Is the name of the game — Domain upgrade

Here’s another example of a firm that needs to upgrade its domain.

Domain upgrades are where investors can find a lot of opportunities in China. There are still many Chinese firms with the need and financial ability to upgrade to better domains, and Bodian is just another example I came across recently.

Established in 2014, Bodian (博电) provides power pack stations at airports, shopping malls, and other convenient locations. When your phone is low in battery, you can easily rent a power pack from a power pack station, continue using your phone while it is being recharged, and then return the power pack at another convenient location.

The stations are right now only available in Beijing and a few other cities, but Bodian is planning a nationwide rollout following receiving a fresh round of funding in June this year.

Bodian’s corporate domain is BodianKeji.com. (Like many Chinese firms, it only resolves if you type the www.)

Obviously, the best domain upgrade for Bodian is the brand-matching Bodian .com. The good news is that the domain does not resolve, suggesting there is still a chance to acquire it. “Bodian” is actually a 2-pin name (Bo Dian). I like it since the name is also pronounceable outside China.

Note that .com is used even though Bodian is operating in China only. The startup owns but not uses BodianKeji.cn. The brand-matching Bodian .cn is for sale and ought to be purchased for brand protection.

We can learn from this startup that .com is more notable than .cn and there is a market for English-based or English-like domains in China. Just make sure your domains are listed at a marketplace with retail outlets in China.

If you want to do end user research, read “Three steps to Chinese end user research“. Then, try the methods described in “7 ways to find contact email addresses for Chinese firms” and “How to use LinkedIn to contact corporate executives in China” to contact potential buyers.