Comparative Analysis of B2C E-Business Models: Accounting Firms Report

This report provides a comparative analysis of two Australian accounting firms, Maddison Accounting Services (MSA) and CB Accounting, focusing on their Business-to-Consumer (B2C) e-business models. It begins with an introduction to the B2C model and the services offered by both companies, including tax returns and financial advice. The report then delves into the e-commerce aspects of their websites, examining how they facilitate online accounting and financial services. It details the principal goals of each company, such as customer satisfaction and market share growth. A five-point semantic differential scale is used to evaluate various aspects of their websites, including user experience, security, and accessibility. The report concludes with a comparison of the two firms, highlighting MSA's reliability and effective image in the market and CB Accounting's strengths in website features and customer service, offering insights into their respective approaches to the B2C e-business landscape.

Running Head: Business to Consumer
E-Business fundamentals and system

Business to Consumer 1
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
a. Business Model........................................................................................................................2
b. Why these websites belongs to e-commerce business model..................................................3
c. Principal goals..........................................................................................................................4
d. Five-point semantic differential scale......................................................................................5
F. Compare and Contrast...............................................................................................................12
References......................................................................................................................................13

Business to Consumer 2
Introduction
A transaction amongst customer and company directly is known as the business to consumer
business model. When a consumer purchase directly from company for the purpose of
consumption, they are known as end user of the particular product or service. Apart from
business to consumer (B2C) model, business to business (B2B) model also exists and under this
business model, more than two parties exist before the product could be consumed by the
consumers i.e. end users. Maddison Accounting Services and CB Accounting are two accounting
firms in Australia and engaged in providing financial accounting services in Australian market.
Their activities are open for both businesses as well as consumers. In this report, business
consumer model have been chosen and as a part of business to consumer model, they directly
deal with consumers rather putting any mediator in between. When manufacturers produce
certain goods and supply those goods to wholesalers and distributors and then those goods are
supplied to retail stores so that consumers could purchase them for the purpose of consumption is
known as the activity of business to business type of business model (Veit, et. al., 2014).
This report will focus over making comparison between two financial accounting services’
companies i.e. Maddison Accounting Services and CB Accounting. Both the companies are
engaged in providing accounting and financial services to the consumers as well as to businesses.
Maddison Accounting services and CB Accounting believe in taking roles for fulfilling their
client’s needs in terms of taxation and accounting needs.
Every consumer requires to fill return for their income, thus, both these companies provides
appropriate services to the consumers in relation with managing their income by providing
financial advices to its consumers.
a. Business Model
Maddison Accounting Services (MSA) performs their business activities using both the business
models i.e. B2C and B2B. In relevance with B2B model, company provide its services to
businesses in relation with fulfilling the requirements for starting up a business, registration
regarding tax purposes, Non-profit organizations, activity statement, etc. Apart from this, it

Business to Consumer 3
renders financial and accounting services to consumers which is included in the B2C business
model as there is no third party involved in this process.
URL for Maddison Accounting Services:
http://www.maddisonfinancial.com.au/html/s01_home/home.asp?id=home
URL for CB Accounting: http://www.cbaccounting.com.au/acc/

Business to Consumer 4
b. Why these websites belongs to e-commerce business model
MSA provides various services such as tax returns, financial advices, etc. to consumer over
internet. It is one of the largest online accounting and financial services providing firm in
Australian market and with huge service offering, organization target audience is also both
consumers as well as businesses. Company offers taxation, accounting, taxation, bookkeeping,
self-managed super fund (SMSF), etc. services to vendors, manufacturers and businesses. This
idea has made consumer’s lives easier and effective as they could get financial services from
anywhere over internet. In comparison with traditional accounting system, MSA’s services are
unique as well as effective because clients could book as well as get services as per their
requirements.
MSA believes in team work and provide appropriate solutions for consumer’s queries
irrespective to their interest. Organization prepares income tax returns for individuals,
partnership firms, and for businesses. Apart from this, organization also provides appropriate
services in relation with the advices on financial, investment, taxation and related matters.
Organization believes in team work and team work means when a client comes with a query or
requirement of a service, the same person will deal the client in future also in order to build
effective customer relations. MSA provides assurance to its clients in relation with the financial

Business to Consumer 5
and accounting services. These services help the business men to focus over their activities rather
concerning about accounting services because MSA has expertise and professionals who could
better take care for these types of services.
MSA’s website is relevant as per their services and user could get all information on their
website, thus, their website shows appropriate information to the users. Apart from this, website
of MSA has been designed in a systematic manner through which people could select as per their
requirement with an ease from number of service offerings. Before introduction of e-commerce
platform, people used to go to physical markets for purchasing products and consuming services
and for every unique product and services; they were required to visit different retail stores. But
after effect of e-commerce, people could purchase every product as well as services over
internet. From ordering food to accounting services, consumers could avail any type of service
and products and services from anywhere over internet (Zhang, et. al., 2011).
CB Accounting is another e-commerce accounting and financial services rendering Australian
company and company provides numerous services over internet to both individuals as well as to
businesses. It is platform for people and businesses to avail services such as taxation, accounting,
and mortgage broking services. Company has professional and qualified Public Practice License
holders, registered tax agents and registered mortgage brokers. This provides an assurance to the
clients in relevance with sharing confidential information. Main aim of the organization is to
provide qualitative services to its clients and that too at affordable rates. In relevance with this,
organization approaches its target audience through trending promotional and marketing
strategies.
Their website is effective enough to gain information regarding company’s operations as well as
in relation with the organizational functionalities. Clients could avail taxation, accounting
services mortgage broking and various other services. On their website, client could take
information regarding the packages information of their rendered services. Apart from this, their
other services includes, insurance referral services which includes public liability, income
protection and work cover types of services.

Business to Consumer 6
c. Principal goals
MSA’s primary goals:
 Fulfilling consumer’s demands
 Customer satisfaction by enhancing customer experience with organization
 Providing relevant service offerings as per client’s requirements
 Enhancing reachability in the target market
 Enhancing market share (Lo & Gordon Lam, 2015).
 Developing and enhancing reliability amongst the target audience
 Developing customer relations
 Enhancing revenues and profitability
CB Accounting Services’ primary goals:
 Enhancing clients’ experience by providing appropriate platform in relevance with the
requirement
 Fulfilling customer’s demands
 Providing appropriate customer support
 Enhancing market share, growth and development
 Increasing sales and profitability (Terzi, 2016).
 Acquiring leading position in the market
d. Five-point semantic differential scale
1 2 3 4 5
Very
Poor
Poor Inapplicable/Average Good Very
Good
Following table will showcase the reviews and feedbacks from customers over Amazon’s and
eBay’ services and products on the basis of above table’s grades:

Business to Consumer 7
Sr. No. Attributes MSA CB Accounting Comments
1. How does the
website URL
relate to the
business name?
5 5 Both companies’
website URL and
business name are
same.
2. How easily is the
website found
using general
internet search
engines (e.g.
Google, Ask,
AltaVista, Bing,
Yahoo!)?
5 5 Both companies
are easily searched
through any
search engine.
3. Does the website
give me all the
organisational
information a user
could reasonably
require?
4 3 Every customer is
unique and every
unique customer’s
requirements are
unique. Thus,
fulfilling every
customer’s every
requirement is bit
difficult, still both
companies try to
match up with the
customer’s
requirements by
providing various
options to its
target audience
(Turban, et. al.,
2015).

Business to Consumer 8
4. Are requirements
to provide a user’s
(personal or
sensitive)
information
appropriate?
5 4 Relevant measures
have been adopted
by both companies
to provide
appropriate
information (Ong
& David Teh,
2016).
5. How well does the
website reassure
users about the
security and use
of their
information?
5 3 MSA provides
appropriate
security and safety
to its user’s data
while CB
Accounting’s
measures are bit
weak (Conger,
Jane & Rev,
2017).
6. How well does the
website foster
user trust in the
organisation?
5 3 As MSA served
both in individual
as well as
businesses with
numerous services
in relation with
financial and
accounting, it has
built reliability
amongst the target
audience. While
CB Accounting
also deals in same

Business to Consumer 9
types of services
and both have
developed its
effective image in
the target market.
7. How well does the
website address
legal issues
associated with
use of the website
or engagement in
transactions?
5 5 Both the
companies have
clearly mentioned
their legal policies
over their websites
in legal section
which states that if
any transaction is
being made for
other purpose
rather
consumption of
services,
organization has
full right to take
strict legal actions
against the users
and also have the
right to close the
user’s account
(Penttinen, 2015).
8. How well does the
website provide
for the
accessibility needs
of users?
5 5 User id and
password is asked
in both websites
from customers.

Business to Consumer 10
9. How well does the
website address
the language or
cultural needs of
users?
1 1 There are no
language options
available in both
websites.
10. Does the website
contain all the
product
information that a
user could
reasonably
require?
5 5 Both websites
offer appropriate
information as per
their service
offerings.
11. Does the website
allow all the
customisation
(user-managed
features) that a
user could
reasonably
expect?
5 5 Yes and for this,
clients are
required to share
their requirement
with the customer
representative of
the organization.
12. How well does the
website
personalise the
experience for
users?
5 5 Appropriate
measures have
been adopted by
both the sites so
that consumer’s
experience could
be enhanced with
the organization.
13. Does the website
identify sufficient
channels for user
5 5 Yes, both the
companies
provide sufficient

Business to Consumer 11
service/support? channels to
contact the
customer service.
14. How easy is it to
find any
information on the
website about the
organisation, their
products or
services?
5 5 Both the sites
provides clear
information about
their services.
15. How easy is the
information on the
website to read
(i.e. is provided
information in
appropriate
language and with
sufficient detail
for most users)?
4 5 CB Accounting
provides some
options while
MSA does not.
16. Is the website
easy to navigate
(i.e. move through
the website to find
information,
products, or
services, and
engage in
transactions with
the organisation)?
5 5 Both websites
provides sufficient
information to its
users to navigate
other window
while accessing
organizational
website (Wirtz, et.
al., 2016).
17. How appropriate
are the website
5 5 MSA’s and CB
Accounting’s