In China’s virtual and digital communication landscape, WeChat, a famous Chinese social media, is now the most widely used app by Chinese nationals. It connects Chinese users to a single point of access in a cyber area with a wide range of useful life features. al Media (CSM). WeChat has grown in popularity in China to the point where it is now a “must-have” app for all Chinese nationals. And Wechat marketing is crucial for companies doing business there.
Due to how Chinese citizens use WeChat in their daily lives, many eCommerce businesses are now using WeChat to promote their products. Today, WeChat has taken on a new role as a sales platform. This practice is referred to as WeChat e-commerce. WeChat has become a potent advertising tool for eCommerce enterprises selling in China by combining social media, chat, and payment services.
Youzan, a software provider that allows merchants to sell products on a variety of Chinese internet platforms, is currently the most popular WeChat Third-Party E-Commerce Solution.
What Is Youzan?
Youzan is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company based in Hangzhou, China that helps businesses set up a virtual store on WeChat. Youzan is the leading third-party eCommerce solution that is used to create over 400 million WeChat stores.
According to the Digital Crew, Youzan’s Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) increased by 95% year over year to 64.5 billion RMB in 2019. The majority of Youzan’s revenue accounts for Subscription fees to the WeChat shop platform.
It is China’s largest platform for businesses to set up online stores.
How Does Youzan work to Sell on Wechat?
To create a Youzan store, you must provide your phone number. You can choose from payment methods including WeChat pay and cash on delivery as well as a Credit card or Debit card!
Businesses can tailor their online presence on WeChat with Youzan’s available tools and templates, giving them greater control over their business, control over customer data, and can develop their user interfaces in any way they choose.
Although Youzan is more expensive than other alternatives to sell on WeChat, it also offers more services:
- Group-buying
- Lottery draw
- Coupon
- Order management.
- Coss-platform presences on Weibo and Alipay.
Youzan’s various functions enable companies to set up customized options and improve users’ experience. These specific features include food delivery, physical store pick-up option, picking delivery time options, and so on.
For the cons, so far, a Youzan store does not support Alipay.
What Are the Requirements To Open a Youzan Store?
Any Chinese-registered individual, company, or organization can set up a Youzan Store.
To open a Youzan Store, you will require the following:
- Chinese ID
- Chinese bank Account
- Phone Number
- Businesses registered in China
How Much Does Youzan Cost?
Youzan has a variety of plans to choose from depending on the sort of store and services you want to offer. You can use the Youzan platform to build your own WeChat store for approximately 6500 RMB per year.
Setting Up a Youzan Account
Setting up a Youzan account is straightforward. A user may quickly create a Youzan account, set up a shop, and begin selling their products and services.
Create an Account on Youzan
Go to Youzan’s official website to create a Youzan account. Look for a blue button in the top right corner of the Youzan site which says “Free Trial”.
The signup page will ask for your legitimate phone number to confirm your registration. Enter your phone number on the registration page and a verification code will be sent to you. Once you’ve received the verification code, enter it into the required field and click on signup.
It will give you a confirmation that you now have a new Youzan account.
Select a Youzan Store Type
You should set up your new Youzan account with all of the relevant information regarding your store. You will be asked to choose a Youzan store type from four options:
- Youzan Micro Mall
It is a one-stop-shop for online businesses that don’t have a physical store. Youzan Micro Mall is a good option if you already have your products ready and want to start selling them exclusively online.
This is ideal for businesses that have a physical location. Customers can place orders online and pick up their orders at your physical store. It’s a lot like the “grab and go” service that many retailers provide.
- Youzan Retail Store
Youzan Retail Store is a perfect alternative for you if you own an offline retail store such as:
- Fruit stand
- Supermarket
- Snack bar
- Apparel store
- & More
- Youzan Beauty Industry
Youzan Beauty Industry covers products and services in the beauty and cosmetics industry, such as:
- Skincare products
- Beauty appliances
- Manicure and Pedicure
- Salon and Spa services
- Beauty Cosmetics
If you have a physical beauty shop and want to expand it, Youzan Beauty Industry could be the right fit for you. Through this type of Youzan store, you can take advantage of a variety of network benefits such as VIP cards, discounts, special offers, and online booking.
- Youzan Catering
Youzan Catering is an option that allows businesses in the food industry to have their own Online Take-out Service. You can open a restaurant under the Youzan Catering and have your customers order their meal online using the Youzan catering app and have their orders delivered to them. If you have a physical store, customers will have the option to pick up their orders from your physical store.
Food shops and restaurants can take advantage of many effective marketing options available such as discount coupons, group discounts, vouchers, and more.
Launch Your Youzan Store
After you’ve selected a store type, you’ll have to click the “Open a Store” button. You’ll be sent to a page where you can enter all the necessary information about the store., You’ll have to enter the name of your store and input the details of your real store address.
How to Setup a Youzan Store
Once your store has been opened, you may now set it up and take advantage of the features and services of Youzan. Your online store will now have the option to add your products, their information, prices, marketing features, and more.
Each Youzan store has five primary sections:
- Product Categories
- Products Management
- Product Page Template
- Distribute Goods
- Products Imports
How To Create Your First Product Listing on Youzan
Under your Youzan store dashboard, you’ll have the option to put together a list of all the items you’d like to sell.
Step 1: Category
Choose a product category that’s right for your store’s products. Once you have created a product category, you can now create your product listing.
Step 2: Items
Under the “Items” page, you’ll need to enter basic information about the products you’re selling, such as the name of the product, location, and logistics. You can give a brief introduction to your products.
Step 3: Product Images
You can add extra information about your product and add high-quality photos of your products to make them more appealing.
Tips for Optimizing Your Wechat Store Listings for Better Visibility and Sales
Because there are so many WeChat stores to choose from, selling products through WeChat could be challenging. Here are a few effective tips on how to improve the visibility and sales of your listings.
Aim for High Caliber Content To Explain Your Products
Consider this to be a more comprehensive version of your listings. It’s a separate section where you can go into greater detail about your products and have more creative freedom. In addition, by incorporating more search terms and keywords, you can persuade your audience why should they buy your product.
Utilize the Most Up-to-Date Pictures of Your Products
The image of a product is a vital piece of information that must be accurate and up-to-date. They must indicate what the buyer will receive. Even if you’re changing just the packaging, you should take a new product photo to show the most recent versions.
Collect and Share Compelling Product Reviews
As part of your visibility strategy, aim to gather feedback from your customers. Most consumers don’t leave reviews, so you can try to ask them directly by messaging them. Choose enticing reviews and post them on social media so that others can see them.
Correct Keywords in Product Description
To help your product’s position in search results, it is always recommended to utilize high-ranking keywords in product listings. You can research high-ranking, product-related keywords and use them in your product’s title, information, and product description.
SELL ON WECHAT – FAQ
How To Open a WeChat Store?
Here are 2 easy steps how you can open a WeChat store:
Create A WeChat Official Account
To open a WeChat store, you must first register a WeChat Official Account. There are now three categories of official accounts on WeChat:
- Subscription Accounts
- Service Accounts
- Corporate Accounts
Find a WeChat Store SaaS Provider
Most brands and businesses rely on third-party WeChat store providers, such as Youzan, to open a WeChat Store.
By creating an online store with Youzan, you will have a WeChat Store. As soon as you link your Youzan store to your official WeChat account, the account will become your official WeChat Store and you can now use WeChat to promote and sell your products.
What are the differents options to sell on Wechat?
You can choose from a variety of WeChat eCommerce platforms that will allow you to market and sell your products through WeChat. A famous competitor of Youzan that functions the same in WeChat eCommerce is Weidian.
Weidian is an eCommerce platform based in Beijing, China that offers eCommerce services and features for brands to set up and sell products in a virtual store on WeChat.
The following are some other recognized alternatives to Youzan:
- Weimob
- YouShop
- JD.COM WeChat Store
- Lewaimai
- and so on
Does Shopify Work With WeChat?
Shopify is a well-known e-commerce platform and is used by many companies to sell products in China.
Shopify works well with WeChat. Shopify can be used as a backend to your WeChat store to better sell your products in China. With a WeChat eCommerce provider such as Youzan, you can sync your WeChat users’ profiles to Shopify and will allow consumers to shop products in Shopify through WeChat.
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