By Shirley Wong Walker
Gmail is blocked. VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) have taken a direct hit. International media outlets have, once again, reported issues related to internet access. Confidence is at an all time low, according to a recent European Chamber of Commerce on how internet access in China can affect one’s business operations in the country. So is it becoming too hard to do online business? The answer is a resounding “no”, according to Web Presence in China. In fact, businesses can mitigate online hurdles with what it is called “circumventing” the Great Firewall of China with some straight forward infrastructure and internet software support – all behind the same Firewall that keeps you out.
China’s Great Firewall, or web filters, serve a dual purpose of screening out content critical of the Chinese government and providing protection to China’s growing domestic online firms against stronger overseas rivals. It’s well known that Google, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Dropbox and various foreign sites that share information or images, are blocked. China-specific sites – Baidu, Weibo, Youku, Renren – are the most commonly used sites and portals in China and of course, available, though they do have strict internet rules that have also compromised their sites.
So why is the Internet so important? It provides access to hundreds of millions of people. It is used for transacting massive amounts of dollars, or renminbi. But when the Internet is compromised I think we all know it is not a positive experience; it gets even downright critical when conducting business.
Time is important in our daily lives, where we read, decide, share, and act at the press of a button. When we use the Internet, we are accustomed to receiving and retrieving information within microseconds which is known as load time (when the page you are accessing fully opens on your screen in less than 2.5 seconds).
If there is a delay in load times, would you be willing to wait 10 seconds, even 25 seconds until the page slowly opens onto your screen? Would you be willing to spend 20 to 30 minutes on researching information for a medical device or confirming an order for 10,000 electronics components, or on filling in the online purchase form? And only when you hit the “send” button do you see you are blocked because your internet server is hosted outside of China at your Global Headquarters.
So you think building a Chinese website would resolve everything, right? There are a number of requirements to ensure your website can be used in China efficiently and it is accessible to your most important asset – Chinese customers.
Here are Four Steps to check off to make sure you are on the right track:
Step One: Use the Chinese domain .cn and not .com or even country-specific .ca. Domains ending with .cn are recognized by Chinese search engines (Baidu) and are easier to find.
Step Two: Optimize your company name including products and brand descriptions in Simplified Chinese (not just English). This means using specific keyword terms can help your customers find you in China. Bilingual terms also work well especially for brands that still want to be recognized as a foreign company.
Step Three: Host your server in-country (behind China’s Firewall) by registering for a Chinese domain or ICP license under China’s Ministry of Information Industry (MII). This step ensures your site is live and accessible in China provided you operate under China’s regulatory policies.
Step Four: Ensure access to online data is rich, reliable, accurate, in English and above all, China-specific. As Google Analytics is blocked in China, Web Presence In China has developed proprietary software called Chinalytics, designed to give companies with websites located in China data flows that are superior to Google Analytics and hosted inside the Great Firewall.
So will these steps help you with your online business in China? With over 600 million Internet users, 500 million mobile users, and online sale transactions expected to reach over USD$1 trillion by 2019, you will have to make that decision.
About Web Presence In China
Web Presence In China (WPIC) is a Beijing-based company operating in China since 2009. It is a leading, full-service digital marketing and technology firm with a resource team of over 120+ experts, operating in multiple languages and locations. The company’s known for its global reach across China, Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe.
For more information, please visit WPIC’s webstie.