Using WordPress In China: Don’t Get Confused

Using WordPress in China for the newcomer can be a daunting prospect. We all know the information that comes out of China is confusing and that the news this week often seems like the opposite of the news from last week. However, this guide should give you a valuable roadmap to begin your journey of using WordPress in China. Use this information to be sure you can continue to build brand awareness or sell online when you use WordPress, the world’s favourite website building tool, for communicating with the Chinese market.

The Problem With A Stable Service In China
If you want to find hard facts about how to set up your blog, or whether you can access it in the P.R.C. then you often have a tough job to do. This isn’t helped by the continual changes employed by the government censors on an almost daily basis- most of which don’t actually affect WordPress. This makes life more difficult if you are a WordPress user as the news about the Great Firewall is often badly updated or incorrect.

Can I Use WordPress.com In China?
WordPress.com is a blogging platform designed to be really convenient for the first time user- and it is! You don’t need to install anything and you can publish to the web within minutes. For more details, check out www.wordpress.com

wordpress.com IS BLOCKED IN CHINA

Can I Use WordPress.org In China?
wordpress.org is a slightly different animal. This is where you can get under the bonnet of WordPress. Using this version you can install WordPress on your own server so you are in control of your data.
In addition, you can add features, personally backup your site and customise it to your needs. You can turn this version of WordPress into almost any kind of site you like.

wordpress.org IS NOT BLOCKED IN CHINA

However, there are a few little points that need to be acknowledged when considering using wordpress.org in China.

Where Should  I Put My Server?

You should carefully consider your server location for all your business, not just China. But, as we all know, in China, there are some interesting factors that you need to consider.

What Is An ICP License And Do I Need One?
If you use WordPress in China and you think you might want to use a server inside the PRC, then you will need an ICP license (a hosting permit) from the Chinese government. This could take up to 2 months and like most pieces of Chinese administration, can be a real pain. An ICP license is only available to Chinese citizens and mainland registered businesses.

How Could I Get An ICP License?
You could use a third party to deal with an ICP license on your behalf ( like a Chinese marketing company for example), but there are big risks in using this option. If you have a third-party responsible for compliance, you need to be sure you have a reliable partner. This could end up being expensive in many ways.

The Risk With Mainland China Hosting
The terms of the ICP license essentially mean that your website could be blocked or restricted due to an odd policy change that you are not aware of. The Chinese government is happy for websites to be hosted inside China, but the rules there are subject to change without notice. You should also note that the Chinese government has a different cultural angle to a western government. You might easily find that your mainland hosted content is subject overnight to rules and restrictions that you cannot understand as a foreign business. In truth, there is not really any benefit to being hosted inside the mainland unless you have a very specific reason. In truth, if you don’t have a Chinese company then this option is only going to waste your time and give you an added element of risk and hassle when you run a website to promote and sell in China.
In short – A Server in Hong Kong is your best option (read more on web hosting in Hong Kong or China).

The Great Firewall Of China And WordPress. Two Internets?
If you are using WordPress in China, you can also put your server outside China. Sometimes the Chinese firewall and Chinese internet rules confuse people. You may hear talk of  “2 internets” – meaning one for inside China and one for the rest of the world. This is not actually true. It is true that you can only use certain services and apps inside China (Facebook, Youtube and Google certainly don’t work).

Does My Current Set-Up Work In Mainland China?
For your PRC tech solutions, you can often use your regular CRM software and systems. In order to do this, you just need to be smart about which systems can function behind the firewall. There is no hard and fast rule for this. As we mentioned, the rules change often and the changes are hard to keep up with. If you want to know about the existing software you use, then the best solution is to drop us an email and we can test your services properly. You may need to employ some trickery with VPNs and servers, but most software can be made to function properly.

Will My Site Be Blocked If I Am Outside China?
Maybe…Some hosting companies are blocked by the firewall, and some are not. If you want to read our advice on where to place your server + deal with some of the issues with setting up WordPress in China check out our recent article. We don’t publish a list of “China safe” servers as this information can change regularly. If you’re interested in setting up a WordPress site for use inside the PRC then probably the best thing to do is drop us an e-mail when you’re ready and we can give you an up to date guide.

How Do I Check What Is Blocked In China?

• If You Are Currently Outside China and you want to know if any specific website is blocked, then use www.blockedinchina.net.
  It is a service that attempts to mimic what access to any site is like from mainland China. This won’t be able to tell you if a particular service provider is blocked, but you may be able to use it to give you an indication of which site you can’t access from within the PRC.
  If you are interested to know more about the details of China’s internet restrictions, then the most comprehensive source of information is greatfire.org
  
  
  Do I Need To Hire Staff Inside Mainland China?
  If you want to set up a WordPress site that can be viewed in mainland China, then you don’t need anyone to be onsite in the PRC. This is fine for something like a basic blog or for a simple website. You will want to contact someone inside the PRC to check that it loads.
  If you are considering anything more advanced, then things can get complicated. If you are used to running a business website, then you know that there are a lot of factors involved in making any site work properly for your company and your brand.
  
  Can I Use The Same Content For My Chinese Website?
  This is a great question. In short, if you are trying to engage with Chinese people, then using the Chinese language and using a specific China web design approach is obviously a better choice. Think about this in relation to yourself in order for it to make sense. You read, think and feel more clearly in your own language. Chinese buyers are no different. A brand name in Mandarin makes a huge difference. If the mighty Coca Cola has done it, then you should, too.
  
  Cultural Differences With Content
  Words have different meanings in different languages. This is especially true of Mandarin compared to English.
  Another important point to understand is how certain sales conditions are perceived. The term “no contract” in the UK or USA means you can quit the service anytime you like (in a mobile phone network deal for example).
  The term “no contract” in China suggests that you aren’t prepared to clarify your terms and stick to an agreement.
  
  Most People Don’t Understand China As A Whole
  It is probably fair to say that you have seen China on the news. You’ve more than likely seen Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen alongside epic stories of growth and development. You may have heard that Shenzhen was a small fishing village and is now a tech innovation and production centre with over twelve million people. You’d be right.Most Chinese People Don’t Live As Many People Expect
  What you’d be wrong about, is mistaking these high tech and impressive stories for the whole country. The USA isn’t New York and the Uk isn’t  London. The majority of people in China don’t live anywhere near the cities mentioned above. Most of them don’t speak English and actually don’t know much about life outside China. You need to be very aware of this when you create content around your products and services. Most people make a lot of assumptions in China that are costly to their business.

How Can I Test The Performance of My WordPress Site In China?
Testing on the ground inside mainland China is the only way to truly guarantee that your services are being properly delivered. However, what you also need to understand the problem isn’t as simple as “ does work v doesn’t work”. Sometimes one part of your web page can be the problem that causes the whole thing to load slowly or only in part.

Service Speed And Reliability Is Important To Chinese Customers
Reliability of service is really important in China. Chinese consumers are used to high levels of digital service these days. Essentially most Chinese businesses are more digitally efficient than their western competitors. This is true regardless of the size of the business, so you need to compete in this area. The internet speeds in China are fast and the adoption of cheaper homemade devices is higher in older people in China than in most western countries, with data being delivered at very fast speeds.
Chinese consumers aren’t patient with loading times so you must compete in the PRC.

Things To Remember
The Chinese economy is still booming in 2022 and growth is currently still good. 
The Chinese love foreign products and services, so you can still do a great job of expanding into the Chinese market, supported by your WordPress website.
We recommend these links if you want to know more:

Should I Host My Website In China?

No Google In China – But What Does That Actually Mean?

How Long does It take To Learn WordPress