Breaking through the e-commerce platform limitations: the road of independent station construction for small and medium-sized enterprises

With the hot growth of indie sites in the e-commerce space since 2019, it seems that overnight, indie sites have become the center of everyone's discussion. In fact, this e-commerce model has existed as early as 2008, only until recently has it begun to receive more attention. The independent station of cross-border e-commerce, that is, merchants have their own domain name, space and page, not dependent on any large e-commerce platform, so that they can carry out a wider range of online market expansion. The most important feature of this model is that it is completely independent, and merchants are free to operate without any platform restrictions.

Why independent sites are the new choice for cross-border e-commerce?

1. Intense platform competition: In China, e-commerce giants like Tmall and Jingdong dominate the majority of the market. These platforms became a growth environment for SMEs, but now, due to traffic monopolization and price wars, it's becoming more and more difficult for SMEs to grow significantly on these platforms. In contrast, the market share of e-commerce platforms in the European and American markets is not as absolute as that of Amazon, which provides more opportunities for independent sites to grow.
2. Lack of transparency of information: Cross-border e-commerce platforms often do not fully open user data, and this opaque information management makes it difficult for sellers to fully control market dynamics. On the contrary, in the independent station, merchants can have all the data for more in-depth market analysis and strategy development.
3. Platform Restrictions: On third-party platforms, merchants must abide by the rules of the platform, which largely limits their flexibility and ability to innovate. Standalone sites, on the other hand, offer more autonomy, allowing merchants the freedom to operate according to their own strategies.
4. cost-effectiveness: Compared to the high advertising and traffic costs of third-party platforms, independent sites have lower attraction costs and are able to realize the long-term utilization of traffic and improve ROI.

What are the advantages of an independent site?

1. brand building: Standalone sites not only enhance the credibility of your product, but also help build and strengthen your brand image.
2. Data Mastery and Value Enhancement: Merchants on the independent station can fully grasp customer data, data analysis and utilization, to explore more potential value.
3. High level of autonomy and flexibility: Free from the constraints of platform rules, merchants enjoy greater operational freedom on independent stations.
4. reduce costs: High platform commissions are eliminated, while payment and service fees are lower, reducing overall operating costs.

How to build an independent site effectively?

2Cshop, as an independent website construction service provider specializing in cross-border e-commerce, solves merchants' difficulties in website operation, customer acquisition, management operation and user experience. 2Cshop's website functions are designed around high conversion rates, customer stickiness and flexible shipping settings, making businesses' website operation more efficient.

reach a verdict

As the e-commerce market becomes increasingly saturated and competitive, independent websites, as an emerging e-commerce model, provide merchants with more autonomy and flexibility. This not only helps SMEs to get rid of their dependence on large e-commerce platforms, but also provides them with a channel to communicate more directly with consumers. Although the establishment and operation of an independent website requires the investment of certain time and resources, in the long run, it will help merchants build their brand reputation and enhance market competitiveness.

In building a standalone site, merchants need to consider a variety of aspects such as website design, market positioning, targeting, content management, search engine optimization (SEO), social media integration, and more. Effective website design and user experience optimization can greatly improve visitor retention and conversion rates. At the same time, by utilizing SEO and social media strategies, merchants can increase website visibility and customer engagement.

In addition to this, data analysis and management is also an important part of independent website operation. Through in-depth analysis of collected data, merchants can better understand consumer needs and behaviors, and thus conduct more accurate market positioning and product promotion.

Standalone sites also provide more space to showcase a company's culture and brand story, which is especially important for shaping a brand's image and building an emotional connection with consumers. By sharing the story and philosophy behind the brand, businesses can attract and retain more loyal customers.