A Study of B2B E-service Development in China: E-service Capability and Customer Segmentation Perspective

The business-to-business (B2B) e-service style in China has expanded with the development of B2B service enterprises. However, the lack of basic theories has delayed the conduct of subsequent research on B2B service. Understanding correctly the categorization and development of B2B e-service is the basic question presented by B2B e-commerce research, and these points are important in the study of management for B2B service enterprises in China. Through an investigation of B2B service websites, we developed a classification model based primarily on the service capability and customer segmentation, after which the B2B e-service was classified into six models. Then, a case study of two Chinese B2B service websites was conducted to analyze further the development of B2B e-service in the country. Results indicate that integration and systematization, and platform establishment and customization of the B2B e-service is the main development trend in China today.