Succeeding in Asia

Starting up a web site or expanding your site into the Asian region can be a little daunting. Asian culture can be very different from Western culture, with nuances that can harm you and your company if you miss them, and that’s not even considering the language barrier. Not to worry, though. We’ve put together a step-by-step getting started guide for building or translating your site to work in the Asian markets.

One chapter in a book isn’t enough to make you an expert in SEO for the Asian market. In fact, the most important message you should take away from this chapter is that there is no shortcut or substitute for research and local know-how.

Assessing your site’s chances

Your first step is simple: Assess the usability of your translated site — is it going to work for your target country? What works in the U.S. might not work in Asia. If you want to work in any country other than your own, you should be hiring some people who are native speakers from the local markets. This doesn’t have to be an expensive proposition. You might find some international students at your local college campus who want to earn a little money by looking over your translated site and pointing out anything you have missed. Look around and see who’s available to you and get them to tell you everything they can about your new target market.