Rise of Cross-border E-commerce Independent Site Model

1. From the Amazon ban wave to the independent station mode

In recent years, with the vigorous development of the cross-border e-commerce industry, more and more cross-border sellers are considering switching to the independent station mode. Platforms such as Amazon and other cross-border e-commerce platforms have increasingly strict rules and constraints on third-party sellers, triggering sellers' concerns about platform constraints, making the independent station mode popular.

The independent station mode is a way for sellers to detach from third-party platforms such as Amazon and independently build and sell products through a website. With the development of the independent station market, more and more sellers are turning to this more free and personalized mode of operation.

2. Development trend of the independent station mode

According to research data, the scale of China's independent station market in cross-border e-commerce continues to grow, and the future market share is expected to rise significantly. Independent stations can not only avoid the constraints of platform rules but also achieve more personalized operations, improve brand loyalty, and conversion rates.

Once brands and sellers reach a certain business volume, they often switch to the more imaginative and development-oriented independent website model. Especially with the maturing development of mobile payments, live streaming sales, international logistics, etc., Chinese sellers are more inclined to establish independent websites to showcase their brands.

Capital Focuses on Independent Website SaaS Track

The huge potential of the independent website market has attracted capital's attention, and it is expected that the future market size of independent websites will grow significantly. Policies are also beginning to support the development of independent websites, providing funding support to eligible enterprises to further promote the development of the independent website model.

Companies offering independent website SaaS services for cross-border e-commerce enterprises will also usher in new development opportunities, and the future independent website market will have a broader development space.

Overall, the independent website model for cross-border e-commerce is on the rise and will become the main trend of future development. With the continuous expansion of the market and capital investment, independent website SaaS service providers and brand sellers will have more development opportunities.

Trends in Independent Website Development

The success of independent stations lies in the emergence of a behemoth SHEIN. It is reported that the company's current valuation has reached $100 billion, surpassing the total market value of fast fashion giants H&M and Zara. This validates the viability of the independent station business model, making Chinese small and medium-sized sellers eager to build their own independent controllable stations, hoping to become the next SHEIN.

Independent Station Revenue Data

Independent stations have become a key business layout for many major sellers, and some leading sellers have achieved good results. According to the 2021 financial report, last year Ancke Innovation's independent station revenue reached 390 million yuan, accounting for 3.13% of total revenue; Zebao Technology's independent station revenue was 120 million yuan. Independent stations have become one of the main revenue channels for many sellers.

Diverse marketing strategies solve the pain points of traffic acquisition

Building a website itself does not have many technological barriers. It takes about a month for a customer to confirm the need for website construction to acceptance of the results. However, the ceiling of independent station traffic operation is high. If you want to play it differently from others, there are many things to learn.

Among them, the biggest pain point of building an independent website is to solve the difficult problem of acquiring traffic from multiple channels. Helping sellers obtain higher quality and cheaper traffic is the most urgent issue faced by every SaaS website building platform. Currently, the strategy for independent websites is to attract consumers to the independent site through various means, such as search engines, social media, emails, promotion alliances, internet celebrities, etc., and then promote conversions.

Independent websites have a variety of marketing strategies, including DTC mode, subscription-based e-commerce, etc. Different players in the outbound market face different challenges and blind spots, so service providers need to provide precise marketing solutions based on the seller's different growth stages to achieve accurate traffic acquisition. By recording users' browsing paths and data, continuously conducting A/B testing, an independent website can become an excellent platform for brand owners to accumulate user data and build a private domain.

Challenges and Solutions

Although the independent station mode appears to be perfect, there are still many challenges in actual operation. Sellers at different stages will also face different pain points. From new overseas sellers starting up to domestic top brand merchants, they have different difficulties and needs. Solutions include building warehouse logistics system, defining brand user profiles, and achieving the integration of product and brand effectiveness.

The greatest value lies in providing fast, high-quality, and cost-effective services. Cross-border e-commerce sellers should leave professional matters to professionals, thereby freeing up time and energy to focus on product quality and channel development. This type of collaboration will help enhance the brand's competitiveness while reducing operational risks and costs.