Beginner’s Guide To App Localization For The Chinese Market (Part 2)

Beginner’s Guide To App Localization 

For The Chinese Market (Part II) 

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Beginner’s Guide To App Localization For The Chinese Markettion (Part II) 

Table of Content 

6. Implement Local Payment Methods 4 

7. Crossing The Language Barrier: Find A New App Name 4 

8. A Picture Paints A Thousand Words: Adapt Photos And Videos 5 

9. Launching Your App In China: Exclusive Launch Vs. Joint Launch 5 

10. Promote Your App: How To Do Marketing Localization Without Facebook 6 

11. Respect All Laws And Regulations 6 

12. Having Local Partners Is Essential 7 

No Time For Second Thoughts: China Is An Evolving Market 8 



Are you thinking about taking on the world's second largest economy? Check out our two part 

beginner's guide to app localization for the Chinese market. Part 2. 

Welcome to our second part of our beginner’s guide to app localization for the Chinese market. 

In case you missed the first part you can catch up easily here. Now let’s dive right into it: 

6. Implement Local Payment Methods 

Western payment methods, such as credit cards, are rarely used in China, so you need to adapt 

to local tools. The mobile carriers (China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile), allow 

in-app payment, and direct carrier billing makes up about 75% of app payment. 

Another popular tool is Alipay, the largest billing service in the local market. Alipay works with 

several app stores and can easily be integrated in your app. 

However, Alipay isn’t the universal solution in terms of payment methods, especially if you 

localize a game. With hundreds of app stores on the market, you may find yourself in the 

position of integrating different payment solutions, to match store requirements. In this case, 

you’ll have to integrate different billing SDK every time you list your app in a new store that 

doesn’t accept Alipay. 

7. Crossing The Language Barrier: Find A New App 

Name 

Flexibility is key when entering the Chinese market. Changing your app’s name to a local 

version is usually wiser than using your English name. In many cases, your original name will 

have different connotations in Chinese. You can have a marketing disaster on your hands 

before you even realize it, if you don’t pay close attention to sounds. 

App publishers usually advise developers to keep original names for branding purposes, but 

China is a special case. Finding a local name for Chinese app stores will make your product 

more appealing. Even important international brands that keep their original names in all 

countries have reinvented themselves to conquer Chinese buyers. So, there’s no doubt the 



strategy works. Coca Cola means Delicious Happiness in Chinese (Ke Kou Ke Le), while BMW 

transliterated its name to “Bao ma,” which means Precious Horse. 

There are many inspired translations on the Chinese market, but not all brands have managed 

to translate successfully. Work with a local marketing company to make sure you choose the 

right name. Stay close enough to your brand’s image, while sending a positive message to your 

potential users. 

8. A Picture Paints A Thousand Words: Adapt Photos 

And Videos 

Translating your app description and title for local app stores is essential. But, having all photos 

and screenshots localized is what really makes the difference. People tend to choose which app 

to download based on what they see easily. Many of them don’t have the time or patience to 

read texts. 

With that in mind, introducing Chinese photos instead of universal images in your app page will 

attract a higher number of users. Take screenshots of the localized version of your app, instead 

of translating the original ones. Translate all maps, if your app includes any. 

Pay attention to your images. Traditional American families or blond girls smiling will have no 

impact on the Chinese, as they can’t identify themselves with your product. Specific locations 

from other countries may have no meaning either, so think about the images you use. 



9. Launching Your App In China: Exclusive Launch Vs. 

Joint Launch 

If you’re planning to run a launch campaign, there are two different ways to do it. An exclusive 

launch or a joint launch. Exclusive launches can work well for Android apps, where the market 

is so fragmented, as you can negotiate advantages with individual app stores. 

An exclusive launch means giving exclusivity to only one store for 48-72 hours before having 

your app listed in other stores. The app store promotes your app during these first hours, which 

can significantly increase your downloads. But, you have access to a smaller market and risk 

missing opportunities with other app stores. 

A joint launch means listing your app on several app stores at the same time. The main 

disadvantage is that you don’t get special spots in any store. But you get immediate access to a 

larger number of users by being present in more app stores from day one. 

10. Promote Your App: How To Do Marketing - 

Localization Without Facebook 

No matter how good your app is, you don’t stand a chance unless you’re ready to invest in app 

localization of your marketing materials. But can you imagine promoting your app online 

without Google, Facebook or Twitter? You should, because none of these tools are available in 

the Chinese market. 

You need to start working on building a community on local social networks, especially on 

WeChat and Weibo. WeChat has more than 800 million users, so make sure your app has an 

account here. Human to human communication is highly appreciated in China. So, give users 

instant access to your company using social media to consolidate your position in the app 

market. 

Give discounts and special promotions as part of your marketing strategy. Saving cash is 

important to the Chinese, so most people use coupons to promote their business. This includes 



big companies like McDonalds or KFC. You can attract a large number of users if you can find 

local business partners for cross-promotions. 

Customized support is also important in China, so get ready to hire a local team to provide 

excellent service, especially if your users have paid for the app. You only need a small team, as 

long as you can listen and solve your customers’ problems and concerns. 

11. Respect All Laws And Regulations 

Despite the rumors, China is rigid when it comes to internet rules. What can seem like a small 

mistake to you can have you banned from China. So, don’t take any risks after investing 

significant resources in the app localization process. 

In August 2016, The Cyberspace Administration of China implemented a new set of rules for app 

developers and app stores, regarding data privacy, cybersecurity and censorship. 

You need to be permanently updated about changes in the Chinese app market and keep your 

products in line with all regulations. As most of these laws are published exclusively in Chinese, 

make sure you work with local experts on this issue. 

12. Having Local Partners Is Essential 

You’ve probably realized by now, working with local partners will make things way easier in 

China. From translators, to legal experts, you need to be in contact with people who 

understand Chinese rules and customs. Religion, humor, family, food — everything is different 

and you need to know how to use these differences to your advantage. 

If you’re not sure about how useful these partners can be, just think about the following: 

● Political issues – Censorship or the absence of specific words from your app are not just 

a myth about China. Pay attention to what you write and how you write it. Consider 

political issues between China and Taiwan, for example. Taiwan considers itself a 

separate country, but China strongly denies it. So, having Taiwan’s flag somewhere inside 

your app would be offensive for most Chinese. 



● Store revenue shares – These vary from 30% to 90%, depending on the way you 

negotiate contracts and the type of app you’re selling. For example, phone carriers 

(companies owned by the government) charge 30% of the transaction. But some app 

stores will ask for 50% and, if you want them to push your app in their store, they can ask 

for as much as 90%! Not knowing how the market works, it’s more likely you’ll pay more 

than you would if you had a local partner. 

● Testing for regions – Beta testing is an important part of app localization. In China, you 

should perform various tests, as there are significant cultural differences between 

regions. For example, users in Beijing and Shanghai respond to different stimulus than 

people living in smaller cities. Knowing general culture is not enough if you can’t manage 

to pin down your target audience. 

● Local content – Everything you write to promote your app should be fresh, casual and 

written by native Chinese writers. You need locals to come up with localized, original 

content that keeps your users connected to your app as much as possible. 

No Time For Second Thoughts: China Is An Evolving 

Market 

85% of Chinese internet users access the web from their mobile phones. Almost every website 

has an app to suit these mobile preferences. But, apps don’t live long in this country. You’ll 

need to move fast if you want to transform your Chinese dream into a reality. Plan your app 

localization accurately, but don’t take too much time to analyze. What’s popular today can be 

forgotten before you manage to translate your app description. 



phraseapp.com 

sales@phraseapp.com 

+49-40-357-187-76 

ABC-Straße 4 

Hamburg, Germany

Beginner’s Guide To App Localization For The Chinese Market (Part 2)

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