50 replies
I am researching e-commerce in China and would like to hear of any Warrior experiences in this market, with an emphasis on selling downloadable products (English language).

I'd be grateful for any first-hand input.

Thanks
Kerry
#asia #china #chinese #e-commerce in china #ecommerce
  • Profile picture of the author Scott Ames
    Originally Posted by Kerry Finch View Post

    I am researching e-commerce in China and would like to hear of any Warrior experiences in this market, with an emphasis on selling downloadable products (English language).

    I'd be grateful for any first-hand input.

    Thanks
    Kerry
    I'm not in this market, but I wonder how good of a market it would be. With their disregard for copyright it seems like few would buy your product from you. Most likely it would be copied and sold for peanuts. Is that a bad impression? That's what I believe at the moment.
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    Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. -Winston Churchill

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    • Profile picture of the author BuddyT
      Banned
      [DELETED]
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      • Profile picture of the author VinceNouvel
        Originally Posted by BuddyT View Post

        And millions of dirt-poor people.
        Oh Buddy, your words might be too offensive for some of us here.. You might want to fix it. But I do agree. All the things in China is dirt cheap... You can't compete with them unless you have huge network.
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        • Profile picture of the author Kerry Finch
          Thanks Vince, Scott and Buddy for your impressions.

          If there is anyone who has some first hand experience however..........

          Kerry
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          • Profile picture of the author Scott Ames
            Originally Posted by Kerry Finch View Post

            Thanks Vince, Scott and Buddy for your impressions.

            If there is anyone who has some first hand experience however..........

            Kerry
            Well at least our impressions keep the thread at the top if nothing else
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            Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. -Winston Churchill

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          • Profile picture of the author BigAlex
            What are you trying to market??
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            • Profile picture of the author Kerry Finch
              Originally Posted by BigAlex View Post

              What are you trying to market??
              I'd prefer not to say right now BigAlex, but I would like to balance the in-country research I have done, with some actual examples, good or bad.

              Thanks
              Kerry
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              • Profile picture of the author Bev Clement
                Your question is too vague for a decent answer about China. I lived there for 4 years, so have some experience.

                Problems with selling online (regardless of what it is) most people don't have credit cards. This is a general principle and not always true about major cities, like Shanghai and Beijing. We lived in a city of over 8 million people, and we never used our credit/debit cards for everyday living. When we bought a computer there, we paid cash, when we travelled we paid cash, everything was cash. Only in the last 12/18 months have banks started to offer all their customers credit cards. Paypal is now available, but the person has to sign up for an account which allows them to buy in other countried, it isn't automatic. A lot of websites are blocked in China, so being able to sell might work today, but not next week. We had to change our hosting when our sites were blocked, and they had nothing to do with selling to China. We visited there a few months ago and they seemed to have blocked all sites that are hosted on hostgator.

                People don't generally have their own computers, they cost too much for the average person. Those who do use computers go to internet cafes to play games.

                Chinese generally couldn't afford to pay the prices that are being charged for products online. A $7 book is a huge cost for them, when you consider that the average wage is around $100 a month. $7 would buy food for 1 person for around 30 days.

                Vince why was Buddy's comment offensive to you, actually he isn't being accurate, it is closer to a billion poor people in China.

                Vince is everything dirt cheap in China? Only if you compare it with the West and assume that the prices are in line with the West wages. We paid $100 a month for our rent, which was beyond most Chinese who only earn $100 a month. To say everything is dirt cheap is crazy unless you assume that they earn the same as the West. Why would you pay Western prices, when you don't have the income as well.
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                • Profile picture of the author JasonKing
                  Originally Posted by Bev Clement View Post

                  Your question is too vague for a decent answer about China. I lived there for 4 years, so have some experience.

                  Problems with selling online (regardless of what it is) most people don't have credit cards. This is a general principle and not always true about major cities, like Shanghai and Beijing. We lived in a city of over 8 million people, and we never used our credit/debit cards for everyday living. When we bought a computer there, we paid cash, when we travelled we paid cash, everything was cash. Only in the last 12/18 months have banks started to offer all their customers credit cards. Paypal is now available, but the person has to sign up for an account which allows them to buy in other countried, it isn't automatic. A lot of websites are blocked in China, so being able to sell might work today, but not next week. We had to change our hosting when our sites were blocked, and they had nothing to do with selling to China. We visited there a few months ago and they seemed to have blocked all sites that are hosted on hostgator.

                  People don't generally have their own computers, they cost too much for the average person. Those who do use computers go to internet cafes to play games.

                  Chinese generally couldn't afford to pay the prices that are being charged for products online. A $7 book is a huge cost for them, when you consider that the average wage is around $100 a month. $7 would buy food for 1 person for around 30 days.

                  Vince why was Buddy's comment offensive to you, actually he isn't being accurate, it is closer to a billion poor people in China.

                  Vince is everything dirt cheap in China? Only if you compare it with the West and assume that the prices are in line with the West wages. We paid $100 a month for our rent, which was beyond most Chinese who only earn $100 a month. To say everything is dirt cheap is crazy unless you assume that they earn the same as the West. Why would you pay Western prices, when you don't have the income as well.

                  I'm reading this content-rich post and the entire time my mind is thinking "WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY..."

                  For downloadable infoproducts? Hmm .... Maybe give it a while ...

                  -JasonKing
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                • Profile picture of the author Thomas Wilkinson
                  The market isn't (yet) the people of China. The best
                  market over there are business owners. I have found
                  them, much to my surprise, very savy, polite, curious,
                  and eager to please. Many of their websites use some
                  sort of translation program which doesn't always come
                  off in English very well. Those same programs don't
                  do well with English to Chinese either so it pays to go
                  the long mile and make things very very clear. Bev is
                  right when she says Hostgator's sites don't show up. I
                  dunno why. I have set a five year goal for new customers
                  and it isn't 1.2 billion, only a tiny fraction of that will
                  retire me just fine. I could go on and on but I'll just say
                  I wish I hadn't held off a year before I dived in to the
                  Chinese market.

                  T.W.
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                  When you hear someone telling you what YOU can't do, they are usually talking about what THEY can't do.
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                  • Profile picture of the author Bev Clement
                    Thomas, I would think that someone has posted an anti-China site on hostgator so they blocked the whole lot. It goes in cycles, it used to be Yahoo and other hosting companies.

                    The people are great, but you also have to understand their culture and the way they think when you do business with them.

                    We do consultancy work, and help people to understand the mindset of Chinese people. The problem is people think of Chinese as one people group, but the HK Chinese, Singapore Chinese, Malay Chinese and the Mainland Chinese think and do things differently.

                    We have talked with Chinese who haven't lived in the Mainland, and they had limited success with their business ventures there. We make a comment, and suddenly they realise that they had not be understanding the way the Mainland people think and act. Knowing that changed the way they did business.

                    Thomas be interested to know what you are doing.

                    Bev
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                    • Profile picture of the author Thomas Wilkinson
                      Don't want to blab blab blab too much in here but you
                      hit the nail on the head. MINDSET! Its been the hardest
                      thing. I have learned soooo much about Chinese culture(s)
                      and people. Its like a whole new world. I even have two
                      new clocks in the computer room with a note under them to
                      my self ("remember its tomorrow over there, stupid") I am
                      particularly concentrating on companies who are or who want
                      to do business in the U.S. and (with my partner) Europe. Not
                      only is it begining to pay pretty well it is so much FUN.
                      Bev, I've known for a long while now that sooner or later you
                      and I were gonna do business together. I have a lot to learn
                      yet. (Great pic by the way)

                      T.W.
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                      When you hear someone telling you what YOU can't do, they are usually talking about what THEY can't do.
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                  • Profile picture of the author Kerry Finch
                    Originally Posted by Thomas Wilkinson View Post

                    The market isn't (yet) the people of China. The best
                    market over there are business owners. I have found
                    them, much to my surprise, very savy, polite, curious,
                    and eager to please. Many of their websites use some
                    sort of translation program which doesn't always come
                    off in English very well. Those same programs don't
                    do well with English to Chinese either so it pays to go
                    the long mile and make things very very clear. Bev is
                    right when she says Hostgator's sites don't show up. I
                    dunno why. I have set a five year goal for new customers
                    and it isn't 1.2 billion, only a tiny fraction of that will
                    retire me just fine. I could go on and on but I'll just say
                    I wish I hadn't held off a year before I dived in to the
                    Chinese market.

                    T.W.
                    Thanks Thomas. Both you and Bev have mentioned the problems with Hostgator sites being blocked in China. Have you raised this with Hostgator, and if so, did they have any suggestions?
                    Regards
                    Kerry
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                    • Profile picture of the author Bev Clement
                      Kerry, there would be no point in mentioning it to Hostgator, because they couldn't do anything. The government blocks sites as they choose, and that is a fact of life in China. Not only that, but at times the whole of the internet can be blocked.
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                      • Profile picture of the author Kerry Finch
                        Thanks again Bev. It would seem that this is one of the major hurdles when looking at e-commerce opportunities in China. But unlike others, there is not much to be done about it, and if one chooses to enter this arena, it is one we just have persevere with and try to find alternatives. Could be a new Olympic event: hurdle/marathon combined?
                        Regards
                        Kerry
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                        • Profile picture of the author Thomas Wilkinson
                          Truly, my biggest obstacle has been my Americanized
                          view of the world. I've had to learn to open my mind
                          and open my eyes to how the rest of the world sees us.
                          Its been a very educational and liberating experience.
                          Even at 60 something I'm getting a whole new education.

                          T.W.
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                          When you hear someone telling you what YOU can't do, they are usually talking about what THEY can't do.
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                          • Profile picture of the author Kerry Finch
                            Originally Posted by Thomas Wilkinson View Post

                            Truly, my biggest obstacle has been my Americanized
                            view of the world. I've had to learn to open my mind
                            and open my eyes to how the rest of the world sees us.
                            Its been a very educational and liberating experience.
                            Even at 60 something I'm getting a whole new education.

                            T.W.
                            Most of us can relate to this Thomas. Stepping out of your comfort zone can often be more of a leap than a step. Even here in Australia, as close as we are to China, and with a huge Chinese population, that country remains mystery. From your posts I get the feeling that the mystery is worth pursuing - even for this 50-something.

                            Best
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                            • Profile picture of the author rocker123
                              yeah China is somethin like a place of mystery. I'm a few miles away from the country but well it's up to you.
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                              • Profile picture of the author gareth
                                The man you need to ask about this is Tom Hua who does the world internet summit.

                                He has a business which is set up to help people do business in china.
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                                Gareth M Thomas
                                Serial Entrepreneur
                                Auckland, New Zealand

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                                • Profile picture of the author Kerry Finch
                                  Originally Posted by gareth View Post

                                  The man you need to ask about this is Tom Hua who does the world internet summit.

                                  He has a business which is set up to help people do business in china.
                                  Tom is on my list to contact - I saw him speak in Sydney a couple of weeks ago - what a dynamo!

                                  Best
                                  Kerry
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                                • Profile picture of the author Bev Clement
                                  Thomas at least I don't have to be concerned with the time zone difference as we are based in Hong Kong at the moment.

                                  Look forward to talking with you

                                  Bev
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                                  • Profile picture of the author Kerry Finch
                                    Are there any Warriors who would like to add their experience, good or bad, on this topic?
                                    Appreciating your comments,
                                    Kerry
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                                    • Profile picture of the author ExRat
                                      Hi Kerry,

                                      I read a good book that was recommended to me by a warrior.

                                      It's called 'thick face black heart' by Chin Ning Chu.

                                      She lives in the West and is very successful in business and wrote the book to try and share with Westerners an understanding of Asian business philosophy. She claims the core of the book is based upon a very old Chinese book that is written in a language and manner that most Chinese struggle to understand.

                                      I can't validate her claims or say whether it really will help, but it's an interesting read regardless.

                                      Other IM tidbits -

                                      A year or so ago I believe Brad Fallon had an offer where he and a bunch of IMers went over there to investigate importing products. Also your fellow Aussie IMer Clifford Mee of -
                                      privatemarketingclub.com

                                      has sent many emails to his list about his excursions over there for the same reasons.

                                      HTH
                                      Signature


                                      Roger Davis

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                                      • Profile picture of the author Kerry Finch
                                        Helps immensely Roger, thank you.
                                        I'll try to get my hands on the book and will investigate the other leads.
                                        Best
                                        Kerry
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                                      • Profile picture of the author J. Barry Mandel
                                        Actually if you do the research on this book you will find that many experienced business people who have worked in asia disagree that this is a book on asian business philosophy.

                                        As to the part about her claims that the original book is hardly understandable by chinese people themselves, this is no different than reading the Tao Te Ching or any other non-dualistic philosophy.

                                        Regardless, IMHO the book is a MUST read and in my opinion is similar to Think and Grow Rich whereby if you truly "get it" it would make you a super hard core successful business person.


                                        Originally Posted by ExRat View Post

                                        Hi Kerry,

                                        I read a good book that was recommended to me by a warrior.

                                        It's called 'thick face black heart' by Chin Ning Chu.

                                        She lives in the West and is very successful in business and wrote the book to try and share with Westerners an understanding of Asian business philosophy. She claims the core of the book is based upon a very old Chinese book that is written in a language and manner that most Chinese struggle to understand.

                                        I can't validate her claims or say whether it really will help, but it's an interesting read regardless.

                                        Other IM tidbits -

                                        A year or so ago I believe Brad Fallon had an offer where he and a bunch of IMers went over there to investigate importing products. Also your fellow Aussie IMer Clifford Mee of -
                                        privatemarketingclub.com

                                        has sent many emails to his list about his excursions over there for the same reasons.

                                        HTH
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                                    • Profile picture of the author yaji
                                      I think the topic is too broad. Kerry, can you be more specific about what you wnated to do in China? Sell ebooks, goods online, believe me, Chinese are smart, they learned new things quickly from west, do you think you can have a Chinese version of ebay, amazon, google, craigslist, facebook, travelocity, etc.? You are too late. They are all there in China, or have been tested not working and abandoned...

                                      Just a thought. We need to think further and be more specific, if possible.
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                                      Thanks, Yaji

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                                      • Profile picture of the author Kerry Finch
                                        Originally Posted by yaji View Post

                                        I think the topic is too broad. Kerry, can you be more specific about what you wnated to do in China? Sell ebooks, goods online, believe me, Chinese are smart, they learned new things quickly from west, do you think you can have a Chinese version of ebay, amazon, google, craigslist, facebook, travelocity, etc.? You are too late. They are all there in China, or have been tested not working and abandoned...

                                        Just a thought. We need to think further and be more specific, if possible.
                                        Yagi,
                                        Thanks for the interest. The companies/sites you list are scary, and way out of my league. What I am trying to do is to compile as much information as I can now regarding the e-commerce 'state of the nation' for China, warts and all, with the hope of identifying opportunities. So, yes, the topic is broad for now, and I am receiving some very useful information here from Warriors, also broad.

                                        Research, I have been told, is the first stage of any IM project, and what better place to seek assistance than the WF?

                                        Regards
                                        Kerry
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                                        • Profile picture of the author yaji
                                          Agreed. It might be helpful to list several topics such as:

                                          1. SEO
                                          2. Affiliate Marketing
                                          3. Online stores
                                          4. Online bill payment
                                          5. Online auctions
                                          6. Social networking online
                                          7. Social bookmarking
                                          ...

                                          The list can go on, But you get the idea. Or if you are ready, post your table of contents and we can add comments/feedbacks here.

                                          Is this a research project only, or you are doing research to identify opportunities for yourself? If the latter, my suggestions are not spending too much time in research, beacuse IM means actions, lots of actions. You may start several web sites and test water in China market and see how that goes.

                                          Anyways, just my 2 cents.
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                                          Thanks, Yaji

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                • Profile picture of the author VinceNouvel
                  Originally Posted by Bev Clement View Post

                  Vince why was Buddy's comment offensive to you, actually he isn't being accurate, it is closer to a billion poor people in China.

                  Vince is everything dirt cheap in China? Only if you compare it with the West and assume that the prices are in line with the West wages. We paid $100 a month for our rent, which was beyond most Chinese who only earn $100 a month. To say everything is dirt cheap is crazy unless you assume that they earn the same as the West. Why would you pay Western prices, when you don't have the income as well.
                  Hey Bev, I do live there for a year like 5 years ago in Guang Zhou. I have to admit that I almost forgot about the part where they earn a very low income compared to those in the West.

                  I know what its like living in a country where ppl earn as low as $10/mo cause I was born and raised in a country where you can have a full time maid for $30/mo..

                  What I am trying to say is that Chinese market is very competitive.. You can find deals almost anywhere, sellers are willing to lower down their price as low as they can just to get you buy from them and most people have a very tight budget even to keep living..
                  I am sorry for saying everything is dirt cheap.. Living in the US for 3 years make me change my perception about money.. hell $100 is 1m in my currency.. Thanks for taking me back bev...


                  Cheers,
                  Vince
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                • Profile picture of the author Kerry Finch
                  Originally Posted by Bev Clement View Post

                  Your question is too vague for a decent answer about China. I lived there for 4 years, so have some experience.

                  Problems with selling online (regardless of what it is) most people don't have credit cards. This is a general principle and not always true about major cities, like Shanghai and Beijing. We lived in a city of over 8 million people, and we never used our credit/debit cards for everyday living. When we bought a computer there, we paid cash, when we travelled we paid cash, everything was cash. Only in the last 12/18 months have banks started to offer all their customers credit cards. Paypal is now available, but the person has to sign up for an account which allows them to buy in other countried, it isn't automatic. A lot of websites are blocked in China, so being able to sell might work today, but not next week. We had to change our hosting when our sites were blocked, and they had nothing to do with selling to China. We visited there a few months ago and they seemed to have blocked all sites that are hosted on hostgator.

                  People don't generally have their own computers, they cost too much for the average person. Those who do use computers go to internet cafes to play games.

                  Chinese generally couldn't afford to pay the prices that are being charged for products online. A $7 book is a huge cost for them, when you consider that the average wage is around $100 a month. $7 would buy food for 1 person for around 30 days.

                  Vince why was Buddy's comment offensive to you, actually he isn't being accurate, it is closer to a billion poor people in China.

                  Vince is everything dirt cheap in China? Only if you compare it with the West and assume that the prices are in line with the West wages. We paid $100 a month for our rent, which was beyond most Chinese who only earn $100 a month. To say everything is dirt cheap is crazy unless you assume that they earn the same as the West. Why would you pay Western prices, when you don't have the income as well.
                  Bev, thanks so much for the reply. You have highlighted some problems I had not yet considered and confirmed my research on others. Very much appreciated.
                  Regards
                  Kery
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  • Profile picture of the author Terry M.
    Hi Kerry and everyone, I am Chinese, since I can read
    both Chinese and English, I am able to monitor both sides....

    And I found something interesting...

    DYD, Eben Pagan's 20 million dollar business. As you may all know
    this extremely successful infopreneur.

    His main book Double Your Dating has been translated
    and pirated into Chinese in 2004 and made lots of money with it.

    I am not the guy that pirated it, but if I wanted to, it
    could have been easily accomplished.

    I do have some plans for running e-Commerce in China
    in the near future, but right now I am still focusing on
    my English websites.

    Kerry, please keep me posted about your project, I'd
    be interested to know.

    -----------------

    P.S. And a person left a comment saying if you have want to translate
    any Western website's idea like craigslist, don't even think about it.
    Because it gets done so fast in China.

    Indeed, you can't be more right. Looks like you had been monitoring
    both sides as well. For what I remember, Twitter got copied faster
    than I could consume my instant noodles.

    Sorry, I read the entire thread ultra fast without looking at the name,
    and now I can't find your post.
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    • Profile picture of the author Quentin
      I think you would do good business if you thought totally outside IM as most of the players in China have it tied up and you encroach on their turf they will hammer you. What Bev did not tell you about were the triads and Chinese Marfia that control a lot of the internet over there.

      Having said this there are very lucrative deals to be made in areas of translation, proof reading, english classes, importing and exporting of products and much more.

      All of this however is done in a totally different way to western countries and I have seen a heap of people get burned. You see its all about perception.

      Chineese its about face and how people see you. They will say yes, sign a contract or whatever to be percieved in the right manner but it means very little without something more tangible. They have no qualms about breaking contracts but take them to dinner and shake on a deal that is binding almost.

      They do not have any real copyright as was mentioned before and never have. Its not wrong just thats the way it is. Just remember they are a communist coutry.

      Just my few insights.

      Quentin
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      • Profile picture of the author casseysmith
        Chinese its about face and how people see you. They will say yes, sign a contract or whatever to be perceived in the right manner but it means very little without something more tangible. They have no qualms about breaking contracts but take them to dinner and shake on a deal that is binding almost.
        ========================
        casseysmith

        Auto Auction
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    • Profile picture of the author simplosys0
      A nationwide survey found that China had more than 1,100 consumer related e-commerce websites by the end of the first quarter this year.

      Though China's e-retailing sales volume totaled 55 million yuan last year, accounting for merely 0.018 per thousand of the country 's total retail sales, the survey predicted a 500 percent growth this year.
      Source : http://english.people.com.cn/english...509_40379.html
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      • Profile picture of the author Kerry Finch
        Originally Posted by simplosys0 View Post

        Thanks for that.
        This article is now 8 years old though, and I've assembled some incredible recent stats for release soon.
        Cheers for contribution!
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        • Profile picture of the author Ping Liang
          I am a Chinese living in China. E-commerce in China is really starting to boom according to my knowledge.

          E-books. I know one person wrote an ebook about how to buy your home with zero down payment. It is by far the bestseller on the internet. The author has pulled in a big fortune. He even created an affiliate program. Yesterday, I received an Instant Message in my instant message group (it is called QQ), advertising this ebook. This is a year later since the book was first published online. The price is pretty high for me, a 9-5 employee. But it sells because buying a house is really a big problem for young Chinese people nowadays.

          Bev is right. But things are changing. Offline payment - including wire transfer - is safe and popular. But many online payment methods have come out - Paypal China is one of them but, believe me, is not the most popular one. Alipay (a service provided by Alibaba, a China-based international trading platform) is also successful.

          Auctions. Ebay China played its big role in this arena in the early days. But now it's less popular because sellers need to pay for their item listings there. In the contrary, Taobao.com has become the most welcomed auction supplier. I personally buy and sell things there. Increasingly more and more people are going there to look for things to buy because they provdie cost effective items.

          Online affiliate programs. Amazon.com's branch in China is doing really well. There affliate program is also good, especially for successful webmaster. I attended them, but found out that the internet marketing is becoming more and more difficult because there are so many sites and forums on the internet. Making your presence is really difficult the same with that in US.

          Conclusion: It can be done. But you need a little modification to your approaches. Language is not a hard problem. But you need to adjust your content to the needs of the Chinese people. Whatever the price might be, don't worry about it too much as long as it is what they need and it benefits them. Of course, not everyone can afford it but some can and are willing to pay that price. Remember BMW is as expensive as in other countries here, maybe even more. But you see BMWs passying by on the street every a few minutes if not seconds.
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      • Profile picture of the author yaji
        Originally Posted by simplosys0 View Post


        That was way TOO old, dated as Year 2000.
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        Thanks, Yaji

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  • Profile picture of the author Melody
    Kerry -

    One of my clients is a payment processor that processes through the gateway owned by the largest telecom in China - and the payments are made by debit card, NOT credit card, and are guaranteed!

    The US is really the only country in the world where credit cards are the primary payment method - in China, the government allows debit cards to be used for online purchases, and the funds are taken out of the customer's bank acct in real time, and the merchants are settled to within 10 days.

    Can't do away with the risk of getting your product copied - but at least your payments are safe!

    Drop me a PM for details -
    Signature
    Our first "Digital Yard Sale"! A massive PLR Blowout Sale to help a friend pay medical expenses.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kerry Finch
      Originally Posted by Melody View Post

      Kerry -

      One of my clients is a payment processor that processes through the gateway owned by the largest telecom in China - and the payments are made by debit card, NOT credit card, and are guaranteed!

      The US is really the only country in the world where credit cards are the primary payment method - in China, the government allows debit cards to be used for online purchases, and the funds are taken out of the customer's bank acct in real time, and the merchants are settled to within 10 days.

      Can't do away with the risk of getting your product copied - but at least your payments are safe!

      Drop me a PM for details -
      PM on the way. Thanks Melody.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kerry Finch
      Originally Posted by Melody View Post

      Kerry -

      One of my clients is a payment processor that processes through the gateway owned by the largest telecom in China - and the payments are made by debit card, NOT credit card, and are guaranteed!

      The US is really the only country in the world where credit cards are the primary payment method - in China, the government allows debit cards to be used for online purchases, and the funds are taken out of the customer's bank acct in real time, and the merchants are settled to within 10 days.

      Can't do away with the risk of getting your product copied - but at least your payments are safe!

      Drop me a PM for details -

      WOW Melody, thanks for the PM - priceless information.

      And a huge thanks to all the Warriors who have shared their knowledge in this area. The collective expertise of those in the WF continues to amaze me.
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  • Profile picture of the author wealthy affiliate
    Hi, there

    I'm from China, so i think i may offer you some suggestions. Though China has a lot of people and a lot of computers connected to the internet, that doesnt mean that there's a huge market in e-commerce here.

    Especially when you refer to something downloadable. To tell you the truth, quite a few people in China do NOT obey the rules when doing business on the internet. They cheat. So forget about e-commerce in China, at least for now.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kerry Finch
      Originally Posted by wealthy affiliate View Post

      Hi, there

      I'm from China, so i think i may offer you some suggestions. Though China has a lot of people and a lot of computers connected to the internet, that doesnt mean that there's a huge market in e-commerce here.

      Especially when you refer to something downloadable. To tell you the truth, quite a few people in China do NOT obey the rules when doing business on the internet. They cheat. So forget about e-commerce in China, at least for now.
      Thank you for your suggestions - but sadly, despite copyright lawsk, they cheat in the west too!!
      Kerry
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      • Profile picture of the author AverageGuy
        when a news reporter asked Activision: what you learned from the development of the Guitar Hero (last year, sold XX million units)? The answer is: we should go to China earlier and stay there longer.

        some day in the future, I think, some of us will say this again and again when someone asked us: why you did not try ecommerce in China.

        first comer has the huge advantages. when everyone agrees that it is the time to do that in China, maybe it is too late. no easy opportunities any more.


        good luck

        david
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      • Profile picture of the author wealthy affiliate
        Originally Posted by Kerry Finch View Post

        Thank you for your suggestions - but sadly, despite copyright lawsk, they cheat in the west too!!
        Kerry
        Yeah, i'm so ashamed of this fact. I just dont know what to say.
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  • Profile picture of the author Stanley Tang
    Go to alibaba.com

    thats the first thing you should do
    Signature
    eMillions: Behind-The-Scenes Stories of 14 Successful Internet Millionaires
    Get Your Copy of The #1 Best-Seller Now At Amazon For $13.57

    http://www.emillionsbook.com
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  • Profile picture of the author Dave777
    Kerry,

    Keep in mind a story published January 2008...

    Don't be fooled. Always look on the positive side of things. There are opportunities galore in and out of China for those that focus within the right trends, ideas and marketplaces in todays world!

    Read the following very carefully. If you apply some creative Thinking you'll get the message...

    Both with E-commerce & Hard Goods commerce in and out of China...

    How I Did It: Jack Ma, Alibaba.com
    The unlikely rise of China's hottest internet tycoon...
    How I Did It: Jack Ma, Alibaba.com, How I Did It Article - Inc. Article

    Import & Export on our award-winning International Trade Site. Find quality Products, Trade Leads, Manufacturers, Suppliers, Buyers and Wholesalers. The world's largest online B2B marketplace...
    Alibaba.com - The world's largest online B2B marketplace.

    Alibaba.com Announces 2008 Interim Results - MarketWatch

    Dave
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    • Profile picture of the author Kerry Finch
      Originally Posted by Dave777 View Post

      Kerry,

      Keep in mind a story published January 2008...

      Don't be fooled. Always look on the positive side of things. There are opportunities galore in and out of China for those that focus within the right trends, ideas and marketplaces in todays world!

      Read the following very carefully. If you apply some creative Thinking you'll get the message...

      Both with E-commerce & Hard Goods commerce in and out of China...

      How I Did It: Jack Ma, Alibaba.com
      The unlikely rise of China's hottest internet tycoon...
      How I Did It: Jack Ma, Alibaba.com, How I Did It Article - Inc. Article

      Import & Export on our award-winning International Trade Site. Find quality Products, Trade Leads, Manufacturers, Suppliers, Buyers and Wholesalers. The world's largest online B2B marketplace...
      Alibaba.com - The world's largest online B2B marketplace.

      Alibaba.com Announces 2008 Interim Results - MarketWatch

      Dave
      Dave,
      Thanks so much for the links. Some very positive material there.

      There is no doubt about the stregth of Alibaba in China, and its associated Alipay being a widely accepted payment processor. I have found some excellent alternatives as well, many found with the help of Warriors, and I've included them in aneBook on e-commerce in China, coming soon to a forum near you.

      Its purpose is to paint a factual and accurate picture of the China IM opportunities, without any of the heresay that seems to surround anything to do with China.

      Contributions from Warriors, like you, have helped tremendously.

      Kerry
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