What Is a WeChat Store?
Foreigners tend to think of WeChat a messaging app and compare it to WhatsApp, but it has so much more to offer. WeChat’s most popular features include, of course, the communication function, but also games, and scanning QR codes. Moreover, let’s not ignored, the payment system. With WeChat Pay users can connect with their bank accounts and purchase everyday goods with a simple click from their phone.
WeChat store is an e-commerce platform that exists within the WeChat App, offering ‘one-click-payment’, which makes it even easier for users to shop.
How to set up a WeChat Store？
3rd party WeChat eCommerce platforms, include anything from YouShop, Youzan, JD.com and Lewaimai (customized for food delivery), are very popular these days.
Get a free consultation about which platform you should choose from iStarto.
1. YouShop (微店）
- Requirements: personal shop: valid phone number, company shop: valid business license
- Payment options: Credit card, Debit card, WeChat payment, Caifutong, liandong youshi
- Pro: Familiar interface (One of the biggest 3rd party WeChat store platform), English version, Business guarantee
- Cons: design is not very customizable, does not support AliPay
Being one of the most popular WeChat shops, YouShop has the advantage of being well recognized by most consumers. YouShop has a clean interface for product listing, options to set-up promotions, and allows customers to track shipping. What makes YouShop different from other platforms is that companies can open WeChat shop account and put in a deposit to guarantee its products. This can win some level of trust, which can be game-changing function in this unregulated WeChat shopping environment.
The major disadvantage of YouShop is that you cannot customize the design much. All the YouShop stores have the same design and content structure. While standard format helps to avoid confusion, it makes it very difficult for your store to stand out from millions of other WeChat shops.
2. Youzan (有赞／口袋通）
- Requirements: valid phone number
- Payment options: WeChat payment, cash on delivery, Credit card, Debit card
- Pro: a variety of functions for different type of store. Customized design with slide introduction, menus and music. Creative discount function.
Youzan is another widely used platform to open a WeChat store. It has a variety of store templates that will meet pretty much every industry’s needs.
Youzan is also the best free platform for customized design. Without any IT backgrounds, users can easily pick a template and edit content in a what-you-see-is-what-you-get backend, lookalike a Shopify Store. Companies can easily use the templates to quickly build their WeChat store.
The only drawback of Youzan is it does not support Alipay.
3. JD.COM WeChat Store (京东微店）
- Requirements: JD.com seller account, complete set Business licenses. The company scope of operation must fall in applicable list of industries
- Payment options: WeChat payment, cash on delivery
- Pro: trusted platform
- Cons: need to setup a store in JD.com, limit type of industry (for example, restaurant cannot open a shop).
When it comes to trust and authenticity, JD WeChat store is no doubt the biggest and most trustworthy platform for customers. This is one of the few WeChat stores with comment function and ratings, which automatically synchronize with the comment on JD.COM. This makes it the best cross-platform WeChat store.
But this trustworthy reputation comes with a much higher bar of entry.
Here is a list of requirements you need to meet before opening a JD.COM WeChat account:
- Companies need to open a website version JD.COM store. This means you will need to submit a complete set of legal documents for operating business in Chinese. And your products have to fit into one of the category of the list of industry.
- Strictly follow the code of conduct of JD.COM
- Pay up to 10% commission plus a 1000 RMB monthly fee
- Annual inspection
- Meeting the minimal sale quantity requirement and meeting customer satisfaction rating above 8.5 out of 10.
Another drawback of JD.COM WeChat store is it does not allow design customization. Sales quantities and customer reviews are the most effective way to differentiate yourself from competitors. This makes it hard for market newcomers to compete.
JD.COM is one of the most trustful e-commerce platforms, and customers are willing to pay a higher price to get the authentic product. But it is clearly not for everyone. If you have the resources to manage multiple platform e-commerce channel, and the budget for 24/7 customer service agent, JD.COM WeChat store will be a good choice.
There is also the option of skipping these steps and letting a professional WeChat
Marketing Agency creates your WeChat store. Here is where iStarto Team can help you. We can create a WeChat store that will be a perfect image for your brand. So, you can focus on what matters most: providing the best product and services to your customers.
