.

In this model, the consumer is protected from unexpected losses. The consumer will not bear any responsibility whenever the C2G platform faces any technical issues. This model mainly builds a perfect and friendly relationship between the citizen and the government.

Example – all e-tax filling portals are the perfect example for this model where the public will use the portal to pay taxes to the government.

Benefits of the C2G e-commerce business model

  • Public administration can become more flexible and easier to operate.
  • It encourages the public to be aware of technology and internet usage.

Challenges of C2G e-commerce business model

  • More awareness should be given to the public as many in rural areas are not used to the internet.
  • Perfect internet connection should be given to all regions of the state otherwise there is no point in having these portals.

Ecommerce Delivery Models

Each e-commerce model should contain a delivery method that will determine how the product or service is delivered to the customer. You need to wisely choose the delivery model that will suit your business model. Let us find out the top delivery e-commerce business models.

Whitelabel – when a company plans to sell a brand under its name but purchases them from other third-party distributors then it is termed to be White labeling. You can minimize your manufacturing cost and boost your brand among your target audience.

Private label – in this model, a retailer will request a manufacturer to produce a particular product under the retailer’s brand name and will have complete control over that particular product.

Wholesaling – This model is suitable for the B2B e-commerce business model. When a business opens an online store and offers discount prices on bulk purchases, it can prefer a wholesaling delivery model.

Dropshipping – this model has been popular in recent days as there is no need to maintain any inventory or warehouse. The ordered items are fulfilled by the third-party supplier and the drop shipper will act as a middleman and connects consumers with the supplier.

Subscription service – this is a traditional method where people used to subscribe magazines on a monthly or yearly basis and will get magazines at their doorstep.

Likewise, businesses that sell fast-moving consumer goods can go for the subscription method.

For eg., If you run an online grocery store then every month consumers may need to repeat their orders, or even daily, they may need food items like milk. In this case, you can have a subscription service and let your customers subscribe and get products.

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of e-commerce terminology around different business models that have become increasingly popular over the last decade.

How to choose your e-commerce business models?

After surveying the types of e-commerce businesses available to you, ask yourself the following questions to help select your ideal business model:

  • What do I want to sell?
  • Who is my ideal customer?
  • What kind of pricing will work best for my goods or services?
  • Is my business likely to grow rapidly?
  • What third-party services will help my business the most?

Once you come out with your answers you can easily get a solution. Still are you not sure about which can be the best e-commerce platform then you can go for a ready-to-use e-commerce script that will be a perfect remedy for all your business issues.

For fast, secure, and scalable digital experiences, create your online e-commerce platform to start selling today.

You can focus on growing a successful e-commerce business while we take up the task of developing a secure online e-commerce business fast and affordably. It’s why over 500,000 sites and stores host with us.

Do not waste your time further. Just take schedule a meeting with us. Our support team is eager to guide you and we would like to see your business go skyrocket in the coming days.

Starting as an iOS developer and moving up to lead a mobile team at a startup, I've expanded my expertise into Project Management, DevOps and eventually becoming a COO & Chief Service Officer in the IT sector. As a CSO, I excel in team leadership, technical advice, and managing complex business functions, focusing on combining technology and operations to drive growth. I'm keen to connect for collaborations or to exchange insights in the tech world!


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