Being found on the internet in China
Many tools and services on the Chinese internet can help Chinese businesses and people find websites.
The structure of the Chinese internet has the same components as the rest of the world, e.g. search engines, social media, etc. Like the rest of the world, you can invest time and resources in promoting your business on the Chinese internet.
This information is the minimum needed to start getting your business found on the Chinese internet.
Summary of ‘Being Found in Seen in China’ articles
While your Chinese online identity offers can give you a significant advantage by themselves, your good management greatly helps them succeed.
Your trademark(s), brand in this case, is available in China. i.e., A Chinese / international business has not already registered your trademark in China
Your trademarks, i.e., brand, product names, etc, are known in the international / Chinese market.
Appropriate domains, social media, etc., and names are available.
Your brand/product name does not have an appropriate meaning/translation in spoken or written Chinese. For example, Google had this problem in China. The English pronouncement of Google in Chinese means “rice framer”.
2. Chinese Intellectual property rights
Politicians, the press, and businesses worldwide have spoken and written extensively about the problems with intellectual property rights in China.
China has many issues with international intellectual property rights and their enforcement.
If your trademark/copyright is agreed upon and registered in China, a dispute over a trademark can often be resolved with a letter from a local Chinese solicitor. No business or Chinese person wishes to be seen breaking Chinese rules and regulations.
If you do not register your trademark in China, you could spend years in the Chinese legal system trying to block the use of your trademark. If you have registered your trademark and there is an infringement, it is usually resolved after a letter from a Chinese-based solicitor.
We strongly recommend you protect your trademark in China using the local Chinese rules and regulations.
Outside China, we call this “Product Certification,” enforced by the “Trading Standard” office. In English translations, this is called “Product Licensing.”
A Chinese product license is usually not required for products sold directly to a consumer from overseas as these are “one-off” product sales. An example of an exception to this rule is electrical goods. The certification standard for electrical goods is CCC. Most international electrical goods already have this certification.
Like any country's Customs, China will inspect and seize goods that do not meet local standards. However, this does not often happen to goods sold directly to consumers from an overseas company.
The central point to consider is whether the product is sold directly by a Chinese business, e.g., a wholesaler, retailer, or Chinese online store. Local Product Licensing must be in place.
Many products in China do not require product licensing. To help the Chinese authorities and local retailers understand your products, make your testing certification, e.g., EU certification, available online.
4. Chinese Internet publishing options
In mainland China, e-Commerce and IT platforms are very popular. The service providers have the Chinese government's approval to publish on the Chinese Internet. Therefore, you do not need an Internet Contents Provider (ICP) license to use the providers' services.
The Chinese platform suppliers ensure customers follow Chinese publication and trading rules and regulations.
If you are selling from inside mainland China, you will require a Chinese business to process payments, tax returns, etc. Most SDPs have an international service that enables you to sell to mainland China without having a local Chinese company.
Historicity, led by Baidu, the Chinese search engines have successfully dominated the internet in China.
Changes are happening in the use of search engines in China and worldwide.
Starting in China, Baidu, while still the most used search engine in China, has experienced a significant drop in market share over the last three years.
Bing applies the Chinese rules and regulations, e.g., some content is not listed, allowing search engines to be available in China.
6. Chinese search engine SEO, local and international
This article is a beginner’s guide to Chinese search engine optimisation (SEO). You may require local Chinese support as you learn more and want to increase your internet content rankings.
There are four Chinese Search Engines and two overseas search engines, and you should aim to get a high ranking in the Chinese market.
7. Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent (BAT)
In general, the giant BAT companies' internet business profiles work like those of Google, Microsoft, Amazon, etc.
The BAT companies are estimated to directly or indirectly control over 70% of the internet business and transactions in China.
There is a significant difference between how businesses approach the Chinese Internet and the rest of the world. Most Chinese companies are part of an existing B2B or social media platform and do not have a business website.
Only 25% of foreign internet sites can be seen in China, 20% take over 20 seconds to open, and 55% cannot be seen at all.
There is a very high probability that your internet site cannot be seen in China.
For Chinese businesses, there is no simple way to find overseas products and services;
Like most businesses worldwide, Chinese companies start their search for products and services on the Internet.
Chinese e-Commerce has been very successful over the last 10 years.
Most Chinese people make e-commerce purchases daily, and China's physical size has driven this growth. Before e-commerce, many towns and cities in China had limited product and service supplies based on their region's availability. Now, Chinese consumers have access to products and services supplied nationally and internationally.
The e-Commerce market has driven down consumer prices over an extensive range of products and services.
10. e-Commerce from outside China
There are great success stories of overseas companies selling directly to the end consumer.
We offer the following approach for SMEs entering the Chinese consumer market.
Our recommendation is based on a business that wishes to enter the Chinese consumer market without high costs/risk. The offset to this is that your margins will be lower, but they could match the margins you achieve in your local market. The opportunity is increased turnover in the world’s largest market at low risk.
This approach is for overseas companies that own the products and can supply the Chinese e-mall reseller at wholesale prices.
11. Chinese e-Commerce third party vs website
There is a significant difference in the way the Chinese approach internet services.
Outside China, internet services have grown through businesses publishing their websites. Today, working alongside the business websites, there is a growing use of e-Malls department store websites, such as Amazon, eBay, etc.
Inside China, the use of e-Malls department stores started with Alibaba (B2B marketing) and then China Amazon, Taobao, JDbuy (360buy), TMall, etc. (B2C).
last modified: Version 2.1 - March 2025