As proof, Xu Lin, one of China's major online book sellers reported that in 2007 alone, business was up by triple digits and profits rose in leaps and bounds.



The brisk sales of books online have been attributed to more public access to the Internet in China and the availability of a wider selection of titles. Internet users spent their money on student teaching material, as well as on management, science and lifestyle titles.

Problems with book sales

On the average, a young buyer spends around USD $140 annually on books. This amount could go up if the following issues are addressed by online sellers:

* Cost of delivery. Usually, the cost of ebooks is much lower than hard copy books sold at retail outlets. While buying online is perceived to be a money-saving activity, the cost of delivering the purchases to the buyers could turn out to be more than each book's selling price.

* Prompt delivery. A big hurdle to selling physical books online is providing timely delivery. This is especially true where the buyer lives in small cities and other remote locations.

* Lack of confidence in book's online description. Most Chinese buyers are cautious about making online purchases of items that cannot be reviewed first before buying. Some buyers complained that the product descriptions of books they bought did not reflect the actual contents of the books that they purchased. The inaccurate book descriptions have caused disappointment to some Chinese buyers while others bemoan the fact that they still have to go to the local bookstores in order to browse the contents of some books before making the purchase online.

The E-books solution

A possible solution to all three issues is in the sales of e-books. Here are the reasons why:

* Instant gratification. Online buyers usually buy on impulse and can hardly wait to get their hands on their purchases. The same holds true in the case of book purchases. Impulse buyers dislike the feeling of having to wait for so long before items that they bought reach their doorsteps. Online shoppers expect immediate delivery. The sooner that they get their purchases, the more likely they are to go back and purchase some more.

E-books are really making a killing in online shopping sites at present. Because of its electronic format, the E-book can satisfy the buyer's need for knowledge and can be delivered online, just as fast as the purchase was made.

* Free delivery. Access to an E-book is immediate after payment. Since delivery is made online, there are no shipping, insurance and other fees to be paid.

* Sneak peek. The electronic format of the E-book makes it easy for the seller to lift interesting portions of the book as a way of enticing an Internet user to purchase the book as well as to provide interested users a chance to determine if a book's contents are what he or she needs. Some online sellers also allow a prospective buyer to take a peek at an E-book's Table of Contents.

Whether the average Chinese online buyer purchases hard copies of books or simply electronic versions thereof, it's clear that there's a thirst for knowledge that needs to be constantly quenched.