Are you a E-commerce starter? Want to learn more about B2B ? With our experience with E-commerce and the information I gathered for years , here I sum up the top Seven B2B webistes to share with you. Hope it will be helpful!
1. http://www.globalsources.com Globalsources.com is the largest Commondity Information Database in Asia.
2. http://www.alibaba.com Alibaba.com, based on the Internet, povides us the world’s largest market for demand and supply interaction of International Trade. It provides information about the newest business opportunity from 178 countries and areas as well as a fast-growing businessmen community.
3. http://www.made-in-china.com Made-in-China.com has a soud popularity, whose clients mostly come from European & American and Middle East.
4. http://www.richforth.com Richforth.com is the largest sourcing center growing from a comprehensive foreign trading company. Its target customers are those in European & American who run small and medium business.It opens a product window between you and China. Domestic suppliers recommend their leading products and distinctive products to Richforth whose sales channels will help to market their products.
5. http://www.commercialplace.com It offers yellow page of trading companies from around the globe, which could be queried by ISO Code. It boasts strong Information Database that gathers Volumes of supply and demand information as well as company information.
6. http://www.ecplaza.net/ ecplaza.net is one of the earliest comprehensive B2B website, facing Asian countries, such as China and Korea . It provides yellow page of companies, business news as well as Consult Service,business community and other tools for International Trading. Moreover, customers can post product pictures on it with no fees.
7. http://www.gbot.net What gbot.com distinguishes itself from other comprehensive B2B websites is that it not only provides information about business opportunity and functional communities but also offer a tool called GBOT Trade Accelerator who can post its clients trading imformation post to Bulletin in major virtual markets around the world all at once.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
China to boost web retail sales through better regulation
BEIJING - China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Tuesday it would boost web retail sales in the next five years through better regulation of online sales.
To increase the share of web retail sales in China's total retail industry to five percent by 2015 from some two percent at present, measures would be taken to improve regulations and legislation concerning online transactions, said the MOC.
In some areas where electronic business already shows signs of maturing, the target was set at 10 percent, according to the statement.
The MOC also said that when the time is appropriate, China would require any person selling online to register with industrial and commercial agencies to bring them under government regulation.
Further, more efforts would be taken to encourage businesses in the production, sales and services industries to develop more goods and services that fit online transactions, said the statement.
In 2009, two percent of China's retail sales were conducted on the Internet, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said in a report released earlier this month.
By the end of 2009, China had 384 million Internet users and more than 100 million online shoppers, according to data collected by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC).
To increase the share of web retail sales in China's total retail industry to five percent by 2015 from some two percent at present, measures would be taken to improve regulations and legislation concerning online transactions, said the MOC.
In some areas where electronic business already shows signs of maturing, the target was set at 10 percent, according to the statement.
The MOC also said that when the time is appropriate, China would require any person selling online to register with industrial and commercial agencies to bring them under government regulation.
Further, more efforts would be taken to encourage businesses in the production, sales and services industries to develop more goods and services that fit online transactions, said the statement.
In 2009, two percent of China's retail sales were conducted on the Internet, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said in a report released earlier this month.
By the end of 2009, China had 384 million Internet users and more than 100 million online shoppers, according to data collected by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC).
Online shopping gaining ground in China, says Nielsen
BEIJING - Online consumers from China are the most prolific online shoppers in the Asia Pacific region and nearly 95 percent of them are planning a web purchase in the next six months, said John Burbank, chief executive officer of Nielsen Online, the online division of research firm Nielsen.
According to the survey, books and clothing, accessories and shoes top the list of planned online purchases in the next six months for Chinese online consumers. Compared with other countries in the Asia Pacific region, Chinese online consumers are the keenest to purchase clothing online, followed by consumers in South Korea (56 percent) and Philippines (37 percent).
The Nielsen survey polled over 27,000 Internet users in 55 markets globally to understand how consumers shop online and the other factors that come into play when they decide how to spend their money.
"There is not much of difference in the buying patterns of online consumers compared with other countries. The purchases are mainly for price and convenience," said Burbank. "But given the country's comparatively low Internet penetration and the huge base, the e-commerce market has huge potential."
As of June 2010, the number of Internet users in China climbed to 420 million, 36 million more than the end of 2009, according to a report from the China Internet Network Information Center. But the country's Internet penetration rate, which was 31.8 percent by the end of June, still lags behind many other countries.
Online retail sales increased 117 percent annually between 2007 and 2009, and is expected to reach 450 billion yuan ($66.45 billion) this year, according to the research center of Alibaba Group, which runs the global e-commerce site Alibaba.com.
The Nielsen report shows that total online spending as a percentage of total monthly spending varies by country, with Chinese and South Korean online consumers making the most purchases through the web. Online consumers from New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia and Hong Kong make the least number of purchases on the Web.
Chinese consumers on average spend route 6 to 25 percent of their average monthly spending through the web. Nearly one-third of online consumers said they primarily do their Internet shopping with retailers who have an online presence. Over 26 percent of the respondents opt for sites that also have traditional "brick and mortar" stores and those that allow you to select products from different online stores.
Though e-commerce in China is growing at a rapid pace, online shopping's share of total retail sales in China is still lower than the US and the rest of world.
"Online payment security, ensuring product quality and after sales services are the key barriers for online shopping," said Burbank. "The online market must take steps to improve the credibility of suppliers and transaction security. This will help bolster consumer confidence in online shopping
According to the survey, books and clothing, accessories and shoes top the list of planned online purchases in the next six months for Chinese online consumers. Compared with other countries in the Asia Pacific region, Chinese online consumers are the keenest to purchase clothing online, followed by consumers in South Korea (56 percent) and Philippines (37 percent).
The Nielsen survey polled over 27,000 Internet users in 55 markets globally to understand how consumers shop online and the other factors that come into play when they decide how to spend their money.
"There is not much of difference in the buying patterns of online consumers compared with other countries. The purchases are mainly for price and convenience," said Burbank. "But given the country's comparatively low Internet penetration and the huge base, the e-commerce market has huge potential."
As of June 2010, the number of Internet users in China climbed to 420 million, 36 million more than the end of 2009, according to a report from the China Internet Network Information Center. But the country's Internet penetration rate, which was 31.8 percent by the end of June, still lags behind many other countries.
Online retail sales increased 117 percent annually between 2007 and 2009, and is expected to reach 450 billion yuan ($66.45 billion) this year, according to the research center of Alibaba Group, which runs the global e-commerce site Alibaba.com.
The Nielsen report shows that total online spending as a percentage of total monthly spending varies by country, with Chinese and South Korean online consumers making the most purchases through the web. Online consumers from New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia and Hong Kong make the least number of purchases on the Web.
Chinese consumers on average spend route 6 to 25 percent of their average monthly spending through the web. Nearly one-third of online consumers said they primarily do their Internet shopping with retailers who have an online presence. Over 26 percent of the respondents opt for sites that also have traditional "brick and mortar" stores and those that allow you to select products from different online stores.
Though e-commerce in China is growing at a rapid pace, online shopping's share of total retail sales in China is still lower than the US and the rest of world.
"Online payment security, ensuring product quality and after sales services are the key barriers for online shopping," said Burbank. "The online market must take steps to improve the credibility of suppliers and transaction security. This will help bolster consumer confidence in online shopping
Thursday, July 29, 2010
New E-commerce Rules: China Will Implement Real-name Registration For Internet Stores
The State Administration for Industry & Commerce of China has formally published the "Interim Measures for Management of Network Commodity Trade and Related Services", effective from July 1, 2010.
According to the measures, individual online sellers in China who wish to sell goods via the Internet should submit applications to the operators of e-commerce platforms with their true identity information, including names and addresses. By doing this, anonymous sellers of goods will hopefully be eradicated. Considering the nuances of various online shopping websites, SAIC will establish a unified nationwide supervision and management platform in three years after this initial test phase.
The measures state that for registered enterprises and small private businesses who want to open online stores, they should provide their business licenses and related information; while for individuals who wish to do the same, they should provide their true identity information, including names and addresses, for verification, then the related websites will issue certifications to them, mark on their web pages, and establish registration files for regular checks and updates. This will affect sites like Taobao.com, which encourage users to create their own online retails stores.
The measures also asked Internet platform providers to enhance management of online stores in various ways. Apart from the examination of main bodies, websites and their online stores should not infringe registered trademarks or company names. If the legal rights' owners can prove the infringement of online stores, the related websites should take necessary measures, including passing the information of the websites to local authorities and shutting down the e-commerce stores.
In addition, websites and online stores should sign contracts or agreements, clarifying their rights and obligations in quality of products and services, and protection of consumer rights. Websites should set up a system to check and monitor product information of online stores. Once irregular activities are found, the websites should report to the local industry and commerce departments and can stop providing services to these online stores.
According to the measures, individual online sellers in China who wish to sell goods via the Internet should submit applications to the operators of e-commerce platforms with their true identity information, including names and addresses. By doing this, anonymous sellers of goods will hopefully be eradicated. Considering the nuances of various online shopping websites, SAIC will establish a unified nationwide supervision and management platform in three years after this initial test phase.
The measures state that for registered enterprises and small private businesses who want to open online stores, they should provide their business licenses and related information; while for individuals who wish to do the same, they should provide their true identity information, including names and addresses, for verification, then the related websites will issue certifications to them, mark on their web pages, and establish registration files for regular checks and updates. This will affect sites like Taobao.com, which encourage users to create their own online retails stores.
The measures also asked Internet platform providers to enhance management of online stores in various ways. Apart from the examination of main bodies, websites and their online stores should not infringe registered trademarks or company names. If the legal rights' owners can prove the infringement of online stores, the related websites should take necessary measures, including passing the information of the websites to local authorities and shutting down the e-commerce stores.
In addition, websites and online stores should sign contracts or agreements, clarifying their rights and obligations in quality of products and services, and protection of consumer rights. Websites should set up a system to check and monitor product information of online stores. Once irregular activities are found, the websites should report to the local industry and commerce departments and can stop providing services to these online stores.
Monday, July 26, 2010
The consumer's kingdom
One of the most exciting topics to be analyzed in the last 30 years is the change that happened in the marketing behavior of companies, and even in the general public perception of the concept of marketing. In this article, I will share with readers how I see this evolution and leave a list of questions for companies planning. First, the so called wild view of marketing, that dominated the 70's, 80's and in some markets even the 90's. Then we had incredible macro-environmental changes and a new era of consumer sovereignty emerged. Finally, I address the messages and opportunities for companies that want to satisfy this very sophisticated consumer, full of choices and with very close competing companies wanting to supply.
The era of the wild view of marketing finished in most industries, although in some of them even today these "dinosaurs" are still present. This "wild view" used to see marketing as the architect of pushing consumption, full of advertising, sales and aggressive selling. New products were designed for sales, mass consumption and profit, with short term goals. Marketing was seen as manipulative and companies had a narrow consumer orientation, with lack of measurement and spreading problematic relationships. Most companies did not listen at all to consumers. All organizational structure was designed for selling, short term results and spot relationships.
At the end of the 80's and beginning of 90's, several environmental changes happened in most of the countries and markets. I consider the most important as the widening of markets and internationalization, the fast rate of technology change and progress, markets deregulation, increase in global competition, with some markets having more offer than demand.
Another bundle of important changes came from the information and communication process, with technology, internet and World Wide Web, increasing the speed of socio-cultural changes of consumers. We can also point the consumerist movement, growth of ethics in citizens' behavior and emergence of societal marketing movement (inclusion) as important changes in the last 20 years.
These changes took us to an era of consumer sovereignty, or an era of the consumer taking over production chains, that were now redesigned towards the satisfaction of this new king with a professional purchase behavior, new and growing expectations. This new era made companies understand that consumers values his time, wants well being, nice experiences and rewards and has the free choice in an individual way. For the bad behaving companies we had the emergence of consumer's ONG´s (bringing countervailing power) and large public attention to consumer rights. The risks for companies increased in an incredible basis with the fast communication process, discussion groups, Web based complains and new media.
The sovereignty of consumers led companies that want to conquer markets and win competition to a new strategic behavior. In essence, they need to be demand driven. This behavior is based on paying attention and collecting information about the consumers (1), competitors (2) and environment (3), to have a deep analysis and quick reaction of environmental changes (4).
Companies switched to a long range approach valuing satisfaction and well being of buyers (5). It is a new integrated network organization, dynamic and harmonic, decentralized with delegation (6) and now designed with a problem-solution based approach (7). This problem solution based approach considers "from trying to sell to helping to buy". There is a continuous search for new ways to solve existing needs, launching added value solutions (8) that considers and values corporate social responsibility (9), smooth and collaborative network with suppliers, distributors and service providers (10), with a strong focus on smart market segmentation (11), knowledge generation and dissemination (12) and measurement/accountable marketing (13).
With this behavior, there are several success cases of companies with performance contributing to growth of demand, democracy and inclusion. The target is to have very satisfied consumers with repeated purchases, what is called the "lock in" strategy (14). Companies build relationships and informal contracts with consumers that even can blind them towards competitors, increase their cost to change to another company, building a sustainable competitive advantage, with growth and profitability.
I always like to finish my articles with a working list. I have numbered here 14 points that could be transformed into questions (how to...?) that will make part of a planning debate of companies towards a list of ideas for improvement. Let's call them the "Consumer's Kingdom 14 Questions". Good work!
The era of the wild view of marketing finished in most industries, although in some of them even today these "dinosaurs" are still present. This "wild view" used to see marketing as the architect of pushing consumption, full of advertising, sales and aggressive selling. New products were designed for sales, mass consumption and profit, with short term goals. Marketing was seen as manipulative and companies had a narrow consumer orientation, with lack of measurement and spreading problematic relationships. Most companies did not listen at all to consumers. All organizational structure was designed for selling, short term results and spot relationships.
At the end of the 80's and beginning of 90's, several environmental changes happened in most of the countries and markets. I consider the most important as the widening of markets and internationalization, the fast rate of technology change and progress, markets deregulation, increase in global competition, with some markets having more offer than demand.
Another bundle of important changes came from the information and communication process, with technology, internet and World Wide Web, increasing the speed of socio-cultural changes of consumers. We can also point the consumerist movement, growth of ethics in citizens' behavior and emergence of societal marketing movement (inclusion) as important changes in the last 20 years.
These changes took us to an era of consumer sovereignty, or an era of the consumer taking over production chains, that were now redesigned towards the satisfaction of this new king with a professional purchase behavior, new and growing expectations. This new era made companies understand that consumers values his time, wants well being, nice experiences and rewards and has the free choice in an individual way. For the bad behaving companies we had the emergence of consumer's ONG´s (bringing countervailing power) and large public attention to consumer rights. The risks for companies increased in an incredible basis with the fast communication process, discussion groups, Web based complains and new media.
The sovereignty of consumers led companies that want to conquer markets and win competition to a new strategic behavior. In essence, they need to be demand driven. This behavior is based on paying attention and collecting information about the consumers (1), competitors (2) and environment (3), to have a deep analysis and quick reaction of environmental changes (4).
Companies switched to a long range approach valuing satisfaction and well being of buyers (5). It is a new integrated network organization, dynamic and harmonic, decentralized with delegation (6) and now designed with a problem-solution based approach (7). This problem solution based approach considers "from trying to sell to helping to buy". There is a continuous search for new ways to solve existing needs, launching added value solutions (8) that considers and values corporate social responsibility (9), smooth and collaborative network with suppliers, distributors and service providers (10), with a strong focus on smart market segmentation (11), knowledge generation and dissemination (12) and measurement/accountable marketing (13).
With this behavior, there are several success cases of companies with performance contributing to growth of demand, democracy and inclusion. The target is to have very satisfied consumers with repeated purchases, what is called the "lock in" strategy (14). Companies build relationships and informal contracts with consumers that even can blind them towards competitors, increase their cost to change to another company, building a sustainable competitive advantage, with growth and profitability.
I always like to finish my articles with a working list. I have numbered here 14 points that could be transformed into questions (how to...?) that will make part of a planning debate of companies towards a list of ideas for improvement. Let's call them the "Consumer's Kingdom 14 Questions". Good work!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Chinese Valentine's Day
Chinese Valentine's Day is on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month in the Chinese calendar, which is also called Qixi. A love story for this day is about the 7th daughter of Emperor of Heaven and an orphaned cowherd. The Emperor separated them. The 7th daughter was forced to move to the star Vega and the cowherd moved to the star Altair. They are allowed to meet only once a year on the day of 7th day of 7th lunar month.
The story began from the good-looking poor orphaned boy living with his elder brother and sister-in-law. After his parents past away, his brother inherited the house and the land. The boy owned an old ox. He needed to work on the farm's field with the ox everyday. So he was called a cowherd. His daily life was just like in a Cinderella story.
The 7th daughter of Emperor is good at handcrafting, especially weaving clothing. So she was called a Weaving Maid. The Emperor likes her skill to weave clouds and rainbows to beautify the world.
The ox was actually an immortal from the Heaven. He made mistakes in the Heaven and was punished as an ox in the Earth. One day, the ox suddenly said to the cowherd, "You are a nice person. If you want to get married, go to the brook and your wish will be come true." The cowherd went to the brook and saw all 7 pretty daughters of Emperor came down from Heaven and took a bath in there. Fascinated by the youngest and also the most beautiful one, he took away her fairy clothes secretly. The other six fairies went away after bath. The youngest couldn't fly back without her fairy clothes. Then the cowherd appeared and told her that he would not return her clothes unless she promised to be his wife. After a little hesitation and with a mixture of shyness and eagerness, she agreed to the request from this handsome man. So they married and had two children two years later.
One day, the old ox was dying and told the cowherd that he should keep his hide for emergency purpose.
The Emperor found the sky's not that beautiful as before without the 7th daughter weaving clouds and rainbows. He wanted his daughter's grandmother to find the missing daughter and to bring her back. . While the 7th princess was flying to the Heaven with her grandmother, the cowboy wore the ox hide, took his children in two bamboo baskets with his wife's old fairy clothes and chased after his wife in the sky. The grandmother made a milky way in the sky with her hairpin, which kept them separated. The 7th princess was moved to the star Vega (The swooping - Eagle) in the Lyra (Harp) constellation. And the cowherd with his two children stayed in the star Altair (Flying one) in the Aquila (Eagle) constellation. The star of Vega is also known as the Weaving Maid Star and the star of Altair is as the Cowherd Star in China.
Magpies were moved by their true love and many of them gathered and formed a bridge for the couple to meet in the evening of the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, which is the day the Emperor allowed them to meet once a year.
They said that it's hard to find a magpie on Chinese Valentine's Day in China, because all magpies fly to make the bridge for the Weaving Maid and Cowherd. The one thing to prove that is the feathers on the head of the magpies are much lesser after the Chinese Valentine's Day. If the night Chinese Valentine's Day rains, the rain are the tears of the Weaving Maid and Cowherd.
This love story is no less touching than the Western Valentine's Day. Nowadays, Chinese pay greater attenion to their traditional culture. Lovers celebrate Qixi as westerners on their Valentine's Day, dating, enjoying romantic dinner and exchanging presents. Chocolate is the most popular present of Valentine's Day for the Westerner ,while cup is the one for Chinese. Surprising?
Monday, July 19, 2010
E-commerce boom continues in China
BEIJING - For Wen Zhenhua, the biggest success of her career was the bulk sale of condoms on www.meituan.com, a newly-opened and flourishing group-buying website.
Some 50,000 international brand condoms sold out within hours of going on sale, and to Wen's delight, many Chinese Internet users discussed the sales as such trade in condoms is rare in China.
"As the first among Chinese group-buying websites to sell condoms, we were pleased with the consumer response," said Wen, marketing manager at Meituan.
The condoms were sold for a price of one yuan (15 cents) each, down from the market price of 3 yuan each.
Meituan has more than 200,000 registered users only four months since it was established. It is now one of the leading Chinese group-buying websites.
Wen said she is not surprised about the rapid increase in registered users -- she is "of course very happy about it" -- given that Chinese e-commerce is developing at a dazzling speed.
Nearly 34 million Chinese people joined the online shopping army in the first six months the year, bringing the total number to 142 million.
These figures mean one out of every three Chinese Internet users, or one out of 10 Chinese people, shops online, according to a report by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) released Thursday.
"The rise of group-buying websites showcases the regional development of e-commerce," the report says.
Online retail sales increased 117 percent annually between 2007 and 2009, and they are expected to amount to 450 billion yuan ($66.45 billion) this year, according to the research center of Alibaba Group, which runs the global e-commerce site Alibaba.com.
"The Internet in China is moving from a platform for information and opinion to being a network with diverse applications and mass participation," said Hu Yanping, general manager at Data Center of China Internet, an independent Internet market monitoring agency.
Hu says Chinese Internet users' online consumption will continue to grow rapidly.
Nowadays, Chinese people not only buy articles of everyday use like clothes and snacks on the Internet, they also buy cameras and laptops and luxury goods like diamonds. Reports say some automakers plan to sell vehicles online.
For many people, online shopping means a change of lifestyle and convenience with a few mouse clicks.
Tsinghua University student Liu Dun, 21, bought a ticket to a Beijing golf tournament for just 20 yuan -- instead of the usual 1,000 yuan -- on group-buying website Aibang.com.
Some 50,000 international brand condoms sold out within hours of going on sale, and to Wen's delight, many Chinese Internet users discussed the sales as such trade in condoms is rare in China.
"As the first among Chinese group-buying websites to sell condoms, we were pleased with the consumer response," said Wen, marketing manager at Meituan.
The condoms were sold for a price of one yuan (15 cents) each, down from the market price of 3 yuan each.
Meituan has more than 200,000 registered users only four months since it was established. It is now one of the leading Chinese group-buying websites.
Wen said she is not surprised about the rapid increase in registered users -- she is "of course very happy about it" -- given that Chinese e-commerce is developing at a dazzling speed.
Nearly 34 million Chinese people joined the online shopping army in the first six months the year, bringing the total number to 142 million.
These figures mean one out of every three Chinese Internet users, or one out of 10 Chinese people, shops online, according to a report by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) released Thursday.
"The rise of group-buying websites showcases the regional development of e-commerce," the report says.
Online retail sales increased 117 percent annually between 2007 and 2009, and they are expected to amount to 450 billion yuan ($66.45 billion) this year, according to the research center of Alibaba Group, which runs the global e-commerce site Alibaba.com.
"The Internet in China is moving from a platform for information and opinion to being a network with diverse applications and mass participation," said Hu Yanping, general manager at Data Center of China Internet, an independent Internet market monitoring agency.
Hu says Chinese Internet users' online consumption will continue to grow rapidly.
Nowadays, Chinese people not only buy articles of everyday use like clothes and snacks on the Internet, they also buy cameras and laptops and luxury goods like diamonds. Reports say some automakers plan to sell vehicles online.
For many people, online shopping means a change of lifestyle and convenience with a few mouse clicks.
Tsinghua University student Liu Dun, 21, bought a ticket to a Beijing golf tournament for just 20 yuan -- instead of the usual 1,000 yuan -- on group-buying website Aibang.com.
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