1. Advertising
    y u no do it?

    Advertising (learn more)

    Advertise virtually anything here, with CPM banner ads, CPM email ads and CPC contextual links. You can target relevant areas of the site and show ads based on geographical location of the user if you wish.

    Starts at just $1 per CPM or $0.10 per CPC.

Mandarin & Cantonese Reviews

Discussion in 'Directories' started by britishguy, Jun 27, 2007.

  1. #1
    We got a Review submission in the last 2 days, in perfect English anchor text and description and the review completed the submission 100%

    So then when we came to review the site was 100% in Mandarin but was a genuine site (not MFA or similar), so we looked into this more and we have decided to open up 2 new categories in

    Mandarin
    http://www.forplex.com/Mandarin/Hong_Kong/
    &
    Cantonese
    http://www.forplex.com/Cantonese/Hong_Kong/


    Now at this time we are only testing but as over 95% of Hong Kong folks speak and write fluently both English and Cantonese/Mandarin on that basis we decided to test with the 2 new categories

    We realize that western browsers will not pick up the Chinese characters but all browsers accessed with Chinese operating systems on Chinese IE etc will

    Our commitment is to our review listings and our visitors, on that basis we are testing alternative language reviews.

    The Chinese market is not large its simply huge, and that means there is a huge market for reviews from the Chinese region.

    Comments, help and advice welcome please :-

    Thanks :)
     
    britishguy, Jun 27, 2007 IP
  2. Blogmaster

    Blogmaster Blood Type Dating Affiliate Manager

    Messages:
    25,924
    Likes Received:
    1,354
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    380
    #2
    It's very good to include non English listings. There is a growing market for non English speaking web surfers. I can only encourage everyone to include non English sites as well as long as you can somehow verify that the content is unique and suitable for a listing.

    Mike
     
    Blogmaster, Jun 27, 2007 IP
  3. britishguy

    britishguy Prominent Member

    Messages:
    7,949
    Likes Received:
    892
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    360
    #3
    Thanks Mike for that valued advice and input, we had some one who could read the characters so that enabled us to make the decision of give a Review Refund or accept the Review

    We selected to accept the Review and he has already emailed back saying thanks and saying that he will tell his buddies and recommend us :)
     
    britishguy, Jun 27, 2007 IP
  4. Blogmaster

    Blogmaster Blood Type Dating Affiliate Manager

    Messages:
    25,924
    Likes Received:
    1,354
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    380
    #4
    That is great. I would add sections by language. Not everybody who uses web directories uses English. It's time to reach out for the many who want to do business in their own language. Great opportunity to become an international business web directory.
     
    Blogmaster, Jun 27, 2007 IP
  5. deebee

    deebee Active Member

    Messages:
    414
    Likes Received:
    64
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    70
    #5
    I'd say it's a good call to include non-English. I've had a few submitted through to Jooomla and a pass through Google's page translation service gets me enough info to know whether the site is worthwhile including. Must admit I've not had a Mandarin submission yet but I'm sure the day will come...
     
    deebee, Jun 27, 2007 IP
  6. britishguy

    britishguy Prominent Member

    Messages:
    7,949
    Likes Received:
    892
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    360
    #6
    We need some time with this section to evaluate the what will be required to open up the Cantonese & Mandarin Market

    And see what the feedback entails and the tweaks that may be needed
     
    britishguy, Jun 28, 2007 IP
  7. centime

    centime Peon

    Messages:
    847
    Likes Received:
    46
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #7
    I have started learning one Chinese language, its just a hobby, do you think this might be useful then in the directory market

    Mind you, the script is quite hard on me, so I wonder
     
    centime, Jun 28, 2007 IP
  8. chinadirectory

    chinadirectory Peon

    Messages:
    174
    Likes Received:
    6
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #8
    check out my china directory

    I only include chinese website with english version on, or english sites which has business in China.

    be honest with you, i don't think there will be many chinese websites with chinese version to be submitted into english directories.

    firstly, language barrier of course, not many chinese webmasters can read english site;

    secondly, currently there are plenty of chinese directories out there, so for sure, chinese webmaster will submit their sites to bespoken chinese directories, for instance, hao123.com, coodir.com;

    finally, and most importantly, current chinese version of paypal doesn't work with us paypal or uk paypal;
     
    chinadirectory, Jun 28, 2007 IP
  9. WengChun

    WengChun Active Member

    Messages:
    3,337
    Likes Received:
    61
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    90
    #9
    In my directory we have 2 Danish sites and 1 Slovak....I just put them in Regional category with sub cat Danish and Europe respectively.

    I'm fine with Danish, Swedish and Norwegian since i can speak the language
     
    WengChun, Jun 28, 2007 IP
  10. britishguy

    britishguy Prominent Member

    Messages:
    7,949
    Likes Received:
    892
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    360
    #10
    Having spent over 10 years working in China, Hong Kong, Macau and many other regional areas I can assure all, that the level of bi-lingual and tri-lingual readers and writers of Mandarin, Cantonese and English is over 100 Million minimum

    That represents a huge opportunity that is well worth persuing

    And indeed have received over 20 emails today alone specifically asking to submit Chinese Reviews

    On that basis we will continue to progress to see what develops :)
     
    britishguy, Jun 28, 2007 IP
  11. chinadirectory

    chinadirectory Peon

    Messages:
    174
    Likes Received:
    6
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #11
    certainly you are right about the number of bi-linugal chinese, considering the population of China

    but i am not sure whether your site is targeting on chinese or english audiences or both?

    anyway, I wish you good luck on your business!
     
    chinadirectory, Jun 28, 2007 IP
  12. ! Ask !

    ! Ask ! Peon

    Messages:
    3,282
    Likes Received:
    260
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #12
    ! Ask !, Jun 28, 2007 IP
  13. Antonio

    Antonio Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,504
    Likes Received:
    128
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    155
    #13
    There are only 2 Chinese words in China, the Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese, Cantonese is just a dialect.

    Personally, I am only interest in english directory, non-english websites is not easy to read and review as we only can learn 2 or 3 languages. :eek:
     
    Antonio, Jun 28, 2007 IP
  14. chinadirectory

    chinadirectory Peon

    Messages:
    174
    Likes Received:
    6
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #14
    i have such advantage for this, but I honestly don't think this is a big cake for me, so instead, I choose to start a directory in english, that's china directory.
     
    chinadirectory, Jun 28, 2007 IP
  15. ahkip

    ahkip Prominent Member

    Messages:
    9,205
    Likes Received:
    647
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    310
    #15
    Actually that category is wrong.

    Mandarin and Cantonese are spoken Chinese, no one separate website like that.

    Chinese website are separate by simplify Chinese (used in China, 簡) and traditional Chinese (used in Hong Kong and Taiwan, 繁). They are written Chinese. However, if you don't have a Chinese editor, i don't think you know which is which.

    Just 2 cent from someone who speak Chinese

    Both website listed in the Mandarin & Cantonese section are in traditional Chinese and about Hong Kong
     
    ahkip, Jun 28, 2007 IP
  16. Antonio

    Antonio Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,504
    Likes Received:
    128
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    155
    #16
    I can help you do alot chinese submissions if they are free. I don't think directory business would go fine in China or I would start it 2 years ago. Most people would not use english to talk and write, so you would get few english submission for chinese websites.

    BTW, some of them are illegal, baidu is the largest ;)
     
    Antonio, Jun 28, 2007 IP
  17. chinadirectory

    chinadirectory Peon

    Messages:
    174
    Likes Received:
    6
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #17
    you are damn correct :D

    you should differentiate by simplified chinese (简体) and traditional chinese (繁体)




     
    chinadirectory, Jun 28, 2007 IP
    britishguy likes this.
  18. ahkip

    ahkip Prominent Member

    Messages:
    9,205
    Likes Received:
    647
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    310
    #18
    yup, instead, do a Chinese directory for Chinese live in foreign country. I know a guy who run a Chinese business directory for New york area, he is making quite some cash from it
     
    ahkip, Jun 28, 2007 IP
  19. chinadirectory

    chinadirectory Peon

    Messages:
    174
    Likes Received:
    6
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #19
    well, chinese directory business have already started years ago, maybe as well as english starts, and most of them are chinese version. I haven't seen the way that english site for chinese submission. i personally think there is no way out for this. but if you start an chinese directory for chinese submission, I think there are still market there, although market has been shared by some bespoken chinese directories.

    what britishguy's point is that he is using english site for chinese submission, and the site's audience are mainly english, but not many english read chinese!

    ps: baidu is not a leader in directory market, it is just a search engine, I don't like it
     
    chinadirectory, Jun 28, 2007 IP
  20. britishguy

    britishguy Prominent Member

    Messages:
    7,949
    Likes Received:
    892
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    360
    #20
    Thanks for the 'heads up' on the characters we will edit :)
     
    britishguy, Jun 28, 2007 IP