You will also know that it’s essential to have a smartphone-optimised and localised website and a broader digital ecosystem that links together your Chinese social media platforms, website and apps and any other digital channels you use for your brand’s marketing delivery. (98% of adults in China own a smartphone and use it as their preferred means of accessing the internet.)

However, one area that tends to be less familiar to Western marketers is Chinese UX. In the same way that Chinese is so very different from Western languages, Chinese UX also operates in a very different way, with Chinese customers wanting very different things. Let’s take a closer look.

What is UX anyway?

UX stands for User Experience and it broadly defines how user-friendly any digital product is – whether that’s a website, app, digital product or any online interaction between your brand and the target customer. The UX captures every element that your user experiences when they engage with you online, from the colours you choose to the text type and size you use, and from the call-to-action buttons and their placement, to the use of localised payment systems.

What Chinese Customers Expect from UX

Chinese UX requires a high degree of understanding and optimisation to work well. Let’s consider each main element in turn:

1. Language

The Chinese language is a ideographical writing system, with characters that use varying strokes and rectangular shapes. The language is also highly symbolic and contextual and it’s very easy to change the entire meaning of a word, simply by adjusting a stroke. This means that a font size of at least 12 should be used for legibility. (The font decision itself is also less flexible than in the West, as far fewer Chinese fonts are available.) It’s also important to know that there are no italics, capital letters or spacing in Chinese characters, which use less space on digital pages than English words.

However, although Chinese characters require less space, Chinese customers want to see a packed page! In the West, customers prefer minimalist web pages, but in China, customers like to see lots of detailed information to make deeply informed decisions. This is also because Chinese customers tend to browse rather than search. In China, a minimalist page is seen as lacking, and the ethos tends to be ‘more is better‘.

2. Design

Chinese customers love busy interfaces and high-context products with plenty of information and a design which can look cluttered to Western eyes. They love animations, gamification, social media integration and more complex displays. It’s also important to know that Chinese culture is collectivist, rather than individualistic (as it is in the West.) This means incorporating vital elements such as online chat and customer reviews, as well as social media links. Bear in mind that some of the most popular sites in China are apps which deliver a huge range of services and activities in one space, such as WeChat which allows users to consume content, play games, shop, bank online and hail a cab in the one app. It’s interesting to note that Chinese customer also have fewer concerns about digital privacy, which means they are happy to share their information within these super-apps.

Naturally, your website must operate perfectly on smartphones, preferably with a mobile-first design. Most Chinese customers carry out their online lives via their phones. Top tip – QR codes are still very popular in China, and most customers are used to entering their phone numbers or social media log-ins to register for sites (rather than their email addresses, which are more commonly used in the West.)

3. Colour

In China, colours are used far more symbolically than in the West, and often with different superstitious associations. For example, red, orange and yellow are linked to wealth, luck and happiness in China and are considered very positive. However, white is traditionally associated with death, whereas in the West it is associated with innocence and purity. Chinese websites and apps can seem to be a little chaotic to Western eyes because they tend to use a broad array of colours, but these speak to the Chinese culture with its belief systems, and positively deliver a great Chinese UX.

4. Firewall Considerations

In China, the internet is censored, so many global apps and websites are blocked, including Facebook, Google, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo and many more. This means focusing your SEO offers on Baidu; the local search engine instead. Baidu is delivered and managed in Chinese, which requires access to native language abilities.

Getting Expert Help

The key message here is that successful digital marketing in China means going beyond transaction to true localisation. Chinese UX best practices are distinct, varied and particular to this market. This is a specialist area which is constantly evolving, and optimisation work should be detailed and ongoing, with regular reporting to assess where on-page adjustments and improvements can be made.

Many Western brands will choose to use the services of a digital marketing agency to make this process as easy and effective as possible, and to maximise their marketing budget ROI. Market Me China can provide you with expert Chinese UX services as part of our broader Chinese digital marketing services. Our team combines professional digital marketing skills with native language abilities to offer excellent results, which we measure and report against for our clients.

Whether you are looking to launch or build your Western brand in China, our team can help you to enjoy success quicker, more easily and with better leverage for your budget. Please contact us in the first instance for a no-obligation chat about your needs and we will be delighted to assist.

The post What you need to know about UX and Chinese customers appeared first on Market Me China®.

Chinese customers know what they want. They love rich and entertaining digital experiences, quality Western brands and luxury goods. This makes the market particularly appealing to western brands that offer ‘heritage’ and high-end products, such as watches, bags, couture and designer fashion and jewellery.

But when your eCommerce brand is new to marketing in China, and potentially has a limited budget to make an impact, how can you compete with the big brands in China?

The answer lies in a threefold approach:

1. Starting small
2. Testing at every stage
3. Evaluating the results and adjusting performance on a continuous, systematic basis.

Additionally, the old adage about ‘failing to prepare, preparing to fail’ holds true here. Even the smallest, newest Western eCommerce brands can enjoy success if they put in the research, think strategically, plan well and use the right tools and expertise to deliver highly targeted campaigns of the highest quality. An investment in preparatory customer and market research will never be a misplaced one!

Additionally, every brand will have a different offer, slightly varied operating model and route to market, and different objectives. With this in mind, every marketing plan will vary and be tailored to suit these unique factors. However, at Market Me China, we would tailor-make a strategy depending on your brand, objectives and budget. In general, the following activities are recommended for success:

1. Build a Chinese microsite

Your Chinese microsite is essential to success and will form the digital hub that underpins your entire Chinese online marketing campaign. With this in mind, the site should be built to appeal to your customers’ user journeys (which tend to be different from the typical user journeys undertaken by Western customers.) Begin with your user persona, to really understand who your ‘ideal’ Chinese customer is. Using this, create targeted content in Chinese, and consider your imagery carefully so that it is relevant, aspirational and appealing to your audience. Make sure you have integrated payment platforms that are familiar in China, such as AliPay, WeChatPay and UnionPay. It’s also important to test your site beforehand with user testing, in order to iron out any issues before you go live. Naturally for such a hyper-connected audience, your microsite will also need to be mobile-friendly and responsive, and it will need to load quickly in order to rank favourably on Baidu, China’s leading search engine.

2. Use online PR for ‘noise’

If your brand is new in China, the right online PR campaign will help to create a buzz and raise awareness and interest in what you have to offer. Remember that Chinese people are generally suspicious of official media outlets, so the right trade, consumer and independent news platforms are viewed as providing useful recommendations and value to this audience, who like to carry out their research before they buy. With the right online PR campaign, you will build trust in your brand, see its recognition and reputation grow within the right market segment, build its value, and leverage the power of Word of Mouth marketing.

3. Set up the right social media accounts

Social media in China is hugely popular, with a large number of platforms that include WeChat, Weibo, DouYin, YouKu, Little Red Book and many others, including niche and subject or audience-specific social media sites. You’ll need to set up a brand presence on the right social media channels to reach your target audience and consider how you might use Key Opinion Leaders, or KOLs, for sponsorship or partnership arrangements. There are KOLs for every brand, every product and every budget, and a Chinese marketing agency can help you to broker the deal. Social ads are another important area to get right, particularly the use of WeChat ads, which can be carefully optimised to reach your target audience – without breaking the bank! Additional features are also available to brands for their marketing, depending on the social media platform. This can include anything from short videos and tip-sharing through to private messaging and group hosting, and direct e-commerce functionalities. As ever, the help of a Chinese digital marketing agency can be invaluable here, as ad campaigns on platforms such as WeChat and Baidu (see below) are created and managed in Chinese.

4. Run Baidu PPC campaigns

Baidu is the Chinese equivalent of Google, and just as crucial to your online marketing success. A good Baidu PPC campaign will allow you to rapidly build an online presence by showcasing adverts alongside relevant searches. In China, online advertising is seen in a positive light; as something of value, which denotes a reputable brand. A good Baidu PPC campaign will use your budget effectively to drive qualified traffic to your website – resulting in everything from leads to sales, depending on your objectives. However, the key to success lies in setting the right, targeted parameters in the system, which is of course in Chinese – and then constantly measuring the results of your campaign to implement ongoing micro-adjustments for maximum ROI.

Find out more

Market Me China works with Western e-Commerce brands. Our digital marketing experts blend marketing expertise with native Chinese language abilities to offer measurable value to our clients. Our team can work with you at every stage of your journey towards Chinese marketing success – from market research and campaign planning, through to post-campaign evaluation and analytics. We offer flexible, bespoke services according to every need, supporting your in-house resource where it exists – and delivering an entire marketing service for you where it doesn’t! During this current period of Covid-19, we are also working virtually with our clients to deliver the same high-quality marketing services, whilst maintaining safe business operations. To find out more, please contact us on a no-obligation basis to discuss your needs.

The post How Western eCommerce brands can compete with big brands in China appeared first on Market Me China®.

Research and plan

Brands which see a healthy return on their Chinese digital market activity will invariably have carried out a significant period of planning and research beforehand. Yes, the nature of online channels means that it is possible to adjust digital campaign parameters quickly and easily – but not before you have begun to spend!

To avoid this situation, really pin down the fundamentals of your campaign. Who is your target Chinese audience? What does the user persona of your customer look like? What are your audience demographics? What are the objectives of your campaign? Are you looking to sell online via an e-commerce model, or to generate enquiries for a more prolonged sales cycle (such as for a higher education brand or a B2B brand.) By answering these questions, you will have a strong starting point for your campaign planning.

Remember too that a Chinese marketing agency can add real value to this process, by guiding your research and planning and matching up the outputs with the right Chinese digital marketing channels.

Start with your Chinese website

A localised Chinese website is essential to act as a cornerstone for your digital activity. If your budget can stretch to a new build specifically for the Chinese market, then this is the recommended route. Chinese consumers tend to follow different user journeys online than Western consumers and they respond to different calls to action, content, graphics and presentation. If your budget doesn’t stretch to this, it is still possible to achieve good results with website localisation activity. For example, you could use localisation to accurately and contextually translate your existing content, and then create fresh ongoing content which really resonates with your Chinese audience going forward. Or, you could build a Chinese landing page or microsite to start with.

Look at Chinese social media

Chinese customers love social media! There are dozens of popular social media platforms in China and they are hugely sophisticated and engaging; often working as entire digital eco-systems where users can post and share content, leave reviews, create videos, network privately, engage with brands, buy in just a few clicks and carry out specific functionalities such as ordering food and taxis, creating digital avatars, enjoying online quizzes and ordering custom products which they design online. Whatever your creative marketing campaign aspirations, there will be a social media channel that can deliver it – and a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) who can help you…

Find your KOL

Speaking of Key Opinion Leaders, or KOLs’, these powerful social media influencers are a must for successful China digital marketing. KOLs have large followings of Chinese internet users who share interests and demographics, and KOLs will work with brands who are relevant to their follower base. The biggest and most prominent KOLs charge thousands for a single post, but there are always more affordable influencers who will have a relevant fan base and the ability to provide value for your brand. Market Me China can help you to find the right Key Opinion Leader for your brand and broker the relationship for the best returns.

Create your online advertising campaigns

For rapid incoming traffic to your landing pages, a good online marketing campaign on Baidu is a recommendation for many brands. When the right keywords and parameters are used these campaigns can be very effective and give good results. It’s worth noting that Chinese internet users are more responsive to online advertising than Western consumers and they see it as a mark of trust, credibility and quality. Chinese customers have usually been stung by counterfeit domestic products, so quality Western brands which invest in online advertising are seen to be attractive. Worried about getting lost amongst bigger brands? Careful targeting will make all of the difference, along with ad optimisation so that quality, relevant traffic ends up on the correct page of your website. Market Me China can assist you with the process, as Baidu advertising is all administered in Chinese!

Organic Search on Baidu

SEO is essential in China to rank favourably on Baidu and other, smaller, search engines. This is a longer-term strategy, but – again – with time, focus and consistent work, it is possible to build a good ranking for your target keywords.

Online PR

If your brand is new to China or if it involves a longer purchase cycle (think, higher education or travel as examples), good ePR can help to position your brand in reputable publications that your customers trust. From advertorials and press releases through to peer-to-peer content and Word Of Mouth (WOM) strategies, your PR activity will amplify the success of your digital marketing activities. Furthermore, it will build the visibility and credibility of your brand in a country when this kind of power translates into sales.

Measurement and results tracking

Of course, to know whether your marketing budget is being applied to the best effect, it is essential to measure the results of your digital marketing activity. Success in the Chinese digital market will depend on applying the right blend of tactics and activities at the right time and to the right people. With ongoing measurement across platforms and regular adjustment of your campaign tactics, you can optimise your results. Again, this can be best supported by a Chinese marketing agency who can carry out full reporting on your behalf, navigating the various digital platforms that your brand uses, and evidencing progress towards your marketing goals.

Find out more

Ready to get the most from your marketing budget and to plan a highly-performing digital marketing campaign in China? Our team of digital marketing experts can help you to leverage your spend for the best possible results. We work on a flexible, responsive basis according to your needs and can support all elements of your online marketing activity, from campaign planning through to delivery and post-campaign evaluation. Please contact us on a no-obligation basis to find out more.

The post How to enter the Chinese digital market on a budget appeared first on Market Me China®.

The case for mobile in China

Figures from CNNIC (Aug 2019) suggest that 854 million internet users in China by June 2019; 847 million mobile internet users in China by June 2019, accounting for 99.1% of the total internet users population. This degree of penetration, combined with the upward digital growth figures for China overall, show just how important it is to have a mobile presence. Chinese consumers love their phones, and they also spend a lot of time on their phones, engaging with rich, entertaining content and shopping online.

This means that, for Western brands, it is certainly important to have a mobile presence of some kind – whether that’s in the form of a mobile-optimised website (something we would absolutely recommend) or an app. At Market Me China, we would recommend a mobile-optimised website as the cornerstone of any brand’s digital strategy, for a variety of reasons, which we will explore in more depth below.

What about apps?

For Western brands who are already further along their digital marketing journey in China, an app can also be extremely useful, for example, to launch a campaign or to deliver a specific function, such as a competition or an online sales platform. Apps are also useful when you want customers to engage with functions hosted in their phones – location tracking or GPS, camera and so forth. Most Western brands will choose to have a localised Chinese website which is mobile-friendly, and then build supporting apps as required for specific marketing purposes for their target audience.

Why a Chinese website matters

As a general rule for success, Western brands should always have a strong, localised and mobile-friendly Chinese website as the cornerstone of their digital assets. This is because:

1. Chinese customers like to research Western brands – which are they are inclined to trust – and to undertake significant research online before making a purchase decision. The brand’s website is the natural place to carry out this research.
2. Chinese customers also like to feel a connection and an affinity with a brand, so a website is an ideal place to deliver this experience; with the brand’s full online offering in one space.
3. A website offers the cornerstone for a brand’s digital assets – linking to e-commerce functionalities, social media, ePR and so forth. These other digital channels will usually map back to the website, to provide a digital hub and to build SEO for better online rankings.
4. A website URL will be returned in Chinese search engine queries – meaning that you can reach more users with your website.
5. A good website will mark your brand out as a serious player in the market – building credibility and trust, which are essential in Chinese business.

It is vital that the website is mobile optimised, however, so that your Chinese audience can access it via the digital device of their choice. this might mean using their phone on the go, and then using a tablet or laptop/desktop computer when they are at home.

Good practice development for digital marketing in China

For Western brands seeking to develop their presence in the Chinese market, we recommend starting with research into the target market and their needs, wants and desires. This can include research on online habits and preferences.

Using this data, a Chinese specific website can be created, or the existing brand website can be localised for a Chinese audience. Market Me China offers full website localisation services which go far beyond basic translation, and which incorporate vital considerations such as Chinese targeted UX, cultural factors, accessibility, censorship requirements, technical factors and so forth. Naturally, all websites that we produce are mobile-friendly and optimised for different browsers, screen-sizes and other technical factors, ensuring a fully responsive and engaging experience for Chinese customers.

In conclusion

For most Western brands, the best approach will be to create (or localise) a mobile-optimised website as the priority and then to create any apps according to specific requirements and the overall marketing strategy. Many brands that are seeking to market in China will prefer to create their digital assets from scratch so that they are expertly targeted to meet the unique needs of this complex, huge market. However, brands which choose not to do this can still achieve success by localising their existing website, ensuring it is responsive for mobile screens and considering targeted and specific app use where appropriate to meet overall strategic marketing goals.

The help that you need

At Market Me China, we provide expert Chinese website development, and mobile advertising services, along with a full package of integrated Chinese digital marketing support. From social media campaign planning and KOL engagement, through to online PR, Baidu PPC, online advertising and post-campaign analytics, we are here to help your brand. We work with all industries seeking to grow their brand in China, with particular experience in education, travel, B2B and e-Commerce. As a Chinese digital marketing one-stop-shop, our team of experts works flexibly with your business to provide measurable ROI. Please contact us to find out more.

The post Should Western brands focus on website or mobile for China marketing? appeared first on Market Me China®.

These challenges can be met with the right integrated marketing strategy, which will begin with the creation of a Chinese language website, tailored for your target audience (and typically, encompassing both Chinese students and parents alike).

In this blog, we’re going to look at the steps Western universities should take to successfully create a Chinese language website.

Do Western universities really need a separate Chinese language website?

In the past, some universities would simply choose to offer a language translation option on their English language website. This was primarily because of the time and expense involved to create websites a decade ago.

However, a simple translation option misses a trick. Firstly, Western website content is targeted for Western readers and doesn’t take into account the unique content needs of a Chinese audience. Secondly, it tends to offer a poor user experience. Chinese digital users are highly sophisticated and expect to see content that is targeted to their locality, with appropriate storytelling, symbolism, nuance, cultural appreciation and engaging, relevant content – as well as the right language!

The easiest and best way to deliver this is through the creation of a bespoke Chinese website, tailored to the needs of the audience. So what is the process to getting Chinese website design right?

1. Start with research

You already know that your Chinese website design needs to be optimised for mobile, with over 98% of the 772 million internet users in China preferring their smartphones. Did you also know though that Chinese branding for your institution is well worth the investment, to help localise your website and make it more relevant to your audience? Remember that names are highly significant with Chinese consumers, and a carefully chosen Chinese brand and name helps to add value, provide engagement and connection, and supports brand awareness – whilst allowing you to differentiate from the competition. It’s always worth bearing the key principles of close personal relationships (Guanxi) and trust (Xin) in mind when seeking to market to this audience.

2. Plan your localised Chinese website

This means considering content, design, coding and user journeys. Every aspect should be considered with in-depth knowledge of your market. For example, when planning your content you must ensure that it is:

– accurately translated, both in terms of concept and idiom as well as vocabulary
– of the right length, as Chinese characters can lead to a 25% text length shrinkage from English and have a knock-on effect on graphics, tables and more.
– correctly formatted, with simplified Chinese characters and traditional Chinese characters being preferred in different parts of China.

It is also important to remember that the Chinese like to carry out plenty of research as consumers. They also value the recommendations of their peer networks, are naturally risk-averse and value quality Western universities. Case studies, trust marks and accreditations, employment prospects, university partners, trusted recommendations from Chinese alumni… all of these are examples of content that can be leveraged effectively for a Chinese audience.

3. Register the .cn domain

Register your Chinese domain extension (.cn or .com.cn). This will support your digital marketing efforts and give your website credibility. There is a fairly complex administration process required to do this, but Market Me China can assist with the registration certificate, ID requirements and other documentation needed by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), and manage the process end to end for you.

4. Organise hosting in Mainland China or Hong Kong

Again, this takes some administration, as universities with a business licence in China can host their websites within the country to get around the Chinese firewall, but they must get a corporate ICP licence from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. This takes around 20 days if the process is followed accurately. If your institution doesn’t have a Chinese business licence, it is best to maximise accessibility by hosting your Chinese website in Hong Kong.

5. Build and test on your audience

User journeys in China differ from the West. For example, Chinese users like to be able to access important information from the homepage and appreciate long-form content. They expect to see social media integrated at all turns and value symbols of trust. Tailoring of content is essential, any translation must be done carefully and expertly, and – of course – content remains king! Chinese users love useful, engaging, trustable content that adds genuine value. Additionally, if you need to integrate a payment platform for any kind of booking or purchase, then you should also ensure that your Chinese website is integrated with AliPay, WeChatPay or UnionPay.

6. Integrate with social platforms and online advertising

Successful Chinese websites will invariably have links to social platforms such as Weibo and WeChat, allowing brands to maximise the reach and shareability of their content, and to extract the maximum value of content repurposing across channels. You should also ensure that your landing pages are correctly linked with any online advertising campaigns you are planning in China.

7. Assess and improve

At Market Me China, we use a three-tier benchmark to assess Chinese websites. This weighs up cultural customisation, Chinese UX and translation quality. By combining this approach with analytics and user feedback, we can help our clients to continually improve and refine their Chinese marketing efforts for the best possible results.

Find out more

Market Me China works on a partnership basis with Western academic institutions to deliver the Chinese-focused marketing strategies they need. From the creation of an impactful website that meets the unique needs of the Chinese audience, through to delivering effective content marketing and Baidu PPC campaigns, our team have the skillsets and knowledge that you require. We also make the process easy by taking on the hard work for you – translating your needs into actions and measurable results. Please contact us for a no obligation chat and to find out more about how we can help you.

The post What Western universities should know about Chinese website design appeared first on Market Me China®.

Developing your own localised Chinese website has great potential for your business. Here’s how you do it.

Different user experience

When designing your site, bear in mind major sites in China to the Westerner, they look complicated and text-heavy, but this is how the Chinese like their websites. Western websites tend to gravitate towards simple designs and graphic description, with light text frequently broken up by headings and empty space. Chinese website designs have traditionally been the opposite – few images, and lots of text packed with relevant links.

This is slowly changing thanks to a new design concept comprising full screen scroll-down images. While this is a new innovation, the internet landscape in China is gradually changing, as is the user experience(e.g. liulanqi.baidu.com and ie.sogou.com). A combination of the traditional text-focussed designs, and the latest in image incorporation is the way forward. You might also take into consideration that your Western-style brand image can provide a good user experience for the Chinese audience .

Bear in mind slow connections

Another design difference of Chinese websites is having many titles clustered on a page, all linking to different pages, which automatically open in new tabs. This is due to the generally slow speed of Chinese connections. Consumers in China are used to opening up new pages while they wait for the one they’re looking at to load.

Issues of speed are also the reason for a reliance on text, rather than images. While customers in the West would be easily bored by large chunks of text, to China, it is indicative of a content-rich website. It’s faster to load than one heavy with images and, for the Chinese, the mark of a credible site.

Baidu SEO

China’s version of Google is Baidu, and much like its Western counterpart, SEO is essential to a good Baidu ranking. Despite being similar to Google and just as popular in China, the mechanisms of Baidu SEO are quite different. Optimising your Chinese website using the same tactics and techniques you would use on your Western site won’t get you very far. Fortunately, Market Me China is at hand to provide bespoke Baidu SEO strategy packages, specifically tailored to your business.

Localised content

Your content can’t simply be a Chinese version of that which appears on your Western website. It needs to be tailored to the local market, with appropriate social and cultural references and realities for the Chinese population.

Traditional or simplified Chinese?

Whether you use traditional Chinese or simplified language is dependent on your target audience. Do some market research and discover which form of Chinese your ideal clients prefer, and what is usual in the specific region you are targeting. As an easy guideline, simplified Chinese is for Mainland China, while Traditional Chinese is for Hong Kong, Marco, and Taiwan.

In Chinese website design, it’s mobile first

According to CNNIC, by December 2016, China has around 731 million internet users, of which 695 million are mobile internet users. Check out our post on ‘Mobile marketing and the consumption of content in China‘ for more information about the importance of mobile internet in China.

Domains, hosting, and censorship

Where possible, host your website on a local Chinese server, and obtain a ‘.cn’ domain name. If this isn’t possible, ensure your hosting server isn’t blocked in China – the Chinese internet is strictly controlled by the government. If you are hosting your website in China, be sure to get a Chinese business licence – it’s required.

Whoever your host server is, you need to consider censorship to ensure your website isn’t blocked on a national scale. Essentially, you cannot promote products, services, or ideas that are prohibited. The Chinese government have banned certain things, such as unauthorised political content and gambling.

Payment options

If your website includes an e-commerce element, you need to be aware of the numerous payment options available in China. Popular choices include China UnionPay, Alipay, and WeChatPay. These are online payment platforms that connect to China’s major banks. They offer credit card payments, bank transfers etc.

Are you looking for expert advice on building a localised Chinese website? Get in touch, we’re happy to help.

The post How to build a localised Chinese website appeared first on Market Me China®.

So China’s internet speeds may be improving, but you want to enter the market now. You’ll need a Chinese website, for starters, although where should you host it? The key to navigating many of China’s internet problems, including slow connection speeds, could be working in partnership with a domestic host. We take a look at why collaborating with a local web host pays off.

High website performance equals better user experience

You have to make the process of dealing with you as simple as possible. From the initial browsing of your content or products to the final transaction, a fast website gives a better quality experience. This is especially necessary with Chinese consumers, who need to be able to trust you before they commit to buying. Consumers aren’t willing to wait – according to Forbes, the average user expects a website to load within two seconds.

So it is vital to have a fast website, but there are several hurdles to overcome. The Great Firewall of China slows the internet down considerably. Even external sites that are not blocked will be harder to access from within China thanks to the security measures. Using a domestic host, like CDN (content delivery network), places your web domain within the Great Firewall. While this doesn’t free you from needing to comply with the regulations, it does mean Chinese users won’t be slowed down by having to ‘pass’ through the Firewall in order to view your site.  Being hosted in China improves a website’s latency – how long it takes data to be transferred from one source to another. Usually, load times are 50% faster using high quality CDN host within China compared to the providers in Hong Kong, despite Hong Kong leading the world in terms of internet speeds.

Easily monitor your connection speeds and improve Baidu SEO

Having a website hosted inside the Great Firewall of China allows you to make use of Baidu’s recently launched tool which checks the speed of your website. It provides the result as a number (with 1 being poor and 10 being excellent), and breaks down the data into a handy map so you can make sure your key regions are enjoying the best performance. Seeing as poor connection speed can also affect your Baidu SEO, this tool is worth keeping track of. By registering for an account and verifying your website, you can receive updated email alerts and monitor how performance changes over time (source: China Internet Watch).

(Image source: “Firewall Protection” | www.freedigitalphotos.net)

The post How to host your Chinese website inside the Great Firewall of China to beat slow internet speeds appeared first on Market Me China®.

Search

If you know anything about marketing to China you’ll know that the number one search engine by a mile is Baidu. It has over 530 million active monthly users, and accounts for 79% of China’s total search engine revenue (source: Expanded Ramblings). By comparison the world’s largest search giant, Google, has had many problems in China. It is starting to become more popular again thanks to the company’s move to Hong Kong, where they could escape China’s strict censorship rules (source: Daily Mail). Even so, Google Hong Kong ranks as the 20^th most popular website overall in China, while Baidu sits comfortably in the number one spot (source: Alexa).

Popular Chinese websites for news

While the news in China may be strictly controlled, there are still plenty of websites that Chinese people can visit for the latest information. Two of the top news sites in China are Sina and Sohu. Sina is a formal news site, often used for broadcasting political stories and government updates. Sohu is perhaps the most contemporary of the popular Chinese new sources. It uses Sogou as its input method, which has a massive database of words that constantly adapts. New scientific and technological terms are quickly included, as well as popular slang.

Shopping

Amazon is the number three online retail website in China. The company’s order fulfilment centre in Kunshan is the largest and most advanced of Amazon’s warehouses outside of the US anywhere in the world. Amazon is beaten to the top spots by two domestic companies. JD is an online retailer similar to Amazon, offering a huge range of products including home electronic appliances, clothing, baby care products, books and food. In the top spot is TMall, Alibaba’s e-commerce marketplace. Thousands of brands use it to sell their products and the site receives over 40 million visitors every day (source: China Daily).

Top blogging sites in China

Two of the most popular sites are Tianya Club and BlogCN (source: New York Times). The internet forum Tianya Club was founded in 1999 and is currently China’s 12^th most visited site (source: Wikipedia). It is used to discuss many topics, and even politicians have joined in, using the platform to campaign, engage their constituents, and build support for grassroots movements. BlogCN is a WordPress like hosting provider, offering internet users free and paid-for blog hosting space (source: Crunchbase).

(Image source: “Social Media Shows World Wide Web And Blogging” | www.freedigitalphotos.net)

The post The most popular Chinese websites in China appeared first on Market Me China®.

So how do you make sure that your website gives Chinese internet users exactly what they want? What are your potential customers going to expect from your site?

Off to a good start

If you’ve already decided to invest in Chinese website design, you are already doing well. Chinese consumers will expect you to talk to them in their language. And why wouldn’t you? Important messages can get lost in translation, and your target market will feel alienated. You don’t want to force your customers to have to speak your language. They will be more likely to simply go to another company more sympathetic to their needs. A Chinese website is the smart choice.

Have a responsive Chinese website design

By June 2014, in China 81% of internet users are mobile (source: CNNIC). Domestic manufacturers have worked hard to make their devices cheap in order to compete with bigger global brands, so plenty of people have access to them. If your website is not fully responsive, you are alienating a huge portion of your target market. Chinese users will expect to be able to view your site on their mobile. Some of them may be happy – or at least begrudgingly willing – to navigate your desktop site on their phone. Most people won’t bother, however. Get a responsive site and mobile devices will be your friends.

Provide the right payment options

Chinese netizens are very different from those in the West. Here, we use the internet to buy a wide range of goods, and are happy to give our card details out to lots of various sites. Chinese consumers are more cautious, especially considering 30% of all online shoppers had been the victim of a scam by 2011, losing a collective 30billion yuan (source: Danwei). If you want to build a relationship of trust with your potential customers, offer them secure payment options that they trust, such as Alipay, Tenpay, or UnionPay.

Get your content translated for results, not just accuracy

When companies look for translation, they are often looking for a foreign language version that is as close as possible to the original. The problem with this is that different cultures use language and words differently. The perfect paragraph of sales copy in English may be flat, uninteresting, or off-putting when translated into Chinese. When thinking about translation, remember that your copy has to sell your company and product. A translator should use your content as a reference point, and translate your sales messages and company voice, as well as the actual words they have been given. And don’t forget the need for relevant keywords in Chinese.

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Your Chinese social media marketing hub

Your social media profiles may have a lot of followers but you need the opportunity to convert them into paying customers and clients. To do that you need a chance to explain to them what you do and why they need it. Networks like Sina Weibo and Tencent Weibo aren’t the right places to do this. People don’t like being sold to on social media, but your website is the place that they would expect your sales messages and offers to be. Without a website, you could find it hard to convert your followers into customers.

Retain your followers

Your website completes your social media circle, ensuring you hold the interests of potential followers and customers for as long as possible. You don’t have space within each social media profile to link to all the other profiles that you have. By having all your social media accounts link to your website, and your website linked to all your social media accounts, you give potential users of huge number of options when it comes to finding out more about, and engaging with, your company. You can greatly increase the amount of time a visitor or follower spends learning about your company by giving them new avenues to explore.

Demonstrate your brand presence

While it is true social media accounts can drive traffic back to your website, it is also true that the same happens in reverse. People may find you through search engines, if your Chinese SEO is good enough, and be interested by your website. You can then link people to your social media accounts, so they have a number of places to go if they want to get more information about you. Having a website with strong SEO gains you more exposure which can in turn lead to greater popularity for your social media accounts. Once someone has begun to follow or engage with you on social media, you have a greater chance of being able to convert them into a customer.

Social media marketing in China

Market Me China know how to find your target market. We can find out what platforms they are on, what they like to talk about, and how to engage them. Talk to us today about your Chinese social media marketing plans.

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Students from overseas are a much desired asset for any educational establishment. They diversify the studentship, demonstrate the university’s prowess and reputation, and offer many financial benefits. In fact, as of 2013, around 10% of UK university’s total funding came from overseas students outside of Britain and Europe (source: South China Morning Post). The Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Prime Minister have both expressed a desire to have more Chinese students in the UK. Universities are doing everything they can to attract eager Chinese students.

Here are four things to consider when using digital marketing for Chinese student recruitment.

1. Know your target market – Chinese students

Chinese students have very different concerns to domestic students when it comes to selecting a university. Chinese students are very interested in a university’s ranking, and their parents by having their children attend a university that other people have heard of. Quality of teaching is also important, and the safety of the university is of large concern as well, as students want to feel safe while in the UK (Source: Hanover Research). Understanding what your target market wants will make it much easier to market to them.

2. Remember their parents

Chinese parents will likely have a large say in where their children go to study. This means that, in order to be successful in your Chinese student recruitment, you need to address the concerns and desires of Chinese parents. They are interested in different criteria than their children, so you must ensure that your marketing is targeted at allaying parental concerns as well as impressing potential students.

3. Have a Chinese website

When trying to market to students in China, you need to make yourself as accessible as possible. The easier it is for your target market to engage with you and absorb your key messages, the more likely you are to succeed with your Chinese student recruitment. To this end, a Chinese website is vital. Having a Chinese website is the perfect way to demonstrate to your potential students than you are able, and willing, to adapt to their needs.

4. Use the right networks

In China, Facebook and Twitter won’t get you very far. China has its own social networks, with the Twitter-like Sina Weibo being the second and third most popular, with a combined number of accounts totalling more than 1 billion. Being on these networks will get you access to a huge number of Chinese internet users, with 91% of the Chinese internet population being on social networks (source: Tech in Asia). WeChat and Renren are another two popular social media platforms in China.

Get results from your Chinese student recruitment strategies with Market Me China

As experts in Chinese marketing, language and culture, we are perfectly positioned to help assist you with your Chinese student recruitment strategies. Get in touch with us today to discuss how, together, we can make your plans a reality.

The post How to recruit Chinese students using digital marketing appeared first on Market Me China®.

Both companies inside and outside China are trying to capitalise on the swiftly growing tourism market. Not everyone has met with roaring success. The key to succeeding when breaking into any Chinese market is understanding the culture, adapting your marketing to suit the requirements of Chinese consumers, and ensuring that you have all the research and knowledge you need before you start.

To help you out, we’ve put together a list of some of the major players in the Chinese tourism industry. Their success can serve as inspiration and guidance, as well as helping you to assess the state of the market and competition.

Shangri-La

In a recent report ranking 17 global hotel brands (Source: L2 think tank), only Hong Kong-based Shangri-La was considered to have a high digital IQ in the Chinese tourism market. It was the only company ranked by the report as ‘gifted’, where second and joint third place companies Marriot, Hilton, and InterContinental respectively were ranked ‘average’. A lot of this success is deemed to be down to Shangri-La’s effective use of Chinese social media sites.

Your Singapore, Visit Britain, Visit California

National tourism boards, like the Shangri-La hotel company, have made good use of Chinese social media sites. Roughly 90% of the world’s tourism boards now have an account on the Twitter-like Sina Weibo, many of which are meeting with much success. Your Singapore and Visit Britain are currently leading the pack. Visit California has also seen great success, and with nearly a 48% market share, is now the most popular Chinese tourist destination in America.

Ctrip, eLong

Ctrip is a Chinese online travel booking service. They are currently the leader in the online travel booking market in China, with over 40% of the market share as of the second quarter in 2012 (Source: China Internet Watch). This was unchanged from Q1. Closest rival, eLong, saw its market share almost double between the first and second quarters of last year to nearly 14%. When it comes to success in the Chinese tourism market, these are two key players to study.

Learning from the major players to engage Chinese tourists

One thing these very different companies all demonstrate is the need to engage with Chinese internet users. Using Chinese social media, and having a Chinese website, has played a large role in the success of these companies. When it comes to breaking into the Chinese tourism market, understanding the needs of Chinese tourists, and using the correct channels to engage with them, is key to building a reputation within the market.

Do you want to enter the Chinese market in a way that generates positive response and engagement from consumers? Get in touch with Market Me China today to discuss your business ideas and plans.

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