Analysis of commonly used professional terms in cross-border e-commerce that foreign trade professionals must know!最先出现在SourceHere。

advantage
1. Easy to use: Shopify is known for its intuitive user interface and powerful backend management system, allowing even non-technical merchants to quickly get started, create, and manage their own online stores.
2. Comprehensive functionality: Provides a one-stop solution, including payment processing, inventory management, logistics tracking, SEO optimization, marketing tools, etc., covering almost all the functions required for e-commerce.
3. Scalability: As the business grows, Shopify supports a variety of application plugins and theme customization, allowing merchants to expand store functionality and enhance user experience according to their needs.
4. Powerful community support: With a large user base and developer community, businesses can easily find solutions, tutorials, and support.
5. Security and Stability: Shopify is responsible for server maintenance and security updates, ensuring the security of merchant data and the stable operation of the store.
inferiority
1. Higher cost: Compared to building a self built website, Shopify charges a certain transaction fee and monthly fee, which may be a significant expense for small merchants.
2. Limited flexibility: Although Shopify offers a wide range of features and customization options, its flexibility is still limited compared to a fully customizable website building approach.
3. Brand restrictions: When using the Shopify platform, merchants’ stores will bear the Shopify logo, which may affect brand independence and user perception.

WooCommerce

advantage
1. Open source and free: WooCommerce is an open-source e-commerce plugin based on WordPress, which is free to use. Merchants only need to pay for the hosting and domain fees.
2. Highly customizable: Due to its open-source nature, WooCommerce supports unlimited modification of code and themes, enabling highly personalized store design.
3. Huge plugin library: With a vast WordPress plugin ecosystem, merchants can easily integrate various e-commerce functions, such as payment gateways, marketing tools, etc.
4. Seamless integration with WordPress: For businesses that have already established blogs or websites using WordPress, WooCommerce is an ideal choice for expanding their e-commerce business.
inferiority
1. Higher technical threshold: Compared to Shopify, WooCommerce requires merchants to have a certain level of technical knowledge to install, configure, and maintain.
2. Security depends on itself: The security of WooCommerce largely depends on the maintenance and management of merchants, including regular updates, backups, and security settings.
3. Additional investment may be required: Although WooCommerce itself is free, premium themes, plugins, and customized services may require additional investment.

TikTok

Compared with traditional cross-border e-commerce platforms, TikTok Shop pays more attention to the interactivity and dissemination effects of social media. With the characteristics and advantages of the TikTok platform, it provides merchants with broader market opportunities and marketing channels.
advantage
1. Social media influence. As an extension of the TikTok platform, TikTok Shop fully utilizes TikTok’s massive user base of over 2 billion and strong social media influence. Merchants can showcase their products to millions of users through TikTok Shop and utilize TikTok’s unique content format for marketing. According to statistics, the average daily usage time of TikTok users is over 1 hour, which means there is a large potential customer base.
2. Live sales. TikTok Shop provides merchants with live sales capabilities, allowing them to communicate with viewers in real-time and promote products in real-time. This interactive sales model can enhance user engagement and improve purchase conversion rates.
3. High user engagement. TikTok users typically have a high level of engagement, enjoy interacting with content, and enjoy commenting and sharing. This type of user behavior is very beneficial for brand building and product sales.
4. Rapid spread. Content on TikTok can often quickly spread within a short period of time, with a video potentially gaining millions of views in just a few hours. This is very beneficial for product promotion and brand exposure.
inferiority
1. The degree of commercialization is not high. TikTok Shop is still in its early stages of development, with a relatively low level of commercialization. The advertising and shopping functions on the platform are still being continuously improved and adjusted. Merchants may need some time to adapt to the commercial operation model of the platform.
2. Advertising costs are relatively high. Despite the high exposure and conversion rates of advertisements on TikTok, the corresponding advertising costs are also relatively high. Merchants need to have sufficient budget to advertise and conduct effective ROI evaluations.
3. The competition is fierce. As more and more brands and merchants enter TikTok Shop, competition is becoming increasingly fierce. Merchants need innovative marketing strategies and unique product features to stand out in fierce competition.
4. Policy and regulatory uncertainty. Like other social media platforms, TikTok Shop is also affected by policies and regulations. The policies and rules of the platform may change at any time, which can have an impact on the marketing strategies and operational models of merchants. Especially in terms of policies, the United States has been suppressing the development of TikTok and may even ban it.

How to choose cross-border e-commerce? An article analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of Shopify, Woocommerce, and TikTok？最先出现在SourceHere。

Step 2: After the plugin is enabled, the interface will automatically enter the WooCommerce settings guide, where you only need to fill in the relevant information according to the prompts. After completion, you can see the information you just filled out in “WooCommerce” ->”Settings”.

After the first installation and activation of WooCommerce, you will be redirected to the setup guide interface. If you are a B2C user, simply follow the guide to complete the setup. If you are a B2B user, just skip it.
After successful installation, the next step is to make more detailed settings for our e-commerce website, such as:
Product: Used to set the visual design and information display effect of the “product page”. Usually, if there are no special requirements for the “product page”, the “preset” option can be directly used; Other settings will be filled in according to the actual situation of the product.
Shipping method: After setting the shipping area, shipping options, shipping category, and other information, the system will present the actual shipping cost based on the shipping address and method filled in by the customer.
Payment settings: There are four default payment methods in the system, namely bank transfer, check payment, cash on delivery, and PayPal. Users can activate the cash flow service as needed.
Account and Privacy: Used for managing visitor accounts and developing privacy policies.
Email: When using the WooCommerce website, all transactions will be notified via email, with clear instructions on each shopping process and status.
After all the settings are processed, the e-commerce website architecture is basically completed.

Step 3: WooCommerce Product Classification
After installing WooCommerce, we need to create product categories under the backend product menu, as shown in the following figure:

When creating a product category, fill in the Name, select whether you need a Panent category, and then add it.
Step 4: Adding Products to WooCommerce
After creating the product category, we can upload the first product by clicking on “Add Product” in the product section.

Then fill in the product title, description, category, and image information before publishing.

Please refer to the annotations in the upper and lower images for specific information. B2B customers will not display the shopping cart button as long as they do not fill in the product price. If the shopping cart button still appears in the theme you are using, please refer to this article: Several ways to remove and hide WooCommerce’s add to cart button

After release, you can visit the product front-end page to check the effect.

WooCommerce registration process最先出现在SourceHere。

Qualification certification
Upload qualification documents such as business license and legal representative information.

If applying for a small store in the United States, you need to provide your US passport or driver’s license+SSN (Social Security Number), or ITIN (Tax ID) as an alternative.
Basic store information: Fill in the store name (note that once the account name is determined, it cannot be modified and needs to be filled in carefully), main category, operating address, etc.

Submit for review
Submit application: After filling in all the necessary information, submit the application for entry.
Waiting for review: TikTok official will review your application, and the review period is generally within 3 working days.
Review result: The review result will be notified to you via email. If rejected, revise according to the reason for rejection and resubmit for review.
Preparing to open a store
Set up store: After approval, enter the TikTok Shop backend to set up the store, including adding products, setting payment methods, and improving logistics information.
Product upload: Upload product photos, descriptions, prices, and other information to ensure the accuracy of product information.
Marketing strategy: Develop a marketing plan, publish promotional videos and live streams through TikTok accounts to attract more fans and potential buyers.
operation management
Order management: Timely process orders to ensure timely delivery of goods.
Customer Service: Provide excellent customer service, answer buyer questions, handle returns and exchanges, and other matters.
Data analysis: Regularly analyze store data to understand sales situation, optimize products and marketing strategies.
2、 TikTok Cross border E-commerce Fee Details
1. Entry fee
TikTok stores adopt an invitation or self application system for entry, and the basic entry fee is relatively low. For example, the basic entry fee for small stores in the United States is 1000 yuan, but the specific fee may vary by region.
2. Margin
The amount of deposit varies depending on the category of the store. For example, in the UK, the margin range ranges from £ 400 to £ 4000; In regions such as the United States, Singapore, and Malaysia, the margin ranges from $125 to $4500. Local small shops currently do not need to pay a deposit.
3. Commission fees
The TikTok platform will commission a certain percentage of sales orders from stores, depending on the product category and order amount. In addition, withdrawals will also incur a certain percentage of commission fees. For example, when using PayPal to withdraw funds, a 2% withdrawal fee is required for each transaction; To withdraw using TikTok’s own wallet, a 2% handling fee and 10% of the sales amount are required for each transaction.
4. Operating costs
Operating costs include personnel costs, source of goods costs, logistics costs, and marketing costs. Operating a TikTok store requires a professional management and operation team, and the salaries, training expenses, and benefits of team members constitute personnel costs. The cost of sourcing depends on factors such as product type, quantity, purchase price, and transportation costs. Logistics costs vary depending on factors such as order quantity, delivery location, and return processing. In order to increase the visibility and sales of the store, it is also necessary to invest in certain marketing costs, such as advertising placement, promotional activities, content creation, etc.

TikTok registration process最先出现在SourceHere。

(1) Registering a domain name: The most commonly used platforms are Namesilo and Alibaba Cloud, usually costing over 70 yuan per year for one domain name

1. It is best to use. com/. cn
2. It is best to include the brand name
3. Consider product related factors
4. The domain name should not be too long
5. Domain names should not contain numbers

(2) Register email (Gmail recommended)

1. It is best to have an email with a domain name
2. Next is Gmail email

Furthermore, it is an internationally commonly used domain name

(3) Choose a store theme

1. Prioritize free templates
2. Consider third-party payment templates later

(4) Visa Credit Card

(5) Payment method (PayPal is recommended)

1. Prepare a VISA credit card
2. Prioritize PayPal/Stripe payment methods

(6) Product Information

(7) Page layout design

(8) Store name and logo

(9) Mobile phone number

(10) Return address

2、 Shop Package Selection

14 day free trial

1. Basic version: $29/month
2. Advanced version: $79/month
3. Premium version: $299/month

And corresponding to a handling fee of 2%/1%/0.5% for each receipt

Paypal; 4.4%+0.3 USD per transaction and 35 USD per withdrawal

1、 Website construction process

1. Register Shopify

Visit the official website: https://www.shopify.com/ Click on ‘Start Free Trial’ to enter the registration page

1. Domain settings: Register a domain name that matches the brand and bind it in Shopify
2. Domain settings: Register a domain name that matches the brand and bind it in ShopifyAfter entering the store, you will be directed to the operation page. The backend homepage will provide some instructions on what steps you need to complete step by step to publish the website, add products, customize the online store, set payment methods, and logistics and shipping costs. But the first thing we need to set up is to give our website a nameOn the right side, you can see the Current theme, which is the theme you are currently using. You can choose your favorite themes from Shopify’s theme store.
3. Theme decoration: Choose suitable free or paid templates for store decoration
   (1) Select Themes under the Online Store to enter theme selection. On the right side, you can see the Current theme, which is the theme you are currently using. You can choose your favorite themes from Shopify’s theme store.                     （2）Click on Visit Theme Store to enter Shopify’s theme store. It is recommended that you choose a template based on your own product style. For independent websites, it is not recommended to sell everything. Choosing one or a series of products as the main option can leave a memorable impression on customers who enter the website.After adding the theme, in your Shopify, click on “Customize” to enter the theme configuration. Each template has different adjustable areas.
   4. Page layout: Use visual editing tools to design and optimize page layout

   In addition to setting up in the template, it is also necessary to add some pages, such as Contact Us, FAQ, About Us, etc. These pages can be accessed from the online Store>Pages menu on the left to add pages.

   5. Payment method: Choose the appropriate payment method based on the target market
   6. Logistics setup: Configure appropriate shipping policies based on product and target market demand
   7. Product listing: dropshipping, collecting products from third-party platforms through plugins
   8. Customer support: Establish an effective customer system, such as online chat, customer service email, etc
   9. Market promotion: Implement SEO optimization, social media marketing, and email promotion strategies.
   10. Analysis and optimization: Use Shopify’s analysis tools to monitor store performance and regularly optimize strategies.

Shopify store registration process最先出现在SourceHere。