An economic analysis of the top 20 websites in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong
Hsiang Iris Chyi & Yifeng Hu
Chyi, H. I. & Hu, Y. (2002). An economic analysis of the top 20 websites in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. [Chinese]. Communication & Management Research, 2(1), 1-21.
Abstract
The plunge of the Internet stock markets around the world has changed the way the online industry measures success. Traffic once was the primary goal for most websites. Now an effective revenue model determines if one can survive the turmoil in the market.
This study explores the use of various revenue models (advertising, paid services, and e-commerce) by the Top 20 websites in Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, respectively. Results show that online advertising is the dominant revenue source for most websites in all of the three markets. Many are experimenting with the paid service model, while e-commerce has not gained much ground. Special attention goes to the prospects and problems characterizing the Internet industry in each of the markets. Cross-market comparisons are made and economic implications discussed.
