China – We can do it!
China is a very different proposition for UK based Websites and Businesses, less we not forget that we are a UK web design consultancy dealing with the needs of UK and International businesses and that this Blog is itself designed for our clients and for raising questions about what our clients should be doing for their businesses.
That said it is quite wrong to ignore China, the numbers of scary in the extreme and the culture and tempo and desire to ‘do business’ quite different. Yet everyone is here, every brand, every western multi-national, every wannabe business is here, from Quaker Oats to Michelin Tires, from Golden Syrup to Pop-Noodles even… Now look around you and almost certainly 30-50% of everything in your room was ‘Made-in-China’… It makes is very scary.
But really it needn’t be – and it shouldn’t be… there is no doubt typical clients of mine are smaller businesses, a travel company, a PR agency, a few shops (eCommerce) websites, all happily selling to UK, Europeans and possibly Americans – why not the Chinese.
First thing to note, all the people will the money to buy western goods and services – speak English, not French or German, but English… we’ve exported enough of our culture for the Chinese to really want what we have… Schools, Medicine, Fashion all UK and all doing well in China.
Next, Chinese people (middle classes and up) have a bit of money, we see them on the streets of London taking photos, they want to travel, they want to get out and about and then want a decent home to return to when they get back. What all my clients have in a collective sort of way is all perfectly possible in China. I can think of nothing that a client of mine has that a Chinese business or family might not want… and then there’s the Expats.
But we/you have to take steps to reach out to the Chinese Market… we’re slightly Google-mania here at NCompass, we like Google and subscribe to many of their services, our SEO and marketing is done with Google in mind, Google is 95% of the search market in the UK and so we do it that way. But Google doesn’t exist in China (really doesn’t exists), and that’s a big blocking point. Luckily (famous last words), we have the solution.
We’ve been to China and I’ve now spent time in a Chinese Office meeting New Media and Publishing houses in China, and ultimately learning just a little bit more about how the Internet is done in China. As always, I cannot claim to be an expert, but if you are looking to expand your marketing place and do some business in China – then we are the answer. And without any question I would imagine that there is not half a website agency in London that can claim the same.
There is a big divide between east and west, but if I can be of use to my clients in shrinking or crossing that divide I think we here at NCompass could really help and move our clients into advising on China.
And by the way Happy Year of the Monkey