Our China Blog
Chinese EDM Checklist, Part 1: Designing Emails That Work in China
When it comes to designing an email for Chinese EDM campaign, there are few rules to keep in mind. Let’s have a closer look at the main design elements of an email template.
Main design elements to use with Chinese EDM campaign
Images
The best eye catching email designs often include an image at the top. This would be the first and most visible part of the email, therefore it should always have a purpose. In some cases, a logo would do too as long as it reinforces an already familiar brand. read more…
Why Do Chinese Websites Seem So Cluttered?
Ever wondered why popular Chinese websites seem so cluttered compared to their Western counterparts? Should you follow this trend in your Chinese website design or stick to the modern look? Let us help you decide.
If you have spent some time looking at Chinese ecommerce websites, you can’t help but notice how incredibly cluttered they look. In fact, most of that apparent clutter is a result of link-heavy nature of Chinese internet in general.
What might strike a Westerner as an overwhelming overload of information is likely to be perceived as a content rich and intuitive site by the Chinese.
Here are just a few examples of the most popular sites in China: read more…
China Cybersecurity Law: 5 Things You Should Know
Chinese internet overseeing authority has completed implementing China cybersecurity law which was first introduced at the end of 2016. The law was aimed at tightening state control over the internet by Chinese government. Although some of the practices that the law describes were not new and have already been implemented informally by many companies operating in China prior to the law taking effect, this act prescribed specific guidelines and punishments for non-compliance.
The latest China cybersecurity law have had broad implications to technology companies operating in the Mainland. It also covers wide range of areas which were not explicitly defined up until the enactment of the law. read more…
Chinese Payment Systems Overview: Union Pay
Union Pay is the state run credit and debit card system with the largest reach in China and overseas. Online, it is competing with AliPay and WeChat.
Chinese Payment Systems Overview: WeChat Pay
WeChat Pay is the payment system that grew out of WeChat super app. Nowadays, just like Alipay, it is widely used for both online and offline payments. read more…
Chinese Payment Systems Overview: AliPay
AliPay is the largest Chinese online payment system for both online and offline transactions. It is the primary payment method of China’s ecommerce. read more…
Chinese Payment Systems Overview: AliPay vs. WeChat Pay vs. Union Pay
Understanding the ecosystem of Chinese payment systems is a prerequisite to setting up a successful sales strategy in this market. It is also one of the many aspects of Chinese market that is considerably different from what we are familiar with in other markets.
Relying on traditional payment systems such as credit cards or PayPal is simply not going to work in China. In fact, if you are planning to sell anything to Chinese consumers, there are only three viable options. read more…
How WeChat App Is Changing Restaurant Business in China
WeChat app is transforming daily lives of millions of people in China. This is how it helps restaurants to run more efficiently and deliver better value.
Recent proliferation of Western style coffee shops and fancy restaurants gave rise to the new trend of ordering food and drinks with WeChat rather than using traditional menus.
Besides the fact that WeChat app is already installed on practically every smartphone in China, vast majority of users have also connected their accounts to bank cards and use WeChat Pay on regular basis. read more…
Overview of Baidu PPC Advertising, Best Practices
As long as Baidu remains the largest search engine in China, Baidu PPC advertising should always be the first choice among pay-per-click campaigns for businesses looking to reach Chinese audience.
In general, the reason Baidu PPC advertising can be highly effective is the fact that users who are actively searching for something already have a buying intent. It means that they are more likely to convert, in other words to become the actual customers compared to those who are passively looking at ads or are still in the process of discovery of a specific product or service. read more…
International Education in China
In the last few years, international education in China has been an exceptionally fast growing sector. According to the latest numbers from International School Consultancy (ISC) Group, China is currently in the second place (after UAE) by the number of international schools in the country. Globally, international education is a rapidly growing market where demand far outstrips supply. Between 2009 and 2013, international school enrollment grew by 42% to 3.4 million while the number of schools increased by a third to 6,734. read more…
China SEM: Getting to Know Baidu PPC Conversion Types
Tracking conversions should be the essential part of your China SEM strategy. This post will help you understand what types of Baidu PPC conversion can be tracked and how they can be set up.
If you are familiar with Google AdWords, Baidu PPC conversion types are quite similar. read more…
No More Cash: Chinese Payment Systems Usher New Era
Chinese digital payment systems are helping to create a true cashless society and it’s happening faster then anywhere else in the world.
The rapid adoption of digital payment systems continues to transform Chinese economy and society in unprecedented ways. Nowadays, handling cash seems like a thing of the past with nearly everyone in China using one of the two main payment systems: AliPay or WeChat Pay.
When is comes to digital payments, China is, undoubtedly, the technological leader. Once Chinese payment systems have become the primary payment method online, brick-and-mortar stores started to adopt them for offline payments as well.
read more…
5 Unique Taobao App Features That Boost Sales On Mobile
More than half of the sales on China’s largest ecommerce platform, Taobao, are going through its mobile app. Browsing through Taobao products on a smartphone has become one of the most popular past times of Chinese mobile users after using WeChat. Here are the five top unique Taobao app features that are the largest contributors to its efficiency and popularity.
5 unique Taobao app features that drive its mobile sales
Picture search function read more…
5 Reasons Why Chinese Sharing Economy Future Is Looking Promising
In this post we are going to have a closer look at five main drivers powering fast growing Chinese sharing economy.
In our earlier article, we have introduced six most innovative services that have developed around various concepts of Chinese sharing economy. Some of those companies, like DiDi, have grown enormous within record time, swallowing rivals and winning new markets. Others have recently achieved infamous “unicorn” status (Tujia, Huochebang) while more startups are still small but full of potential.
read more…
Banner Ads in China
Banner ads in China are still a fairly effective channel to advertise and, on average, Chinese are more receptive to this type of advertising compared to internet users in western countries. Ad blocking software and plugins have been, so far, more common in the West than in China where banner advertising is a rapidly growing business.
Also, the type of banners ads that are considered to be more effective in China tend to be flashier and more animated, something that Western users typically find most annoying. read more…
Choosing Between PPC vs. SEO for Chinese Market
SEO and PPC are the two basic options for boosting traffic to your website. Choosing between PPC vs. SEO for Chinese market is often a difficult decision to make.
Up until the middle of 2016, Chinese PPC, especially with Baidu, was, on average, delivering better returns than SEO. This was due to several factors:
- First, the search results, especially for popular terms, were dominated by paid ads. In some cases, hardly any organic results would be displayed in the first page;
- Second, there was little visual distinction in Baidu between paid and organic results and most people couldn’t even tell the difference.
Basics of China Keyword Research: Weibo Index
Weibo Index Tutorial
In terms of monthly users, Weibo is the second largest Chinese social media platform after WeChat. However, unlike WeChat, it is still primarily PC based. Weibo is one of the most powerful marketing tools in China offering wide range of possibilities for reaching people across various demographics and psychographics. read more…
Basics of China Keyword Research: WeChat Index
WeChat Index Tutorial
According to the most recent data, WeChat has passed a milestone of a billion users which puts it far ahead of any other Chinese social media platform. Measuring trends on such an enormous network could potentially bring the most statistically accurate data to marketers. read more…
Learn all about China digital marketing here:
