B2B and B2C Marketing in the Dynamic Landscape of Malaysian Business
Authors: Kassim Zarina , Mohamed Hj. Hasan Al-Banna , Azmi Ilhaamie Abdul Ghani , Rahim Hainnuraqma 
Published: February 2025

E-commerce is divided into two forms, namely B2B (Business to Business) and B2C (Business to Consumer). B2B business refers to the sale of products or services from one business to another. While B2C refers to the sale of products or services from a single business to customers. Both forms of business aim to generate maximum revenue for the company by selling products or services. Effective B2B and B2C sales require effective marketing and communication methods and the ability to adapt to the changing business landscape. The business landscape in Malaysia has long changed in tandem with the dynamic business landscape. In fact, small businesses have also been leveraging digital marketing methods for a long time. With the increasing number of merchants in Malaysia, it has become a must for businesses to build an e-commerce website as a platform to operate virtually. E-commerce has been found to have a positive impact on business development for both B2B and B2C every year. Today's consumers are also seen to be more inclined to buy online since the world was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Southeast Asia continues to witness accelerated technology adoption, with 40 million new digital users recorded in 2021. As adoption continues to grow, the Malaysian government continues to support the online B2B and B2C business landscape. In fact, Malaysia managed to record revenue through the e-commerce sector with a total of over RM1 trillion recorded in 2021. Malaysia's aspiration to record RM1.65 trillion by 2025 is supported by the National e-Commerce Strategic Roadmap (NESR) spearheaded by MDEC. NESR is a stepping stone towards digital commerce by capitalising on the opportunities of B2B and B2C businesses in digitalisation. Malaysia's digital trade is expected to benefit significantly through the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. With the support of the Malaysian government, entrepreneurs, especially B2C entrepreneurs involved in the small and medium and micro business sectors, are able to adapt their sales products more effectively to the global level. However, every B2B and B2C entrepreneur needs to have an effective marketing strategy. There are several marketing methods to increase B2B and B2C sales, including knowing your target customers, establishing trust and credibility, leveraging relationships with prospects, optimizing sales, and constantly analyzing and measuring the effectiveness of sales strategies. B2B and B2C sales scaling involve increasing sales volume and revenue while maintaining or improving efficiency. This can be achieved through various strategies, such as automating the sales process, expanding the sales team, improving marketing efforts, improving product offerings, and leveraging data analytics. Based on SWOT analysis, there are several advantages, opportunities, weaknesses and threats of e-commerce to B2B and B2C marketing. Among them are accessibility, lower prices, industry specific, growing market, influencers, competition, fraud, and monopolies. In conclusion, B2B and B2C marketing through e-commerce has had many positive impacts on the country's economy such as fostering inclusivity and growth, increasing income for the people, especially low- and middle-income (M40) households, producing talents in technology, besides supporting economic recovery from the previous Covid-19 pandemic. B2B and B2C marketing through e-commerce platforms is seen to continue to impact the community, driving towards a vibrant and inclusive digital economy in Malaysia.