Guidelines for launching a China-ready website

Making a website accessible in China is challenging due to strict internet regulations—commonly known as the ‘Great Firewall.’ The steps below outline proven strategies to improve site visibility, speed, and compliance for Chinese users.

The multilingual and localization approach for China

The ideal approach includes incorporating these recommended steps:

  1. Use WordPress with WPML to create a localized, Mandarin Chinese (Simplified) version (zh-hans)
  2. Start with machine translation, then refine with human editing
  3. Obtain a country-level domain (e.g., www.yoursite.cn)
  4. Choose a China-friendly hosting solution
  5. Deploy the localized website
  6. Monitor availability and performance
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DNS and hosting solutions

To reliably serve Chinese users, and ensure fast and reliable website access, we recommend obtaining a domain from China and choosing a China-specific hosting provider.

Obtain a China domain

Buy your domain from a China-based domain registrar.

Get your domain registered at Alibaba

NOTE: It’s okay if you already bought the domain with the typical domain platforms here in the US (i.e., GoDaddy.com, Register.com, etc.)

You have 3 hosting options

1. Mainland China hosting (recommended)

The best performance and reliability for Chinese users, however, an ICP license is required for legal hosting within mainland China. An ICP license is a legal requirement for hosting inside mainland China. Without it, your site may be blocked or load extremely slowly for users in China.

The application process involves domain registration and approval by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Get Alibaba ICP registration

2. Hong Kong or Singapore hosting

Can provide improved performance while avoiding complex regulatory steps.

Learn about hosting at Alibaba

3. Host in the U.S.

Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) with nodes located in or near China. Recommended CDNs include:

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Post-launch website performance and availability monitoring

After the website is live, use these tools to check if the website is currently accessible from China:

Related content and analytics considerations

  • Blocked platforms: Tools such as YouTube, Vimeo, Google Analytics, Search Console, and Tag Manager may not work in China.
  • Baidu equivalents: Consider Baidu Analytics and Baidu Webmaster Tools for tracking and insights.
  • Ensure content complies with local regulations and cultural expectations.

Typical fees

Orbit’s fees would include

  • Statement of Work for website localization and translation services similar to the details outlined on our multilingual services page
  • Service Agreement to maintain and sync to the China server (like Alibaba)

Other fees per links above

  • Hosting/CDN plans: Priced according to region and traffic needs.
  • Server costs: Requires a custom quote.
  • CDN fees: Tiered pricing based on performance requirements.

We’re here to help

Our goal is to reduce the burden on your team by managing the complexities of China-specific hosting, compliance, and localization.

We’ll guide you from planning through launch and ongoing maintenance to ensure your site is both accessible and effective in reaching Chinese audiences.