Nowadays, it is becoming more and more convenient for us to buy goods. Different types of e-commerce apps have given us different choices. The positioning of various e-commerce apps is also very clear. For example, Vipshop mainly sells clothes, JD.com’s home appliances are relatively popular, and Douyin mainly sells sports and fashion products, etc. In addition to clear positioning, whether the goods are genuine is also a concern of users. The author of this article has conducted a detailed product experience of the Douyin APP . Let’s take a look together.

1. Product Overview

1. Project Overview

When fashion becomes a lifestyle, as young consumers' pursuit of trends gradually increases and their requirements for product quality become higher and higher, Dewu (Douyin) stands out as a dark horse in the e-commerce industry.

Its appearance satisfies users' desire to pursue fashion, solves their worries about buying fakes, and deepens their understanding of fashion culture. Therefore, this dark horse has gradually become a giant in the e-commerce industry.

This article analyzes this dark horse from several aspects including product overview, product introduction, demand analysis, and product analysis.

2. Experience the environment

Experienced by: Xiaobai

Product version number: 4.41.1.1

Model used: Xiaomi 10PRO

Network environment: Good

Experience time: 2020/7/19

Operating system: MIUI 11.0.18

2. Product Introduction

1. Product positioning

A mainstream domestic trendy shoe exchange community, providing a C2C trading platform for authentic trendy equipment.

2. slogan:

Get sports X fashion X good stuff.

3. Features

• Purchase products: You can buy the trendy and authentic products you want anytime and anywhere without worrying about buying fakes;
• Selling goods: You can sell your unused sneakers, jerseys and other trendy equipment without opening a store;
• Identification service: If you are worried that you may have bought fakes on other platforms, you can come here for a free first identification.
• Purchase: You can initiate a purchase here for products that are out of stock on the market, and the success rate is as high as 60% if the price is reasonable;
• Fashion community: Exchange various fashion equipment, share your own dressing guides, fitness strategies, unboxing reviews and other daily life;
• 95idle: buy and sell second-hand genuine goods.

4. Product Background

First of all, when it comes to e-commerce giants like Taobao, although the products on Taobao are very comprehensive, it is still very difficult to buy a trendy pair of sneakers or authentic sneakers from two or three years ago.

You can buy your favorite products on Taobao, but my heart aches when I spend money, and I feel even more disappointed when I receive the goods. The pair of trendy sneakers that I saved up money for with great effort turns out to be fake.

Although Taobao now has Tmall and merchant flagship stores, the merchandise in the flagship stores is limited; take the Nike flagship store for example, you can’t buy trendy sneakers there, the quantity is very limited.

The rise of WeChat business teams has also made competition in the e-commerce industry more intense. There are many types of shoes in WeChat business, and the prices are cheap. If you buy a pair of genuine sneakers, you can buy several pairs of the same sneakers in WeChat business.

As a result, users flocked into the WeChat business, and later there was even a saying that "everyone is a WeChat businessman", which shows how large the WeChat business team is.

But everyone who has bought it knows that its quality is still far behind the authentic sneakers, which is also a point of complaint among users.

Based on the above analysis, Dewu has emerged from the gap:

• Everyone is a buyer, everyone is a seller;
• There are professional appraisers here, so you don’t have to worry about buying fakes;
• There are many sneaker communities here, where you can chat and share sneaker culture for free;
• Everyone here is a seller, so there is no need to worry about the lack of models;
• We will inspect the products before shipping, and the quality of the products is 99% guaranteed.

This gradually attracts young consumers to turn to Dewu.

3. Demand Analysis

1. Market analysis

Figure 1 Dewu search index ranking (this data comes from Qimai Data)

As can be seen from Figure 1, although Dewu (Douwu) ranks 25th in the overall list, up one place from the previous month, it ranks first in the category ranking and has always been a dominant force in the sports e-commerce industry.

Summary: Although the data shows that the Douyin APP ranks 25th in the overall search list, Douyin’s main target group is the young consumer group. Its market positioning is very clear, and it has successfully occupied the young consumer group market.

Therefore, the market of Dewu still has great potential for growth. Although its influence is not as great as that of Tencent and Alibaba, it also indirectly shows that the e-commerce market is still huge, and you can move forward by seizing the opportunity.

Figure 2 Dewu (Douyin) user scale (data from Baidu Index)

It can be seen from Figure 2 that 50% of Du users are young consumers aged 20-29, followed by the middle-aged group aged 30-39. The user market of the youth and elderly groups is relatively weak, and the male group is significantly larger than the female group by about 20%.

Summary: The data shows that Dewu’s positioning is very accurate. The young group has both the desire and ability to consume; while the young primary school students have the desire but not the ability to consume; 30% of the elderly group do not have the ability to consume, and 99% have no desire to consume.

Therefore, the young group accounts for as much as 75% of the entire user group and has firmly grasped this market; men also have great purchasing power in the field of trendy brands and have clear purchasing orientations, so the male group is higher than the female group.

In addition, it still has room for growth. As long as there is a desire to consume, consumption will be completed, so the younger age group has room for development.

Figure 3 Regional distribution of Dewu search index (data from Baidu Index)

The data shows that regions with high search indexes are mainly distributed in the south, led by Guangdong, Jiangsu and other regions, among which Guangdong ranks first.

Summary: Dewu focuses on trendy sports equipment, so in addition to the influence of young consumer groups, it is also influenced by the sports culture of a region.

As the nine-time champion team of the CBA, Guangdong has a strong sporty and trendy style, so Guangdong ranks first in the search index.

With the development of basketball and hip-hop culture, more and more young people are pursuing trends and individuality. Trendy shoes, as a way to show themselves externally, have also been welcomed by them and have become a social currency for their communication.

2. User analysis

1) Crowd portrait

User portrait 1:

• Name: Xiao Yang
• Gender: Male
• Age: 20
• Occupation: Junior college student
• Brief description of life experience: Xiao Yang likes to watch NBA, comes from an average family, and is interested in buying basketball stars and sneakers.

Scenario: Xiao Yang likes playing basketball very much and also likes many NBA stars, so he bought a lot of jerseys and sneakers of big-name stars. Except for a few pairs of sneakers that he wears regularly, the others are left idle at home. The living expenses given by his family are often not enough, so he has to borrow money from classmates for food.

One day, Xiao Yang heard a friend say that he sold a pair of sneakers on Douyin and made a lot of money. He was very interested and after consulting this friend, he learned about the Dewu platform.

Xiao Yang also put his sneakers on the drug store. After they passed the inspection, they were bought by someone two days later. Xiao Yang no longer had to worry about not having enough living expenses.

After using it for a period of time, Xiao Yang fell deeply in love with this platform. He learned a lot about sneaker culture and gained a lot of knowledge on the platform.

You can also learn a lot of dressing skills, and find your ideal girlfriend through your own dressing style.

User portrait 2:

• Name: Xiaobai
• Gender: Male
• Age: 15
• Occupation: High school student
• Brief summary of life experience: Xiaobai likes playing basketball very much. He will appear on the court in his free time and occasionally save money to buy NIKE sneakers.

Scenario: Xiaobai likes to play basketball, but as a high school student, he cannot afford to buy NIKE sneakers regularly. He usually wears ordinary domestic sneakers when playing basketball.

By chance, Xiaobai met a micro-businessman on WeChat and bought a pair of NIKE sneakers at a low price. The next day, Xiaobai wore them to play basketball on the court.

Several veteran sneaker collectors could tell at a glance that these were fake shoes. Xiaobai didn’t believe it at first, but later learned that Dewu could authenticate sneakers, so he downloaded the software and completed the authentication on the same day, and the result was that they were fake.

After using it for a period of time, Xiaobai had a certain degree of understanding of Dewu and bought his first pair of genuine sneakers on it. At the same time, he also learned a lot of knowledge about sneakers on it and never bought fake sneakers again.

2) User groups

• The general public who want to exchange fashion guides and fitness tips;
• There are buyers and sellers who have strong buying and selling relationships;
• People who want to verify whether their products are genuine.

3) User needs

• The general public: They have no desire to buy, but just want to find someone to communicate with about daily dressing tips and learn about sneaker culture and fashion information;
• Buyers and sellers: have a strong desire to buy, and want to buy a certain type of goods that are not available in the market or that they like; have a strong desire to sell, and want to sell a certain type of authentic goods that they have idle here;
• Appraisal group: They are worried that they might buy fakes and want a more official confirmation to resolve their worries.

4. Product Analysis

1. Product structure diagram

The product structure diagram can help you intuitively see the core functional structure of the Douyin app and discover potential functions.

From the perspective of the structure of Dewu: it is more in line with the user habits and behaviors of young consumer groups, and the main functions are very easy to find on the secondary page; the entire product is divided into 4 modules. For young people with strong purchasing desire, the purchase and Dewu community modules are the two sections they use most frequently.

If users want to buy a product but don’t know what the effect will be after the purchase, they can go directly to the Dewu community to view buyer shows; this will give users a psychological boost and increase their desire to buy, meaning they don’t have to worry about buying fakes or that the products they buy are not good-looking.

The service module is used by a relatively wide range of people, especially its identification service, which is aimed at all people who need identification; the 95-point idle transaction can solve the needs of most users who have idle products that cannot be sold new.

40% of users like their own sneakers. Dewu provides sneaker care services to increase the freshness of the products.

In general: Dewu provides more services, which appear as a charming demand; virtual try-on can imitate the 3D try-on effect, solving the anxiety of many users who shop online and worry that the real product will not look good when worn on the body or feet.

Some users' purchase pages are relatively simple, allowing them to directly search for the products they want, and can also display how many users have purchased the product and how long, thus stimulating consumer consumption. In general, Dewu's functions are relatively complete.

Suggestion: The homepage of Douyin is a community for exchanging trendy shoes and clothes, but purchasing is the primary desire of consumers; therefore, I personally suggest putting the purchase page on the homepage and the communication community in the middle; after selecting a product, users can see a buyer’s show, which is more in line with the user’s purchasing habits, thereby stimulating users to buy.

2. User flow chart

1) Flowchart of Dewu authentication service:

Users can receive authentication services here, and 99% of users will accept the authentication fee; the price of purchased goods is much higher than the authentication fee, but here only a few yuan is required to get an affirmation for the goods they purchased, so 80% of users can accept it.

The identification process is relatively simple. You only need to find the type of product you want to identify and upload a few detailed photos to complete it. The identification result will also be relatively fast.

Users who do not want to spend money can also wait for the reply from the experts in the appraisal discussion area; Dewu did not pay too much cost in this regard, but retained a large number of users, so Dewu used this mentality to retain users.

Summary: As a core function of the Douyin app, identification service solves the user's need for respect. A successful identification means that they have not been deceived, while a failed identification means that they have to go to the merchant to refund the money and return the goods. This function provides users with psychological reassurance, and the potential of this demand is huge.

2) Functional flow chart of selling goods in Dewu:

To sell goods, you first need to find the goods you want to sell. Only when you find the goods you want to sell can you sell or buy them.

This function is designed to be relatively simple. Both buying and selling are done through the same entrance. Users can both buy and sell here, which reduces the shopping or selling process for users and gives users a better experience in interaction.

The price must end with 9. The uniformity of the price gives users a psychological hint, making them feel that they are getting a bargain, thus stimulating their desire to buy.

If the price is lower than the user's requested price, there is no need to end the number with 9, which further verifies that ending the number with 9 is intended to give the user a psychological hint.

Summary: As a C2C platform, Douyin has been deeply loved by young consumers since its launch. It allows users to trade goods without opening a store or paying a deposit, and the quality of goods can be guaranteed. It is a successful transformation from B2B to C2C2. It also brings users a better product experience, so it has become a dark horse in the e-commerce industry and has stood the test of time to this day.

3. Functional experience analysis

1) Identify the product (taking KD12 as an example):

Analysis: The concise page layout is visually pleasing to the users, and the interface is mainly in black and white. The identification function is located within the service menu, which gives users a sense of psychological care and makes them feel warm psychologically. The identification classification is relatively clear, and users can quickly find the products they want to identify.

The identification is completed by taking detailed photos and uploading them. The identification results can be available on the same day at the earliest and within two to three days at the latest, solving the needs of users for 7-day no-reason returns when purchasing goods on other platforms.

Process design: The identification service is mainly divided into four steps: select the type of identification, select the brand of the product, select the specifications of the product, and upload product detail photos.

The purpose of choosing the type of identification is to distinguish whether the items to be identified are clothes, shoes or daily necessities; the purpose of choosing the brand of the product is to distinguish whether the items to be identified are Nike, Adidas or other brands; the purpose of choosing the specifications of the product is to be able to match it with a relatively professional appraiser, thereby saving time for both parties.

Finally, you need to upload a few detailed photos so that the appraiser can see the product more clearly and avoid misjudgment.

Interactive design: The service page is mainly in black and white, and only the identification service is displayed in a green frame, which allows users to quickly find the entrance to the identification. Click on the quick identification to pop up a pop-up window to select the type of identification. There are only 6 categories, which are relatively easy to operate and click.

After clicking on the type to be identified, there is a search box at the top, which allows users to search quickly; next are the popular recommended products, and further down are various brands, where you can also find the corresponding brand and click on it; then enter the series selection page, select the corresponding series and click in to upload photos; the photo upload page has a corresponding detail photo upload area, and you can take a photo and upload it by just clicking. For users, the entire identification service can be completed by clicking step by step - the entire interactive experience is still relatively good.

Summary: The entire identification process is relatively simple to operate. You can complete the identification quickly by following the guidance step by step. It is also an important function for retaining Dewu users.

2) Product sales experience (taking Irving 4 as an example):

Process design: If a user wants to sell a product, he must first find the product. After searching for the product in the search box, he must click on the type of product to be sold, which is similar to the process of purchasing a product. Select the specifications of the product and the method of selling it. Different selling methods can bring different profit effects.

Go to the bidding page, click the bidding box, and enter the price. The price must end with 9. This is a psychological hint that Dewu gives to users. If the product ends with 9, users will feel that they are getting a bargain by buying this product, thereby increasing their desire to buy. After the price is set, pay the deposit to complete the sale.

Interactive experience: Users search for products to sell on the homepage. Below the product, they can see the number of purchases of the product, which indirectly shows the popularity of the product. After clicking sell, they can choose the method of sale. Ordinary delivery has higher profits, but the selling time is correspondingly longer. The use of black and white color scheme allows users to relax visually and increase their desire to sell or buy.

The price box on the bidding page has large input price characters, which allows users to see and enter the price at a glance. The deposit is in red font to remind users that they need to pay a deposit. After deducting miscellaneous expenses, there is an estimated income amount below, which allows users to know how much money they can get after selling the product without calculation.

The payment deposit is a light green box, which reduces the user's pressure and generally provides a better user experience.

Summary: The process of selling goods is relatively complicated, mainly involving price issues, which is also an issue that users are most concerned about; so the process is safer, allowing users to buy, sell and use this product with confidence.

5. Operation Model and Business Analysis

1. Operation model analysis

For a nascent e-commerce Internet company, there are e-commerce giants such as Taobao, JD.com, and Pinduoduo leading the way above, and micro-business enterprises blossoming everywhere below. If it wants to develop in the cracks, the chances are very slim, but Dewu (Du) still seized the opportunity and became an e-commerce giant.

First of all, the market positioning of Douyin is to face young consumer groups, and the largest young consumer group is college students; according to data from 2020: there are more than 10 million college students, and the data shows that nine out of ten college students have Douyin. Therefore, we often see promotions for the Douyin app on Douyin. This online promotion operation method has gained countless users.

Secondly, we will find that Dewu is guiding us to engage in viral sharing. We often see various lottery activities on Dewu. If you win, you can save a lot of expenses, from as little as one or two thousand to as much as seven or eight thousand.

How do you draw it? This is the power of Dewu's operation: by inviting new people to register, you get two chances to draw a lottery, and your friends can also get two chances to draw a lottery; the lottery psychology stems from the seven deadly sins of users, and through this viral operation, it expands its influence and user downloads; some coupon draws are released every day, which is also the reason why Dewu's user base has always been retained.

In addition, Dewu's authentication service has also retained a large number of users. Whenever users think of authentication, they will think of Dewu. The professional authentication team and simple authentication process solve the vanity of users. As long as the authentication is successful at Dewu, it means that the quality of its products is guaranteed. Therefore, its existence has retained a large number of users.

2. Business Model

How does Dewu make money by providing such a large C2C platform?

First of all, Dewu charges a certain service fee, including 5% technical service fee, 1% transfer fee, inspection fee, identification fee and packaging service fee.

Sellers are also required to pay a deposit before selling the goods, which also prevents the settlement of special circumstances.

The huge DAU and MAU are also its profit points.

VI. Conclusion

1. SWOT analysis

• Strengths: Huge market size, complete services, guaranteed product quality, and C2C platform.
• Disadvantages: The price of goods is much higher than that of WeChat business, some people may be attracted by WeChat business, fake and defective goods may appear occasionally, and at the same time, they must comply with national policies.
• Opportunities: The NBA, which has been affected by the epidemic, is about to start, and another wave of shoe fashion is about to begin. People have higher and higher requirements for the quality of goods and support from national policies.
• Threat: Threat from competitors such as Shihuo, and threat from e-commerce giants such as Taobao and JD.com.

2. Summary

Dewu has emerged as a dark horse in the e-commerce industry. With the popularity of the rap show "The Rap of China" in 2017, major sports brands have combined hip-hop music to market sneakers, which has been well received by users. Sneakers have once again become a mainstream trend.

"People born in the 1970s speculate in stocks, people born in the 1980s speculate in real estate, people born in the 1990s speculate in cryptocurrencies, and people born in the 2000s speculate in shoes" has become a widely circulated saying, and Dewu just happens to provide such a platform for shoe speculation.

Through the C2C shopping process of identification before delivery, it can provide product quality assurance while the consumer group pursues fashion trends, firmly grasping the desires of users, which is also the key to its success.

Providing authentic and cheap goods is its main function to attract users, and this core function needs to be maintained and developed over the long term. At the same time, we must pay attention to competitors' attacks, and more attractive demands are a way to expand its market size.

Problems discovered: As an e-commerce platform, although Dewu can guarantee the quality of goods, for users, in addition to quality assurance, there are many other needs that are not met here.

As for the after-sales service of Nadew, it does not support 7-day unconditional return, and the customer service staff seem to have limited time, and they often disappear halfway through answering questions.

For users, 7-day no-reason return has become a necessary demand in their minds. Although it is impossible for everyone to return products without reason, it is a kind of psychological protection for consumers. The most basic needs must be met here in order to retain more users and attract more people to buy.

Suggestion: Although paying a deposit before selling goods is a guarantee for consumers, for novice users, paying a deposit first makes them feel very uneasy. It is recommended to launch similar services such as no deposit required to solve users' psychological concerns in all aspects.

The optimization of after-sales service is what needs attention. After-sales service is the most basic and safest guarantee for a consumer. It can show the openness and transparency of the goods from the seller to the buyer, thereby reducing the occurrence of accidental incidents.

The standardization of sizes is also a common complaint among users, and it is recommended to standardize the sizes.

Author: Warmhearted yang

Source: Warmhearted yang