In addition to otherwise presenting the results of the research, the search engine optimization for Chinese search engines is introduced and different factors that affect the placement of the website. At the end of the dissertation, the conclusion, suggestions for the future and the author's own learning experience are explained.
Introduction
The process of writing the thesis is explained as well as the process of creating the website. The author assesses the project and the self-development in connection with the thesis as a learning process.
The commissioner and surroundings
Hillankukka.com
The pictures on the website are taken by the owner of the cottage and are currently being changed. The English version of the page is placed as a subpage under the main Finnish page.
Ylläs
For the buses there are several options and a bus service called Skibussi comes up to 400 meters away from Hillankukka (Hillankukka 2016; Ylläs 2016a). Most activities take place outdoors, but there are also shopping opportunities and the ski resorts often have events open to the public for a small fee.
Web design and development
- Planning a site
- Content management systems
- Structure and layout
- Design
- Site contents and SEO
A web server is a computer connected to the internet that stores the content of the website. There are many factors that the site administrator should consider when choosing the right CMS. Since there are many CMS available online, it is helpful to compare some of the most well known.
The structure of the website should be built around the content, as the content also affects the layout. Wireframes are a blueprint of the website and they follow the visitors' navigation through the website. When planning the structure and the different categories of the website, it is necessary to find a balance between breadth and depth.
Also when the designer wants to use colors on the website, it is often the dark and light shades of one color. Using excessively large letters reduces the readability of the website, which is why it should be avoided. There are free icons available online and it is better to use icons from the same collection throughout the site to maintain a consistent look.
It is the type of page that determines whether multimedia content should be used. Having updated information on the website also creates credibility in the eyes of visitors.
Website design for a Chinese audience
Chinese online buying behavior
Therefore, it is important to understand how Chinese people make purchasing decisions and how they behave online. According to a study conducted by ORC international for Visit Finland, travelers book their accommodation online, and more than 60% via mobile phone. Currently, there is a growth in independent adventure travelers, which for a country like Finland with four seasons and many opportunities for outdoor activities, is a great opportunity and a selling point in relation to China's outbound tourism.
Therefore, it is important to advertise on mobile friendly platforms to gain their awareness and interest. The Chinese travelers like to share their experience from before to after the trip on social media. When the Chinese traveler describes their trip in Lapland of Finland, they tell about snow, clean nature, fresh air, northern lights and Santa Claus.
All of them have been blocked in whole or in part during the. past of the Chinese government. This also shows that the Chinese like to do research, so search engine optimization (SEO) should be a priority for a company trying to enter the Chinese market. Chinese people tend to favor the Chinese websites, which is another reason to have a website translated or at least have some information available in their own language.
SEO for Baidu
The position is important as it directly affects the visibility of the website and indirectly the number of visitors to the page. The website should be present in the first three pages of results, as users very rarely search beyond them (Ledford 2008, 18). In Beijing and Shanghai, as in all of mainland China, they use simplified characters, so the website should be written in simplified characters to make it easier for the target audience to find it on Baidu.
Keywords should be optimized for Chinese and for this it is best to have a native speaker translate them as Baidu can analyze and recognize spelling errors and words of English origin which would make the website rank higher. low in Baidu's search results. (Qian. In addition to keywords, language and website content, it is necessary to consider hosting a website in China as Baidu tends to rank these websites higher (Qian. To host a website on a Chinese server, the business owner must obtain an Internet Content Provider (ICP) from the Chinese government.
ICP does not affect the visibility of the site in China in general, but it is required by Chinese law to achieve this in order to host a site in China (Schaefer 02/03/2015). Another option to make the website more accessible to a mainland Chinese audience is to host on servers in Hong Kong or Singapore, which is generally an easier process (Qian. For a small business to gain visibility on a search engine, the designer should focus on building a set of keywords that people search for the most, as well as considering the way the website is structured: the order in which the information is presented and the use of images.
Process description
Creation of the website
As the target group is mainland Chinese customers aged 25-35 traveling in either a small group of friends or with their families and as there has been growth in adventure travel, it was decided that the text on the website should emphasize the possibilities for groups and the Lappish nature as well as the experiences that the Lappish nature can offer. In the text on the website, the Northern Lights and the outdoor activities are repeatedly mentioned. Although the Chinese also enjoy shopping, it was decided to focus on the outdoor activities as this is most evident in the Äkäslompolo area.
The owner of the cabin recently commissioned new photos for the cabin's Booking.com website. These same photos were also used on the Chinese side as they do a good job of showing the nature around the hut, and also show the objects as the author felt they would support the text. A contact form has been added to the website to make it easier for potential customers to contact the owner.
Since the owner does not speak Chinese and it is currently unknown how many Chinese inquiries may arrive, it was decided to encourage Chinese site visitors to contact the owner in English. Also, the author suggested the owner, if the number of questions and visits to the Chinese site increases, to outsource the Chinese questions. Finally, Willard says the last step on the website is setting the timeline; when it should be the live page (2011, 18).
Final product
To speed up the download time, only the thumbnails of the high resolution photos are shown. The thumbnails are currently sized at 170 pixels x 170 pixels which is relatively large so the visitor can still get an idea of the facilities at a glance. The cottage is made of dead wood, so the author thought the background for the photo section should show a wood print to emphasize the warmth of the photos.
Therefore, in the location section below the photos as shown in figure 7, the distances to the most famous ski slopes are mentioned as well as the nearest restaurant and shop. It is thought that the photo of the leaves in the background brings more color and makes the website livelier. To make the contact with the owner for inquiries easier, a contact form has been added as shown in figure 8.
However, the contact section still contains direct contact information for the owner, as some may prefer to find other ways to get in touch. The contact form is in English, as the person sending the inquiry is expected to be able to communicate in English. To make the website look more consistent, we used the same wooden background for the contact form as for the photos.
Discussion
Conclusion and suggestions
Own learning process
I did some research before I started planning the website in 2016, but finally when I actively pursued it in 2018, a lot of research was done in parallel with the development of the website. Fortunately, I didn't have to do much work in this case as the website is relatively simple, but on a more complex project this could cause some problems. I've become more interested in the topic in general and I hope to continue developing the site if I get the chance.
URL: http://help.baidu.com/question?prod_en=master&class=Baiduspider Accessed: 27 December 2016. URL: https://www.finnair.com/fi/fi/destinations/asia-pacific/ china/beijing Accessed: 27 December 2016. URL: http://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/fi//webmasters/docs/search-engine-optimization-starter-guide.pdf Accessed: June 18, 2016.
URL: https://www.netmarket- share.com/search-engine-market-share.aspx?qprid=4&qpcustomd=0 Accessed: June 18, 2016. The Inner Circle of Digital Marketing: 11 Ways to Get Indexed by Baidu, the largest Chinese search engine. URL: http://www.ny- times.com world/asia/china-internet-speed.html?rref=collection%2Ftime- stopic%2FInternet%20Censorship%20in%20China&action=click&contentCollec- tion=world®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version =latest&contentPlacement=6&pgtype=collection&_r=0 Accessed: 28 December 2016.
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