App Store Localization for Taiwan – Best ASO Practices to Drive Downloads
Taiwan is a market that many app developers overlook when looking to new markets. However, Taiwan is actually a high-growth market where app developers all over the world should consider entering as long as you want to expand your business and market.
Localizing your apps and games for Taiwan then becomes an increasing priority. So, what do you need to take into account when localizing your app or game for the Taiwan market? How to localize app store for Traditional Chinese?
We have gathered all the information and tips you need to know to localize your apps and games in Taiwan App Store successfully.
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Contents
Digital Marketing in Taiwan – Basic Info
Before launching any kind of app or game in Taiwan, it’s crucial to understanding the background of the market.
According to the Digital 2021 Report by Hootsuite and We Are Social, Taiwan’s total population is 23.84 million and the internet penetration rate is 90%. Meanwhile, 19.7 million people are active on social media, which is equivalent to 82.6% of Taiwan’s total population.
Taiwan’s Population
- Taiwan had a population of 23.84 million in January 2021.
- 50.3% of Taiwan’s population is female, while 49.7% of its population is male.
- 79.1% of Taiwan’s population lives in urban centers, while 20.9% lives in rural areas.
Internet Users in Taiwan
- There were 21.45 million internet users in Taiwan in January 2021.
- Internet penetration in Taiwan stood at 90.0% in January 2021.
- There were 19.70 million social media users in Taiwan in January 2021.
- The number of social media users in Taiwan was equivalent to 82.6% of the total population in January 2021.
- The top 5 most-used social media platforms in Taiwan are YouTube (89.6%), Facebook (89.2%), Line (88%), Instagram (59.5%) and FB Messenger (59.3%).
Mobile Connections in Taiwan
- There were 28.77 million mobile connections in Taiwan in January 2021.
- The number of mobile connections in Taiwan in January 2021 was equivalent to 120.7% of the total population.
With the high internet penetration rate and fast-growing economic development, Taiwan has great potential in app growth and revenue.
Taiwan App Market Overview
There are more than 2,071 Taiwanese publishers on Google Play out of all 952,562 app publishers. One of the biggest Taiwanese publishers are SuperNice Digital Marketing Co. Ltd., WaGame, LIANweiwei, Orangenose Studio, Rayark International Limited, Illusion Magic Studio, IFC Games, Gamesofa Inc., Gamesofa Global Inc., Zepni Ltd..
Actually, Taiwan is more receptive to foreign app publishers. As you can see the pictures of the most downloaded apps and games in Taiwan, there is no an app or game are from Taiwanese publishers.
The revenue of the app market is another reason for why Taiwan is an attractive market for app publishers looking to enter Asia. According to Appannie, Taiwan is the NO.7 market that generate most revenue from apps and games in 2020.
Overall, Taiwan is a big market for app and game publishers. Then, it’s critical for publishers to take into account cultural and linguistic differences when considering market expansion in Taiwan.While Taiwan is more receptive to foreign app publishers, it’s no exception when it comes to their users expecting apps to be tailored to their interests and preferences. Taking time to get to know the Taiwanese culture, and observing nuances that are preferred when playing a mobile game are small but impactful subtleties an app publisher can modify that can pay huge dividends.
In the following parts, we will learn how to localize your app store for Taiwanese to get more downloads in ASO view.
ASO Metadata: Title, Subtitle, Description, Keywords
1. Use Traditional Chinese
To write down App’s title, subtitle, description and keywords, we need to know what language Taiwanese people are using.
Taiwanese people use traditional Chinese and their language usage is different than in China. Also, people in Taiwan and China are different in terms of word choice. Slang, including internet slang, is especially diversified.
Taiwanese people may understand the meanings of the slang used in China, but it is still undesirable to include these words in content that is written for Taiwanese people, as it shows a lack of localization efforts.
As you can see the picture below, most of the top free and top grossing apps and games in Taiwan are using Traditional Chinese in their Title.
2. Do a User-Oriented Keyword Research
keywords play a crucial role in App Store Optimization. Then, you need to conduct in-depth research on your target market, users, and competitors.
While you look for these keywords, make sure that the keywords you find:
- Describe the main feature of your app
- Define your app’s category
- Are popular among your users
- Have high searches and less number of apps
3. Combine English and Chinese in Keyword Field
In App Store keyword filed, I suggest you combine English and Chinese keywords. For example, the popular game – ETERNAL:永恆聖約 may include the keywords like: game, 雙人遊戲, rpg, 攻城, 正統, 遊戲約, MMORPG, 多人對戰遊戲, 3d射击, 團戰遊戲, 日系卡牌 and more.
Note: Taiwan App Store will also index the keywords in English (UK), so you don’t need to repeat the keywords in Traditional Chinese.
4. Title & Subtitle
It is recommended to always use your most relevant Chinese keywords in the title and subtitle. Also, it is recommended to rename your game and keep the title under 5 Chinese Characters, as it makes it easier to pronounce and remember.
However, Chinese is a very concise language that generally does not require much space and therefore words in Chinese consist of much less number of characters than in English. In this case, you can use as many as Chinese Characters in subtitle to rank higher for your keywords.
Here are some examples of App’s title and subtitle in Taiwan.
5. Short Description & Long Description
In Google Play, you need to write short description in 80 characters. Here, you can place the most relevant keywords that didn’t fit into the App Title. This is the part of the description that the user automatically sees without having to tap anything, and usually, this is the only part your potential user will read. It’s above the fold.
When it comes to the long description, please use bullet lists rather than long paragraphs because it makes it easier and less time consuming for them to grasp what the app/game is about.
ASO Creatives: Icon, Screenshot, Feature Graphic, Video
When it comes to creative assets including icons, screenshots, videos and app previews, Taiwanese have a preference for bright and cluttered creatives rather than minimalist design.
Icon
When it comes to apps, we see that often logos or brand names are displayed in the app icon.
However, very often the icon of the game reflects a game character.
Also, the communication apps like to use the “Green” color in their icon and the shopping app like to use “Red”.
Screenshots
Taiwanese have a preference for customized text in each screenshot. When localizing your screenshot’s caption, don’t cut corners with a simple translation tool. Instead, go with a trusted translator or service familiar with current Internet lingo and slang in Taiwan.
Conclusion
In my opinion, language is the biggest barrier for app developers to promote apps in Taiwan. Asking a native speaker to help may be wise.