Chinese Application Localization Guide, Part 2

Before you is the second part of the application localization guide for the Chinese market. If the first part you did not read - it is here . So, immediately to the point.

Transferred to Alconost

6. Introduce local payment methods

The usual payment methods in the West (credit cards, for example) are rarely used in China, so you need to use local tools. Mobile operators (China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile) allow you to make payments from applications. Direct payment through the operator is about 75% of all payments.
')
Another popular tool is Alipay , the largest payment service in this market. Alipay works with multiple stores and is easily embedded in the app.

However, Alipay is not suitable in all cases, especially if the game is localized. There are hundreds of app stores in the Chinese market, so you can eventually conclude that to meet the requirements of all these stores, you will have to build in all kinds of payment SDKs every time the app opens in a new store that Alipay does not accept.

7. Overcoming the language barrier: searching for a new name

The ability to adjust is a key factor when entering the Chinese market. Usually in the local version it is wiser not to leave the English name, but change it. In many cases, the original name of the speaker of the Chinese language will cause a variety of associations. Therefore, if you do not pay attention to the sound, the output of the application can turn into a marketing catastrophe before you understand what happened.

Usually, application publishers advise developers to keep the original names for branding, but China is a special case: if you localize the name of the application for Chinese stores, your product will become more attractive. Even large international brands that leave the original name throughout the world are forced to reinvent it in China in order to win over Chinese buyers. And this is the best proof that such a strategy works. For example, Coca Cola in Chinese means “ tasty happiness ” (Ke Kou Ke Le), and BMW conveys its name as “Bao ma”, which means “Precious Horse”.

In the Chinese market, you can find many well-adapted names, but not all brands have successfully coped with this task. In order not to be mistaken with the choice of name, you need to work with a local marketing company. At the same time, do not depart far from the existing brand image and convey a positive message to potential users.

8. Instead of a thousand words: adapt photos and videos

Translation of the description and the name of the application for local stores is obviously a necessary minimum. But to really attract users will help localized photos and screenshots. People tend to choose which application to download, based on what is easier to see. Many people do not have enough time (or patience) to read the text.

Therefore, if you replace the universal images on the application page with localized photos, this will help attract more users. At the same time, you should not translate the original images, but take screenshots of the localized version. If the application has maps, translate them all.

Select images carefully. Traditional American families and smiling blondes will not touch the hearts of the Chinese: they will not be able to identify with your product. Specific places from other countries will also say little to a user from China, so think about which images to use.

9. Launch applications in China: exclusive and simultaneous launch

If you are planning to launch a campaign to launch the application, there are two ways: exclusive and simultaneous launch. An exclusive launch gives a good result if you are targeting Android, where the market is so fragmented that you can discuss conditions with specific app stores.

With an exclusive launch of the application goes in one store, and only after two or three days appears in the rest. During this initial period of time, the store promotes your application, which can significantly increase the number of downloads. But so you get access to a smaller market and risk losing opportunities in other app stores.

Simultaneous launch means the output of the application in several stores simultaneously. The main drawback is that stores do not pay special attention to your application. However, at the same time you immediately get access to a larger number of users, since from the very first day you are present in a larger number of stores.

10. Promotion: localization of a marketing campaign without the usual soc. nets

It doesn't matter how good the application is - if you don’t invest in the localization of marketing materials for it, you have no chance. It's hard to imagine advertising an application online when Google, Facebook and Twitter are unavailable, right? But you have to do it, because these familiar tools do not exist in the Chinese market.

You need to start by creating a community on local social networks, especially on WeChat and Weibo networks. The first has more than 800 million users, so your application must be on this network. In China, communication between people is highly valued, and in order to settle in the application market, you need to be on a short foot with your users - get a company account in social networks.

Include discounts and special promotions in your marketing strategy. The Chinese love to save , so many people use coupons to promote their business. Such large companies like McDonalds and KFC are not averse to this. If you can find local business partners for cross-promotion, it will help attract more users.

Also in China, it is important to organize individual user support, so be prepared to hire a local team for this - especially if users have paid for the application. If you can listen to users and solve their problems, a large team will not be needed.

11. Strict compliance with laws and regulations.

Do not believe the rumors: everything is very serious about the Internet in China. You may be expelled from the country due to the fact that you may seem like a small mistake. Therefore, it is better not to take any risks after you have invested significant resources in the localization of the application.

In August 2016, the China Cyberspace Authority introduced new rules for application and store developers regarding data privacy, cyber security and censorship.

It is necessary to constantly monitor information about changes in the Chinese application market and ensure that products comply with all rules. Most of these laws are published exclusively in Chinese, so here you will need to work with local experts.

12. Local partners are required.

You probably already understood that working with local partners makes it easier to work in China. You will always need people who understand the Chinese rules and customs: from translators to lawyers. Religion, humor, family, food - everything is different here, and it is important to know how to use these differences to your advantage.

If you are not sure that such a partnership may be useful, just think about this:

• Politics. Censorship and the ban on certain words in the app is a harsh reality in China. Be attentive to what and how you write. Take, for example, the political relationship between China and Taiwan: Taiwan considers itself a separate country, and China categorically denies it. Therefore, for most Chinese, the Taiwan flag in the application will be unacceptable.
  
• App store commission. Shops can take from 30% to 90%, depending on how you agree and what type of application you sell. For example, the commission of telephone operators (and these are owned by the government of the company) - 30% of the transaction. However, some stores will request 50%, and if you want to promote the application in their store, then all 90%! Without knowing how the market works, without a local partner you are more likely to pay more.
  
• Testing the application in the regions. Beta testing is an important part of application localization. In China, there are significant cultural differences between regions, so check out the various nuances. For example, users from Beijing and Shanghai react to incentives in a different way than residents of smaller cities. If you are unable to pinpoint your target audience, knowledge of common cultural backgrounds will not be enough.
  
• Local content. All promotional materials must be written by native speakers in a fresh, light and casual style. In order to create localized original content that will bring users closer to the application, local authors will be needed.
  

No time to think: China is a developing market

85% of Internet users in China are online from mobile phones . Almost every website has an application that matches the preferences of mobile users. But in this country applications do not live long. To fulfill your Chinese dream, you will need to act quickly. Carefully plan the localization of the application, but do not go into the analysis excessively: the popular today may be forgotten before you can translate the description of the application.


About the translator

The article is translated in Alconost.

Alconost is engaged in the localization of applications, games and websites in 68 languages. Language translators, linguistic testing, cloud platform with API, continuous localization, 24/7 project managers, any formats of string resources, translation of technical texts .

We also make advertising and training videos - for websites selling, image, advertising, training, teasers, expliners, trailers for Google Play and the App Store.

Read more: https://alconost.com