The Complete Guide to Digital E-Commerce in 2024: With Types

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in Dec 2022 and was updated in Jan 2024 for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Digital e commerce refers to the buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet, mobile networks, and commerce infrastructure. No matter what type of business you are in, e-commerce is a great way to boost sales and reach a global audience.

A popular method of buying and selling things in retail is eCommerce. For many businesses, e-commerce is part of a broader distribution strategy that also includes physical stores and other revenue streams. All stages of a customer’s purchasing process are addressed through development content, analytics, advertising, pricing, customer acquisition, customer experience, and retention. It’s imperative that you understand which business model makes sense for you and how you can utilise it for greater success if you’re going to differentiate your business from others online.

A well-managed digital commerce strategy can produce priceless customer data. Leveraging consumer data, you can deliver a more personalised experience across all channels. In this article, we examine how Digital E-commerce delivers value, types of digital commerce, and their advantages and disadvantages.
 

Introduction Of Digital Commerce

Digital commerce involves the buying and selling of products or services through a digital interface, such as a website. Digital buyers can purchase products or services without the need of physical transport. It is used by businesses to extend their reach and customers, improve the efficiency of distribution, and increase the speed for order fulfilment.

Digital commerce is an approach to online shopping, by which goods and services are acquired via interactive and self-service platforms. A variety of market segments are served by e-commerce, including business-to-business, business-to-customer, customer-to-customer, and customer-to-business.

Basically, digital commerce covers all activities related to transactions, including the people, the processes, and the technologies that support them. These activities include offering development content, analytics, promotions, pricing, customer acquisition, retention, and customer experience at all touch points during a customer’s purchase journey, across people, processes, and technologies.
 

How Does Digital E-Commerce Deliver Value

A business cannot ignore the importance of digital marketing and e-commerce. By using hyperlocal marketing, brands can increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, and convert prospects into customers. Businesses can reach new audiences and sell products online with e-commerce.

By combining digital marketing and e-commerce, businesses can reach new customers, raise brand awareness, and increase sales. Businesses can improve their profitability and growth prospects by taking advantage of these benefits.

Within a few months, the COVID-19 pandemic changed digital business practices forever. All businesses, regardless of their size, sector, or region, had to adjust to the crisis. Massive digital and e-commerce marketing acceleration has occurred on a global scale as a result, on top of the inroads already made.

As a result, consumers have become increasingly demanding. Previously acceptable lead times, stock levels, and interactions are simply no longer relevant. There is a higher expectation from customers of how brands should serve them, and digital sales channels are no longer an ‘alternative’ to physical sales channels. An omnichannel customer experience strategy must include it.
 

Types of Digital Commerce

There are as many types of digital commerce as there are ways to shop online. The following are the different types of digital commerce :

1. Business-to-Business (B2B)

B2B eCommerce refers to online business transactions between two businesses rather than transactions between a company and an individual consumer. B2B eCommerce typically facilitates transactions between manufacturers and wholesalers or wholesalers and retailers.

2. Business-to-Consumer (B2C)

B2C refers to a commerce transaction between a business and a consumer. The term traditionally refers to selling products directly to consumers, such as shopping in-store or eating at a restaurant. Today, it refers to transactions between online retailers and their customers.

3. Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)

C2C refers to a business model in which third-party organisations facilitate transactions between consumers. Most C2C business is conducted online, with no corporations involved. Through the digital medium, a consumer uses this business model to sell used goods and/or services.

4. Consumer-to-Business (C2B)

C2B refers to a business model where consumers deliver value to businesses instead of vice versa as in B2C (Business-to-Consumer). C2B models include referral programs, paid testimonials, and data sharing.

5. Business-to-Administration (B2A)

B2A e-commerce involves businesses selling products or services to the administrative sector. The main advantage here is that you can get a lot of business from a small number of buyers. Despite this, the administrative sector is challenging and makes decisions quickly. Through this model, companies and the government can exchange information online by using central websites, enabling online transactions.

6. Consumer-to-Administration (C2A)

The Consumer-to-Administration (C2A) E-commerce business model involves electronic transactions between individuals and the government. Communication between consumers and the government is easy with this tool. It is meant for consumers, who may use it for requesting information or posting feedback concerning public sectors directly to government authorities/administration.
 

Advantages of Digital E Commerce

Digital e-commerce is the fastest growing retail channel. It is also the most cost-effective way of selling goods and services. Some of the advantages of digital e commerce are:

- The ability to promote products without having to pay for advertising space.

- The ability to reach a global audience with one click.

- The ability to offer products at competitive prices as there are no middlemen involved in the transaction.

- The ability to reduce operational costs as there are no physical stores that need staffing or maintenance.

- The ability to offer a wider variety of products than brick and mortar stores due to their size constraints.
 

Disadvantages of Digital E Commerce

Some of the disadvantages of digital e commerce are:

- Online stores have more expenses such as marketing campaigns, IT costs and staff training.

- They also have greater security risks in terms of data breaches while they need to spend more time on maintaining order systems. It comes with it including security risks and frauds.

- Digital commerce is that while it’s easy and convenient, there’s no physical connection between the buyer and the product itself which makes the customer feel like they are less involved with what they’re buying.

- Customers must believe in a product before they can see it in person, so there is no instant gratification.

- Customer service opportunities are limited because there is little to no face-to-face interaction.
 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

With the rise of digital e commerce, several questions have come up that need to be answered.

1. What is Digital E-commerce?

Digital ecommerce is a new way of doing business. It’s an extension of the traditional retail model, but it’s also something more. It’s a way to reach customers, build relationships and make sales in ways that were never possible before.

2. What's the difference between digital commerce and eCommerce?

eCommerce refers to the buying and selling of goods or services over the internet, and it encompasses a wide range of online transactions, including B2B, B2C, and C2C sales. On other hand, Digital commerce is a broader term that encompasses all forms of online transactions, including eCommerce, but also includes other types of digital transactions such as mobile payments, digital wallets, and peer-to-peer payments.

3. What are the Benefits of Digital Commerce?

Digital commerce offers convenience and benefits that are not available in physical retail locations, such as 24/7 access, no traffic, no parking, and no crowds. There are a number of brick-and-mortar retail chains that are closing multiple locations, and others are closing completely.

4. What is the Introduction of eCommerce?

E-commerce (electronic commerce) refers to the purchasing and selling of goods and services over an electronic network, primarily the internet. There are four types of business transactions: business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), consumer-to-consumer (C2C), and consumer-to-business (C2B).

5. What Is The Difference Between B2B And B2C E-Commerce?

The type of customer targeted by B2B and B2C e-commerce differs. In business-to-business (B2B), the focus is on meeting the needs of other companies. In other words, it's about creating solutions that make their jobs easier. When it comes to business-to-consumer (B2C), it's about satisfying individual customers' needs. B2C situations can offer a wider variety of products or services than B2B situations.
 

Conclusion

E-commerce types that work are essential for success in this competitive industry. E-commerce markets operate differently in each of these above types. Because they offer a wide range of products. Before deciding which type will work best for your business, make sure you are familiar with all of them. If you’re not ready for an online store yet, check out our digital E-Commerce Blog section for more information.
 

Take Advantage of Sekel Tech’s Digital E Commerce Services

Sekel Tech is a digital commerce company that provides end-to-end services that enable our clients to engage and transact with their customers in an increasingly multi-channel environment. The solution we offer helps businesses build, innovate, and grow without the hassle and with the help of industry experts.

Our digital commerce services help customers create a more personalised shopping experience. We have extensive experience in creating customised digital commerce solutions for our clients that meet their specific needs. Sekel Tech is one of the best examples of digital commerce.You can easily sell online, in stores, or anywhere else with Sekel Tech. Through the use of first-party data, the company can create targeted marketing for each customer based on their web, in-store, purchase history, and loyalty status. With Sekel Tech, you can reach nearby customers and spread brand awareness.