The 10 most important questions you need to know about WeChat Store upgrades

The upgrade of WeChat Stores has become a focus of attention for brands and merchants. It is not only related to the business layout of merchants in the WeChat ecosystem, but also involves the improvement of user experience and merchant operation efficiency. This article summarizes the 10 most concerned issues about the upgrade of WeChat Stores and provides detailed answers to help merchants better understand the upgrade process, new features and potential impacts.

"WeChat Store customer service is still in testing operation, and merchants can choose whether to upgrade based on their own circumstances. In addition, capabilities such as automatic replies and multi-store reception are already on the way, so you can look forward to it." Just last night, a friend familiar with WeChat Stores confirmed this latest development to Jianshi.

As Tencent began to support merchants in upgrading their video account stores to WeChat stores, many brands and merchants began to try it out, but at the same time, there were also many questions.

Based on official documents, as well as discussions with industry professionals and brands that have upgraded their WeChat stores, we have compiled the top 10 questions that everyone is most concerned about. Let’s take a look:

Q1: Can I choose not to upgrade my video account store?

A1: Upgrading is recommended. After the upgrade, WeChat Stores can enjoy the circulation of store and product information through multiple channels within the WeChat domain, helping merchants to better meet user consumption needs. If you have not upgraded after September 25, the function of adding new products to the shelves of Video Stores will be affected.

Steps to upgrade a video store to a WeChat store: You need to use the WeChat account of the super administrator to log in to the video store backend and click on the pop-up window to confirm the upgrade. To upgrade to an individual store, you only need to sign an agreement; to upgrade to an enterprise store, you need to complete brand certification and store renaming. The upgrade is completed after the review is passed.

Q2: When upgrading the WeChat store, do I need to upgrade the store’s customer service function?

A2: With the launch of WeChat Stores, the new customer service system will also be launched simultaneously, which will replace the existing WeChat customer service system. However, it is currently recommended to postpone the upgrade of the store customer service function. The first batch of practitioners who upgraded this function said that the new version of the customer service function is still too simple.

I learned from a friend who is familiar with small shops that WeChat small shop customer service is still in testing and operation, and merchants can choose whether to upgrade according to their own situation. In addition, automatic reply and multi-store reception capabilities are on the way, so you can look forward to it.

Q3: Is there a limit on the number of WeChat stores that can be opened?

A3: One WeChat account can only apply for one WeChat store, and one business license supports a maximum of 30 stores.

Q4: How do you feel after upgrading to WeChat store?

A4: After a brand upgrade in the Jianshi community, some people said that the backend interface did not change much, but WeChat Stores still added a lot of things to store management, including homepage management, and users can design their own stores, such as product sorting, classification, homepage background images, and selected display positions.

In addition, video accounts and official accounts can also display WeChat stores, and you can also search for the name of your own WeChat store in "Search".

Q5: Does WeChat Store support redirection to Mini Programs?

A5: Yes. Currently, WeChat Stores have connected public accounts, video accounts, and search. According to official screenshots, it will also support mini-programs to jump to store transactions.

Q6: What will be the relationship between WeChat Stores and Mini Programs in the future?

A6: Jianshi communicated with industry insiders, and some practitioners said that mini programs are not equal to WeChat e-commerce, and WeChat stores are roughly equal to WeChat e-commerce. Because mini programs can be used for various applications, such as e-commerce applications and question-and-answer applications, with rich functions, but WeChat stores are the transaction system itself.

Therefore, it may not affect mini programs in the short term, but there is also a voice saying that mini programs may not be used as a sales scenario in the future, but to accumulate global customers.

Q7: Will it have a big impact on service providers?

A7: The impact should not be significant. Jianshi has communicated with the official, and the other party said that they will support the connection between service providers and third-party systems. In the future, many companies will definitely need more professional and powerful tools and services.

Q8: What new capabilities does WeChat Store have?

A8: Three new abilities:

1) WeChat Stores will further connect products with the WeChat ecosystem, support the circulation of store and product information in multiple WeChat scenarios such as official accounts (subscription accounts, service accounts), video accounts (live broadcasts, short videos), mini-programs, and Soso, and help merchants better meet user consumption needs.

2) WeChat Stores will further simplify the merchant entry process, upgrade the brand certification and store naming system, reduce deposits, and make the overall ecosystem more open.

3) WeChat Stores will further lower the threshold for opening a store. New store applications will no longer require a video account. Merchants only need a real-name authenticated WeChat account and relevant business qualifications to open a store.

Q9: After the upgrade, the store name can no longer be called a flagship store? How should it be named?

A9: Yes, the upgraded store name cannot contain words such as "flagship", "exclusive store", "exclusive franchise", etc. For the upgraded naming rules, please refer to the "WeChat Store Naming Rules".

Q10: I am a local merchant (restaurant/hotel/shopping mall, etc.), do I also need to upgrade my store this time?

A10: If merchants apply to enter the local life industry in WeChat Stores, they do not need to upgrade this time. Please pay attention to the relevant requirements and notifications applicable to the local life scenarios at that time.