Copyright © 2006 by Early to Rise
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information
stor-age and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by:
Early to Rise
245 NE 4th Avenue, Suite 201 Delray Beach, FL 33483
Phone: 1-866-565-1117
Canadian and Global Customers: 1-203-699-2995
China Wholesale Secret Program
Start Your Own Internet Import/Export Business
OVERVIEWChapter 1:The Multi-Trillion Dollar Import/Export Market ...1
Chapter 2:Benefits of an Internet Import/Export Business ...4
Chapter 3:Hot New Rising Trends ...6
Chapter 4:The Most Powerful Import/Export Website on the Internet for Entrepreneurs ....12
Chapter 5:Google and other Monster Traffic Generators...17
NUTS AND BOLTS Chapter 6:Nuts and Bolts of an Online Import/Export Business ...30
Chapter 7:How to Determine Which Products to Import/Export ...35
Chapter 8:Obtaining Products from Overseas Manufacturers for the Wholesale Market ....37
Chapter 9: Reselling Products on the Internet ...41
Chapter 10:Wholesaling Products to Retailers...46
Chapter 11: How to Become an Import/Export Middleman ...50
MARKETING Chapter 12:Dominating Internet Search Engines and Directories ...53
Chapter 13: Powerful Linking Strategies ...58
Chapter 14: Buying Keywords and Phrases on Search Engines...62
Chapter 15: The Secrets of Effective Online Advertising ...67
Chapter 16:Reselling Imported Products with Online Classified Ads...71
Chapter 17:How to Build and Market eStores “On Demand” ...74
ACTION PLAN Chapter 18:Fast Start Strategy — Completing Your First Deal ...78
Chapter 19:Growing Your Business for Even Bigger Profits...86
Chapter 20:Importing and Exporting Billionaires ...90
Chapter 21: Focus on One Product at a Time ...93
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Chapter 22: Trade Resources...98
Chapter 23:Forms, Contracts and Agreements ...105
INTRODUCTION
Introduction
Dear Entrepreneurs:
We’re pleased to present to you this comprehensive import/export business kit.
Congratulations for making the decision to learn about and launch this fascinating business. Rest assured — you’ve made the right decision!
This business is NOT a passing trend that will be obsolete in a couple of years from now. The import export market is a multi-trillion dollar market — and it’s growing by leaps and bounds every day.
On top of that, there has never been a better time to get into this business — what is more, the Internet has made it easier than ever.
Just imagine what the great importing tycoons of times past could have done with the Internet. My guess is they would have been thrilled!
This kit is packed with up-to-date information to help you get started quickly and easily. More important, this kit is designed to enable you to start making money immediately! There will be a tendency to skip through the kit and grab only the information that appeals to you at the moment.
I know you want to start importing and exporting products as soon as possible. And we’ve designed this kit so you can get started making money quickly.
But please take the time to read, study and review this information with as much focus as is humanly possible.
The benefits for doing that will manifest itself for months, years and decades down the road. We’ve also designed this import/export business kit much like the Egyptians did when they built the great pyramids.
We’ve laid a strong foundation so you can build your import/export business as large or as small as you want.
But regardless of the size and scope of your venture you will have a firm foundation on which to build.
By the way, you could search the Internet for a lifetime and you would never find all of this information in one place.
import/export gurus on the planet with a view toward developing THE BEST IMPORT/EXPORT BUSINESS KIT THAT MONEY CAN BUY.
We spared no expense in showing you all of the pitfalls that beset most entrepreneurs that get involved in the import/export market.
The hardest part of an import/export business is finding products that have the greatest
demand. But we’ve made it easy for you. This kit contains all of the hottest products and markets on the market today.
What’s more, we’ll show you HOW to identify and contact hundreds of companies that need products immediately!
Importing and exporting is the largest marketplace in the world today. Imports to China will be more than $1.5 trillion in 2006 — that’s trillion. More important, the Chinese import market is still in its infancy.
And China isn’t the only show in town… There are more than 195 countries in the world today, many looking for products that you can provide.
Granted, boarders change on a daily basis. But there are a lot of countries that NEED products and are willing to pay for them.
For example:
Japan’s imports from the U.S. increased to more than $12 billion in 2005. U.K.’s imports were more than $4 billion.
Brazil’s imports were more than $1.5 billion. If you think that’s great — then you’ll love this:
You can import products and sell them on the Internet… all from your own home. This kit shows you all of the “nuts and bolts” of importing products and reselling them on the Internet.
Your importing or exporting business can be up and running in a matter of hours. You don’t even need a website or ecommerce to make it work!
In addition, this kit includes a section on Internet search engines, keywords and linking strategies.
The import export market is a 24-hour windfall of cash
You’ll learn about the hottest import export website on the Internet. They boast more than 1.7 million active members — most of whom are entrepreneurs just like you.The benefits of importing and exporting are too numerous to mention here. But know this — this is one of the great liberating businesses of the 21st century!
You can run your import export business from anywhere in the world. You can build it as small or as large as you want.
You can specialize in products or industries that you’re most knowledgeable about or you can delve into new markets.
Everything you need to be successful is right here in this import/export business kit. So take your time and focus on all of the material that we’ve assembled for your benefit. You won’t be disappointed.
Congratulations! Sincerely,
Marc Charles Early To Rise
CHAPTER 1
The Multi-Trillion Dollar Import/Export Market
The worldwide import/export market is a multi-trillion dollar windfall of cash!
A hundred years ago it was almost impossible for small entrepreneurs to break into this market because one needed significant capital, contacts and a lot of expertise in international law and contracts.
All that has changed.
Today entrepreneurs can start an import/export business from the comfort of their own home with just with a computer, phone line, Internet access and a bank account.
On top of that, there are hundreds of websites and resources available to entrepreneurs today that didn’t exist ten years or even five years ago.
For instance, the website Alibaba.com is the largest and most successful import/export site for entrepreneurs in the world.
Alibaba.com boasts of more than 18 million members in 200 countries! And that’s only the tip of the iceberg!
Although Alibaba.com facilitates more than $5 billion in import/export transactions each year — that still leaves trillions of dollars in business on the table.
The international import/export business is the new frontier of the 21st century for both aspiring and established entrepreneurs… this is where opportunity awaits.
Here are some recent testimonials from a few of the
import/export entrepreneurs on Alibaba.com:
Mr. Wai Khean Wong (Malaysia/Home & Office Furniture)“Our first order was valued at close to $160,000 USD!” Mr. Jason Yee (Singapore/Refurbished Notebooks)
“Ten deals and all stocks sold out!”
Mr. Choi Jin-Woo (South Korea/Health and Beauty Products)
“Within one month, we received dozens of inquiries from buyers in more than 50 countries.” Mr. Chester Chou (Taiwan/Sports Products)
“Ten purchase orders for $100,000 USD in first year on Alibaba.” Ms. Diana De Avila (USA/Clothes)
“Alibaba.com is our competitive edge. We receive more than 250 inquires a month!”
Mr. Kan Sen Leon (Peru/Clothes-Apparel)
“When I signed up for TrustPass, the demand for my products skyrocketed.” Cai Xia (China/Interactive Toys, Arts & Crafts)
“For 3 months, on average we received about 10-20 inquiries a week from overseas buyers. A great result!”
Mr. Henry Stewart (USA/General Merchandise) “It is the best website to source from in the world!” The sky is the limit with an import/export business!
What’s more, businesses in practically every country of the world need thousands of different products in hundreds of categories.
This is a ground floor opportunity in every sense of the word. Look at these recent import/export statistics:
China imports are estimated to be more than $1.5 trillion by 2007! Japan imports from the US are expected to exceed $12 billion by 2007 UK imports from US - $4 billion by 2007
Brazil imports from US $1.5 billion by 2007
New Zealand imports from US should exceed $170 million — by 2007 US exports to Canada should exceed $28 billion by 2007!
US exports to Mexico $17 billion by 2007 US exports to France $2 billion by 2007 US exports to Hong Kong $2 billion by 2007
The leading import countries in 2004 are (in order):
United States $1.6 trillion Germany $716 billion China $561 billion France $470 billion UK $467 billion Japan $454 billion Italy $355 billion Netherlands $319 billion Canada $280 billion Belgium $278 billion
The leading export countries in 2004 are (in order):
Germany $910 billion United States $818 billion China $593 billion
Japan $566 billion
France $452 billion Netherlands $357 billion Italy $354 billion
UK $347 billion Canada $317 billion
The total world import/export market
will exceed $10 trillion dollars by 2010!
This is the largest marketplace in the world or on the Internet.There are unlimited opportunities for entrepreneurs of every background and level.
We’ll show you in plain, everyday language, HOW to tap into this trillion-dollar marketplace from the comfort of your home so you can start generating major profits too.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Hot New Rising Trends
The Most Powerful Import/Export Website on the Internet for Entrepreneurs The Benefits of an Internet Import/Export Business
The Truth About Internet and Email Marketing How to Determine Which Products to Import/Export
How to Obtain Products from Overseas Manufacturers for the Wholesale Market How to Resell Products on the Internet
How to Wholesale Products to Retailers
How to Become an Import/Export Middleman
Plus!
How to Dominate Internet Search Engines and Directories How to Utilize Powerful Linking Strategies
How to Buy Keywords and Phrases on Search Engines (in order to sell products) The Secrets of Effective Online Advertising
How to Resell Imported Products with Online Classified Ads How to Attract Customers with Monster Prospect Machines How to Build and Market eStores “On Demand”
You can scour the Internet, Google, Research Libraries, the Public Domain and Business Colleges a LIFETIME — but you will never find all of this information in one, easy-to-read report.
Until Now!
CHAPTER 2: Benefits of an Internet Import/Export Business
CHAPTER 2
Benefits of an
Internet Import/Export Business
The benefits of owning your own Internet Import/Export business are too numerous to list, but here are just some of the benefits that you can enjoy:
Be your own boss
One of the greatest freedoms in the world is working for yourself and calling all of the shots. If you have a hunch you can act on it without having to go through middle managers and people who don’t have the same passion and excitement for your business as you do.
Work your own hoursImagine working when you feel like it. Maybe you prefer to work late at night when the kids are in bed. Or maybe you are an early riser and prefer to get everything done before 10 o’clock. You can set and work your own hours. The problem is you’ll enjoy this business so much you’ll want to work all the time!
Unlimited profit potential
There are very few businesses in the world that offer unlimited profit potential. Most retail businesses are dependant on foot traffic. Other businesses may have huge profit potential but also require you to have a substantial net worth. An import/export business has unlimited profit potential. One of the great import/export entrepreneurs of all time was Aristotle Onassis — he became a billionaire in this business.
Portability — work from anywhere in the world
How many businesses can you think of that could be packed up in a laptop computer, moved around the world, and be started again with very little effort? This business enables you to work from anywhere in the world — and when it’s time to move on just pack up and take your business with you.
Simple learning curve
An import/export business is incredibly easy to learn. You simply identify someone or a company that needs a product. You locate that product for them in the quantity they desire, arrange for payment, ship the products (the company with the product typically takes care of the details) and you are done. It’s that simple.
Very little start up capital required
without a significant bankroll (and contacts). But today — with the Internet — having capital is not that important.
More Benefits!
Develop rich, fulfilling relationships with likeminded entrepreneurs in practically every country of the world
Tax benefits (consult your tax professional for specifics) Respect from the business community
Instantaneous money exchanges No billing
No face-to-face selling (unless you want to) Be a part of the global community
Gain a deeper understanding of other cultures Travel abroad at deep discounts
Work anonymously (if so desired)
Enjoy the dynamics of an industry that is constantly changing Prestige — Become a renowned expert and sought after speaker No language barriers (translators are available when needed) No employees (unless you want them)
No physical buildings, offices or storefronts required
No understanding of currency markets required (but it’s a good thing to know)
I’ve only just touched upon the many benefits of this exciting business. Being your own boss, having unlimited profit potential and low start-up capital requirements are perhaps the most attractive benefits for most entrepreneurs. In the next chapter we’ll show you the hottest, new rising trends in the import/export market and how you can position yourself to benefit from these trends.
CHAPTER 3:Hot New Rising Trends
CHAPTER 3
Hot New Rising Trends
There are hot new trends to be found emerging in the import/export market. Your business will be in a position to benefit from these trends.
One of the ways to identify emerging trends is to watch population shifts and growth. As the population in a particular area expands so does the demand for hundreds of different products and services.
Another way to identify hot new trends is by watching the growth of per capita income in specific areas. When income levels rise so does the desire to spend it!
Countries like China, India, Thailand, Croatia, Brazil and Russia are importing products from the U.S., Canada, Europe and South America in droves!
In fact, imports to China from the USA increased by more than 28% in 2004 according to the U.S. Commerce Department.
So what does this mean for your Internet Import/Export Business?
Everything. The demand for products has never been greater — and the trend is growing at a phenomenal rate.
There has never been a better time to profit from an Internet-based Import/ Export business.
Here is just a small sample of the products that people and businesses need — and they’re willing to pay a premium to get them:
China
The price that people and companies are willing to pay for these items will vary depending on the quantities, frequency, quality, shippingIron and Steel +27% Ores and Minerals +23% Fuels +22% Chemicals +20% Ag Products +20% Consumer Goods +19% Automotive Products 15% Clothing 12% Office and Telecom Equipment 10% Textiles 11%
Here are the fastest growing categories according
to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2005:
CHAPTER 3: Hot New Rising Trends
and other factors. But you will find that people will be eager to work with you because of the demand and potential for profit.
Plastic strapping / Black plastic strapping Soybeans / 50,000mt per month x 12
Cigarettes / Mild Seven SE555 (new packing) or brand cigarettes
Oats / Instant rolled oats, oat bran, breakfast cereals and organic cereals. Palm Oil / crude palm oil 55 gal
Feathers / original American turkey feathers
Horse Hair / Horse tail hair, yak hair and goat hair for yarns and textiles Cashews / 3000mt cashew and 15000mt sesame seeds
Garlic / need garlic urgently 6.0cm+, loose, 9kg cartons American Rice / 2000 MT x 12 months
Sesame seed oil / any quantity
Apples / all kinds of fruits including apple, pear and more
Garden Equipment / Garden tools & wooden garden tools & equipments Dried Rosehips / Any quantity
Gas-powered trimmers / All sizes / crates of 6
Also, business equipment, toys, automobiles, DVDs, jeans, tee shirts, beer, gold, designer clothes and handbags, safety vests, security equipment, toiletries, herbs, ginseng, zircon sand, quartz watches, polyester resin, glycerin, sulphur, playing cards, PS2 parts, and thousands more!
India
Soybeans / 50,000mt per month Cigarettes / generic Garlic / 9kg cartons American Rice / 5000 MT
Raw wool / 40Ft Container C. I. F at any port at New Mumbai, India Apples / Will negotiate quantity
Garden Equipment / garden tools PVC resins / bulk
Iron Ore / 63.5% iron ore fines - Quantity 60,000 lbs x 12 months Nokia Mobile Phone accessories / Nokia & Sony models of Mobiles Dried Rosehips / All quantities
Gas-powered trimmers / all sizes Bricks / Kiln Inlet ISO Shape Bricks 620 Bicycles / BMX, children & MTB models
Rechargeable batteries / Lithium Ion Rechargeable battery PP29E11146, 3.7 V 1400mAh no.1CR17670
Titanium wire / All gauges
Turbine engines / 2 to 3 MW steam turbine, 480 V, 60 hz, 3ph Inlet steam 250 psi@500 deg F, non condensing type.
Pen torch / Need to buy blinking torch – 30000pcs
Cable TV Receivers / Cable TV receiver with pvr has HDD (40gb/60gb/80gb) Antennas
LED Torches / 300 to 500 pieces of small white LED lamp Key chains having 10,000 MCD Bamboo fiber / Regular bamboo fibers
Blankets / Acrylic mink blankets in size 220 cms x 240 cms weight 4kgs
Herbal tea / High quality teas, green tea, black tea, ice tea, ginger tea, lemon tea, herbal tea and slimming tea
Raw tobacco / Raw tobacco and processed tobacco
Also, business equipment, jeans, tee shirts, beer, gold, designer clothes, toiletries, herbs, ginseng, polyester resin, glycerin, computer parts, and thousands more!
South Korea
Egg powder (animal feed) / All quantities Olive oil / 500 MT
Yellow Corn / 5000 bsh x 12 Mushrooms / All varieties Yucca / 5 kilo containers
Cosmetics / Top brand cosmetic sample as sk2, Lancome, Dior, Estee Lauder, Mac, etc Nose trimmers / all types
Plywood / 4x8 / pallets
Granite / Top grade unpolished India black slabs Wallpaper / wallpaper made from natural resource
Low density F-board / odd sizes like 22 x 28, 23 x 36, 25 x 40, Nokia handsets / small quantities
iPod batteries / all quantities Wi-Fi light switches / high grade Bluetooth headsets / new only Used cellphones / 100 bx
Frozen seafood / All types, packaging and quantities Organic fruit juice / not frozen
Dairy products / All types
Chicken meat / cleaned and processed only. Must pass inspection White sugar / All grades and quantities
Wine / All varieties
CHAPTER 3: Hot New Rising Trends
Beer in cans / American only
Canned tomatoes / All types, packaging and quantities Dried squid / fresh and frozen / all quantities
Also, business equipment, jeans, tee shirts, computer parts, printing equipment, paper, lumber, cable, floating glass, toys, noodles, urchins and thousands more!
Thailand
Wire mesh / Black annealed wire Bwg 18 = 50 KG/coil = 8 containers @ 25 tons each Insulation / All type of heat shrinkable tubes and insulation material
Rainwear / All types like gents black, ladies misc design and prints, children’s umbrella, fancy umbrella, rainwear of all types and uses
Hair clips / All shapes, colors, sizes and quantities
Footballs / football ball number 4-5 and basketball ball number 7 - 20 containers Platinum / High quality high fashion products
Palm oil / crude palm oil
Herbs / All types especially organic
Zinc ingots / zinc bromide byproduct to manufacture zinc bromide Computers / All brands and makes
Mobile phone parts / All brands and makes (only new) Shortening / Organic Shortening
Also, business equipment, paper, lumber, cable, toys, noodles, urchins, fresh fish, crabmeat and thousands more!
Europe
BAT Cigarettes / Marlbro red and Marlbro light in big quantity Cocao nibs / All quanities
Frozen broccoli / IQF (frozen) vegetables Wheat Milling Machine
Almond kernels / Large quantities
Used tractors / All makes, models, brands and year Palm Oil / Large quantities
Barley (for animal feed) / USA grains
Soya / Soya bean milk quantity:5 FCL In bulk Fishmeal / All quantities
Hydroponics grow lamps
Soy oil / All types and quantities Tea / Fresh and organic
Herbs / gymnema sylvsetre leaves Peanuts / red skin peanuts
Basmati rice / All types – bulk
Gooseberry extracts / 1 liter containers Chick Peas / all shapes, sizes and grades Olives / All kinds of olives and olive oils
Sunflower meal / Refined sunflower oil, 500 ton Razors / Razors & shaving products
Cosmetics, perfume / All brands Sauna belts / top quality only Medical supplies / All
Household items / All
Colored contact lenses / Assorted sizes, colors and shapes Blood pressure monitors / Medical grade
Toothbrushes / especially kids
Also, business equipment, toys, gold, ginseng, glycerin, and thousands more!
This is only a brief sampling of the products that are needed!
The best part is you won’t need to know a lot about these products to import or export them. You will simply need to know where to find them and be able to strike a deal in order to get them to the end user.Developing third world countries have an insatiable appetite
for thousands of different products and services.
But your business won’t be limited to doing business with these countries.
There are hundreds of companies in dozens of countries that need high-end luxury items, too! Here are of some of the high-end luxury products are needed:
Kuwait – caviar, exotic woods, jewelry, cell phones, smart cards
United Arab Emirates – fresh crabmeat, fish, lobster, diamonds, gold bullion
Switzerland – premium garlic, silver, platinum, organic beef, automobiles
Brazil – cognac, premium wine, fur, diamonds, cell phones, DVD players
Panama – digital cameras, smart cards, blank media, laptops
It is simply a matter of understanding what people and companies need and getting it to them. If you have specialized knowledge about some of these products that’s even better. The learning curve will be less.
But know this — there is a website on the Internet that is the fastest growing import/export portal in the world.
In fact, this website has been in the Top 10 of total Internet traffic for two years in a row.
Forbes magazine awarded this website Best of the Web four years in a row!
On top of that, the site is devoted to helping importers and exporters make money and build relationships.
The website I refer to is Alibaba.com.
In the next chapter we will show you this spectacular website in detail. You’ll understand why it has become the number one import-export portal in the world and on the Internet!
You’ll quickly see why entrepreneurs everywhere are raving about Alibaba.com!
CHAPTER 4: The Most Powerful Import/Export Website on the Internet for Entrepreneurs
CHAPTER 4
The Most Powerful Import/Export Website
on the Internet for Entrepreneurs
The playing field for entrepreneurs has changed — especially when it comes to entrepreneurs in an importing and exporting business.
Trillions of dollars of products are
purchased, imported and exported every year.
Ten years ago, almost every import and export deal was done over the phone or by snail mail. In some cases entrepreneurs would have to travel to countries by air, boat or rail to meet with their importing or exporting clients.
Granted, some of that is still done today.
But in 1999 Jack Ma and a small group of entrepreneurs in Hangzhou, China had a vision for making the process of importing and exporting products much easier.
On top of that, they understood the Internet would have to be the central focus in getting this done. They launched a website called Alibaba.com.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Alibaba.com has become much bigger than anyone ever expected.
Alibaba.com has become the most powerful and efficient website in existence for import and export entrepreneurs.
Here are just a few of the current statistics for this incredible website and portal.
Alibaba.com Facts
Employee Headcount
2,400
2004 Financials
Non-GAAP Revenue: US$68 million Free cash flow: US$25 million
Alibaba International
(www.alibaba.com) is Alibaba’s business-to-business marketplace for global trade. Registered members: 1.7 million
Member geographic distribution: 200+ countries and territories Estimated 2004 transaction volume: US$1.5 billion
Number of site listings: 1.4 million
Alexa.com worldwide website traffic ranking: No. 28
• Alibaba.com has been ranked No.1 as the “Most Popular in International Business and Trade” on Alexa.com, a subsidiary of Amazon.com which provides independent website tracking data.
Alibaba China
(www.china.alibaba.com)is a Chinese-language online marketplace for the domestic China business-to-business trade.
Registered members: 7.1 million
Estimated 2004 transaction volume: US$3 billion Number of site listings: 7.3 million
Taobao.com
(www.taobao.com)is China’s top ranked consumer marketplace. Registered members: 9.1 million
Q2 2005 transaction volume (Gross Merchandise Volume or GMV): US$200 million Number of site listings: 10.3 million
Alexa.com worldwide website traffic ranking: No. 26 in the world / No. 9 in China overall
AliPay
(www.alipay.com)is China’s leading online payment system.
Paid Customers & National Sales Network
Alibaba.com: Currently, more than 100,000 businesses in China pay between
US$250-US$10,000 per year for Alibaba.com’s online marketing services. Most are small and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s)
Taobao and AliPay: Taobao and AliPay services are currently free to all users Sales force: In China, Alibaba.com maintains a national direct sales force of more
than 1,000 sales and service specialists, serving and training China’s exporters and domestic traders in e-commerce
Taobao.com (a subsidiary) is China’s top ranked consumer marketplace with 9.1 million
members! That is huge!
But if you think that’s great just keep in mind that Alibaba.com is just a babe. Alibaba.com has only been live for three years.
Yahoo! recently entered into a long-term relationship with Alibaba.com to join forces in China.
Alibaba.com is here to stay!
Jack Ma, Alibaba.com founder and CEO, was asked recently what he thought about eBay: “eBay thrives elsewhere but may falter in China. eBay may be a shark in the ocean, but I am a crocodile in the Yangtze River. If we fight in the ocean, we lose - but if we fight in the river, we win.”
Where eBay is more focused on consumer auctions, Alibaba is more focused on entrepreneurs, and importers/exporters in particular.
But eBay and Alibaba.com members are not at each other’s throats as it may appear. In fact, Alibaba.com participated in “eBay Live 2005” in San Jose, California last year. Thousands of eBay members are also Alibaba.com members.
What’s more, entrepreneurs like Steve Gibson (CEO/Skyabove) are using Alibaba.com on a daily basis for their sourcing needs.
Here is what Steve said about his relationship with eBay and Alibaba.com
“We sell jewelry and consumer electronics products in our eBay store. Running an eBay business is time consuming. We spend the majority of our time looking for new products to sell. Alibaba has been like godsend. So far we haven’t had an incident that we cannot find products that we look for on Alibaba.com. Alibaba is perfect for us!”
And there’s more…
Alibaba.com Awards and Honors
Alibaba.com is the only import-export marketplace named “Best of the Web” four years in a row by Forbes Magazine . The site has also been selected as a “Top Website for Entrepreneurs” by U.S.-based Entrepreneur magazine and the most popular B2B website by readers of the Far Eastern Economic Review, a leading financial weekly magazine published by Dow Jones in Asia.
Amazon.com subsidiary Alexa (www.alexa.com)ranks Alibaba the world’s most popular site in the categories of Import-Export and International Business and Trade. Alexa also ranks Taobao.com as China’s most visited auction marketplace and one of the top 30 websites in the world, ahead of all other e-commerce sites in China.
Jack Ma, Founder, founder and CEO of Alibaba.com was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2005.
Alibaba.com Investors
SOFTBANK Corporation
SOFTBANK Corporation (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 9984) is one of the world’s Internet leaders. Through its ownership positions in more than 300 Internet companies and its unique, global approach to building Internet enterprises, it is able to realize
unprecedented synergies among its group of companies.
Fidelity Capital
As the leading global money management firm with over $900 billion under
management, Fidelity Investments goes to great lengths to understand the companies in which they invest our clients’ money.
Fidelity’s entrepreneurial team of professionals is able to reach investment decisions quickly while preserving the independent, personal nature of the venture process.
Granite Global Ventures
Granite Global Ventures is a technology-focused investor sponsored by Venrock Associates, TIF Ventures of Singapore, and U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray. It invests in expansion stage companies in the software, communications, and healthcare
industries. Through offices in Menlo Park, California; Singapore; and Shanghai, Granite Global Ventures and its affiliates are well positioned to assist portfolio companies to generate business opportunities in the U.S. and Asia. For more information, visit the Granite Global Ventures Web site at http://www.ggvc.com.
Venture TDF Pte Ltd. of Singapore
Venture TDF is a venture capital fund management company in Singapore, which was founded in October 1995. It currently has approximately US$400 million under direct and indirect management, investing exclusively in technology companies. Venture TDF’s goal is to assist talented entrepreneurs build world-class technology companies.
Transpac Capital
Transpac Capital is one of the oldest, largest and most prominent private equity investment firms in Asia. Transpac Capital has invested in over 190 companies in East Asia and the United States. The company is headquartered in Singapore and has offices in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Phillipines, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States.
Alibaba.com is a solid company with a bright future. More important, there is still time to get in on the action and make a lot of money fast.
Entrepreneurs are joining in droves because it’s so easy to get into the import/export business with a portal like Alibaba.com.
More than 300,000 people visit the site every day. Most of the people who come to the site are global buyers and importers looking to find and trade with sellers in other countries.
Importing and exporting is the fastest growing business sector in the world… and you can be a part of it!
CHAPTER 5: Google and other Monster Traffic Generators
CHAPTER 5
Google and other Monster Traffic Generators
One of the keys to selling imported or exported products on an Internet website is targeted traffic. If you can drive qualified traffic to your website without a huge expense – you have a literal goldmine at your fingertips. This is especially true when it comes to reselling imported or exported products on a website.
This section is devoted to the search engine Google — and for good reason.
Google generates massive targeted searches everyday. We will show you Google in all its glory, and what this means for you and your business.
We will also cover some of the other monster traffic generators like Yahoo!, eBay, Amazon.com, MSN, AOL and more!
When you gain a deeper understanding of how Google works and how it can deliver unfathomable targeted traffic to your site and ventures — it will mean astronomical profit opportunities.
We are confident this information will help your online business and bring big bucks to your pockets for years to come.
All About Google
What does “Google” mean?
The name “Google” is derived from the word “googol”. The word googol was coined by Milton Sirotta. Milton was anephew of American mathematician Edward Kasner.
According to Wikipedia a googol is a number represented by a 1 followed by 100 zeros. A googol is a very large number. There isn’t a googol of anything in the universe — not stars, not dust particles, not even atoms!
Google’s use of the term reflects their mission to organize the world’s immense information pool and make it universally accessible and useful.
Google Facts
Google.com is one of the 5 most popular sites on the Internet and is used around the world by millions of people
Google is the #1 search engine in the Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, U.K., U.S. (Nielsen/NetRatings 6/05, based on total number of unique visitors)
CHAPTER 5: Google and other Monster Traffic Generators
Global unique users per month: 380 million (Nielsen/NetRatings 4/06) 112 international domains
Global audience: More than 50 percent of Google.com traffic is from outside the U.S. More than 1.6 billion web pages indexed
255 million unique searches per day
Business Model
Google generates revenue primarily through two programs: highly targeted advertising and online search services.
1) Google AdWords for Advertisers
Google offers a highly effective advertising program that is widely recognized as one of the Web’s most efficient advertising vehicles.
Pricing – Auction based pricing based on the value (cost-per-click or CPC) an advertiser
assigns to particular keywords. An ad’s position on the page is determined by a combination of the CPC and the click-through rate (number of times the ad is clicked on by users) so that the most relevant ads are displayed more prominently. The cost of creating an account is $5 and there is no minimum ad spend required.
Technology – Prices for some clicks are adjusted based on their expected value to help
ensure better performance for advertisers. An automated discounter keeps the cost of each click at the lowest amount possible in order to hold its position above a competitor’s ad. Other options include ad targeting by location and numerous tools for optimizing accounts, including a keyword suggestion tool and daily budget management.
Format – Messages appear adjacent to web search results on Google.com and partner sites.
Labeled as “sponsored links,” they may appear on targeted content pages across the web. Targeting – Based on advertiser selected keywords or sophisticated content analysis
algorithms, so ads always appear in context with other information on the page.
Support – Two options: Advertisers sign up online and manage their own accounts, which
are activated with a credit card. For larger advertisers, a full service account team sets up accounts, designs campaigns based on the advertiser’s defined metrics and then monitors creative and click-through rates to continuously optimize those campaigns.
Customers – Recent advertisers include: Sony, Cisco, Alamo Car Rental, Ameritrade,
Amazon.com, Canon, Disney, General Motors, L.L. Bean, Nordstrom, Sears, Smith & Hawken, Sprint, Volvo and Xerox.
2) Google AdSense and Web Site Services
The objective of Google’s AdSense program is to serve relevant ads on search result and content pages. Technology – Innovations include the ability to target relevant advertising based on
keywords provided by a searcher or to dynamically analyze content and select relevant ads to display on a page.
Support – Two options: (1) Publishers can manage their own accounts, which are activated
through an online application process and implemented by simply cutting and pasting some HTML onto their web pages. (2) A dedicated sales team customizes programs for sites receiving more than 20 million page views per month.
Customers – USATODAY.com, ABC.com, Forbes.com and 60% of the comScore Media
Metrix top 100 sites, as well as thousands of other specialty content sites.
Google Search Services enable publishers to search the content on their website — this is useful
to a publisher’s audience, readership and subscriber base because it allows people to search a targeted pool of content. The search results can also be used to generate revenue with the AdSense program.
Technology – Google search is based on a continuously evolving set of technologies that
offer innovations in every aspect of information retrieval and provide users with the most relevant results.
Support – Hosted by Google, with results customized to customer’s specifications. Results
available via HTTP and can be formatted in XML or Google’s proprietary protocol. Updates – Conducted on a regular basis to ensure fresh content.
Reporting – Reports on daily number of traffic, top queries, top keywords searched, and
other information.
Indexing – Billions of pages, the largest index on the web.
Features – Searches can be narrowed to a specific domain/subdomain or a specific
language. Google also supports OR operators, keyword exclusion and phrase searching if quotation marks are used.
Customers – Washingtonpost.com, AOL/Netscape, Palm, Fujitsu NIFTY (Japan), NEC
BIGLOBE (Japan), NetEase (China),Yam.com (Taiwan), Vodafone Global Platform and Internet Services Group (U.K.), Retivision (Spain), Sapo (Portugal), and Virgilio (Italy).
The Google Search Appliance is a scalable device that provides searches across individual
websites and/or company intranets.
Technology – Google search is based on a continuously evolving set of technologies that
offers innovations in every aspect of information retrieval and provide users with the most relevant results.
Delivery – Hosted at the customer’s location on the Google Search Appliance, with results
customized to customer’s specifications. Three models offer search across any size collection up to 15 million documents.
Updates – Crawls available on a schedule set by the customer. Password protected or secure
pages can be indexed in most cases. Google’s caching technology makes it possible for users to access pages even if the hosting server is busy or down.
Reporting – Reports on daily number of traffic, top queries, top keywords searched, and
other information.
Indexing – Customers can elect to offer different segments of their index to different users
(e.g., by language, country, etc.)
Features – Searches can be narrowed to a specific domain/subdomain or a specific
language. International language support enables search over documents in the following languages: Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish. Google also supports OR operators, keyword exclusion and phrase searching if quotation marks are used. Partners can set a specific URL or set of URLs to be returned at the top of a list of returned queries.
Support – 24/7 technical support
Customers – PBS, The World Bank, Procter & Gamble, Cisco Systems, Boeing, Stanford
University, Nextel and Kaiser Permanente
Google Wireless Services delivers search results to Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) wireless
phones and other mobile devices.
Google Technology Overview
Google is endeavoring to build the “perfect search engine”. The co-founder of Google Larry Page defined the “perfect search engine” as something that “understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want.”
That’s a lofty goal — but many people believe no one does search better than Google. Google has also developed its own serving infrastructure and the breakthrough PageRank™ technology. Combined these have changed the way searches are conducted on the Internet.
Google’s developers realized that providing the fastest, most accurate results required a different kind of server architecture..
Most search engines use several large servers to handle searching tasks but this approach often slows down during peak loads. Google on the other hand — simply linked PCs to quickly find each query’s answer.
This innovation (linking PCs) paid off in faster response times, greater scalability and lower costs. Other search engineshave since copied this approach, but Google is continually working on their back-end technology to make it even more efficient.
The software behind Google’s search technology is also revolutionary. It conducts several simultaneous calculations requiring only a fraction of a second.
Most of the other top search engines rely on how often a word appears on a web page.
Google uses PageRank™to examine the link structure of the web and determines which pages are most “important”. Then the software conducts hypertext-matching analysis to determine which pages are relevant to the specific search being conducted. It all sounds very complicated and sophisticated. But it is very logical and simplistic. By simply combining the overall importance and query-specific relevance, Google is able to put the most relevant and reliable results first.
CHAPTER 5: Google and other Monster Traffic Generators
PageRank™ Technology
PageRank™ measures the importance of web pages by solving an equation of more than 500 million variables and 2 billion terms.
But instead of counting direct links, PageRank™ interprets a link from one page to another page as one vote..
PageRank™ then determines a page’s importance by the number of votes it receives. It’s a simple and logical way to determine the importance of a particular web page.
PageRank™ also considers the importance of each page that casts a vote. Web pages are considered to have greater value if they cast a vote, thus giving the linked page greater value. The end result is important pages receive a higher PageRank™ and these pages appear
prominently in the search result pages. Google’s technology uses the “collective intelligence” of the web to determine a page’s importance.
There is no human involvement or manipulation of the results, which is why users have come to trust Google as a source of objective information untainted by paid placement.
Hypertext-Matching Analysis
Google analyzes the actual content on a web page too.
However, instead of scanning for page-based text (which can be manipulated by site publishers through meta-tags), Google’s technology analyzes the full content of a page and also factors in fonts, subdivisions of content and the precise location of each word. This is another reason why Google’s search technology is so effective.
But that’s not all — Google also analyzes the content of “neighboring web pages” to ensure the results returned are the most relevant to a user’s query.
Google pioneered the first wireless search technology for on-the-fly translation of HTML to formats optimized for Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), i-mode, J-SKY, and EZWeb.
Google provides its wireless technology to AT&T Wireless, Sprint PCS, Nextel, Palm, Handspring, and Vodafone, among others.
Life of a Google Query
A typical Google search query usually takes less than a half a second., It involves a number of steps that must be completed before results can be delivered to a person seeking information.
1.
The web server sends the query to the index servers. An index server is similar to the index in the back of a book — it tells which pages contain the words that match the query.2.
The query then travels to the doc servers, which actually retrieves the stored documents. Snippets are generated to describe each search result.3.
The search results are returned to the user in a split second.Query
Web
Server
Docs
Servers
User
Index
Servers
Using Google to Generate Monster Traffic to Your Website
There are two main ways of utilizing Google to generate monster traffic to your Website.1) Website URL submission into the Google index
This may be the most overlooked aspect of tapping into the power of Google — and it’s free! You simply submit your website URL into Google’s database. If accepted (and most sites are) your website will be scheduled for a “crawling” by a Google spider. Once your site is
“crawled” it will be added into the Google index database.
When a user searches Google the search results will “pick up” the “meta tag” keywords and description that are built in your website code (HTML, PHP, FrontPage, etc.).
For example: If some searches for “Main Street Imports” and those keywords are used in your website meta tags — that page will appear.
That doesn’t mean this page will necessarily appear on the first search result page. There may be thousands of other people and companies that have used these exact keywords. Therefore selecting the right keywords, phrases and description for your site is of the utmost importance.
2) Purchase targeted keywords and phrases with Google AdWords
This is perhaps the most popular tool for generating monster traffic to your website with Google. Google AdWords enables you to “bid” on and purchase specific, targeted keywords and
phrases. The cost for each keyword or phrase varies depending on popularity and availability. When a user searches Google utilizing one of the keywords or phrases that you have
purchased — your advertisement will appear on the right hand side of the search result pages. You will see these listed vertically on the right hand side of the search result pages. There are typically 8-10 Google AdWord advertisements displayed on each search result page. For example: If a user searches for “Persian rugs” and you own that phrase your AdWord advertisement will be featured at the top of the vertical list.
You can see why thousands of entrepreneurs are bidding on tens of thousands of keywords and phrases everyday!
A top Google AdWord advertisement could generate thousands of click thrus to your website everyday — or in some cases hundreds of thousands, or even millions!
It’s important to remember that Google is searched more than 255 million times a day!
Using Other Monster Traffic Generators
In addition to Google, there are hundreds of other top search engines, portals and websites that can generate monster traffic to your website.
Granted, advertising on hundreds of search engines, portals and high traffic websites can be costly. However, in most cases you can set “caps” on the amount you are willing and able to spend — if anything.
What’s more, you can “test” to see which search engines, portals and high-traffic websites generate the most traffic at least expense.
CHAPTER 5: Google and other Monster Traffic Generators
Testing is a common practice of the most successful direct marketers and entrepreneurs. Once you have identified the best search engines, portals and high-traffic websites for your purposes you can “roll out” very successful, and relatively inexpensive “campaigns”.
Here is a List of the 100 Top Traffic Websites
on the Internet (as of this writing):
(Courtesy of Alexa Internet)
1. Yahoo!
Personalized content and search options. Chat rooms, free e-mail, clubs, and pager.
www.yahoo.com
2. Microsoft Network (MSN)
Dialup access and content provider.
www.msn.com
3. Google
Enables users to search the Web, Usenet, and images.
www.google.com 4. Baidu.com http://www.baidu.com 5. QQ.com http://www.qq.com 6. MySpace http://www.myspace.com 7. Sina.com http://www.sina.com 8. Yahoo! Japan http://www.yahoo.co.jp 9. 163.com http://www.163.com 10. eBay http://www.ebay.com 11. Sohu http://www.sohu.com 12. Yahoo! China http://www.yahoo.com.cn 13. Live.com http://www.live.com
14. Microsoft http://www.microsoft.com 15. Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com 16. YouTube http://www.youtube.com 17. Wikipedia http://www.wikipedia.org 18. Passport.net http://www.passport.net 19. Blogger.com http://www.blogger.com 20. Google UK http://www.google.co.uk 21. Taobao.com http://www.taobao.com 22. Google Japan http://www.google.co.jp 23. BBC Newsline Ticker http://www.bbc.co.uk 24. Orkut http://www.orkut.com 25. Google Germany http://www.google.de 26. Go http://www.go.com 27. Naver.com http://www.naver.com 28. CNN http://www.cnn.com 29. CraigsList http://www.craigslist.org 30. Alibaba.com http://www.alibaba.com
CHAPTER 5: Google and other Monster Traffic Generators 31. Tom.com http://www.tom.com 32. Wretch http://www.wretch.com 33. RapidShare http://www.rapidshare.de
34. The Internet Movie Database
http://www.imdb.com 35. AOL http://www.aol.com 36. eBay UK http://www.ebay.co.uk 37. Mixi http://www.mixi.jp 38. Google Espana http://www.google.es 39. 3721 http://www.3721.com 40. Flickr http://www.flickr.com 41. Xanga http://www.xanga.com 42. SOGOU.com http://www.sogou.com 43. Google Turkey http://www.google.com.tr 44. Megaupload http://www.megaupload.com 45. Friendster http://www.friendster.com 46. Rakuten http://www.rakuten.co.jp 47. Google France http://www.google.fr
48. Google Canada http://www.google.ca 49. Mail.ru http://www.mail.ru 50. Yandex http://www.yandex.ru 51. Nate.com http://www.nate.com 52. Daum http://www.daum.com 53. Livedoor http://www.livedoor.com 54. Geocities http://www.geocities.com 55. Hi5 http://www.hi5.com 56. Google SA http://www.google.com.sa 57. PC Home http://www.pchome.com.tw 58. China Ren http://www.chinaren.com 59. Newsgroup.la http://www.newsgroup.la 60. Google India http://www.google.co.in 61. LiveJournal http://www.livejournal.com 62. Soso http://www.soso.com 63. eBay Germany http://www.ebay.de 64. Thefacebook http://www.thefacebook.com
65. Apple Computer http://www.apple.com 66. Rediff.com http://www.rediff.com 67. Zhongsou http://www.zhongsou.com 68. Comcast.net http://www.comcast.net 69. Discuss.com http://www.discuss.com.hk 70. Google Mexico http://www.google.com.mx 71. Photo Bucket http://www.photobucket.com 72. ImageShack http://www.imageshack.com
73. The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com 74. eBay China http://www.ebay.com.cn 75. Mop.com http://www.mop.com 76. Fotolog http://www.fotolog.com 77. SourceForge http://www.sourceforge.com 78. About http://www.about.com 79. CNET.com http://www.cnet.com 80. Xinhuanet.com http://www.xinhuanet.com 81. Google Italy http://www.google.it
CHAPTER 5: Google and other Monster Traffic Generators 82. Dell Computers Online
http://www.dell.com 83. Mojo Works http://www.mojoworks.com 84. Soufun.com http://www.soufun.com 85. China.com http://www.china.com 86. Uwants.com http://www.uwants.com 87. FC2 http://www.fc2.com 88. Free http://www.free.fr 89. MapQuest http://www.mapquest.com 90. StatCounter http://www.statcounter.com 91. VNET.cn http://www.vnet.cn 92. Google Australia http://www.google.com.au 93. Weather.com http://www.weather.com 94. Goo http://www.goo.ne.jp 95. Adobe http://www.adobe.com 96. CNNIC http://www.cnnic.cn 97. Digg http://www.digg.com 98. 21CN.com http://www.21cn.com
CHAPTER 5: Google and other Monster Traffic Generators 99. CMFU
http://www.cmfu.com
100. HiNet
http://www.hinet.net
Four Ways to Generate Monster Traffic
From High Traffic Websites
1) Advertise
Almost every high-traffic website, search engine and/or portal accepts all levels of advertising, with the exception of shopping sites (like Wal-Mart). Advertising can take the form of simple text links, banners, graphic buttons, images or pop-ups, and video.
2) Partnerships and Affiliate Programs
Most search engines, portals and high-traffic websites have partnership and affiliate programs available. A partnership program would include cross marketing, link exchanges and/or promoting each other’s properties. Affiliate programs are typically when you sell someone’s products or services on your website and in exchange receive a commission or promotional credit.
3) Link Exchanges
Link exchanges are the process whereby you promote a search engine, portal or high-traffic site’s products and or services on a website. In turn the reciprocating property does the exact same thing for you. In many cases it’s simply an agreement to a graphic image or logo that is assigned to a unique URL.
4) In kind services (usually content or images)
In kind exchanges is an agreement whereby a search engine, portal or high traffic website agrees to promote your website or company in exchange for an article, content or images that you provide.
You now have a basic understanding of how Google works. This will help you leverage Google’s products and drive traffic to your website with a view to increasing sales of imported products.
We also included links to the Top 100 Highest Traffic Websites and Portals on the Internet and showed you how to create partnerships with these sites and leverage their traffic for your benefit.
In the next chapter we’ll begin laying the foundation for your successful import/export business. We’ll explain all of the nuts and bolts for getting your business off to a fast, profitable start!
CHAPTER 6: The Nuts and Bolts of an Online Import/Export Business
CHAPTER 6
The Nuts and Bolts of an
Online Import/Export Business
We have been focusing most of our attention on the incredible opportunities offered by Alibaba.com.
But there are hundreds of different types
of import/export sites on the Internet.
We have listed many of these in the Additional Resources Section (chapters 22 and 23).
But the process of launching an online import and export business will be basically the same. This section is designed to give you a nuts and bolts overview for starting an online import and export business.
What Is an Alibaba.com Buyer and Seller?
Sellers (or exporters) post his or her company information and product photos (together with descriptions, specifications, shipping terms, etc.) on Alibaba.com.
Selling Overview
Please follow the steps below to sell your products on Alibaba.com.
1. Register
To sell or promote your products on Alibaba.com, you first need to become a member. Simply click on the “Join Now” link on the top-right corner of any Alibaba.com page and follow the process. Then you can promote your products to attract buyers.
2. Post Products and Selling Leads
You can add detailed specifications to your products and edit them at any time. You will also have a Company Profile page to present a general introduction of your business. Newly posted information will be added to the Trade Alert section and sent to interested buyers.
3. Explore Buying Leads
4. Contact buyers
Once you find a potential buyer for your products, you can contact him/her by sending a quotation.
5. Promotion Opportunities
You can also promote your business on Alibaba.com by:
Obtaining the priority listing for products in search result listings.
Applying for TrustPass qualification, as well as a TrustPass profile page to further demonstrate your credibility to buyers.
Posting Products and Selling Leads
Posting your product images, specifications and descriptions on Alibaba.com increases your exposure to buyers. On Alibaba.com, a member can post multiple products.
Selling Lead means a Trade Lead posted by a seller. It can contain product information,
availability, timelines and so forth. Trade Leads are sorted according to the date they are posted. This makes for a highly interactive and timely method to sell your products.
Posting Trade Leads
Use Selling Tools within MyAlibaba or from other pages by clicking on the “Post Products” link in the “Seller Tools” box.
Free members are allowed to post up to five products. Paid members can post more products and buy extra product spaces.
Posting Products
You can post Selling Leads in “Selling Tools” within My Alibaba, or from many other pages by clicking on the “Post Selling Leads” link in the “Seller Tools” box.
Upon publication, buyers will be able to see your Products and Selling Leads, to which they can reply. All of the buyers’ messages will be sent to your own Message Center in MyAlibaba.
Buying Overview
Buying on Alibaba.com is easy. Follow these steps to begin your buying experience: If you are new to Alibaba.com, Join as an Alibaba.com member first
Look for Products and Suppliers Contact Sellers after you find products
Post Buying Leads to get instant seller quotations
Looking for Products and Suppliers
If you want to find a product, or the suppliers who produce that product, you can use either our search function or browse by category.
Browsing
Click the “Buy” tab on the main navigation bar on any page. You can browse the extensive product categories to find whatever you want. Use the filters above the listing to refine your browse.
To see the product categories, click here
Search Basics
If you already know what you are looking for, enter the product name in a search box to start a search.
The results will look like this:
They will include the title, the posted date, summary, the company name of the seller, its country, and the icon(s) denoting the membership type(s) of the seller.
The results are sorted by relevance and by membership type. Use the filters above the listing to refine your search results.
Search Tips
To refine your search results, use the filters above the listing.
If the results are unsatisfactory, reduce the number of words (i.e. “bicycle framework” instead of “carbon bicycle frame work”).
Avoid keywords which are too specific or specialized (i.e. “4X4 Honda ATV”). Only search one product at a time.
Don’t include a country/region’s name in your search (i.e. “shoe China”).
Don’t include the word “buyer” or “seller” in your keyword phrase (for example: “shoe buyer”).
Get More Accurate Search Results
Use asterisk (*) sign: To broaden your search, use an asterisk (*) at the end of a word or partial word. For example, “auto*” would return all postings starting with “auto”, such as “auto” or “automobile” or “automation”, etc.
Use quotation marks (“ “): For exact results, use quotation marks (e.g., “ac adapter”). If the results are not satisfactory, try again without quotation marks (e.g., ac adapter).
Use plus (+) sign: When using the operator “+” a keyword will definitely appear in the search
results (i.e. “red+apple” will return results containing “apple,” but may not contain “red,” although those with the word “red” will be listed first.) Please note: Do not leave any spaces between the “+” sign and the keyword.
Use minus (-) sign: When using the operator “-” sign, a keyword will not appear in the search results. (i.e. “apple-red” will return all results containing “apple”, but no results containing “red” will appear.) Please note: Do not leave any spaces between the - sign and the keyword.
Remember, make sure that no punctuation marks except +, -, and “ “ are included in your keyword phrase (i.e. bearing 3000/sec).
Contacting Suppliers
Sending Inquiries
You can send inquiries to sellers you find through browse or search. Use these steps: Select the checkbox beside each product or supplier you are interested in
Click button.
Complete the inquiry form and submit.
If you check more than one product or supplier, your inquiries will be sent to these suppliers simultaneously.
Once you send out your inquiry, it will probably take sellers a few days to respond. Their replies will be sent to your Message Center in MyAlibaba.
Send Multiple Inquiries to Products or Suppliers
Select the checkbox beside each product or supplier you are interested in. Click button.
When you are ready to make your inquiry, go to the Inquiry Basket located at the top-right corner of each page.
Review your selection and click “Contact Now” button. Complete the inquiry form and submit.
Your Inquiry Basket works like a shopping cart, thus offering buyers greater convenience. You can add up to 38 items in your Inquiry Basket. The items in your Inquiry Basket will remain active only if you keep at least one Alibaba.com page open. Please send your inquiries before you leave the
Alibaba.com website.
Trade Alert
Trade Alert is a customized email that delivers information and business leads directly to you. Subscribe to Trade Alert to get the freshest business opportunities.
Subscribing to Trade Alert
If you are already an Alibaba.com member, please sign in at MyAlibaba go to “My Subscriptions,” and click “Subscribe.”
Follow the instructions to set up your Trade Alert preferences. Once you have completed the process, you will receive Trade Alerts by email as soon as new content matching your preferences is published online at Alibaba.com.
If you are not yet an Alibaba.com member, you are strongly recommended to join Alibaba.com and subscribe to the Trade Alert located in MyAlibaba as described above. Or, if you choose to subscribe to Trade Alert as a non-member, please click “Free Trade Alerts” in the navigation bar of “Trade Leads — Products — Companies.” Follow the instructions and complete the process.
Adjusting Trade Alert Settings
If you are already an Alibaba.com member, please sign in at MyAlibaba, go to “My Subscriptions,” and click “Manage Trade Alerts.” Follow the instructions to modify your Trade Alert settings. You can also go to the “Manage Trade Alerts” page in MyAlibaba by clicking the “Manage Trade Alerts
Preferences” link in any of the Trade Alert emails you receive at your registered email address. If you have subscribed as a non-member, you cannot modify any setting.
Un-subscribing to Trade Alert
If you are already an Alibaba.com member, please sign in at MyAlibaba, go to “My Subscriptions,” and click “Unsubscribe.”
Simply follow the instructions to unsubscribe. You may also unsubscribe by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link in any of the Trade Alert emails you receive at your registered email address.
If you are not an Alibaba.com member, you can unsubscribe only by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link in any of the Trade Alert emails you received at your registered email address.
You now have a basic understanding and foundation for doing business on Alibaba.com and launching a profitable import/export business.
In the next chapter we’ll cover one of the most important aspects to any import/export business — identifying the best products!
CHAPTER 7: How to Determine Which Products to Import/Export
CHAPTER 7
How to Determine
Which Products to Import/Export
The best way to determine which products to import or export is to look at the Trade Leads on Alibaba.com.
The Trade Leads will tell you which products are in demand for and which products are not. An example: There were 48,365 Selling Trade Leads and 3687 Buying Trade Leads posted on Alibaba.com today.
That means more than 48,000 products were posted for sale and 3687 products were posted that people or companies wanted to buy.
Both of these figures may be misleading because the quantities of these products are not mentioned. In one case an exporter had more than one million cubic bushels of rice for sale!
In another post, a company in Mexico had more than 5,000 pounds of fresh coffee beans for sale. Alibaba.com is one of the best sites on the Internet to determine which products to buy and sell because the statistics are always posted on the main page.
But let’s take this one step further…
There’s another section on Alibaba.com called Hot Products. The reason these products are “hot” is because they’re moving in a big way.
For instance, in the Hot Products section today there were more than 253 products for sale, one of which was Dried Anchovies from China.
Another Hot Product that a company (also in China) wanted to buy was seashell ornaments (bracelets, necklaces, and so on).
And the list goes on!
To help you even further, Alibaba.com has launched a new service called the Resources Channel. The Resources Channel is a place where you can find essential information, education, tutorials and discussion forums — all designed to help you become a successful importer or exporter.
Another way to determine hot products and rising trends is by subscribing to News Alerts on Google. Whenever news is available on the topics or keywords you select you are notified by email
with a link to the story or news source. The Google News Alert service is free and scours more than 4800 top news sources. You will hear news long before your local newspaper prints it. You can subscribe to the Google News Alert at http://www.google.com/alerts
