China Dating Domains
Domains for the 15 largest Tier1 and Tier2 cities: Beijing, Hongkong, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Chongqing, Chendu, Wuhan, etc.
Other Asia and beyond: Tokio, Seoul, Singapur, Bangkok, Taipei

The domain names all follow this pattern:
[cityname]-friend.com

Suggested business model:
Nice package for a dating or friendship community that targets whole China but also wants to focus locally as well. China is so big, why should a guy from Chongqing be interested in a girl from Shanghai? That’s why.

Single domains available

• humao.net
  meaning is similar to bargain with each other, could be used for a community-based classifieds portal. Detailed business idea available.
• luxiang.net
  means video, could be used for a video portal but maybe not necessarily another youtube-clone.
• maikuai.com
  means sell fast or buy fast. Why not try a Woot clone or power-shopping portal on this?
• cujin.net
• nano-trader.com
  business directory for nanotechnology related topics.

Once again the results are just amazing how heavily the Chinese users are adopted to the Internet and how intensively they use it. Advertisers in China should really have an eye on these studies as they contain very important information. And they should also raise some questions how to allocate marketing budgets, how much weight put on e.g. TV spots, how much attention on online marketing.

Embracing life online

• I live some of my life online: CN 86%, US 42%
• Online is as real as offline: CN 37%, US 16%
• I have a parallel life online: CN 61%, US 13%

Self-expression on the web

• I have expressed personal opinions and/or written about myself online: CN 72%, US 56%
• Online I feel free to do and say things I wouldn’t do or say offline: CN 73%, US 32%
• I sometimes express myself more strongly online than I generally do in person: CN 52%, US 43%

Relationships online

• It’s perfectly possible to have real relationships online with no face-to-face contact: CN 63%, US 21%
• The Internet helps me make friends: CN 77%, US 30%
• Online interactions reduce the time and attention I have for personal interactions: CN 51%, US 20%

Expanding the sexual universe

• With the Internet I am more likely to access adult material: CN 65%, US 28%
• I have made hot dates using text messages: CN 54%, US 20%
• The Internet has broadened my sex life: CN 32%, US 11%

Compare this information to my post about Online Marketing Trends in China.

There is a clear focus on online dating communities. Why? Social life changes rapidly in China. Especially young people move to the cities in order to study or find a adequate job. They are often well educated, earn good money and are familiar with technology. But often they don’t know anybody at their new location, have no familiy, no friends. On the one hand there is no time for “regular” partner search, on the other hand there is family pressure to present a partner . On the search for Mr. or Mrs. Right they growingly rely on online dating portals and are also willing to pay for the service. This is a good basis for a solid business case.

The Internet dating and “friend-making” industry in China is forecast to be a $80 million industry by next year with a yearly growth rate of 60, according to Shanghai-based iResearch.

Last year the iDate conference was held in Beijing with speakers of all major online dating portals. The next meeting for the Far East / Asian market will be held in Tokyo in May 2008.