Having a digital presence in China is critical for businesses targeting its massive market. But with platforms like WeChat and Baidu dominating the ecosystem, many wonder: Do I really need a website, or can I rely on WeChat and/or Baidu marketing alone?

The answer depends on your business goals, target audience, and resources.

This guide breaks down four common approaches to help you decide what’s right for your brand: WeChat-first, Baidu ads, a full onshore-in-China website, or an optimized off-shore site.

TL;DR: WeChat and Baidu are powerful tools for engaging Chinese audiences, but they usually can’t fully replace the value of a website. A website ensures brand control, global consistency, and better discoverability, especially when optimized for China’s internet. Chinafy can make offshore sites perform like onshore ones to make the decision easier for global businesses.

Disclaimer: This guide is informational and does not constitute legal advice. Chinafy is not a legal or corporate advisory entity, and, given that every business is different, we suggest consulting with your internal legal counsel if you would like advice on any legal or compliance-related concerns, or alternatively we can connect you with one of our partners.

Why this question keeps coming up

China’s internet is unique. Unlike the global web, where Google and social media platforms like Instagram are currently dominating, China’s ecosystem revolves around walled gardens like WeChat (a super-app for messaging, payments, and more) and Baidu (China’s leading search engine). These platforms are so pervasive that businesses often question the need for a traditional website.

Key reasons this debate persists:

WeChat: With over 1.3 billion monthly active users, WeChat is a one-stop shop for communication, e-commerce, and marketing.

Baidu: Baidu drives significant traffic, and its pay-per-click (PPC) ads are effective for lead generation.

High barriers to onshore website hosting: Hosting a website in China requires an ICP license, a local entity or partnership, and compliance with strict regulations, making it costly and complex.

Web performance challenges: Global websites often load slowly or incompletely in China due to infrastructure and code incompatibilities, pushing businesses toward local platforms.

However, relying solely on WeChat or Baidu may limit your brand’s reach, control, and credibility. Let’s explore the options.

Option A: WeChat-first, No website

What it is: Build a presence exclusively on WeChat using Official Accounts or Mini Programs (sub-applications within the WeChat app) for content, engagement, and sales.

Pros:

Direct access to users: WeChat’s massive user base allows you to reach customers where they already spend time.

All-in-one platform: Mini Programs enable e-commerce, bookings, and customer service without leaving WeChat.

Low setup cost: No need for hosting, ICP licenses, or complex infrastructure.

Mobile-first: Aligns with China’s mobile-centric internet culture.

Cons:

Limited discoverability: WeChat is a closed ecosystem; users must already know your brand or find you through shared links or QR codes.

Brand control constraints: Your presence is subject to WeChat’s design and functionality limits, which may not fully reflect your global brand.

No SEO benefits: WeChat content isn’t indexed by Baidu or other search engines in or outside of China, reducing organic search visibility.

Dependency risk: Relying solely on WeChat means you’re at the mercy of platform policy changes.

Best for:

WeChat Official Account: Small businesses, startups, or brands aiming to build an official presence on WeChat with a relatively low initial investment—such as through a WeChat Official Account—to engage in activities like flash sales, loyalty programs, event promotions, or customer support.

WeChat Mini-App: Brands looking for more advanced, app-like functionality (e.g., e-commerce stores, booking engines, loyalty platforms) via WeChat Mini Programs should expect a higher investment, as Mini Program development typically involves custom design, technical integration, and ongoing maintenance.

If you’re looking at launching or improving your WeChat marketing strategy, Chinafy can connect you with local experts.

Option B: Baidu Ads and landing pages without a fully optimized site

What it is: Use Baidu PPC ads to drive traffic to lightweight landing pages (Baidu has its own landing page builder too) or WeChat accounts instead of a full website.

Pros:

Targeted reach: Baidu ads and custom landing pages allow precise targeting, ideal for lead generation or product launches.

Cost-effective: Landing pages are cheaper and faster to create than full websites.

Quick deployment: No need for extensive infrastructure

Integration with WeChat: Landing pages can funnel users to WeChat for conversions.

Cons:

Limited functionality: Landing pages lack the depth of a full website, which may hurt credibility when users expect deeper navigation.

High ad costs: Baidu PPC can be expensive, especially in competitive industries.

Performance issues: If landing pages use global servers or blocked third-party resources (e.g., Google Fonts), they may load slowly or break in China.

No long-term SEO: Landing pages offer minimal organic search benefits compared to a full site and your landing page will use a Baidu domain.

Best for: Businesses running short-term, one-off campaigns, promoting specific products, running keyword tests or driving traffic to WeChat-based conversions.

Learn about setting up search ads on Baidu

Option C: Full onshore-hosted website in Mainland China

What it is: Rebuild and host a website in mainland China with an ICP license, local servers, and full compliance with Chinese regulations.

Pros:

Optimal performance: On-shore hosting minimizes latency and enhances compatibility with China’s internet infrastructure.

Full brand control: A website allows complete customization to showcase your brand, products, or services.

SEO benefits: Baidu indexes websites, improving organic discoverability.

Credibility: A professional, fast-loading website builds trust with Chinese consumers and partners.

Cons:

High cost and complexity: Requires an ICP license, local entity (e.g., WFOE or joint venture), and ongoing compliance with regulations like PIPL and cybersecurity laws.

Maintenance burden: Policy changes may require frequent updates to content or infrastructure.

Duplicate tech stack & content workflows: If you’re having one site for China and another for the rest of the world, you’ll incur additional costs for duplicate stacks. You’ll also likely need to build the China-hosted website entirely differently (e.g. custom code instead of with your existing CMS platform).

Global trade-off: If you’re only hosting in China, this may slow performance for non-China users if serving a global audience.

Third-party challenges: Even onshore sites can break if using blocked or slow-performing resources, of which there are hundreds. Chinafy works with onshore websites to optimize them further for the China internet.

Best for: Large enterprises with a significant China presence, business requirements to be inside of China, dedicated headcount in China, and resources to manage compliance and infrastructure.

Onshore hosting in China: why your website still loads slowly

Option D: Onshore-hosted website + China optimization

What it is: Option C plus a solution to handle technical roadblocks and accelerate loading speeds.

Pros:

All the same pros as Option C: Optimal performance, full brand control, SEO benefits credibility.

Handles persistent technical issues: Detects and remediates blocked or slow-performing resources to ensure fast, complete, reliable loading in China.

Cons:

The same as Option C but now excluding the technical issues associated with third-party resources: Rebuilding and hosting an onshore remains high cost and complexity, requires an in-China team to maintain effectively, and duplicates your tech stack and content workflows if you’re also managing a separate global site.

Best for: Large enterprises with a significant China presence who want to ensure their website works seamlessly. The business should have a dedicated headcount in China and resources to manage compliance and infrastructure.

Option E: Offshore site + China optimization

What it is: Maintain a global website hosted outside China but optimize it for performance in China using tools like Chinafy to handle blocked resources and infrastructure issues.

Pros:

Cost-effective: Avoids the costs associated with local hosting while achieving near-onshore performance.

Global consistency: Maintain one website for all markets, ensuring brand uniformity.

Fast implementation: Chinafy can optimize your site for China in 1.5 weeks without rebuilding or changing your existing site.

Handles third-party issues: Replaces or removes blocked or slow-performing resources (e.g., Google Fonts, YouTube) to ensure fast, complete, reliable loading in China.

Baidu SEO: Chinafy automatically pushes your URLs to the Baidu Spider, meaning you can still rank effectively with an offshore site that’s optimized for fast loading.

Cons:

Lack of .cn domain: Your business may wish to add to its credibility in the China market via optics by hosting onshore for a .cn domain. That said, a .com domain is not typically viewed disfavorably in China.

Not a silver bullet for all compliance needs: PIPL or cross-border data-transfer rules could impose extra filings or contracts down the road.

Best for: Mid-sized to large enterprises seeking a balance of performance, cost, and simplicity, especially those with global websites needing China compatibility.

Decision framework

Choosing the right approach for China starts with establishing a strong digital foundation and layering channels strategically. Use the following questions to guide your decision-making:

What are your business goals in China?

Building a market presence or supporting more complex offerings: Start with a dedicated website (either fully onshore or optimized offshore).

Short-term brand awareness or quick lead generation: Supplement with WeChat or Baidu ads.

Who is your target audience?

B2B audiences or professional clients: A website is essential for credibility and delivering detailed information.

Younger, mobile-first consumers: WeChat can complement your digital presence and drive engagement.

What’s your budget and timeline?

Limited resources or faster go-to-market needs: Launch with an optimized offshore website and selectively add WeChat or Baidu advertising.

Higher budget and long-term goals: Combine a fully optimized website with a broader digital ecosystem including WeChat, Baidu SEO, and ads.

Does your website rely heavily on third-party resources?

Yes: Chinafy can help optimize your site (offshore or onshore) by detecting, replacing, or handling blocked and slow resources, combining platform automation with hands-on remediation.

Can you manage compliance requirements?

Limited compliance capabilities (e.g., no local entity): An optimized offshore website allows immediate entry without the burden of local hosting regulations.

Established China operations: If compliance is manageable, onshore hosting can further improve performance.

How important is SEO to your strategy?

High priority: A website is critical to rank organically on Baidu and capture long-term traffic.

Lower priority: Paid channels like WeChat ads and Baidu ads can drive traffic without SEO but may require ongoing investment.

WeChat and Baidu are powerful for engaging Chinese users, but they’re not always enough. A website (whether onshore or optimized for China while remaining offshore) offers greater control, credibility, and discoverability, especially for businesses with long-term goals in China.

Ready to make your website work seamlessly in China? Contact Chinafy today to optimize your site for fast load times and full functionality, or explore how we can integrate with your WeChat and Baidu strategies.