As more Western-based companies turn one eye towards the Chinese market, I get asked a lot of questions about the complications of designing a website for Chinese clients, and the technicalities of doing online business in China. In this article I’ll address those most commonly asked. First, a Disclaimer. China is incredibly diverse, the divide between various segments of society is so massive that it’s impossible to speak about “China” or “Chinese people” in the aggregate. Not only is there a tremendous difference in tech-savviness between Chinese people based in major cities like Shanghai or Beijing and Chinese people based elsewhere on the mainland, there are also many different ways to be “Chinese”. When I speak of “China” in this article, I'm referring specifically to mainland China, and by “Chinese”, I'm typically referring to middle-class, connected city residents. In other words, the remarks here are based on my own experience in China’s tech industry. I can't cover everyone’s unique experience, and for brevity’s sake, I’ll be making some sweeping generalizations.
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