B2B..

business to business(B2B) describes commerce transactions between businesses,such as between a manufacturer and a wholesaler,or between a wholesaler and a retailer.The volume of B2B transactions is much higher than the volume of B2C transactions.The primary reason for this is that in a typical supply chain there will be many B2B transaction involving subcomponent or raw materials,and only one B2C transaction,specifically sale of the finished product to the end customer.For example,an automobile manufacturer makes several B2B transactions such as buying tires,and rubber hoses for its vehicles.The final transaction,a finished vehicle sold to consumer,is a single (B2C) transaction.




B2B web site can be sorted into:

• COMPANY WEB SITES,since the target audience for many company Web sites is other companies and their employees.Company sites can be thought of as round-the-clock-mini-trade exhibits.Sometimes a company Web site serves as the entrance to an exclusive extranet available only to costumers or registered site users.Some company Web sites sell directly from the site,effectively e-tailing to other businesses
• PRODUCT SUPPLY AND PROCUREMENT EXCHANGES,where a company purchasing agent can shop for supplies from vendors,request proposals,and,in some cases,bid to make a purchase at a desired price.Sometimes referred to as e-procurement sites,some serve a range of industries and others focus on a niche market
• SPECIALIZED OR VERTICAL INDUSTRY PORTALS,which provide a "subWeb" of information,product listings,discussion groups,and other features.These vertical portal sites have a broader purpose than the procurement sites(although they may also support buying and selling)
• BROKERING SITES,act as an intermediary between someone wanting a product or service and potential providers.Equipment leasing is an example
• INFORMATION SITES(sometimes known as infomediary),which provide information about a particular industry for its companies and their employees.These include specialized search sites and trade and industry standards organization sites

many B2B sites may seem to fall into more than one of these groups.Models for B2B sites are still evolving.Another type of B2B enterprise is software for building B2B Web sites,including site building tools and templates,database,and methodologies as well as transaction software.B2B is e-commerce between businesses.An earlier and much more limited kind of online B2B prior to internet was Electronic Data Interchange(EDI),which is still widely used