13 Successful Ecommerce Business Examples to Learn From (B2C and B2B Included)

Ecommerce business has been around for more than a decade. To show you how top eCommerce Businesses achieve success, I will show you some successful Ecom businesses to learn from. Here, we provide examples from both the B2C and B2B sectors.

In B2B eCommerce, the customer is a company. The focus will be on the characteristics of the product in the market and its functionality. While in B2C, the customer is the final user. They will more likely dig the information about the benefits and variety of the product. Moreover, it will tend to have a more emotional behavior in the purchase and would be highly beneficial if you’re running a Stripe referral software. This can also help you with how to get people to do affiliate marketing for your product.

Successful B2C Ecommerce Examples

The B2C eCommerce is a business model with millions (even billions) dollars in it. According to Statista, this type of digital commerce represented approximately 2.3 billion dollars in world sales during 2018. It is a colossal figure, which demonstrates the greatness of this online channel.

That is why hundreds of thousands of companies around the planet want to take advantage of this business opportunity and launch a B2C ecommerce website. Let me show you some of the strongest examples of B2C eCommerce in the United States.

#1 Spotify

Understanding the audio consumption habits of its users around the world was the key to its success. This music streaming service was founded in Sweden.

Thanks to its large amount of data and information about the listening habits of its users, Spotify has a great advantage when it comes to customizing the content it offers. It is great to see how Spotify can recommend playlists, artists, albums, etc. that in a high percentage grade, each of its users will like.

For doing its marketing, Spotify goes further. It takes advantage of its reach, for example, with email marketing automation, segmentation, relevant content, and very persuasive call-to-action. Moreover, it is able to create personalized playlists even without an Internet connection. It also has various subscription plans that are hard to resist.

Without a doubt, Spotify is a global example of how to properly handle the data of its users. Even in April 2019, the company has reached 100 million global subscribers (doubling the number of Apple Music), according to The Verge.

#2 Lay’s

Perhaps, Lay’s French fries have a rather traditional texture for this type of product compared to other crunchy snacks today. However, there is no doubt that Lay’s knows very well how to maintain the interest of its brand and to renew its image intelligently.

How? The brand annually establishes a digital contest in which their consumers, choose the new flavor (among three options) that will become a permanent product of Lay’s potatoes. The campaign is called ‘Do me a flavor.’

The three flavors are distributed in various limited points of sale throughout the country throughout the year. Best of all, during this annual contest, the brand registers a considerable increase in the consumption of its products. This is because psychologically, people react to “scarcity” and like to feel that their decisions can make a difference.

Lay’s ample space for innovation, arouse interest continuously and involve customers. That’s how Lay’s plays the marketing game.

#3 Oreo

It is not a secret that any child likes Oreo cookies. However, why the same thing happens to teenagers and adults? It is because Oreo cookies are traditional. They have maintained their flavor over time. So, why sacrifice what works?

In addition, Oreo often created the Twitter campaign #PlayWithOreo, whose goal was one: to wake up the “inner child” soul we all have inside.

Through interactive, simple, and visually pragmatic campaigns, the online campaign was implemented in 40 countries and 14 languages and provided a 12% growth in world cookie consumption and 2% in the category growth rate. In addition, Oreo had an increase of more than three times its total number of Twitter followers.

Oreo diversifies the appeal, refines the brand message, and attracts new audiences without losing those who are already faithful. They make the classic tradition of eating Oreo with a glass of milk ageless.

#4 My Supermarket

This British online supermarket is where you can buy groceries from six different supermarkets. You can even make combined purchases, find the best price for that product in each supermarket, give preference to a specific one at an equal price, all from the same supermarket.

It has a precise price counter and an almost perfect system to make the purchase you want

You can sort the product by price, quality, desired brands, and which supermarket chain sells it. People can also perform grouping of products by recipes or by the habitual consumption of their accounts. Their mobile app is available for Apple users, and I assume, will be in Android as well.

#5 Tesco

Tesco is one of the supermarkets that sell more technology and innovation in its store. The fourth worldwide company in the retail sector has spent years trying to facilitate the purchase from the Client and save costs in the same process.

Here, you will find purchase experience with augmented reality, big data, purchase through mobile phone, and the use of the buyer’s mobile phone to scan purchased products. This is because Tesco Cheshunt’s employers keep testing innovations in certain pilot stores. Once tested, they take them to other stores. By the way, if you are into augmented reality, you may be interested in various apps on this topic and cost of ar apps

Its purpose is to turn Tesco into a multi-channel provider, which is key in the distribution of the future. They have created their own technology companies. In addition to being an internal supplier, they are creating their own products for the market. For example, they have launched a tablet product for which they show us how to buy in their stores. The company’s new mobile and tablet applications will also facilitate the shopping experience significantly.

Successful B2B eCommerce Examples

The B2B eCommerce is also a multibillion-dollar opportunity. According to data collected by Shopify, this business model accounted for about 7.7 billion dollars in 2017 worldwide. It is a phenomenal figure that demonstrates the profitability of this business model.

Not only that, the industry has spawned an entire industry catering to B2B eCommerce Development-Offering services that helps users establish their B2B business online.

B2B marketing has the function of creating brand image and promoting personal contacts. Although it involves a consolidation process, if it works it is easier to have a presence in the market than by limiting B2C actions focused on the end customer.

In other words, being prestigious or considered a specialist in a subject, makes it easy to sell without much need to disperse efforts.

With that in mind, we want to present examples of B2B eCommerce to help you understand how they can be successful.

#1 Ford Motor Co.

Parts.ford.com is the official eCommerce of Ford Motor. It is a well-known American car manufacturer. They don’t sell cars precisely through the site. However, they sell parts for Ford and Lincoln vehicles through their website.

What does their website sell?

  • Batteries for cars.
  • Filters
  • Plugs
  • Wiper washer
  • Brakes
  • Ignitions
  • Lubricants (and other chemicals)
  • Etc.

Other features of the site include a search catalog by brand and product, offers, video chat, tutorials, profile creation, and customization,and even automotive engineering consulting, etc.

Upon entering, the buyer can identify himself as in charge of a mechanical workshop, a government fleet, distributor, commercial fleet, etc. The shopping cart of the site allows you to store an order, share it with an expert, and a group of recommended parts depending on the model of the car or the needs expressed by the buyer.

To protect its brand, Ford has a second site called FordBrandProtection. It is dedicated entirely to dealing with the smuggling of its products. It is a content protection effort linked to its online sales strategy.

#2 Apple inc. (it’s both B2B and B2C)

Known for dominating the smartphone market for the end consumer, the Apple company also has something to say in the B2B eCommerce market. In the list of B2B eCommerce 300: 2017 Edition, Apple is one of the few companies that share great profits in the B2C and B2B eCommerce model.

Apple’s key is to make its efforts versatile. They make their technology available to the end-user and in large numbers to businesses and distributors around the world. According to research firm Gartner, specializing in information and technology, Apple is part of its top 25 supply chain companies.

In their efforts in eCommerce B2B, they sold more than 10 billion dollars in 2016. Among the services offered by its platform are mobile applications for business, a mobile site optimized for a B2B business, live chat, and product customization tools.

#3 Exxon Mobil Corp.

One hundred twenty-five years of history selling fuel has given Exxon Mobil a significant advantage to explore new B2B sales channels, including eCommerce. The company is at the top of the Investor Relation Research list. It demonstrates a judicious exploration of its digital channel.

Exxon is the founding member of the OFS Portal. It is industrial energy and electronic procurement eCommerce that develops standards for electronic catalog formats and business rules that allow fuel companies to carry standardized eCommerce transactions between individual companies, work networks, and exchanges of the industry.

Exxon’s unique eCommerce ideas are based on an alliance with Hybris, with the goal of possibly creating a global e-commerce network. Some features that Exxon website have are:

  • Automatic workflow approved by the client.
  • Automatic reorders
  • Price Discount for quantities.
  • Live chat

#4 Boards & More

The company is a kitesurf and paddleboard wholesaler. The company’s online store demonstrates how important the design is. The design of its online store looks very attractive, bold, and modern.

Sometimes, the website users go to its online store to find information, as well. That is why your online store must combine an attractive layout and simple design. Yet, it should provide detailed product information. This action will further increase positive user experience.

#5 Edicom Group

Edicom Group is a B2B software company for the management of data and electronic invoices that sought to increase its relevance in international markets. To increase its sales in new markets, Edicom needed to generate traffic to its website. Thanks to the creation of a training blog aimed at technicians and managers, the company increased traffic to its website by 30,000 visits in just nine months.

Although blogging is associated with B2C communication, in B2B marketing a blog can also give excellent results. It is proven that B2B companies that have a current section on their website, not only increase their visits by 55%, but also generate 126% more contacts.

#6 American Express

At a certain moment, this company launched a platform focused on the advice of SMEs and an internal network for users with small businesses to advise each other. The increase in visits has served to consolidate your business in that niche market.

#7 Volvo

The Swedish automotive giant carried out a campaign to promote its range of trucks focused on companies and freelancers. They launched a series of audiovisual content with the image of Jean-Claude Van Damme and achieved an impact of more than 100 million visualizations of future purchase intent, of almost 50% of truck drivers.

#8 Pablo Wineries and Vineyards

It is not necessary to be a large company to take advantage of B2B services. This company winery system and marketing channel have managed to enter the North American markets thanks to the use of Internet platforms such as Global Wine Spirits.

Final Thoughts

In the B2B business model, the efforts invested to be able to close new projects are much greater. It is because the market share is considerably less than in B2C, where sales are directed to end customer.

The development of website for business services, for example, has become a necessity to expand business areas and strengthen commercial relationships of the B2B type.

On the other hand, the complementarity between B2B and B2C, suggests that both parts of the business are allied with each other. In other words, the same company or business can perform actions of both types, in parallel or sequentially.

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