British businesses getting ‘China Ready’
20th October 2014
It’s about time British companies considered China seriously as an ever increasing market-place, and look to get professional translations done of their websites, products catalogues and marketing materials.
VisitBritain have recently announced introduction of a major new programme aimed at increasing the number of high spending Chinese visitors. These visitors are estimated to bring up to £1.2 billion, annually, to the UK economy.
The Great China Welcome Charter programme will help Chinese visitors easily identify hotels, attractions, retailers and tour operators that are making themselves ‘China-Ready’ by providing information in Mandarin or Cantonese and adapting their products for the Chinese market and culture.
The marketing campaign called The Great China Welcome Charter will allow a range of businesses a variety of services enabling them to target and prepare to serve the highest spenders in the world.
Under the scheme, a number of Chinese advisors and agencies are taking part in supporting UK industry in the preparation for, and targeting of, Chinese tourists.
This includes cultural training for non-Chinese speaking staff, Chinese web and digital marketing specifically tailored to attract the Chinese audience, translation services and point of sale advice.
How to get your business China Ready?
- Learn about Chinese tourists
Don’t assume Chinese tourists only want to eat at Chinese restaurants. Experiencing the local cuisine is just as important to them as it is to you on your holiday. To prepare yourself, use Foreign Tongues to translate your menus into Chinese and study Chinese culture to see what they like and dislike when dining out. - Make it long term
The Chinese prefer to do business with friends; so work on building friendship and trust, above simply trying to push business through. Invite them to visit you, send them a Christmas card and greet them with small gifts, for example. - Learn about the market
Would you adapt the same marketing strategy for all European countries? The answer is simply no. Taking time to learn about demographic differences can make a huge difference to your business and profit.. - Stay current
The Chinese market is very fast-paced. Chinese people are known for being very active on social media platforms. Keep up to date with the Chinese market online and engage with them via social media.. - Take localisation seriously
Localisation is much more than simply an accurate translation. Under no circumstances should you use machine translation for your website. It will pay back in the long run to invest in translation services and use of Foreign Tongues. - Be proud to be British
Britain is known in China for its rich culture, history, art and fashion. Bring out these elements whenever you are describing your own product or service, and try to relate them specifically to Chinese culture and influences. - Show respect
Finally, understand the pressure faced by Chinese travel agents to keep their clients satisfied and always show respect for Chinese culture.
Is your business getting China Ready? At Foreign Tongues we offer localisation and translation services at competitive prices and the most efficient turnaround. Click here to get the 20 minute quote.
Source:
http://chinacontact.org/blog/major-boost-to-attract-high-spending-chinese-tourists
https://www.visitbritain.org/great-china-welcome/
