What Western e-commerce can learn from Taobao - Benjamin Joffe

+Benjamin Joffe 

Alibaba´s e-commerce platform Taobao excels in integrating social functions, says internet expert Benjamin Joffe in CIO. Although it specifically focuses on Chinese buyers, not those in the west.

CIO:

Alibaba is crafting social-networking platforms specifically to complement two of its core operations. The beta version of a Web site with Facebook-style applications and a Twitter-style feed is being grafted onto Taobao.com, Alibaba's auction and retail Web site, a spokeswoman said. A more professional platform that the spokeswoman likened to LinkedIn is being added to Alibaba.com, the group's business-to-business e-commerce operation.

The entertainment-based platform for Taobao in particular combines standard social-networking functions with original features that promote online purchases. It goes a step beyond efforts to mix e-commerce and social networking by Western companies like Amazon.com and Facebook, said Benjamin Joffe, CEO of digital strategy and research company +8* (Plus Eight Star).

Western companies could potentially benefit by adding social functions like those on the Taobao platform, but the site is also uniquely suited for China's young Internet user base, he said...

Taobao's efforts may have more success (than Amazon or Facebook), partly because users will enter its social-networking platform knowing that it is based on an e-commerce site, said Joffe, the analyst. "They don't need to explain too much to their users," said Joffe. "It will feel very natural because commerce is what Taobao is all about in the first place. They are just adding social features to do it better." The young majority in China's base of Internet users has caused online games, entertainment and instant-messaging applications to grow faster then e-commerce in the country, Joffe said. Taobao is now drawing on those proven products to drive its own expansion. It was the first large e-commerce site to offer instant messaging, and social networking is a natural next step for its expansion, said Joffe.

More in CIO. Benjamin Joffe is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers´ request form. Are you looking for more internet experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check our recent list. 

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The pricing at Alibaba's IPO - Benjamin Joffe

+Benjamin Joffe 

Alibaba's IPO is going to be one of the biggest events of 2014, a listing that will dwarf Twitter's value. The value of Alibaba's shares is a key issue, and angel-investor Benjamin Joffe has a theory on how it will perform, he tells CNBC.

CNBC:

Sometime after Twitter's moment in the Wall Street spotlight,it's expected billionaire Jack Ma will step to the podium in New York to ring the bell heralding his Alibaba Group Holding's listing in New York, the biggest U.S. IPO for a Chinese technology company, and one that dwarfs Twitter in size, revenue—and significance. "Alibaba is a one-time thing," said Benjamin Joffe, an angel investor and founder of Asia-focused consultancy Plus8Star in Beijing. "How often do you list a $100 billion company?"... 

Ultimately, the success of Alibaba's IPO will depend on how the stock is priced, says Joffe. He says IPOs are often judged by the public and the media on whether the price goes up after the IPO. "If the underwriters decide not to optimize the valuation, they can create a 'successful' story," he said. "But the founders leave money on the table." At the scale of this IPO, investors may conclude they can afford it.

More in CNBC.

Benjamin Joffe is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at our meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

China Weekly Hangout 

+Harm Kiezebrink 

China is preparing for a new bout of bird flu. In Zhejiang the first victim was infected with the H7N9 virus, and chicken farms are preparing for the upcoming new year, meaning more risks. The +China Weekly Hangout is on Thursday 24 October discussing with bird flu expert Harm Kiezebink how you can prepare you and your company when the bird flu pandemic hits China. You can register here to participate, or read the full announcement here.

China's internet companies are going global, and were at the agenda of the +China Weekly Hangout on September 5. Should Facebook, Twitter and Google+ worry now Tencent, Baidu, Sina, Alibaba and Xiaomi have plans to expand globally? Not yet, said investor +William Yung, media-expert +Paul Fox and +Tech in Asia editor +Steven Millward. Well, maybe Whatsapp should. Moderation by +Fons Tuinstra of the China Speakers Bureau.

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Why Facebook won't work in China - Benjamin Joffe

Benjamin Joffe

Facebook's IPO forced this other question upon us: is the company ready for China? Forget it, tells internet expert Benjamin Joffe of the digital research & strategy firm +8* (Plus Eight Star) in Techcrunch. 

Techcrunch

Facebook has been blocked there for years, and there is simply no way around the local definition of what constitutes objectionable content. Any web or mobile company who does not self-censor faces shut down if it local, and blocking if not. 

While I’ve heard local entrepreneurs say it is not worse than dealing with Sarbanes-Oxley, the enforcement is roughly equivalent to how other governments might deal with terrorists, drug dealers, pedophiles, and organized crime (the “four horsemen of Internet apocalypse”), or how mass media deals with touchy topics that could upset the powers that be, or their advertisers. For foreign companies that offer content – published either by themselves or by users – it is a pretty big headache, compounded by the double set of constraints they have to deal with: those at home and those in China. 

The PR headaches are – as Google experienced – pretty solid. And the question is: is it worth the effort? Assuming content is managed, China is not a walk in the park anyway: it is easily the most competitive market on the planet, simply because there are so many entrepreneurs and so much venture money. Social networks? China already has TWO listed on the stock market: Tencent (worth $53.4 billion) and RenRen (listed in May 2011 on the NYSE and today valued at $2.43 billion).

More in Techcrunch.

Benjamin Joffe is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

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Integration key for Nokia - Benjamin Joffe

Benjamin Joffe

Nokia faces stiff local competition from domestic phone makers in China, and key for its success is the integration of services like social networks and ecommerce, tells strategy consultant Benjamin Joffe in "InFlexWeTrust."

“Nokia faces very stiff high-quality competition including local phone makers who offer a mobile experience plugged into all sorts of services,” said Benjamin Joffe, who runs strategy consulting firm Plus Eight Star in Beijing. “So it depends how good an integration they can do with services like social networks and e-commerce.” 

China’s biggest social media platforms already support Windows Phone. Renren Inc., a social networking service, is listed on the Windows Phone Marketplace, as is Sina Corp.’s Sina Weibo, a microblogging service, and the QQ instant messaging system from Tencent Holdings Ltd. 

Renren and Sina have worked with phone maker HTC Corp. (2498) to offer handsets with preloaded apps and in some cases special buttons to access the services, while companies such as Xiaomi Corp., which sells high-end handsets running a customized version of Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Android for less than half the price of an iPhone 4S, aim to make money later on software and services.

More InFlexWeTrust.

Benjamin Joffe is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.