Trends are taking place in China on what seems like a daily basis. Innovation and creativity in technology are more often than not credited to ideas and projects nurtured in the heart of Silicon Valley in the US, however China has proven it too can pioneer advancements in technology leaving many world-renowned US technology companies in a position of trying to play catchup in order to replicate the success of many Chinese brands and businesses.
Just look at WeChat. The all-encompassing mobile app has grown exponentially over the past few years, and continues to do so, bringing along an impressive arsenal of tools within the app that essentially keeps consumers on the app, for everything. WeChat has proven that what began as a groundbreaking trend can eventually evolve into a worldwide phenomenon.
One trend I’d like to introduce is gaining traction in China, but isn’t too well-known in the west, or at least in the US. This trend is called Online-to-Offline commerce, or O2O. This is where goods are purchased online, and then collected in-person at an offline location. “Click-and-Collect” may be the more recognizable term for western consumers. O2O doesn’t just mean Online-to-Offline though. Switch it around and it’s still important: Offline-to-Online can be used as a marketing tool to retain customers as well, as studies show that 40% of Chinese customers prefer the in-store experience of brand interaction.
Recent studies also suggest that O2O services are growing, and O2O transactions are continuing to rise as well. It’s projected that O2O transactions will grow from $335 million in 2015 to a whopping $626 million in annual sales by 2018. With those kind of numbers, it shouldn’t be difficult for salivating entrepreneurs to imagine the plethora of business possibilities that can come about from the O2O commerce model.
WeChat, as the cardinal example, has already proven that consumers are increasingly turning to digital tools to make transactions. Although the digital environment provide consumers a convenient method of purchasing goods, the O2O model demonstrates that consumers still enjoy the brand interaction experience of visiting a brick and mortar store to pick up the items.
Whether it’s setting up a website to accompany your brick and mortar store, or vice versa, this trend presents a unique opportunity for brands and businesses all around the world to capitalize on the growing O2O model.
Since half of the O2O model requires an “online” presence, this is where Chinese domain names can have a lasting impact. There are many reasons why western brands and businesses should invest in Chinese domains, and O2O is a perfect demonstration of those reasons. Setting up a website with a fully-Chinese domain name for your O2O business immediately establishes trust and credibility with Chinese consumers, thwarts the English language barrier, and effectively provides Chinese consumers the ability to understand the website’s purpose since it is in their own native language.
Remember, Chinese is spoken by nearly a quarter of all humanity and the largest e-commerce market in the entire world. Appeal to them easier with a fully-Chinese domain name.
To give you an idea of just how plentiful Chinese domain names are, especially as it relates to O2O, check out the table below for some fantastic examples, using the relevant .在线 (Dot Chinese Online) domain extension:
Domain: 离线.在线
Translation: Offline
Price: Make an Offer
Buy: Sedo
Baidu Hits: 100 Million
Domain: 脱机.在线
Translation: Offline
Price: Make an Offer
Buy: Sedo
Baidu Hits: 44 Million
Domain: Líxiàn.在线
Translation: Offline (pinyin)
Price: USD $188
Buy: Sedo
Baidu Hits: 5 Million
Domain: Tuoji.在线
Translation: Offline (pinyin)
Price: USD $188
Buy: Sedo
Baidu Hits: 15K
Domain: Offline.在线
Translation: Offline (English)
Price: USD $32
Buy: ChopChop Domains
Baidu Hits: ?
As you can see, there are several readily available, fully-Chinese domain names that can be used to start and/or transition your business to fit the O2O model and appeal to mass amounts of Chinese consumers. The Dot Chinese Online domain extension would make perfect sense for an O2O business, and would make even greater sense to Chinese consumers since the website's address is in their own native language.
Get in on the hot trend of O2O in China, and start with a fully-Chinese domain name!
-ChopChop Domains Team
*This is a courtesy republishing of the original article posted over on ChopChop.news