WeChat Store

BUILDING THE WECHAT STORES OF THE FUTURE

Before talking about WeChat Stores, let’s start with the basics. At its beginning, WeChat was a messaging app that quickly extended its social media functionalities. It included services such as: payment solutions for brick and mortar shops, online payment solutions, taxi ordering, purchasing transportation tickets and bike rentals. Whatever could be imagined.

In large part, thanks to the many WeChat E-commerce functions, it has become the electronic wallet of its users. By allowing visitors of your E-commerce website to make purchases with WeChat, you enable a new method of payment that creates an exceptionally seamless user experience. This will increase your sales conversion rate. As said previously, WeChat is becoming an independent ecosystem. With all these features, the goal is to accomplish all the tasks of daily life, such as talking, playing, shopping and everything else, without ever having to leave WeChat.

WHAT IS A WECHAT STORE?

A WeChat Store or Weixin Store is a mobile website that is linked to the menu of a WeChat Official Account. All the WeChat users will have access to your WeChat store and will be able to perform a one-click-payment through WeChat Payment, commonly called WeChat Pay.

HOW TO OPEN A WECHAT STORE?

There are two main ways to start a WeChat Store, let’s explore them:

• 1. Third-party WeChat E-commerce platforms: A third-party WeChat E-commerce platform is an existing platform offering the possibility to open your own WeChat Store by using their services. Each third-party platform has their own pros and cons. Let’s discover the more common ones:

  • Pros:

    • They are easy to set up.
    • They can be free, or with a monthly or yearly fee.
    • They are good for small businesses, or to start a new business.

  • Cons:

    • The design is not changeable.
    • You need a valid Chinese phone number and/or a valid business license.
    • They do not support Alipay.
    • The back-office is in Chinese.
    • There is no cross-border solution.

• 2.Your own WeChat E-commerce platform: QPSoftware develops independent WeChat E-commerce platforms. We call this solution a WeChat web app. It is more commonly a website with the WeChat format. Let’s have a look at the pros and cons of this solution:

  • Pros:

    • This allows cross-border E-commerce.
    • The design is completely customizable.
    • It supports all types of payment (UnionPay, WeChat Pay, Alipay, etc.).
    • It can login with WeChat account, email, phone numbers, etc.
    • There is an unlimited page of products and simultaneous orders.
    • The back-office can be in English or any other language.
    • There is no monthly fee, yearly fee, or royalties.
    • Your WeChat Store can be connected to your CRM, ERP, WMS, OMS, etc.

  • Cons:

    • The length of time to setup and develop is longer (can be faster by using MVP, V1, V2, etc.).
    • A larger investment is required.