new face of Yahoo China

focused on search

[bill]

I hadn't stopped by the Yahoo China [yahoo.com.cn] site in a little while and was surprised at what I saw today. They have really broken the Yahoo mold and gone for a look that reminds me of Baidu or Google. This new design really focuses on search and not the directory or portal. After Alibaba acquired Yahoo China [webmasterworld.com] it looks like they are making some sweeping changes to catch up with the leaders.

I stopped over at the old Yisou [yisou.com] URL to see if they had mimicked the style, and now they have a slow re-direct over to the Yahoo home page. So they are consolidating their brands.

[nomatter]

Now Yahoo return back to Search. I think it's good for Yahoo China. Before it's so confusing, there are three different search engines: yisou, 3721 and yahoo search itself.

It's good to put yahoo back to search, since yahoo has such background.

[redstorm]

Yes, Yahoo China changed its face. I hope it can bring something new to us.

[bill]

What do you think of the new design? Will this be attractive to the Chinese users? What did you think of the old design?

Personally I find this more usable. However, when I look at a lot of the Chinese portal sites like Sohu I get a bit dizzy. The screen is just too busy. The Baidu/Google look is great for the anti-portal search site feel.

[Woz]

They've really gone back to the original style of Yahoo.com, but without the directory listings. Interesting, and very against the Asian stream.

Onya
Woz

[bill]

I agree with you Woz about this going against the super-busy-make-your-eyes-hurt style that has been so popular in Asian countries (my own sentiments), but with Baidu mimicking Google's simple design I wonder if this signals the beginning of a new trend in Asian website design. Clean simple design is a truly foreign concept in a lot of markets here.

[GrendelKhan TSU]

ooOOOhooo! this IS interesting....

I have much to say about this (as usual :P)...but simply put.... I think its the right move.

bill your post before about softbank made me think about how it will be affecting korea...if at all. For once, I think Korea (yahoo) should be looking at other asian countries (ie: china) for what they should be thinking about here. as I keep saying yahoo Korea needs to do SOMETHING ...before its way too late to try anything (big G hasn't made any real moves here yet...but I still got in my gut that they will and are preparing for the pounce).

and if they do... Yahoo Korea might be caught in the squeeze play between Nave dominance in the portal "packed in" style...to the simple streamlining of G.

They have a rare opportunity to maybe beat G to the punch on that before G starts in full blast here. It will be VERY interesting how this move...which VERY SIGNIFICANT... will result in more usage. and maybe a very telling story for Korea.

And imo, its just more evidence that Yah Kor is stuck either without leadership with gonads to do something radical... or the grip of the long arm of the US corporate
reach.

gotta give em credit out there in China for giving this a shot. props. :)

[redstorm]

I do not want to make further comment on this issue. But if anyone of you can read Chinese, you can learn detail about it by this [blog.china.alibaba.com...]
It is about the press release of the presentation of new Yahoo China

[GrendelKhan TSU]

I do not want to make further comment on this issue. But if anyone of you can read Chinese, you can learn detail about it by this [blog.china.alibaba.com...]
It is about the press release of the presentation of new Yahoo China

sorry. can't read chinese. :(

maybe you could give us a quick summary? really curious what they have to say about it. :)

[redstorm]

GrendelKhan TSU:
The press release is too long to describe by several sentences. But from what Jack Ma and other Yahoo executives said i can conclude they want Yahoo China to focus on search function which includes: music search, map search, news search community search.

[qianfan]

They say they will focus on search market,and surpass baidu next year,surpass google eventually.