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Recording the journey of domestic e-commerce - How to get started

#电商261
AI Translation
This post is translated from Chinese into English through AI.View Original
AI-generated summary
The person started doing a side business because they had resources and support from friends. They initially tried platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu but faced issues with Douyin's customer service and Xiaohongshu's commission system. They eventually chose Xiaohongshu as their platform of choice due to its responsive customer service and reasonable review process. However, they mentioned that the iOS app's customer service connection is poor. They also discussed the challenges of working with influencers on the platform. They emphasized the importance of regularly posting on Xiaohongshu to attract customers. They also mentioned that they have learned about their target audience through selling their products and are grateful for the support they have received from friends.

Why start a side business?#

People around me have offered me opportunities and resources, so I thought about starting an e-commerce business. Even if it doesn't make much profit, it's a small-scale business. I didn't expect it to grow so big. I am also grateful to my friends for providing quality products and fast delivery.

How to choose a platform#

I have tried platforms like Douyin (TikTok) and Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book). Although Douyin has a large user base, I have experienced malicious deduction of security deposits for unknown reasons by the platform (those who have recently read about the "temu incident" can relate!). I appealed twice but the reasons given were insufficient. It is impossible to contact their customer service, and my store was closed due to the deductions. After opening two stores, I gave up on Douyin. Later, I asked Pinduoduo (PDD) for help in handling these "difficult matters" for merchants. It is highly likely that my competitors reported me or I didn't pay enough protection fees.

The reason I chose Xiaohongshu was because the platform disbanded its self-operated "Little Oasis" and transferred it to offline individuals and third parties, which accelerated the development of e-commerce. I felt it was a good opportunity, so I opened a store and have been using it since.

Platform advantages:

  1. As a store owner, if there are any problems or disputes, I can easily contact customer service through the website or the mobile app. They respond quickly and solve problems efficiently.
  2. The platform's review process is reasonable. I haven't encountered any strange situations, so I can focus on being a good merchant instead of dealing with the platform or reporting competitors.
  3. The current interface of the platform is simple, and I don't need to watch any tutorials to know how to set it up. Many other platforms are filled with advertisements and promotions, which is really annoying.

Platform disadvantages:

  1. The customer service connection in the iOS version of the merchant app is really bad. Real-time push notifications sometimes show specific content and sometimes don't. It is always in a connecting state, and I don't know what it is connecting to. Every time I see a loading symbol, it is far less usable than the PC version. I have provided feedback multiple times, but it hasn't been optimized yet.
  2. If you want to enable the "buyer-hosted sales" feature (Pugongying platform, which allows live streaming sales), you need to set the commission rate (default 7%). This is a pitfall of the platform. Any influencer can promote your products without notifying you. If your profit margin is already low, you still have to give a commission to the influencer. The even more frustrating part is that if the influencer doesn't cancel the sales link, even if you later lower the commission rate, during the influencer's sales period, the original commission rate still applies.

Let me explain further. If you forget to set a default commission rate for buyer-hosted sales and it is initially set at 7%, and you make a profit of $1 on a sale, you have to give 7% to the influencer, which means you are close to breaking even or even losing money. Would you lower the commission rate in this case? However, if the influencer doesn't cancel the sales link, they will continue to sell your products at the original commission rate, even if you explain to the platform that you are already losing money. The platform can't do anything about it because the rules cannot be broken. So you can only beg the influencer or remove the products. It's quite interesting, right? That's why I still dislike the buyer-hosted sales model.

  1. I have to constantly post notes on Xiaohongshu. This conclusion was drawn by a former Xiaohongshu algorithm engineer. Whether customers can see your store depends on the quality and frequency of the notes you post. The saying "good wine needs no bush" doesn't apply here.

How to define your target audience#

Let's take the products my friends gave me as an example. Initially, I relied on the product images provided by my friends to generate sales. If it were an ordinary person, they would define the product images as clear and detailed. However, many people want to know more about the product and its various uses.

I only understood the general situation of my target audience after selling a lot of products. So, I focus more on product combinations in the images to help customers make better choices. I never thought that custom-made wooden products would be popular among middle-aged or newlywed families, especially when paired with coffee tables, wall decorations, and desktops. Most e-commerce tutorials don't explain this well.

I am very grateful for the boost in sales provided by the product images given by my friends.

I will continue to update in the future. If there are any mistakes, please forgive me, and if you like it, please support me!

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