How Are Chinese And Western Websites Different?

Web design varies from region to region. While most developers try to keep a globalized approach, sites that are targeted toward a specific demographic need to have a layout that speaks to those in that particular target market.

This generates more traffic and makes it easier for visitors to navigate the site. Here are some differences between Chinese and Western websites.

1. Busy Home Page:

Let’s consider the example of a popular Chinese online shopping website, TaoBao, and compare it with a popular western retail site, Amazon.

If you’re located in the west, TaoBao’s home page may seem a little complex to you, with drop-down menus to view more products and payment options all in one page. On the other hand, Amazon’s homepage seems simpler and easier to navigate through. Why is that? The difference could be due to the fact that Chinese language characters have no spaces between them and each character has multiple strokes. This makes the text look more visually complex and the site begins to appear overwhelming to those who don’t understand the language.

2. Wider Color Scheme:

Compare the website of KFC China to that of KFC USA. You’ll find tons of brightly colored images, animations and video clips on the Chinese website, whereas the website of KFC USA a more minimalistic approach.

Research suggests that people with a high context cultural background such as China are holistically minded people. On the other hand, people from low context cultures have an analytical mindset. This affects how both groups of people scan a webpage. A nonlinear reading pattern of holistically minded people allows them to navigate through the content of the page in a circular manner, shifting back and forth from one point to another. Due to these difference in cognition, websites with bright and bold colors seem more appealing to Chinese users, while analytically minded people appreciate a layout with less flashy colors.

3. Multiple Links and Flash Ads

Typing Chinese characters on an alphabet-based keyboard can difficult. This is why Chinese website includes a number of links leading to various pages of the same site. Having multiple links on one page lets users compare information, by opening each one in a new tab. Flash and pop-up ads are viewed as a nuisance by both western and Chinese web surfers, yet excessive flash adverts continue to be a part of Chinese sites.

Consider the example of this Chinese travel website, Ctrip and compare it with Expedia. Notice how Ctrip has multiple links for different deals while Expedia is more focused on searching.

Cultural differences have an undeniable impact on a user’s perception of a website. If you’re planning to expand your business to China, you will require assistance from an e-commerce translation service to build your online presence. That’s where we come in!

LIMPID is an internet service agency with a team of Chinese web developers, translators and online marketers that aims to provide customized, scalable and affordable solutions to e-commerce platforms looking for software localization and translation services. Reach out to us through our website today or give us a call at:

+86-13-7616-98467(Shanghai Office)
+1-877-574-2407 (US and Canada Toll Free)