Alibaba’s Offer for
e-commerce Community
Alibaba.com, a leading
business-to-business e-commerce company, will offer more options to
buyers and suppliers connected through its global import-export
marketplace. The offer includes Quality Supplier Program to help the
buyers.
The Quality Supplier Program
will deliver an improved sourcing experience to international buyers
through enhanced quality and reliability of suppliers in the Alibaba.com
marketplace. And the Gold Supplier Starter Pack, a new entry-level
product, will extend Alibaba.com's premium storefront service to a
broader group of export suppliers in core customer markets in mainland
China, as well as new markets such as Hong Kong and Taiwan.
"While the global financial
crisis will bring challenges to the real economy, we view the current
environment as the perfect opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to
quality and accessible service for our buyer and supplier community,"
said
David Wei, chief executive officer of Alibaba.com.
How it works? When suppliers
apply for a paid membership service on Alibaba.com, they must pass an
authentication and verification process conducted by an independent
third-party agency. Alibaba.com will team up with VeriSign as an
additional authentication and verification partner.
VeriSign, a provider of
Internet infrastructure services for the networked world, will provide
authentication and verification services to verify the identity of
suppliers displayed on the Alibaba.com web site. The presence of a
VeriSign seal on the supplier's listings will indicate to Alibaba.com
site visitors that this information has been verified by VeriSign.
Alibaba.com is also
enforcing stricter policies towards the protection of intellectual
property and ensuring a safer online trading environment by banning
members that have a history of violating the rules and policies of its
marketplace.
For example, Alibaba.com's
current policy is to respond expeditiously to written requests by
intellectual property owners to take down items that the owners believe
have infringed their rights. Under the Quality Supplier Program,
Alibaba.com has established clear internal standards and procedures for
de-listing products and terminating the accounts of non- complying
members based on substantiated complaints.
Alibaba.com's new
entry-level product -- the Gold Supplier Starter Pack -- is designed for
exporters that plan to shift their business online. The product, priced
at RMB19,800 (US$2,900) per year, offers basic storefront display and
unlimited product listings. Companies must obtain third-party
authentication and verification under the Quality Supplier Program
before they can purchase the Gold Supplier Starter Pack.
Alibaba.com's existing Gold
Supplier membership, which remains priced at RMB50,000 (US$7,300), will
be upgraded to incorporate value-added services such as additional
Virtual Showrooms that will enable suppliers to substantially increase
the visibility of their key products.
In addition, the service
offering will include corporate email accounts, a virtual factory tour
as well as storefront management tools such as Traffic Analyzer and
Buyer GPS to help suppliers maximize the effectiveness of their online
marketing programs.
Headquartered in Hangzhou,
Alibaba.com has offices in over 30 cities across mainland China as well
as in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Europe, and the U.S.
