Browsing websites is an excellent way you can learn more about the international marketplace/s where you want to grow your business, since it’s important to understand consumers through their digital habits.
When you’ve looked at overseas websites, you might have thought:
‘Why are American websites full of people with big toothy smiles?’ Or,
‘Japanese websites are so cluttered – they look like a pachinko parlour’. Or,
‘Why are French websites so unsubtle with their pricing? It’s a real turnoff!’
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing some fascinating and useful insights into different website design approaches around the world. We’ll also touch on how and why they’ve evolved differently for different audiences, so you can better understand your own reactions and characteristics of the international website landscape. And you’ll pick up ideas about how you can adjust your own website and social media marketing to appeal more to your international market.
Since InterMondo’s blogs have an ‘APAC’ flavour at the moment, thanks to the recent G20 summit, we’re starting with China.
11 must-knows about websites in China
- Currently, 642 million or 46% of nearly 1.4 billion Chinese use the internet. Almost two-thirds are under 30.
- The primary attraction for the average youngish Chinese web surfer is entertainment value. So web designers in China tend to fill their websites with visual stimulation and functions for playing and interacting socially.
Evolving web design for young Chinese users – Yetang is an online Chinese retailer specialising in independent designware.
- ‘You can never have too much of a good thing’ has broadly characterised Chinese web design. Pages tend to be ‘busy’ and flashy. If you’re used to lots of space and a more austere, restrained look, you may find this unattractive and overwhelming, even tacky. But this approach exists for a purpose: Chinese users find it practical.
- Chinese designers haven’t quite reached the point of utilising user experience research to inform website design and content, although this is changing.
- Web design budgets are often limited in China’s web design market, so flashy visuals are an affordable way to attract attention. However, information architecture and therefore website usability can be poor.
Sohu is a Beijing-based company offering advertising, a search engine and on-line multiplayer gaming. Note the heavy use of text and image links.
- Typing in Chinese on an alphabet-based keyboard can be slow. So website user interfaces in China have evolved more on a ‘click’, rather than a ‘search’ principle, featuring text and image links. But as user demographics change and Chinese users start seeking useful content, Chinese designers are exploring content, not just concentrating on visuals.
- Chinese digital space is dominated by locally developed and locally targeted websites and services, necessary in such a large country with distinct, self-sustaining local markets. This also means that Chinese web design is less internationalised than elsewhere, although that is changing. If you want to reach Chinese consumers, you need to take this into account.
- Widespread literacy in China is a fairly recent phenomenon, as is the use of the simplified ‘Pinyin’ Chinese script. So website design has evolved from the principle that users should get lots of help and feel comfortable with the site. Users need a high level of assurance before they make a purchase, so designers or stakeholders include as much information, visual cues and technical explanations as possible to provide that assurance.
Doopaa is a Tianjin-based web design company, one of a new generation of designers incorporating traditional art with the latest design technology.
- Computer font options are limited for Chinese and other non-Latin pictographic scripts. Because each font requires thousands of characters to be individually designed, this is incredibly expensive and time consuming for design and download. While this means there is a ‘sameness’ among website typefaces, web designers are finding creative ways to circumvent these limitations, like using graphics instead of computer font for non-standard typefaces.
- China has one of the fastest internet speeds in the world…internally. Access speeds to websites outside China can be slow and result in lost sale opportunities for companies outside China.
Wahaha (‘Laughing Child’) Holdings website homepage. China’s largest beverage company, Wahaha’s sophisticated, international look incorporates Chinese sensibilities and cultural values.
- Chinese websites reflect cultural values of harmony, interdependence, popularity, high social status, luxury, emotions, and symbolic association, seen in design colour, images, logos, layout and slogans.
Start by looking for easily accessible, top-ten China private business and government websites. It can be difficult to find localised websites without insider knowledge and Chinese language skills. Your in-country contacts can help you and browsing China’s top websites can give you insight into its website landscape.
We’d love to hear your comments and questions! To find out how InterMondo can support your communications requirements in an international environment, click here.
