ProgrammerSought

If you don’t know the applet yet, you can learn how to use the applet to grasp business opportunities
1. The origin and concept of the applet

a. The origin and concept of Mini Programs

Mini Programs are small mobile apps that operate directly within WeChat without going through traditional app stores. This feature was officially launched in January 2017. WeChat strives to distinguish itself from other existing service public accounts, but the development of mini programs was very slow at first. But its development trend is gradually changing as WeChat adds some new features, such as targeted advertising and live-streaming shopping, while also opening up its mini-program platform to third-party developers.

2. Features of Mini Programs & Value of Mini Programs

a. Features of Mini Programs

1) From the product point of view, it has the following characteristics:

No need to install and uninstall

The first feature of the applet is that it eliminates the process of installation and uninstallation, and users can use it directly. This is the most intuitive feature.

At your fingertips, when you run out

The second feature of Mini Programs is that they are at your fingertips and go away when you run out. The emergence of small programs makes it easier for users to obtain information. In fact, users can directly obtain surrounding information through a smartphone, and interact with the surrounding through the scanning function of the mobile phone.

Small memory, fast operation, convenient and fast operation

WeChat officially defines mini programs as small applications that do not need to be downloaded and installed. In fact, strictly speaking, mini programs also need to be downloaded and installed. It's just because the official regulations stipulate that the development and packaging capacity of small programs should not exceed 1MB and the technical implementation is convenient, so that the download and installation process is extremely fast, and users cannot feel that it is downloading and installing during the process of opening and using it. Therefore, for users, even if they use some mobile phones with lower configuration, they can run the applet relatively smoothly.

Easy to deploy with rich extensibility

Mini Programs are easy-to-use cross-platform technologies that perfectly combine the latest front-end technology with WeChat business, and can easily develop applications comparable to native experience in the WeChat environment. Developers can easily deploy the access method and provide a user experience that is comparable to native apps. From now on, enterprises and entrepreneurs do not need to publish apps, but only need to concentrate on building functions and services.

2) From the perspective of platform distribution, Mini Programs have the following three characteristics:

decentralization

The distribution of mini-programs is similar to the WeChat public account, which is a decentralized platform distribution method, which means that the WeChat platform will not provide a centralized traffic portal to all mini-program operators. That is to say, the operators of the Mini Programs need to rely on their own efforts to promote the Mini Programs to gain more users and traffic.

Multiple promotion entrances

Although WeChat is currently a decentralized platform distribution method, WeChat officials have opened a number of promotion portals, including the “Discovery” at the bottom of WeChat, the search portal, the official account portal, the QR code portal, and the nearby mini program portals.

No category and special display

Whether it is a website in the PC era or an APP on the mobile terminal, in order to facilitate users to find and use it, it is almost always displayed in the form of categories and special topics. For example, in the APP Internet era, if users want to know the latest or interesting APPs, they can search for and download their favorite APPs in major application markets.

3) From the perspective of operation and promotion

traffic self-sufficiency

Based on the decentralized distribution characteristics of Mini Programs, Mini Program operators only rely on their own efforts during operation and promotion, and the promotion traffic is self-sufficient. Operators of small programs can only rely on building product popularity and building user word-of-mouth to tap traffic.

User retention rate is low

Due to the feature of the Mini Program running after use, it is difficult for the Mini Program to retain users. The stickiness between the user and the applet is low, and the used applet, star applet, adding the applet to the desktop, etc. are the main means for the user to retain the applet. However, because the display area is too small, the number of Mini Programs that can be starred by ordinary users is limited. Therefore, from the perspective of the ecology of Mini Programs, Mini Program operators will encounter many challenges in retaining users.

User habits to be cultivated

As of September 2017, WeChat has 1 billion daily active users and 38 billion daily messages. The daily active users of Mini Programs account for less than 20% of WeChat's daily active users, which shows that a large part of WeChat users are not familiar with Mini Programs, and even almost never use Mini Programs. Therefore, Mini Program operators need to know that they need to pay higher costs to cultivate the habit of using Mini Programs.

b. The value of small programs

Discuss the value of Mini Programs in the following dimensions:

1. Look at the value of Mini Programs from the perspective of users;

2. Look at the value of small programs from the perspective of APP developers;

3. Value to offline merchants;

4. The value of WeChat.

(1) We look at the value of Mini Programs from the perspective of users.

Small programs make offline services more convenient. The scene needs of users for offline consumption are "quick and convenient", "simple to operate", and "leave after use". The applet lowers the threshold for using these low-frequency service apps. Users can open the applet when they need to use it, and close it when they are finished, without occupying the memory of the mobile phone. Small programs can implement some interactive functions. Many people blindly develop small programs, but it is difficult to promote them without social functions. In addition, its development cost is very low, and it is also a good opportunity for personal entrepreneurship.

(2) Let's look at the value of small programs from the perspective of APP developers - reducing development costs and lowering the threshold for entrepreneurship.

1) Reduce development costs and lower the threshold for entrepreneurship

Obviously, the cost of the applet saves the cost of the enterprise compared with the development of the APP, because based on the framework of the WeChat applet, the developer can easily develop a applet. For enterprises, first, the development language is relatively simple, WeChat has improved its own feature support capabilities for H5, and opened up more system calls; second, the applet only needs to be compatible with WeChat, which overcomes the differences to a certain extent. Due to the incompatibility of the platform, enterprises no longer have to develop different software for different versions of the operating system, saving a lot of time and manpower.

2) Reduce customer acquisition costs and make it easier to acquire users

In the past, when companies promoted products to new users, they all hoped that users could download the APP, but after having the applet, users can use the core functions of the enterprise product through the applet first. If they want to use richer functions and obtain a better experience, they can Download the app.

For enterprises, the cost of acquiring customers is greatly reduced, and the user experience is also more convenient. At the same time, through the applet, users can experience functions more conveniently, which shortens the time and cost for enterprises to cultivate user habits, and makes it easier to acquire users.

3) Meet short-term personalized needs.

In some life scenarios, users inevitably have some personalized needs, and these personalized needs are often compared with time. In this case, the applet can meet these needs. The deputy group owner of the ivan-Shenzhen-3 group also mentioned that the cost of developing small programs is much lower than that of native APPs. This is the value of small programs from the perspective of developers.

From the operator's point of view, another value of the Mini Program is that it provides a new wave of traffic dividends, and the product has the opportunity to be born out of nowhere. Friends' sharing, this is the social attribute that this game gives to the applet - active sharing. This is another value given to operators by the applet. If this value is used well, it may be very popular.

(3) Value for offline merchants - traffic value

For offline merchants, the greatest value of mini programs comes from WeChat. Wechat 10 and the many permissions and portals that Wechat has opened to Mini Programs have brought huge traffic to merchants. Merchants only need to do corresponding promotion based on these portals to obtain massive traffic at low cost. The application experience of KFC and McDonald's applet is particularly good, which is also a very useful tool for offline merchants to turn around. For offline merchants, Mini Programs are a brand-new service method. Users do not need to download or install and register to use Mini Programs, and can use the services provided by merchants very quickly.

(4) The value of mini programs to WeChat

· Linking online and offline;

· Make users spend longer on WeChat;

· Make up for the lack of subscription account and service account capabilities;

· Improve WeChat's big data capabilities.

3. Do you want to catch this wave of bonuses from the Mini Program?

Because the development cost is low and the development cycle is short, is the Mini Program a good opportunity for personal entrepreneurship? If the WeChat official account gives everyone an opportunity to be a self-media and speak for themselves, then the mini program can be said to provide everyone with the opportunity to make products. In the past, whether it was a PC-side product or a mobile-side APP, the development was difficult and the development cost was high. But now the applet supports the development of individual developers, and every developer who finds a need can develop an applet.

It is an open platform for retailers and developers to build user experiences according to their own vision in this WeChat ecosystem. Mogujie has added a live broadcast function to its WeChat applet; JD.com pays special attention to new users who use it for the first time, and will give them exclusive guidance and discounts; the applet has helped Vipshop open a 1 billion traffic gold mine.

Everyone is also vying for the post-90s and post-95s market, and it will be easier for small programs to gain this part of the customer base.

To sum up, the conclusion drawn is that the mini-program bonus period is still there. Today's business has been closely related to the outside world. Your product must be associated with channels, partners, customers, fans, and employees. At this time, how to find these audiences? How to activate them? How to generate payment, retention, repurchase and referral? More than 60 scenes opened by the applet can be filled in these spaces. Pay attention to the transformation of ideas: instead of making a small program, use the applet to get closer to the business audience; instead of making a small program, integrate the applet into the path of the product and the business audience.

4. Summary of KUK Technology

Mini Programs are a tool based on the WeChat ecological chain. Social attributes can link people to people. The development cost is extremely low, and it also has a good user experience for linking online and offline. At present, it can be regarded as a good card in the new retail market. In terms of production, KUK will be more professional.