Decide what local expertise needs to cover
A provider’s location alone does not establish its experience with your audience. Ask for relevant store and language examples, the people responsible for the work and the local review process. If your business is based in China but targets other markets, make those target markets explicit in the brief.
Questions for an ASO provider in China
- Is this a publishing and market-entry service, or listing optimisation in the stores I already sell in?
- Do you sell installs, ratings or reviews by quantity, under any name?
- Has our home-market listing been properly rewritten and tested yet?
- Is China entry a deliberate, data-backed decision, or something we discovered because the vendor exists?
- What entity, licences and hosting will we need, and what do they cost beyond the retainer?
- Will any of this change our App Store or Google Play ranking in our current markets?
Open the printable question card for China. Use it during the call and record the actual answers.
Providers to investigate for this market
The comparison library includes these providers in its China selection. Check their own current websites for offices, staffing and service availability; inclusion does not establish a verified local result.
- AppInChina: public positioning and scope questions
- ASO World: public positioning and scope questions
- GoGoChart: public positioning and scope questions
Compare the price against the work
Ask for a current scoped quote with the currency, taxes, stores, markets and outputs specified. Fees depend on the research, copy, design, translation, advertising and ongoing operations included. Separate those tasks before comparing proposals.
The ASO pricing guide explains total commitment, and the proposal checklist helps identify missing responsibilities.
When a local team may be useful
Look for a local team when language review, production coordination, relevant market knowledge or your procurement needs make that support valuable. Ask what is actually included and inspect a work sample for a comparable task.
When to compare a direct consultant
If you need a listing diagnosis, keyword decisions, a rewrite or training, a defined project with me may fit. We agree the target market and any native-language or production responsibilities before starting. The work is delivered directly, with any market-specific review assigned in the scope.
See how I work at ASO Agency, the ASO services, market and localization planning and agency-versus-consultant comparison.
Questions before choosing
Must the provider be based in China?
That depends on the work. Relevant market experience, native review where needed, clear communication and named responsibilities matter more than a location label alone.
Can one scope cover several countries?
Yes, when the proposal names the markets, language work, approval process and maintenance responsibilities. Start with the markets your product can serve well.
What if I only need a second opinion?
Start with the listing and a specific question. You can request a review without deciding to replace your existing team.
Compare nearby markets
- ASO provider questions for India
- ASO provider questions for Hong Kong
- ASO provider questions for Singapore
- ASO provider questions for Japan
- ASO provider questions for South Korea
Read the editorial methodology for the distinction between public observations, opinion and private results.