Market entry strategy for exports to China

Our local teams plan & execute

If China is a relatively unknown market for you, you need a clear market entry strategy. This may be different from the strategies you have used so far, as the market structure and the competition is different.

Alliance experts helps you to develop your market entry strategy on the go. We scan the market, launch your product and grow your sales, constantly monitoring the responses and improving your approach.

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Oppportunities for international business in China

China is the world’s most populous country, with over 1.4 billion people as of 2023. Known for its long history, rich culture, and rapid economic growth, China is a major global power.

With a GDP per capita of approximately $10,500 USD in 2023, China’s economy is one of the largest in the world. It has transformed from a primarily agrarian society to an industrial powerhouse. Manufacturing, particularly electronics and consumer goods, is a key sector. Services and technology are also growing rapidly.

China’s main imports include electrical and other machinery, oil and mineral fuels, optical and medical equipment, and metal ores, supporting its massive manufacturing industry.

THREE BIG PLAYERS IN CHINA FOR ONLINE SALES

There are three big internet players in China. Baidu is the main search engine provider, comparable to Google in the rest of the world. Baidu is collecting traffic data and offers products based on this data. Alibaba is best comparable to Amazon.com or Ebay and was first developed from B2B services of SMEs, and then extended to the B2C platform Taobao and Alipay, the online payment solution. Tencent focuses on social media applications comparable with Twitter and Facebook as manages platforms like Qzone and Wechat .

HOST YOUR WEBSITE LOCALLY IN CHINA

As a result of internet traffic monitoring by the Chinese government, locally hosted website load much faster than foreign websites, for which loading time can be 10 seconds or more. Keep in mind that all your Facebook, Twitter & Google plus efforts will have no or limited effect, as these websites are blocked for the Chinese.

Please be aware that Chinese website can have a very different look and feel from US or European websites. The information density is often much higher. Not all companies put so much effort in their website, so it’s relatively easy to stand out with a local Chinese website. You can link to your (international) corporate site. Make sure your local website if fully in Mandarin (and optionally in Cantonese) and can be found in Baidu.

WECHAT IS THE MOST POPULAR SOCIAL MEDIA TOOL

WeChat has functionalities that combines Whatsapp (instant private messaging), Skype (free voice and video calls) and Twitter/Facebook (sharing content). Apart from your personal account you can set up a so called public accounts, both as a private individual or as a company. These public accounts can have many followers and it’s easy to share info, links, pictures and even offer products or services, WeChat even has a payment function.

A HUGE E-COMMERCE MARKET THROUGH ALIBABA AND TAOBAO

The Chinese market can’t be reached with Amazon.com and other ‘Western’ internet platforms. But there is a whole ecosystem available with websites as Alibaba and Taobao as the front end, with payment options for the Chinese, feedback possibilities, and there are many service providers for the local storage, packaging and delivery of goods.

With over 1,5 billion people in one market, with more or less the same regulations and the same time zone, there is a huge supply and foreign goods and services are just a fraction of the total offering. So everything is in Mandarin, and you’ll have to provide all your information and commercial texts this way.

In Taobao you can have your own store and build your corporate identity there as an alternative for a Chinese website. Taobao has its own search system, and in general Taobao products can not be found in Baidu. In order to get your products promoted, there is a pay-per-click system to get them on more attractive spots.

Why enter the market in China with us?

We know the market from inside-out

We work with local teams, who already know the market, speak the language and know the business culture.

We are active in over 30 countries

We can compare different markets and as we can help you in all of them, we only favor the market that may work out best for you.

You Reduce your risks

We help you avoid cultural misunderstandings, compliance issues, and other risks associated with entering a new market.

Try our services in China

Our structured approach: scan - Launch - Grow

The best way to learn about a market is to start reaching out and adjust your sales pitch on-the-go. This is what we do in our Scan-Launch-Grow approach. 

1st month

We scan the market

We dive into your product and what sales strategy has worked for you in other countries. We show you offering to various potential distributors or customers to collect feedback. And we review your competition so that we can determine the best market entry strategy. 

2nd month

We launch your product

Together with you we develop a first pitch for your target group. We extend our long-list of potential targets further and start reaching out, getting to the right decision makers and pitching your product. And we discuss the results with you, in order to optimise your strategy further.

3rd and next months

We grow your sales

We keep searching for new distributor candidates or clients and reach out to them. We also follow-up on previous contacts we had and on leads that you bring in. We introduce you to interested parties, but we can also support in meetings or close deals on your behalf. Every month we review our results.

Customer Experiences

” Alliance Experts strongly supported our growth in African markets. Innovative, effective strategies, and superb communication. “
James Martin

James Martin

Brabantia

” Alliance experts has helped us with clear insights in a market which was relatively new to us. Even under difficult circumstances they found good dealer candidates. “
Alliance Expert found distributors for Harley Davidson

Vitello Benevetti

Harley Davidson

” Invaluable local insights led to great distributor matches. Their approach revolutionized our market entry strategy. Highly recommend! “
Francis Huang

Francis Huang

Würth

” Alliance Experts’ tailored strategies boosted our Europe market presence phenomenally. Exceptional service, highly recommended! “
Jing Zhang

Jing Zhang

Kamtec

” Outstanding service! Found the perfect partners in within a few months. Our international sales skyrocketed thanks to their expertise. “

Mehmet Aksoy

RR Engineers

” During our cooperation Alliance experts showed an effective approach and tracking, professionalism and provided the services reliably and on time. “
Nouraldine Banaeinejad

Nouraldin Banaeinejad

CAN Home appliances

Companies we have helped with market entry strategy

Le Joyau d’Olive
Golden Red Trade Solution
RR Engineers
Topdesk
Molarclean
Oklas
Brabantia
Apart Group
Plastinovo
CAN Home appliances

We are active in over 30 countries