China E-commerce Website Development
QPSoftware, a digital agency founded in 2009 and based in Shanghai, builds e-commerce websites for brands that sell to Chinese consumers. Our China e-commerce website development covers the platform, local payments, hosting and the links to your other systems. We built the localized Magento store of Lucrin Geneva, with Alipay, UnionPay and WeChat Pay, among more than 200 projects.
What our e-commerce developers deliver
Creating or expanding an online store takes technical skills, data and careful planning. Before any code, we review your marketing plan and advise whether to add a shopping cart to your existing website or to build a new store. Every store we build can grow with your business. A project can include:
- Storefront and checkout. Responsive pages designed for phones first, easy navigation where everything is a click away, and a checkout that lets customers finalize a purchase in a matter of seconds.
- Chinese payment methods. Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay next to international cards. WeChat Pay has separate payment products for websites, Official Accounts, Mini Programs and apps, so a brand that sells on the web and inside WeChat connects more than one. Our team handles the WeChat Pay and Alipay integration.
- A back office your team can run. Add products, create promotions, manage stock and track performance quickly, to save time and increase your margins.
- Integrations. Data exchanges with your ERP, CRM, warehouse or marketplaces, like the link with OpenERP we set up for Baby International Blu. Our e-commerce integrations in China connect the store to the rest of your business.
- SEO-friendly code. Clean page structure, unique meta titles and descriptions, and fast pages, as on the Lucrin Geneva website.
- Server set-up and maintenance. For Baby International Blu, we installed and configured an Apache server with backup tools and monitoring scripts.
Which platform fits your store: Magento, PrestaShop, WooCommerce or Drupal Commerce?
These platforms all sell well online, but none of them is the right choice for every store. Our developers recommend one after looking at your catalog, your markets, your integrations and the people who will run the store every day. Our comparison of Magento, Drupal and PrestaShop goes into more detail.
Magento
Magento handles large catalogs, several languages and several stores from one back office. We built the Chinese store of Lucrin Geneva on Magento, as well as the store of In Vino Libertas, a wine boutique selling in France and Hong Kong with separate products and inventory levels and a single back office.
PrestaShop
PrestaShop is quick to set up and simple for a small team to run. QPSoftware is a PrestaShop Partner Agency: we built the Ichimore store on PrestaShop 1.6, and we moved Baby International Blu from PrestaShop 1.4 to 1.6 while keeping its customer accounts and orders.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce adds a store to a WordPress website, a good fit when brand content matters as much as the catalog. For the back office of the Ma France WeChat Mini Program, we used WooCommerce for live stock management.
Drupal Commerce
Drupal Commerce extends the Drupal CMS, for stores that sit inside a larger custom website. For Oceanfleet, our team built a mobile-first store on Drupal Commerce with WeChat login, WeChat Pay, Alipay, UnionPay and PayPal, and a refund system.
Hosting, speed and ICP filing for an e-commerce website in China
Where the store is hosted decides which formalities come first and how fast pages load for shoppers in mainland China.
- Hosted in mainland China. The store needs an ICP filing, recorded with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), before it goes live. MIIT’s filing measures also require the filing number at the bottom of the home page.
- Hosted in Hong Kong or abroad. No ICP filing is needed, but pages often load more slowly for visitors in the mainland, so every kilobyte counts.
Whatever the hosting, our developers keep the store light: optimized images and lazy loading, as on the Lucrin Geneva website, and no third-party plugins or APIs that are blocked in China, as on the brand website we built for Erno Laszlo. Our ICP license and China hosting consulting helps you choose a host and prepare the filing.
How our e-commerce development works
Our developers follow an efficient workflow based on our agile methodology, with a Certified ScrumMaster on the team, and you review the store at the end of each sprint.
- Consulting. We listen to your marketing goals, determine your specific needs and plan a project fitted to your business: platform, payments, integrations and hosting.
- Design. The user interface and user experience are designed for phones first, with our e-commerce web design for China team.
- Development. Our developers build the store with SEO-friendly code, sprint after sprint.
- Testing. A thorough test of pages, payments and orders makes sure everything works as planned.
- Launch. Hosting set-up, ICP filing when the store is hosted in mainland China, then go-live.
- Support and growth. Maintenance, new features and, if you wish, SEO campaigns to attract more customers.
To prepare the first workshop, start with these guides:
- How to start an e-commerce business in China: market research, regulations, hosting, platforms and payments, step by step.
- How to create the optimal e-commerce sitemap: help search engines find every product page of your store.
- 4 international brands using Magento e-commerce in China: how global brands adapt their Magento stores to Chinese shoppers.
E-commerce websites we have built
- Lucrin Geneva. Full localization and development of the leather goods brand’s website on Magento, local payment gateways, a WeChat store and WeChat login, with SEO-friendly pages and speed optimization.
- Baby International Blu. A redesigned PrestaShop store for baby products in China, with Alipay, UnionPay and card payments, data exchange with OpenERP, a mobile version and an online magazine. The case study reports a 600% revenue increase within a year.
- Coop Asia. A responsive store for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan with more than 500 products, different products, stock and content for each market, and redirection to external platforms such as Tmall.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to develop an e-commerce website in China?
The cost depends on the scope of your store. The main factors are the platform, the number of products and store views, the languages, the payment methods, the integrations with your ERP, CRM or marketplaces, the design work, and hosting inside or outside mainland China. After a first workshop on your goals, we send a quote that details each part, so you can decide what goes into the first release.
How long does it take to build a China e-commerce website?
It depends on the size of the catalog, the design work, the number of integrations and how quickly content and translations are ready. A store hosted in mainland China also needs its ICP filing before it goes live, so that step starts early in the project. After scoping, we plan the work in sprints and give you a schedule for each release.
Can a foreign company sell online in China without a Chinese entity?
Yes. With cross-border e-commerce, the store is hosted outside mainland China, and a cross-border payment service lets Chinese customers pay in RMB while you receive your own currency. You still organize logistics and delivery for your Chinese buyers. Hosting the store in mainland China is another route, which starts with an ICP filing. We can compare both routes with you before development starts.
Which platform is best for an e-commerce website in China?
No platform is best for every store. Magento suits large catalogs and several stores run from one back office, PrestaShop is quick to launch and simple to manage, WooCommerce fits a store built into a WordPress website, and Drupal Commerce suits a store inside a larger custom site. We recommend one after reviewing your catalog, your markets, your integrations and the team that will run the store.
Do you maintain the e-commerce website after launch?
Yes. We can monitor the store, update the platform and its extensions, fix bugs, add payment methods and develop new features as your business grows. For Baby International Blu, we also installed and configured the Apache server, with backup tools and monitoring scripts. Our maintenance team can also take over a store built by another agency.
WHY QPSOFTWARE?
QPSoftware was founded in 2009 and has delivered more than 200 projects since, with a team of more than 20 people from several countries based in Shanghai. We are a PrestaShop Partner Agency, and we run projects in short sprints with a Certified ScrumMaster, so you review your store as it takes shape.
As an e-commerce agency in China, we also design online stores, build WeChat stores and connect cross-border payments. Thanks to our bilingual team, we work with clients from around the world, for small and large companies.
