As you can see, Naibabiji shares knowledge for foreign trade professionalson building their own websites, and also answers many questions from netizens. Through this, some issues that foreign trade professionals haven't fully grasped have been identified. Therefore, this article shares the differences between building a foreign trade independent website and a Chinese website, as well as some points to note.
The difference between building a foreign trade independent website and a Chinese website
The most direct difference between building a foreign trade website and a Chinese website is thatthe primary distinction lies in the language used。
Foreign trade websites are generally in English or other languages, while Chinese websites are primarily in Chinese.
Additionally, due to language differences, the target audiences differ: foreign trade websites target international users, while Chinese websites target domestic users.
A secondary difference is the search engines they target。
SEO promotion for foreign trade websites typically targetsGoogle SEOwhile Chinese website SEO targets Baidu SEO. The optimization techniques for Baidu and Google are different.
Similarly, for paid promotion, the advertising platforms differ. Foreign trade websites usually advertise on Google AdWords, Facebook, etc., while domestic sites use Baidu and Toutiao.
So, what should be noted when building a foreign trade website?
Note 1: Website Building Platform
Many Chinese websites use the website building programs developed by the website building companies themselves, which are relatively simple, but not necessarily suitable for Google SEO or the foreign network environment.
WordPress is the preferred CMS system for most foreign trade website building, but it is not absolute. You need to choose the most suitable website building program based on your actual situation.
Note 2: Server Location
Naiba really cannot understand why some business owners think that having a website building company translate a Chinese website into English on a domestic server turns it into a foreign trade official website.
Just as we experience when opening foreign websites, foreign users will find it very slow or even impossible to open your website hosted on a domestic server.
A more reliable website building company might choose a Hong Kong server for you, because it does not require ICP filing and is fast domestically, making it convenient to host both your Chinese and English websites.
Relatively speaking, hosting a foreign trade website on a Hong Kong server will be faster for foreign access than on a domestic server, but many Hong Kong servers have bandwidth limitations, causing lag when traffic is high.
Therefore, it is recommended to choose a server provider located in the region of your main customers for foreign trade websites. Here is a recommendation:SiteGround。
Note 3: Multilingual Website
There are multiple ways to achieve multilingual support on a website. The simplest is to install a translation plugin that automatically translates content into other languages with a click, but the accuracy is certainly not high.
A slightly better option is to install a professional translation plugin that supports both automatic and manual translation.
Naiba believes that a more suitable way to achieve multilingual support is to build a separate website for each language. Although it may seem more complex, this approach offers greater advantages in the long run.
For details, please refer to the previous analysis article:The Scientific Method for Building a WordPress Multilingual Website_Plugins Are Not the Best Choice
Note 4: Saving on Theme Costs
I've encountered manybuilding your own websiteSome foreign trade users are reluctant to spend money on a premium paid theme, or think that paid themes are not attractive and do not match their aesthetics.
First, for beginners, using a free theme makes it nearly impossible to make necessary content and layout adjustments.
Second, premium themes are carefully designed by excellent foreign designers. The aesthetics of professionals are certainly more practical than those of most layman bosses.
If you have more exposure, you can roughly distinguish between Chinese foreign trade websites and genuine foreign websites just by their interface. When in Rome, do as the Romans do; don't impose your own standards on users.
Alright, that's all for the differences between foreign trade website building and Chinese website building. There are many other details that only become apparent during actual website operation. Due to the pandemic, I've been stuck at home for over a month, and my brain isn't working well.
In summary, whether you plan to rely on advertising or SEO, try to use WordPress as much as possible. Don't hold the mindset of not wanting to invest time or money but still expecting to earn income from a foreign trade website. Such a website will eventually be pushed out by others.