Cooke Optics

Cooke Optics, a renowned manufacturer of high-quality cinema lenses and camera equipment, sought to expand its global reach and tap into the rapidly growing Chinese market. They recognized the need for a localized digital presence that would cater to the unique requirements and preferences of Chinese customers. Cooke Optics approached our digital agency to address this challenge, understanding that successful localization in China required not only content translation but also addressing technical, hosting, and platform issues specific to the region.

Cooke Optics encountered several challenges while localizing its global WordPress website for the Chinese market. These included the need for content localization, with product descriptions, technical specifications, and marketing materials requiring accurate translation into Mandarin Chinese. Technical hurdles emerged due to China’s Great Firewall, potentially causing site slowdowns and accessibility issues. Embedding YouTube and Vimeo videos on the site posed accessibility problems due to regional restrictions. Addressing hosting and performance issues was crucial to avoid slow loading times and potential downtimes caused by China’s internet infrastructure, necessitating local server hosting. Finally, establishing a social media presence on platforms like WeChat and Weibo was essential to engage effectively with Chinese customers.

To tackle the challenges of localizing Cooke Optics’ website for the Chinese market, our digital agency implemented a comprehensive set of solutions. We began by addressing content localization, engaging a team of professional translators and linguists to accurately translate and adapt all website content to Mandarin Chinese. This involved not only linguistic translation but also cultural contextualization to ensure a seamless blend of the global brand identity with local Chinese expectations.

In response to China’s Great Firewall and potential slowdowns, we applied a series of technical optimizations. This involved the use of content delivery networks (CDNs) to enhance loading speeds and responsive design principles to ensure compatibility with various devices in the Chinese market. Additionally, we facilitated the transition of video content from inaccessible platforms like YouTube and Vimeo to popular Chinese video streaming platforms, ensuring accessibility and swift loading for Chinese users. These comprehensive solutions ensured a localized website that not only met the unique needs of the Chinese market but also overcame the practical challenges of operating in a region with distinct digital infrastructure.

Cooke Optics’ journey to localize its global WordPress website for China was a resounding success, resulting in increased visibility, engagement, and trust within the Chinese market. The collaboration between Cooke Optics and our agency demonstrates the importance of a comprehensive approach to website localization, addressing not only content but also the technical, hosting, and engagement aspects specific to a new target market.