What Is B2B?

There are two high-level business models that companies can fall into, either B2B (business-to-business) or B2C (business-to-consumer) models.

The difference between the two are the end potential customers and target audience – either individual customers, or consumers, or other businesses. Understanding the difference between these two types of businesses is essential to successfully running a company, as a B2B business needs are very different from that of a B2C.

This article looks at the fundamental differences between B2C and B2B businesses, with an in-depth analysis of the B2B business models.

What is B2B?

“B2B” stands for “business-to-business.”

It’s a designation given to business practices that are targeted toward firms and organizations outside of the consumer-based marketplace. Businesses can be organized around industries or by markets, which are often referred to as verticals.

Source: Forbes

Examples of B2b companies include DropBox, General Electric and Xerox. The service sector is one example of a B2B industry, with various sectors such as automotive and financial services operating as businesses that serve other companies.

B2C companies might include Nike, Quicksilver, and Jamie Oliver restaurants, as the end-consumer are individuals.

Why is B2B Important?

If you look at the types of businesses that engage in B2B activities, they tend to be quite diverse. There are associations of manufacturers and suppliers, manufacturing firms themselves (often large ones), service companies, and others. Each type of business has different needs, and they have become specialized in terms of their market orientation. However, B2B activities are also vital to the overall economy.

Most businesses are based on consumer demand and are therefore consumer-based. B2B activities, however, are focused on a market that is far wider than the customers that companies sell to. These companies sell to other companies, not consumers. Supply chains, handling raw materials,

To add to the specialization of these firms, a great deal of work is done internally in each. B2B companies marketing strategies, purchasing decisions, B2B sales, marketing campaigns, B2B transactions, B2B buyers are all highly specific in the B2B niche. As a decision-maker, it is essential to know and understand the differences as a business in order to properly focus on the target audience and to make a profitable company.

B2B FAQ

Does SEO Work for B2B?

SEO can be of value to B2B businesses. The main reason is that these businesses tend to have a large volume of traffic, which SEO services can leverage for profitability.

Some companies use b2b SEO simply because they want to get their names out there but do not have a very specific marketing plan, and they are not prepared to spend money on marketing themselves. However, if your company desires more exposure than this, it’s essential that you take the time to invest in a targeted SEO campaign that includes social media marketing and other B2B marketing strategies.

How can I improve my SEO for B2B?

Improving search engine optimization for a B2B business is the exact same process as for small businesses and B2C e-commerce sites.

You need to formulate a content strategy that targets keywords relevant to your industry and niche, create engaging, useful content around those keywords, publish that content on a user-friendly website that offers a memorable and highly functional user experience, then build that site with backlinks from other relevant sites. You can also market your B2B products with digital marketing and email marketing by targeting the decision-makers at the businesses you’re aiming to sell to.

In this sense, improving SEO for B2B works well if you approach it from the perspective of individual consumers, as you need to remember that even if you’re selling to other businesses, people make the final decision about where to purchase from.

Does SEO Still Work?

Yes. SEO can help you get your name out there, but for B2B geared SEO campaigns, it helps to diversify your marketing strategy with trade shows, looking for other places to advertise your business, email marketing, and hiring effective salespeople to streamline your sales process.

If you run a website as a B2B business, then make sure your website is optimized for an outstanding user experience, then channel traffic to your site with other lead generation tactics that leverage your customer base.

Summary

Hopefully, this article has given you a better understanding of what are B2B businesses.

B2B businesses make the world go round as they are vital to supply chains and in large-scale operations essential to our economy. Just like any business with an online presence, B2B companies can optimized their website for SEO. Learn how we can help at a business level with our SEO packages.