The single channel e-tailer is the standalone company selling their wares online. While this is a common eCommerce business model these folks can have a hard time competing with the conglomerate e-tailers and the big box stores out there. ...

In this model, a single website will pull from multiple brands and companies and sell through one single portal. Amazon.com is a great example of this, as is Overstock.com which focuses on discount products and extra inventory. In the clicks and bricks category of conglomerate e-tailers, we can look at monsters like Target.com, JCPenney.com or Walmart.com....

In this model, the company is offering a service to customers through their web site. This could include services of graphic designers, marketing companies, home furnishing services like carpeting or even financial transactions like the buying and selling of stocks. There is sometimes crossover with the Advertising model if a website is offering a tool as a free service and profiting from web advertising revenues but for the sake of this information. ...

eCommerce is such a huge topic. Tackling it in any sort of organized fashion is going to be difficult, so what we've done is created a series of articles based on business models that will serve as a launching point for various topical discussions. This means that whether you are an individual e-tailer or an advertising site, you'll find information about technology, IT, marketing and traffic generation. ...

In this eCommerce model, you will usually see a company offering some sort of free service, tool or information and their revenues are generated through advertisers. They may use Google AdSense or they may develop advertising packages where companies can place banner ads, text ads or other advertising throughout the site for a specific fee. ...

JIT is a business model where an eCommerce company carries as little inventory as possible but they do complete most of the shipping of the products they sell. This is not the same as having the manufacturer drop ship the item direct to the consumer, rather the eCommerce website will order the items upon receiving the customer order, put everything together at their own site and then ship the order....

B2B, also known as Business to Business, are websites that are out there to sell items to businesses that will then turn around and sell to consumers. These are the manufacturers, the suppliers and the importers that make the goods and get them out into the market....

“Click” and Mortar is also known as Bricks and Clicks and is a hybrid business model where a company has two channels of developing customers - both a physical storefront or location and a web presence. For example you might sell sporting goods equipment in Chicago, Illinois and you may have a business of the same name online, selling the same or a broader offering of sporting goods equipment....

B2C is also known as Business to Consumer and is probably the most common eCommerce model out there. These are sites like Amazon.com, Zappos.com and smaller sites that sell products, services and even information to you and me....