What preparations are required before launching an overseas app?

The core of software going overseas is ‘product integration into the local market’, not simple export, and precise research is the primary prerequisite. If you skip research and go online directly, it is easy to have demand misalignment or compliance issues — for example, when a domestic office software entered Southeast Asia, the installation rate was less than 10% because it did not adapt to low-end models, and it was eventually removed from the shelves. Therefore, Geek Jump suggests researching from the three dimensions of ‘demand – rules – competition’ to build a solid foundation for going overseas.

1. Precise Research: Clarify Localized Needs of the Software Market

1. In-depth Analysis of User Needs

• Consumer-end focus scenarios: Southeast Asian users have fragmented shopping habits and mostly use low-end phones, so software needs to be lightweight (installation package ≤50MB) and optimize night mode; European and American users value data security and collaboration, needing to strengthen “multi-terminal synchronization” and “permission management”.
• Enterprise-level docking pain points: German manufacturing software needs to be compatible with Siemens PLC systems, and Middle East logistics software needs to support Arabic-English bilingual documents and automatic generation of customs formats.
• Local test verification: Referring to BEST Software, optimizing multi-language adaptation through actual tests by Southeast Asian sellers, AI product listing accuracy increased to 98%, and first-month retention exceeded 65%.

• Data supervision: Russia and the Middle East require local storage of core data, and EU GDPR requires reserving “data deletion interfaces”.
• Industry requirements: Medical software needs FDA/CE certification, financial software needs to meet PCI DSS standards, otherwise it cannot access local payments.
• App store rules: From 2025, new apps on Google Play must support 64-bit architecture, and Apple requires AI-generated content to be labeled “AI Creation”.

• Benchmarking leaders: Slack occupies the market through ecosystem integration, PhonePe through UPI adaptation, their functional designs can be referenced.
• Finding differentiation: Refer to the “free basic + paid value-added” model of Chinese tool software to lower thresholds and make profits.

2. Compliance Foundation: Build Full-Process Protection for Software

The particularity of software products lies in “intensive data flow” and “frequent version iterations”, which makes compliance work not only cover “pre-launch” but also run through “operation”. If the compliance system is not perfect, serious problems such as “removal immediately after launch” and “user complaints and claims” may occur — a domestic AI software was fined 4% of its annual revenue for violating the EU AI Act due to failure to disclose algorithm logic. Therefore, Geek Jump suggests building a triple compliance system of “domestic filing + overseas adaptation + version management” to escort software going overseas.

1. Necessary Domestic Approvals 

• Basic filing: Complete NDRC / Ministry of Commerce ODI filing, AI and encryption software need to apply for technology export licenses.
• Data cross-border: Pass the security assessment of the Cyberspace Administration, AI training data containing sensitive information needs to be desensitized in advance.
• Qualification certification: Medical software needs to obtain NMPA registration certificate, financial software needs to pass CBIRC review, forming “dual domestic and foreign compliance”.

• Data governance: Manage data by classification, core data (ID card, bank card number) stored locally, general data encrypted for cross-border transmission and inform users.
• App store compliance: Privacy policy pop-up separately, default check prohibited, disclose third-party SDK data collection behavior and detect in advance.
• AI compliance: High-risk software (education assessment, medical diagnosis) needs to add algorithm explainability modules, and training data sources must be legal.

• Team building: “Legal + Technology + Local Consultant” collaboration, law firms review agreements, technology adds compliance detection, consultants explain hidden audit rules.
• Version records: Customize software versions for each market (e.g., EU version blocks targeted advertising, California version adds “data deletion entrance”), establish compliance ledgers.

3. Technology and Localization: Adapting to Software Landing Scenarios

Research and compliance are the foundation, while technological transformation and localization are the keys to landing — if technology does not adapt to infrastructure or localization is insufficient, it will still lead to user loss. Geek Jump found that software with good technology and localization has a retention rate more than 30% higher overseas, needing to break through three links:

1. Product Technology Transformation

• Infrastructure adaptation: African software packages ≤50MB, memory usage ≤1GB; Central Asia connects with local compliant cloud service providers to meet data localization.
• Multi-language culture: Vietnam uses simple sentence structures, Thailand adds warm tips, avoid religious sensitive elements in the Middle East, color matching is mainly fresh.
• Functional compliance: Payment software adds 3D-Secure verification, AI-generated content software adds “AI label” and manual review entrance.

• Regional adaptation: Europe and America connect Visa/PayPal, Southeast Asia integrates GCash/OVO, Europe supplements SEPA transfer.
• Payment strategy: Virtual goods use In-App Purchase (IAP), physical services build Stripe to reduce commission.
• Risk control and taxation: Enable anti-fraud system, automatically calculate EU VAT and withhold, provide compliant invoices.

• Customer service system: AI multi-language 7×24 hour response, equipped with manual customer service to handle complex issues, familiar with local culture.
• Iteration mechanism: Collect app store reviews weekly, push adaptation updates monthly, invite local users to participate in beta testing.

4. Channels and Ecology: Opening Up the Pathway for Software Going Overseas

Software going overseas requires “collaboration of channels and ecology”, otherwise it is difficult to achieve scalable growth. Successful overseas software mostly increases share through “multi-channel traffic diversion + ecological integration”:

1. App Store Breakthrough

• Adaptation rules: Apple needs to comply with iOS design specifications, Google requires startup ≤3 seconds, crash rate ≤0.5%, and 64-bit packages required from 2025.
• Optimization for listing: Submit via local account, ASO optimize keywords, prepare review explanation documents to explain functions and compliance measures.

2. Ecological Partner Cooperation

• Technology partners: Dock with mainstream cloud service providers in target markets (AWS North America, Alibaba Cloud Southeast Asia), payment aggregation platforms to reduce costs.
• Operation partners: Cooperate with local traffic platforms for promotion, access SaaS ecology (such as Shopify plugin market) to acquire precise users.

• Lightweight going overseas: “App store + remote operation and maintenance”, set up local agents to handle compliance, suitable for consumer-end software.
• Deep layout: M&A local teams or set up offices, acquire customers and qualifications, suitable for long-term development of enterprise-level software.

5. Finance and Risk: Ensuring Sustainability of Software Going Overseas

Software going overseas is a long-term investment. Inadequate financial planning and risk control can easily lead to problems, needing to start from two aspects:

1. Fund Planning

• Cost calculation: Including development (localization accounts for 20%), channels (app store takes 15%-30%), operating costs, reserve 40% emergency funds.
• Financing and settlement: Apply for “software going overseas loan”, open multi-currency accounts to reduce exchange losses, handle ODI compliantly to achieve capital return.

• Monitoring system: Build “app removal monitoring, compliance audit, exchange rate warning” system to control risks in real-time.
• Emergency plan: Prepare appeal templates and rectification plans for removal, initiate user notification and regulatory reporting for data leakage.

6. Software Going Overseas is a Refined Systematic Project

Software going overseas has shifted from “opportunity-driven” to “capability-driven”, requiring deep integration of demand, compliance, technology, and ecology. Taking users as the core, compliance as the foundation, and technology as the support, software can take root globally, achieving the leap of “going out – going in – going up”, and building Chinese software overseas brands.