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While B2C shopping websites are becoming platform-oriented one after another, group-buying websites are also quietly developing platforms. Groupon in the United States helps local merchants create merchant pages by setting up "Groupon Stores". Domestic websites such as Lashou.com have also started similar attempts. As long as merchants pass the quality assessment, they can flexibly and independently publish their own group buying information on the corresponding pages of the group buying website without having to wait in line for arrangements on the group buying website.
From the perspective of user acceptance, group buying websites still have a lot of room for development. CNNIC's latest survey data shows that although 6% of online shopping users currently use group buying services, 80% of users who have already used group buying services will continue to use group buying services in the future. For users who have used group buying, group buying gives users more feelings of "big discounts and the ability to buy high-quality and low-priced goods." This shows that the service model of group buying has reached consumer recognition and still has development potential.
Judging from the model of group buying network, platformization is the path for its development and growth.
Group buying websites are marketing platforms, and their important purpose is to gain more merchants to display or merchants to launch groups. However, with the development of group buying websites, the current model of one or several groups per day is increasingly unable to meet the needs of merchants. At the same time, group buying in various vertical categories has also developed, and it is increasingly difficult for a single group buying website to meet users' differentiated needs for goods. Developing more advantageous merchants to "go online" has become the focus of the group buying network in the future, and platformization is a better way to achieve this.
From the perspective of the development of the online shopping market, group buying platforms are in line with the direction of market development. In the current online shopping market, online shopping for physical goods consumption has developed rapidly and has become the most important type of online shopping, while the development of consumer experience-based online shopping is still in its infancy. The group buying platform can give the traditional service industry more display space, drive more consumption of catering, fitness, leisure and entertainment clubs in the traditional service industry, actively use online platforms for marketing, meet local consumer needs, and make up for the online shopping market There is a lack of space for service-oriented products.
In order for a group buying website to successfully achieve platform development, in addition to having a certain user base, a high-quality marketing team and a good performance reputation, it also needs to strengthen the following aspects.
First of all, improve the merchant resource review and user supervision mechanism. Platformization requires group buying websites to closely track and review merchants on the platform in addition to their own development of merchant resources. The more merchants on the platform, the higher the cost of review and tracking. The bigger. The group buying platform can provide closer supervision on merchants. Once merchants conduct long-term marketing on the group buying platform page, the cost of deceiving consumers will increase. Therefore, group buying websites should incorporate user evaluations into the long-term evaluation of merchants to achieve the survival of the fittest in merchant resources.
Second, background data analysis pushes precise marketing plans. Hundreds of group buying websites have the potential to become platforms, but whether a merchant chooses or chooses which platform to "settled in" depends not only on the user base, but also on the marketing plan provided by the group buying platform, that is, the number of users through the group buying network backend. Analysis, combining user needs with merchant services to help merchants achieve low-cost marketing methods. Therefore, the integrated analysis of user data by the group buying platform is the focus of its follow-up services. Whoever can provide more precise marketing plans that convince merchants can attract merchants to join.
Third, measures to strengthen user protection. Group buying platforms provide merchants with more display space. At the same time, more merchants forming independent groups also increase the probability of consumer disputes. For consumers, the authenticity identification and service guarantee of merchant information on the platform rely more on group buying websites for review and recovery. Therefore, establishing stronger user protection measures is essential for the long-term development of group buying platforms.
Author: Meng Fanxin
Source of article: CNNIC Internet Development Research