The voting ended at 6 PM the following day.
A total of 137,000 users participated. The prize pool increased to 460,000 yuan. The product name with the most votes was 'FoxTao', receiving 85,000 votes.
The final 460,000 yuan prize was shared by 85,000 people, with prizes ranging from 2.8 yuan to 888 yuan.
Within three hours, 'FoxTao voting results' became a trending topic. Lucky winners posted screenshots of their 888 yuan withdrawals.
FoxTao completely made a name for itself among college students.
Coupled with Chen Yansen's status as a freshman, he and FoxTao became the focus of media attention. Their reputation soared.
However, at this moment, everyone in Room 206 was somewhat dejected.
After the voting ended, FoxTao made it to the trending topics, but it didn't convert many users. The growth rate of real-time registered users had dropped from a peak of 2,500 per hour to just 50.
Chen Yansen glanced at the data but didn't care.
He knew FoxTao was essentially an intermediary platform. It couldn't acquire a large amount of organic traffic on its own. Successfully acquiring the first batch of seed users at low cost had already far exceeded expectations.
To increase the conversion rate, Chen Yansen planned a new user activity zone. The selected products were mainly fast-moving consumer goods under 20 yuan, with a rebate above 2.2 yuan.
Users who won 2.8 yuan only needed one order to complete their first withdrawal and experience FoxTao's core links.
"Zhuang Rui, have you finished the product requirements document for 'Cut It Down'? Send it to me as soon as possible." Chen Yansen stood and stretched.
"Brother Sen, I'll give it to you before I leave work. I still need to refine the details."
"Okay. Let's meet when Wenbo and Pengfei get back. Try to launch in October."
Although the price-cutting model was annoying, it was a powerful tool for attracting new users. Chen Yansen didn't have enough funds to burn money. He needed angel investment.
But right now, FoxTao had less than 140,000 registered users. Its profit model was no different from competing websites, making it difficult to attract investors.
Only by ranking among the top three would capital come knocking.
In a third-year male dormitory at Lucheng College, Zhang Wei browsed FoxTao's activity page.
"These denim shorts are 39.9 yuan, and I can get an extra 4 yuan back... so it's only 35.9 yuan total?"
He carefully read the product details and reviews. Finding nothing wrong, he took out his U-shield and paid.
Other products also attracted him. This novel way of offering discounts opened up a whole new world.
At that time, many online shoppers negotiated prices directly with store owners—a time-consuming method not suitable for most people.
The emergence of FoxTao strongly impacted their previous perceptions.
Chen Yansen looked at the ever-increasing order volume in the backend. Using a pre-developed template, he added eight special activity pages to the homepage, distinguished by category: Snack Shopping Spree, Beauty and Cosmetics Welfare Club, New Trends in Sports.
He selected products priced close to the average order value, specifically choosing high-commission, high-quality items. This greatly increased the purchase enthusiasm of retained users.
In one day, the conversion rate of a single promotional page exceeded 30%. An astonishing rate.
On October 2nd, FoxTao had 2,745 orders, total sales of 89,212.5 yuan, profit of 13,292.6 yuan.
On October 3rd: 6,123 orders, sales 194,099.1 yuan, profit 28,144.3 yuan.
On October 4th: 4,169 orders, sales 151,706.3 yuan, profit 23,673.2 yuan.
In just three days, FoxTao's total sales exceeded 500,000 yuan!
"Brother Sen, the data is in. We have 12,471 orders from winning users, all for 2.8 yuan. The gross profit margin is 1.3%. We made a profit of 5,300 yuan." Hu Yun chuckled.
"It's about what Zhuang Rui predicted. The final cost of this voting campaign is less than 40,000 yuan, but the effect is equivalent to spending 400,000." Chen Yansen smiled. He turned to Zhuang Rui. "We've taken a solid first step. Next, focus on retention. Improving the first-order rate and order frequency is your most important task."
"Okay, Brother Sen. I'll think about it and bring you the plan after the holiday."
Chen Yansen hummed in agreement. He glanced at the busy Wang Zihao but held back from telling him to relax.
He left the startup park alone and wandered aimlessly along the willow stream.
The sky was overcast. A golden ray of light disappeared below the horizon. A cool breeze rustled the willow branches.
After working non-stop for a month, even he felt a sense of fatigue.
Ultimately, Chen Yansen still didn't dare to completely entrust the project to these eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds. His past life's experience warned him that in business, the only person he could truly trust was himself.
He went to the riverbank and sat down, gazing at the shore in a daze.
FoxTao was essentially a shopping guide e-commerce platform. Its future held three possibilities: acquisition, listing, or making a quick buck before slowly declining.
Chen Yansen didn't intend to make FoxTao a major player. He used it as a springboard to first accumulate connections and resources, then explore a more promising path.
As for which path to choose? He hadn't decided yet.
"Squad Leader Chen, spacing out all by yourself?"
A playful, cheerful voice came from behind.
Chen Yansen turned and smiled slightly. It was Xu Xingxing, whom he hadn't seen for many days.
She carried half a dozen beers and a bag of snacks. She wore a baseball cap, a white tank top that exposed her fair shoulders, and green athletic shorts. In the entire Xucheng Academy, her attire was quite daring.
"Didn't you go home?" Chen Yansen asked casually.
"You didn't go home either?" Xu Xingxing sat next to him and handed him a beer.
She had a deep impression of Chen Yansen from their karaoke trip. She thought he'd contact her afterward, but he never did.
He seemed to have forgotten her existence.
Later, she heard he was busy with his startup, which had received the principal's support and media features. Compared to other boys, Chen Yansen seemed on a completely different level.
"Our dorm's Party Secretary Su has been eyeing you for a while. Don't you have any thoughts?"
"I don't like overly obedient girls. They're too boring." Chen Yansen clinked glasses with her.
"What about a bad girl like me?" Xu Xingxing puffed out her chest boldly.
"Oh, how bad are you? How many boyfriends have you had?" Chen Yansen asked with a mischievous grin.
"Do you want to know the exact number, or do you want to know about my past?" Xu Xingxing rested her chin on her hand, staring intently.
These were the same words Chen Yansen had said to her last time.
"So, did you bring your ID this time?" Chen Yansen leaned closer.
"Why would I need an ID? Let's go to the dorm. I'm the only one here anyway. Do you dare come?" Xu Xingxing squinted, smiling.
A girls' dorm? He'd never experienced that before. He couldn't help but feel excited.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated.
It was a text from Meng Jie. She had returned early to surprise him.
"Next time. My girlfriend's back. I have to pick her up." Chen Yansen stood up.
Next time? Picking up his girlfriend now?
Xu Xingxing was slightly taken aback.
Chen Yansen, you really are a complete scumbag.