Many merchants find themselves puzzled after opening a Douyin (TikTok) shop—why does their carefully established store struggle with low traffic and minimal orders? The platform's competitive landscape often leaves newcomers uncertain about effective operation strategies, sometimes leading to policy violations or even store closures. This analysis examines critical operational approaches to help merchants avoid common pitfalls and master essential management techniques.
Category Selection: Avoid Following Trends Blindly
Choosing the right product category represents a foundational decision for Douyin shop operators. Not all categories suit beginners equally, as some require specific qualifications or platform approvals. For instance, certain invitation-only categories demand documented credentials that must pass platform review before merchants can operate within them.
The clothing category illustrates this balance—while offering substantial profit potential, it demands stable supply chains and robust return/refund systems. Without these operational foundations, shops risk declining customer experience scores that ultimately impair store performance. Merchants should conduct thorough self-assessment of their resources and capabilities before committing to any product category.
Product Strategy: Optimize Details for Competitive Differentiation
Product selection forms the core of Douyin shop operations. While identifying trending items matters, the crucial differentiator lies in optimization techniques. After selection, merchants must comprehensively refine product titles, primary images, SKU details, and description pages to maximize baseline quality scores.
Rather than exclusively pursuing viral products, successful operators evaluate multiple dimensions including seasonal relevance and novelty appeal. Seasonal products typically benefit from higher search volumes, while innovative items often capture consumer attention more effectively in crowded markets.
Product Listing: Compliance Avoids Penalties
Many new stores encounter policy violations during initial operations, frequently stemming from listing inaccuracies. Whether using listing software or the Douyin backend directly, merchants must rigorously review all product information to eliminate prohibited content—including both text and visual elements.
Common pitfalls include absolute claims ("best," "top," "first"), platform logos from competitors, incorrect categorization, or prohibited merchandise. Diligent compliance during the listing process prevents unnecessary operational disruptions.
Precision Operations: Quality Over Quantity
Effective Douyin shop management prioritizes meticulous execution over rapid expansion. Merchants should limit daily new listings to 10-20 products, as excessive inventory often results in poor sales conversion rates and potential duplicate listing violations.
The precision approach extends across all operational phases—from product selection and listing to sales activation and continuous optimization. Each component demands focused attention to detail rather than indiscriminate scaling.
Experience Scores: The Critical Performance Metric
Douyin's customer experience scoring system serves as the primary benchmark for shop performance, influencing platform evaluations across multiple dimensions including mall traffic allocation, featured partnership programs, and new merchant probation periods.
Higher scores translate to greater traffic prioritization, while declining scores restrict access to platform features and visibility. This system incentivizes merchants to maintain high standards that collectively enhance the platform's marketplace reputation—a virtuous cycle benefiting all participants when maintained effectively.
Operational Case Study
A recent graduate named Li initially struggled with his specialty snack shop after adopting a quantity-focused approach that yielded minimal traffic and triggered platform warnings for non-compliant listings. His operational turnaround came through strategic refinements:
- Redesigned product pages emphasizing unique culinary characteristics
- Active audience engagement and feedback incorporation
- Gradual experience score improvement driving order growth
This progression demonstrates how precision operations and customer-centric adjustments can overcome initial challenges in the competitive Douyin marketplace.
Successful Douyin shop operation requires methodical strategy implementation across category selection, product optimization, compliance adherence, and experience management. Merchants who master these components position themselves for sustainable growth within the platform's dynamic commercial ecosystem.