The advantages of AliBaba.com compare with others Web-Portal
In my long flying hours in i-biz or e-commerce, I may say that

1. The most effective Promotion engines.
You or products will be promoted very quick by Ali's engine. no matter that you are 'Not so good' in IT,
what you do are only give your data and pictures,
then the rest will be organized and managed by Alibaba.
Instantly you will have your website and what more ?
you and your products will be automatically be in the Top World Class SE(Search Engines) and others
search tools links that you even never realize it the Ali's system will do that for you as like Robo engine.
The effectiveness of it are tremendous that beyond your estimation.

Whilst, by spending your money for using ordinary website, you are only get a kind of e-catalog or
brochure of your products and coy. profile. This passive website will not bring you further achievement
without extra hard working from you and your webmaster or your IT operator to promo(posting and linking),
updating and securing your website till it could be found via search engines tools.

Believe me to reach this stage is very costly and timely. 
But via Ali all these things are varnishing gone with the wind blows.
If you know the story of magic lantern Aladin, it is now as the Portal & system Alibaba.com,
how its work, you just swap your hand and say your wish,
then Bim Sa La Bim, the Jin(Ali's engine) will bring your wish,just like that. Amazing !
So, as Aley(= I use this word  for Alibaba's user) you must smile,
that it is a right thing to choose among the choices. Especially to You Free Aleys,
no such any portal or webs that you would get special services as like what you get in Alibaba.

2. Excellent features and Simple operating tools in Alibaba site are:
web site, web-mail, Search engine, promo and link engines, IM Ali talks or Trade Manager,
e-shop,  Ali Pay, Feeds/alert RSS, Forum and live help, News and many others
that you could find it all as single site only in Alibaba.com
It is as like a combination of 3 site : Yahoo + Google + E-bay

3. Learning facility and developing your i-biz knowledge.
Become Aleys, it would helps and assisting newbies/beginners in:
learning and improving the knowledge of global trade on-line system internet business.
In Alibaba's forum-community you will find many articles and postings
that are really valuable and good to read and learn as your resources channel.
what more else?
is that you can Ask and get info from the Experts to find answer and free advises,
They are Masters in their each experience/skill.
If you are active and diligent in it,
with in no longer time you will know more about i-trade or global trade on-line,
from basic of trades, safe trade, products and biz-cultures.

4. Business access.
There is no such broad business access(web) as like what Alibaba had provided to us.
Either for Sourcing a potential buyer or products. 
Through Alibaba search tools you would get the world wide.business access