The hurdles in approving messaging and portal services, and web platforms as alternative sales channels
- Why do platform markets always begin with a period of waiting?
- If the approval is delayed, the sales opportunity will also be halted.
- WordPress is an independent sales platform, not a system that requires approval.
- DecoBlocks: A product page design tool for web use.
- Even if you create a website, where does the problem lie?
- The choices made by someone who is waiting and someone who is selling are different.
- Frequently Asked Questions.
- WordPress-related plugins
The creator who made the new character stickers paused their hands in front of the laptop screen. They had submitted them to Kakao Market or Naver Market, but the review process was still ongoing, and they didn’t know when sales would begin.
The question that came to mind at that time was simple: “Can I sell it on my website while I’m waiting for approval?” The answer to this question is that while WordPress does not substitute for platform review, it can serve as an independent sales channel if the conditions are met.
Why do platform markets always begin with a period of waiting?
Messaging apps and portal marketplaces are large platforms with a significant user base. However, before content can be uploaded, it must pass checks for image specifications, copyright compliance, advertising content, and expression guidelines.
Kakao Emoticon Studio directly reviews the submitted emoticons, and the review process takes approximately 2 to 4 weeks. If the submitted emoticons do not comply with the image guidelines, may infringe on the rights of others, or are intended for advertising or promotional purposes, they may be excluded from the review or subject to sales restrictions.
LINE Creators Market also requires that stickers and themes undergo a review process and receive approval from the company before they can be sold. Similarly, Naver OGQ Market does not have a system where creations are immediately displayed.
It takes time to enter the market.
If the approval is delayed, the sales opportunity will also be halted.
People worry about the review process not only because they want to receive a specific result sheet. The reason is that if they are not included on the platform, users have fewer opportunities to search for and purchase them.
Kakao states that its Emoticons can be used in conversations by 50,000,000 people every day, appearing in profiles and comments, among other places. Naver Blog users can select paid and free stickers from the OGQ Market within the post editor and insert them into the body of their posts.
Markets with a large number of users are undoubtedly attractive. However, simply having a store in such a market does not guarantee sales.
Naver OGQ Market recently provides hourly and daily popularity charts based on data from the past 6 months, which means that even within the market itself, there is renewed competition for exposure and sales rankings.
A platform is a place with many customers. However, it also comes with entrance screenings and competition within the store.
WordPress is an independent sales platform, not a system that requires approval.
WordPress is not a vending machine that eliminates the review process. Instead, it is an independent channel where creators directly design the connection between their products and customers, separate from the platform’s approval process for listing.
Using the basic functions of WordPress, you can upload files such as images, videos, and documents to the media library. It is also possible to add download links to pages or posts to provide samples or free files.
To enable paid sales, you can add features for handling downloadable products. For each product, you can specify the price and the file, and configure the system so that customers who make a purchase can download the file from the order confirmation screen or their account page.
The key to web sales lies in defining your own product pages, prices, and download methods, rather than relying on the search rules of a platform. You can also create web-exclusive products that are different from those offered on messaging platforms, such as sticker packs, wallpapers, and image packs for blogs.
On the web, the product and the sales method are directly determined.
DecoBlocks: A product page design tool for web use.
When operating an independent sales channel, if product descriptions appear to be just lists of information, it is necessary to distinguish them from other content, such as sticker sets or terms of service. DecoBlocks is a WordPress plugin that allows you to add speech bubbles, boxes, emphasis, table of contents, and decorative effects to posts. It can group related content into a “Section Box (Solid)” and highlight portions of important sentences with “Highlight (Yellow).”
To place characters that match the tone of the post, you can use the character stickers from the sticker pack installed with “Insert Character Sticker.” For long posts, “Auto Table of Contents” will generate a table of contents based on H2 and H3 headings after the post is published, and the same formatting features are available in both the block editor and the classic editor.
Even if you create a website, where does the problem lie?
In reality, creators often encounter difficulties in the operational aspects rather than the creation process itself. A website may be built, but without visitors, or files may be uploaded, but it can be unclear which link to send to which buyer.
You must also directly verify that the file is linked to the product and that the download occurs after payment. The maximum file size that can be uploaded may vary depending on the hosting provider’s settings, so large file bundles may be blocked during the upload process.
If a buyer makes a payment but does not receive the file, or if an incorrect file is provided, it is the seller’s responsibility to handle inquiries and make corrections. It is necessary to separately check the entire process, from payment to file delivery, to ensure that payment, access permissions, and file transfer are functioning correctly, both before and after the purchase.
A greater limitation lies in the number of visitors. Kakao, Naver, and LINE already have users, and they provide search, recommendation, and purchase flows. However, WordPress sites need to attract visitors separately.
Simply because something is sold directly does not mean that the associated rights and responsibilities disappear. If it infringes on the copyright, trademark, or right to publicity of others, or if it contains advertising content or inappropriate expressions, it can still cause problems online.
The tool reduces operational burden. It does not attract customers.
Therefore, WordPress is not a shortcut that allows creators to simply bypass the review process. Instead, it is a choice that allows creators to freely determine their sales methods, while they themselves are responsible for discovery, trust-building, payment processing, file delivery, and rights verification.
The choices made by someone who is waiting and someone who is selling are different.
If the goal is to gain platform access and achieve significant exposure, it is best to continue attempting to pass the review processes of Kakao, Naver, and LINE. In the meantime, you can gather pre-approval samples and files for free distribution on WordPress to gauge reader reactions.
In this case, the role of the website is not to generate immediate large sales. Instead, it is to showcase the work, attract interested individuals, and determine which types of content resonate with the audience.
On the page displaying the work, it is important to establish visual divisions to ensure that samples, descriptions, and terms of use are not mixed together. DecoBlocks’ Section Box (Solid) groups related content within a solid-colored box, while the Quote Box – Classic displays quotations and their sources in a quotation box format.
You can create custom bullet lists with checkmarks, stars, hearts, and arrow icons. You can also choose the heading level and font size for each text block. These features are not designed to attract visitors, but rather to provide editorial tools for organizing and distinguishing content within a WordPress post.
If visitors are already coming from blogs or social networking services, the situation changes. If you intend to directly sell bundled files or usage licenses and create repeat customers, then setting up an independent store using WordPress and its download product features is a viable option.
Conversely, if there are no visitors and no capacity to handle payments, downloads, or rights management, it is best not to rush. Maintain existing marketplaces as the primary sales channel, and use the website as a space to showcase your work and attract potential future customers.
The number of visitors and the capacity to operate determine the choice.
Ultimately, WordPress is not a temporary platform while waiting for approval. It becomes an independent sales channel that allows you to directly acquire customers and operate file sales, reducing reliance on the approval process.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Q. Is it possible to sell products on WordPress even if you do not pass the platform review?
A. It is possible. While WordPress allows you to create product pages and file downloads independently of platform integration, you are responsible for acquiring visitors and managing rights.
Q. Even though my site has almost no visitors, should I create an independent store?
A. It is possible to create one, but sales may not immediately occur. If you lack the resources to manage visitors and operations, it is better to focus on an existing marketplace and use the website primarily for showcasing your portfolio and securing potential customers.
Q. Can this problem be easily solved using a tool? What kind of tool should be used?
A. WordPress’s file linking feature allows for the provision of free files, and its download product functionality enables the setting of prices and access methods after purchase. However, this tool does not handle visitor acquisition or rights verification.
Q. How can I include character stickers and explanatory text in a WordPress post?
A. Arrange the character stickers and informational content in different sections, and for longer posts, create a table of contents that matches the structure of the headings.
DecoBlocks’ Insert Character Sticker allows you to insert character stickers from the installed sticker pack, and the Section Box (Solid) displays related content within a solid-colored box. The Auto Table of Contents automatically generates a table of contents based on H2 and H3 headings after the post is published.
