The Times Australia
Small Business News

.

How to Promote Your Business Online in China

  • Written by Brigitte Evans




Every market has its own rules of the game, which is why when penetrating a new region, you need to do proper research on the best methods you should start applying. The first thing you need to understand is that, even though about 900 million Chinese consumers have access to the internet, in China, there are no Google, Facebook or Twitter. This means that when it comes to digital marketing, everything is different. Traditional SEO no longer works and you lack the finesse to make it in social media marketing. With this in mind and without further ado, here are several tips that will help you promote your business online in China.

  1. Start with a Chinese website

Mandarin Chinese is spoken by about 960 million native speakers, which is why, even though English might be the language of the international business, it’s still smarter to go for Chinese when designing your website. So, for starters, you need to take all the steps so that your platform supports Chinese characters. Next, like in the western world, responsiveness is everything, which is why you need to download a proper layout, optimize all the images and use all the right formats and structures.

Once you move past this, you need to focus on on-site optimization. Earlier on, we hinted on the importance of using Chinese characters and this practice also holds true in meta tags and descriptions. Fortunately for you, this kind of Baidu optimization (China’s greatest search engine) is quite similar to what you would undergo with Google, which makes all your previous experience count. As for the aesthetic rules of designing a website in China, it might be best to do some research on your niche competitors or local top-dogs and see what it should look like.

  1. Outsourcing

When trying to penetrate the Chinese market, it’s beneficial to outsource some of the highly-specialized tasks to professionals, who are familiar with the local circumstances and culture and well experienced in promoting business in this part of the world.

Outsourcing your SEO and content marketing tasks to a trusted SEO agency in Hong Kong may seem as a perfectly natural and cost-effective solution, as it may help you create tactics and strategies that will benefit the growth of your business exposure in China.

  1. Mobile-friendly

Last year, the number of internet searches from Android devices officially surpassed the number of searches made from Windows. Nevertheless, Windows is still a predominant internet browsing OS in the Western world. In other words, Asian internet users are much more mobile-oriented than their western counterparts. That being said, going mobile-friendly in China is an absolute must. Furthermore, making your website responsive, adaptive or mobile-first is great, yet, it’s always far better to develop an app. This needs to become a priority for all looking to promote their business online in China.

  1. PR in China

Without having enough cultural background and the understanding of the local community, it’s impossible to efficiently handle your PR. Still, there are several rules that aren’t that different from what you’ve encountered everywhere else. First of all, forums are the beating heart of the internet, seeing as how this is where people go to escape corporate jargon and agendas. Here, you can have a direct conversation with the nucleus of your community. Furthermore, by encouraging your fans to engage with each other, you can further facilitate the passive spreading of your brand.

  1. Team up with locals

At the end of the day, we already discussed the perks of outsourcing, yet, you might want to look past that and integrate some of the local digital marketing experts permanently into your business structure. For instance, Baidu PPC experts can become regular partners of your company and you should definitely employ local content writers (as well as editors), regardless of how proficient you are in Mandarin Chinese. Furthermore, you should look for PR experts to employ in your overseas office (if you have one) or merely have them on retainer as consultants. Lastly, market survey experts are always a welcome addition.

Conclusion

As you can see, promoting business online in China isn’t essentially different from doing so in the western world, yet, there are some minor discrepancies which could potentially make a huge difference. Whenever this is about to happen, you need to ensure that it’s always in your favor. With enough research and some proper aid on your side, this shouldn’t be that much of a problem to pull off.

Property Times

Rubber vs Concrete Wheel Stops: Which is Better for Your Car Park?

When it comes to setting up a car park in Perth, wheel stops are a small feature that make a big difference. From improving driver accuracy to preventing costly damage, the right choice between rubber and concrete wheel stops could save you time, mon...

What Is the Australian Government First Home Buyers Scheme About?

For many Australians, buying a first home can feel like a daunting task—especially with rising property prices, tight lending rules, and the challenge of saving for a deposit. To ease this burden, the Australian Government has introduced a First ...

Flipping vs. Holding: Which Investment Strategy Is Right for You?

Are you wondering whether flipping a property or holding onto it is the better investment strategy? The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. Both strategies have distinct advantages and risks, and choosing the right one depends on your financial goals, ...

A Guide to Smarter Real Estate Accounting: What You Might Be Overlooking

Real estate accounting can be a complex terrain, even for experienced investors and property managers. From tracking rental income to managing property expenses, the financial intricacies of real estate demand more than just basic bookkeeping. A si...

Food & Dining

Not all processed foods are bad for you. Here’s what you can tell from reading the label

If you follow wellness content on social media or in the news, you’ve probably heard that processed food is not just unhealthy, but can cause serious harm. Eating a diet dominated by highly processed foods means you’re likely to consume more kil...

Italian Street Kitchen: A Nation’s Favourite with Expansion News on Horizon

Successful chef brothers, Enrico and Giulio Marchese, weigh in on their day-to-day at Australian foodie favourite, Italian Street Kitchen - with plans for ‘ambitious expansion’ to be announced in the coming months.  Italian Street Kitchen: A slice o...

Après Skrew: Peanut Butter Whiskey Turns Australia’s Winter Parties Upside Down

This August, winter in Australia is about to get a lot nuttier. Skrewball Whiskey, the cult U.S. peanut butter whiskey that’s taken the world by storm, is bringing its bold brand of chaos to Aussie shores with Après Skrew: a mash-up of alpine energy...

450 people queue for first taste of Pappa Flock’s crispy chicken as first restaurant opens in Queensland

Queenslanders turned out in flocks for the opening of Pappa Flock's first Queensland restaurant, with 450 people lining up to get their hands on the TikTok famous crispy crunchy chicken tenders. The highly anticipated opening comes after months of d...

Business Times

From Farms to Festivals: How Regional NSW Is Repurposing Shipping…

Regional NSW communities are repurposing containers for farms, tourism, and events Farmers and small businesses use them...

Nail it with points: Flybuys members can redeem points for instan…

Flybuys launches new in-store redemption at Bunnings stores across Australia Tuesday 19 August, 2025 – Flybuys, Australia’s ...

Understanding Energy Use Patterns by Season

Australia’s climate changes noticeably across the year. These seasonal changes don’t just affect what we wear or how we trave...

The Times Features

Wedding Photography Trends You Need to Know (Before You Regret Your Album)

Your wedding album should be a timeless keepsake, not something you cringe at years later. Trends may come and go, but choosing the right wedding photography approach ensures your ...

Can you say no to your doctor using an AI scribe?

Doctors’ offices were once private. But increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI) scribes (also known as digital scribes) are listening in. These tools can record and trans...

There’s a new vaccine for pneumococcal disease in Australia. Here’s what to know

The Australian government announced last week there’s a new vaccine[1] for pneumococcal disease on the National Immunisation Program for all children. This vaccine replaces pr...

What Makes a Small Group Tour of Italy So Memorable?

Traveling to Italy is on almost every bucket list. From the rolling hills of Tuscany to the sparkling canals of Venice, the country is filled with sights, flavors, and experiences ...

Latest data suggests Australia is overcoming its sugar addiction

Australia is now meeting the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines[1] on sugar, which recommend keeping sugar below 10% of daily energy intake. New data[2] published ...

Do you really need a dental check-up and clean every 6 months?

Just over half of Australian adults[1] saw a dental practitioner in the past 12 months, most commonly for a check-up[2]. But have you been told you should get a check-up and c...