The very product that took my breath away and keeps me using it for at least 50 times a day is WeChat. WeChat is a Chinese multi-purpose social media mobile application software developed by Tencent. It was first released in 2011, and by 2017 it is one the largest standalone mobile apps with over 980 million monthly active users (902 million daily active users). The reasons why I love this APP are analyzed below from two perspectives.

First, WeChat’s various features are designed to accurately satisfy users’ daily needs and build convenience. As an international student from China who studies abroad in the United States, I can chat, voice call or video call my parents and friends in China for free on WeChat. According to Pew Research Center, nearly 820,000 international students were enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities in the 2012-13 year. China is the largest sender of international students to the U.S., with Chinese students accounting for 31.5% (328,547) of all international enrollments (1,043,839) in the U.S., according to the Institute of International Education (IIE).[1] The free video call and voice call feature makes Chinese students’ communication with their families in China much easier and much more frequent. WeChat has closely integrated the features with the physical world. Apart from being a Chinese version of Skype, WhatsApp, and GroupMe, WeChat is also a social media application where each user, besides a username, has a QR code for fast-friending. On social networking occasions, instead of handing out the paper-made business cards, people can simply pull out their QR codes for scanning and can quickly friend each other.

WeChat has a high retention rate because of the network effect whereby it gains additional value as more and more Chinese people and even foreigners use it. In addition, WeChat is a news media that supports all types of bloggers in the range of sports, fashion, women’s health, etc. Everyone can set up their own Official Accounts and start writing articles and gathering followers. Instead of having notifications flooding the phones, users follow such bloggers and get frequent push notifications within the APP. Lastly, WeChat is named as an “Everything APP” also because it supports online payment. Users link their mainland China bank card to WeChat Pay to confirm their identity, and then they can start transferring money or accepting friends’ money.

Nowadays in China, people leave their wallets and credit cards home and all they need for shopping and payment is their phone with WeChat Quick Pay installed. The Chinese Payer shows their barcode or QR Code on WeChat’s Quick Pay page to the Vendor to scan in order to pay directly. This payment solution makes money transactions faster and smoother.

Second, I love WeChat because it gives me a nearly perfect user experience. The User Interface is clear and simple. When you open WeChat, you are presented with four sections at the bottom – Chats, Contacts, Discover, and Me. All these four sections are self-explanatory so that a user can easily navigate through and fully explore the available features. WeChat has a relatively high SUS and a relatively low error rate compared to traditional websites.

WeChat is my favorite, and many others’ favorite APP because it truly builds convenience for users. It has a wide variety of services and features that make my daily life easier. Furthermore, it has integrated these features especially the online payment feature and QR codes with the physical world. Lastly, it has a simple and consistent user interface across all the features.

[1] http://time.com/4569564/international-us-students/