Do you have a Chinese e-commerce website and would like to increase your revenue? Here are the five best practices in Chinese website localization.
It’s fascinating to observe, study, and compare English (or western e-commerce) and Chinese websites for business development and growth.
The goal, of course, is to help companies see the differences so they can apply the best practices that work for the Chinese shoppers rather than point out which one is better.
In one of our previous posts about western and Chinese websites; we shared the differences and why translation and localization contribute to growing the revenue as well as understand the market better.
READ MORE >>> E-commerce Market in China: Worth to Venture Out?
Let’s take a look at the famous e-commerce sites in China and find out how these indispensable website elements can generate more clicks, more sales, and better UI/UX for your target market.
1. Colorful and eye-catching banners and ads
Chinese e-commerce-website Taobao is known for its orange hues as a brand, but when you visit the website – the go-to site of Chinese shoppers where they can almost buy anything and everything – the company uses a lot of vibrant, eye-catching banners, promotional ads. The slider on the homepage never fails to show all the special offers and items.
At a glance, the entire shopping site looks compact and cluttered for a western shopper, but for Chinese shoppers, this strategy converts well because, in just one page, everything they need is provided there.
2. Local social media networks are integrated into the website
Haitao is the ideal site for Chinese shoppers to buy imported products overseas. The website is all set for the 11-11 shopping craze and vibrant colors with hues of fuchsia, blue, and gold. But there are also essential elements that can’t be overlooked despite the grand design and layout: the social media icons.
They are positioned on the right side via dropdown menu. Icons of WeChat, Weibo, and QQ are integrated into the menu drop down bar for easy access and sharing.
3. Live chat with customer support
Another element that e-commerce sites should have, one of the best practices is to integrate a Live Chat support like how Uniqlo T-Mall does it. Though they set specific hours of the availability of the agents, having a live chat builds the image of the company as being responsive and customer-oriented.
Most foreign brands that sell their items on T-Mall have a live chat, and it makes the communication easier between the shopper and agent.
4. Payment gateways support WeChat & AliPay
Most transactions in China are paid via WeChatPay or AliPay these days. Customers don’t need to swipe a credit card even in brick-and-mortar shops, but instead, via QR code scans, they can instantly pay the merchant. Payment gateways should be integrated into the Chinese websites for smooth flow of the transactions.
This in-app mobile e-wallet allows users to send money, pay goods both offline and online. Companies planning to build a niche, e-commerce website should recognize the opportunities of this feature and be more “localized” when it comes to payment methods. And the good news is, Tencent will also make this payment method available to overseas vendors.
5. QR codes as opt-ins for marketing
E-commerce websites in China will not be complete with the famous QR codes that have changed the social media habits of consumers for the past years. Aside from payment opt-ins, these boxes with unique lines and designs serve as the call-to-action for consumers, both online and offline.
Marketers also print these QR codes on brochures, posters, flyers, etc., and consumers can easily scan the code and they are directed to a specific landing page or site of the products and promotional deals. Take a look at Taobao’s QR code that’s positioned on the lower right corner.
Best practices we can learn from Chinese e-commerce websites to generate revenue.
