The global site rebrands. The Chinese version still has the old logo. You launch three new products. The Chinese version of the site doesn’t have them. Your global site looks modern. Your China site looks like 2024.

This isn’t a translation problem. It’s a ‘keeping things matched up’ problem, and it’s one we see constantly.

The Two Paths Everyone Takes

When you’re planning a China website, you’ve got two main options. Both make sense at the time, but both break down eventually.

Path 1: Copy Everything Manually

This is the most common approach. Duplicate your whole website. Translate it. Host it in China.
Simple enough, right?

Now you have two websites. Every time you change one, you need to change the other. Your marketing team updates the global site. Someone needs to tell the translators. The translators need to tell the China developers. The developers build it. Someone checks it works. Then it goes live.

Guess what gets forgotten? The China one. If not forgotten, very delayed.

That ‘quick copy change’ you made in London last week? The new version isn’t being seen by users in Beijing two months later.

A website localisation project has turned into an ongoing admin nightmare.

Path 2: Build a Completely Separate Site

Some companies go the other direction and let your China team build their own version from scratch.

They control it. They update it. Different design, different CMS, different everything.

The upside? Your China team has full control and can move fast without waiting on the global team.

The downside? Within a year, it could look like a different company made it. Different colors, different messaging, different everything. Your brand consistency just tanked.

Here’s Why Both Options Eventually Break Down

When you’re launching, you’re focused on the immediate problem. Get the site live. Handle the ICP license. Get it working behind the Great Firewall.
Nobody asks: ‘How do we keep this updated next year?’

I think this is totally fair. You’ve got enough on your planning tool just getting the thing launched. But here’s what actually happens…

Your global site keeps evolving. New features. New messaging. Maybe a complete rebrand. Your product team launches three new services. Your marketing team updates the homepage every quarter.

Your China site? Sadly, frozen in time.

Because updating it means coordinating across teams, time zones, and technical systems. That ‘quick change’ just became a three-week project involving five different people.

Eventually, teams give up. The China site becomes a museum of your old brand. We’ve seen China sites still showing offers the company withdrew six months ago—and we really don’t like saying this publicly.

What If Updates Just… Happened?

Here’s what most people don’t know exists when they’re evaluating their China options.

You can set it up so your sites stay matched automatically. No coordination meetings. No three-week deployment cycles. No versions getting mismatched.

Update your main site? China updates too.

New blog post? It’s in China the same day.

Change your homepage? All your country-specific sites change automatically.

When I explain this to clients, the response is usually: ‘Wait, I didn’t know that was possible.’

Most marketing managers are thinking: manual duplication or separate build.

That’s the standard menu. Nobody tells them about the third option.

How Automatic Matching Actually Works

The simple version: a system watches your main website for changes:

New pages Updated text Design tweaks.

When something changes, it automatically grabs the update during a scheduled weekly or monthly sync, runs it through translation, and once approved, pushes it live.

Each country gets its own local web address with fast local hosting, so it loads quickly and follows local rules. Your team does nothing. You don’t even need to give the system access to your website backend. Just give us the web address.

Local SEO is also taken care of, with localised page titles, meta descriptions and localised sitemaps and options to promote the site on local search engines.

What Does This Mean in Real Life?

You change your main site once. Every country-specific version updates by itself.

No project plans. No team meetings across time zones. No more ‘we’ll update China when we have time,’ which we all know means too late, at best.

Your brand looks the same everywhere without anyone spending hundreds of hours keeping it matched.

This is how some of our clients are running localized sites across China, Japan, Korea, and Singapore.

They update their global site.

Everything else just… syncs.

The China-Specific Bits You Need to Know

If you’ve looked into hosting in China before, you know it’s not as simple as pointing a domain at a server.

Hosting and Licenses

To have a website in China, you need government permission called an ICP license, and Chinese hosting infrastructure.

A proper automatic system handles this. Your China site sits on Chinese servers, fully compliant, served from the right infrastructure. You don’t touch any of it.

If you’re not familiar, then our article here covers the ICP license and why it matters. The short version: you can’t legally host in China without one, and getting one takes planning.

The Great Firewall Problem

This is where a lot of ‘just translate it and host it in China’ approaches completely fall apart.

Your global site probably loads Google Fonts. Maybe you’ve got YouTube videos embedded. Facebook tracking pixels. Intercom chat widget. All blocked in China.

So your ‘localized’ China site loads with broken fonts, missing videos, and half the functionality doesn’t work. Great first impression.

A proper system automatically strips out the blocked resources and swaps in China-friendly alternatives. Google Fonts become local fonts. YouTube embeds become locally hosted videos. Your site actually works for the users you are targeting.

This is why ‘just translation’ doesn’t cut it. You need technical adjustments that most companies don’t usually consider until after launch.

But Doesn’t This Cost a Fortune?

Fair question. Let’s talk numbers.

The Old Way

Traditional approach: 4-6 months to build. That’s a reasonable time and money budget.

Then your team spends 100+ hours every year doing manual sync work—updating translations, coordinating deployments, checking for drift.

Every rebrand becomes a project. Every new product launch means updating multiple sites manually. Every homepage refresh requires coordinating across teams.

The New Way

Automatic sync: weeks to launch, not months. No site rebuild required. Zero manual coordination after initial setup.

The real savings isn’t even the upfront money- it’s getting those hundreds of hours back every year.

Those are hours your team can spend on actual marketing instead of project management.

Who Does This Actually Makes Sense For?

If you’re a small startup, this is probably overkill. Build your China presence when you’ve got traction.

But if you’re making $5 million+ per year, already have a solid website and audience, and expansion keeps getting delayed because ‘building a China site is a six-month project,’ Synclone solves that problem.

The companies we work with don’t always want the cheapest option. They do, however, want the option that doesn’t create a giant internal project or fall apart over time.

The Real Question

Your main website is going to keep changing and improving; that’s how it works. Your brand evolves. Your messaging gets sharper. Your products expand.
Do you want your China site to change with it, or get left behind?

Eggplant Digital has been building websites for the Chinese market for over 15 years now. The sync problem used to be just part of the job. Something you accepted. Companies would launch, and we’d find later that the updates hadn’t been pushed by the client to the Chinese site.

That’s why we built Synclone. We actually got tired of the manual sync headache for our own clients and did something about it.

Want to See How This Works for Your Site?

If this sounds like a problem you’re facing, or will need to face at some point, let’s talk.

We generally find that clients enter the planning stage too late, which is why the project ends up getting messy.

If that sounds familiar, click here to send us a message.

The post How to Keep Your China Website in Sync with Your Global Site appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

If you’re looking to grow your business in China, getting to grips with local digital payment systems is crucial. AliPay vs Wechat pay vs Union Pay is a confusing point for most non-Chinese people. In 2021, over 70% of China’s financial transactions were made through online payments. By 2022, the country had 904 million mobile payment users. These platforms are popular not just domestically but globally.

This is a quick Chinese payment systems guide to help you make decisions based on your business goals, then how to set up your platform of choice. Let’s make sure you get it right the first time with your choice of payment systems in China.

Alipay

If you’re setting up shop in China, Alipay is your go-to for digital payments, both online and offline. This platform boasts over a billion users and serves as the backbone of e-commerce transactions across the country.

Alipay has done a great job of expanding its services to include paying abroad, which has been great for tourist businesses. Alipay enables them to take direct payments from the increasing number of Chinese foreign travellers.. . This means you can start tapping into international markets while still navigating the regulatory landscape carefully.

Consumers like Alipay because it’s quick, secure, and universally accepted across countless merchants and services. For businesses, Alipay gives you insights into your customers’ habits through its advanced analytics.

WeChat Pay

If you are a foreign business looking to launch in China or targeting Chinese customers overseas, then you need WeChat Pay. It’s built right into WeChat, the app that almost everyone in China uses to chat, share, and shop. 

By 2019, WeChat Pay hit 1.1 billion users, making it incredibly popular. Just like Alipay, WeChat Pay lets you scan a QR code to make payments—straightforward and fast. The fact that this online wallet is integrated into WeChat minimises friction since users’ don’t have to leave their app of choice.

You can also use the WeChat app to see what’s resonating with your customers and adjust your offers on the fly so similarly to Alipay, WeChat has benefits for both you and your customers.

UnionPay

Your business can go global with China UnionPay, a digital payment platform accepted in over 180 countries and the top choice for Chinese tourists and international travellers from China. 

UnionPay, a bank card system, was established in 2002 by the State Council and the People’s Bank of China to provide a familiar payment service outside China, much like Visa and Mastercard.

Recently, UnionPay has stepped up its game to compete with other major players by introducing QR-code scanning for transactions and QuickPass, a one-touch payment feature similar to Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Comparing Chinese Payment Systems: What’s Best for Your Business?

Your most valuable decision when entering the Chinese market might just be choosing the right digital payment options. Alipay, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay each have their strengths, and the best choice depends on your specific business needs and customer base.

Fees and Costs: All three platforms charge transaction fees, but they vary. Alipay and WeChat Pay typically have lower fees for domestic transactions but can be higher for cross-border transactions, making them ideal for local operations. UnionPay, on the other hand, might be more cost-effective for international transactions due to its global reach and lower fees in that segment.

User Base: Alipay and WeChat Pay boast enormous user bases predominantly in mainland China, with Alipay leading in the e-commerce sector and WeChat Pay favoured for social media and communication-based transactions. UnionPay’s user base is more varied internationally, making it a good option if your business targets global shoppers or the tourist market.

International Use: UnionPay is the winner for international acceptance, available in over 180 countries. Alipay and WeChat Pay are catching up but are still primarily used within China and some parts of Asia. If your business model involves international customers, UnionPay should be a consideration.

Business Application: If you’re integrating a payment system into an app or website primarily targeted at Chinese users, WeChat Pay offers deep integration with social features, enhancing customer interaction directly through WeChat. Alipay is best for pure e-commerce environments with its strong presence in online shopping. UnionPay is your go-to for broader international reach.

China Payment Methods Integration

Your next step is to integrate Alipay, WeChat Pay, or UnionPay into your business, a move that can significantly boost your market presence in China. Here’s how you can do this efficiently and compliantly.

Alipay Integration

1. Set Up an Alipay Merchant Account: Register through the Alipay website. You’ll need to provide business documentation and undergo verification.
2. Technical Setup: Implement Alipay’s API on your website or app. They offer SDKs for mobile and plugins for popular e-commerce platforms.
3. Testing and Launch: Before going live, test the payment process thoroughly to ensure everything works seamlessly.

WeChat Pay Integration

1. Register for a WeChat Official Account: This allows you to access WeChat’s merchant services.
2. Integration: Like Alipay, WeChat provides APIs and SDKs. Choose the one that fits your platform and integrate.
3. Compliance Check: Ensure your setup adheres to WeChat’s policies, especially around data privacy and user interaction.

UnionPay Integration

1. Merchant Registration: Apply through UnionPay’s global website, which may involve more stringent checks due to international regulations.
2. Implementation: Integrate UnionPay’s payment gateway using their provided APIs, available for various e-commerce systems.
3. Cross-Border Compliance: Pay special attention to cross-border transaction rules, which might require additional steps or documentation.

Embrace China’s Digital Payment Ecosystem for Business Growth

Handling how digital payments in China work and keeping up with Chinese regulations can get tricky. That’s why teaming up with experts who know the ins and outs can make a big difference. If you’re ready to move forward or need some advice on navigating China’s digital ecosystem, check out our services page or contact us for a commitment-free phone call. We’re here to help you smooth out the process and get your business ready to succeed in China.

The post AliPay vs WeChat Pay vs UnionPay: Your Chinese Payment Systems Guide in 2025 appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

However, if you’re looking to use Zoom in China for online business meetings, you’re out of luck… The service is officially blocked in the PRC. 

While workarounds exist, they carry certain risks. That’s why it’s smart to consider alternatives for online meetings with Chinese companies when you are outside of mainland China. 

Zoom is blocked in China, so let’s check out alternative communication solutions for video calls. This short article breaks it down for you in three minutes…

Zoom’s Status in China

Zoom’s services have been blocked in mainland China since May 2020 due to regulatory and compliance measures. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) might offer a workaround, but this comes with potential legal risks and performance issues. that can impede smooth communication.

The Role of Communication Tools for International Business

Reliable and effective communication tools are the lifeblood of your international business. They help you bridge time zones, facilitate collaboration, and underpin productivity. 

If you want to communicate with Chinese firms and sidestep restricted platforms, then you need an alternative to Zoom. So, what options do you have?

Zoom Alternatives in China

Tencent Meeting (VooV Meeting)

Overview of Tencent Meeting: Tencent Meeting, also known globally as VooV Meeting, is a video conferencing platform developed by Tencent, one of China’s tech giants. It’s designed to cater to the dynamic communication needs of modern businesses.

Key features that support business communication: Tencent Meeting offers HD video conferencing, screen sharing, real-time messaging, and file transfers. It also provides robust security features, ensuring that business communications remain confidential.

Its advantages for communicating with businesses in China: With a vast user base in China, Tencent Meeting is well-integrated into the Chinese digital ecosystem. For businesses, this means better connectivity with local partners and customers and smoother integration with other Tencent services.

WeChat Work

Overview of WeChat Work: WeChat Work is a business communication and office collaboration tool also developed by Tencent. It builds on the popularity of WeChat, China’s leading social messaging app, extending its capabilities into the business realm.

Key features that support business communication:  WeChat Work includes features like document sharing, video conferencing, timeline updates, and the ability to create a corporate directory. It’s designed to streamline communication and facilitate a mobile-first work environment.

Its advantages for communicating with businesses in China: Given WeChat’s massive user base, WeChat Work enjoys high adoption rates, making it a familiar and efficient platform for businesses to connect with the Chinese audience.

Alimeeting (Dingtalk)

Overview of Alimeeting: Alimeeting, part of the Dingtalk suite by Alibaba, goes beyond video conferencing to offer a comprehensive workspace solution. It includes task scheduling, calendar management, and file sharing, making it a one-stop shop for collaborative efforts.

Key features that support business communication: Alimeeting stands out for its integrated office automation tools, which facilitate real-time document collaboration and project tracking, making it ideal for businesses that prioritize efficiency and teamwork in their day-to-day operations.

Its advantages for communicating with businesses in China: Alimeeting’s integration with Alibaba’s ecosystem can provide useful solutions for businesses, especially those engaged in e-commerce or leveraging Alibaba’s platforms for their operations in China.

Huawei Cloud Meeting

Overview of Huawei Cloud Meeting: Huawei Cloud Meeting is Huawei’s answer to the growing demand for remote work solutions. The platform emphasizes user experience and offers a seamless, interactive video conferencing environment.

Key features that support business communication: One of the standout features of Huawei Cloud Meeting is its ability to support large-scale meetings with hundreds of participants, making it ideal for webinars, large corporate announcements, and cross-regional meetings.

Its advantages for communicating with businesses in China: For businesses operating in or expanding to China, Huawei Cloud Meeting can be particularly advantageous. It’s likely to be well-integrated with Huawei’s expansive range of products and services, and its local infrastructure ensures stable connectivity within China.

What is the Next Step?

Let’s say your business is ready for the Chinese market, or you want to forge ties with Chinese companies. In that case, you need to cultivate a strategy that resonates with the unique digital ecosystem of China. 

You should select your communication platform based on a deep understanding of the intended audience, the scale of your business activities, and the specific needs of your communication tactics.

It is key that you understand your target audience:

• Platforms such as WeChat Work harness the widespread adoption of WeChat in China. This makes them perfect for connecting with users familiar with the WeChat environment.
• If your organization prioritizes teamwork and project management, your right choice could be a comprehensive suite of office tools offered by Alimeeting.
• The magnitude of your operations is also a determining factor. Huawei Cloud Meeting can support larger corporations or events with its capability for extensive conferences, offering a stable and scalable infrastructure. 
• Tencent Meeting may be more aligned with the needs of small to medium-sized enterprises due to its speed and user-friendly interface.

The specific communication requirements — whether they’re advanced security measures, seamless integration with existing tools, or dependable customer support — must also guide your platform choice. Different platforms cater to these aspects with varying degrees of efficiency, and it is imperative to match your needs with the features provided.

Moreover, business communication tools are ever-evolving, with continuous advancements changing the game. You need to stay informed and adaptable to maintain competitiveness and harness cutting-edge solutions.

With the alternatives we mentioned in this blog, businesses can successfully overcome the restriction challenges and thrive within China’s dynamic market. Now, you can ensure a robust international business footprint more easily.

Speaking of business footprint: Do you want to establish your online presence in China? You’re at the right place: We have over a decade of experience in providing specialized services for businesses entering the Chinese market.

Explore our services page for tips and tricks on how to enhance your digital presence. For tailored advice, we’re here to delve into the nuances of marketing in China with you. It takes less than 20 seconds to send a message- Get in touch today. 

The post Is Zoom Blocked in China? appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

However, the search landscape has been undergoing significant change in recent years. New platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin are reshaping consumer search behaviour in China.

This article explores these platforms’ rise and implications for businesses looking to effectively reach and engage with the Chinese market.

Baidu: A Dominant Force in Chinese Search

In the first part of our series, we highlighted the unparalleled dominance of Baidu in the Chinese digital landscape. It owns nearly 70% of the market share in 2023

Baidu is much more than a search engine. In addition to Baidu SEO, the company offers a wide range of features, such as Baidu Maps, Baidu News, and Baidu Baike. This makes it an essential platform for businesses that target the Chinese market.  

However, you need to know the ins and outs of  Baidu’s unique ranking algorithm to optimise your website for successful search engine optimisation.

Understanding Baidu’s Ranking Algorithm

As we also looked at in part one of the series, Baidu SEO for Newcomers, Baidu’s ranking algorithm considers various factors when determining the ranking of websites in its search results. 

These factors include keyword research, on-page optimisation, off-page optimisation, user engagement, website speed, and mobile-friendliness. 

If you are doing keyword research, you need to use a tool specifically designed for the Chinese market, such as the Baidu Index. 

On-page optimisation involves optimising title tags, meta descriptions, and content for target keywords, while off-page optimisation focuses on building backlinks from other high-quality websites. 

User engagement, website speed, and mobile-friendliness are also crucial ranking factors that you need to build into your process.

The Rise of New Platforms: Xiaohongshu and Douyin

In recent years, the search landscape in China has undergone a significant transformation with the emergence of new Chinese social media platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin. 

These social platforms have gained immense popularity among Chinese consumers, reshaping how they search for information and make purchasing decisions. 

Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book)

Known as “China’s Instagram,” Xiaohongshu is a social e-commerce platform that combines user-generated content with shopping recommendations. It has become a go-to platform for Chinese consumers seeking product reviews, travel tips, and lifestyle inspiration.

Xiaohongshu’s unique blend of social media and e-commerce has made it a powerful tool for businesses to reach and engage with potential customers. Businesses can build trust and credibility with consumers by leveraging user-generated content, ultimately driving sales.

Key features of Xiaohongshu include:

• User-Generated Content: Xiaohongshu users can share their experiences, reviews, and recommendations on various products and services. This content is highly influential and can significantly impact consumer purchasing decisions.
• E-commerce Functionality: Xiaohongshu lets users purchase products directly from the platform, making it a seamless and convenient shopping experience.
• Social Media Features: Xiaohongshu incorporates social media features such as following, liking, and sharing, enabling users to connect with each other and build communities around shared interests.

Douyin (TikTok)

Douyin, the uniquely Chinese version of the platform TikTok, is a short video platform that has taken China by storm. It’s currently a major player in the Chinese digital landscape.

Douyin’s interactive features present a unique opportunity for your business to showcase its products or services through innovative and viral video campaigns. 

Key features of Douyin include:

• Short-Video Format: Douyin videos are typically short, ranging from 15 to 60 seconds, making them easy to watch and share.
• Creative Tools: Douyin provides various creative tools and effects that businesses can use to create engaging and visually appealing videos.
• Social Media Features: Douyin incorporates social media features like following, liking, and sharing. This way, it enables users to connect with each other and build communities around shared interests.

Implications for Baidu and Crafting a Comprehensive China Marketing Mix

Xiaohongshu and Douyin having grown in relevance and popularity in recent years, so your business must carefully consider what to focus on. You need to decide whether you’ll primarily use Baidu when introducing new products or when you target a younger audience. 

Indeed, relying solely on Baidu may not be the most effective strategy. These emerging platforms offer unique opportunities to engage users through visually appealing and interactive content, capturing their attention and driving brand awareness.

However, you should note that Baidu still holds a significant market share and remains a valuable platform, particularly for traditional SEO and when targeting a broader audience. 

Its user base aligns well with more ‘traditional’ industries. Good examples are companies offering professional services such as legal services or B2B services. 

Your business should adopt a multi-platform approach to create a comprehensive China marketing mix. Basically, you want to incorporate Baidu, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and other relevant platforms based on your target audience, industry, and marketing objectives. 

Each platform brings its own strengths and unique user base, allowing your business to effectively reach and engage with different segments of the Chinese market.

How Do I  Make The Most of The Chinese Market?

To navigate the evolving search landscape in China, you must dedicate time and effort to thoroughly analyze your industry. This will help you develop a comprehensive marketing plan tailored to your specific goals. 

Platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin are reshaping consumer search behavior alongside the continued dominance of Baidu. By understanding each platform’s unique strengths and characteristics, your business can strategically integrate them into its marketing mix.

Make sure to invest time in market research. It is crucial that you identify target audience preferences and determine the most effective channels to reach them. By gaining insights into consumer behaviour and preferences, your business can create compelling content and messaging that resonates with your audience.

With a well-thought-out marketing plan in hand, your business can then execute strategies and track performance metrics to measure the success of your efforts. 

We’ve been experts in China marketing for over a decade, and we’re always excited to chat with you about your ideas for marketing your business in China.

If you want to know something specific about the Chinese digital ecosystem, feel free to contact us.

The post Search in China: Baidu SEO Xiaohongshu and Douyin appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

Experts predict Chinese e-commerce sales will be CNY 15.2 trillion (US$ 2.2 trillion) in 2023, continuing the growth it has seen in the past few years. A big chunk of this will come from ‘Singles’ Day’, the unofficial Chinese shopping holiday on November 11 that celebrates those who are not in relationships. In 2022, it was expected to rack up US$ 140.8 billion in sales––a number that will only likely increase this year.

Most of China’s festivals and holidays do not correspond with those of the Western world. If your brand caters to a Chinese audience, your marketing calendar needs to be adjusted accordingly.

But what’s more important than when you publish is what. Festivals and holidays are a special time for people so you need to make sure you’re authentic. When you include a specific culture’s festivals in your marketing strategy, you need to be sensitive and respectful of their traditions.

You also need to be creative enough to stand out from the crowd.

Join us as we explore festivals and holidays in China and discuss marketing strategies your brand can use to make the most of them!

Why Are Festivals And Holidays Important For Your Brand’s Marketing?

Let’s first break down why holidays are so important for your content and campaign calendar.

Emotional Connections

Festivals and holidays are occasions that evoke strong emotions among people. Whether it’s the warmth of family gatherings during the Mid-Autumn Festival or the excitement of lighting firecrackers during the Chinese New Year, these events create a powerful emotional backdrop for your marketing campaigns. Brands that tap into these emotions can form deeper connections with their audience.

Increased Consumer Spending

Festivals and holidays are typically associated with increased consumer spending. Not only do a lot of occasions call for gift-giving, but festivals are also events people set aside money for. During the Lantern Festival, for instance, the sales of lanterns go up, along with the traditionally consumed Yuanxiao. On top of that, certain holidays are occasions to buy things for oneself. For example, people often buy decorations for their homes during the Chinese New Year. They also buy festive food, flowers, and new items like clothes and shoes, representing a fresh start for the new year. Savvy marketers can leverage these trends by offering relevant products and promotions.

Enhancing Brand Visibility

Well-executed marketing during a festival or holiday – including festive branding and themed campaigns – can significantly boost brand visibility. Brands that participate in these occasions stand out and are more likely to be remembered.

BMW ran a famously effective campaign during the 2021 Chinese New Year. It launched videos around the theme of ‘Bà Mā Wǒ’ – Chinese for father, mother, and me – while playing on the English spelling of BMW. The videos celebrated the themes of family and togetherness during the festival.

Now that’s a way to make a mark.
​​

Strategies for Effective Festival and Holiday Marketing

Convinced about the need for strategic festival and holiday marketing? Let’s proceed with figuring out your execution.

Picking Your Dates

It’s important to curate your festive offerings around the values and preferences of your target audience. This requires thinking about their cultural background, beliefs, and traditions. If you sell art and craft materials, for instance, you can focus your efforts on the Qixi Festival, where girls show their artwork and handicrafts. If your target audience is families, or if you’re a travel company, then you might want to plan a campaign around the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Plan in Advance

Successful festival and holiday marketing campaigns require careful planning and preparation. If you start well in advance, you can create a comprehensive marketing strategy to help you sail through the season smoothly. You should apply this principle to the Chinese holidays and festivals you are targeting.

And remember, a good plan is not just about content creation, advertising schedules, and promotional materials––it also also about providing enough space for reiteration.

Themed Campaigns

Although the specifics of each campaign can vary dramatically, you should never forget the fundamental principles that guide these campaigns. Your theme must be consistent and recognizable. That means visual elements, branding, and messaging must align with the targeted festival or holiday and are reflected across all marketing channels, from social media to signage in brick-and-mortar stores.

Social Media Engagement

The prominence of social media in China only grows each year. The already huge number of active social media users in the country grew from 2021 to 2022 by 5.6% to reach a total of 960.4 million. It’s something you cannot afford to ignore!

You should look to adopt a mix of shareable and interactive content, including contests, giveaways, and user-generated content (UGC) campaigns. Your end goal is to create brand visibility by fostering a sense of community.

Pro tip: consider leveraging Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok which has over 750 million daily active users. Think about showing your followers how your products solve their problems.

Discounts and Deals

Holidays are a great time for discounts and deals because consumers are ready to buy more. Holidays and festivals give you a chance to offer limited-time promotions to create a sense of urgency. Taobao, the domestic retailing website of Alibaba Group, enables sellers to issue coupons and offer discounts, helping them make the most of festival seasons.

Be Innovative & Authentic

At the end of the day, customers care if you care. The best way to do so is by engagingly telling an emotionally resonant story. You can go through successful campaigns by other brands to give you an idea of the kinds of stories you can tell.

For example, Orion, the company behind the popular Choco Pie snack, created a product with questions based on the Chinese New Year on the packaging, and humorous answers on the pie inside.

Another aspect to look out for is generative AI. Experts predict that generative AI will influence $194 billion in global holiday shopping spend in 2023. This trend includes China, where giant companies like Biadu Inc are intensifying their focus on generative AI. You can think about new and innovative ways to tell your brand story by using this remarkable technology.

How To Plan Your Festival and Holidays Marketing Campaign

Every brand is vying for attention, so you need to go beyond traditional festivities and think outside the box. If you surprise your audience with unique, authentic holiday connections, they’ll remember it forever.

Eggplant Digital is here to help you with a quicker, better way to plan your festival and holiday marketing campaigns. We provide China-specific advertising strategies to maximize your website traffic during the holidays and boost sales.

Get in touch with us today to learn more.

The post Understanding Chinese Festivals and Holidays for Effective Marketing Campaigns appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

Launched on January 1, 2000, with the goal of becoming an established search engine specifically for the Chinese language, Baidu is the search engine king in China.

Baidu: Not Just A Search Engine

Thanks to its many features, including Baidu Maps (百度地图), Baidu News (百度新闻), Baidu Baike – the online encyclopedia (百度百科), and many more, including voice and image search, Baidu has a nearly 70% market share in China. This makes it an essential platform if you want to target the Chinese market. Baidu’s search engine algorithm is different from other search engines. It’s important to get clear on Baidu’s details if you want to market successfully to China. Optimize your website accordingly. That’s why we chose to cover how to use Baidu SEO for newcomers, to give you a quick intro without too much confusion.

Understanding Baidu’s ranking algorithm

Baidu’s ranking algorithm is a complex system that takes into account a number of factors when determining the ranking of websites in its search results. If you are familiar with SEO, some of this will resonate. The main factors include:

• Keyword research: The keywords that you use on your website are one of the most important factors in determining your ranking in Baidu. Make sure to choose keywords that are relevant to your business and that people are actually searching for.
• On-page optimisation: The content on your website should be high-quality and relevant to your target audience. Optimize your title tags, meta descriptions, and content for your target keywords.
• Off-page optimisation: Building backlinks to your website from other high-quality websites is another important factor in Baidu’s ranking algorithm. The more backlinks you have, the higher your ranking will be.
• User engagement: Baidu also takes into account how users interact with your website when determining your ranking. This includes factors such as click-through rate, time on page, and bounce rate.
• Website speed: The speed of your website when determining your ranking is another ranking factor. A slow-loading website will be penalised in the search results.
• Mobile-friendliness: Baidu also considers how mobile-friendly your website is. A website that is not mobile-friendly will not perform so well in the search results.

Keyword research for Baidu

When you conduct keyword research for Baidu, it’s important to use a tool that is specifically designed for the Chinese market. Baidu Index (百度指数) is the tool you need. Baidu’s equivalent to Google Keyword Planner, Baidu Index is a valuable tool for anyone who wants to optimise their website for the Chinese market.

It can help you find the right keywords to target, estimate the potential traffic that your website could receive, and assess the competition for those keywords.

Key features of Baidu Index include:

• Keyword research: Baidu Index can be used to find keywords and phrases that are relevant to your products and services that businesses and consumers in China are currently searching for.
• Search volume: Baidu Index provides information on the search volume of keywords and phrases. This information can be used to estimate the potential traffic that your website could receive if you target those keywords.
• Competition: Baidu Index also provides information on keyword competition. This information can be used to assess the difficulty of ranking for those keywords.
• Related keywords: Additionally, Baidu Index provides information on related keywords and phrases. This information can be used to expand your keyword list and improve your search engine optimisation.

Tips for using Baidu Index:

• Start with a broad keyword: When you start your keyword research, it’s helpful to start with a broad keyword that is related to your business. For example, if you sell shoes, you might start with the keyword “鞋子” (“xiezi”).
• Use the search volume data to refine your keyword list: Once you have a list of broad keywords, you can use the search volume data to refine your list. Focus on keywords that have a high search volume and low competition.
• Use the related keywords data feature to expand your keyword list: This is a great way to find new keywords that you might not have thought of before to increase visibility via content like articles.

On-page/off-page optimization for Baidu

Tips for optimising web pages for Baidu:

• Optimize your title tags: Your title tag is one of the most important factors in determining how your page will rank in Baidu. Make sure your title tag is relevant to your content, and includes your target keywords.
• Optimize your meta descriptions: Your meta description is a short summary of your page’s content. It’s not used by Baidu to rank your page, but it can influence click-through rates (CTRs). Make sure your meta description is accurate and enticing, and includes your target keywords.
• Optimize your content: Your content is the most important factor in determining how your page will rank in Baidu. Make sure your content is high-quality, relevant to your target audience, and includes your target keywords.
• Use structured data: Structured data can help Baidu understand the content of your page. Use structured data to mark up your title, author, date, and other important information.
• Optimize your images: Images can help to improve the user experience of your page, and they can also help you to rank higher in Baidu. Make sure your images are relevant to your content, and include descriptive alt text.

Create high-quality backlinks for Baidu with off-page optimisation:

• Engage in guest posting on relevant websites: By writing valuable content for other websites in your industry, you can secure backlinks to your own website, enhancing its authority and visibility.
• Participate in blog commenting: Leave insightful comments on industry-related blogs, including a link to your website. This not only fosters engagement but also helps generate backlinks.
• Harness the power of infographics: Create visually appealing infographics that present valuable information. Share them on relevant websites, ensuring you include a link back to your own website.

How Do I Progress With My China Marketing Mix?

Baidu SEO is an essential part of any business that wants to target the Chinese market. Hopefully, you now have a better idea of how you can use Baidu SEO to benefit your business. Baidu is all in Mandarin Chinese, so you need a good level in the language in order to get things right. In our next Baidu article, we further delve into more specific Baidu SEO, including how to perform mobile optimisation for Baidu.
One thing you should probably consider next, is how social media is being used for research by consumers looking for foreign brands. Our recent article on social media marketing in China deals with this quickly, but with the depth needed to make good decisions.

If you have a specific question, drop us an email with your questions. We eat, sleep and breathe China marketing, so we’d love to hear from you. Contact us here!

The post How to use Baidu SEO For Newcomers appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

China has its own unique social media platforms. Explore how you can better use social media marketing in China to increase your brand awareness…

China’s Most Popular Social Media Sites and Platforms

WeChat (微信) – China’s “Super-App” created by Tencent, with everything you need for your daily life. WeChat (known in China as Weixin) is the most popular social media platform in China, with over 1 billion daily active Chinese social media users. Beyond just a Chinese social media app, WeChat is essentially a ‘one-stop’ app that you can use to buy everyday items, transfer money, book taxis, or even book flights.

WeChat’s notable features include: 

• WeChat Moments –  a Facebook newsfeed look-a-like, allowing users to share updates, photos, and articles
• WeChat Search – using search functionality, users can look for content within the platform, like official accounts or in-app eCommerce platforms; they can also find content from the internet (via the Sogou search engine)
• WeChat Pay – a digital wallet to make mobile payments and money transfers
  
• WeChat Mini Programs – apps within an app, WeChat Mini Programs are custom built apps that open direcly inside WeChat.

Douyin (抖音) – A Leading Chinese App for Short-Video Content

Translated into “shaking sound” in Mandarin, Douyin is a social network created by Bytedance, the makers of TikTok, with over 750 million daily active users in China. TikTok was originally a “copy” of Douyin, but now operates as a separate platform. Like TikTok, users can create, view and share short videos. Yet, unlike TikTok, which is only available outside China, Douyin, is only available for people inside China, and can only be found on the China App Stores. For ease, just call it “China-only TikTok” in your mind.

Chinese internet users rely on this app when they’re searching for entertainment and inspiration. This makes this app the perfect place for China advertising. Examples of luxury brands that created marketing campaigns in China using Douyin are Michael Kors, Oreo, Pizza Hut, and Adidas. Additionally, tourism or travel companies market their destinations and attractions to Chinese tourists. One thing to keep in mind about Douyin is that its audience is mostly formed of young people in their 20s or even younger. So, Douyin is the ideal social marketing app if you are targeting Gen Z shoppers. 

Weibo (微博) – The Chinese Version of Twitter With a Twist

Weibo, known as the Chinese version of Twitter (X), has over 250 million daily active users and 550 monthly active users. On this platform, users can view and share news content about current affairs, brands, or celebrities. Like Twitter, it offers features like trending topics and hashtags to increase visibility. But the platform also combines features similar to those on Facebook and Instagram. 

Opening a corporate Weibo account (not a regular, individual account) is essential if you want to market your products in China. A corporate Weibo account is the only way to get verified as a brand, helping you also to build credibility as a business. Additionally, Weibo followers tend to share more content from verified accounts. 

The Other Top Chinese Popular Social Media Platforms 

Xiaohongshu, or Little Red Book or simply Red, is known as China’s answer to Instagram and Pinterest. Xiaohongshu is famous for following and sharing content about fashion and celebrities. It has over 200 million daily active users.

Red is a social commerce platform where users share product photos, reviews, travel experiences, and lifestyle content. It’s popular among younger consumers and offers opportunities for influencer collaborations and user-generated content. The platform rewards users for posting suggestions and advice to other users. Brands will have first to be accepted on the platform to sell their products, but the platform also integrates delivery and customer service.

Another popular platform is Bilibili, a video-sharing platform known as “Chinese YouTube,” which has around 100 million daily active users. Subscribers use Bilibili for live streaming, in-depth videos, or teasers channeled to segments of the community interested in the same topics.  It’s an early adopter tool for foreign brands, particularly those that want to showcase innovative products.

Selecting the right mix of platforms and partnering with influencers whose audiences match your targets will ensure your messaging resonates in this fast-moving, socially-driven market. Researching influencers in your space with large followings on these platforms can maximize your reach.

Effective Tactics to Make Your Brand Visible on Chinese Social Media

Create Localized Chinese Social Media Accounts

When creating accounts for these platforms, they should feel authentically Chinese while also adhering to local rules and regulations. This means having: 

• Chinese language branding
• Tailored content for Chinese users
  

China-specific customer service and community management

For example, develop unique Chinese usernames and add a Chinese-language bio. Consistently post videos, images, and text optimized for Chinese users and the platform algorithms. Hiring Chinese locals to manage the accounts and content will make engagement more natural. Establishing a genuine presence on the right Chinese platforms lays the foundation for brands to build awareness and connect with consumers.

Also, keep in mind that Chinese cultural values are significantly different from Western values. Chinese people aren’t individualists. They place great value on family and don’t resonate well with ambiguous or overly aggressive sales messaging.  

Partner with KOLs and Install a KOC Program

Chinese people are absolutely in love with KOLs. KOLs aka “key opinion leaders,” is essentially the China mainland terminology for what is known in the West as an influencer.
Collaborating with key opinion leaders (KOLs) and key opinion consumers (KOCs) is invaluable for amplifying brand awareness and credibility with Chinese audiences. KOLs are well-known in the public eye and brands have been using them to build up their brand awareness. 

However, KOCs are a relatively new concept. Similar to influencers, they are everyday consumers who’ve built up a following on social media, usually with relatively small amounts of followers. they can connect with the customers on a level that a KOL may not be able to. The customers can see themselves in the KOC. 

Both KOLs and KOCs can play a big part in building up the awareness of your brand, so you should take them into account.

You can conduct research to identify top influencers in your niche with engaged followings and content that aligns with your positioning. Also, you can vet potential partners in terms of authenticity, quality, creativity of content, and follower engagement rates. Developing an official KOL program can help build long-term relationships through exclusive content, events, discounts, and early access to products.

On the other hand, installing a KOC program can also be beneficial. Xiaohongshu can be an ideal platform due to its algorithm’s tendency to favour small or emerging accounts. Just as with KOLs, you should first identify KOCs in your niche. Then, you can send them gifted products, hoping for positive reviews and exposure. For those KOCs who garner genuine engagement and interest around your brand through this, you can arrange paid partnership campaigns with stand-out voices. 

This allows you to test the partnership waters with little risk – only covering the costs of gifted products and shipping. Finally, you can formalize relationships with your most effective KOCs through post-campaign marketing deals, collaborations, and ambassador programs. This process starts small through gifting and builds towards a bigger payoff through formalized influencer marketing. When executed well, KOC programs enable brands to benefit from word-of-mouth promotion and the credibility of real consumer advocates. 

Create Content Tailored for Chinese Audiences

It’s essential for brands to tailor their content to Chinese cultural preferences and leading platform formats. For example, vibrant visuals and short-form video content perform well on Douyin and Weibo. WeChat favors bite-sized content due to limited screen space. Xiaohongshu users appreciate high-quality photos and detailed reviews. Always ensure the text is in simplified Chinese characters.

The DOs include focusing on Chinese cultural traditions, family values, food, travel, celebrities, and positive emotions. 

The DONTs include overly individualistic or foreign themes. You should adopt Chinese aesthetics and style for visuals and write engaging captions using trending hashtags and emojis. Developing creative localized content allows brands to resonate and shape positive perceptions among China’s digitally savvy consumers.

Run Contests and Social Commerce Campaigns

Running creative contests and social commerce campaigns can effectively drive participation and sales from Chinese audiences. As a brand, you can organize engaging user-generated content competitions on Weibo or WeChat, with hashtags and prizes to spur buzz and sharing. Livestream shopping events on platforms like Taobao, Xiaohongshu, or Douyin enable direct selling through product demos, reviews, and special discounts. 

You can use WeChat mini-programs to drive e-commerce sales. The fact that it has WeChat integration is a big bonus here. Users don’t need to download anything else or visit another app. They can browse and purchase items without leaving WeChat. 

Measure Results and Optimise

Closely monitor campaign performance and continuously optimise the strategies. Key metrics to track include impressions, engagements, video views, conversions, sentiment, and more based on each platform. 

Specific key metrics for WeChat:

• monitor subscribers gained, and articles read,
• share within chat groups
• sales are driven through mini-programs
  

Specific key metrics for Xiaohongshu include analyzing content interactions and product reviews. 

For Douyin, track video views, shares, comments, follows, and engagement rates. On Weibo, analyze post reach, shares, likes, sentiment, and traffic driven. 

You can use tools like WeChat Analytics, AppsFlyer, Kochava, and Tunel to gain insights.

You should look at metrics segmented by content type, influencer partnership, geography, and demographic; see what content themes, products, and campaigns generate the highest engagement and positive sentiment. 

Then, double down on what works and adjust underperforming initiatives. You should also make data-driven refinements to future content formats, production style, release schedules and campaign mechanics. Continually A/B testing and optimizing based on performance indicators will ensure social media efforts achieve maximum impact with cost-efficiency at scale. 

So What Is The Next Step? 

The key to effectively increasing your brand recognition and gaining traction through China’s influential consumer market is taking a localised approach to social media. With China’s unique digital ecosystem, you should keep in mind: 

• Establish an authentic presence on leading platforms like WeChat, Douyin, and Weibo.
• Collaborate with relevant KOLs and KOCs.
• Create tailored content.
  

Run your own engaging campaigns using Chinese social media sites and apps. Continuously optimise them based on your data.

While you do need to invest some resources to develop your own strategies on Chinese social media trends, it’s worth putting in the time if you have an offering that is compatible with businesses and consumers in mainland China. The country’s high internet penetration and the way Chinese consumers’ use social media as a e-commerce tool, create tremendous opportunities for awareness-building. 

If your brand targets social initiatives to generate word-of-mouth and direct engagement with audiences in China, you will be well-positioned to achieve some solid results for your business.

If you want to know what exactly you can do to boost your China presence, then check out our service page to get some ideas. If you need something more specific, we’re more than happy to chat marketing in China, so take 20 seconds to drop us a message.

The post How To Use Social Media Marketing in China to Promote Your Brand in 2023 appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

The concept of online businesses, multiple variations of products, and reaching out to clients through different business models is a journey embarked on by Chinese businesses. However, in this rat race, the protection of trademarks needs serious attention from every business entity that owns one.

As much as businesses are flourishing on their own, it has also been observed that many companies copy the work and products of others for their own success. Apart from this, sometimes businesses even make such mistakes in their trademarks that they cannot survive with them or have them appropriately registered.

Trademarks can be protected in various ways, and if someone violates and copies your brand, you can take multiple actions against them. If you have a detailed understanding of this subject, you can enforce your rights smartly.

Hence, if you are new to the Chinese business regime and looking forward to ways that may help you protect your trademark in China, you are in the right place. Our tips in this guide will provide you with a means of detailed understanding. So, let’s go through this guide and gain some understanding.

Exploring Trademark Laws in China

When looking into the protection of your trademark in China, the first thing you should know and understand is the laws and regulations of the trademark of China.

The trademark laws in China are governed by the Trademark Law of the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese government update its intellectual property laws rather frequently, makes efforts to strengthen them with each update and incorporate them in the registration process of trademarks. These laws are revised and updated every few years so that business interests may be protected in the best possible way.

The trademark system in China operates based on first filing, which means that the person who first applies for the trademark would get a chance to obtain legal rights to use that trademark and it becomes a priority to block similar later-filed trademarks from registration.

The trademark system of China is different in many ways compared to other countries; for instance, in the US, trademark registration is carried out at the state or federal levels. However, in China, it is done at the national level.

The registration process for a trademark in China takes about 7 to 9 months if no other complications are involved during the process; however, there are other countries that take far less than this.

China is very strict with its trademark laws, and every business must abide by them. If any infringement occurs upon a registered trademark, the business entity that owns the right to the infringed trademark has the right to enforce against the infringers.

Things to Do Before Trademark Registration

Before you file for trademark registration, there are a few things that you must do, and these are discussed below; these considerations will help you to register your trademark in a convenient way which is one of the essential aspects of your business:

Carrying out Some Research

Before you plan to file your application for trademark registration, make sure to carry out a trademark search. By doing this, you will be able to know better whether someone has the trademark you have chosen or not.

By conducting this search, you can save time later. You can use an online Trademark Search engine, or you can even hire an agent to do this job for you.

Selection of Trademark Agent

Lawyers need to work with a trademark agent who has a pre-set reputation. The entire registration process for a trademark could be navigated through a trademark agent. They are equipped with relevant knowledge and always share essential advice that helps you meet the registration requirements.

However, it is always suggested to hire a trademark agent who has a license and needs to gain experience in your industry.

Document Preparation

There are certain documents that you need to prepare beforehand when you are registering your trademark in China, and some of these documents are as follows:

• It would help if you had a power of attorney authorizing your trademark agent to register it on your behalf.
• Your business license and some legal documents allow you to register a trademark legally.
• Goods and services for which you will use the trademark must be provided in detail so you can register your trademark in the right class(es).
• The trademark copy is usually filed in black and white color for broader protection.

Always ensure that your documents are in Chinese; if you have your business outside China, you will need to have a translated copy of documents in Chinese.

If you consider exercising all these steps, you will be able to ensure that the registration application process is all set. This way, the chance of a successful registration also increases.

How to File Chinese Trademark Registration

If you are planning to file for your trademark registration in China, then there is a series of steps that you need to follow, and these are provided below:

Submission of Form

The first step to start with is filling out and submitting the form for trademark registration. Some of the essential details you will need along with this form include your name and address as an application, an appropriately represented trademark, one or more classes along with a detail on the goods and services you will like to be protected under this trademark.

If you have any priority claim, you will have to provide a proof of that priority and the date you will first use your trademark, followed by trademark agent’s submission of that priority claim with the Chinese trademark office (“CTMO”) for approval.

Make sure to fill out the form using accurate, appropriate details, as this form is the base of your trademark registration.

Submission of Fee

You must pay the registration filing fee once you have filled out the form. The fee charged for registration depends on the number of goods and services the business offers.

Hence, registration fee may be varied and you will get to know this when you submit the form for trademark registration.

Monitoring Process

Once you submit the application with the form and fee, the CTMO will examine it. They will check whether or not your registration meets the requirements. This examination takes about three to four months to explore the application.

The examination process may also be subjected to refusals by the CTMO, and you may need to submit additional details or documents if you believe your trademark should not be refused. Hence, it is important for you to always respond to such requests with prompt responses so that your registration process can survive, because once a deadline is passed there is no remedy but to submit a new application.

Opposition period

Trademarks chosen by you are published in the Trademark Gazette after it is preliminarily approved. This publication will be there for a span of three months, and during these three months, any other parties may oppose it if they think that their rights are infringed.

In cases where no opposition or unsuccessful oppositions occur, the trademark registration will be complete, and you will get a trademark registration certificate.

There are many grounds on which the rejection may occur, including conflicts with already registered or pending trademarks, in case of infringement of morality or public order, creating confusion with other trademarks, or showing a false connection with another entity.

Hence, to make the trademark registration process successful, it is very important to conduct thorough trademark search and choose a unique trademark so that your registration process may be successful.

Protecting Trademark in China

It is very important that you look forward to ways to protect your trademark in China once you have successfully obtained a trademark registration, there are different ways you can do this, and some of them are as follows:

Conduct Regular Monitoring

One of how you can protect your trademark in China is by carrying out regular monitoring. You need to keep an eye on the database of the CTMO so that you may get to know about any later-filed trademark that is identical or similar to you registered trademarks. If you find identical or similar trademarks being filed by other parties, you may consider filing an opposition against it.

You can also take services from a professional to keep track of the trademark, and if any violations occur, they may alert you instantly.

This monitoring should also be carried out over online marketplaces as they hold many businesses showcasing their products and services.

Enforcing Trademark Rights

In China, you can also protect your trademark through enforcement and consistently enforce your trademark rights by sending demand letters to infringers. You may also need to file complaints and take legal action.

This needs to be done with the help of an experienced attorney with sufficient professional skills to guide you in your best interest.

Many businesses must realize they can exercise their right because that is the protection offered by registering the trademark. Hence, it should be utilized in the best interest of the business.

Filing of Lawsuit in Case of Infringement

If your trademark has been infringed, you can file a legal case. This could be done in a Chinese court, but in case of legal action, you might have to go through a lengthy process which will also cost you a lot.

So, before you get through this, look for other ways to settle and keep it as your last resort. Sometimes, infringers remove your trademark after receiving a demand letter from you, and there is no need for legal action.

Registering Business Trademark in Chinese Characters

One very important way of protecting your trademark in China is to register it using Chinese characters. This helps protect it in the local Chinese market because people can recognize and know about your brand.

You can also have a Chinese name for your brand in addition to the English one to make your brand more appealing to Chinese customers.

Also, ensure that you monitor the online marketplaces because many platforms tend to carry out online counterfeiting in China.

Keeping an eye on everything is very important after registering your trademark because then only you can figure out whether someone is copying your trademark.

Mistakes to Avoid when Protecting Trademark in China

When registering your trademark in China, there are inevitable mistakes that you should avoid, which may comprise the following so that you may have a smooth registration process.

• In case if you fail to register your trademark on time, you may have to face the consequences because trademark registration in China is the first to file system. In case the same trademark application is given by someone else before you, you won’t be able to use this. So, to avoid it, file the application for your trademark registration as early as possible, preferably at the time of you launching you brand in your home country.
• One of the major mistakes many businesses make is that they did not have their trademarks registered, and assume to gain legal protection by just by using them. However, this is not the case; no matter how long you have been using a particular trademark, you must register it officially to get protection.
• If you have registered your trademark and need to monitor it, you may be unable to determine if someone else is using it. You should keep an eye on trade shows, online marketplaces, and all such sources where possible to monitor. By doing this, you will be able to find out if such infringement is happening, and also you will be able to take action against it.
• If you are monitoring your trademark and have registered it, another right you should exercise is the enforcement right. You must keep yourself prepared that upon detecting any infringement, you will need to take legal action against it by carrying out different means of warning the integers.

Conclusion

Trademark registration is one of the very important steps every business should take to protect their rights in the future.

However, after going through the guide above, you must have understood the significance of registering your trademark and how to protect it.

Although the registration process is long, the entire waiting time is worth opting for. Hence you will be able to ensure that your trademark is protected. So, carefully go through the details shared in this guide and get your trademark registered today.

Have a question?

Please add your comment below, so we can answer any questions you may have.

Sources:
http://www.npc.gov.cn/zgrdw/englishnpc/Law/2007-12/13/content_1384018.htm
http://gb.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/zywl/202112/P020211208000372996728.pdf

The post How To Protect Your Trademark In China appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

Adapt your service to the Chinese market

If you want to adapt your product or service to the Chinese market, you need to understand the local culture and market trends. If you’re not in China yourself, and you don’t have connections in China who you are in regular communication with, this may be a very difficult, if not impossible task. At least visiting China is advisable before you consider launching a startup there. The Chinese may have many common traits as a nation, but there are also different characteristics that define certain regions. Just in case you hadn’t appreciated how big China is, it’s almost the same size as the whole continent of Europe! You should also think of those regions as having some distinct differences, in the same way you do the nations of Europe. This will be a great benefit to your learning curve and process.

Understand Localisation In China

You need to research the needs and preferences of Chinese consumers, understand the local regulations and laws, and customise the product or service to meet the needs of Chinese customers. Additionally, you may need to provide support in Chinese, both oral and written and provide local payment options and delivery services. Finally, you’ll need to think about how to localize the product or service, making sure that the language, visuals, and features are tailored to the Chinese market – the importance of these factors can’t be emphasized enough.

Why Did Amazon Fail in China?

To understand why these factors are important, it may be useful to look at a case study of a company that entered the Chinese market with high aspirations but ultimately failed. One such example is Amazon. Undoubtedly one of the biggest startup success stories of all time, but they didn’t succeed in China. In 2019, Amazon pulled out of China after 15 years of operation, occupying only 0.6% of the market at the time. But what went wrong?

Amazon’s failure to succeed in China all came down to a failure to adapt and really understand the needs of Chinese consumers – in short, they made too many assumptions that things in China would be the same.

One clear example was their system of charging for delivery. This was a completely alien concept in China – competitors such as JD.com and Alibaba always offered free delivery as standard. Amazon simply did a copy and paste of their existing and successful model from back home without much research into how things were working in China at the time.

Understandably, the no-free delivery policy didn’t go down well with many Chinese consumers. Why would they buy from the only provider in the market charging for delivery? Looking back, it now seems strange to imagine that such an oversight would be possible from the likes of Amazon, but it happened.

Another issue was Amazon’s minimalist website design. A quick look on Taboao or JD.com gives you an indication of what the preferences of Chinese consumers really are – jam-packed with lots of colours and ads. So it was ultimately a failure to adapt and properly research their target market in China that cost Amazon dear. So where do you start on doing this for your project?

Know your Chinese customer through market research

Researching your target market in China can be a daunting task because as we have already explored, the Chinese market is vast and complex. However, there are several methods that can help you gain insights into your target market. The first step is to clearly identify your target audience in China – know the persona of your target customer. But how can you go about doing that?

One way is to use market research techniques such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, and analysis of existing data to gain a better understanding of their needs, preferences, and behaviours. Market research is critical because it can give you an idea if your company’s product or service has the potential to succeed. You should study similar startups and see how they succeeded or failed, and see if there is a sufficient gap in the market for your startup to operate.

Location Segmentation In China

Depending on the product or service you want to launch with your startup, you may also need to segment this market research by geographical terms (by region, or by major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai) or by age group (Gen Z’ers, middle-agers, etc).

Once you have identified the key characteristics of your target market,  use online tools and services to track trends and gain insights into the current market conditions. Additionally, use social media platforms to get feedback from potential customers, analyze customer reviews, and research competitors in the market. Finally, it is important to monitor changes in the market over time to ensure that your strategy remains relevant. Things change fast in the modern world!

How to conduct marketing for your startup in China

When it comes to marketing for startups in China, there are several techniques available. One effective strategy is to leverage social media platforms like WeChat and Weibo to reach your target audience. Depending on the nature of your startup, you may want to focus on or prioritise one or a couple of social media platforms. Traditional Western social media is almost exclusively banned in China, but there is no shortage of domestic platforms you cvan access.

The Importance Of WeChat in China

WeChat is the king of social media platforms in China and is all-encompassing. Not only is it a social media platform, but it is also the primary messaging app for Chinese people, and shares the vast majority of the online payment market in China with Alipay. There are however many social media platforms that you could consider using to reach your customers.

Online Techniques For Offline Sales: 020

Another technique that you should definitely consider is “020” (online to offline) marketing. This is the concept of using online marketing techniques to bring footfall into an offline store. 020 is huge in China, and it’s definitely recommended to do your research on how you could implement it in your startup. This is where setting up things like WeChat mini-programs can become a key part of the customer journey, as they build up and maintain customer relationships before and after they have visited the offline store.

How to conduct advertising for your startup

To conduct advertising for your startup in China and to increase brand awareness, you may want to look at working with KOLs (key opinion leaders), leveraging search engine optimization, or using paid online digital advertising (you would want to look at Baidu Ads, the dominant search engine in China, as Google is banned there). You could also use traditional media such as radio and TV to reach your target audience, or look into having a presence at relevant industry events and conferences so that you can increase your visibility and reach new customers.

One thing to bear in mind is that Chinese advertising regulations can be quite strict, so you’ll need to make sure what you’re advertising and what you’re saying in your messaging adheres to the rules. Also, you want to make sure you track and measure the performance of your campaigns. It depends on the platform that you have used, but you may want to use analytical tools such as Baidu Analytics to track the campaign.

So, that wraps up our two-part series on how to launch your startup in China. Hopefully, this has given you some useful advice if you’re considering launching your startup in the world’s biggest e-commerce market, or it has even inspired you to do so! If you haven’t done so, you can check out part 1 here.

If you have a specific question about business in China, then leave a comment or drop us a message via our contact form.

The post How to Launch Your Startup in China (Part 2) appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

China is ‘opening up’ again, with its zero-Covid policy being abandoned in December 2022. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to work out how to launch your startup in China. The country has a  complex consumer landscape, so you need to get the right strategies in place. As the PRC finally breaks free from its Covid restrictions, what startup strategies should you think about in order to reach your customers in 2023? 

Decide on your Chinese legal structure: the WFOE

The first step for any foreign entrepreneur looking to launch a startup in China is to decide upon your legal structure. The most popular option is the Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE). This structure allows 100 percent foreign ownership and gives businesses access to all Chinese markets, without having local partners or shareholders. It also provides tax benefits such as lower corporate income tax rates than those imposed by other legal structures. However, this structure does require a substantial capital investment upfront. It can take up to six months for approval from relevant government authorities before operations can begin.

The Joint Venture In China

Another option is a Joint Venture (JV). A JV involves one or more foreign investors partnering with one or more Chinese legal entities to form a business venture. The advantages of this structure include easier access to certain restricted industries, as well as potential cost savings due to sharing resources between partners. However, it requires strong communication between all involved parties since decisions must be made jointly rather than unilaterally by one partner alone. Therefore, a good grasp of Chinese, or at least a Chinese partner who can speak good English, would be crucial in order for this option to be viable. 

A third option is establishing a Representative Office (RO), which has fewer restrictions than WFOEs/JVs but cannot directly engage in any commercial activities. Although no registered capital is required, no profits can be generated through its operation either. Therefore, ROs are generally used mainly just for research or marketing purposes, or for feasibility studies while looking to explore the Chinese market. ROs can later be turned into WFOEs or JVs, but firstly, they must be shut down, and it can be a costly and lengthy process to switch over, taking up to 18 months. 

But if none of these solutions is appropriate for your startup, then setting up branches locally might also make sense. It really depends on how established your organisation already is abroad –  note though that even here some restrictions will apply regarding operational activities allowed. Consult a professional beforehand if considering this route.

Business opportunities to consider

As we’ve already mentioned, China is an increasingly attractive destination for foreign startups looking to expand their business. So what opportunities should you consider taking advantage of if you want to set up a startup in China?

For starters, China has one of the most vibrant startup ecosystems in the world. There are plenty of incubators and accelerators that can provide valuable resources such as mentorship, funding, office space, legal advice and more. This makes it easier for startups to get off on a strong footing when entering this new market. 

Furthermore, Chinese consumers are increasingly tech-savvy and open-minded towards innovation—making them ideal customers for disruptive products or services with global potential like artificial intelligence (AI) or e-commerce platforms. For example, mobile payments took off in China before pretty much anywhere else. 

Another opportunity for startups is the opening up again of the country after the pandemic. The Chinese government has long placed innovation at the core of its economic plans, but it is taking extra measures to incentivize startups in the post-pandemic era. These include tax incentives, financial assistance, and subsidies for research and development.
All things considered; whether it is cost savings (due to economies of scale), or access to Asia Pacific markets – starting up in China can present big advantages, making it an extremely attractive option for aspiring entrepreneurs worldwide. However, there are also challenges to consider.

Challenges to consider in China

For starters, setting up a foreign startup in China requires an immense amount of paperwork and bureaucracy due to its complex regulatory environment. Foreign companies must obtain approval from various government agencies before they can even begin operating within Chinese borders— a process that could take months or years depending on the company’s size and scope of operations. 

You should also consider that businesses may also need special permits or licenses if they plan on selling certain goods or services within China’s borders, as well as other restrictions such as limits on foreign ownership stake sizes for certain types of industries like banking/finance.

There is also another challenge: cultural differences between Western countries and China itself, which could lead to miscommunication issues between both parties when dealing with things such as customer service expectations or product designs tailored specifically towards Chinese consumers’ needs & wants. 

This is why your foreign startup looking into entering this marketplace should invest time into researching & learning about how best to approach your target audience so their products/services have a better chance at succeeding here than elsewhere.

Ultimately, however, while some might consider instability caused by economic tensions between China and other countries as yet another hurdle preventing them from taking advantage of all opportunities available here, savvy entrepreneurs will recognize these factors merely present additional risks but also great potential rewards if done right.

How to find the right partners for your China startup

Many foreign entrepreneurs find that partnering with Chinese companies can open up new opportunities and help them expand their business into one of the world’s largest markets. But how do you ensure you choose the right partner for your venture? 

You need to understand what type of company would be best for your needs. Do you need a manufacturing or logistics provider, an investor, or someone who can provide marketing and distribution support? Knowing this ahead of time will help narrow down potential partners quickly so that you don’t waste valuable resources on those who won’t fit your criteria.

Your Three Main Steps

Take some time to research each potential partner thoroughly before making any commitments. Check out their track record in terms of customer satisfaction and success stories from other startups they have worked with before yours—this information is invaluable when deciding if they’re worth investing in long-term relationships with them or not. Additionally, look into whether they have experience working internationally since this could affect how well prepared they are for adapting processes across different cultures as needed during collaboration efforts.

This one is pretty important- make sure both sides feel comfortable communicating openly about expectations upfront so there isn’t any confusion throughout partnership negotiations either way afterward – especially when it comes to financial arrangements between parties involved. This should also include setting clear goals regarding timelines/deadlines along with measurable outcomes expected at certain intervals too. All these factors should be discussed prior to entering agreements just like any other professional relationship would entail.

Finally – don’t forget: trust is key here so always go by gut instinct as well after doing due diligence beforehand. If something doesn’t seem quite ‘right’ then trust your intuition to really investigate if the partner is right for you!
As you’ll have gathered by now, the topic of startup strategies to reach your customers in China is a HUGE one. That’s why we’re splitting this topic in two – so stay tuned for part two of how to launch a China. We’ll look at adapting your product or service to the market, researching your target market, and marketing and advertising your startup. If you have any questions in the meantime, drop us an email here.

The post How to Launch Your Startup in China: (Part 1) appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

What isn’t so common is understanding exactly how website localisation works – the driving force of your localised presence. Entering a new market like China presents unique challenges and opportunities, making tailored localisation strategies essential for success.

Drawing on over a decade of experience and successful client projects in China, this updated 2025 guide highlights why and how Chinese website localisation is crucial for your business growth.

Why Do You Need Chinese Website Localisation And Translation?

Most people understand that China operates on a slightly different system from the rest of the world. We’ve all heard about the incredible opportunity of tapping into this huge market to sell your goods and services. However, you might have heard at least a few horror stories about how things can go badly wrong when trying to enter the Chinese market without proper localisation.

Chinese website localisation is more than just translation. It involves adapting to local user expectations, legal requirements, payment methods, and internet infrastructure—including the Great Firewall. Failing to address these can lead to misunderstandings, blocked access, or ineffective marketing strategies on platforms like Weibo and Douyin.

Our goal is to help your business enter China smartly, avoiding pitfalls and positioning you to succeed in this dynamic and complex market.

Best Practices For Chinese Web Localisation

Website localisation means you tailor your site’s language, culture, laws, buying habits, and technologies to the specific region—customising your web presence country by country.

In China, this complexity increases because of other factors such as the Great China Firewall and regulatory landscape.

The right way avoids legal pitfalls and maximises your return on investment. The right way is to understand how to position your brand for success. This means recognising that there are different regional Chinese languages and cultural requirements, which must be addressed for effective localisation.

If you want to do well in the PRC, your business really needs to be successful in the art of Chinese website localisation to effectively engage your target audience.

Translate Into Simplified Chinese

Would you shop on a site you don’t understand? Most users would simply leave. This is why translating your website into Simplified Chinese is essential to your success.

It’s important to remember that Simplified Chinese is not just one language, but a collection of multiple languages and dialects, each with its unique characteristics.

Mandarin is the spoken language most widely used in China. It is typically written using Simplified Chinese characters. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

With written Chinese content, using formal language is crucial in contexts such as technical documents or user interfaces to ensure clarity and professionalism, especially in the localisation process.

Avoid relying solely on machine translation or literal translation, as these can lead to misunderstandings and may even trigger content filters. By addressing these technical and linguistic challenges, companies can ensure their website is accessible, visible, and appealing to consumers, giving them a strong foothold in the market.

Engage With Chinese Internet Users

If you want to engage successfully, then your content needs to be easy for them to understand. The official and most commonly used language is Mandarin. The majority of the 1.4 billion people living in the PRC speak Mandarin and read and write Simplified Chinese characters.

If you don’t present your Chinese web content in a way that Chinese internet users understand, then you may as well be doing the equivalent of asking a typical Westerner to read Mandarin. In more than 99% of cases, it just isn’t going to fly.

It is also important to create a Chinese version of your website tailored to the specific region you are targeting. For example, if you are targeting Taiwan, you should provide a version using traditional Chinese characters, reflecting the unique linguistic and cultural identity of Taiwan. Always ensure that your new version aligns with the language and cultural preferences of your intended audience.

Optimise Your Content For Chinese Search Engines

Search engines in China operate differently from Google. Baidu leads with over 60% market share domestically and controls more than 95% of mobile search traffic. Unlike Google, Baidu has its own algorithms and preferences, so tailoring your SEO strategies to these platforms will help your site appear in search results for Chinese users.

Google doesn’t work in China because of the Great Firewall. Baidu leads the search engine race in the PRC, with over 60% of the local market share. Working on Baidu SEO is also crucial for mobile search, which accounts for over 95% of all of China’s mobile traffic.

Design Your Website With A Mobile-First Strategy

China is home to over a billion smartphone users, making mobile optimisation a non-negotiable aspect of website localisation. Chinese consumers expect websites to load quickly, display flawlessly on different devices, and offer intuitive navigation tailored for mobile screens, all essential aspects of website design. Features like large, easy-to-tap buttons, streamlined menus, and fast-loading images are essential for keeping your users engaged.

To further enhance the mobile experience, your business should integrate mobile-specific functionalities that are popular in China, such as WeChat Pay, Alipay, and QR code scanning. These features not only make transactions smoother for e-commerce but also build consumer trust by aligning with local user habits.

For companies looking to succeed in China’s booming e-commerce sector, a mobile-first approach is critical. A well-optimised mobile website can drive sales, foster loyalty, and help your brand stand out. So what’s the best way to avoid slow loading times?

The average user in China is unlikely to wait more than 5 seconds for a website to load. Western companies sometimes find their site takes 30 seconds or more to load due to China’s “Great Firewall.” Most users won’t wait 30 seconds for a page to load.

When designing for Chinese users, it’s also important to accommodate local practices, such as allowing users to register or log in with their phone numbers, which are commonly used as usernames.

Additionally, since Google Maps is blocked in China, integrating local mapping solutions like Baidu Maps is essential to ensure compatibility and a seamless user experience.

Localise Your Brand Name

Your brand name needs to be well-crafted in Mandarin Chinese. Coca-Cola is a good example of a Chinese brand name done well. After a failed first attempt, the soft drinks giant chose 可口可乐 (Kěkǒukělè) for the Chinese market. “Kěkǒukělè” sounds similar to Coca-Cola and means “tasty fun.” This makes it an effective localisation strategy. It is important to remember that, if you get it right, you can optimise your content, rather than make it just passable. See this as an opportunity.

Choosing the right Chinese name for your brand requires linguistic expertise and cultural insight to avoid missteps and maximize resonance. Work with professional translators and regional experts to ensure your brand’s tone, style, and messaging align well with local consumer expectations.

Build Trust And Credibility With Your Chinese Audience

One major expectation you must meet is that Chinese customers want to chat with your company or brand during the pre-sale process in real time. It’s important you have a live-chat function where your customers can ask you specific questions about your product or service, including if a product is in stock and how long delivery takes.

A great way to do live chat is via China’s “super app” WeChat, the Chinese equivalent of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp all rolled into one. WeChat-based customer service is now standard practice in China, and adopting it signals your commitment to serving the local market effectively.

Ensure Accessibility Beyond The Great Firewall

For foreign companies, one of the biggest hurdles to reaching Chinese-speaking users online is the Great Firewall of China. This sophisticated system can block or slow down websites that are not optimised for the local environment, making accessibility a top priority in the localisation process for websites for China.

To ensure your website is fast and accessible to different regions across all of China, it’s ideal to host your site on servers located inside the Firewall or use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) with nodes inside the country. This not only improves website loading speeds but also reduces the risk of your site being blocked or experiencing downtime.

If you want to learn more about how to improve your website, check out our tips for optimising your WordPress site in China!

Legal Requirements To Enter The Chinese Market

When you set up your website for the Chinese market, your choice of hosting provider is critical and governed by distinct legal requirements specific to your target audience. You essentially have two main options: hosting your business directly inside Mainland China or choosing a location nearby.

Hosting Inside Mainland China

If you want to host inside China, it requires several administrative steps first. You need to:

• Register a Chinese domain name
• Apply for an Internet Content Provider (ICP) licence, a mandatory permit issued by the Chinese government that can take up to two months to receive.

China has a unique internet regulatory environment, including censorship laws, data privacy rules, and licensing requirements. Your website content must comply with these regulations to avoid blocks or penalties. Additionally, obtaining a Chinese top-level domain (.cn) is advisable to enhance your site’s local credibility.

The Great Firewall, which controls internet access in China, frequently impacts website accessibility and functionality. Since it operates dynamically, regular testing of your website from within China is essential to ensure fast loading and proper operation of all pages and links.

Hosting Outside Mainland China

You can also skip all the admin and use cloud hosting in Hong Kong. By deciding to host your site in Hong Kong, you get:

• No regulatory hassle – unlike setting up inside China, where the localisation process can be more complicated. No licences are needed, and it is as quick as setting up at home.
• Fast and reliable internet with close proximity to Mainland China, though technically outside the Great Firewall
• Immediate access to the Chinese market.

While hosting outside China may not deliver the absolute fastest load speeds, Hong Kong hosting strikes a good balance between ease, speed, and access.

What Is The Key Takeaway Here?

If you take the time to accurately understand the challenges and follow established best practices for setting up your China-friendly digital presence, you can have a truly successful online presence in the PRC. You can also check out Synclone to help you in your journey on the Chinese market!

We love discussing details on China digital marketing and all related topics, so please contact us anytime!

The post Chinese Website Localisation: Tips And Best Practices appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

There are a number of things you need to be aware of if you want to ensure your website is fast and accessible in China, so in this blog post, we aim to cover everything you need to know.

What is the Chinese firewall?

For those familiar with China, you probably know that China uses a censorship system to block certain websites and content from being accessed by people in China. The Chinese firewall is also known as the “Great Firewall of China” or simply “the Great Firewall”.

The Chinese firewall was first implemented back in 2003 it was introduced to control the flow of information into and out of China. It can be used to block foreign websites that are deemed to be “sensitive” or “controversial”.

One of the most notable examples of a website that is blocked by the Chinese firewall is Google. Other popular websites that are blocked in China include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. For a more comprehensive list of websites that are not accepted in China, we recommend you check out this web page.

The Chinese firewall can also slow down a foreign website if it is not hosted inside China. This is because the data has to travel further to reach China and because it puts restrictions on how much data can flow in and out of China.

This is why it’s useful to host your website inside China if you want to ensure it is fast and accessible for potential customers in China.

What kind of website content is not accepted in China?

There are many restrictions on the kinds of content that can be published on websites inside China. Website content that is not accepted in China includes:

• Pornography
• Gambling
• Drugs
• Violence
• Criticism related to politics in China

If you’re planning on targeting potential customers in China, it’s important to make sure your website does not include any of the content above. Otherwise, your website may be blocked by the Chinese firewall.

It’s important to note that these restrictions also apply to WeChat websites and mobile apps. WeChat is a popular app in China, and many businesses use it to reach potential customers. For example, by publishing blog posts or news content, so we need to be aware that all the same restrictions exist across all Chinese 3rd party platforms as well.

The Chinese Firewall is not only about restrictions

One of the biggest differences about living in China is that most popular foreign social media platforms are not available there. This includes Google, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. A major reason is that these sites are not under the control of Chinese companies, so the content cannot be blocked or censored as easily.

However, another reason is that China wishes to encourage homegrown talented entrepreneurs to build Chinese-made platforms and turn them into fast-growing companies. Since Facebook was first blocked in 2009, it allowed space for platforms such as Weibo, Douyin (TikTok), and Tencent’s WeChat to be developed and gain traction, whereas in other countries American platforms have such a strong foothold, local companies cannot compete.

So where foreign businesses might want to compete in China with local platforms to gain subscribers or followers, they might find the playing field is not level. China’s homegrown enterprises have deep pockets, government support and a pool of very talented engineers.

As a result, many foreign businesses find that the best way to reach Chinese consumers is through using the social media platforms developed in China, such as WeChat.

This is why it’s important to consider a WeChat-friendly website if you want to ensure your website is accessible in China.

Web services you should avoid on your website

As we’ve discussed, many web services are not available in China or are very slow and unreliable. This includes Google maps, Facebook and YouTube. We recommend avoiding integrating these types of services into your website as they will only add to the frustration of trying to use your website in China.

Instead, we recommend using alternatives such as Baidu maps, Weixin or local video-sharing platforms. These services are developed by Chinese companies and are much more reliable in China.

In terms of social media, there is not much point to include links to Facebook or Twitter on your website as these platforms are not accessible in China. However, it can be useful to include links to Chinese social media platforms such as Weibo and WeChat, so that your visitors can follow you on these platforms.

Recently, Linkedin announced the Chinese version would be pulling out of China, so it’s no longer possible to use this platform to reach Chinese businesses or individuals either. So don’t forget to check that any outbound links you include on your website are still working.

Why WeChat is a great addition to your website

As we’ve discussed, the vast majority of China’s netizens are using WeChat on a daily basis. WeChat is not only a messaging app, but it also has many other features such as official accounts and mini-programs, which are like mini apps that live within the WeChat ecosystem.

This makes WeChat a powerful tool for businesses wanting to reach Chinese consumers. A WeChat website is a great way to ensure your website is accessible in China and to reach a wider audience.

WeChat mini-programs are particularly popular as they offer a seamless user experience within the WeChat app. This means that users don’t have to download separate apps for each service they use, which makes life much easier.

Including a WeChat website is a great way to improve the user experience for your Chinese visitors and to ensure your website content is accessible in China.

What are the benefits of hosting my website inside China?

If you’re targeting Chinese consumers, then it’s important to consider hosting your website inside China. This is because the Chinese firewall can slow down foreign websites, and this is often very frustrating for users.

Hosting your website inside China also has other benefits, such as improved performance and reliability. This is because hosting providers in China have a better understanding of the local market and how to optimize their services for Chinese users.

However, it’s important to note that hosting your website inside China comes with some risks. The Chinese government can block websites without notice, and this is often done without any explanation.

Additionally, hosting your website inside China means that you will be subject to Chinese laws and regulations. This includes censorship laws, which means that certain topics and keywords are not allowed on your website.

If you’re considering hosting your website inside China, then it’s important to weigh up the pros and cons before making a decision.

So what’s your next step?

Now that you know more about how to ensure your website is fast and accessible in China, it’s time to put this into practice.

If you’re not sure where to start, then we recommend checking out our other blog posts on this topic. We also offer a range of services to help businesses succeed in China, so feel free to get in touch if you need any help.

China is a huge and growing market, and we want to help you tap into this opportunity. Thanks for reading!

The post How to ensure your website is fast and accessible in China appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

Although YouTube and Vimeo are blocked, video-sharing is still a popular activity in China. In fact, according to data compiled by the China Netcasting Services Association (CNSA) from June 2020, short films surpassed instant messaging with an average daily usage time of 110 minutes per person. This was a huge increase from 2018, when the typical day’s usage time was only 30 minutes per person. As of 2024, China’s audio and video industry saw a market size surge to 1.22 trillion yuan (USD 168 billion) and a market size growth of 6.1% year on year. According to the CNSA, the industry became a major player for job creation as approximately 757 000 companies are currently operating in this sector. Platforms like Douyin (Chinese TikTok), Kuaishou, and Bilibili have seriously grown in popularity due to the increasing demand for short videos.

So now, let’s deep dive into the 5 platform alternatives in China that you can use to embed videos on your website.

Why is YouTube Blocked in China?

YouTube is widely used globally for entertainment, education, and news. However, it has been blocked for the Chinese audience since 2009 due to several reasons:

• Censorship enforcement. YouTube’s open platform allows content that may criticize the Chinese government or discuss sensitive political topics, which conflicts with China’s strict censorship policies.
• Media control. China tightly regulates information to maintain social stability and control public opinion, and YouTube’s user-generated content model undermines this control.
• Protecting domestic platforms. Blocking YouTube helps promote and protect homegrown platforms like Youku, Bilibili, and Tencent Video on the Chinese market, which comply with government regulations.

The ban is enforced through the Great Firewall, which is a censorship and surveillance system that blocks access to YouTube and many other Western social media sites.

Top 5 Video Platform Alternatives to YouTube in China

With YouTube blocked in China since 2009, Chinese users have turned to domestic platforms that offer rich video content and interactive features tailored to local preferences and regulations, effectively creating a landscape of YouTube alternatives in China.

YouKu: The Pioneer Chinese Video Platform

YouKu is one of the most popular video platforms in China. It is similar to YouTube as it allows users to upload, view, and share videos. However, YouKu also has some unique features, such as the ability to live stream events.

Youku’s library has movies, documentaries, user-generated content, etc. It was acquired by Alibaba in 2015. As of March 2024, Youku has 173 million monthly active users.

One downside of YouKu is that it includes advertisements. These ads can be annoying for website visitors and may deter some people from watching. Unlike YouTube, the ads will even appear for embedded videos. This can be a problem as the ads will often run for 30 seconds and are usually not skippable, which is not ideal for your user experience.

However, most Chinese platforms show ads, so YouKu is not unique in this regard. In order to avoid ads complicating matters further, YouKu has a paid subscription option that gives users an ad-free experience.

PolyV: Subscription-Based Content Sharing

PolyV is another popular Chinese platform. It is similar to YouKu in that it allows users to upload, view, and share videos. However, PolyV does not have any advertisements; instead, its payment model is based on a monthly subscription, making it an attractive choice in the video market.

This can be a great option if you don’t want your viewers to be bombarded with ads. However, it is important to note that PolyV’s monthly subscription fee can be quite expensive. One of the main use cases for PolyV is for websites with paid or gated content, as the no-ads policy ensures a better user experience for viewers who are paying for access to your content.

PolyV also has some great features, such as the ability to live stream events and the option to password-protect videos. This can be useful if you want to keep your videos private or only accessible to certain people.

If you need to upload, publish, or embed videos onto your website for documentation, instructional, or training purposes, then a paid subscription to PolyV is likely a good option for you.

Ixigua: Long-Form Entertainment with Short Clips and Premium Content

Ixigua is a Chinese video-sharing platform that contains a mix of longer videos, like movies and TV episodes, as well as shorter clips and live streams. It is similar to YouTube and other platforms in that it allows users to upload, view, and share videos.

Ixigua does have advertisements, but they are not as intrusive as the ads on YouKu. Ixigua also has a premium subscription option that removes ads and gives your users access to exclusive content.

It’s not a secret that ByteDance, the same company behind Douyin, TikTok, and Toutiao, owns this Chinese platform. However, it is not well-known outside of China. Even so, we think it has a bright future!

QQ Video: Tencent’s Multimedia Video Platform

QQ Video is a Chinese video platform that is owned by Tencent, one of the largest internet companies in China. QQ video is similar to other Chinese video platforms in that it allows users to upload, view, and share videos.

However, QQ video has a few unique features, such as the ability to download videos for offline viewing and the option to share videos with people who are not registered QQ users.

QQ video also has a premium subscription option that removes ads and gives users access to exclusive content. In addition, Tencent offers enterprise-level solutions for businesses that want to use QQ video for marketing or internal communications purposes.

Overall, QQ video is a great option for Chinese video sharing, especially if you are already using other Chinese social media platforms, such as WeChat or QQ.

Iqiyi: The Netflix of China

iQiyi is often called the “Netflix of China” because of its dominant position in the Chinese market and its extensive library of TV shows, films, and original content. Unlike Netflix, which relies almost entirely on subscription revenue, iQiyi generates income from multiple streams, including advertising, content distribution fees, and subscriptions. This diversified model has helped iQiyi grow its paying subscribers rapidly, reaching over 112 million daily subscribers by early 2024.

iQiyi produces a significant amount of reality shows, which are less costly to make than scripted dramas, and has benefited from regulatory changes that have lowered production costs. The platform hosts a wide range of content, from high-quality original dramas like The Story of Yanxi Palace to popular variety shows such as Rap of China. Its user-friendly and fast app experience, combined with a modest subscription fee, appeals broadly to Chinese viewers.

Bilibili: The Video Platform for Anime Lovers

Bilibili stands out as a vibrant platform that caters primarily to China’s youth and niche subcultures. It has cultivated a unique community centered around anime, comics, gaming, and other elements of youth culture, distinguishing itself from more mainstream platforms like iQiyi.

Known for its interactive features such as “bullet comments” (real-time scrolling user comments over videos), Bilibili has a highly engaged and participatory audience, making it a standout in the video market. This makes it a cultural hub where young users share interests in creative content, indie music, and emerging internet trends. The platform also hosts e-sports events and user-generated content, which further solidifies its appeal among younger demographics.

Bilibili has become a critical platform for advertisers and brands aiming to connect with China’s Gen Z and millennial consumers, who value originality and subcultural identity

Embedding Videos Directly on Your Website

If you are developing a website for the Chinese market and don’t want to use any of the Chinese platforms, then another option is to embed videos directly on your website. This should also be done alongside registering a Chinese Domain Name (CDN), which will help to ensure the fast delivery of your videos.

One downside of this approach is that you need to organise the hosting yourself. This can become expensive if you have many videos. Also, if you expect to have a large volume of traffic, then you need to ensure that your hosting solution can handle a large number of visits. The costs could potentially outweigh the benefits, but it depends on your specific situation.

Technically, it is not so simple, as you need to ensure the right video codecs are used, embed using a customised video player, and set up the CDN infrastructure. This is something we have done for many of our clients, so feel free to get in touch if you have questions on this.

Overall, if you want to improve the localisation of your Chinese website, embedding videos directly on your website can be a good option. However, you should first consider the costs and complexity before deciding if this is the right approach for you.

Breaking into China Doesn’t Have To Be Difficult

As you can see, there are a number of different options for embedding videos into your Chinese website. YouKu, PolyV, Ixigua, Tencent Video, as well as embedding videos directly on your website, are all viable options. The best approach depends on your specific needs and requirements. However, with a little bit of research, you should be able to find the best solution for your needs.

Chinese internet users are used to seeing advertisements on platforms, but if you don’t want to see ads, then you will need to pay for a premium subscription. If you simply want to share videos with friends and family, then you can use one of the Chinese social media platforms, such as WeChat or QQ. And finally, if you want more control over your videos and are still looking for the best hosting for your business, you can just embed videos directly on your website.

If you have any experience with Chinese video sharing or you want to get some videos hosted, then drop us a comment below, we’ll be happy to share our experience and point you in the right direction. Confused about Chinese internet regulations? Check out our guide on how to obtain an ICP license in China first!

If you don’t have much time for research and you just want a website in China in record time, then check out our new rapid site service at Synclone.

The post 5 Popular Chinese Video Platform Alternatives to YouTube in China appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

Here are 5 quick reasons why you should consider doing this:

1. A .CN domain name will help you rank higher in Chinese search engines.
2. It shows that you’re serious about doing business in China.
3. A .CN domain name is more memorable for Chinese customers.
4. It indicates that you’re an official business entity in China.
5. You’ll have exclusive rights to the domain name, and no one else can register it.

Rank Higher In Chinese Search Engines

China is the world’s most populous country, with over a billion people. This presents a huge opportunity for businesses of all sizes to reach new customers and grow their operations. To help customers find your website, you’ll want to appear in Chinese search engines, such as Baidu.

One way to improve your chances of appearing in these search engines is by registering a domain name with the .CN extension. This tells the search engine that your website is China-specific and relevant to searchers in China.

As a result, you may see an increase in traffic from China, which can lead to more sales and revenue for your business.

Show That You’re Serious About Doing Business In China

Another reason to register a .CN domain name is that it shows that you’re serious about doing business in China. By investing in a Chinese domain name, you’re indicating to potential customers that you’re committed to serving them.

This can help build trust with Chinese consumers and make them more likely to do business with you.

A .CN Domain Name Is More Memorable For Chinese Customers

If you’re targeting China’s huge consumer market, it’s important to have a domain name that’s easy for Chinese customers to remember. After all, if they can’t remember your website’s address, they’re not going to be able to visit it.

The .CN extension is the perfect solution because it’s short and simple. This makes it easy for customers to remember your website’s address and find it when they need it.

It Indicates That You’re An Official Business Entity In China

When you register a .CN domain name, you’re also indicating that you’re an official business, why is this important? Well in China there have been many unfortunate cases of brands being copied or stolen. So Chinese customers are careful to ensure they are dealing with a legitimate business.

By registering a domain name with the .CN extension, you’re telling customers that you’re the real deal and they can trust doing business with you.

You’ll Have Exclusive Rights To The Domain Name

Finally, when you register a .CN domain name, you’ll have exclusive rights to it. No one else will be able to register it, which gives you an added layer of protection for your brand.

This is important because it ensures that customers will always be able to find your website, even if someone tries to copy your brand.

So there you have it! These are just a few of the reasons why registering a .CN domain name is a good idea for businesses looking to expand in China.

If you’re interested in registering a .CN domain name, contact us today and we’ll be happy to help.

Do you have any other tips for businesses looking to expand into China? Share them with us in the comments below! And be sure to check out our other blog posts for more tips on how to succeed in China’s burgeoning economy.

The post 5 Reasons to Register a Chinese Domain Name (.CN) appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

The new normal of what we all care about

You may have heard of “the great resignation” – a term given to the epic scale quitting of jobs that happened during coronavirus lockdowns. Huge numbers of people felt like their lives hadn’t been meaningful enough. Quitting work and a rethink of values was the main change. People left their jobs in the millions, their purpose and sense of meaning reframed by coronavirus restrictions and a realisation that there was actually more to life than working a seemingly meaningless job.

Commuting also came in for a difficult time. As laptop workers began working from home, they realised that months and years of their lives had been spent in traffic jams and eating low-quality overpriced convenience food. It wasn’t about the money, it was about the value they put on their time.

The remote work movement has changed

Remote work clearly went up, not just “working from home”. Suddenly the Zoom became understood as a worthwhile replacement for most face-to-face meetings. The world is still trying to figure out the best way to work if staff don’t actually need to be present to do their jobs. So many more people are working from places that are not home. We are seeing a move towards a results-based economy where people are getting paid for doing their jobs rather than spending time in an office. We look forward to seeing how this evolves. This will be interesting for anyone working in the digital economy…

Where is the ethical discussion going in relation to the future of servers and new tech?

The truth is that we don’t actually know how electricity consumption is going to play out in the future. Bitcoin could be good or bad for the energy industry, but right now, we really just don’t know. What we do know is that right now servers are struggling with the green agenda and we need to be on the right side of the environmental fight.

Servers are struggling with the green agenda and we need to be on the right side of the environmental fight

The server numbers we know about

Right now, in the USA alone, there are around three million data centres.That is 2% of the national power usage. Each year, a single server produces more carbon dioxide than a car. Over 10 years ago, globally, data centres were consuming the energy created from 14 coal-fired 1000 megawatt power plants. And these numbers are only going up—soon the emissions caused by servers will be on the same level as the aviation industry, so it is time to start taking some notice and consider our own impact in this area.

Source: https://www.energy.gov

It’s not all bad: we’re making better choices in 2022

Renewable energy is also on the up. Business and consumers are increasingly aware of who they want to buy from. The global public is now very aware of the negative costs of certain ways of doing business and is now more vocal about conscious business practice. Everyone on the planet now has a voice via social media and is using it.

How “Earth Day” works

Earth Day is a global climate action summit. Organisations, companies, schools, and individuals host live events, web streams, and ecologically beneficial activities in order to promote awareness and change in the fight against global warming. You can find an event either online or near you by looking at the Earth Day site. There is a convenient map to help you see what is happening on April 22 2022. It is fairly quick and easy to find something relevant to your organisation or business.

Invest In Our Planet

Eggplant Digital and “The Responsible Company”

The book "The Responsible Company" is a book about social corporate responsibility in modern times. At Eggplant Digital we are fully inspired by the fact that it is possible to run a successful company and still do things the right way by making fair and sensible choices about “who and how” in your business. They also talk about how every company, large or small, has a responsibility to try and be sustainable. Although this is almost impossible to achieve, we should try to do that at the level within our ability. As a result we decided to take immediate action on one thing that stood out for us: our servers.

How do we do this?

We decided to partner with ecologi.com in order to immediately offset the carbon footprint of our servers, which are all located in Hong Kong and Mainland China. But why ecologi.com? Well, quite simply, after months and months of in-depth research, we found they were the most transparent and thorough organisation to partner with. They also happen to be from Bristol, UK (which is incidentally very close to where I’m from) so we were actually aware of them on a local level, which was a nice touch. Last but not least, being a UK offsetting charity brings with it some very strict oversight and regulation. We’ve heard too many stories in the past of due diligence failing on environmental issues, so we wanted to be sure Eggplant Digital can stand firm with our new policy.

Ecologi.com 100% has the benefit of the planet at heart. This is clear when you examine how efficient their funding system is. It also allows us to work in real time with our contributions to show exactly what is being done at any given moment to offset the carbon from our servers.

Currently we also offset our staff Co2, so that is a flat contribution each month per person. Now, for each order that is made on our website, our shopping cart automatically orders a tree from Ecologi. Yes, we’re actually growing our own mini-forest, tree by tree in realtime! Feel free to check out the details of our policy in more depth, or drop us an email. We’re more than happy to chat with you about how to implement something like this.

It is a very rewarding process to implement and we really encourage you to do something similar if you feel that it is right for your business, or for yourself as an individual. https://ecologi.com/eggplantdigital

Can you do the same?

You can. It is very simple. There are two ways to do this. The first is to sign up with ecologi and go green by contributing with them.
If you are looking to run a global server, then consider using our high-speed Hong Kong or Mainland China based service. It now automatically has carbon offsetting included. If you want to know more about how it works, drop us a message here in the comment section and we’ll be happy to explain it.

The post How to give your online presence an ethical edge appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

However, this all-encompassing attribute that Google Analytics offers is not sufficient for websites hosted within China, where many aspects of Google is not available. This is when Baidu Analytics (Tongji) comes in.

What can you do with Baidu Analytics (Tongji)?

Most marketers and web developers outside of China are familiar with Google Analytics and the functions it offers. What are some of the key features of its equally efficient Chinese counterpart?

Some key features of the analytical tool include:

1. Page traffic – with this function, you can find out which is your most popular webpage, session duration, total number of visitors, redirected sites (both outbound and inbound)
2. Audience demographic – location, age, device, education level, preferences
3. Top search keywords – what keywords did visitors use in their searches to redirect them to your website
4. E-commerce tracking – allows retailers to track their sales and inventory
5. Advertisement tracking

What are the differences between Google Analytics and Baidu Tongji?

• Language – The only language available in Baidu Tongji is Simplified Chinese. Google Analytics, on the other hand, is available in almost 50 languages, include both Simplified and Traditional Chinese.
• Localised data — Data collected by Baidu Tongji is more localized and detailed. For example, its visitor demographic tracking tool is able to isolate more comprehensive IP addresses, which leads to more accurate geographical location of visitors to a page.
• Traffic segregation – Baidu Tongji keeps traffic stats from mobile and desktop separate.
• Missing features – Popular features available in Google Analytics, such as AdWords integration and site search, are not available in Baidu Tongji.
• Tracking number of page views — Baidu Tongji does not have any limits on the number of page views tracked, while the similar function on Google Analytics is capped at 5 million page views. Users will need to upgrade to the paid version of Google Analytics if they wish to track page views beyond the limit.
• Baidu’s integration and interface — When it comes to PPC in China, Baidu PPC is unlike any other, having developed rapidly in recent years and is currently the best in the country. The key to Baidu’s success is their focus on search engine keywords which makes their targeting much more effective and precise. Needless to say, Baidu PPC is an important marketing tool in China. An incentive to make use of this tool is the ease with which marketers can access detailed data related to their ad campaigns right on the Baidu Tongji interface. This is a perfect example of Baidu’s seamless integration of its functions on an easy-to-use interface.

What you can do:

Use both Google Analytics and Baidu Tongji simultaneously to monitor your website. Google Analytics will provide necessary data, while Baidu Tongji will add value by offering additional, more localised stats.

While Google Analytics may cause some issues for users within China, there should not be any problems for you to use it outside China while targeting sites hosted there.

The best way to safeguard your website is by taking it on a test run before launching or going live with it. Monitor its performance and take note of any concerns, such as latency and loss of data.

The post Google Analytics vs Baidu Analytics appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

In order to keep up with these changes, businesses have had to update and manage their marketing strategies regularly. Are you up-to-date with what’s “in” and what’s not? Here is a list of the top social media platforms that Chinese businesses and corporations rely on to reach their target audience and boost sales.

WeChat

It started as a messaging app but has grown into a monster of a social media app. WeChat now allows users to play games, make payment, shop online, transfer funds, scroll through the latest news via a Facebook-like feed, and book appointments.

There are 1.2 billion active users exchanging 38 billion WeChat messages every day and the average user spends over an hour on the app daily. While WeChat is not the go-to platform to have your content go viral, it is effective in engaging your target audience on a more personal basis by publishing marketing content and news.

Sina Weibo

Similar to Facebook, Sina Weibo is a microblogging platform where users can connect with celebrities, friends by sharing videos, pictures, text, and livestreams. The environment in Weibo is conducive to making your content viral, and when you do, you can potentially reach the 525 million active users, 82% of whom shop online regularly.

Weibo is the perfect platform for businesses that want to promote their product or service, and also for those that seek feedback from users, as it is an open environment where everyone’s comments and posts are visible.

Youku

A video hosting platform, Youku is one of the top video streaming platforms in China. There are 500 million active users on a monthly basis, and over 40 million daily users. The average video views have hit just a little over 1 billion.

The ways that businesses can promote their products and services on Youku are:

Through advertising via digital ads. You can choose to have your ad displayed before, during or after a video is played. Based on the type of ad you are advertising, Youku will display it in accordance with a specific target audience.

Exposure to your corporate website. Through the use of advertisements that is displayed when users watch a video, exposure to your website can be increased, which will drive traffic to your website, and also help with improving your brand visibility.

Douyin

The hottest short video platform in the web right now, Douyin has over 600 million active users daily and this number has increase by over 200% in the last couple of years. More than 55% of Douyin/TikTok users are in China.

The short videos that are created and shared on Douyin are optimal for engagement with your target audience and to go viral. In short, it is easier for Douyin videos to go viral than it is for any other form of videos. The ease with which users can share and recreate the short videos with their following is what drives the virality of them.

QQ

Launched in 1999, QQ is a popular social media platform in China, but is generally unheard of elsewhere. It is a message app that is second only to WeChat and has over 660 million monthly users and sees 13.6 billion messages exchanged daily.

Despite its relative obscure presence, QQ is a social media platform that businesses should definitely consider for their marketing strategy. Statistics have shown that QQ’s appeal is to youngsters in the 2nd and 3rd tier cities in China. The potential of this group is high, and their purchasing power is growing, along with their willingness to try out new things. Therefore, businesses can use QQ to target this group of young, potential consumers.

The post Top 5 Social Media Platforms Favoured By Chinese Corporations appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

While its reputation is unrivalled in the western part of the world, it has its problems when used in China. For one, the Great Fire Wall in China affects loading speeds of WordPress websites as some plugins and CSS are operated from remote servers. This sluggish loading speed impacts not only users experience but also the site’s search engine rankings in China.

Is WordPress banned in China?

It is essential to differentiate between WordPress.com and WordPress.org, two completely separate platforms despite its similar names. WordPress.com, being a hosting service, is banned in China while WordPress.org is the platform from which website creation software can be downloaded. After you download this website creation software, you will be required to source for a WordPress hosting service to publish your site live online. If you are looking to launch your website in China, and fulfil the ICP License requirements, some of the more reputable hosts include Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud and Xinnet. We prefer to use Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun) for our own China hosting services.

So, the conclusion is – WordPress.com, the hosting platform is banned in China and WordPress.org is not.

It is crucial to remember to use WordPress themes that are NOT blocked and load well in China, otherwise your website could still have major issues loading or in some cases not be accessible at all there.

Is it better to host inside China?

Well the first thing to mention here, is to host within China, you will be required to apply for an ICP number, so only businesses who are registered in China can actually do this. That being said, if you have your business registered there, then yes you should certainly get an ICP number and host your website inside the Firewall. This provides a nice speed boost in of itself.

Does this mean that is only option? No, you can also host a site outside of China, and still get decent speed, as long as your website it optimised and the hosting service has minimum speed lag with the China networks.

Either way, you can use a .cn or .com.cn domain name, just remember if the hosting is going to be in China, the domain name and DNS should be hosted there too. If the hosting is outside of China, you can purchase your Chinese domain names from an outside domain registrar, and just provide the necessary identity proof.

Cashing in on good caching habits

Caching sounds complicated, but it really is a simple concept of storing your website pages as static HTML. Doesn’t WordPress do that already? Well, no it doesn’t, when you view a page on a WordPress site, the HTML page you are seeing, is actually generated in real-time from PHP code, in other words it is a dynamic page, because the content and images are loading from a database. Why would this slow site down? Because to generate the page takes the server a few moments, causing some delay in the page loading.

So by using a cache of pre-generated html static page, when someone loads a page on your website, the caching function will save the server from having to do that job for every visitor. And when you update the content, the cache simple if replaced with the latest version of the page.

So in order to maximise speed options for your website, it is essential that you install a suitable WordPress caching plugin speed up your site.

Optimise your images

One of the most common and unstated ways to speed up your site, is to simply reduce the size of the page that is loading. Almost all websites can be optimised in terms of page size. It is simple maths, if your page is 2MB, it will load slower than if your page was 1MB. In fact a 1MB page would probably load twice as fast, how about that for optimisation?

Images are usually the main culprit when it comes to large page size, because they have not be optimised prior to uploading to the website. Optimised sound fancy, but it simply means saving your images to the right size and also compressing where possible.

If you are already struggling with hundreds of un-optimised images, you can use a Image Optimisation plugin to do bulk optimisation of all your images in the WordPress media library. If that sounds painful, the go for a CDN that loads your images as optimised versions automatically, but make sure you choose a CDN that is going to work well in China, or it will be counter-productive.

Plug in the right plugins

WordPress plugins can be a huge help o add extra functionality to your website. At the same time, if you have too many of them, your website will become slow and sluggish. Why do they slow your site? Well not plugins are created in nicely written code, and many do things you don’t realise they are doing. What’s the perfect number of plugins? When build WordPress sites, we rarely will need to use more that 10 plugins at any given time, if you are using more than that, make sure each plugin is absolutely necessary, and understand there is a speed compromise by using more.

Also having out dated, old plugins can also reduce loading speed and weigh down your site performance. It is important to recognise the hazards of keeping on outdated WordPress plugins which include slow speed and security exposures.

Some recommended plugins for your WordPress website that will work best in China:

• For the language difference, use WPML or Polylang,  multilingual plugins that generates mirrors of every page on the website to allow you to have it set to another language.
• For caching properly, use WP Fastest Cache, Super Cache, or W3 Total Cache.
• For compressing images, use Imsanity, or Ewww image optimizer.

As mentioned earlier in this article, the application process to have your website hosted in China is not a simple process. In addition to that, you will have to ensure that the website that you have invested so much money and time on is not eventually blocked on Chinese servers as well. To save yourself the time and trouble, why not hire our team of professionals to do that for you? Contact us!

If you want an overview of why WordPress is such a solid choice for your business, check our short but comprehensive guide “How Long does It take To Learn WordPress”.

The post Top Tips For Optimising Your WordPress Site In China appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

Introduction to Baidu SEO in China

Baidu SEO is the process of optimising your website to rank higher in Baidu search results, the dominant search engine in China. Unlike Google, Baidu has its own algorithms and ranking factors, making it essential to tailor your SEO efforts specifically for the rank checker. A comprehensive SEO strategy involves keyword research, on-page optimisation, link building, and monitoring your website’s performance on the rank checker with a dedicated rank tracker. Mastering SEO is key to unlocking the vast potential of the Chinese market and improving your keyword rankings on Baidu.

Understanding Baidu as a Search Engine and Key Ranking Factors

Baidu, the leading search tool in China, operates differently from its Western counterparts like Google, particularly in how it handles SERP. To effectively optimise your website for Baidu, it’s crucial to understand its unique algorithms and ranking factors. Baidu places a strong emphasis on Chinese language content, local relevance, and website authority within the Chinese internet landscape, which is crucial for improving your Baidu rankings and optimising your keywords on Baidu. Utilising a Baidu rank tracker is indispensable for accurately monitoring your website’s ranking on the rank checker and adapting your SEO strategies accordingly to include new keywords that can improve your rankings on Baidu.

Baidu Analytics: The Ultimate Rank Tracking and SEO Tool For China

Google Analytics is widely popular due to its powerful features and broad availability, but for targeting China, Baidu Analytics is essential because it provides more accurate, localised data, supports China’s unique internet environment, and is preferred by local businesses given Baidu’s dominance in search in China. Created in 2009, Baidu Analytics, or Baidu Tongji, as it is known in Mandarin(百度统计), is used by over 7 million websites in China and is easily the top 3 useful tools for the Chinese market, just like Google Analytics for most users in the West.

Baidu Analytics is a powerful tool for conducting keyword research and rank tracking. It has been specifically designed to be accessible in China’s unique internet environment, enhancing the effectiveness of your rank tracking tool. This makes it an essential tool for Chinese website localisation in 2025. However, due to the fact that Google is, after all, NOT the biggest Chinese search engine, the data it supplies for websites hosted on Chinese servers is not as reliable as for those hosted outside of China. We need to take this into account when we evaluate the usefulness of Google Analytics vs Baidu Analytics, particularly in terms of tracking your rankings in Baidu and optimising your SEO strategy.

So what are your options for improving your SERP features and tracking rankings on Baidu? It is essential to first recognise that Baidu is the leading search tool in China. It commands a 76% market share in the country’s search engine sector, particularly regarding visibility on the SERP.

Advantages of Baidu Analytics

When marketing or running a website in China, understanding your audience and optimising your strategy for local search tools, including a keyword research tool for Baidu, is essential. Baidu Analytics is specifically designed for the Chinese digital landscape, offering a range of features and integrations that go beyond basic traffic tracking. Here are the key advantages of using Baidu Analytics for anyone looking to improve visibility, campaign performance, and user engagement in China.

Baidu Ranking Track

One of the basic functions when using Baidu Analytics is visitor data tracking and valuable details on traffic data. It includes:

• Page views tracked
• Individual page traffic
• Referral sites
• Visit duration
• Number of visitors

Baidu SEO Tool

Baidu Analytics identifies any errors with the site’s SEO using advanced SEO tools like missing tags or meta descriptions, which are crucial for effective digital marketing and improving your visibility in the SERP. It is also possible to find out what organic search terms have been used by visitors to lead them to the site.

Heatmaps

With heatmap functionality, you can visualise where users click and which areas attract the most attention, aiding in effective keyword tracking. This data empowers you to optimise page layouts and calls-to-action, ultimately increasing user engagement and conversion rates.

Baidu PPC Integration

Baidu Analytics seamlessly connects with Baidu PPC, providing detailed performance and cost tracking for your paid campaigns. This integration simplifies your search engine marketing efforts and allows you to make informed decisions about your advertising investments, enhancing your performance across various platforms, including Baidu. Learn how to use Baidu paid advertising in China to enhance your visibility on Baidu.

Easy E-Commerce Tracking

Any e-commerce related activities such as order total, item name, category, price, quantity, order ID, etc, can be easily accessed with Baidu Analytics, enhancing your ability to rank track.

Unlimited Tracking of Page Views

Unlike Google Analytics, which requires users to upgrade to their Premium package to be able to track more pages, Baidu Analytics does not require users to upgrade their package.

Faster Data Processing

Baidu Analytics stands out by offering unlimited tracking of page views at no extra cost, making it suitable for websites of all sizes without the need for premium upgrades, unlike some other analytics platforms.

How Add Baidu Analytics To Your Site

Before adding analytics to your website, you need to thoroughly consider what the best hosting for your business in China will be. Also, you need to open an account on Tongji if you have not yet done so. If you already have a Baidu Analytics account, login is available via Baidu Tongji 百度统计, Baidu Tuiguang 百度推广or Baidu Zhanzhang 百度站长 webmasters’ account.

Do note that there are 3 different types of Baidu Analytics accounts, and they are essential for effective keyword tracking:

• Baidu Tongji ZhanZhang 百度统计站长 – No Pay-per-click function
• Baidu Tongji Visitor 百度统计客户 – With Pay-per-click function
• Baidu Tongji Mobile 百度统计移动统计 – A mobile-friendly tool for rank tracking on Baidu.

Once you have signed up for a Baidu account or logged into your Baidu account, head over to your admin panel page, where a script for Baidu Analytics can be found to help you with your ranking on Baidu. Simply copy the code and add it to the tag on all the pages of your website to ensure accurate tracking of your performance across search engines like Baidu.

If you are concerned about not having properly installed the Baidu Analytics code on your website, there is a testing tool that will inform you of that.

Alternatively, you can reach out to our expert team at Eggplant Digital to help you.

Contact us for assistance with your Baidu rank tracking and improving your SEO strategies!

Bottom Line on Optimising for Baidu Rank Tracker

If you want to optimise for the Baidu search engine, you need to have a strategic approach to enhance your website’s visibility and performance on Baidu. Implementing effective SEO strategies and using powerful tools like a Baidu rank tracker can help you track rankings, monitor your website’s ranking for specific keywords, and gain insights into keyword performance on Baidu. You can improve your rankings across the SERP and increase organic traffic in the Chinese market by conducting thorough keyword research and adjusting your strategies accordingly, Ultimately, staying informed and using a Baidu rank checker will enable you to make informed decisions and optimise your SEO efforts, ensuring your online presence thrives in this competitive landscape.

If you want more guidance and assistance along the way, check out Synclone to help you track the right metrics for your website in China!

The post Baidu Rank Tracker for Chinese Search Engine Optimisation appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

Websites made for Chinese users are in many ways distinct from websites catered for the rest of the world. The unique internet environment and user habits of the Chinese audience mean things are often done differently.

Designing a website in the Chinese language and that caters to the needs and preferences of Chinese users requires a bit of research and understanding. If you have ever browsed websites like Taobao, Sina and QQ.com, your first thought may be to ask: why do Chinese websites look so cluttered and messy?

Is Chinese Web Design Cluttered And Messy?

The seemingly chaotic appearance of Chinese websites can be attributed to the following:

1. Chinese websites tend to prioritise navigation over search. Typing Chinese characters in a search field can be more time intensive than clicking through a navigation. Chinese search bars will often show tags or keywords to click on, teaching the user how to search on any particular website or app.
2. Chinese websites often display as much content as possible on the homepage. This minimises the need to use the search, and encourages browsing.
3. A wider variety of colours are used on Chinese websites, this may be seen to be more attractive and interesting to Chinese users.
4. QR Codes are often used to connect to mobile content, in order to facilitate the large number of Chinese users who access the internet with their mobile devices. QR codes provide users with a seamless and efficient experience.

It is easy to think these are steadfast rules, however when crafting a business oriented website, the latest Chinese web design trends are in many ways closer to what we might see in western web design, but with a twist.

Homepage Videos To Show Not Tell

Most users don’t have the patience or time to read long website copy, so videos are a great method to convey a message or idea quickly and effectively. The video does not have to be long, which may negatively effect loading speed (especially on mobile).

Even a 20-second video can deliver the desired effect if it is designed well. It is also notable that many videos featured on a homepage are used as a background and played on a loop.

Recent Chinese websites we have done for The Contracts Group, OAG and Chinese IP Law Firm, all use background video to convey the industry, feeling or brand to the end user.

Minimalist Design – Chinese Web Design Trend

In recent years, many websites have taken a different direction and are implementing more minimalist design techniques. It is not unusual to browse a Chinese website that looks similar to a Western one. Some examples of these include: Apple, Osim, Prada, Lenovo.

What is important to remember, however, is that Chinese users still prefer to be able to browse as much information as possible on the homepage. So, in order to still cater to Chinese tastes, web designers must be able to work on the minimalist trend while still being able to provide users with as much information as possible. Some great examples of brands that have achieved this perfect combination are Xiaomi and Haier.

Enhanced Tag Search Options – Chinese Web Design Trend

A emphasis on tag search or even voice search can help users find content quicker. Chinese language is complex and expansive, consisting of a little over 80,000 characters. It is, therefore, not difficult to imagine that typing in Chinese characters can be more time consuming when performing a simple search.

Using tags to organise content, and provide options in the search box, allows users to click instead of typing, which is faster and smoother than typing in a full word or sentence. Some websites (and many apps) now also utilise voice search, but with so many dialects and accents across China, this function may not be suitable for everyone.

Mobile Optimised Design

In a broad sense, across all industries and websites, there are more Chinese mobile users, than tablet or desktop users. It works out to be around 60-65% mobile users on average. However, it does depend on your particular industry or use case. For e-commerce websites you might see an even higher percentage of mobile users, but for B2B industries, we can often see the number switch to 70% in favour of desktop, and 20-30% mobile. Either way. it is crucial to carefully consider the mobile experience when designing your website.

All the above Chinese web design trends will only get you so far, every website also needs to be focused around the correct messaging, images and content. If you have a lot of content, ensure you have a sophisticated search and tagging function to make the website easy to navigate. If your content is minimal, don’t think you have to add more complexity, to make it more “Chinese”, just create a design that works for your content.

At Eggplant, we believe in creating designs that present the content the simplest, quickest and most effective way, to make sure users get to the content that matters to them.

The key to developing a successful internet presence in China is through thoroughly understanding the audience and catering to their needs. Our skilled team at Eggplant Digital is here for you, contact us or let us know your question in the comments below.

The post Chinese Web Design Trends appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

How Does WeChat Work?

As we often emphasise – In China, WeChat is like Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, WhatsApp, Skype, and more all rolled into one. In WeChat you purchase online and offline goods, send and transfer money, join a chat group of like-minded individuals, video call, play games, read the news, and much much more..
If you know how users interact with WeChat then you can integrate into your marketing and business strategy. People in the West people use multiple apps and platforms to do daily activities. People in China just use WeChat. So how do they use it? What are the specific ways people interact on Tencent’s monster app? How do we get customers from a friendly chat to your buy now button?

WeChat As A Chat App

Tencent created WeChat to allow people to connect with friends, family, and colleagues through a chat-based application. Users have a unique WeChat ID and QR code that is linked to your government ID. They can connect bank accounts and other services used by the government or official businesses.
Once you’ve connected or added your friends, work colleagues or anyone else, you can chat and call, send voice messages or stickers, links and photos. In this way, it is exactly like WhatsApp. You can also send money to friends with two taps inside the app. The receiver has the money in their WeChat balance the moment they tap to receive.
You can also post on WeChat Moments – much like any other social media news feed. Here, you can write updates on your life, share links, or post quick videos or photos. This is becoming more like an Instagram feed as the platform wants you to engage more and share your day.

How Do People Use WeChat Groups?

WeChat groups are huge part of the engagement on this app. These replace Facebook groups (Facebook is completely blocked in China) or WhatsApp groups. It’s a group chat and looks like a WhatsApp group, except the Chinese WeChat users have more options on what they can share. WeChat allows you to share links, accounts, mini-programs, products and more. This is magic for sales and marketing in China as it means that referrals to your content and offers get much more easily passed in a natural way – this can be great for sales. No copy and pasting between e-mail, WhatsApp and Facebook. Everything here is a cozy tap inside the WeChat ecosystem.

How Do People Use WeChat Official Accounts?

Official accounts are must-haves for businesses in China. We’ve covered the ins and outs of Service versus Subscription accounts elsewhere, but in a nutshell: service accounts allow you to send direct messages to subscribers 4 times a month. Subscription accounts can send messages/posts every day, but they appear in a subscription folder within WeChat and so not directly in the user’s chat list. There are other benefits and drawbacks to each type of account. If you are looking to enter the world of Chinese e-commerce or services, we recommend getting a WeChat Official account.

How Do People Use WeChat Mini-Programs?

Now, mini-programs are also a key feature to WeChat that allow businesses to connect with customers. They’re basically slim versions of native phone applications that exist entirely within WeChat. Mini-programs can be anything from games to VR shopping experiences to ride-hailing services. You can use mini-programs to find an international school, book a maid, get food delivered, or buy that pair of red shoes.

Users get into a mini-program via a link or a QR code, a search within WeChat, or from an advert or official account. Users can then pin most-used mini-programs to their WeChat or simply exit out of one after a single use. The benefit of mini-programs is that they can function much like native applications, but all within WeChat and all without a user having to do more than simply open the program. 

How Does WeChat Advertising Work?

WeChat ads can come in three places: WeChat Moments, banner adverts, or through key opinion leaders. Moments and banner ads are easier to create just by yourself. We’ll focus on those in our case study. Adverts within WeChat can be text, video, or pictures and the landing pages they link to can be official accounts, mini-programs, or articles. Users see adverts on their WeChat Moments or at the top or bottom of articles posted by official accounts. 

WeChat Moment Ads

• WeChat moment ads appear between updates from friends on the social timeline.
• The ad can be combination of text, images, videos and links.
• If the same ad is also displayed for the users friends, then comments are also displayed.

WeChat Banner Ads

• WeChat banner ads appear at the bottom of articles published by a third party WeChat Account.
• The ad includes a logo, account name and headline.
• A call-to-action allows users to follow an account, purchase a product or simply link to a landing page or micro site.

How WeChat Marketing Works:
A Theoretical Case Study

Seem like a lot of communication options? It is. But because WeChat is so integrated into daily life in China, in reality, it’s not that difficult to create a product or campaign that can seamlessly integrate as well.

Below is a theoretical case study of a UK company looking to expand its presence and customer base in China. The company, Big Red UK-Made Shoes (BRUMS), sells high-end shoes that come in different shades of red. Because they are selling a product and want to create a WeChat payment option for clients, they have an official Service Account.

This means BRUMS can send 4 push-messages per months to customers, a dedicated account with a WeChat menu linking to articles and products, and can create WeChat mini-programs. We’ll follow two customers, Cindy and Nick, as they go through WeChat interacting with BRUMS. 

BRUMS OFFICIAL WECHAT ACCOUNT

How Do I Get The Customers Attention?

So first things first: how do our customers get to know about BRUMS? 

WeChat users can find accounts in a few ways: 

1. QR Codes
2. WeChat search function
3. Articles
4. Shared contact cards
5. Adverts

BRUMS starts an advertising campaign inside WeChat and through print. In print, they use beautiful pictures of bright-red shoes with a QR code that sends users straight to their official account. Inside WeChat, they post Moments and banner adverts that link to their mini-program.

A young Chinese lady called Cindy, who loves red shoes, sees a BRUMS advert in a magazine. She scans the QR code and enters the official account. There, she can find links to the products via the menu, articles posted by BRUMS about their new range of shoes, and links to their mini-program.

Cindy decides she wants to share news of this new shoe company with her WeChat group. She opens the BRUMS article that introduces their products and shares the article to her red-shoe-loving WeChat group. There, fellow shoe lovers can open the article, click on the author link at the top of the page, and explore BRUMS’s account for themselves.

Through their online adverts within WeChat, BRUMS also creates WeChat moment ads targeted towards people’s interests and behaviour. The CTA is to get people to open their official mini-program and check out their product range. Another red shoe lover, Nick, sees one of these adverts on his WeChat moments. He’s intrigued by the colours and clicks on the ad. 

How To Get Customer Interest On WeChat

Now that both Cindy and Nick have opened the BRUMS account, they need something more to keep their attention with all of the other shoe companies competing on WeChat.

Cindy reads the articles (or posts) that BRUMS sends to its subscribers 4 times per month. She reads about their latest range of shoes, how red compliments the fall colours, and how buying directly from their mini-program gives her a 10% discount. The article content is so good that Cindy subscribes to the official BRUMS account so that she can get direct messages when they are posted. 

Nick goes straight to the mini-program once he opens the advert. Here, he can search by shoe type, size, shade, and price. All BRUMS products are listed in the e-commerce mini-program, and Nick has the ability to place orders into his cart as well as sign in for more delivery and subscriber-freebie options. He isn’t quite convinced yet though and leaves the mini-program without finalising his purchase. 

How To Do Promotions And Deals On WeChat

Cindy has now seen posts from BRUMS and has shared links with her red shoe group. Now, however, BRUMS creates a promotion all about sharing your love of shoes with your friends. BRUMS creates a promotion where users get 15% off their purchase if they refer 5 friends to the official BRUMS account.

Cindy shares the account directly to two of her friends via contact card sharing in chats. She  posts a link to their article on her WeChat Moments and, of course, shares the link in her WeChat group. From here, more than 5 of her friends begin to follow BRUMS and Cindy gets her discount code.

Nick hasn’t been back onto the BRUMS mini-program since he first saw the advert on his WeChat Moments. However, because of his interests and past behaviour, a new BRUMS banner advert shows up in an article he’s reading. This time, it’s a deal for new customers and Nick once again clicks through to the mini-program where he can see his past cart and now apply a new customer discount. 

How To Convert Customers On WeChat

Now that both Cindy and Nick are familiar with BRUMS and their products, they can use the mini-program within WeChat to actually buy some big red shoes.

Cindy uses her friends discount code, while Nick uses his new customer code. Both customers are able to search for and select exactly which type of shoe they are interested in, input their delivery details, and pay directly through the mini-program using WeChat Pay. The official account then sends them a receipt as well as tracking details for their deliveries. 

How To Deal With WeChat Users And Customer Relationships

As with any marketing or sales campaign, you need to keep WeChat users engaged with your product or brand. And this takes consistent work. For WeChat users, this often comes in the form of new articles, deals and specials, and upgrades to mini-programs.

Because subscribing and following official accounts is so easy within the WeChat ecosphere, brands can easily stay in touch with customers through consistent content and new deals. Promotions for returning customers, adverts for first-time buyers, and promotions that encourage sharing and better returns for loyalty are all common WeChat marketing strategies. 

Chinese customers and users of WeChat are used to things being fast, easy, and convenient. Creating a WeChat account and mini-program to sell your products is essential to the customer journey for Chinese clients. Beyond having a good product and great content, here are a few more things to keep in mind when selling your business on WeChat: 

• Design: keep it simple, easy to use, and eye-catching
• Incentives: create reasons for people to choose you over the many other brands on WeChat
• Content: make sure your posts or articles keep your potential and current customers engaged; create content that is shareable so more people get to know your brand
• Efficiency: make sure your official account, mini-program, store, or adverts are all linked to WeChat Pay and that customers can easily and quickly purchase your products

What Should I do Next?

If this has motivated you to take the next step, then go ahead and get your store open…If you have an existing business and want to move into Chinese e-commerce, then there is no time to waste. Business is booming in China….

If you need to know more about how to set up a store for you brand, get in touch. We’ve more than likely set up something similar lately and can help you with some ideas. 

The post How Does WeChat Marketing Work For My WeChat Store? appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

Some China Hosting Factors To Consider

So, we mentioned the firewall. The “Great Firewall of China” as it is known, is simply a filter that the Chinese government uses to block certain data from outside China. How and why certain material is blocked is the kind of topic you can study for the rest of your life….For now, we only focus on your website that needs to be stable and fast for users inside the PRC.

Hosting Inside Or Outside China?

The most obvious answer for dealing with the firewall is to just put your website on a server in mainland China. That makes perfect sense – put your server as close as possible to your target market with no blocks or filters – great! Except for the legal and paperwork needed….
If you host in China and you put out any content, then you need an ICP Number from the Chinese government.

What Exactly Is An ICP Number?

ICP stands for Internet Content Provider (Bei-an (备案 in Mandarin). You need to get this from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. This gives you the legal right to operate your website inside China. After you get your ICP Number, you can host your website in China on a nice fast China-based cloud service – the same way as any Chinese registered business. Note: You must complete your licensing process and have it issued before you can go live with your website – with no exceptions.

If you host inside China and having a .cn website, you will be able to rank easier in China’s main search engine, Baidu. However, this isn’t as important to your marketing operation in China as Google is to your global audience (see our links at the end of the article for more on this).

So why don’t we all just host in China? Well, an ICP Number is definitely not a simple and easy task. In short, if you don’t have a registered Chinese business, then you can’t apply. In theory, you could apply through an agent, but that will expose you to some risk.

A third party controlling your hosting and data is not something we recommend from a security and safety point of view. There are different kinds of ICP License that relate to different categories. We don’t want to go into any more detail on that now, but if you are curious, check out the links at the end of this article.

What Are The Hosting Options Outside China?

If you can’t host your website inside mainland China, then as close as possible to the PRC is the next best option. In the immediate area and with top speed hosting you have Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Japan and Korea are great. They have reliable, fast and stable servers. The only problem with either of those options is that they are high cost compared to other options in the region. There is no direct benefit to using a Korean Or Japanese server over any other.

Singapore is a solid option in terms of global speeds and has some good providers, but we don’t recommend them for the best speed and reliability for the mainland as they are a bit further away and this is not most efficient for serving China.
Hong Kong is the best option overall for hosting a China facing website.

Why Choose Hong Kong For My Website In China?

Hong Kong is governed by Beijing and so is fully a part of China politically. However, it has retained some benefits from its previous status as a separate political zone. Hong Kong doesn’t currently block traffic in the same way that mainland China does, meaning that it doesn’t have a firewall causing all those internet headaches we mentioned earlier. What this means for you, is that you don’t need a license to host there. As a result, you don’t need an ICP Number or any paperwork in order to launch your China-friendly site. Hong Kong has a special relationship with the mainland Chinese internet where it is directly connected, meaning that any traffic that isn’t subject to censorship flows in faster than it would from say a server in Singapore. It is directly hooked up to China.

What Hong Kong Servers Mean For Website Speed In China

The direct hook up to the Chinese internet means that Hong Kong is the perfect choice for anyone who wants to have fast delivery inside China without the hassle and paperwork needed to host one inside China directly. Here at Eggplant digital we have been hosting our own site in Hong Kong for years and this solution has also worked with great success for our clients outside of China. We’ve had success with everything from simple blogs right up to large e-commerce solutions.

Is Hong Kong A Good Solution For Non-Chinese Traffic?

This is always the next question. Hong Kong has been blessed with superfast internet connections for years and the servers there are second to none. Global delivery times are fantastic from fast Hong Kong servers – this page came to you from our data centre there! We use Hong Kong just as much for non-China traffic as we do for PRC traffic when we choose servers our non-Chinese clients, so we’re happy to recommend it as the best overall solution to this problem.

• If you’re interested to know more about any of the topics included, check out these articles for some more in-depth analysis.
• If you’re looking to set up a server in Hong Kong take a look at our recommendation for managed hosting.
• If you want more detail on some of the points mentioned, head for these articles

What is an ICP license and how to get one?

A Guide To Search Engines In China

Do I Need A .CN Domain Name For China?

The post What Is The Best Hosting For My Business In China? appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

If your target market uses a niche word, then you should, too. So it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to know if you need a Chinese brand name or not – but we’re here to give you the best details and data on why and how to deal with this sticky “little” problem.

Do you need a Chinese name for your business in China?
TLDR (short answer): YES

We’ll take you through a few of the reasons it’s good to have a Chinese name for your foreign business below, but in general, just know that if you really want to do well in a Chinese market, you need a Chinese name. And not just something that sounds a bit Chinese. You need to have a Chinese name in Chinese characters that means something real in Mandarin / Mandarin Chinese (the main language used in Mainland China). 

Your global Brand Is Better With a Chinese Brand Name

There are roughly 917 million native Mandarin Chinese speakers around the world. Compare that to 379 million English speakers.

Unless you’re a massive brand with recognition the world-over, tailoring your company to a Chinese market through ensuring your name is recognizable in that language is a must.

As you already know, breaking into a new market is all about finding a way to tailor your product and marketing to this new audience. A key feature of that? Making sure your brand appeals to them in all ways. Let’s think about it from the opposite perspective: a Chinese company wants to sell its products in the UK. Without an English name (in Roman alphabet), consumers wouldn’t be able to relate to that product, or perhaps even understand what the brand was about. If you can’t read the name, how will you pronounce it? Let alone remember it when making your final purchasing choice.

Having a Chinese name makes it easier for people to not only understand your company’s name but it also makes it easier for them to remember it in the future. If you (a non-Chinese speaker) were shown a series of Chinese characters and asked later to remember them, could you? If you create a name that means something in Chinese  it makes it much more likely that people will engage with your brand and recognize it in the future

. If you are planning to launch a startup in China, then this process is even more important…Why…?

Chinese People Will Actually Find You In Search

The billions of Chinese people using the internet each and every day do so in Chinese. Massive search engines and e-commerce platforms are optimized for Chinese characters and people in China search using Chinese words — there’s no surprise there.

How Are People Using Search Engines In China?

So, if your company has a Chinese name that will come up when people search in Chinese, you’re instantly better off. Let’s make it easy for you. Whatever your (yes your own) native language is, everything is easier in that language. Let’s say your native language in this example is English. You go on holiday to Germany. The language and the words look a bit similar to English. Some of the words are the same. Some of them look similar. some of them just look very strange. You go to the supermarket with your loved one to buy some food to cook at your Airbnb in Berlin. You pick up a tin of food – you see the words and you’re not exactly sure if it is spicy tomato sauce or not. You think so, but you can’t be sure. so you pause.
Regardless of whether you personally took that risk or not, we all know that a clear description that you understand would have confirmed a quick sale with no need for a return. That’s our goal for each business we support on their journey….

A Chinese Brand Name Creates A Clear Presence In The Chinese Market

Names in China can mean a lot. It’s one reason it’s important that the name you choose for your company isn’t just a direct translation or a randomly selected series of characters. There are numerous examples of bad naming from foreign companies coming into China. One really good example is US electronic maker Best Buy. They chose characters that sort of sound like the English name when said out loud: 百思买 ‘bǎi sī mǎi’. However, one translation of this phrase: ‘to buy after thinking 100 times’. Do you want to suggest that someone thinks 100 times before buying your product? – Not exactly ” Just Do It..” from Nike, right? 

Learn From Coca Cola’s China Branding Example

At the opposite end of the spectrum, beverage giant Coca-Cola is arguably a large enough brand not to even need a translated name. They went for something that sounded like English, also meant something in Chinese. 可口可乐 ‘kě kǒu kě lè’, can mean ‘tasty fun’ while also sounding like Coca-Cola when said aloud. This is the magic mix that you are looking for……

Choosing a good Chinese name is a chance not only to connect with your customers in their language. It also gives you space to say something about your brand at the same time.

This added element is a bonus. Most people don’t even know what Starbucks and Nike actually are ( a character from Moby Dick and a Greek Goddess) because the brand has taken over the name. In Chinese, every character has meaning. – you can’t escape that. So..You should take the opportunity to brand and market using your Chinese brand name

Your China Admin Process Will Be So Much Smoother 

From opening bank accounts to registering addresses to creating a WeChat store: everything is that much simpler in China if you have a Chinese name to input into electronic systems. With thousands upon thousands of companies in China, systems aren’t going to make it easy for companies with names in different languages. The government also wants companies to have Chinese names in order to maintain Chinese culture via Mandarin.

The “Insider” Info On What Can Go Wrong With Search

So..If you don’t get a Chinese brand name things aren’t so clearly obvious to your potential customers – that is covered. There is also one big snag that is very China-related for you to watch out for – copycats. As we all know, the Chinese have been very good at copying everything on the planet for a number of years now. Your brand name will be no exception. I have previously worked for at least 2 companies who have had their identity mimicked in China and then rival businesses set up. It is fairly simple. Let’s get you an example. Your brand is called ” MOWAX”. you haven’t entered China. A copycat from PRC decides to copy your brand and products. It 90% copies your IP, logo, and products. It calls itself ” MYWAX” and registers a Chinese brand name. You know nothing about this. Until you decide to register, you have no idea what is happening in China and what someone could be doing to both your current brand and your future business. So…..

The strong advice here is:
If you are considering China sometime in the next 5 years
Do your due diligence
Consider your brand name and registrations now

So What’s Next?

The best thing you can do is to read our upcoming post. We’ll be featuring some famous brands and giving some insight into what they have done well and badly. If you want to get notifications of when we publish our updates on China business topics, then join our mailing list for updates.

If you are hungry to read more on Chinese internet marketing right now, then check out this post on payments in China….

The post Do You Need A Chinese Name For Your Brand In China? appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

The Important WeChat Facts And Figures

• In 2020 WeChat passed  1.7 billion users – well above the 1.4 billion people in China today – double the number of people on Instagram in 2020 and not far behind Facebook messenger and WhatsApp.
• Keep it simple – generally, every  Chinese person in China is on WeChat.
• Every Chinese person outside China is on WeChat.
• I lived outside China for 3 years. I was still using WeChat as a default chat app with everyone I met in China.

What Most People Don’t Get About WeChat

• WeChat is not a chat app
• WeChat isn’t a payment system
• It is isn’t an alternative to Facebook or WhatsApp or Uber
• It is ALL of them – one app that accompanies every mainland Chinese citizen everyday

The Secret About Smartphone Usage In China

People don’t usually see that smartphones are cheap in China. Having a smartphone and a SIM card became the norm. You don’t need a laptop and an expensive home internet subscription. You bypass computers and prefer a smartphone. You use all the everyday features you need before you walk out of the store.

It is cheaper, quicker and easily more efficient than a home internet connection.

Using WeChat is easy for the Chinese. It was designed to avoid typing in Chinese (which is really hard), so it is super easy to send voice messages. This is one un-noticed factor. WeChat made speaking via message so easy that it just felt normal very quickly. Communication in China became really easy and efficient and the app snowballed from there.

The Short Story Of WeChat Taking Over China

Chinese consumers skipped computers and went straight to mobile
WeChat dominated by adding features quickly
It became the your everyday companion

The Big Options For Your WeChat Campaign:

1. A subscription account
2. A service account
3. A mini-program

This is not an ” either or” type situation. It is about the goals you set for your online campaign and the business you do. Our checklists help you decide which mix is best for your business.

Jargon : ” Official account” means a registered account used for business or the promotion of content. It is not a regular personal account – as you could have a personal facebook account, and then also a professional page in your own name. That professional page works in WeChat as a subscription account.

WeChat Subscription Accounts (订阅号)

The subscription account is the content account for WeChat. Think RSS feed, news feed, Facebook business page or Instagram for influencer use. This is all about content.

Your WeChat subscription account can publish daily to your audience. These updates g0 to the user’s subscription folder inside WeChat and the user won’t get a push notification.

WeChat feeds your subscription folder with the most recent posts – hence the once a day limit. It doesn’t want WeChat turning into a Twitter-like situation where there is so much re-posting that you reach overwhelm.

Subscription accounts are open to individuals as well as Chinese businesses (but not overseas businesses). We see subscription accounts work really well for influencers, public figures and bloggers or niche enthusiasts. They work really well in a way that Instagram feeds are often used – high on entertainment value, but no direct e-commerce. Brand building and putting out content is the game here.

WeChat Service Accounts (服务号)

WeChat service accounts are the e-commerce home of your WeChat campaign. These have the power to deal with e-commerce, customer service, API integrations and even CRM. This is the hub of the of your WeChat business..

With a WeChat Service account you can set up a WeChat shop and take payments. Content for service accounts is a little different. You can broadcast 4 times a month to your audience with up to 6 articles per broadcast.

These come in as push notifications directly into a follower’s chat. A service account is less about interest in your brand, and more about converting leads and maintaining a relationship with existing customers.

Service accounts are great for businesses looking to develop repeat buyers by making the most of an ongoing relationship with your brand. The fact that you can do customer service in a WeChat service account is extremely convenient for your customers. Speed of reaction in China is a much bigger deal than in most other countries.

What Are WeChat Mini Programs?

A WeChat mini program is a special tool that doesn’t really have an equivalent elsewhere. It is literally a small app contained inside the WeChat ecosystem.

You can search for them in the same way you do on an app store, except inside WeChat. So what exactly do they do? Well, they are apps, just like any other – small games, giff creators, and also e-commerce tools.

WeChat mini apps are small and so easy to create – limited to 10mb in size they have limited abilities, but are really good for being shared by WeChat users. You can create a fun mini-app that can get you quick conversions and interest in your brand. They can link back to official accounts, or just be used as a first blast of awareness to your audience. These little apps are nimble and powerful if you want to push your brand awareness around China quickly.

Mini-Programs And Conversions

For e-commerce they can be create leads and conversions. In 2019 1.1 billion daily transactions were carried out on mini-programs alone. Because they are small, you can easily push out these apps to WeChat users to drive engaged interest in your brand as well as test out new ideas without commitment.

The downside of being small is that they are limited in what they can do, but the upside here is that you can create several for different engagement purposes or segments in your audience.

It is important to note, that to create and publish a mini-program, you will also need to open an Official WeChat Service Account, to gain access to the API, have website hosting in China, including an ICP license.

Over 20 million active ‘official accounts’ as of early 2019.

WeChat mini programs generated $123 billion in 2019, with average daily transaction volume doubling year-on-year (source: https://www.businessofapps.com/data/wechat-statistics/)

The Shortlist To Remember:

• Users subscribe to an official  account (subscription/service ) with ongoing content .
• A WeChat Mini Program is not a subscription tool
• Official accounts can therefore foster relationships – more difficult to do with a mini-program
• Users can opt to keep a mini-program in their account for ongoing interaction
• Mini-programs are more likely to convert customers, whereas official accounts build relationships, brand recognition, etc. Content needs are much greater for official accounts, you need more resources and consistency to keep one running.
• Official accounts allow for targeted messaging, increasing audience, advertising, etc.
• Mini-programs and official accounts can pull traffic to your website, although mini-programs allow for easier conversions within the app
• Mini-programs have a low barrier to entry – Very efficient  for quick exposure / low content required / testing offers
• Large brands or companies with more China internet savvy tend to mix and match these tools for a comprehensive marketing funnel.

What’s The Best WeChat Solution For You? WeChat Official Account Or WeChat Mini Program?

WeChat official accounts and WeChat mini-programs are both useful tools to promote and sell online in China today. Both large and small brands and already taking advantage of this. If you combine using a mini-program with all the e-commerce benefits of an official account then you are in a strong position to build an audience as well as convert your visitors into customers.

If your business is more content heavy, then look to a subscription account in order to pump out more material to your potential buyers.
Can you create quick conversion with an amazing offer in one quick move, then a mini-program is the way to go. As we mentioned, these tools are not an either or solution.We recommend that you think about the ecosystem and play around with some ideas about which combinations could work for your business before getting started.
If you’re not so familiar with the WeChat ecosystem then read our other articles to fill in any gaps in your WeChat marketing knowledge.

If you still have questions after reading those, then drop us a message and we’ll be happy to help. We like answering in-depth WeChat questions.

Try these topics to master WeChat marketing for your business:

• How To Use a WeChat Mini Program For Business
• What is a WeChat Mini Program? A Quick Guide
• WeChat Subscription Account Vs WeChat Service Account

The post WeChat Official Account Or WeChat Mini Program – Which Is Best For My Business? appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

No one likes a slow load time, whether it is a website or online store. But, this is even more relevant in China. In the PRC the fast pace of change and local cheap production means that tech and transport infrastructures are both cheaper and faster than most other countries in 2020. As a result, the Chinese consumer is more likely to bounce if you don’t have above average loading times.

Amazon and Alibaba are your main weapons of choice – but which is right for you? Let’s start with the big name you already know well….

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Most people have bought something from amazon.com – not so many know that they have also, more than likely used Amazon Web Services (AWS). Amazon realised that they needed to have the best web infrastructure in order for everyone to access their website faster than anyone else, anywhere in the world, so that they could dominate e-commerce.

They also needed this to support their own behind-the-scenes infrastructures for fulfilment and delivery. This lead them to then start selling the use of this high-end tech to any willing customer. The infrastructure is now one of the biggest providers of storing and serving online content.

In 2019 Amazon cloud services (AWS) generated around $35 billion in revenue. 

How Do These Services Work For My Business?

The simple answer is “Storage and distribution”. We are talking about cloud servers here, which means that your data is reaching people in more locations at higher speeds.

You would use these services for website hosting as well as for specific sets of files on your website. Visible examples might be a PDF download or an explainer video on your homepage.

You might also have a specific database and system created for e-commerce ordering or a booking system for a service business. All of these things can be separately hosted in different ways to increase the delivery time to customers to reduce waiting times and increase sales and conversions.

How Does AWS Work In China?

Amazon Web Services is a fantastic resource for cloud servers, fast storage and data distribution globally, but this reputation doesn’t cross over exactly for the services it offers in China.

Amazon does not directly manage the Chinese version of AWS in the same way as AWS outside China. In fact, the Chinese version of AWS is actually an outsourced model. This means that Amazon is not actually putting the same type of hardware in place as in other markets. Because of this, AWS in China is essentially a local Chinese service being resold. Is this a problem? In some ways, no – You are dealing with the familiar Amazon brand which can feel more comfortable as a non-Chinese business.

AWS Performance Inside China

The reality here is that AWS falls short in two main areas of services in China. First, the range of services available does not extend to the same range as outside China.

Without being too technical, there are many options for deploying databases or websites and things to consider when trying to optimize web-based data transfers and issues with websites. AWS inside China falls short of the Amazon offerings outside of China. This would mean that you potentially could not duplicate your existing set up from an American AWS account over to the same service inside China.

What Is Alibaba Cloud?

Alibaba Cloud (known as Aliyun in China) is a cloud-based service that provides data and storage services. It is part of China’s hugely powerful Alibaba and its set of huge companies. Alibaba is similar to Amazon in that it has a lot of different services that it is providing to mainland China. 

Why Alibaba?

Alibaba is huge. Check out this list of the main Alibaba business to get an idea of the size of this internet giant – just in case you didn’t know….

• Alipay – China’s instant payment system – Think Paypal and Apple Pay rolled into one app.
• Alibaba – The original online market place for Chinese goods for export.
• Taobao – China’s answer to eBay.
• Tmall – China’s version of Amazon.com
• Weibo – A social networking app. Similar in size and style to Twitter.

With Alibaba being so huge it has adopted some of Amazon’s marketplace ideas. It has been offering cloud services in a similar way since 2009. 

Alibaba vs Amazon Cloud (AWS) For Customer Service

We have used both services for various clients for running servers and cloud storage in China for some time now. In the last 5 years, our experience is that the Alibaba customer service experience is generally much quicker than the AWS.

For this reason alone, when it comes to Alibaba vs Amazon Cloud (AWS), we would generally recommend to clients that they would be better served by Alibaba. Why? Well, it is pretty simple. If you have an e-commerce solution taking payments and creating orders for you, you need your site and technical solution to be rock solid.

If not your business is going to end up in a mess dealing with updates and technical issues if you can’t get the answers or help you need in good time.

Alibaba vs Amazon Cloud (AWS) For Data Distribution

This is pretty simple. If you are deploying inside China then Alibaba Cloud has a better distribution of service throughout China compared to AWS.

Alibaba Cloud is also more commonly used in China, meaning more attention is paid to upgrading the system and making it easier to use for customers.

Alibaba has a much higher number of nodes inside China (data distribution points) which means you get a quicker and more reliable service than AWS can provide. 

Are There Alternatives To Alibaba Cloud and AWS In China?

Yes. There are a few alternatives out there, but let’s explain a couple of things. AWS and Alibaba Cloud are geared up for customer services geared towards non-Chinese users. Most of the other providers are not.

As is very similar outside China, you may find a smaller innovative supplier who has a slightly more attractive introductory offer to get new clients. However, there is no guarantee with those providers that they will stick around (a more common issue in China than somewhere like the US or UK).

You will also find with the smaller providers that it looks like a good deal until you start having problems local customer service in China operates in a very less smooth way than other cultures. You may end up finding that you are spending weeks, rather than days trying to get your issue resolved.

If you need any more answers on how to set up your digital distribution services, leave a note in the comments and we’ll happily answer.

If you have something specific to your business, drop us an e-mail for a more detailed response.

The post Alibaba vs Amazon Cloud (AWS): What Are The Best Servers For Use In China? appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

When registering for a WeChat account, corporate users can choose from a subscription account (订阅号) or service account（服务号）. Each has its own advantages and caters to different specifications – which best suits the needs of your business?

WeChat Subscription Account

Individuals registering for a WeChat account can only select a subscription account. With a subscription account, users can send push messages once daily and only 1-6 articles can be published at each time. These messages will show up in users’ subscription folders and no notifications will be sent.

A Chinese ID or a local business license is required for registration of a subscription account.

Subscriptions accounts are recommended for those who are looking to publish more as the frequency for publishing articles is higher. This will allow businesses to better retain customer interest and increase their communication and branding.

WeChat Service Account

Service accounts are highly visible as they appear alongside users’ friends in the “Chat” page and any new content that is posted comes with push notification. However, with a service account, users are only allowed to post 4 messages monthly. With a service account, users have additional features available at their disposal including WeChat payment, voice recognition, geolocation, multiple QR codes which are handy for identifying traffic sources, URL shortening and connected objects.

The WeChat service account is most suitable for businesses that want to

• focus on managing customer relationships and service-based tasks;
• start e-commerce stores;
• have full access to WeChat analytics

WeChat Subscription Account vs WeChat Service Account

Only 1-time daily publishing with a subscription account…

That may seem insufficient at first glance but limiting your post to only one a day will allow you to connect better with your followers in the long run. As such, subscription accounts are perfect for businesses that have content that needs to be published daily, such those in news media and influencers.

What do I get with a service account?

With a WeChat service account, you get many top-notch features such as API integration, CRM, e-commerce and customer service. You can utilise data collected from followers and use it for more targeted marketing. There is also a live chat feature that is available for use.

Who should opt for it?

Service accounts are great for large businesses that need to manage subscriber lists with a large following. Some examples include restaurant and hotel chains, fitness and spa chains, and airlines. You will be able to directly liaise with your customers and manage any enquiries or complaints through WeChat without having to engage the services of a 3rd party company.

In a nutshell, choose a Subscription Account if…

• Your priority is to share informative and useful content with your followers regularly and consistently.
• Owning the account is not of the utmost importance to you.
• You have no issues with having to engage the services of a 3rd party company to set up the account.

Choose a Service Account if…

• You want access to comprehensive analytics and e-commerce services for your business.
• Managing customer relationships and offering quality customer service is key.
• You would prefer to legally own your account.
• Engaging the services of a 3rd party company in the setting up and maintenance of your WeChat account for your business is not feasible.

Registering for a WeChat account is simple enough but gaining followers and consistently pushing out relevant and informative content for your audience is what will help your brand gain a sizable foothold in the Chinese market. Let us help you with this – we are close at hand, just an email away!

The post WeChat Subscription Account Vs WeChat Service Account appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

AR, on the other hand, is short for augmented reality – this means that technology is used to support you in the real world and is less obvious if you haven’t experienced it yet. AR superimposes a computer generated image over the top of what you see in everyday life. If you have seen the Star Wars chess scene with the famous words “Let the wookie win” then you’ve already witnessed AR.

How Has AR Been Used In China So Far?

Augmented reality (AR) in China has been around for a while – shopping apps, tourism apps, games. Companies in China use AR to grow their brands and develop new marketing strategies in a world where consumers are constantly faced with advertisements across their screens. Unlike virtual reality, where another world entirely is created, AR just adds on something extra to your existing experience. 

Especially in China – where smartphones are people’s lifelines to money, networking, and everything else – AR has been largely phone-based, with companies like Baidu and Tencent creating game apps that offer AR experiences to their consumers. 

WebAr In China. Is There Interest?

But what about Web AR? Web-based AR refers to augmented experiences that can be accessed through a web browser – rather than an app (or an AR device like glasses or a headset). For users, this means you just need your phone and an internet connection – no downloading required. The appeal of web AR in China may come from the ease of just scanning a QR code – coupled with the omnipresence of WeChat and using that as a platform for launching web AR pages. Opening up a website while you shop and finding new experiences that way is much easier than downloading an app.

What WebAR Is Happening In China?

AR use in China has largely focused on retail, entertainment, and tourism. When most people think of AR, they probably think of games like Pokemon GO. In China, consumer giants Tencent and Alibaba launched ‘Red Packet’ games through their platforms where people could scan physical objects with their cameras to find digital financial prizes.

How Has This Helped With Marketing And Brands?

Since then, AR has been used to help market brands and integrate new experiences into consumers’ experiences. Many retail outlets, for example, created games that encouraged consumers to engage with their brand through offers of rewards. Shoppers could ‘try on’ clothes, influencers could superimpose their faces into new destinations.

A Positive Move For Tourism In China

For tourism, Chinese tourist sites have been using AR to place old buildings or relics into the users’ viewpoints, recreating history in front of their eyes. And while zoos and other tourist sites see a lot of VR additions, AR has crept in as well, with some sites allowing children to augment their experiences with bats, for instance, showing them how the animals ‘see’ with sound.

How Is Tech Reacting to WebAR Needs In China?

One of the benefits of using an app-based AR platform is the ability to create a faster, more interactive environment for consumers. And while web AR in China has capitalised on brief, more limited, one-time marketing campaigns or experiences, the constant development of the technology sees web AR becoming more and more sophisticated.

And, with the advent of 5G, web AR in China could boom even further. Many of the limitations surrounding the use of web AR – limited depth perception, lag time, environment analysis – are being solved as we speak, and with the ability to use 5G network speeds (instead of potentially unreliable wifi), could drastically improve the experience on users’ phones.

Is There An Obvious Next Step?

As the technology improves, the ability for brands to use WeChat as the platform for web AR increases as well. In a country where nearly everything is done via one app – WeChat – being able to keep consumers within that environment and also experiencing a new AR could be groundbreaking. All the factors for quick adoption and accelerated development are ripen in China, so watch this space!

Why China Will Be Great For Adoption Of WebAR

One thing China is famous for is the alarming rate of change that has been witnessed in everything from the new high speed rail network right  through to the adoption of an ubiquitous mobile payments system via Wechat which makes the west look slow and cumbersome. On this basis you should expect to see a high rate of adoption for WebAR. In China, even the older generation have a higher adoption rate for new technologies due to the higher rate of smartphone uptake. Attractive pricing for smartphones  and the convenience of being able to run your entire life through Wechat means that taking one more step forward through things like social selling ( China’s new boom) and WebAR will be an easier step for most city dwellers to make than their counterparts in the west.

China Has Already Moved On Tech In B2C

With China being the technologically hungry animal that it is right now the implementation of WebAR will be no exception. The first declaration of the adoption of AR / WebAR was made in 2013 by Yihaodian. Since then Alibaba made the headlines with their staff-free store in Hangzhou which has warmed the country to new forms of retail. China loves novelty. It also has the vision and tech to push WebAR forwards. For now it is a little bit of a waiting game while brands wait for public exposure to bring more awareness of how to tap into the features and benefits. It is possible that in the sometime in the next few years you just might be greeted at Beijing capital by a virtual Pokemon or two!

If you have any tales or queries about WebAr or new retail experiences in China, please drop us a line. We’d love to hear your thoughts, and of course, questions….

The post Could WebAR Be A New Tool For You In China? appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

What are some factors to consider when building a business website for Chinese audiences?

• Web host

Hosting your website in China will require you to apply to the China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for an Internet Content Provider (ICP) license. Read more about how to get an ICP License. However, in order to attain an ICP license, your business will need to have a physical presence in China.

An alternative option is Hong Kong cloud hosting, which provides good performance and speed, but without the need for a registered Chinese business.

• Search engine optimisation

Google is banned in China which means that your website must be optimised for local Chinese search engines such as Baidu, Sogou and Shenma. In order for your website to be indexed and crawled efficiently, it needs to be designed with these in mind: (1) website should be in the Chinese language, (2) where possible hosted locally with ICP licenses and (3) contain local inbound links and social resources.

• Site navigation options

As compared to Western websites, Chinese websites offer more options when it comes to page navigation. You will commonly find shortcuts to specific topics on the navigation menu on Chinese websites in addition to links to general categories. When it comes to submenus, Western websites tend to have content displayed vertically while Chinese websites have their submenus open horizontally across.

• Third-party links optimisation

Since the MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) blocks so many popular Western sites, many services like Google Maps, Facebook, Twitter etc are blocked in China which will slow down the website, so you will need to remove any outbound links, embeds, and other third-party features associated with blocked sites.

• Language localization

Even though B2C and B2B websites play by different rules, there is a common ground when it comes to website localization for the China market. No one will deny that using Chinese on the website will allow a better understanding for your local audience. Besides, it gives Chinese visitors an insight into your business and increases your Chinese search engine ranking.

• Local social media account

Opening social media accounts is another factor to boost your brand awareness in the Chinese market. Most of the western social media channels are blocked in China, so it is essential that businesses develop content campaigns in Chinese social media to increase brand reputation. That means developing content strategies on platforms such as Wechat, Weibo and Douyin (TikTok) and then embedding these social media accounts into your website to increase conversions.

Using WordPress for your Chinese website

What is WordPress?

WordPress is one of the most popular content management tools on the internet to create dynamic websites. It is a free, open-source CMS (Content Management System) and some of its features include plugin architecture and a template system, otherwise known as Themes. Some of the web content that WordPress supports includes e-commerce stores, media galleries, mailing lists, forums, subscription systems and Learning Management Systems (LMS).

Is WordPress banned in China?

Firstly, it is important to know the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. The former is blocked in Mainland China while the latter is not.

WordPress.com – a hosted version of WordPress where users can sign up and start a blog, website or store without any technical know-how.

WordPress.org – an open-source version of WordPress that can be downloaded to create a website but one that will have to be hosted on a server. In this case users will need to purchase their own domain names and hosting.

Advantages of using WordPress to design your website

1. Use of plugins

The WordPress plugin library includes hundreds of plugins that cater to every developer need. In the instance of  building a website for the Chinese market, some of the more useful plugins include:

Page Specific Menu: users can manage the navigation of the site in Chinese. As WordPress does not have a more efficient method to manage multiple languages on a website, this plugin is an easy way of solving that issue.

Polylang: a popular multi-language plugin, Polylang allows users to create content and to designate the language for each post, page, tags and categories. In short, Polylang lets users create a multilingual WordPress site.

Elementor Page Builder: a must-have for those with no experience in building websites, this plugin allows users to easily create website layouts and designs without the use of any code.

Remove Google Fonts: as Google is banned in China, it is advised that all content linked to Google is removed from any website that you want to have launched in Mainland China. This plugin does just that for you.

1. Mobile sites

With 1.25 billion mobile users in China, it is crucial that your business site has a mobile-friendly version made available to potential customers. It is important to also note that mobile responsiveness is an important factor in search engine rankings. On WordPress, a selection of mobile-friendly themes and designs are available for use which will allow your site to look amazing and be user-friendly on any device.

1. Easily adaptable

No matter what your business is, WordPress has a theme and function for every industry. Multinational corporations, small MNCs, bloggers, home-based businesses all use WordPress to power their websites. Due to its user-friendly interface, WordPress can be adapted to fit constantly changing requirements without any hassle.

While the information in this article provides enough insight into the basics of WordPress website development for a specific market, for you to truly succeed in the Chinese market with your business website, customisation is important. At Eggplant Digital, we have a team of skilled website developers, digital marketing experts and creatives to provide you with all the assistance you need to get started on building that perfect site for your business. Contact us for more information!
If you want an overview of why WordPress is such a solid choice for your business, check our short but comprehensive guide “How Long does It take To Learn WordPress”.

The post Developing A Website For The Chinese Market With WordPress appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

How Is Selling Online In China Different?

Because of the Great Firewall blocks most Western social sites such as Facebook and Twitter, social networking in China is very different from the of the rest of the world. But with so many users, and a whopping 800 million users expected by 2023, it’s a marketplace that any foreign businesses should absolutely tap into. But be aware, sooner is better than later…

Which Platforms Should I Sell On In China?

With so many different social network platforms used in China, selling online in the PRC can seem scary. Which platforms should you be promoting your business on? How do you use the platforms to sell your products? What are all these odd names? We’re not going to deal with all of them – just the most important one: WeChat. Let’s deal with the most effective strategy for businesses getting online in China, “social selling”.

Using WeChat to promote social selling in China is crucial
to grow your business and penetrate the market.

But why is WeChat is the social network you can’t live without…?

Social Selling in China – Unlock The Door

Social selling is all about using social media networks to reach new customers, engage potential buyers, and convert those leads to clients. Building relationships via WeChat in China allows you to do that far better than any other platform. With over one billion active users per month, WeChat is by far the largest social network in China.

If you’re selling products to a Chinese market, you’ve probably heard of Taobao, Tmall, and JD.com. These online e-commerce platforms dominate the market. A Mandarin-language site is useful, but Chinese consumers simply don’t access websites in the same way most people do. You need to be visible on e-commerce platforms, or, as we’ll see below, WeChat.

Taobao Or Tmall Or JD.com?

There are a number of e-commerce platforms in China, but the big three are Taobao, Tmall, and Jingdong (JD). Owned by the Alibaba Group, Taobao and Tmall are the largest, with market dominance only now beginning to be challenged by Tencent’s JD.

An Overview Of The Main Chinese Online Sales Platforms…

Taobao
Taobao is Alibaba’s version of eBay – a similar kind of platform that allows small businesses and individual sellers a commission-free space to list their products. With over 800 million products listed, Taobao is one of China’s largest online marketplaces, and a great place to start for small businesses.

Tmall
Part of Alibaba as well, Tmall is more like Amazon. It’s a place for brands, for B2C sellers, and is often the go-to for international sellers in China. And, with 55% of the e-commerce market share, it’s not hard to see why. As a more professional marketplace, however, the barriers to entry are higher. Sellers on Tmall need to prove they own the brand in order to sell.

JD (Jingdong)
Finally, Tencent’s Jingdong/ JD is another B2C platform, rapidly rising within China to take on Tmall. JD sources non-counterfeit products straight from the suppliers. It built its brand on high-quality, reliable sellers delivering direct to customers.

Tmall and JD definitely offer foreign brands a door into the ever-growing market of Chinese consumers, with a 50% and 25% stake, respectively, in the 500 million monthly users of Chinese e-commerce platforms. With just a standalone website, for instance, e-commerce sites you simply can’t compete with these two giants. Without a pre-existing brand presence, Chinese consumers will probably never know you exist.

Why Not Use These Platforms To Kick Off Your Chinese Sales Campaign?

That’s the thing: we’re not saying don’t use them. These platforms are large and powerful. The problem is that  WeChat is the only useful tool for breaking into the market – and doing so in a cost-effective way.
Tmall and JD are great for larger overseas companies, but there are a few drawbacks. Firstly, you need a Chinese partner or be registered as a Chinese entity to use these platforms. Because of the huge volume of online sellers already on there, you will find it tough to break in as a new brand.

Because of the way that the platforms are set up, you have to bid for your leads. This means if someone is already established in this shop front, you are going to have to invest big and early, in order to compete. This is often expensive and has risks associated for your business.

Why WeChat And Social Selling Are Your Solutions in China

WeChat is China’s all-in-one ecosphere. It is basically China’s number 1 “ internet on your phone”.
From social selling to social networking, this one app does it all. Why use it to promote social selling for your business? Because it’s easy, has no barrier to entry, and you have the all-important control over your brand.

WeChat offers two distinct features that allow you to leverage social selling in China easily and quickly. The first is a WeChat Store, the second, a WeChat Mini Program. Let’s look into these two more and how they can help you utilize social selling in the Chinese market place.

Take Advantage Of WeChat Shops

WeChat shops are an easy way to sell online in China. And, because they’re part of the omnipresent WeChat, it gives you a foot in the door of social selling in China instantly. Learn more about the specifics of setting up a WeChat shop in our dedicated article.

In general, WeChat stores can be a simple way of maintaining your brand and ability to reach Chinese audiences without a lot of overhead or investment. While some WeChat stores require a subscription to set up, most can be created for free. The great news is, you don’t need to develop anything new, and there’s no bidding or Chinese partner needed.

Understand And Use WeChat Mini Programs

Another great, although slightly more complicated platform for social selling in China is the  WeChat mini program. These mini-programs are mini-apps- small-scale, streamlined versions of native applications that you can develop and tailor to your needs. They allow you to create your own <10MB version of a phone application, all within the WeChat app itself. This keeps your clients in an ecosystem they know and love and allows you to connect your brand and products to a WeChat account and payment easily.

Overall, what WeChat offers you is a simple way to bolster your Chinese sales machine. With over one billion active users a month, WeChat is a bigger platform than both Tmall and JD. Within WeChat, you completely own your own brand — there are no other brands you’re competing with once your clients are in your store or mini program. It is much more like having your own real estate on the Chinese internet – like a website! Most of the time, the barrier to entry is very low, and there is no bidding war for leads.

Putting all these benefits together -you have a simple and easy way to reach a whole lot of people at once. You can create your own advertisements, send notifications and special deals directly to customers. You are in total control of all your own promotions. Social selling doesn’t come much easier than within the biggest social network in China that is WeChat.

So the message is simple. If you want to take your first step into China mainland e-commerce, you need to prioritise making a start on your WeChat presence and get in some early sales. Need some more info? Learn about more about the ecosystem in China and WeChat Mini Programs For Business.

The post How Do You Sell Online In China : Cost Effective Marketing With Social Selling appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

Alipay has been around for about a decade now. With this provider, once the buyer makes a purchase on your website, the platform will hold the money in escrow until the delivery of the product is confirmed by your consumer. Once this is done you receive the payment.

WeChat Pay has been available to overseas vendors since early 2016. It works slightly differently; it allows customers in China to pay for goods directly via online transfer from their account. Buyer receives a QR code to scan through their WeChatPay smartphone application for approving transactions.

There are two ways you can go about integrating these platforms into your website. You can either write code that uses the API request and reply fields to integrate the platform’s cross-border PC payment solution into your existing order management system.

Or you can implement it via one of the third party providers such as Payssion, Ingenico, Optile or Stripe.

Why should you add Alipay or WechatPay?

The estimated yearly third-party mobile payment transaction volume in Mainland China is about 152.77 trillion according to Ipsos 2018 Q4 Third-Party Mobile Payment User Report. Annual transaction number is 10.4 trillion, a 24% Year-To-Year increase. 54% of user’s daily payment transactions happen via third-party payment providers such as WeChat and Alipay.

WeChat Pay and Alipay are the market leaders for mobile payment overseas and can help you to tap into this enormous market. They are the two biggest and most known payment solution platforms in China. More and more global e-commerce companies have been implementing one of the two.

You should consider adding Alipay or WechatPay to your website if you are interested in reaching the local customers in China, providing seamless shopping experience. Adding one of the payment solutions to your website will help you to build trust with your Chinese customers, as these payment options are widely used and most trusted. Another major advantage is that you will be able to charge your customer in real time in the CNY and then finalize the payment in your currency.

Last but not least both of these payment platforms provide high levels of security. User activity is constantly monitored for anything suspicious and multi-step verification processes are in place to ensure users are able to make payments securely.

What documents should be prepared?

When opening an account directly with both of these payment providers you will be asked to submit the following documents together with your application:

Business Registration Certificate, Financial License, Anti-Money Laundering Questionnaire, ID certificates of Directors, Main Contacts and Legal Representatives.

How long will it take to get the application approved?

You should be prepared that processing the application could take about a month, both in the case of Alipay or WechatPay. They need time to check your business model and verify all the documents provided in accordance with the local law and companies requirements.

The post How to add Alipay or WeChatPay onto my website? appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

So what other options are there? Here is a list of the top 5 search engines in China and the one name in the market that dominates them all.

China’s Big 5

As of January 2020, the largest and most popular search engine in China is Baidu with a market share of 63.5%, followed by Sogou with 26% and Shenma with 4.8%. Rounding out the top five are Haosou and Bing with 2% market share each.

While it is evident that Baidu claims the top honor for now, it is important to take note that the search engine market in China is always on the move alongside shifting trends. The fragmented nature of the Chinese internet where there is a platform serving every need is also a factor contributing to the constant changes to what’s hot and what’s not. Consumers have the option of going directly to each platform without having to use a general search engine.

Baidu – China’s Google

They both dominate in their respective markets and are used similarly as verbs in everyday conversation, synonymous to the word ‘search’ – for example, you would tell someone to “go Google what you need” or in China, “just Baidu it” (“百度一下”). However, their similarities stop there because Baidu is different from Google in very many ways:

Don’t count on appearing on the first page so easily

Frequent users of Baidu will know to skip the first page of the search results completely and head on straight to the second page because there is where most of the organic results will show up. This is due to the massive presence of ads on the first page, though it should be noted that Baidu has made many changes in the last couple of years to free up space on the first page for more organic results.

There is little space for non-Chinese websites

This is because it is a 100% Chinese search engine – made by the Chinese for the Chinese, so it wouldn’t make much sense for non-Chinese language sites to rank on Baidu. In order to rank at all on Baidu, it is advised that you have a website with Chinese content and that is hosted within China itself.

No Schema.org please

Baidu does not support the schema.org markup for Rich Snippets, instead opting for their own platform called Baidu Open. Unlike Google, the operating system behind Baidu is more focused on the homepage of a site rather than the internal pages.

Best Practices – Baidu SEO

Get a Chinese ICP License

Having your website hosted on a Chinese provider is the best way to have it rank on Baidu because it prioritizes .cn domains and servers located within China. The paperwork involved in attaining a ICP license seems intimidating at first, but once you get round it, you will find it a good investment in the long run.

Invest in the Baidu Trust System

Badges will be displayed next to your site on the search results page that show a certain level of credibility to users. You can purchase these badges from Baidu in order to boost your ranking and organic click-through numbers.

Learn about Baidu Webmaster Tools

This is the official traffic management platform for administrators on which you can find a vast range of tools to more effectively manage your website and monitor its performance. Submitting your site to Baidu Webmaster Tools will help the search engine spider index your content more efficiently and with more precision.

Optimize your site for mobile

As a whopping 98% of the Chinese internet user market relies on their mobile devices to access data online, it is a no-brainer that you should most definitely optimise your website for mobile. Prioritize mobile-first design for your website or risk having your page layout changed completely by Baidu as they will transcode sites that do not offer mobile-friendly content.

The post A Guide To Search Engines In China appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

With all that WeChat has to offer, you can now utilise powerful WeChat Mini Programs to help your business reach millions of people daily – get more eyeballs on your offers and clicks on your offers to make sales.

Do I Need A WeChat Mini Program For My Business?

Do you need a WeChat Mini Program? Well, if you’ve ever considered how much an app can boost your sales and customer experience (or maybe you already have one?) then WeChat Mini Programs are definitely a strong option for you.

If you want to reach more Chinese customers, if you want to interact with them, if you want to engage them with your brand, then take some time to understand WeChat mini programs – If you want to sell more in China, then it is a sound and proved investment.

More than a WeChat official account, and more than an email news blast or a Facebook ad, WeChat Mini Programs can help you reach and retain both loyal customers and bring in new sales.

What Are WeChat Mini Programs?

So, let’s start from the start: What are WeChat Mini Programs? Also called ‘sub-applications’, Mini Programs are streamlined apps that exist entirely within the WeChat ecosphere. Mini Programs are easy to use, easy to make, and reach over 300 million Chinese consumers every single day. They can come as either reduced versions of full version native applications or WeChat-based versions of web apps.

Using simplified versions of “mini-apps” isn’t unknown to us outside of China – Facebook and Google (on Android) have mini apps as well. For Facebook, in-app services, like for Pizza Hut or Expedia, have existed for a while. But have you ever used one? For Android phones, Google has created Instant Apps that open and run directly from a website. Perhaps you’ve used these more. Think Google search as an app as opposed to hitting the site from a computer and you’re on the right track.

Inside The WeChat Ecosystem

The benefit of WeChat Mini Programs over Facebook or Google is the backing of the omnipresent and all powerful Chinese “daily life” application WeChat itself.

Nearly 1 billion people use WeChat every month. Yes, a billion. That is more than 3 times the entire population of the US – all inside the same ecosystem all day long. They chat. They buy. They sell. They research. They refer. All inside one single app – WeChat.

Nearly every person in China uses WeChat Pay to do everything from paying their water bills to buying their daily groceries. The power of WeChat Mini Programs  comes from this integrated system: With everyone using WeChat already, having an app within that system, that seamlessly integrates with an online payment system already in the system as well…You see where we’re going.

What Can Mini Programs Do For WeChat Users?

So what do WeChat Mini Programs do? Just like most things in China, you can basically build any kind of WeChat Mini Program you like. Think about it this way: If you could build an app, a web-based application, or have any kind of e-commerce store, you can make that into a Mini Program. From shopping to bike-sharing or ride-hailing, to checking the air quality or the local (or international) cases of COVID-19, there’s a Mini Program for that.

How Do Your customers Find You?

Getting to a WeChat Mini Program is easy. Users can get to your Mini Program through an official WeChat account ( if you don’t know what that is we can explain), through the discover tab, using the native search feature, or by scanning a QR code. As we’ve said before, one of the biggest benefits of a Mini Program is that it lives inside WeChat. Potential customers don’t leave the app, they don’t download anything new. It makes navigating to, and using, your businesses program that much easier.

The Benefits Of Using A Mini Program For Your Business

Now that you’ve got a better idea of what Mini Programs are, let’s talk about how they’re beneficial for your business.

The main draw of WeChat, WeChat Pay, and WeChat Mini Programs is the audience. In 2019, WeChat had over 1.1 billion active users. From those, over 300 million users were actively using WeChat Mini Programs on a daily basis, with a 160% year-on-year increase in transactions completed from 2018 to 2019. And these transactions? Ecommerce and other programs that utilised WeChat Pay bought in over 800 billion yuan (USD 115 billion) from users in 2019.

So, there’s a huge audience and quite a lot of money being spent through WeChat programs. But what else can these Mini Programs do for your business?

They can save you time and money. As Mini Programs are typically just 10MB in size, the time needed to develop and produce the programs is much less than developing a full application. Additionally, because they’re all run through WeChat, there’s also no need to produce iOS and Android versions. It’s thought that these sub-applications can generally ‘do’ about 80% of what native applications are capable of, but with just 20% of the development time. So, time saved during the development process and money saved by not having to develop two different applications -Easy…!

This small size and in-app integration also makes it a lot easier for new customers to find you and use your application. If they don’t need to download something new, there’s much more incentive to open and try your program. Because the Mini Programs are smaller in size, they run faster, giving your users a better user experience. And, in a country like China where app downloads across platforms are not always available, creating a Mini Program within WeChat is an instant way of ensuring you can get in front of your Chinese consumers.

The Massive Sharing Of Content Via WeChat Mini Programs

Features like notifications, live streaming, offers, and social connections also make it easy for you to get in front of your target audience. Sharing Mini Programs within WeChat is easy, so if you create something your customers want to share, they’ll be able to do so within individual or group chats. Why is this such a killer feature? Everyone in China is on WeChat, so this means you can forward a mini app to a chat with a friend as easily as you would a photo or a link. This means that your mini app can benefit from a type of network marketing / influencer marketing that is currently unique to China. This feature totally reduces the friction between someone recommending you and a new lead having immediate access to you. It’s rocket fuel for your brand.

WeChat Mini programs are great for promotions and deals.
The ability to update the functions and details in realtime and broadcast to your buyers is a powerful tool for your marketing efforts.

You Can Be Dynamic With Your Offers

You can create coupons in your Mini Program to market particular offers and you can share news updates or maintain up-to-date company information easily. WeChat Mini Programs also allow you to create group-buying deals – often a hit with Chinese online buyers – and rush promotions. These deals can then be easily shared between people on WeChat, giving you yet more face time with your growing consumer base.

Also, let’s face it: Most of your competitors probably have one. An estimated 95% of China facing e-commerce brands have a WeChat Mini Program, so it makes a lot of sense to create one for your business too.

Creating a Mini Program for your business

Now that you know how beneficial WeChat Mini Programs can be for your business, let’s talk about how to create one. We won’t go into the technical details here, it’s just to give you an idea of where to go next.

It generally takes about 8-10 weeks to build and develop a Mini Program. Depending on your needs and your immersion in the market, this could also be extended if you want to test new functions of your Mini Program or e-commerce store.

Smaller And More Agile Than Regular Apps

One of the great benefits of Mini Programs being so small and easy to build is that you can also create multiple Mini Programs for your business. Let’s say you have a multi-function native application. Instead of creating a complicated Mini Program that tries to address all these functions (say sharing health data with your followers and buying running shoes), you can more easily create two separate Mini Programs that are optimised for the two different functions.

Our experience has shown us that a few simple tips really help businesses create WeChat Mini Programs that make the most of their Chinese-based market:

• Keep the Mini Program simple, yet instantly understandable. With a more limited functionality, the best Mini Programs are those without too much navigation or steps involved.
• Don’t copy and paste your website or native application. Like we said before, create different Mini Programs if you need to – don’t try to fit it all into one.
  Incentivise people to share your Mini Program. Create deals for those that share with their friends and get your Mini Program out there on group chats.
• Drive your customers to your website or full application through the Mini Program. Give them a taste of all the services you can provide and then make your call to action clear.
• Be sure to have seasoned professional translation. You’ll need your Mini Program to be in Mandarin to reach the most users. You’ll also need seasoned China facing marketers for this. Good communication and accuracy in marketing materials makes for good sales figures.

Successful WeChat Mini Programs In Use In China Today

Starbucks is a great example of a Mini Program that works for its users. Its Mini Program allows you to ‘gift’ drinks or specially designed cards to your friends and loved ones. People wanting to give something nice can now do so, very easily, with the Starbucks brand front and centre. Mobike and Ofo, two of China’s biggest bike-sharing companies, also have Mini Programs that are simple and easy-to-use versions of their full apps: Users just open the Mini Program, find a bike, and unlock a bike.

For e-commerce stores, another great advantage for your consumers is how easy it is for them to just buy something. There’s no need to register, to input financial details — everything’s already in WeChat, so they just need to hit ‘buy’.

One of China’s largest e-commerce brands, JD.com, was one of the first brands to fully utilise the Mini Program purchasing experience for their customers. Their Mini Program allows users to search and buy easily, enhancing their buying experience by a user-friendly Mini Program integrated into the always used WeChat. JD.com also took it a step further, offering their retailers an easy to build their own Mini Programs within the JD.com system.

Criteria For Mini Programs

Mini Programs are essential for businesses entering or expanding in the Chinese market. Not only is it easy for you to create and market your Mini Program, it also opens up your business to a whole lot more potential customers.

We love Mini Programs because of the flexibility it gives you to create a program that best fits your business’s own functions. Whether you’re selling a product, promoting your brand, or marketing a new game, Mini Programs are one of the most cost efficient ways of harnessing the power of marketing on WeChat.

Did we miss anything? Let us know….Or if you want to talk WeChat mini programs drop us a message. We’ve been building these powerful little beasts for years. Long live the mini-program!

The post How To Use A WeChat Mini Program For Business appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

The question then is whether the Chinese government is getting the maximum from its female workforce? As you’ll see, the answer is not a simple “yes” or “no.”

As more and more entrepreneurs enter the scene, the Chinese market is growing for ecommerce. Discover how you can take advantage of China’s demand for ecommerce imports here.

Why are people talking about women in Chinese business?

China has enjoyed the most impressive economic growth of any major nation in the last century. However, the government recognized that China needed to focus on gender equality in business for this growth to continue.

In 2012 the Chinese government announced its commitment to bringing gender equality to the Red Dragon, in its Gender Equality and Women’s Development in China paper. The Chinese state outlined seven focus areas in its proposal, with Women and the Economy number one on the list.

The state’s plan was to encourage “women to start business[es] and become re-employed” and it proposed a number of tactics to realize its ambition:

• Improving the employment structure for women
• Safeguarding the rights and interests of rural women working in cities
• Enhancing social security for women in urban areas

So, have the steps taken by the Chinese state expanded the role of Chinese women in business? Below, I explain all.

What is the role of women in twentieth-century Chinese business?

Chinese women have traditionally controlled family finances. The role of women in looking after the family purse strings suggests a cultural disposition towards giving them managerial roles, but is this reflected in their role in Chinese business? Yes.

Women occupy 36% of management positions in China – considerably ahead of the Asian average of 28%. In addition to this, a report by US accounting organization Grant Thornton stated that “mainland Chinese women topped the world in terms of holding senior business management roles.” The report found that 51% of senior management roles in China are held by women, higher than the US (20%), UK (19%), and Japan (7%) combined.

Management roles aren’t the only area that Chinese women are better off than their US counterparts. While there is still a gender pay gap in China it’s smaller than the one in the US – in the US women earn 80% of what men do, while in China it’s 84%.

So, what’s the role of women in twentieth-century Chinese business? They occupy more senior positions and earn more money than their peers in the world’s largest Western economy.

What does the role of women mean for Chinese business?

Women are already excelling in Chinese business, however, as I mentioned earlier in this article, the government remains unsatisfied. Does this mean then that China business is going to become dominated by female leaders?

China already has a higher proportion of female workers in its economy than that seen by men in many developed countries. But that’s not all. Chinese women set up more online companies than Chinese men, and make up 64% of the world’s self-made businesswomen. This means that China is truly one of the best places in the world to be an entrepreneur as a woman.

With women continuing to reduce the pay and representation gap in China, you can expect female leaders to enjoy an even more important role in Chinese business in the coming years.

Are women in Chinese business being held back by the state?

Domestic Chinese business is booming because of the role women play in it, with the state making it easier for women to break into business and start their own companies in mainland China. But could the state be doing more to help women crack the international market? Maybe.

China is one of the most tech-savvy nations on the planet and major companies are helping women to secure roles in the STEM industry – as evidenced by the Samsung STEM Girls program, the seeds of which were sewn by the China Women’s Development Foundation. However, China also has more restrictive internet policies than many developed nations, making it harder for Chinese women to start an international business.

That’s not to say it’s impossible for women in China to start a global company. For example, if a Chinese woman wants to start an online company, there are a number of providers and payment gateways in China that gives them access to international markets.

The online retail giant Shopify recently opened its doors in China, building a Shenzen-based team in an attempt to focus on Chinese entrepreneurs. And the growth of JD.com’s Baitiao online payment provider has made it easier than ever to purchase goods online. As major brands occupy the online retail space, more and more opportunities arise for entrepreneurs, women or otherwise, in China.

But there’s a catch. What the Chinese state’s policies do mean, however, is that it’s trickier to use non-Chinese resources to start their company. The result of this is that while Westerners can build a business by using manufacturing and resources from China, Chinese women do not get the same level of access to the digital and non-digital materials available in Western markets.

Does this matter? Not necessarily. China has many of its own resources helping women break into business and start their own companies. However, the result of making it difficult for Chinese women to use Western tools is twofold:

1. It means they have less raw materials to work with when getting into business
2. Their businesses may have more of a regional than feel than a global appeal

Ultimately, none of this might matter to everyday Chinese businesswomen, as their interests may lie solely in building a Chinese business. Still, though, it does feel a shame for the state to make it more difficult for them to take their company global.

Chinese women are playing a crucial role in the Red Dragon’s businesses, occupying significant roles and creating a wave of new online companies. While there’s much the Chinese government is doing to help its female workforce, there’s still plenty it can do and the policies it selects over the next few years will be crucial in shaping how far Chinese women can go in business.

The post The Role Of Women In Chinese Business & What That Means appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

Key to this is the presence of WeChat’s Mini Programs. They’re stripped-down versions of apps that don’t need to be independently downloaded — instead, they can be loaded directly through the main WeChat app, driving the platform’s immense flexibility.

Due to these main points (its popularity, utility, and accessibility), WeChat has obvious merit as a marketing tool. In this post, we’re going to run through the marketing trends worth noting in 2020, and consider what effective WeChat marketing content looks like. Let’s begin:

Continued investment in KOLs and KOCs

KOLs, or key opinion leaders, are what’s known in the west as influencers on the WeChat platform: they build up large numbers of followers who are swayed heavily by their opinions, meaning there’s a lot of value in arranging sponsorship deals with them. WeChat lacks the content virality of something like Facebook, so it’s much harder for a given piece to get a lot of attention if it isn’t routed through someone popular.

Due to uncertainty about the efficacy of KOL marketing, though, more consideration now goes towards KOCs, or key opinion consumers. KOCs are less cynical and obviously money-hungry: they’re genuinely interested in the products they review and present, so even when they have smaller groups of followers than KOLs, those followers are considerably more likely to follow their recommendations and purchase those items.

Vital to selecting the right KOCs is understanding the audience you’re trying to reach. Following the retail method of generating buyer personas can be a massive help: you can then pick out people who fit those personas and investigate which KOCs they listen to.

The involvement of more international brands

It used to be the case that only businesses with Chinese licenses could create service accounts in WeChat, but that changed back in 2018. What’s more, though it’s all moving very slowly, rules for WeChat Pay are also set to be relaxed to allow foreign bank accounts to be used to access the full range of features currently available to Chinese nationals.

This has understandably elevated interest in WeChat for companies elsewhere in the world. They see the huge number of active users and the level of engagement and they want to know how they can take advantage of it. This is why the platform is seeing more and more official accounts from businesses based outside of China.

Rising use of paid advertising methods

Paid advertising through WeChat has generally been a challenge because it isn’t something the platform has been too eager about. While it’s been an option for quite some time, the unwillingness to sully the perception of the platform by overloading it with ads has shaped a selection of ad types that’s very limited and extremely costly — but this is starting to change.

Being aware of the threat of Tik Tok, WeChat has steadily been offering new ad types with more targeting options and reduced rates, making paid WeChat advertising far more worthwhile than ever before. As 2020 rolls on, expect to see brands invest in it far more heavily.

What good WeChat content involves

Having looked at some of the main marketing trends for WeChat in 2020, let’s now run through what good marketing content for the platform involves, because creating content for WeChat is somewhat different from creating it for other platforms:

• It makes the best of the structure. Most social platforms have set layouts for their posts, and WeChat is no different. It closely resembles a blog post and you need to keep that in mind when optimizing it. Get to the point quickly, maintain the reader’s interest throughout, and finish strongly to earn presses of the “Wow” button.
• It’s purpose-driven and high-quality. Because the average piece of WeChat content isn’t going to be seen by that many people (unlikely something on Twitter that could get hundreds of thousands of impressions), it needs to serve a specific purpose when it is It might push a product, provide a brand update, mention a sale… and it needs to be high-quality, because weak content would really sully the attached brand.
• It’s optimized for in-app search. There is an internal search feature, and though it doesn’t get much use, it’s still worth taking into account. Following best SEO practices is adequate, which means including vital keywords in the title and headings.

Overall, then, we can expect 2020 to see more foreign businesses choose WeChat as a priority marketing platform, and they’ll likely invest in KOC relationships and paid advertising using new options. Their content will need to be high-quality to pay off, falling in line with the unique arrangement of the platform.

The post WeChat Marketing Trends in 2023 And The Content Fuelling Them appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

There are many advantages to using animated explainer videos in marketing campaigns. In this article, we will identify how you can benefit from this form of feature animation.

Importantly, remember they come in many different styles and formats. The key is in selecting the right storytelling technique to showcase your product to current and future customers. When done well, animated explainer videos can make a world of difference to your marketing campaign. In contrast, one that lacks quality or detail can leave customers feeling underwhelmed, or worse, confused!

Now you are ready to begin working on your very first animation, but are you doing it for the wrong reasons? Let us have a closer look at the the wrong reasons to produce an animated explainer video:

Making animated explainer videos: the ‘wrong’ reasons

1) Your product is complex and you think customers need simplification

Animated explainer videos shouldn’t be about simplifying — if your product or service is ambitious, your marketing should be too. Dumbing down your content won’t help reach a bigger audience and is definitely the wrong way to make an impact.

2) Competitors in the market all have one and you think you should too!

This is an obvious reason to not do something – your competitors may have animated explainer videos on their websites but creating these videos for yourself will not help you stand out. Using video and motion graphics is a strategic decision, with the intention of communicating more effectively to consumers, and should be part of a bigger chain of decisions that have led you to choose that medium of communication.

3) You want to target all the consumers in the market

Put away that shotgun and pick up your bow-and-arrow – this is about accuracy! The idea that you can create a creative marketing masterpiece that appeal to everyone is a misconception. You still need to have careful consideration about who you want to speak to through these animated explainer videos which involves writing a script and planning the distribution. There is just simply no magic bullet for this!

What are the ‘right’ reasons?

1) Your product is unique and you are looking for valuable product awareness

Modern WordPress websites always carry a variety of media which is a fantastic way of garnering attention to what really makes your product stand out. Animation can liberate the locked-in value of your product and elevate the consumer’s perception of you product.

2) You are looking to expand your visual identity into moving image

This is probably the most natural step for a company with an established logotype, color scheme and slogan, as combining all these into an in-depth animated feature can really redefine the perception of your brand. Consumers not only look for high quality graphics and responsive websites but they also want to see you thinking creatively like they do.

3) You want to highlight 3-5 very important unique selling propositions (USP).

This is the most important point to make: think about an animated explainer video as you ‘elevator pitch’ that’s being made to thousands of viewers on social media to drive them to your website. You have about 45 seconds to a minute to make a deep impact on the viewer and breaking the storyline down between 3 or 5 genuinely impressive USPs is going to serve you the best. In this aspect, it is definitely better to think “less is more”.

How to get started?

Featuring motion graphics and animation on your website for the right reasons can be a game changer! Ready to get started? We work with clients to make sure there is focused outcome and a well thought out strategy for distribution. Get in touch to work with us to and make sure your investment works well to your advantage.

The post Are you making an animated explainer video for the wrong reasons? appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

If you are planning to improve your online presence in China, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about obtaining an ICP license and operating legally within China’s digital ecosystem.

What is an ICP license?

An ICP license is mandatory for all businesses that want to manage a website in China. ICP, or Internet Content Provider, also known as ICP Bei-an (备案), is a registration issued by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) that allows websites to legally operate on servers located within mainland China. This license system was introduced in 2000 by the Telecommunications Regulations of the People’s Republic of China. Therefore, with an ICP license, you can host a website in China, which translates to having a website that runs and loads faster. You will also gain access to a Chinese CDN (Content Delivery Network). Before your website goes live, you need to choose a suitable domain name for your website. After that, you must complete your ICP registration and obtain a license.

Why Do I Need an ICP License in China?

An ICP license gives you unrestricted access to China’s online market. In contrast, websites without an ICP license are subject to continuous monitoring by China’s public network security agencies to ensure compliance with national security regulations. This results in slower website performance and could lead to blacklisting. These measures are part of the Great Firewall of China, a nationwide network security framework designed to protect the country’s digital ecosystem from foreign influence. With an ICP license, your content is delivered efficiently to end-users, and you have ensured a fast and accessible website in China!

What types of ICP licenses are there?

Knowing the difference between the types of ICP licences can help you understand which type would be suitable for your website.

ICP Filing

An ICP Filing (also known as ‘Bei-an’ in Chinese) is a license for non-commercial and informational websites that do not engage in direct sales or online transactions. Applying for an ICP Filing license is simple and allows hosting on servers in mainland China. The ICP Filing registration process is faster than for the commercial license. Applicants can expect to have their request handled within two months.

Commercial ICP License

The commercial ICP license is required for businesses that are selling products online in China, such as a Chinese e-commerce website. The ICP License application process is longer and has stricter requirements. It could also take longer for the license to be approved (about 60-90 working days). If you want to make your website work better for your business, you need to apply for the ICP commercial license.

How Do I Get an ICP License?

Obtaining an ICP license is crucial for your digital presence in China. This is why we are providing you with more information on the documentation and steps needed to get one.

ICP License Requirements and Documentation

Some documents and information that you will need to have prepared for the registration process include:

• Signed copy of application form for ICP license
• Business website domain name certification
• Copy of your business license in China
• Info on contact person in China (must be a Chinese national)
• Info on company owner (can be a foreigner)
• Photo of the webmaster

What is the Process for an ICP Registration?

The application process is available on the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) website. As the application is only available in Chinese, you will require assistance from someone who is able to read Chinese.

STEP 1: Establish Legal Presence in China

If your business is not yet registered in China, you won’t be able to apply for an ICP license. There are a few options you can consider:

• Setting up a Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE). This will take up to 6 months to process.
• Partnering with a Chinese company
• An agency registers your ICP license for your website. There are significant risks in handing over your Intellectual Property, website database, or domain name. The preferred option for many of our clients is to host their website in Hong Kong, as the proximity to China provides better speed than other countries.

For those in the initial phase, our guide on how to launch your startup in China is a great place to start!

STEP 2: Register for a Domain Name and a Hosting Server Based in China

Your website must be hosted on a server physically located in mainland China. Choose the best hosting provider in China for your business that will be familiar with ICP regulations. We can support you with the initial steps of registering your domain in China.

STEP 3: Acquire your ICP service number

This number, also known as the Bei-an service number, will be bound to the server and domain that you had previously registered for. If you have more than one domain and server, you will be able to obtain more than one ICP server number.

STEP 4: Register and Log In To the ICP Management System.

Here, you will be required to input the following information:

• ICP service number
• Province/district you are located in
• Type of ICP license you are applying for
• Type of identification
• Identification number
• Domain name
• Chinese landline number and an office in China
• Chinese mobile number
• Passport photo
• Additional information on your website and business

STEP 5: Verification and Approval

The MIIT reviews your application, which typically takes 3 to 6 weeks, depending on the region. If your application is rejected, common reasons include incomplete documentation, content violations, or inconsistent information. You will receive feedback to correct and resubmit.

What Happens When I Get My ICP License Number?

Once the verification and approval process is complete, your ICP license is issued.

In case of ICP license rejection, some of the reasons could be incomplete documentation, content violations, or inconsistent information.

Display and Verification of ICP Number

You need to display your ICP number on the website’s footer and ensure compliance with the Chinese regulations. What you need to do to maintain compliance is to regularly update the content on your website and report any major changes to your business or the website. You also need to apply annually and renew it.

What Are the Risks of Operating a Website in China Without an ICP License?

Operating a website in China without a valid ICP license exposes your business to serious risks:

• Website Blocking: The Great Firewall in China can block or slow down offshore-hosted sites, severely limiting your reach.
• Fines: Violations can result in fines up to RMB 1 million (~$140,000).
• Reputational Damage: Being blacklisted harms brand credibility.
• Data Localization Penalties: Under the Personal Information Protection Law (2021), businesses need to provide secure storage of Chinese user data within mainland China, with strict penalties for non-compliance.
• Legal Restrictions: Foreign companies cannot apply for a commercial ICP license without a local partner or entity, requiring WFOEs or joint ventures.

Ensuring your website is properly licensed is critical to avoid these penalties and maintain reliable access to China’s rapidly growing online audience.

What Are the Resources for the ICP License Application?

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) Guidelines

The MIIT’s official website provides up-to-date guidelines on ICP license requirements, application procedures, and documentation. It clarifies the differences between ICP filing and commercial licenses and offers insights into regulatory changes. Using these official resources ensures your application is accurate and compliant, helping avoid delays or rejections.

Alibaba Cloud ICP Filing System

Alibaba Cloud offers a streamlined ICP filing platform that simplifies the submission process. It automates document handling, reduces errors, and provides real-time status updates. This system is especially useful for newcomers, offering step-by-step guidance and technical support to efficiently manage ICP filings and ensure regulatory compliance.

Legal Assistance for ICP Issues

The ICP application process can be complex, particularly for foreign businesses unfamiliar with Chinese regulations, but our guide to obtaining an ICP can help. Legal experts specializing in Chinese internet law provide valuable guidance on documentation, eligibility, and compliance. They can assist in resolving delays or rejections and represent your interests with Chinese authorities, minimizing risks and increasing the chances of successful approval.

To get further information and assistance in obtaining an ICP, make sure to learn more about how to go live in China in 2025.

Additional Considerations for Foreign Companies

Foreign companies face unique challenges in obtaining an ICP license:

• Ownership Restrictions: Only Chinese-registered entities or joint ventures with less than 50% foreign ownership can apply for commercial ICP licenses.
• Language Barrier: The entire application process is conducted in Chinese, requiring translation and local expertise.
• Hosting Location: Hosting outside mainland China without an ICP license results in slower site speeds and potential blocking by the Great Firewall. To help you choose the right hosting provider, we have prepared a comparison between Alibaba vs Amazon Cloud (AWS) to assess them better!
• Data Compliance: Businesses must comply with data localization and privacy laws, including the PIPL and Data Security Law.

Many foreign firms choose to establish a WFOE or partner with local companies to meet these requirements and maintain control over their digital assets.

Rounding up the ICP process

Obtaining an ICP license is achievable as long as you have a legally registered business entity in China and the necessary documentation in place. While the process can seem complex—especially for those unfamiliar with Chinese regulations and language requirements—having a clear understanding and proper guidance can make it much more manageable.

At Eggplant Digital, we simplify this journey by assisting you in securing your ICP license under your business name in as little as 10 working days, ensuring you can operate in China smoothly. Beyond licensing, our experienced server engineers handle the setup and ongoing management of cloud hosting within China.

If you have any questions or need support navigating the ICP application process, leave us a comment or get in touch with us today. In the meantime, you can explore the social media platforms that Chinese corporations favour.

If you want to get more in-depth about getting your online presence in China up and running efficiently, then check out this extended ICP license guide from our partners at Synclone AI.

The post How to Obtain an ICP License in China: Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

An Example Of A WeChat Mini Program

For instance, Tencent’s e-commerce website jd.com has an app that you can download from your app store. But it also has a Mini Program within WeChat. Using this Mini Program allows you to stay in the WeChat ecosystem, get access to JD’s online offerings, and finalise purchases more easily because of the integration with WeChat Pay.

What Kind Are There?

With more than one million on offer, WeChat’s built-in app store offers users everything from games to bike sharing to food delivery. Launched at the beginning of 2017, the growth of WeChat’s Mini Programs is considerable. Apple’s App Store offers 2.2 million iOS apps, while Google Play offers still more, with 3.3 million Android apps on offer. However, those app stores have been around for a lot longer than WeChat’s Mini Programs.

How Many People Are Actually Using them?

An estimated 200 million people use WeChat Mini Programs daily in July 2019. The mini-programs cover over 200 different categories:

• The most popular types of mini apps are games, lifestyle services and e-commerce Mini Programs
• For lifestyle apps, WeChat’s Mini Programs offer the ability to hail cabs (or DiDi’s), unlock a shared bike, or even book a room (through AirBnb’s Mini Program).
• E-commerce programs offer users the ability to browse and buy without needing to download different shopping apps, and make payment slightly easier by integrating with WeChat Pay.In short, WeChat mini programs make is super easy for users of WeChat to quickly get to the nuts and bolts of your products or services.

WeChat Mini-Programs Vs. WeChat Official Accounts

Official accounts on WeChat were previously hindered by the inability to hyperlink products or services in WeChat. Now, with Mini Programs, accounts can send subscribers both notifications and link posts to Mini Programs.

Mini Program vs Web-Apps vs Native App

One of the clear benefits is that users can access them within one app. This integration into China’s most-used app is a great opportunity for businesses of all sizes to reach their audiences. Additionally, they tend to run really quickly. They don’t use up precious data in downloads. They are also shareable in WeChat conversations between users, so there is much more opportunity that your customers can pass on information (and potential sales) to people they want to recommend to your business.

Are There Any Drawbacks?

There are some drawbacks to using Mini Programs as opposed to browser-based web apps or even native apps themselves. Because they don’t need to be downloaded, they are small – this limits functionality. Unlike normal web-based apps that can work with any browser, these Mini Programs can only be used within WeChat.

For Mini Program development, it is important that creators are strictly adhere to Tencent’s guidelines, as Mini Program updates must be submitted to Tencent and programs can be blocked for violations. This is strict stuff, so you need to know what you are doing and tread carefully (this is actually true of most of the Chinese internet these days….)

Finally, although Mini Programs can be sent to individual or group chats, they cannot be shared on WeChat Moments (the equivalent of your Facebook wall) – so you can’t publicly share them for download on a “one to many” basis.

When Is Best To Use One?

Despite the differences between Mini Programs and native or web-based apps, they do have their role in China’s market.

Due to the very nature of WeChat and its role in the the daily life of hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers, businesses should without doubt maximise exposure and reach on WeChat. WeChat mini-programs are not necessarily a substitute for native apps or web-based apps. Indeed, they are often used alongside other apps

What About A WeChat Mini Program For My Business?

For businesses using Official Accounts or other marketing tools on WeChat, Mini Programs are a simple and easy way to reach new audiences. Opening a Mini Program inside WeChat is a lot easier than downloading an app (think Facebook and all the little extras it has that keep you inside it’s own ecosystem – WeChat does the same with Mini Programs), and using a Mini Program is definitely an easy way for users to become familiar with your brand.

How Do I Get A Mini Program For My Business?

Mini Program development is relatively cheap and easy, especially in comparison to more sophisticated applications. While their current hallmark is simplicity, the growth in user-engagement and number of users is pushing Tencent to create more complexity within the Mini Programs.

What You Really Need To Do…..

Developing your Mini Program means you need some familiarity with the WeChat framework, and that’s where the 10,000 questions come in. If what you need is some more information on Mini Programs, then let us know, we’re using and building Mini Programs here in Beijing on a daily basis.

Leave us a comment, drop us an e-mail or a request for us to cover some topics in a future post.

Let’s do this….!

The post What is a WeChat Mini Program? A Quick Guide appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

The Payment Ecosystem In China

Because China’s electronic payment systems emerged right alongside the boom of mobile phone creation, card-based payments (such as regular credit cards) never really took off. For that reason, Paypal and credit cards are generally used by a very small minority of Chinese people.

China Has The Largest Credit Card Network In The World

Although China’s state-backed credit and debit card provider, UnionPay, now controls the largest card network in the world (we’re talking 7 billion UnionPay cards compared to 5.6 billion for MasterCard and Visa, combined), the average daily Chinese consumer is much more likely to be using a mobile-based, third-party payment system.

The Big Third Party Payment Systems In China

And, just in case you haven’t heard the rumblings of their names before, those payment giants are WeChat Pay and Alipay, owned by China’s tech companies Tencent and Alibaba, respectively. Together, these two payment systems control over 90% of the mobile payment market.

So how should your company accept money from 1.4 billion people?

Because WeChat Pay and Alipay are by far the most ubiquitous means of payment, to cater to a Chinese market, your company needs to accept one (or preferably, both) of these payments. That means, on your website or in your physical store, you need to have one of those handy little QR codes that are seen everywhere in China – from local convenience stores to high-end restaurants, and, no kidding, fruit sellers on the street. But which option is best?

China’s Different  Payment Platforms

First things first, you need to register with either WeChat Pay or Alipay (or both) in order to receive payments from consumers in China. While the process of registering for either account is relatively similar, as is the way payments are settled, there are some differences for businesses using either system.

Alipay

Businesses can register with Alipay and set up cross-border online payments or in-store payments. Customers can make purchases on a website through their Alipay account in Chinese RMB and the payment will be settled in the merchant’s account in a chosen currency. Not only is linking foreign websites to Alipay necessary to enter the Chinese e-commerce market, if merchants have a physical store outside of China with access to Alipay payments, they may also attract sales from many more Chinese tourists.

WeChat Pay

Unlike Alipay, WeChat offers businesses the chance to create mini-programs in the app. These are effectively in-app stores for users to buy products. For online vendors, WeChat offers businesses the ability to accept WeChat Pay, but only in Mainland China, Hong Kong and South Africa in 2019. Similarly to Alipay, customers can pay in Chinese RMB, and the amount is then settled in the vendor’s account in their currency of choice.

How To Take Payments On WeChat

• Inside WeChat shops
• By QR Code at retail outlets
• WeChat is basically a swipe, similar to Apple pay in person – see our WeChat series for an in-depth view of everything WeChat.

UnionPay

As mentioned before, UnionPay is the world’s largest card networks, and anyone that has a bank account in China will have a UnionPay credit or debit card. Therefore, another easy way to tap into the Chinese market is to accept UnionPay on your website, app, or in a store, allowing you access to virtually all Chinese consumers with a debit or credit card.

What if I don’t bother with Chinese payment systems?

Not having one of the main Chinese payment systems leaves your company closed off to the second-largest economy in the world. Sure, there are a very small number of Chinese consumers that have credit cards issued outside of China (or have dual systems in place with UnionPay and another bank), but for the vast majority of consumers, the easiest way to attract them to your business is by making payment as simple as possible: and that means accepting mobile payments.

Chinese Payments At Point Of Sale Outside China

For instance, the omnipresent 7/11 chain store in Thailand – China’s biggest foreign travel destination – now takes both Alipay and WeChat Pay. Where do you think Chinese tourists are buying snacks from in Thailand, the local chain with no Alipay/WeChat or 7/11? Other switched-on private companies, such as restaurants and trip organisers, are also embracing these payment systems, allowing Chinese tourists to make payments easily. If you were travelling overseas, would you book with the company that accepted your payment or would you go to the inconvenience of making an expensive withdrawal from an ATM?

China’s Most Obvious Payment System For Overseas Companies: Alipay

Not having Alipay is like not having Visa or Mastercard in the west. Once you have your Alipay merchant account set up, customers can come to your site, choose what they like, scan a code: just like that, they’ve now purchased something from you. Alipay allows for a larger consumer base as well. People without Chinese bank accounts can link other cards to their Alipay, and, with more than 300 merchants using Alipay around the world, it is much more recognisable as an international payment system than, say, WeChat Pay (in 2019, WeChat Pay is only available in a few countries).

How Can I Get WeChat Pay And Alipay On My WooCommerce Site?

To make integration easy for non-Chinese businesses, payment partners have begun to offer third-party payment gateways for the different platforms. WooCommerce, for instance, is an e-commerce plugin designed specifically for WordPress. Adding this plugin to your site allows you to accept a variety of payments from different systems, including PayPal, credit and debit cards, Stripe, and, of course, WeChat Pay, UnionPay and AliPay. 

Our Main Recommendation

If you are looking to get a WooCommerce site setup and running in China as your first step, then our WeChat Pay, Alipay UnionPay WooCommerce cross-border plugin is easily your best entry point. We’ve got years of experience building these sites on WordPress for specific service to China based customers using Hong Kong based servers (this will tell you all about the best servers).

How Can I Find Out More?

Your first port of call is the list of titles we’ve recommended below that explain in more detail some of the payment systems and implementation.

If you are still in need of more information after that, then please drop us an e-mail and we’ll write you a post to explain it all!

Happy reading……

• China payments for WooCommerce
• Your Quick Guide to The Wechat Shop
• How Can I Sell On Wechat?

The post How To Take Payments Online In China For Your Business appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

China’s Unique Payment Ecosystem

Unless you’ve been hiding from the news for years, you will be aware that in 2019 China is now largely unrecognisable compared to the China of 30 years ago. As a regular member of the planet, you’ll probably think that things like the Internet and payment systems are a little different over there. And you’d be right. China has far overtaken most countries in terms of how consumers deal with exchanging money. So what does your business need to know about payments in China?

China Becoming Cashless

I’ve never been queried for using cash in any bar or café in Europe or North America. On New Year’s Day 2019 in Tianjin, I was about to hand over some cash for a meal and was asked “No WeChat?”. It was surprising enough for me (having lived in China for over 8 years), let alone a tourist. Can you imagine going into Burger King in New York or London and being queried for trying to use cash?

What Payments Are Used In China?

For consumers, or anyone doing business in China, you need to have an online or mobile-based third-party payment system. While Apple Pay is used in some small areas of the Chinese market, mobile wallets from Chinese giants Tencent (WeChat Pay) and Alibaba (Alipay) are where the real business is done. Roughly 87 million people worldwide used the Apple Pay app in 2017. “That’s a lot of people,” you may think! But it’s a small number compared to the estimated 400 million users of Alipay, or, indeed, the staggering 600 million users of WeChat Pay who are making those payments on a daily basis.

Whether you are a business selling via a website, retail outlet, or app, if you want to make transactions with Chinese consumers, you need to understand the e-commerce world of mainland China. For various reasons, the infrastructure and demand for credit cards never really existed in the PRC. China was largely a cash-based society with an underdeveloped banking system. Then it started manufacturing cheap mobile phones at a time when tech based payments were taking off – so credit cards largely got skipped altogether and were replaced with mobile payments.

The creation and adoption of mobile payments that we see in China today came out of a need, but mass adoption came out of creating smooth and frictionless experiences for the user, which changed the game completely – something that hasn’t yet happened in the West.

So, what do each of the online payment systems offer?

Getting to know China’s payment providers

In 2018, over 85% of purchases made in China were on mobile payment platforms. There are really only a few go-to mobile platforms for payment in China. WeChat Pay and Alipay dominate the market with their cool 92% combined market share of mobile payments.

People who sell single apples on the street of China’s cities have WeChat QR codes you can scan to send them money in an instant. Delivery apps, online shopping, in-store shopping, restaurants, bars, convenience stores: you can pay at any of these with a mobile payment app. But with different players come different advantages.

Alipay payments in China

What is it? Alipay is a third-party online and mobile payment platform from Alibaba Group. In 2013, Alipay overtook PayPal to become the world’s largest mobile payment platform (meaning it processed the greatest volume of payments). Alipay’s incredible market share of online and mobile payments comes down to its founding company’s (Alibaba) widely-used e-commerce platforms, Taobao and Tmall. While Alipay still has the majority share of China’s mobile payment market (around 53% in 2017), WeChat Pay is catching up and gaining year on year.

• How does it work for individuals? Alipay is a standalone app available on smartphones and desktops. It is connected to over 50 financial institutions, meaning users can connect Mastercard or Visa cards to perform certain transactions. For the full use of all functions, users need to connect a Chinese credit or debit card. Once registered with an account, users can pay online, in stores, transfer money, pay bills, order a taxi, and so much more.
• How does it work for companies? Businesses can register with Alipay and set up cross-border online payments or in-store payments. Customers can make purchases on a website through their Alipay account in Chinese RMB and the payment will be settled in the merchant’s account in a chosen currency. Not only is linking foreign websites to Alipay necessary to enter the Chinese e-commerce market, if merchants have a physical store outside of China with access to Alipay payments, they may also attract sales from many more Chinese tourists.

WeChat payments in China

What is it? Dubbed a ‘super-app’, and named ‘one of the world’s most powerful’ mobile apps by Forbes, WeChat is by far the most widely used multi-purpose app within China. With an estimated 900 million daily users, and over 800 million estimated wallet users, WeChat has a firm grasp on the Chinese market. It allows users to send messages, make voice or video calls, play games, as well as send or receive payments, pay bills, split bills, pay in store or online, and so much more. Although seemingly everyone has WeChat (and therefore, most have WeChat Pay), Tencent’s mobile payment platform is likely behind in the e-commerce world because of Alibaba’s Taobao. However, WeChat now partners with jd.com and others to allow users access to shopping platforms with just a few clicks.

• How does it work for individuals?
  Users link their bank cards to the wallet inside the WeChat app. Users must have a Chinese bank account which is linked to their Chinese mobile number to add a debit or credit card to their WeChat wallet. Once linked, individual consumers then use the wallet as a debit card for direct payments. They can also ‘transfer’ money from their bank account to create a balance on the wallet.
• How does it work for companies?
  WeChat offers businesses the chance to create mini-programs. These are effectively in-app stores for users to buy products. For online vendors, WeChat offers businesses the ability to accept WeChat Pay, but only in Mainland China, Hong Kong and South Africa in 2019. Similarly to Alipay, customers can pay in Chinese RMB, and the amount is then settled in the vendor’s account in their currency of choice.

UnionPay payments in China

What is it? UnionPay is the Mastercard, Visa, and American Express of China, all rolled into one. It is the only interbank network in China, linking all ATMs around the country for any bank. If you’re issued a debit or credit card in China, it’s going to be linked to UnionPay. It’s the largest card network in the world, with 7 billion cards issued to date. UnionPay also offers online and mobile payments.

• How does it work for individuals?
  Individuals with bank accounts in China will be given a bank card issued by UnionPay. This card can be used in stores, online, at ATMs, and through a contactless feature known as QuickPass. UnionPay cards are becoming accepted in more and more countries around the world, allowing individuals to use their debit or credit cards whilst travelling abroad.
• How does it work for companies?
  By accepting UnionPay on a website, app, or in a store, vendors can have access to virtually all Chinese consumers with a debit or credit card.

Other Payment Systems In China

While Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay are by far the most commonly used ways to pay in China, there are a few other payment providers that do work in China. Paypal, for instance, is not blocked in China, and therefore vendors accepting PayPal payments have access to the Chinese market. Other providers, such as Baidu and 99Bill, also act as third-party payment providers, but with much smaller customer bases, their presence isn’t seen as much in China.

How Can I Integrate Chinese Payments?

Very few Chinese consumers may use PayPal or international credit cards, so having one of the Chinese payment options is essential if you want to break into the Chinese market. Put simply, China operates its own payment ecosystem: if you want to sell in numbers to Chinese people, you have to do it on a system they already use. 

To make integration easy for non-Chinese businesses, companies have begun to offer third-party payment gateways for UnionPay, WeChat Pay, and Alipay. By adding to the checkout process on e-commerce sites, businesses can accept payments from the vast Chinese consumer market.

Eggplant Digital’s has already integrated WeChat pay and AliPay for WooCommerce, offering businesses a streamlined, easy passage into selling in China using a WordPress website. We will delve more into the specifics of integrating payments on your website in our upcoming post  “How You Should Take Payments Online In China”.

The Best Payment Providers For You In The Chinese Market

So, what’s the best choice for people wanting to do business with Chinese consumers?

Short answer: Integrate Alipay and WeChat pay. Different types of business are better suited to different parts of the Chinese ecosystem, so there is no “one size fits all”! If you want to know about which type of system would work best for your individual business, drop us an e-mail or leave us a comment. We like to help!

The post Payments In China : How Do They Work? appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

Heading over to China is becoming easier and easier, and of course, your mobile phone and Google maps should be making navigating the Middle Kingdom much simpler than ever before. However, there’s a catch in terms of the normal go-to internet. With the government regulating internet traffic, some sites are blocked – including Google, Facebook, Twitter, and the like. Which means, of course, that Google Maps is also blocked.

So how do you get around such a massive country without your usual guide? Is there a way to find restaurants, bars and metro stops close to you? Or, even better, is there a map app or website that works in China, that isn’t in Chinese?

The good news is, yes there is! Here’s what you need to know about Google Maps not working in China, how you can make it work, and some alternative map sources you can download instead.

First things first: Does Google Maps Work At All In China?

The simple answer is no. Google and Google Maps do not work in China. Google, and all its affiliate pages and apps, is blocked in China, which means that when you’re in China and using regular WiFi or data, you cannot access any data from Google, including Google Maps.

But that’s not really the whole answer. The longer answer is yes. Although the search giant is blocked in China, that doesn’t mean you can’t get access to it. If you haven’t heard of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), that’s another valuable read before heading east. Connecting to a VPN may slow down your internet, be unreliable at times, sometimes not even work at all, or tell Google you’re in a vastly different place to where you actually are. However, it does allow you to connect to the internet at large.

How can you Make  Google Maps Work  in China?

So, Google Maps doesn’t work in China… But it can! If you use a VPN to change the IP address of your device, you can access blocked websites. Sounds pretty easy, right? And, in theory, it is. On the ground in China, it gets a bit more complicated, but more on that later.

There are a whole host of VPN providers available for you to choose from, coming in with different costs per month, differing availability, reliable – and not so reliable – connectivity and just simple interface differences. When it comes to choosing a VPN, here’s a super simple guide:

• Get one that has good reviews for China – not all VPNs are designed for the PRC.
• Get one that is affordable. Whether you’re in China for a month or 10 years, it’s pretty likely you’ll need to use a VPN rather frequently (if not every single day). So check out their price packages and check which ones have promotional months for free.
• Get one that allows you to connect multiple devices.
• Download it and get ready to surf the web like you’re in Tokyo. But really, you’re in Tianjin.

There are many VPN providers to choose from, for up-to-date information, a quick online search is best.

Once you’ve chosen and installed your VPN, connecting to blocked sites in China becomes possible. Simply connect, open up Google Maps, and voila, it works! This is a great way to access the site if you’re stationary and just looking for a guide or downloadable map to take out with you. But if you’re out roaming the world of China, it might be useful to get another mapping source that doesn’t require you to connect to a VPN.

Are VPNs legal in China?

Great question. Currently, VPNs are legal. Large numbers of foreigners and foreign companies are using them. The Chinese government does want to block certain services coming into China, but stops short of preventing foreigners from using them. Occasionally, they are blocked, so stay up to date with the service you are using.

What are the alternatives to Google Maps that work in China?

As mentioned before, sometimes having your VPN on really doesn’t make life easier. The connection can drop out, it can be near impossible to connect to a server at times, and, if you’re using any other Chinese-based app at the same time, those sometimes won’t work.

So, you’re out and about on the streets of China and you don’t want to have your VPN on. What can you use?

Firstly, iPhone users rejoice: Apple Maps works in China without a VPN. A pretty great option if you use an Apple product. All the features are mostly there as well, including a pretty extensive database of English-language street names, buildings, and landmarks programmed into the app, as well as many services, bars, transport and health options to search through. Obviously, with the ever-changing nature of China’s business and commerce world, not all restaurants, bars, or hotels will be listed. But, if you know your endpoint addresses or want to just check out the sights around you, Apple Maps definitely parallels the functionality of Google Maps when you’re in China.

Other English-language map apps and websites that work well in China include Open Street Map (OSM), Maps.Me and CityMaps2Go. OsmAnd is OSM’s offline mapping and navigation platform, allowing you to search your destination and navigate through it either offline or online. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices and has a raft of other cool features including trip recording and voice guidance. Maps.Me is another great option for off- and online maps. Using OSM, crowd-funded data points, Maps.Me allows you to download maps for your country of choice and shows traffic, popular locations and more, available for both iOS and Android users. Finally, CityMaps2Go is another great platform that allows you to download offline maps to find your way around China. As always, it’s available for iOS and Android users, and brings detailed maps to your fingertips, as well as popular tourist spots, insider tips and photos.

However, the most comprehensive, and frankly, awe-inspiring, mapping platform in China is Baidu Maps. Baidu, another search giant, only has Chinese-language platforms, but, if you can look past that (easier said than done, we know), this platform is incredible. Available on iOS and Android, the Baidu Map app functions similarly to Google Maps, where you can use street view, save locations, and search for certain types of locations. It’s other features, however, are what make it truly remarkable. You can see your city in 3D, you can see transport (and human) traffic around you, as well as a forecast of traffic conditions at a time you specify.
You can search for restaurants, bars, services, and movie cinemas near you, and get a whole lot of information about each one, including the ability to buy movie tickets, right there in the app. But, it is all in Chinese. If you know enough about your surroundings to recognise some things, Baidu Maps might help you get the fine details. But if you’re a complete newbie and can’t read Chinese, don’t stress yourself and just go with one of the other English-language apps.

Download Wechat

Wechat is not specifically a “maps” app, but as China’s day-to-day go-to app, it is essential for your time in the PRC. Inside Wechat there is a map, and you can send your location to your other contacts.
You can do this to tell them a certain location without any personal knowledge of where you are ( which is extremely helpful if you are in a country where you don’t speak the language and don’t read Chinese characters).
Wechat has 2 magic map features to use when you are lost:

1. Send Location:”Send location” is a bit like dropping a pin on a map, as you might do on Google maps. It won’t give you a route to find your destination ( Baidu Maps will), but it can get you out of a sticky situation if you are trying to meet someone, can’t find the correct location and want to explain where you are.
2. Real-time location:
   This will allow two people to share their exact locations with each other in real-time. You’ll see both of your positions as you move, so that you’ll be able to meet someone by actually knowing that you are walking towards them. This is invaluable in situations where it is hard to explain exactly where you are or are close, but having problems.

What you can do to make the most out of China without Google Maps.

Lets’ keep it simple. Before coming :

1. download a vpn
2. download Wechat
3. check out the apps we mentioned

What Else Should You Do Before You Come To China?

Good question. Aside from all the regular tourist stuff that is relevant to most places you’ll visit, our top tip is to get really familiar with Wechat and how it works. Wechat is everywhere in China, with Chinese major cities now being largely cashless due to the power of Wechat pay ( I’ve even been looked at strangely in Beijing when asked to pay in cash in some places!).

Check out these articles to get up to get up to date with what is really happening in China:

• How To Use Wechat For Business
• Your Quick Guide To The Wechat Shop
• Why you Should Consider Wechat For Business

The post Does Google Maps Work In China? Your 2019 Guide appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

Over the last 20 years, international businesses have seen the Chinese middle class expand along with a growing economy.  Now the demand for imported goods and services is stronger than it’s ever been.

However, the idea of selling in China is normally short-lived because most companies simply don’t have a clue about where to begin. The obvious challenges involve problems around language, culture, and business practices. In addition, there are a thousand questions about local tastes, legal issues, and barriers to entry.

As someone considering entering China, you might have business-specific concerns and you’d be right to ask questions and complete your own due diligence.  As a company that has been based in China for a decade, we’ve become know as the go-to for advice on Chinese e-commerce and digital marketing. We’re happy to share some of our insights into selling in China.

So how can you connect your products with Chinese buyers?

Why Is E-Commerce Such A Big Deal? 

E-Commerce is a global enterprise that has seen steady growth as more people buy and sell good and services online. According to Emarketer trend data, E-Commerce is expected to gross $4.058 trillion by 2020.  This total includes purchases that occur domestically and internationally. 

A Nielsen Connected Commerce report states, “Shoppers are increasingly looking outside their country’s borders, as 57% of online respondents in the study who made an online purchase in the past six months say they bought from an overseas retailer.”

This means that buyers are no longer stuck with local solutions that may not be an ideal fit or even worse, don’t even exist. Consumers are discovering their individual tastes and geography is becoming less of a barrier to getting what they want. 

Below is a map showing the countries whose products are held in high regard by Chinese consumers.

Top Country Imports Preferred By Chinese Buyers

Goods from Canada, U.S.A, U.K, Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand are assumed to be of high quality and attaining them reflect on the status of the owner.  

If your country isn’t highlighted but is known for a specific industry, then your target market may need to be informed to properly position the product.  A premium product can justify its price by taking on this additional effort.

For Chinese buyers, one of the most important selling points is an assurance that they are purchasing Certified Products. 

Most Important Selling Points For Chinese Online Customers

As shown in the graph above, buying the “real thing” is significantly more important than delivery times, ratings, and packaging.   

The world is well aware of the sheer amount of product “knockoffs” produced in China, so reducing this uncertainty removes a significant objection to the sale. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to offer proof and build a credible reputation as a trusted business.

Why Do Buyers Participate In E-Commerce?

Convenience

A buyer can access an online store from anywhere within the world. An internet connection and an electronic device are all that is needed to complete a transaction, so a purchase can be made from the comfort of home or during a short work break. This level of convenience is being readily embraced by the consumers. 

Informed Purchasing Decisions

Customers can have all the information needed to make a purchase decision. As business owners, we can set-up our marketing systems to educate and “sell” the customers on what makes our product the best option.

Price and Product Comparisons

Within minutes prices and products can be compared before buying.  There’s no longer a need to walk into stores all over town to shop around – a simple price check on any product can be done online in minutes.

Targeted communication 

A business can overcome the buyer’s resistance by promptly handling customer inquiries related to an offer – the speed of digital communication can resolve issues and increase sales like never before.

Quicker and easier transactions

A check-out process can be setup to complete a purchase with one click, efficiently completing transaction within seconds.

Improved delivery process

Customers can request delivery to their preferred location without waiting in a queue with customer service. All important details can be provided within the seconds and confirmed on the final checkout page.   

As you can imagine, buyers get a fantastic deal within the E-Commerce arrangement and will buy more if they continue having positive experiences.
In addition, needing to be home all day to receive a package is a thing of the past. Now, there is a global network of places you can collect deliveries from lockers or retail outlets by walking in with either ID or a pick-up code.

Why Do Sellers Participate In E-Commerce?

Lower Overhead Costs 

Businesses can reduce their physical presence and run a more lean operation. Orders can be handled online, inventory reduced, marketing costs slashed and hiring only essential employees.

Sell Goods Around-the-Clock 

Websites and online sales channels don’t have business hours. They are always on. Never in the history of the world has someone been able to wake up in the middle of the night and buy your products. Now they can…A  well-designed website combined with dependable hosting are essentially all you need to make a start in the high growth driven market off online sales.

Communicate With Customers Anywhere

Any business on the planet can maintain a language-specific website tailored a foreign audience or rely on free language translation tools that aid in getting the message across. Access to your products and information about your business is now visible all over the world and communicating with customers from different regions is now the norm, not the exception.

Attract Customers Searching For Your Solution

Most online sessions begin from a search engine like Google, Bing, or Baidu (China’s biggest search engine). And if your website content is written to target search keywords used by your ideal clients, then your offer will be displayed to people interested in your offer. 

These type of visitors are valuable because they actively searching for what you have to offer.  At this point, it up to you to craft a relevant offer which appeals to the visitor. Do this better than your competition and you’ll convert the visitor into a paying customer.   

More Control Of Your Selling Process

Successful companies take a systematic approach to building marketing funnels that take your prospects on a journey – educating about products before encouraging a sale. They present marketing that grabs the prospect’s attention and builds interest in the offer. The next phase of marketing then develops the offer and presents it in an enticing way to a qualified audience. 

Common requests are to make a purchase, complete a feedback survey, or submit contact information for follow-up (leads). 

Designing the systems require deliberate thought but once everything is set up it only needs to be optimized based on how visitors comply with your requests.   

Key Trends Paving The Way For Your Product In China class=”Apple-converted-space”> 

China is constantly revealing new native services that perform as their version of popular global services like Facebook, Google, and Amazon. One major application of note is WeChat, it began as simple messenger application like WhatsApp, which is now integrated service combining messenger, social media, payment transfers, and now an e-commerce explosion which is happening as a daily activity on most mobile phones in every city in China.

Voice Search 

There are studies reporting that it takes 4 times longer to text in Chinese compared to romanised languages ( that means ones which use the same alphabet as English) which only have a few unique alphabet characters in comparison. 

Tencent, the creators of WeChat, has invested heavily in improving voice recognition technology. Chinese users operate their phone like a walkie-talkie to communicate an initiate search queries more efficiently. This is a big move for the future of e-commerce in China…

Customer Learning Software 

The leading e-commerce platforms are using algorithms that match users with offers that align with their preferences or to bundle related add-ons to increase the total transaction amount. The online experience mimics an in-store salesman cross-selling relevant products.  

For an example, a prospect walks into a store and asks for a specific camera model. The salesman confirms the camera’s availability, and before accepting a payment the salesman asks the customer if they would like to safeguard their purchase by getting an extended warranty.

Then the salesman gently reminds the customer they have in-stock a branded leather camera bag, lens cleaning kit, sturdy tripod, high capacity memory card, and a spare battery to capture every moment from the family vacation. 

The customer willingly fills their virtual sales cart with everything they need to fully experience their new camera. The seller benefits by maximizing the sales amount of each transaction.  

How Could This Benefit You?

E-Commerce is here to stay and more buyer and sellers are expected to participate because of the ease of conducting business. We recommend evaluating how this trend affects your business locally and abroad. You just might get lucky and find there is a profitable market abroad waiting to be served.

Are you looking to set up an online presence to target specific buyers or test the demand for your product or service? 

Eggplant Digital specialises in designing WordPress Websites and WeChat Profiles for businesses ready to claim their part of the online market. 

The post How You Can Take Advantage Of China’s Demand For E-Commerce Imports appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

On a recent 1 month visit to Beijing, a friend asked for my help in planning his trip to China which included all the things you need to know to prepare for a successful hop around the capital and surrounding areas. The reason I so clearly remember that he hadn’t been for 4 years was easy to explain – The World Cup! We watched it together 4 years ago in various places in Sanlitun, and this time we would do it again – except with some noticeable changes- because life in China has changed a lot in 4 years…

China Is Much Easier For Foreigners To Navigate

The most important thing here is that China is noticeably easier to navigate than before. The internet is more reliable, the infrastructure is far more advanced, and buying stuff is easier. The list goes on.

So we’re talking about the major changes you need to know if you’re considering visiting the PRC anytime soon. Let’s just be clear here. This is useful if you’re coming to do business, but equally as helpful if you are visiting China as a tourist or a student.

The New Chinese Internet

So we’ve all heard of the Chinese firewall or “ The Great Firewall Of China” as it is affectionately known. (We’ve written plenty about it before). I’m still surprised at how your average “non-China” person doesn’t know that most of the tools and websites you and I use on a daily basis are blocked or unavailable inside the PRC (as listed in our previous article with the main lowdown).

One of my main complaints from previous times in China was the annoying limits on the internet. It was fast enough for domestic use but sluggish and frustratingly unreliable for services and websites hosted outside of China.. The Chinese government has a ” Great Firewall” that filters everything that comes from a foreign source, so effectively creating a two-tier speed system with any non-Chinese internet traffic being effectively handicapped by a filter which slows or blocks content.

This appears to have improved a great deal. Chinese internet users have been aware of using VPNs to “jump the firewall” (see more here), but now, the general speed of the infrastructure seems to have jumped to the point where this discrimination no longer is so obvious.

After setting up a VPN, this year’s world cup visitor was using  Google mail + Facebook + Youtube services as normal, with little or no negative effect on performance- a different world compared to 4 years ago.

One thing to consider is that my friend was running his own independent VPN.  In short, you can now use a VPN in China and not suffer a lack of your regular services – just make sure you talk to someone who is clued up about VPN services first! ( hint- Shadowsocks…)

Mobile Speeds And Prices In China Are Much Improved

Previously, mobile data was priced similarly to European rates. In 2014 I was paying around 20$ a month for around 400mb of data. Essentially it was enough to keep all my mission critical services running – reading the news and communicating using Wechat.

That now has changed. I managed to buy my visitor a Chinese Telecom SIM for 500rmb/ ( $70) for a full 12 months.  This is super cheap. I have to concede that most of my friends in China were more than impressed by that deal. Most of them hadn’t heard of it…Maybe I’m just good at finding deals?

Recently the government implemented directives to mobile companies (which are largely state-run) to bring down the cost of unlimited data and make unlimited more widely available. My China Telecom deal had up to 20gb of 4g data and then unlimited 3g on top of that.

So why did the government do this? well, it stands to reason that if you want to keep your citizens buying more online to fuel your economy, then giving them as much data as possible is a smart move! So this has a really positive side-effect for anyone coming over to China for a period of time wanting to use cheap local data. Keeping in touch is important for your business and your loved ones.

  Wechat Pay Is Everywhere In China

First, let’s qualify this a little: In the cities…It really is tough to explain to people who are not in China on a daily basis, that China is the closest thing on earth we have to a cashless society. How did this happen? Mass adoption of WeChat as China’s go-to app, coupled with the serious convenience and adoption of WeChat pay.

It seems hard for anyone to understand if you haven’t used it, but sending someone the price of a coffee in China (to either a business outlet or a private individual) involved 6 taps on your mobile phone ( assuming you have set up WeChat pay in advance).

This is far more convenient than using a contactless credit card. In fact, using contactless on a recent visit to London felt pretty archaic and a bit backwards, not to mention inconvenient. If you’ve used PayPal or Transferwise on your mobile, then the experience is fairly similar.

If you are buying in a shop, you simply allow the retailer to scan a barcode on your phone. If you are sending to a friend, you just select them in a chat and send them money directly with a few taps. It really is shocking how easy it is to spend money this way!

But the convenience isn’t only limited to basic transactions. WeChat is now linked to a long list of services that harness its choice as China’s daily app cinema tickets, train tickets. Are you aware of the Chinese bike-share trend that has swept the country in the last 3 years? You walk up to a parked and locked bike. Scroll through to the “pay for a bike” page and sign up for the service. You are then able to scan the QR code on the bike with your phone, which unlocks the bike. Then away you go. After parking the bike ( absolutely anywhere you want, and without a docking station in sight) you click the lock. Hey presto, you are charged ( at a very reasonable rate) for your ride.  There are a few competitors in this space, but Mobike ( as I used) is currently the main player.

What Does This Mean For Me?

In short:

• China is a much easier place to visit
• China is becoming a much easier place to do business
• China has trends that your business should take notice of now

How does China seem to you? Did any questions pop up during reading this? If so, drop us a message and we’ll happily expand or explain anything you like about our lives in the PRC – digital or a day to day…

The post How To Prepare For Your Trip To China: 2018-2019 appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

Combining a mindblowing culture with a unique economic scenario is what makes modern China so utterly different. It requires a certain amount of insight and attention to get to the bottom of it. So here we go….

Ordering Food For Delivery In China

Unlike other countries with a higher salary floor for delivery riders, China jumped into the online food order + delivery market very quickly. (As a side note the logistics industry in China is surprisingly developed compared to the UK for example.)

With a wide range of choice, the convenience of online or app payment, cheap delivery costs (as low as $0.46), and coupons offered by the strongly competing online food delivery providers make delivery a popular dining option. In 2016 alone the value of meals ordered online was $25bn and, with the current rate of growth, it will reach above $36bn in 2018.

Mobile payments and delivery constitute a massive 45% of the income of the local restaurant giant Yum China (exclusive operator of Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken (“KFC”), and Taco Bell).

Eat-in

Even though the number of people ordering food online grows, the income from customers eating out in the restaurants themselves remains high —  in 2016 Chinese consumers spent $507 billion dining out. These figures are partly due to increased affluence, growing openness to new trends, and partially to growing urbanisation. With 76% of Chinese families predicted to reach the middle-class level in 2022, there is still huge potential for growth here.

With the hot-pot being the most popular dish (22% of the market share), there is little wonder the prosperous Chinese hot-pot chain Haidilao grew an appetite for foreign markets and even recently opened a branch in Silicon Valley.

Why Ordering In A Chinese Restaurant Is Different

As I mentioned, a Chinese restaurant is a slightly different beast to what you might expect (and not just because of the language!)

Menus displayed via tablet are a common feature in a Chinese restaurant — they allow you to quickly browse through the options and select the order without the involvement of a waiter – yes, we mean that you are given a tablet instead of a regular menu. This saves not just printing paper, but also the waiters’ time, and ensures a speedy service. There exists a separate market for restaurant apps to support this service.

Chinese customers are used to handling a bulk of their daily needs through WeChat, and food delivery is no different. WeChat owner Tencent has backed Meituan, so a natural progression is to use the platform for online food ordering. But WeChat can also be used for payments in restaurants themselves. WeChat in China is as common as Facebook in the USA, with the addition that over 200 million people in China now have WeChat Wallet which allows instant transfer of funds inside the WeChat ecosystem. (In China you can buy noodles on the street by scanning a WeChat QR code!)

As the mobile penetration and tech savviness increases, online food ordering apps are also enjoying a heyday. So, if an iPad menu is too much for your liking, you can simply stay at home and get yourself a delivery or “waimai”.

How To Take Payments

With so many tools to choose from, ordering food online in China is a breeze. WooCommerce makes menus look clean and ordered — view simple menu subsections and clearly listed prices. The menu display is fully customisable and can include allergy information as well as pictures of the dishes. The best part is the fact that it plugs seamlessly into your WordPress website. (Woocommerce is now owned by Automattic which is the creator of WordPress, this simply means that WooCommerce is well supported and will only get stronger in the future ). With WordPress powering over 25% of the internet and Woocommerce being the WordPress payment system of choice, they are a solid combination in any e-payment solution.

To order, just select how many portions of a particular dish you want and choose add to cart. The most obvious tool for something like this is WooCommerce Product Table. The plugin allows you to select the preferred delivery option and adjust the price based on the selection (collection vs. delivery, and depending on the zone of). In addition, you can pick a convenient time slot, to be sure the food arrives when you want it! With WooCommerce you can even leave a tip!!

Things To Consider For The Ordering System

When setting up a restaurant business in China you will need to have both sit in and delivery options. For online delivery, you will be included in the directories of the most popular apps, but you can also have your own ordering and delivery service to control pricing, save on app fees, and offer exclusive offers.

You will need to consider taking payments from Alipay and WeChat. This is not difficult, and both can be done inside the Woocommerce payments ecosystem.

If you are unaware of the unavoidable impact that WeChat has on life inside China then you should make time to read our comprehensive series of posts on aspects such as setting up a WeChat shop and opening accounts on WeChat.

If China marketing is feeling like a minefield to you, then hit us with some questions on how things tick in the PRC. We’d love to hear any questions you might have on topics such as websites, marketing, WeChat right through to logistics and payments. Drop us a message..!

The post Creating A Restaurant Ordering System For A Chinese Business appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

So what’s the move to solve the problems? Relocate to Ireland to remain in the EU? I’m not sure that’s viable for most of us…. No, if your company is selling physical products, then China could just have ripened as your fruit of choice for growth.

But Isn’t China Impossible To Navigate?

China has long had the reputation as the impenetrable fortress. Smoke. Mirrors. Confusing business ceremonies. Accidental faux pas all over the place – and oh, yes the worst national brand on the planet for integrity. We all remember at least one major China horror story from the news, if not more. But we’re pleased to announce: All of the above are totally irrelevant to the biggest opportunity in the e-commerce world right now.

Selling To China

Your Big Opportunity Right now China is exploding. The industry that is ripe for harvest are e-commerce. Why? The PRC is only around 35 years into its “open and reform” policy, aka “fully blown high growth capitalism”.

What Does That Mean In Reality?

It means that China, despite what people may be unaware of, did not have any private enterprise until around 35 years ago. The PRC has done in less than 40 years what the UK did in around 150 years – full-scale modernisation but at breakneck speed. When a culture changes so fast, you can install lots of cheaply produced modern technology, but human brains take time to adapt – that’s a reality. The middle class in the PRC is burgeoning and now they want 2 things to bring them into line with the rest of the world: more education + more brands.

To add to this, Chinese consumers are now becoming specialists, not just generalists. The Chinese public is becoming savvy to consumption – The days of only Coca-Cola and Nike being symbols of youthful modernism are long gone. That was 10 years ago. The Chinese consumer now “gets” what bespoke and niche products are all about.

China hasn’t developed niching across all industries, only very few…. In Beijing, the number of craft breweries puts London to shame, and it’s not only limited to the major cities. This kind of pattern of consumption is rife across China, and the reality of Chinese e-commerce is reflecting that. The “made in China” brand cannot fill this gap, due to a Chinese distrust of its own lesser known brands.

British standards are recognised in China. UK industry is still respected the world over (despite our inability to organise ourselves politically). On top of that, China now understands niche products, and is ready to buy from lesser known companies from the UK- this is a seismic shift.

China’s Unique Online Ecosystem

The e-commerce environment in China is it’s own thing because the internet inside the PRC is its own thing:

• No Facebook
• No Twitter
• No Instagram
• No Youtube
• No Google

The internet in China grew up inside China’s “Great Firewall”, which meant that anything the government couldn’t control was effectively blocked, giving rise to Chinese solutions, which have now blossomed into the fully independent e-commerce ecosystem we see today.

Alibaba boss, Jack Ma describes this phenomenon as “New Retail” which describes the new dynamic of online sales that is sweeping China at an alarming rate.

The All Important Numbers:

1. Chinese e-commerce grows annually by more than to the total amount of UK e-commerce. E-commerce in China is predicted to grow by $233.5 billion, in 2018, which is $30 billion more than the UK’s annual online spend on goods.
2. Chinese online shoppers spend $208 billion a year using credit cards which UK retailers don’t accept. Every year, $208 billion is spent online in China using a payment system UK businesses don’t accept. 4% of online transactions in China are made using “international credit cards” (Visa/Mastercard) ie, nonChinese payment systems. So if you don’t accept Chinese payments, you have no access to $200million of sales.
3. Every year, Chinese online shoppers spend over $100 billion just on clothes. China clothing e-commerce alone are worth more than the UK fashion industry- fashion is huge in China.
4. One Chinese e-wallet is used by more people in China than there are people in the EU. The truth is it’s almost double – with around 1 million transactions a minute.
5. M-commerce in China is worth $173 billion.

China went straight to mobile. Cheaply made local handsets and the leap in infrastructure meant that it was cheaper to get a pay as you go SIM and a phone than a landline and a laptop. So most people did….

Currently, $200 billion in sales are made in China. 5G is imminent, so those figures will only soar. China is currently responsible for 40% of global e-commerce sales – proportionately well above its global retail share ( 30%) showing that the online growth is exponentially growing year-on-year.

Is It Really All That Easy?

The journey from awareness-to-sale in China is almost unrecognisable when compared to the western model. There are two classic examples for this websites and WECHAT.

1. The Chinese internet at large. As we have mentioned, forget Facebook, Youtube, Google, Twitter and Instagram. They don’t exist inside the Great Firewall – and neither will your website if you don’t know the tricks to keep it functioning under the gaze of the Chinese censors.
2. WECHAT is the all-powerful mobile app in China that runs peoples lives in a way the Facebook can only dream of. It began as a chat app that eventually incorporated maps, mobile payments ( China is already sprinting towards a cashless society- they mostly just scan a QR code on WECHAT, even when buying an apple on the street). Chinese people are using websites as a first port of call to gather general information, and then moving onto the WECHAT platform to buy. WECHAT magic for sharing, which is how it works in China. You can browse, pay and refer all from inside one app that over 1 billion people in China are spending most of their day on.

If This Is All Happening Now, How Can I Benefit?

The good news is that you can access all these services from us already. We already have high profile clients in China, and we can help you too. Get in touch via our contact form or ask a question in the comments below.

The post If Brexit Is A Cloud, Then China Could Be Your Silver Lining appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

Selling Online through E-Commerce Sites

Product images with streaming copy, banner advertising and apps that interface with the visitor are all effective ways of increasing your online sales. If there’s room in your budget, video clips will help boost your brand’s image, as well as enhance the perceived value of your product or service.

Some of the major platforms for selling goods or services online in China include Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent. Another method is to use third party ad exchange (ADX) servers, which provide publishers with advertisements that are then displayed across various formats. Inserting ads into news feeds on sites like Sohu is also an effective means of reaching your target market. Other options include sell-side platforms (SSPs) like Headline Today and Sohu, or online video platforms such as iQiyi.

When choosing a platform, consider whether it’s compatible with your product’s features. Other factors to take into account are your target market, and, of course, your marketing budget. As an example, if you’re selling beauty products but have limited marketing funds, using embedded video clips or applications that interface with site visitors might not be good choices, since you’ll be charged each time your ad is viewed or clicked. A better solution might be to advertise on major shopping platforms like Xiaohongshu or Meiyou using images of your product with banners or in-stream copy.

Many advertising platforms will provide profiles of their users and visitors to help you decide whether their services will help you meet your sales objectives. A much simpler solution, however, is to get in touch with the online marketing experts at Eggplant Digital.

Selling Cars and Trucks in China

Selling vehicles in China can be difficult, due partly to governmental restrictions and tariffs on imported automobiles. Here are a few tips for overcoming the obstacles and reaching your target market:

• Video Clip Advertising is a great choice for selling vehicles online. When properly designed and implemented, a short video clip ad will leave the viewer with a lasting, positive impression. Some of the major platforms for video clip advertising are Aiqiyi, Youku and Tencent.
• Application Programming Interface (API) Advertising is another way to sell cars, trucks and other vehicles online. An example of an API that can be used to advertise vehicles online is Auto.Sohu.Com.
• Streaming Video Advertising on sites like Auto.Sohu.Com that are dedicated exclusively to selling cars, trucks and SUVs is another great means of increasing vehicle sales in China.

Financial Services Advertising

The target market for advertising and promoting financial services online is highly educated, well-paid professionals, 70% of which are males. Advertising methods that have proven to be effective include in-stream promotions, large banner advertising and API advertising. Among the top platforms are Wang Yi, Wall Street News and WeChat.

Interactive advertising is also effective means of promoting financial services. An example is using Hongbao, which is a traditional red envelope or packet that contains something of value, such as small gift, discount coupon or similar incentive for a person to visit the advertiser’s website. When the prospective customer clicks on the Hongbao icon, he or she is automatically taken to the advertiser’s website landing page. Hongbao variations include Golden Egg, Wheel of Fortune, Roll the Dice and similar games of chance.

Regardless of your industry sector, the knowledgeable and highly experienced IT professionals at Eggplant Digital will create a unique marketing program that will help you succeed in the highly competitive Chinese market. Contact us online or call us at +86 10 6503 0620 to discuss your business’s unique needs.

The post Promoting Your Business Online in China appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

To help you get an understanding of who is fuelling this growth, what kinds of products are succeeding with cross-border trade and trends in marketing methods, we’ve put together some nice little charts that will give you a grounding on the basics of Chinese cross-border marketing.

Who purchases cross-border products in China?

According to research, most of cross-border online shopping buyers are from the post-80’s and post-90’s generation, namely ages between 19~23 and 29~39. This accounts for 78% of all the cross-border buyers!

Occupation

Below we can see the kind of professions those buyers are likely to have.

Where are they based?

The buyer geographical distribution closely follows the overall China economic development, as we can see below – Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong are the most popular province for buying cross-border products. Although combined these provinces make up 35.6% of cross-border purchases, that still leaves 64.4% coming from less developed provinces, showing that broadly speaking there is plenty of growth left to come.

Which products have the top sales for cross-border ecommerce?

Food, Beauty & Makeup and clothing products are leading the way as the most popular cross-border product categories, accounting for 55%, 49% and 48.3% respectively.

Interestingly, looking into the future, buyers are seeking to buy more clothing & bags, digital & household appliances and outdoor supplies via cross-border online shopping.

Top sales categories Vs. customer age

Obviously  there will be a big different between the different age groups, with younger buyers (19~23) looking for more digital products, and older buyers (24~29 / 30~38) buying more beauty & makeup products.

For the Food category however, all 3 age groups are split equally, check out the chart below.

What are the top selling countries for cross-border sales?

Most sales for cross-border products originate from the western countries shown in the graphic below. Segment this against product category data and we find the following trends…

• Buyers like the beauty & makeup products from Japan and Korea
• Clothing, shoes & bags from USA
• Health product from Australia and New Zealand

Marketing methods that work for cross-border selling

When considering the best marketing practices for your products, you’ll need to create a marketing mix that attracts your customers with different methods. It’s clear from the data, that although discounts are still the most attractive way for the Chinese buyer, content marketing has a strong impact as well.

We can also see selling products through livestreaming comes in at the end at 16.5%, but it also provides an opportunity as a new way to engage with your audience that customers are enjoying at increasing rates.

What factors influence the final purchase decision?

Customers put the most emphasis on the product being 100% certified, they want to know the product they are buying is the real deal. This is even more important than price and delivery. Interestingly 8.2% of those asked, also said the rating for platform/app they are purchasing through is also very important.

Have you got experience or questions with cross-border trade? Let us know in the comments below. Or do you have a product you’d like to bring to the Chinese market? Before taking the leap contact us to discuss the next steps to cross-border selling in China.

The post 2017 Statistics on the Chinese cross-border online shopping market appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

Until recently, the only way Chinese shoppers could acquire luxury goods at reasonable prices was through the traditional Daigou, or gray market method. Daigou, which literally means “buying on behalf of”, involves personal shoppers that live or travel outside mainland China who buy luxury products and consumer staples in various locations worldwide. The products are often last season’s outdated fashions purchased from discount stores or factory outlets, which the Daigou shoppers then resell to Chinese customers at prices considerably lower than on the open market, where they’re subject to China’s high tariffs on imported luxury goods.

Livestream Sales Leaders

According to Deloitte International Consulting, an estimated 450 million online Chinese shoppers are expected to purchase more than $4.4 billion in goods through livestreaming this year, which is a 37% increase over 2017’s total livestream sales.

Leading the way is Alibaba Group’s business-to-consumer (B2C) online retailer Tmall. According to brand researcher Gartner L2, Tmall generated more than half of China’s 2017 total livestream sales revenues. With over 180 million customers who purchase goods through livestreaming from among the more than 50,000 Tmall vendors who collectively offer 70,000 products, including brands such as Samsung, New Balance, Reebok, Dell, Logitech, Phillips and more.

Another major livestream player is ShopShops, which is an interactive marketplace that digitally connects Chinese consumers with brick and mortar retailers of brand-name luxury goods throughout the world. Headquartered in Beijing and New York City, ShopShops brings sellers and shoppers together in real time through live, in-store interactions that give customers a sense of actually being in the shop and speaking with a sales associate. The platform was initially launched on Taobao, which is another Alibaba Group’s eCommerce website. ShopShops now has more than 110,000 loyal followers who generate an average of $8,000 in sales per livestream event.

How Does Livestreaming Work?

Here’s how ShopShops works. Before a store opens for regular walk-in business from local customers, the ShopShops team hosts a live, in-store videocast that digitally connects them with Chinese consumers, with whom they then engage in two-way dialog. ShopShops team members are typically celebrities or key opinion leaders between the ages of 25 and 35, have fashion industry experience, and are fluent in both Chinese and English. After being introduced to the store’s owner or manager by the ShopShops host, customers are given a tour of the store, which adds to the personalization and entertainment value of the livestream shopping experience. During the initial months of operation, ShopShops founder Ms. Wu personally hosted all livestream events.

ShopShops’ livestream shopping provides Chinese consumers with a simple means of purchasing name brand luxury goods from shops around the world without leaving home. An example of the influence livestream selling has on Chinese market involved a ShopShops sales event held after business hours at upscale boutique Biggercode in New York City’s Soho district.

During a 2017 livestream event, Biggercode’s owner, assisted by ShopShops host Kana Ma shared high end fashion items from his personal collection with the Chinese viewers. Speaking in Mandarin to an audience of thousands who had tuned in, Ms. Ma displayed and described the various high-end shoes, apparel and accessories, which included an Hermès Birkin bag. The bag, one of a sought-after limited series named for singer and actress Jane Birkin, sold for $14,500, and was part of ShopShop’s biggest one-day ever sales event at a single location, which brought in $40,000.

ShopShops takes a commission of 15% to 20% of livestream sales event revenues. After the show has ended, ShopShops sends an invoice to the brand or retailer that sponsored the event. Once payment is received, the orders are shipped to a ShopShops facility where products are repackaged and forwarded to the buyers. Brands and retailers recognize and appreciate the value of livestream selling, since it provides an almost immediate new source of revenue without an upfront investment or disruption of walk-in sales during normal business hours. To date, ShopShops has partnered with 150 retailers, and is reportedly on track to double that number by June of this year.

Livestream Shopping Benefits Both Buyers and Sellers

Livestreaming provides two-way, real time dialog that gives shoppers the opportunity to ask questions about a product just as if they were physically in the store and speaking with a salesperson. The hosts respond to shoppers’ questions, and provide their honest feedback and opinions about the items for sale.

If requested by the viewer, the hosts will demonstrate various  products or try on and model items of clothing. The personable hosts develop followings among livestream repeat shoppers, who frequently revisit for the opportunity to interact one-on-one with their favorite celebrity hosts, who they consider to be their own personal shoppers. With the click of a button on a mobile phone or tablet, customers can purchase and pay for the items that interest them, all without leaving the comfort of their homes or offices.

Livestream selling continues to grow by the day in terms of both user base and popularity among Chinese consumers with their huge appetites for western goods and eagerness to interact with online celebrity hosts. What was a $30 billion industry in 2016 is expected to more than double by 2021 to $70 billion as more and more savvy western retailers realize the value of livestream selling to the huge Chinese consumer marketplace.

The post Selling products through livestreaming in China appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

What is SSL?

Without getting too technical, SSL is simply a way to encrypt the connection to your website making it more secure. You’ll know when you are visiting a website with SSL, because in the browser bar you’ll see “Secure” written before the domain name.

What’s going to change?

From July, Google Chrome will start using a more obvious warning when you visit a website without SSL. Prior to that they have only shown a simple exclamation mark, after the July Chrome update, they’ll add “Not Secure”.

Why does that matter?

As a user of the web, i’d say this is a good thing, it encourages more websites to use SSL, which in turn makes a safer web for everyone. If you are running a website, either for your business or personal use and you don’t have an SSL, then your visitors might start to notice. This will especially matter if you are doing any kind of transaction on the site, such as a login or a shopping cart.

How do I get an SSL?

The good news is an SSL certificate can be added for free in most cases. There is a free SSL service available called “Lets Encrypt”, and if you are hosting with Eggplant Digital we can help to install that for you, just shoot us a support ticket. If not, you should either contact your hosting company or check your hosting control panel to turn it on.

Once you have an SSL certificate turned on you’ll need to make sure all files and internal links on your website are running through that SSL connection. This can get a bit technical depending on how you set your website up, and you might need a web developers help.

If you are using WordPress, then a simple solution is to install the plugin WP Force SSL, which will take care of all the hard work for you.

What if Lets Encrypt is not an option?

In the case where Lets Encrypt is not working for you, then there are several paid options that will work fine. These can be more complicated to install, so it’s best to get help from your hosting company. The prices range from around $10 to $100 depending on whether you have sub-domains or not.

If you’re still not sure where to start, just shoot us an email and we’ll be happy to help you get your site secured or add a question in the comments below and we’ll get back to you.

The post Soon SSL will be required, here’s what you need to know appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

Who are Splash?

Splash are a non-profit organisation committed to providing clean water for children all around the world in a sustainable way.

They have been working in China to provide clean water filters at all government-run orphanages. Their aim is to ensure that the project is sustainable, providing clean water in these homes forever.

What they found in practise though, is that they ran into unforeseen operational issues due to:

• time zone differences,
• language barriers,
• and cultural differences.

If they were to remain in operation, doing the good work that they do, they needed an entire systems overhaul.

Dealing with a communication problem

Splash is based in the United States and the work they are carrying out in China was proving difficult for them to monitor from afar. There are over 1,300 sites where work is being carried out and the time zone difference left a very small window of opportunity for contact.

Many local workers do not speak English or even standard Mandarin so any form of verbal contact proved challenging. This made communicating via phone a near impossibility.

They tried to use an email ticketing system also, but found out too late that email isn’t as widely used in China by non-business operations either. In fact, hardly anyone in China uses email at all.

Splash need to communicate with Chinese offices and workers regularly to give them the training they need to understand the water filtration system they will be installing and repairing.

Splash didn’t want just anybody ordering spare parts for filters either; this job needed to be done by a verified person and a system needed to be in place for that too.

The charity had no idea how to progress, but luckily we did.

Expert local know-how was the key

Thanks to our expertise within China we were aware of a solution that many from outside of the country would not be aware of – WeChat.

WeChat is a very popular messaging platform within China. It has surprisingly not achieved success outside of the region and has 889 million active users, 90% of whom are Chinese. Almost everybody, even labourers, have access to the app in some way or other.

WeChat app allows users to send text messages and make video calls to one another. It can be used to share photos and can also be integrated with social media apps such as Facebook.

At Eggplant, we provide dedicated WeChat development and marketing services, and knew exactly how to leverage WeChat to create our own custom-made app to solve the problem. This would enable certified workers to log in at any time using their own unique ID in order to order parts or communicate directly with Splash in a secure way. Every user would be verified, ensuring security, and all messages and logs could be checked and responded to in the US during business hours.

Creating a cross-cultural WeChat app for the project

We were confident that WeChat was the perfect solution to Splash’s problem and we set about creating a platform which fulfilled their needs, enabling them to monitor the Chinese situation whilst providing their partners the support they needed for all aspects of the water filter system installation and repair processes.

We also needed to ensure the system was functioning at peak performance on the Western side, so we integrated WeChat with the Salesforce database, which is Splash’s preferred tool to maintain their global site data and contact and maintenance history.

By integrating our custom-made app with Salesforce, it meant that not only could the US based team continue using the technology they are already accustomed to, but it also made the whole system more secure. Only registered engineers who exist in the Salesforce database could order parts, thereby eliminating the risk of unauthorised people attempting to order parts. To double down on security, an accurate record is kept of who ordered what at what time, so errors can be traced if necessary.

A perfectly tailored solution

When using WeChat, each message or call is made by a registered user and so those at Splash would know exactly who was communicating with them rather than just receiving a message from a random number they may or may not recognise.

Our expert knowledge of communication in China informed us that most Chinese use their smartphones for almost everything, and almost every smartphone user has WeChat installed.

This made things much easier for the workers in China who are often unfamiliar with Western support systems and methods of practice.

On top of this, using direct messaging as a format fixed timezone issues, as work in China is often conducted outside of US business hours. The technicians in China can send a message when a problem came up, and staff at Splash are now able to check and respond to the messages as soon as their working day begins. This ensures a smooth operational flow and happy staff, as they are working on their own time zone.

Success thanks to our innovation

The feedback after our system was integrated has been nothing but positive. Due to the better communication now in places many orphanages have maintained the water filtration system who otherwise might have abandoned it due to difficulties. Instructions, training and maintenance standards have all improved thanks to our app.

Splash have also reported a decreased workload as they are able to deal with their partners more effectively, including using WeChat to send automated messages and reminders.

At Eggplant we love fixing complex problems involving the Chinese market, especially when it comes to Web Design and WeChat solutions.

Could your business or organisation benefit from help entering or thriving in the Chinese market? If so, Contact us today to discuss the possibilities.

The post How WeChat Helped Solve a Non-Profit’s Communication Problem appeared first on Eggplant Digital.

What’s a TLD? Oh, that’s the .com / .cn part of your domain name that’s found at the end. It’s short for “top-level domain”. But, why do you care? Because if you choose the wrong one, you could seriously reduce the number of people coming to your website…Read on for the valuable do’s and don’ts!

Should I Choose A .CN Domain Name For My China Website?

First, you need to know why you choose your top-level domain or TLD (the .com or .nz part of your website).

As an internet marketer, I have a general starting point for domain names outside China “Dotcom or bust”.
Why would that be? Marketing is all about what you do before the sales process – creating awareness, interest and action towards your way of helping people solve their problems. It’s the “getting to know you” phase before anyone makes a commitment.
Anything you can do to make that process smoother is to improve your bottom line.
In short – most people have a hard time remembering other tlds. If you had to put anything at the end of a domain name you heard but can’t remember clearly, you put .com

I have a lifelong friend with a .co.uk website and I still type it in wrong, using the .com instead of the correct web address. You don’t want that…

Be The “Go To” Online For Your Name

You should always aim to be the “go-to” version of your name whenever possible, which is the .com version. However, the exception is when you are choosing it for a particular reason.

Take us here at eggplantdigital for example. We specialise in China-based WordPress websites, WeChat shops, and online marketing for the China market. In a case where a niche like this is so pronounced, it makes perfect sense for us to have a .cn at the end of our name, rather than a .com

In addition, you have to keep in mind your audience when buying your TLD.
Chinese people remember .cn and China is our market, so it all makes sense here.
In addition, .cn screams “we are in China and China is our thing” way more than a .com and your expert explanation on our homepage ever does.

Would this situation be the same for us if we were working in a country like Spain or Germany? Probably not. Why? Because the internet in China is so unique (and disconnected) that you can’t treat it like the internet in the rest of the world.

Do I Need A Specific Website For China?

This is a question that we often have to help clients with. It depends on who you are, but for the most part, the answer is yes.

There are main issues to deal with here:

• Great Firewall
• Getting business in China done “the China way”

The Great Firewall is a huge beast. The budget for controlling what information is allowed to pass into the PRC is alarming. We can’t give exact figures, but let’s just say it is larger than a small nation’s defence budget…(no joke!)

China is constantly updating its filtering processes and preferences. As a result, you need to stay current on what works and what doesn’t work on the internet in China. The best way to do that is to have a China-specific website and a .cn domain name.

I have personally overseen online marketing campaigns that deal with both China and non-China at the same time. They are two different worlds and must be treated as such. If you try to run your Chinese operations using the majority of the internet’s tools, you will hit a snag. Dropbox, gmail, and Facebook are just the more obvious ones.

Why Do Websites Sometimes Not Work In China?

Let’s talk about website content -some websites are permanently blocked, some are temporarily blocked, or have pages that are blocked. It’s all down to the information on them.

Youtube and Facebook are permanently blocked, as there’s just too much unrestrained information flowing back and forth for the government to allow them to operate freely.
In other cases, sites are blocked temporarily. The BBC isn’t blocked in China, but if you try to access it from Beijing on the same day that the Dalai Lama is being reported making some big statements, then you might be forgiven for thinking that the server is down. Alternatively, it may just seem that the individual page is down…

Let’s talk tools: If you are using any files from Google on your China facing website, they won’t work (meaning you might not be able to see that page properly).
If you are using software that China has deemed inappropriate, then it may not work reliably. A good example is Leadpages. Leadpages is a piece of software that works with WordPress that helps you quickly create fantastic marketing web pages without having to code or design. You’d think that their website wouldn’t bother the government, right? For over 2 years after launch, Leadpages was nowhere to be found on the Chinese internet. The Great Firewall gatekeepers just didn’t know what it was, so they blocked it. Bottom line? 1.4 billion people had no access to their products or services when they weren’t doing anything remotely political.

What Are The Advantages Of A China-Only Website?

In short:

1. Speed -(no firewall slowing you down/ no loss of features)
2. Marketing – PRC consumer culture is extremely unique
3. Safety/ Security – By co-operating with China’s limits you increase accessibility to 1.4 billion people.

What Should I Do Next?

The first thing you should do is get your current website tested by an individual or an organisation that is physically present in China. Get some feedback on how your website is running in the PRC. From there you should consider either adapting your existing site or creating a .cn version to properly market to the PRC.

Got questions? Most people do on this topic, as it’s a big one. If you’ve not contacted us before, why not make it your first time? We’re looking for businesses to interview on the topic of entering China, so drop us a quick message, we’d love to hear from you…!

Check if your Chinese domain name is available to register.

The post Do I Need A .CN Domain Name For China? appeared first on Eggplant Digital.