As we all know, 2014 is considered the first year of new global top-level domain opening. With ICANN’s permission, many new top-level domain names joined the Internet, of which Chinese domain names such as “.zaixian”(online) and “.zhongwenwang”(China’s net) are pretty unique. Let’s see the value of Chinese domain names.
Foreign products perform better?
At first glance, these two new domain names – “.zaixian” and “.zhongwenwang” – are mostly thought to come from China, but it is wrong. In fact, they are operated by a Finnish commercial company. In order to be better integrated with Chinese culture and language habits, the company even got themselves a Chinese name “Yutong Lianda”. The reason why they applied for these two Chinese domain names is that they lay emphasis on the 600 million Internet users in China and hundreds of millions of Chinese users all around the world. Such a large user base makes the Chinese domain name become an integral part!
“.zaixian” and “.zhongwenwang” have taken all the edges. Simon Cousins (Xia Ming), CMO of Yutong Lianda registration bureau, has joked, “Since the opening of the domain names, the registration amount of “.zaixian” and “.zhongwenwang” has been always on top, even “the small company” like Google is behind us!” Although it is just a joke, the achievement cannot be made without the capacity and opening timing of the market!
Which companies are suitable for “Chinese name tag”?
So far, the dominant position of domain names such as .com, .net, .cn and etc. can still not changed, but in some niche markets and user groups, Chinese domain names have built the value. The main target of “.zaixian” and “.zhongwenwang” is to help foreign brands and companies better explore the Chinese market or consolidate their positions. Through these two domain names, the emphasis on Chinese consumers, customers, partners, governmental bodies and the sincerity of focusing on the products and services are both shown from those foreign companies. It is not hard to understand why we often see the “localized” website of foreign brands, such as “AOL”, “F1 Online”, “MSN China”, “NBA China”, and “Forbes China” etc.
What is the value of Chinese domain names?
The value of Chinese domain names is mainly reflected in the “localized” information services of the companies, which is divided into three aspects: Cultural habit, Brand marketing and Brand protection. Through a Chinese domain name, the company can make such a large Chinese audience easier to understand and accept their brand; it can convey the brand more precisely so that not only the users have an easier access to the website, but also the search engine is more efficient and more accurate. As for a company brand, the synchronized registration of its Chinese domain name can effectively protect the intellectual property of its Chinese name, prevent the brand from being diluted and even being “pirated”.
At present, Chinese domain names are booming. More and more International big brands are entering into the public and this is just a beginning!