go fishing

Go Fishing at Fish Gathering

By Zhang Chenyi, IBM China

E-business and fishing are totally unrelated, but we should know how to go fishing which, to some extent, is the first step to e-business.

Owing to the rapid progress of global economic integration and information technology development, the possibility of direct "dialogue" between China’s export enterprises and western customers has been rising. The increasingly intense market competition has set requirement for negotiation and settlement in quick term rather than the old-fashioned face to face term which is suitable to current situations at moment. With the export decision-making power releasing, the number of export-oriented enterprises is increasing by marginal range, which will bring about unexpected challenges to the enterprises possessed export license. So, the competition compels enterprises to cultivate market potential. I believe that China’s foreign trade enterprises should participate in the e-business family if they want to get the upper hand in the fast-changing pattern of world economy.

E-business is a kind of trading term with high requirement for technology. The advance of participation in e-business in China is supposed to be step by step. At first, foreign trade enterprises can begin at getting know the e-business and advertising on Internet, which will make information more accessible to customers around the world. The responses will be much helpful to position products of enterprises.

Currently in China, some export companies have started e-business, but most of them are misled because Chinese suppliers are not out of the view of buyer. Current market is buyer market, which requires suppliers to cater for buyer as possible. For western customers, they don’t care where the products come from. Options, convenience and quickness are mainly to be considered. Many websites, however, classifying products according to original production site is a big mistake. Another mistake is that some suppliers don’t know that Internet is sea, but information high way. They just put information on the net, which just as throw needles into sea and disappear in a flash. So, I think we should draw on the method of going fishing. In other words, enterprises should choose the websites where are visited frequently, just like go fishing at fish gathering area.

In recent years, Chinese products have spread all over the world. Distribution of most products, however, still rely on the channels of Asian trade partners to European and North American market. Few direct contacts with western customers make Chinese export enterprises sensitive to the fluctuation of regional economic situation. In a sense, the infirm trading relationship undermined China’s capability to resist Asian flue.

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