Here’s how mini programs are impacting the tech scene

The first quick response (QR) codes were created in 1994 by a subsidiary of Japanese automaker Denso Corporation to track vehicles during the manufacturing process.

Today, QR codes have a much wider range of applications.

WeChat used to pay at a store / Photo credit: Tencent

Take, for instance, WeChat. Users of the social media platform’s “Mini Programs” can use QR codes in various ways such as utility, transport, health care, entertainment, shopping, and more, bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds.

Building a powerful ecosystem

Parent company Tencent introduced Mini Programs in January 2017 so that WeChat could grow beyond its primary function as a messaging app. The goal was to enhance the experience of the app’s more than 1 billion monthly active accounts, according to a WeChat representative.

The mini programs, under 8 MB in size, are created using a Javascript framework developed by Tencent. Developers have to write in WeChat markup language and WeChat style sheets (also known as WXML and WXSS, respectively) instead of the traditional HTML and CSS languages used by most apps.

The ability to access hundreds of features through a single app, which effectively saves storage space on mobile devices, made Mini Programs very popular among users, says the WeChat representative. Just two years after the launch, WeChat now hosts over 1 million mini programs, offering a wide range of services from across 200 industry segments, from utility and gaming apps to news and ecommerce platforms. It has also obtained over 200 million daily active Mini Programs users.

WeChat Mini Programs / Photo credit: Tech in Asia

Developers can benefit from this growing ecosystem.

“For businesses and application developers, mini programs significantly lower the technological bar to build an effective digital presence by leveraging WeChat tools and APIs,” WeChat’s representative explains. “They also help reduce the cost of retaining and gaining consumers, as businesses are able to reach out to the massive user base of WeChat.”

The Mini Programs feature has another benefit: cross-platform collaboration.

For example, Chinese ecommerce giant Pinduoduo offers promotions – such as loyalty programs and product discounts for bulk purchases – through mini programs to WeChat users, who can then share their promotions with friends. This social commerce strategy is an effective way of growing a brand’s digital presence without incurring additional advertising costs.

Nurturing the tech scene

However, for its Mini Programs to thrive, WeChat needs more developers, service providers, and business partners to build on its platform.

One of the company’s approaches to growing the mini-program development scene is through its Tencent-initiated WeChat Developer Challenge.

The program invites developers to solve the challenges faced by WeChat’s business partners: Singapore Airlines, Grab, the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers, L’Oréal, Resorts World Sentosa, and Resorts World Genting.

According to WeChat’s representative, the company hopes to find new ways to serve its users, beyond the capabilities of existing mini programs, through the participants of the challenge.

“Not only will this simplify and continue to provide more convenience to our users’ everyday lives,” says the representative, “Mini Programs will also function as a high-traffic, conducive environment for smart retail, ecommerce, catering, and other industries for businesses.”

The WeChat Developer Challenge is a Tencent initiative that aims to develop mini programs based on current challenges faced by its partner businesses. The goal of the challenge is for these mini programs to address the needs of Chinese travelers in Southeast Asia. The competition is set to take place in Singapore from August 2 to 3, with cash prizes from a pool of US$34,000 to be given away to winners.

Learn more on the WeChat Developer Challenge website.