Introducing eCommerce in Asia FAQ
Introducing eCommerce in Asia FAQ
International trade involves a lot of inter-country and
inter-region exchanges. Do things in a thoughtful way. Don't treat ASIA/APAC like domestic U.S./Silicon Valley, but make sure there is an understanding of how technology will
affect people's everyday lives. Issues and dynamics are different in every country. You must adapt your technology to local requirements. People must be convinced that they are doing things better.
Commercial exchanges on the Internet should imitate what is done in the real world. For eCommerce to work in
Asia it must be safe, secure, instantaneous and spontaneous. If there is a lot of "jargon", "techno babble" or "legalese" consumers won't buy into it. TV is very big in Asia.
Web TV appears to be an exciting avenue for their market.
Regulating eCommerce: When a business is new [idea or process] and there is a great deal of discussion
about what should be allowed or not, things get unproductive and overcomplicated. In that environment, there is a natural tendency to kill it.
The rise of knowledge intensive businesses
creates greater tension internally.
Nature of eCommerce in Asia now: Business to business bartering/bidding, rather than shopping cart scenarios. eCommerce is
viewed as an opportunity to get information to customers using the WWW. Be aware that there is a lot of government intervention in terms of controlling the infrastructure. There is a need to
expose government officials to what is happening on the Inet.
Food for thought. Online Karaoke is a 2 billion dollar industry in Asia. Late night surfing is cheap in Japan due to
flat rates and it is predicted that adult sites will surge. Try getting your website into Asia [requires a business or partner in Asia]. And remember:Free product(s) create goodwill, as well as demand.
Do present the opportunity to change the way industries and business works. Do emphasize the short cycle
time in the way transactions occur. Point out the dramatic cost advantages to doing business on the Inet. Be aware that it can take a lot of time to
establish business relationships. In Asia, aggressive start-ups are viewed with concern.
