I. Free Registration
II. Real-name Authentication
III. Free Store Opening
I. Free Registration
1. Log in to the Taobao homepage and click on the "Free Registration" link to register;
2. Enter the registration page, fill in the member name (5-20 characters), password (6-16 English letters, numbers, or symbols);
3. Input a frequently used email address (used to activate your member name);
4. Enter the characters displayed in the image into the adjacent input box;
5. Carefully read the Taobao service agreement, agree to the terms, and then submit;
6. At this point, Taobao will send a confirmation email to the email address you just filled out;
7. Please log in to that email account and click the confirmation link in the confirmation email sent by Taobao to complete the Taobao member registration (If you fail to receive the confirmation email and activate the member name in time, Taobao reserves the right to handle the member name).
II. Real-name Authentication
After clicking on the real-name authentication option, the system will ask you to choose between free personal authentication or merchant authentication. If you choose merchant authentication, a notification for merchant authentication will appear, detailing the information required for merchant authentication and the conditions for applying for certification. Make sure to follow the instructions carefully when filling out your application to avoid failed authentication.
For free personal authentication, one of the more popular methods today is through Alipay account verification, which is more convenient and avoids the hassle of uploading an ID card.
III. Free Store Opening
If you are preparing to open a store and already have at least 10 items ready, why haven't you opened your shop yet? At this point, you need to log in to "My Taobao" >> "I am a seller" >> "Free store opening" and proceed with the store setup process. After filling out all the store information, you will own your own Taobao store and corresponding link.
Every person who wants to become a Yi Sai agent has an entrepreneurial dream! Now, Yi Sai advertisements are everywhere, so choosing the right supplier to help you achieve your entrepreneurial dreams is crucial! Don’t be misled by offers like buy one get hundreds or thousands, website included, or guaranteed to reach a certain level within three days, etc. We are beginners, and what we need most is practical experience, not empty promises. Beginners should adopt beginner-friendly strategies. First and foremost, maintain the right attitude, as it determines success. No matter what you do, once you've made a decision, work hard and put your heart into it. Be brave to innovate and try new things! Beginners have nothing to worry about; don't fear failure! If you fail, you can start over. How can you see the rainbow without experiencing the storm? Experience comes from constant trials and errors.
Many people think every night about what they should do and how they should act but fail to seize opportunities! Without a clear attitude, any task you undertake will likely end in failure! Opportunities always come to those who are prepared.
The key points for running an online store:
1. Stick to what you're familiar with. Only by being familiar with and passionate about something can you excel in it;
2. Have a reliable source of goods. With a good supply chain, you can restock promptly. When looking for suppliers, compare multiple options to find the cheapest and best quality products.
There are many other aspects to explore gradually. I'm also preparing to do some myself, haha. It's best to set up stores on Taobao, Yi趣, and Paipai simultaneously to better attract customers. Promotion is very important too! Only by doing this can customers find you and eventually become your loyal customer base.
The 21st century is the era of e-commerce, and the best time for online stores. There’s no better time than now to start an online store. The preferred software for online stores is Jieyi Mobile Recharge Software. It has a large market, quick learning curve, and no inventory issues, making it the best choice for beginners. If you want to buy the software, you can get it from me. My QQ number is my account.
Supplementary notes: First, you need personal real-name authentication (ID card) and also need a bank card. After completing the authentication, you need to set up Alipay, upload more than 10 items, and then go to "My Taobao" - "I am a seller" - "Free store opening" to apply for store opening.
The most detailed steps for opening a Taobao store:
I. Before opening the store:
A. Register a username: The name is important; a distinctive name draws more attention and makes others remember you. What constitutes a distinctive name is subjective, but generally avoid overly long English names or meaningless strings of numbers. Most Chinese buyers may not fully understand English, so a string of letters might seem just like a string of meaningless numbers. Here are some examples of distinctive names:
- ZHUNAOJINSAI (Hehe, let me indulge in a bit of self-love here. Don’t hit me, please. Since I’m already a pighead, what else can you do?)
- LOOKSNOTLIKEGOODGUY (One of my peers, his name is truly surprising and memorable. Whenever I have time, I visit his store.)
- TINGTINGLIANGLIANG (Her username and store name are the same, somewhat like a bombardment, but she indeed makes it easy for me to remember her.)
Password: Not much to say here. For security, the password should ideally be a random combination of English letters, numbers, and symbols, preferably 16 characters long.
Become an Alipay member: Alipay = Wealth Treasure, a great tool that facilitates your online transactions and is free. Remember to check the option “Become an Alipay member” when registering.
B. Apply for certification:
Applying for certification is a small action that only requires a few mouse clicks but needs patience as you wait for a long time. It’s best to use a digital camera or scanner to take (scan) pictures of your ID card. Although you can also upload via fax, sometimes the quality is poor, and many people have experienced having to retry numerous times because the images are blurry and cannot pass the certification. Most sellers have digital cameras, so taking a clear picture shouldn’t be difficult. Then, wait for three working days, and the certification results should be available. If you fail the certification for some reason, Taobao customer service will contact you.
Taobao University: Waiting for certification can take a while, and during this time, you should conduct market research and learn. There’s plenty to learn before opening a store. Taobao University is a great place where you can find answers to questions about sourcing, pricing, shipping, after-sales services, etc. Learning from the experiences of predecessors is beneficial.
II. After passing the certification:
A. Stocking up:
Once certified, you still can't open the store yet. You need to ensure that there are at least 10 items listed for sale. Spend a few days deciding what to sell and where to purchase them. Taobao University has many posts about sourcing. If unclear, browse through them. Discussions in the experience sharing section are also worth reading. If you don't have a physical store or a great source of goods, I suggest selling fashionable small items or unique ones. Most Taobao buyers are students or young office workers aged between 15 and 35. Identify the target audience and start visiting similar shops on Taobao. Study high-level stores, observe their product listings, sales situations, characteristics, and aim to know both yourself and your competitors. Ideally, offer something unique that others don’t.
B. Photography:
Now that you have your items, it’s time to take beautiful photos of them. It’s not recommended to use the supplier-provided photos. Taking actual photos gives buyers a sense of authenticity and shows the seller's dedication. Taobao University has many posts about photography and photo editing that you can learn from. Aim to make the items look as attractive as possible while remaining realistic. Over-editing photos can cause distortion and might lead to problems in future transactions.
C. Item Name:
With beautiful item photos, it’s time to list the items. The item name is crucial. Think about what keywords you would use if you were a buyer searching for this product. Besides giving the item an attractive name, focus on commonly used keywords, which are essential for ensuring your items are found in searches. Here, I quote an example from Xiangxin Girl's item photo.
Taking the above photo as an example, I estimate that the item is a bracelet. However, the product name is [Elinao Fashion Crystal Shop] Natural Pink Quartz. The name only mentions the material of the bracelet but omits the most important word "bracelet." If I were a buyer looking for bracelets, I would search using the keyword "bracelet," missing the chance to view this item. Few buyers would specifically search for "pink quartz." Many items suffer from naming issues, losing many chances to be found in searches, so pay close attention.
D. Item Description:
An attractive item description is necessary. As a web designer with decent graphic design skills (hey, another bit of self-indulgence), I strongly dislike descriptions that use too many fonts, colors, and font sizes. Such descriptions lack coherence, making it hard to identify the main points. Fonts that are too big or too small are uncomfortable to read, and excessive colorful text resembles a pot of porridge with too many ingredients, making it tasteless. A well-written item description is coherent, highlights the key points, may not use too many colors, but is easy to read and comfortable to look at. When writing item descriptions, I recommend using one to three colors, not exceeding three. Sans-serif fonts are the easiest to read, and it's best to use one font size. Titles can be highlighted with color, and tables can be used to organize detailed descriptions for easier reading.
Besides aesthetics, consider the content of the description. If you have good writing skills, write an enticing description. Excellent salespeople attract buyers with their eloquence, and we can also attract buyers with our writing. However, remember not to exaggerate, as it could cause trouble later.
E. Price Setting:
Price is a critical factor in whether a product sells. Consider setting a competitive price. Prices depend closely on your sourcing and procurement channels. If you can procure goods cheaper than others, you gain a competitive edge. Refer to other sellers' prices, but avoid price wars. Some Taobao sellers engage in loss-making businesses, and I don’t know their intentions. Since the purpose of business is to make money, losing money for reviews is misplaced. The primary goal of opening an online store is to make money, and reviews are merely a reflection of credibility.
F. Shipping Fees:
In addition to price, shipping fees are another focus for buyers. Offering low shipping fees is popular among buyers, especially for items costing only a few yuan. High shipping fees can irritate buyers. I’ve seen a phone sold for only 1 yuan, but upon clicking, the shipping fee was over two thousand yuan. This clearly angered me, and I definitely condemned such deceptive behavior!
G. Validity Period:
This refers to the validity period of the item listing. Occasionally, I see complaints on forums about Taobao’s short validity period settings, offering only 7 or 14 days. Some suggest extending the duration. In fact, the shorter the remaining time, the higher the likelihood of a sale. Items nearing the end of their listing period are usually placed at the top of search results, increasing the chances of being viewed. Therefore, I recommend choosing a 7-day validity period as the first option. Compared to 14 days, you have twice the opportunity to be placed at the top.
III. Open the Store:
A. Store Name:
With 10 items listed, you can finally open your store. Choose a good store name. Store names can be modified, so if you haven’t thought of a cool name yet, you can change it later. Like usernames, store names should be attractive and draw attention. Ideally, the name should hint at what your store sells.
B. Store Logo, Introduction, and Announcement:
Beautiful store logos, introductions, and announcements are essential. Do not leave these sections blank. Create an attractive logo, include promotional details in the announcement, and describe your main products in the introduction. Buyers will appreciate your dedication. Dedicated sellers instill confidence in buyers.
C. Avatar and Signature:
The forum is a great platform for exchanging ideas and promoting your store. Posting ads is prohibited, so incorporate your advertising into your forum avatar and signature. Many of my customers have come through the forum, thanks to appealing avatars and signatures.
The forum avatar is also the headshot on your Wangwang business card. Every time a Taobao friend chats with you, they will see your avatar. If the avatar is attractive, the advertising effect is achieved.
IV. Shipping:
You’ve sold an item, but don’t celebrate too soon. After receiving the payment notification from Alipay, you still need to handle the shipping. Whether by regular mail or express delivery, try to use as little money as possible to safely deliver the item to the buyer. There are many posts on Taobao University about saving on shipping costs, so I won’t elaborate here.
V. Service and After-sales Service:
Selling an item doesn't mean the transaction is over. There’s still after-sales service. Sellers confident in their products provide excellent after-sales service, whether technical support (mainly for IT and electrical products) or return/exchange services. Being a good seller means having many repeat customers. Don’t underestimate the importance of these customers. My enthusiasm for service, including after-sales service, has contributed significantly to my success.
Related thematic articles: Thematic articles related to achieving the goal of upgrading to a diamond level carefully and thoroughly, avoiding the mistake of discarding contributors after their usefulness has been exhausted.