E-commerce vs. M-commerce: What’s the Difference?

Due to the ongoing pandemic, online shopping has really taken off, and companies are looking for new ways of making it easier for their customers to buy their products online. This is where e-commerce and m-commerce come into play. While both of them have a goal of helping you reach more customers, there are some fundamental differences between them. Today we will take a closer look at e-commerce and m-commerce so you can make a more informed decision about which one is right for your business. Let’s start by looking at e-commerce first. 

What is E-commerce? 

E-commerce unites all platforms and services where payment is made online. This includes, first and foremost, online stores that accept electronic payments. In reality, e-commerce is not only financial or trade transactions carried out using networks but also a chain of global business processes associated with conducting transactions.

Today, e-commerce includes the electronic purchase or sale of goods and services to people from all locations worldwide. This includes both products and professional services as well. 

Directions of E-commerce 

Since products and services can be sold to both individual customers and companies, it would make sense to look at the various directions of e-commerce: 

• b2c (business to consumer, “business for the consumer”) – online stores that sell goods or services to consumers directly, that is, at retail;
• b2b (business to business) – a company sells something to other companies. This can be wholesale – so that the buyer then sells these goods to consumers at retail. Or goods and services intended for corporate needs: for example, cash register equipment, cloud storage and services, international delivery of goods;
• c2b (consumer to business, “consumer for business”) – individuals (individuals) offer goods and services for companies. A striking example is outsourcing performers: designers, programmers, content creators;
• c2c (consumer to consumer, “from consumer to consumer”) – people sell goods and services to each other directly: nannies, tutors, pastry chefs, clothing designers
• g2b (government to business) – government agencies supply something for business: for example, the use of radio frequencies, airspace, services for collecting and processing data;
• b2g (business to government, “business for the government”) – the reverse process: for example, goods and services within the framework of public procurement, software, electronics;
• c2g (consumer to government, “from consumer to government”) – when consumers pay for various government services.

What are the Pros and Cons of E-commerce?

The worldwide web connects people around the world. The Internet is organically intertwined with our lives, from finding everyday information and ideas to organizing birthday parties and shopping for gifts. This means endless shopping opportunities – no matter where you are in Moscow or New York, a godforsaken village, or on a cruise ship. The main thing is coverage.

With all of this in mind, let’s take a look at the benefits of e-commerce: 

• Accessibility – The customer has access to virtually unlimited choices of the types of products they are looking to buy. 
• Increased customer base – People from any location around the world can visit your online store, thus allowing you to increase your customer base. Ecommerce marketing services can also help you attract more customers as well. 
• Greater insights – The online platform and various third-party tools can give you analytics and insights into a wide variety of business aspects. Platforms such as Magento are particularly suited for e-commerce and provide you with data that makes it easier to run your business. This is why a lot of companies choose to invest in Magento eCommerce development. 

Now that we looked at the benefits, let’s take a look at the negatives as well: 

• High cost of development – Developing an e-commerce store requires a significant financial investment. This is especially true with things like Magento eCommerce development and getting your store up and running. 
• Assembling the right team – While there are a lot of eCommerce marketing services, it can be difficult to find the right partner to help you create the right solutions that will help you attract the types of customers you are looking for. 
• A lot of competition – While you will have to compete with the big market players such as Amazon and eBay, many other stores out there are competing for the same business. Therefore, you will need to have a plan on how you will stand out from the crowd. Again, this is where eCommerce marketing services can be of great assistance. 

As you can imagine, e-commerce and mobile technology go hand in hand since people are using their smartphones and tablets more often than laptops and desktops. This is where m-commerce solutions come into the picture. 

What are M-Commerce Solutions? 

Mobile commerce, or m-commerce for short, is a growing trend within the broader e-commerce sphere. What we are noticing is that shopping apps are already the norm. Now there is no question of whether the store has such an application, but rather how much it supports the buyer through this application. The emphasis has shifted from customer acquisition (although this is undoubtedly important) to provide them with a unique in-app shopping experience. And for this, there are a number of solutions that are worth considering.

What are the Benefits of M-commerce? 

Let’s take a look at the benefits of m-commerce. We will also talk about some of the differences between mobile commerce and e-commerce: 

• Fast transactions – In general, most mobile applications are faster than a traditional website, meaning m-commerce offers faster transactions for your customers. Time is money in the world of e-commerce, so giving customers the chance to buy things quicker than usual can be very lucrative.
• More streamlined access – There’s no need to travel to a store while mobile apps are generally much quicker than desktop sites, saving the customer time and effort invaluable to the modern consumer. There are few things more convenient than having access to online shopping at the tip of your fingers.
• Usability – In general, it is easier for users to navigate an app than a website since it usually requires fewer clicks to get what you are looking for. 

The downsides of M-commerce include: 

• Security concerns – Security concerns are perhaps the most essential parts of mCommerce. There are still questions about the security of e-commerce. Individuals doubt their deficiency of individual information. They are constantly worried about their credit card number and bank account number, which they use while utilizing mobile commerce.
• Smartphone dependency – Viewing products on a small screen can be difficult for a lot of people. 
• Connectivity issues – For m-commerce, you need a quick Internet connection. Access to the web website through mobile phones is disrupted by slow transmission speeds. For m-commerce, moderate transmission speeds can be a major obstruction. 

E-commerce and M-commerce: Why Choose? 

A lot of times, business owners frame the discussion in terms of m-commerce vs e-commerce, but, in reality, there is no need to choose since one complements the other. While it is true that there is a difference between e-commerce and m-commerce, you can still include both in your business strategy. Both e-commerce and m-commerce allow you to improve the shopping experience and add a personal touch. It is also worth pointing out that both e-commerce and m-commerce offer your customers a variety of payment options.

As we mentioned earlier, nowadays, customers expect a brand to have a mobile app. At the same time, pretty much every company has an online presence as well. This shows that there is no need to choose between m-commerce vs. e-commerce since you can have the best of both worlds. 

Start Taking Advantage of E-commerce and M-commerce Solutions Today

While we looked at the difference between e-commerce and m-commerce, we also concluded that it would be beneficial to include both as part of your omnichannel strategy. However, to take advantage of mobile commerce and e-commerce solutions, you must partner with the right development company. Skywell Software has extensive experience in creating e-commerce and mobile technology for some of the leading brands in the world. This includes Magento e-commerce development, e-commerce marketing services, and other m-commerce solutions as well. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you.