business models: business to consumers (B2C)

This page is under construction.

Pointers to writing about B2C are available in the dot com books page of this guide. 

   Critical Assumptions

Despite recent hype about the death of etailing and the failure of online services, it is possible to make money online - whether a business operates solely on the internet or uses the web as an integral part of wider strategies for meeting the needs of its clients.

We'll be adding content to this page in coming weeks. For the moment we identify some critical assumptions.

The failure of many business to consumer operations reflects assumptions that

• cyberspace is a realm without law
• in the 'new economy' it is permissible to consistently sell products/services for less than they cost
• the 'new economy' is independent of economic cycles and unaffected by investor perceptions of value or viability 
• consumers visit sites to bathe in technology, rather than obtain information, goods and services. Few commercial sites that have been driven by technology or designers, rather than a commitment to meeting consumer needs, have succeeded 
• the experience of the past 100 years about brand building/maintenance no longer counts. Substantial advertising, online and offline, has resulted in visits to many sites. However a visit does not automatically = a sale. And if you don't perform, your competitor may be just a click away
• operation as a virtual company, with no inventory and all 'back-end' functions (customer services, delivery etc) provided by third parties, will result in staggering profits.
• consumers cease to discriminate once they go online or are more patient/forgiving than offline 
  
  
  

    next page (B2B)