Increased consumption and rapid growth power e-commerce

Vivian Zhang, 33, quit her job as a clerk at a private education company in Beijing and decided to start a business about five years ago. She opened an online store on Alibaba's e-marketplace Taobao, selling cheap clothes, shoes and accessories.

"Most of our products are less well-known brands in China, with the average price ranging from 200 to 700 yuan ($29 to $101). When I started, sales revenue was not satisfactory as the style of the clothing was outdated and not eye-catching," Zhang said.

She became depressed and wondered how to increase sales and improve her store's popularity. Zhang talked to Melissa, one of her best friends, who lives in London, through instant-messaging software service QQ.