B2C
What is B2C?
B2C (business-to-consumer) describes selling directly to individual people and households rather than to other companies. Decisions are made by one person, usually quickly, and often emotionally, so B2C marketing leans on clear pricing, fast delivery, reviews and a checkout that does not get in the way.
How it differs from B2B
- One person decides, often in minutes and often on a phone, sometimes together with a partner.
- The price is fixed and visible. People compare it with other shops in a few taps.
- Emotion and trust weigh heavily: photos, reviews, a known brand, a clear return policy.
- Volume matters. Many small orders rather than a few large contracts, so small changes in the conversion rate move the whole business.
For the opposite case, selling to companies, see B2B. Many firms do both, and their site has to serve both without mixing them up.
Example
A producer of bedding sells to hotels (B2B) and, since last year, to households through its own online shop (B2C). The shop copies the hotel catalogue: technical descriptions, prices without VAT, an enquiry form instead of a cart. Sales to households are close to zero.
The B2C shop is rebuilt for a person buying for their own bed: prices with VAT, photos in a bedroom rather than on a white table, sizes for home beds, reviews, delivery in two days and free returns within 30 days. Within six months it sells 300 sets a month at an average order of €65, and the hotel side keeps its own catalogue.
Why it matters for a business
In B2C the whole path, from the ad to the delivered parcel, is short and visible to the buyer, and any obstacle on it costs sales immediately. That is why advertising, the site, the checkout, delivery and reviews have to be judged together, all the way to the order. A strong ad leading to a slow page, or a good shop with unclear delivery costs, loses the customer to a competitor one tap away.
The decision is also more emotional and more social: what other buyers say counts as much as what the shop says, which is why product reviews and customer photos often sell better than the best product copy.
What to ask
- Can a customer see the full price, delivery cost and delivery time before the checkout?
- Do our photos and descriptions speak to a person buying for themselves, or to a trade buyer?
- How easy is a return, and does the site say so?
- Do we read results from the ad all the way to the order, by channel and by device?
In B2C sales the decision is quick and often made on a phone, so in our digital marketing work the ads, the site and the report are read together, all the way to the order.