WeChat e-Commerce: What Is It, and How Does It Work?

China has been a legendary underdog story in e-commerce. In the past few years, the rampant Chinese consumer market has risen at a pace never seen before, and it is set to surpass that of its closest competitor, the United States, by 2022. China has a cultural advantage where consumers eat up e-commerce apps, and one of the most popular apps has been WeChat e-commerce.

What is WeChat?

China has some governmental restrictions on online content from outside the country, and accessibility to other global social media platforms, like Facebook, is either forbidden or heavily restricted. As a result, China has concocted its own domestic (and very successful) alternatives, a notable example being WeChat and, by extension, WeChat e-commerce. On top of WeChat e-commerce, the platform can be used to advertise, video chat, post messages, instant message, and record short videos, among many other uses.

WeChat e-commerce has been a gradually growing extension to its social platform, first with WeChat store, and then with WeChat pay. Use of WeChat e-commerce has essentially transformed daily life so much that opting out of it is nearly impossible. The commercial potential of WeChat e-commerce also makes it a prime target for foreign direct investment and online business.

WeChat e-commerce 101: WeChat Store

In North America and abroad, independent sellers have found great purchase in opening up businesses with Amazon as a host, but China’s e-commerce market is riddled with barriers for those looking to sell over Amazon, making WeChat e-commerce a viable and widely used alternative for online sales to China.

WeChat e-commerce: How to Sell Using WeChat

Creating a Subscription Account: This is a basic means for companies that are looking to set up sales using WeChat e-commerce. It requires companies to complete a process for setup, after which a business can begin to market themselves through advertising and product presentation. Once a subscription account has been linked to an e-store, anyone shopping using WeChat e-commerce can be automatically redirected to the business’s checkout page. The catch is that foreign sellers need to set up the account within China.

Online Shop Platform: One of the more appealing features of WeChat e-commerce, WeChat can host an online shop similar to those set up through Amazon elsewhere. Due to heavy competition, this WeChat e-commerce option should be used only by brands that can maintain a solid repute and popular demand through good logistics acumen.

Promotions: Online sellers taking advantage of WeChat e-commerce can directly promote to their intended clientele through promotions. WeChat users can accrue followers who subscribe to notifications for promotions and sales.

Expanding to The Chinese Market Through WeChat e-commerce

Businesses around the globe have gotten wind of China’s red-hot e-commerce market, and they want to jump in on the action. However, breaking into China’s e-commerce borders can be complicated, and it normally requires several lengthy steps. Fortunately, WeChat e-commerce can mitigate this problem.

If you want to get into the Chinese market and you don’t operate within China, you’ll need assistance. Fortunately, Westwin can arbitrate this process on your behalf, using the latest networking tools to help your business get set up for WeChat e-commerce.