Website Development Design Planning and Website Operations

The formation and origin of the term “independent website” has already been introduced in the previous article What is an Independent Website?. If you want to know what materials are needed to build an independent website or the costs involved, you can check out the article What preparations are needed for building an independent website, and how much does it cost? for detailed information. The term “independent website” is a unique label used by Chinese companies going global to refer to cross-border e-commerce websites. The goal of designing, developing, and operating an independent website is to manage its traffic effectively and achieve conversion objectives. This is the fundamental purpose of developing such a site. However, clearly defining your intention to launch an independent website project does not mean you're already close to success—it only marks a good starting point. After all, setting a clear goal is just the foundation. To manage and grow an independent website at every stage, a well-rounded and objective plan is still required. In general, an independent website project plan can be divided into three main parts: “conversion-driven marketing features,” “creative website design,” and “internet marketing channels and strategies.” To move ever closer to success in operating an independent website and fulfilling business goals, a complete project plan and strong execution capabilities are both essential. As the founder and marketing director of Logic Digital Technology, I’ve received many client inquiries related to independent website development. Through the consultation process, I found that many clients, due to a lack of professional knowledge in web programming (since independent website development is essentially web programming) and internet business operations, end up with vague planning, unclear functional development needs, and no internet marketing strategy at all. While using SEO techniques to search across multiple engines for content related to “independent website development and operation,” I discovered that most of the available content is highly fragmented. Very little offers meaningful value or feedback to businesses or marketers currently planning such projects, and most of it fails to provide systematic benchmarks or actionable implementation strategies. That's what inspired me to write this article—hoping it can directly help readers who are planning or already working on independent website design, development, and operational strategy, or those who already have a website but need to upgrade it. This guide aims to provide a complete and executable plan so readers can understand how to effectively design an independent website from the planning stage, and how to focus on the essence and core of website operation and internet marketing. To make this article more broadly accessible, I’ve intentionally avoided complex technical jargon. Instead, it is written from the perspective of B2B and B2C brands aiming to expand globally, with a focus on clarifying the ideas behind independent website design, development, and internet marketing. This article will not only highlight common misconceptions about operating an independent website but also offer correct approaches for both development and marketing. I sincerely hope this content lives up to expectations and can become a valuable reference for anyone involved in independent website design, planning, and marketing strategy formulation—helping more people who need it.

"Though the road is long, it will be reached." Logic Digital Technology hopes that readers who come across this article understand that while achieving success in the independent website track and realizing commercial visions involves extensive expertise, as long as one selects a differentiated product field through scientific internet marketing analysis methods, and possesses strong learning abilities, a solid plan, and correct execution, steady progress will still lead to success. Below is the table of contents for this article. Readers with some experience and capability in independent website operations can select chapters based on their knowledge gaps. For readers with no experience in independent website project design, development, and internet marketing, it is recommended to read in sequence. The article "Independent Website Development Design Planning and Independent Website Operations" is divided into the following six chapters:

• Mistaken Thinking in Independent Website Operations
• Marketing and Conversion Function Design for Independent Websites and the Role of Website Pages
• Creative Design for Independent Websites
• Independent Website Operations - Internet Marketing Traffic Channels/Platforms
• Independent Website Operations - Internet Marketing Strategy Recommendations
• Independent Website Operations - Internet Marketing Summary

Ⅰ、 Mistaken Thinking in Independent Website Operations

1. The website is the only thing that matters. The website determines everything.

Website absolutists believe that the website determines everything. Indeed, a great independent website is designed—not having the ability to plan and design an independent website means it's impossible to develop one with complete marketing functionalities that can attract and retain visitors. When designing an independent website, one must take into account the website's goals and conversion features. The required functionalities should also align with the entire marketing funnel and the overall marketing strategy and tactics. However, during the design phase of a new independent website, there will always be areas that are overlooked—for example, visitor behavior tracking, content preferences, traffic source channels, and the commercial value of that traffic are all unknown at this stage. These internet marketing data points can only be collected after the website is launched and internet marketing activities begin. The effectiveness of executing internet marketing strategies also determines the overall performance of the independent website. Therefore, we should have an objective perspective on how to properly operate an independent website. When it comes to understanding independent website operations, we must avoid extreme views—either too far to the left or right—as such biases are not objective. Operating an independent website means doing internet marketing well, and internet marketing encompasses a wide range of specialized knowledge. From a marketing standpoint, doing a good job with VI/UI/UX during the website’s design stage is only the first step. What follows is the continuous analysis of data in actual marketing practice, where understanding cause-and-effect relationships helps refine and optimize marketing strategies.

2. Operation-only theory, the thinking that operation determines everything

Those who take an "operations-only" perspective also lack an objective understanding of independent websites. They tend to oversimplify internet marketing strategies and activities for independent websites by equating them with store operations on cross-border e-commerce platforms, such as Amazon or eBay. What they fail to realize is that the operational methods used for stores on e-commerce platforms are fundamentally different from internet marketing. A simple example to illustrate this: Amazon is actually the largest advertising client of Google. So, if your independent website is planning to run ads on Google, then you are essentially competing directly with Amazon on the Google search engine. From the perspective of computer science, it also involves using code to link your independent website with marketing media platforms, enabling data transmission between your website and the corresponding marketing platforms.

All of the above are just the basics. If you want to do a good job with SEO or wish to make custom style and layout adjustments during the operation of your independent website, you’ll need to be familiar with and use HTML and CSS to technically implement these changes. Of course, it’s not necessary to demand that you independently complete every task involving computer science expertise. If launching and managing an independent website project requires full mastery of all professional knowledge beforehand, then chances are the project launch would be endlessly delayed. The alternative to handling computer science-level work yourself is to hire a third-party professional independent website development company like Logic Digital Technology. Such companies can handle everything from UI design, website development, to ongoing technical maintenance services and core internet marketing guidance such as SEO/SEM operations.

All of the above technical skills are not something a typical operator of a cross-border e-commerce platform store would possess. The reason is simple: professionals who have these technical capabilities are unlikely to choose a career in e-commerce store operations. Here, I would like to emphasize to readers that I have absolutely no ill intention toward operation positions within the cross-border e-commerce industry. I only aim to illustrate the comprehensive technical demands involved in the development and management of an independent website, and the importance of specialization in different domains. If any of my wording causes offense, I kindly ask for your understanding. You might think: my operations staff aren’t platform store operators—they’re independent website operators. But please don’t overlook this: the professional technologies involved in the development and online marketing of an independent website are heavily rooted in computer science. Even SEO, which is commonly categorized as a digital marketing role, is in fact a very legitimate and integral part of internet marketing. However, if we only understand SEO as a marketing task, our understanding would be overly narrow. We must go deeper and understand the components of SEO. Only by executing all of these components effectively can we achieve actual SEO results. SEO generally consists of three major components: technical code-level SEO, content creation, and link building. What’s often referred to as technical SEO focuses on optimizing the website’s code to ensure that the front-end structure aligns with search engine standards. To do SEO well, the foundation must be built on the effectiveness of this underlying code. Optimizing front-end code is the fundamental step in SEO. If this foundation is unclear or unverifiable, the other two components of SEO may not be able to deliver their intended performance. Now that we’ve gone through all this, take a moment to reflect—does your independent website operations staff have the academic and professional background to match the technical demands of their role?

So, is the author trying to say that an independent website doesn’t need operation roles? Of course not. Independent websites certainly require operation roles. Without various operational positions working together to assist in content creation and the management of traffic channels, there would be no foundation to speak of in terms of an independent website’s information output, traffic volume, conversion goals, or commercial value. However, we shouldn’t rely on a vague and generalized concept of “operations.” Instead, operational roles should be segmented and clearly defined. When it comes to the subdivision of operational roles and their respective responsibilities, we must move on to discuss subsection 3 of this part: the flawed thinking of “relying on a single operations role to build a successful independent website.”

3. Expecting one operator to build an independent website

It is a mistake to simply equate the operation of an independent website with the operations role of an e-commerce platform store, because to a certain extent, an independent website is essentially an e-commerce platform that a company develops, builds, and operates on its own. What’s needed is platform-level operational thinking, not store-level thinking. Applying the mindset used to operate a cross-border e-commerce platform store to an independent website can lead to a fatal strategic misdirection—and when the direction is wrong, failure becomes irreversible. Due to the unique landscape of the domestic Chinese internet product sales market being tightly monopolized by e-commerce giants, domestic enterprises have had very limited participation in internet marketing. Even for cross-border e-commerce businesses that do not focus on the domestic market, the majority have transitioned from operating platform-based stores to now managing independent websites. As a result, many enterprises newly transitioning to independent websites lack a clear understanding of independent website design, development, and internet marketing. This often leads to a misjudgment in hiring—believing that managing an independent website can be handled just like a store on an e-commerce platform, with just one operations person. This is an unrealistic ideal that does not hold up in practice. Running an independent website is a systematic project involving program development, website maintenance and product management, strategic planning and execution of internet marketing channels, data analysis, content planning, and content creation, among others. Whether from a personal energy or professional skills perspective, it is simply unachievable by one person. Of course, from the perspective of a business, there may be small investments made to test the market, or in some cases, startups may be budget-constrained and intentionally take this approach. Regardless of the reason, if you are fortunate enough to read this article, I, as the founder and marketing director of Logic Digital Technology , would like to share with you the breakdown of independent website operational roles and their responsibilities. This will help you avoid the trial-and-error costs during your planning phase and instead adopt the correct approach when designing your independent website and formulating your internet marketing strategy. Even with limited budgets, you can still move forward step by step—just don’t approach it idealistically. Be objective and understand the essential roles required to properly run an independent website:

• Independent Website Technical Maintenance Position: Responsible for cooperating with SEM/SEO operations by making necessary page detail adjustments and optimizations, managing the addition/removal of content on independent website pages, and ensuring the stable operation of the independent website. This role provides computer science-based technical support and implementation for marketing and operations roles. Whether this position is full-time or part-time can be determined based on the company's specific needs—it is possible to hire full-time technical staff or opt for outsourcing. Generally, independent website design and development companies with well-established technical services offer technical maintenance services for independent websites.
• SEM Operations Position: Responsible for managing the Google Ads account and formulating and implementing strategies for Google Ads campaigns. This role involves collecting and analyzing data generated through effective advertising strategies and continuously optimizing campaign parameters and keywords.
• SEO Operations Management Position: The SEO operations management position is somewhat unique—it is the most difficult to evaluate in terms of professional expertise and the most challenging to hire for. The knowledge structure required for SEO operations management is comprehensive, necessitating a full understanding of SEO logic and practical methodology. One must understand both internet users' search intent and the value of content quality, as well as the underlying logic of web programming. This allows one to deduce search engine algorithms and signals from a technical perspective. Since these specialized skills must be concentrated in a single individual, talents capable of fulfilling the SEO operations management role are extremely scarce in China. Most HR personnel find it difficult to assess the professional abilities of applicants for this role during recruitment. However, evaluating technical capabilities for SEO operations management is not an unsolvable problem. There is a direct and effective method: ask the candidate to provide examples of content planned and executed during their previous work, and directly check the results on Google's SERP. The SEO operations management position plays a crucial role in the team and can even determine the success of a website’s SEO optimization efforts. Specific job responsibilities include formulating SEO structures and frameworks, analyzing keyword data and deploying keywords, conducting tests on search engine algorithms and SEO performance, managing Google Search Console and Google Analytics, resolving SEO bottlenecks, assigning SEO topics to SEO content editors, and evaluating the content created by the SEO editing team. The unique nature of the SEO operations management role may make it difficult for a website business to quickly recruit the right talent. However, that should not become a reason to halt progress. My company, Logic Digital Technology, offers both free and paid SEO/SEM operational consulting services for independent website businesses. The scope of this service is limited to guidance and technical support. While it may not be as comprehensive as hiring a full-time SEO operations manager, professional technical consulting is more than sufficient to support an independent website business in launching its SEO marketing operations.
• SEO Content Editor Position: The SEO content editor role is more suitable for individuals with a liberal arts background. It is a position that tests one’s ability in writing logic and content development. The main responsibility is to carry out the topics and keyword deployment tasks assigned by the SEO operations management, and to complete entire articles based on SEO-compliant content frameworks. Once the writing is completed and passes compliance checks, it is submitted to SEO operations management for evaluation. After ensuring the content quality and the depth of text-image structure meet standards, the content will then be published by the SEO operations manager.

4. Superstitious belief in panaceas and turning stones into gold

This next misconception about operating an independent site might again offend some people. That’s because I’m going to talk about breaking the superstitious “pray-and-hope” mindset around independent site operations, helping newcomers wake up and avoid being taken advantage of—which inevitably threatens the interests of those who profit from misleading others. Many businesses, after developing their independent site, only know that the site itself doesn’t inherently generate traffic and that internet marketing is necessary to attract visitors. However, they often fail to understand the logic behind internet marketing. They don’t know where to begin or which marketing channel to choose. Even if they’ve heard that Google Search has a high conversion rate, they still can’t decide whether to invest in Google Ads or focus on SEO to obtain organic traffic. They find themselves overwhelmed and at a loss. Then, a common saying pops into their mind: “Leave professional tasks to professionals.” Now, this phrase isn’t inherently wrong—it just depends on what kind of task we’re talking about and what area of expertise it involves. If applied to the development of an independent site, the phrase is correct—after all, we can’t expect to run a site and also learn programming languages from scratch just to build it ourselves. But if this phrase is applied to internet marketing, it becomes logically flawed. Internet marketing is about business operations. It’s like founding a company—can the founder or boss succeed by completely outsourcing the business side under the notion of “leave it to professionals”? To put it more vividly: If you expect to succeed just by handing over your independent site’s SEO/SEM marketing to a managed service provider, ask yourself this—if those agencies really had the same capability as someone like Sky Xu, the founder of Shein, then why wouldn’t they start their own cross-border eCommerce business instead? As long as we remain objective and use logic to analyze and think through issues, we won’t fall into the trap of superstition or become easy targets. What is superstition? Believing in something without understanding it—that is superstition.

Additionally, there are quite a few people who are obsessed with “magical shortcuts” while neglecting the fundamentals. They don’t take the time to deeply understand the essence of internet marketing, nor do they analyze and attribute data from all dimensions of independent site marketing. Instead, they focus on unrealistic “tricks.” Those who hold this mindset are essentially no different from those dreaming of getting rich overnight. Internet marketing is a process of cultivating and refining your marketing work—it does not involve any miraculous shortcuts or magical transformations. Whether it’s SEO or SEM, the essence of internet marketing lies in studying users' search intent and delivering value. The most challenging yet meaningful aspect is researching users' precise search intent and creating high-quality content and products that satisfy that intent. Precisely because it is difficult, it requires meticulous effort rather than opportunistic shortcuts. From another perspective, internet marketing is also a process of continuous optimization and phased strategy adjustment. In different stages, an independent site’s marketing channels will have varying focus and performance goals. Therefore, to successfully carry out internet marketing for an independent site, it’s not enough to just study the technical operations—more importantly, one must research users' search intent. Search intent refers to the purpose behind users' search behavior on search engines. This purpose may be to look for a product or information, or to find a solution to a specific problem. Creating high-quality content that aligns with users' search intent and fulfills their needs—this is not only the essence of internet marketing, but also its “ultimate simplicity” philosophy. By following a methodical, phased plan and continuously implementing internet marketing strategies, those who are skilled at analyzing data will gradually discover more patterns and insights. When I explain internet marketing to my colleagues, I often describe it as follows: The traffic and commercial value on the internet are like the combination lock of a safe. We don’t know the password to this safe in advance. When we develop our internet marketing strategies and carry out marketing activities, it’s like trying to unlock this “internet traffic and commercial value” safe. We have to constantly turn and fine-tune the combination dials bit by bit to test and crack the code, until we finally open the door to this safe of internet traffic and business potential.

5. Not knowing the stages of independent station operation, and having too high expectations for the starting point and results of the first stage

In my daily consultations regarding independent site development needs, I’ve found that a significant number of clients who are just transitioning to building independent sites often have overly high expectations for the starting point and outcomes in the first phase. This is mainly reflected in two areas. First, they are unaware that independent site development comes in two different models: custom development and template-based development. Without this knowledge, they naturally can’t make an informed decision based on their actual needs when choosing between the two. As a result, some of these clients, especially those whose companies are in the early stages or just transitioning, might impulsively opt for a custom development solution. Of course, from the perspective of a technical development company like us that specializes in independent site customization, custom development is a good thing. It’s what we primarily do at Logic Digital Technology. However, it’s also important to assess whether the client's current level of technical expertise and budget can realistically support such a choice. For example, if your total budget is only around ¥20,000, then it's unrealistic to expect a full custom development project. Furthermore, we must also consider the client's level of technical understanding. If you don’t even know what web interaction design is, how would you be able to provide a design draft? If the client is unable to provide their own design draft, they can certainly commission our web designers to create one. However, that still requires collaboration on defining the website structure and the visual identity (VI) scheme. This process also demands a certain level of professional knowledge in order to communicate effectively.

Due to the aforementioned budget and technical expertise limitations of the client at this stage, we generally recommend that first-time site builders opt for the template-based development model to gain initial experience. Internet-based operations are a long-term, progressive process that involves a great deal of professional knowledge. Clients who typically require custom development are those who have previously built websites and are now seeking an upgraded version to align with their current brand tone and marketing strategy.

Second, when it comes to internet marketing performance for an independent site, one must have a phased and progressively realistic mindset—there’s a “zero-to-one” process involved. The initial stage is, without exception, in the negative range—worse than zero. What we need to focus on is how to quickly fine-tune our independent site’s internet marketing strategy to reach the point of effective conversion. Once that milestone is achieved, we can then pursue the maximization of commercial value and continuously expand the results of that value. It is a mistake to blindly assume from the start that an independent site will immediately bring in profits once it goes live. The length and success of this cycle depend on each company’s unique factors: product advantages, after-sales service, business communication processes, user value, the quality of the independent site’s design and development (especially the completeness of marketing conversion features), and the depth and breadth of its internet marketing efforts. Since these core indicators vary greatly between companies, there are cases where businesses achieve marketing breakthroughs very quickly. At the same time, there are also companies that have spent years stuck in the same place—still trying to figure out how to properly operate their independent site, yet remain lost in the fog.

Ⅱ、 Marketing and Conversion Function Design for Independent Websites and the Role of Website Pages

If readers have made it this far and still do not have a clear understanding of the business goals behind operating an independent site, let me explain in the most straightforward way. Generally speaking, there are two types of independent sites in cross-border e-commerce, and these two types are determined by their respective business models. One type is the B2B business model independent site, also commonly referred to as a foreign trade site. The other type is the B2C business model independent site, also known as an e-commerce independent site. Some clients who are developing an independent site tend to use terms like “showcase site” or “presentation-style website” during discussions. In fact, these terms are overly broad. Strictly speaking, any kind of website can be called a “showcase site” or “presentation-style website.” As a technical development company, we certainly understand the intention, but sometimes it becomes difficult to tell whether the client genuinely lacks the ability to distinguish even the basic positioning of the website, or if they believe using terms like “showcase site” will result in a smaller and cheaper project quote. Indeed, the budget for each type of website does vary. However, this is not due to how the website is labeled, but rather because different types of websites require different features. For instance, if a B2B independent site has only a few SKUs—say, a single-digit number—and its product line consists of large single-product categories, then there is no need to integrate the WooCommerce e-commerce system. Since the number of SKUs is small, there is no need for product management. Some with less technical understanding believe that because B2B doesn’t require product sales or a payment system, the independent site therefore doesn’t need to integrate an e-commerce system. This is also a misunderstanding. At the very least, this perspective fails to grasp the key factor in deciding whether an independent site should incorporate the WooCommerce system. The decision of whether a B2B independent site should include the WooCommerce e-commerce system is not based on whether payment integration is required, but rather on whether product management is needed.

Aside from the WooCommerce e-commerce system, another common functional difference between different types of independent sites is that B2C independent sites typically require integration with an EDM system to enable email subscription features and email marketing, whereas B2B independent sites generally do not. Therefore, the real key factor that determines the development cost of a website lies in the functions you require. The variables that affect development costs in the requirements include the site-building model, number of pages, number of features, design drafts, and the technical implementation of the pages. It doesn’t matter what you choose to call your website—you could call it Zhang San Site or Li Si Site if you like—ultimately, the development cost of the project is calculated based on the requirements. That being said, let's return to the main point. Independent sites built on different business models aim for different conversion goals. The goal of an independent site is its conversion objective. If we borrow the terminology from Google Ads, it would be referred to as a conversion event. The goal of a B2B independent site is to obtain more inquiries, while the goal of a B2C independent site is to increase the number of completed purchases by new users and the repurchase rate of returning users. Once you have clarified the goal of your independent site, the planning of the site’s design and development should focus on marketing conversion functions and the design of key pages according to that goal. All planning and design should revolve around the goal of the independent site. Likewise, all internet marketing activities after the independent site goes live must also align with the conversion goal of the site—because the conversion goal of the independent site is the starting point for everything.

1. Marketing and conversion function design of B2B independent station

The goal of a B2B independent website is to obtain more inquiries and generally acquire customers from multiple regions/countries. Based on this goal, the key marketing and conversion functions required by a B2B independent website are as follows:

• Product Display & Case Display: Whether a B2B independent site needs to be equipped with an e-commerce management system depends on the number of product SKUs and the design style of the product detail pages, as these two development indicators directly affect the development cost of the independent site. Not all B2B independent sites require an e-commerce management system, and it’s also not true that B2B sites never need product management. Here, I will further explain why the number of product SKUs and the design style of product detail pages are the key factors in deciding whether a B2B independent site needs to be equipped with an e-commerce management system. If your B2B independent site offers large single-product types, then generally speaking, it does not require an e-commerce management system. That’s because large single-product SKUs typically mean fewer products—one SKU corresponds to one product page. Even if each product page has a different design, each can be developed individually. In this case, developing a few separate product pages would cost about the same as building a basic e-commerce management system. On the other hand, if your B2B independent site offers multi-SKU products/services, the decision hinges on whether the number of individual product pages justifies custom development. For example, a B2B site with 3–5 large single-product SKUs is better suited for separate page development. However, when you have more than five products, the cost of developing individual product pages becomes harder to justify compared to implementing an e-commerce management system. Therefore, for B2B independent sites with more than 5 product SKUs, it's more cost-effective to adopt an e-commerce management system. Products can be uploaded to the system and product pages generated dynamically. If you use the native product page templates of the e-commerce system (If the design styles of different product pages vary, additional design and development costs will be incurred based on the number of creative page styles required), you can upload products manually without incurring extra costs, no matter how many there are. Additionally, multi-SKU B2B independent sites often require robust product management, which is another strong reason for implementing an e-commerce management system. If your product catalog is large and requires frequent updates, manually editing each product page significantly increases development costs. Moreover, it's impractical for regular operations staff of an independent site to handle such updates, as it would require knowledge of page editing and web programming languages. Most independent site operators only have the skills to manage and edit product information within an e-commerce management system and are not equipped to handle tasks that require a background in computer science.
• Pure Product Display Window/Slider: If you have multiple product SKUs but do not want to integrate an e-commerce system and also do not require product detail pages, there is a targeted alternative solution available. That is, you can develop a general product display window/slider. Each product can be displayed using an individual product slider. You can also showcase products with large product images or thumbnails, and video files can be embedded for visual product demonstrations. All products can be laid out in rows or columns on a single page. The prerequisite for adopting this kind of pure product display window/slider solution is that you are certain each product does not require a dedicated product detail page, nor the presentation of any product-specific parameters or data.
• Multilingual Support: Based on the selected target regions/countries for operation, choose the appropriate display languages for the independent site content. It’s important to note that each language displayed on the independent site should not only consider the user experience for visitors but also account for the technical aspects of SEO. Most importantly, it should be aligned with Google SERP. Therefore, the multilingual functionality of the website must be developed using SEO-compliant technical implementations.
• Communication Tools: To encourage independent site visitors to take conversion actions and achieve better conversion results, configuring multiple contact methods for both online and offline communication can play a positive role.
• Call-to-Action Buttons (CTA): Cleverly placing CTA buttons in appropriate positions and areas convenient for users of the independent site can effectively promote the achievement of conversion goals. Buttons like “Consult Now” or “Get a Quote” placed in prominent locations can psychologically encourage users to click on the CTA.
• Inquiry Forms: A must-have feature for B2B independent sites, generally configured on the contact-us and about-us pages. Some independent site designs also place inquiry forms on more key conversion pages, but this approach is not recommended—it may be overkill and negatively affect the aesthetic of the page. A better practice that balances aesthetics and conversion is to use a “fixed inquiry info bar at the top or bottom of the page,” like the one you see at the bottom of the current page. This is how Logic Digital Technology designs conversion paths on its own article pages.
• Fixed Inquiry Info Bar at the Top or Bottom of the Page: The inquiry info bar is generally displayed dynamically; it doesn’t appear immediately when users visit the page but shows up fixed at the top or bottom of the browser once the user scrolls. The content usually includes the products/services offered by the independent site, CTA buttons, and contact buttons. Additional creative elements that support conversion goals can also be added. The fixed format ensures that while users browse content, they don’t get confused about what the site offers or how to make contact, thus preventing lost conversion opportunities—just like the fixed inquiry bar you’re seeing at the bottom of this page designed by Logic Digital Technology.
• Sticky Header: While the sticky header is visually similar to the “fixed inquiry info bar,” they serve different purposes. The sticky header mainly includes the navigation menu and search box, aimed at helping and encouraging users to explore more of the website’s content and structure—its goal is increased pageviews. On the other hand, the goal of the “fixed inquiry info bar” is to highlight the business and make it easy for users to initiate contact. If you want both features, they need to be designed cleverly to avoid conflict between the two.
• Mega Menu: A mega menu is an advanced alternative to the conventional hierarchical navigation menu. Since Logic Digital Technology provides technical development services for independent sites and doesn’t deal with physical products, our website uses a standard navigation menu. However, a mega menu is more suitable for independent sites with physical products—it can integrate product images/videos and multi-level categories into a dropdown box with custom width and height, providing a more advanced visual experience and making it easier for users to browse products on the independent site.
• Product-Linked Advanced Search: When users type related product keywords into the search box of the independent site, this feature dynamically shows results containing product titles, parameters, and thumbnails. When users click a search result, they’re taken directly to the corresponding product page.
• Download Center: A page for organizing product usage or after-sales documents, with features like category filters and downloadable files. This allows users to easily find and download relevant materials. Additionally, PDF documents related to products can enrich the site’s content and boost natural search traffic.
• Quotation System or Price Calculator: These tools are commonly seen on well-performing B2B independent sites. They provide users with interactive tools to quickly get pricing information. Users can input product quantities, dimensions, specs, materials, packaging options, shipping methods, etc., and the system calculates and displays the price in real time. This improves the user experience and increases the inquiry conversion rate.
• SEO Features: SEO functionality refers to backend programming features developed specifically for search engine optimization, such as custom TDU features, robots protocol, sitemap, Schema structured data markup, and canonical tags with visual configuration capabilities. Special attention should be paid to the correct configuration of the robots index value, as it directly determines whether a page is indexable by search engine crawlers/spiders.

2、Marketing and Conversion Function Design for B2C Independent Websites

The number of functions and the conversion factors and dimensions that need to be considered for B2C independent websites are more numerous and complex compared to B2B independent websites. This is because the conversion goal for B2B independent websites is to generate inquiries, while the conversion goal for B2C independent websites is for users to complete a purchase and make a payment. The former does not require any financial cost, whereas the latter involves actual monetary payment. Users on B2C independent websites need to make a stronger commitment when making a purchase decision, especially for products that are not impulse purchases. Therefore, the marketing and conversion function design for B2C independent websites needs to be planned in a more detailed and meticulous manner.

• E-commerce Management System: WordPress's e-commerce management system is WooCommerce. WooCommerce is a mature e-commerce system under the parent company of WordPress. Its ecosystem is also very well-developed. Most importantly, not only is WordPress open-source, but WooCommerce is also an open-source e-commerce management program. Open source means that any kind of deep functional development can be carried out. The core functionality of an e-commerce management system is product data and sales management. Through various mature e-commerce components within the system, it forms a complete B2C independent site's conversion path including product display, shopping cart, and product ordering and checkout. WooCommerce’s e-commerce management features are powerful and comprehensive, so we won’t go into detailed explanations here. If you're interested in learning more about WooCommerce, you can click on the anchor text to open the article "What is WooCommerce", written by the editor at the end of 2023.
• Promotion and Discount Campaign Integration: Management of coupon creation and usage, limited-time discounts/flash sales, exclusive offers for new users, promotional giveaways (e.g., buy one get one free), and bundled sales. These marketing features for B2C independent sites help promote new product launches and encourage both new and returning users to make purchase decisions. They are essential functions for independent site marketing.
• Payment and Checkout System: Using PayPal and internationally accepted payment methods such as Google Pay, Apple Pay, along with international credit card payment gateways and optional installment payment options—all integrated into one solution—provide convenient payment choices for users of B2C independent sites. Additionally, attention must be given to the checkout page’s information entry process, minimizing all unnecessary form fields and eliminating factors that may cause users to abandon their carts, helping users complete checkout more efficiently.
• Trust Elements Enhancement: Displaying secure payment and buyer protection, customer reviews, and after-sales support services on product pages, shopping carts, and checkout pages helps boost user trust and facilitate purchasing decisions.
• Email Marketing (EDM Integration and Automation): Email marketing is an essential feature for B2C independent sites. Whether it's sending invoices after electronic payment, offering multiple discount codes to recover abandoned checkouts, or promoting new product releases, email marketing functionality is crucial for support.
• Recommendation System: A recommendation system based on user browsing history and preferences can suggest relevant products, improving the efficiency of user decision-making and increasing the number of items purchased per transaction. This contributes to overall sales growth for the independent site.
• Member Center: The functionality within the member center should focus on user retention and added value. Common features to develop include "Login/Registration/Forgot Password, Order Tracking, File Downloads, Member Tier Discounts, Member Points, and Wallet Functionality." Among them, login and registration may involve integration with various third-party APIs. The wallet feature requires deeper backend development using PHP, and its functional attributes determine the need for additional features such as top-up and balance usage.
• Live Chat and Customer Support: B2C independent sites can integrate support for live agents or AI chatbots to answer frequently asked questions, meeting users’ needs for online inquiries. Instant messaging tools such as LINE, Wechat, WhatsApp, Messenger, or LiveChat can also be integrated into the B2C independent site. The choice of tool should match the site's target audience. For example, if the site targets users in Europe or America, WhatsApp is the optimal choice. Select appropriately based on your independent site’s region and audience habits.
• Inventory and Logistics Management: Inventory and logistics management functions are essential for any B2C independent site. Without them, product production and sales operations may become chaotic. Inventory management prevents stockouts or overstock situations. Inventory data serves as the basis for business production planning decisions. Logistics management provides real-time shipping data for order tracking, benefiting both the business and its customers with added value.
• Multilingual Support: Multilingual Implementation – Page content and strings need to support localization, regardless of whether the site is B2B or B2C. The number of supported languages depends on the countries/regions in which the independent site operates.
• Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons: CTA buttons such as “Add to Cart” or social sharing buttons that help promote the brand or products of the independent site provide users with more opportunities to engage. This helps generate organic traffic and increases conversion possibilities.
• Sticky Purchase Info Bar at Top or Bottom: A sticky (fixed) information bar at the top or bottom of the page is an effective element for increasing conversion rates on B2C independent sites. However, it is best to use either the top or the bottom—not both—on the same page to avoid clutter. This feature is particularly effective on blog post pages, as it helps lock in SEO traffic and enhance its commercial value. It works similarly to the contact button bar fixed at the bottom of the browser while you're reading this article.
• Sticky Header: If a page already uses a sticky header, there's usually no need to include a sticky purchase info bar. Relevant conversion buttons can be integrated directly into the sticky header area (container), achieving the same expected result.
• Mega Menu: The mega menu is an advanced display style for navigation menus. It combines various media elements to present B2C or B2B independent site navigation. It reflects brand tone while helping users quickly locate products. Mega menus are now widely used across all types of websites to elevate the overall design. A well-designed mega menu created by a designer naturally gives the site a premium brand feel.
• Advanced Product Search: This is a universal feature, suitable for both B2B and B2C independent sites. The purpose of developing this function is to meet the user's need for quick access to multi-dimensional product information or parameters. When users type in certain product information into the input field of the advanced search feature, a list of matched product data appears. The list displays combined information such as product thumbnails, names, SKUs, and prices.
• Download Center: Whether an independent site needs a download center depends on its products or services—not whether it follows a B2B or B2C model. The download center page includes category filters, content filters, and document download functionality, making it easier for users to find and download relevant resources. In addition, rich PDF files related to products increase the content volume and boost natural search traffic.
• Product Reviews: Text and image reviews (user-generated content), along with star ratings from returning or frequent customers, are features B2C independent sites should consistently maintain and optimize. These genuine positive experiences are valuable assets that grow over time and can eventually yield significant commercial value. They also serve as credible references for new buyers making decisions and are considered advanced practices in SEO—specifically in UGC (User-Generated Content). Since user-generated content may be indexed by search engines, it can expand the site's SEO effectiveness. Therefore, maintaining strong product review functionality benefits both user trust and SEO.
• SEO Features: SEO features are essential for all commercial independent sites that rely on organic search traffic, regardless of whether they’re B2B or B2C. SEO functions refer to backend features developed to support search engine optimization, including custom TDU settings, robots.txt protocol, sitemaps, schema structured data markup, and canonical visual configuration tools. Special attention must be paid to the correct configuration of robots index parameters, as they directly affect whether pages are crawled by search engines.

3、Core Page Functions and Page Elements for B2B/B2C Independent Websites

When planning the pages and designing elements for an independent website, it is important to understand that each page in the website structure has its own distinct function. The role of each page determines its level of importance, and the elements used on each page are the result of its purpose. Below, I have provided a list to explain the core page functions of an independent website and the common elements found on these pages. This content will help independent website planners maintain a clear thought process when drafting their design plans. The difference in page functions between B2B and B2C independent websites lies in the fact that B2B independent websites do not require a member center registration/login page, shopping cart, or checkout page. The function and common elements of other pages remain the same for both B2B and B2C independent websites.

• Home Page Function: The home page can be understood as the most central page within the entire independent website structure. Its role is to convey the company's brand image and showcase the most critical products or services through creative design elements. The home page also serves as the archive page of the entire independent website, allowing users to navigate to various key pages. Therefore, it is the core of the whole site and also the most content-rich page. The home page is the one that most tests the planner/designer’s capabilities.
• Common Elements of the Home Page: Carousel or video to display core products/services, featured products or promotional banners, core company advantages and value propositions, quick navigation to key pages, customer testimonials and case studies, certifications and awards, partner logos, etc.
• About Us / Company Introduction / Brand Story Page Function: The About Us / Company Introduction / Brand Story page usually refers to the same page, just with different titles. This page is an important way for users to “get to know us.” The quality of its content can significantly influence whether users proceed to explore more of our products/services or decide to exit the site. The purpose of the About Us page is to build a sense of security and trust in the company behind the products or services by showcasing our brand story, vision, and core values.
• Common Elements of the About Us Page: Company history, team member introduction or company culture display, certifications and awards, social responsibility and sustainability philosophy, etc.
• Product/Service Categories Page Function: The product categories page organizes products into logical groupings. Beyond aesthetics, this page needs to categorize products functionally to reduce user search time and effort, improving the user experience by helping users quickly filter and locate target products by type or application.
• Common Elements of the Product Categories Page: Category navigation, product thumbnails and category titles, filter and sorting functions, pagination, and descriptions of product categories.
• Product or Service Detail Page Function: The product or service detail page is essential for persuading users to complete the site's conversion goals. It must showcase the product's key advantages, differentiation, and value to the user using various visual and textual elements. The more valuable information it presents, the higher the site's conversion rate.
• Common Elements of the Product or Service Detail Page: Product images/videos or 3D models, product descriptions, specification tables, user manuals and technical documents, customer cases and application scenarios, CTA buttons or inquiry/purchase bars, etc.
• News/Blog Archive & Article Page Function: These pages categorize and display content such as industry news, company updates, or new product releases. By applying proper keyword placement and SEO best practices, these pages enhance search engine optimization.
• Common Elements of the News/Blog Archive & Article Pages: Sidebars or top navigation areas with conversion-friendly features, such as product/business highlights, contact forms, online chat buttons, etc.
• Contact Us Page Function: The Contact Us page is critical for completing the final step of the independent website’s conversion goal. Its core function is to provide a contact form for users, facilitating lead conversion. When designing this page, it is important to respect user habits, emphasize privacy protection and ease of use, and remove any barriers that might prevent users from submitting their contact info.
• Common Elements of the Contact Us Page: reCAPTCHA, company address and map embedding, phone number, email address and social media links, online chat tools (like LINE, WeChat, WhatsApp, Messenger, or LiveChat), and contact forms.
• Case Studies/Portfolio Page Function: Showcasing successful case studies and project experiences from different industries and application scenarios. Use trustworthy formats such as images/videos to display project results. Adding verifiable customer feedback and stories further enhances user trust in the independent site’s products/services.
• Common Elements of the Case Studies/Portfolio Page: Suggested to include the same elements as those used in News/Blog Archive & Article Pages.
• FAQ Page Function: The FAQ page is used to answer common questions from potential customers. These usually include product assurance and usage queries that help users make purchase decisions. A thorough and detailed FAQ page allows users to solve problems on their own and reduces communication costs.
• Common Elements of the FAQ Page: Grouped or accordion-style Q&A modules and advanced search functions to help users quickly locate their questions.
• Shopping Cart Page Function: For B2C independent websites, the shopping cart page displays the product list—showing all selected products and their details (unit price, total price, taxes, discounts, etc.) and allows users to update quantities, remove items, or continue shopping. It should also include promo code input fields and a clear checkout button to guide users toward payment.
• Common Elements of the Shopping Cart Page: Product list (with images, names, specifications like color/size, quantity selector, price, and delete button), total pricing info (including taxes, discounts, and final amount), checkout button, coupon code field, shipping calculator, and recommended cross-sell items.
• Checkout Page Function: The checkout page is where users provide shipping addresses, choose delivery options, and select payment methods. This is the final step for users to complete a purchase, so it's crucial to eliminate any friction in the process. If users abandon checkout, all prior efforts are wasted.
• Common Elements of the Checkout Page: Shipping address form, delivery method selection, payment method selection, order summary, security badges, etc.
• User Center Login/Registration Page Function: The login/registration page is the gateway for users to enter the member center of a B2C independent website. It ensures information security and prevents unauthorized access. Besides traditional email and phone registration, non-SaaS independent website platforms such as WordPress and Magento support integrating third-party platforms or social logins. This increases registration efficiency and reduces user drop-off. Common platforms include WeChat, Google, Facebook, etc. The choice of platforms should match the usage habits of the target region's audience.
• Common Elements of the Login/Registration Page: Registration/login forms, quick login/register options, security verification modules, and password recovery, etc.

III. Creative Design of Independent Websites (Visual Design of Independent Websites)

The creative design of independent websites involves VI/UI/UX, i.e., visual, user interaction, and user experience design. The quality of creative design determines the competitive differentiation between independent websites. While pursuing website goals, an independent website also serves as a carrier for brand building and market promotion. As market competition intensifies, how to make an independent website stand out among many, attract users' attention, and enhance users' cognitive engagement becomes the focus of consumers' attention. The answer lies in Creative Design.

With the increasing demand for aesthetics and experience from consumers, the creative design of independent websites is no longer just decoration; it is the core driving force behind brand differentiation in competition. From visual impact to user experience, from brand storytelling to interactive innovation, creative design gives brands more possibilities and determines whether an independent website can gain an advantage in competition. A good independent website needs not only technical support but also creative design to create differentiated visual and functional experiences, which is crucial for winning users' favor and market recognition. In the future, creative design will continue to be an important strategy for building competitive barriers for independent websites and will help brands achieve higher market value. The creative design planning and execution of independent websites can be divided into five major areas: B2B Independent Websites and B2C Independent Websites Responsive Design Focused on Device End, Creative Design Shaping Brand Image, Creative Design Enhancing User Experience, Creative Design Integrated with Marketing Strategies, and Technological Empowerment for Creative Design Breakthroughs. Creative design can enhance the competitive advantage of the entire independent website and help it stand out in internet marketing and in competition with other independent websites in the same category. Here’s an objective fact for readers: Even if independent website companies have design positions, they can only do the VI design proposals; in fact, most designers in independent website companies cannot independently produce flat design drafts that comply with Web development standards. In most cases, companies need to involve Web designers from firms like Logic Digital Technology, who can provide a complete set of VI/UI/UX design solutions, provide standards for flat design draft creation, and guide them to produce the design drafts according to quality and specification. If VI design proposals are still like this, UI/UX (User Interaction Design/User Experience Design) proposals are even less likely to be independently completed by the product or flat designers of independent website companies, as UI/UX design requires deeper knowledge of Web program development.

1. Focus on Device Responsiveness in B2B vs. B2C Independent Website Design

When initiating the creative design work of an independent website, we need to analyze the usage habits based on the user profiles of both B2C and B2B independent websites. By understanding these habits, we can determine which device end to focus on when designing the page elements of the independent website. Through simple reasoning and analysis, we can arrive at a relatively accurate conclusion. B2B, or Business To Business, as the name implies, refers to a business model between enterprises. This model determines that the majority of B2B independent website users browse the website during working days and mainly use desktop or laptop computers to search for and access the site. From this, the answer to which device end B2B independent websites should focus on for responsive design becomes obvious. That’s right, B2B independent websites should prioritize the desktop end in responsive design. Therefore, when designing the VI/UI/UX drafts for B2B independent websites, we should primarily focus on the desktop version. The desktop VI/UI/UX performance should carry the highest weight, aiming to provide the best user experience on desktop. The technical implementation method is to prioritize desktop-oriented styles and user experience design. Once the VI/UI/UX drafts for the desktop are completed, the designs for other device ends should be adapted based on the desktop VI/UI/UX drafts in terms of styling and content creation.

The browsing behavior and time of B2C independent website audiences are actually the opposite of those of B2B independent website users. This is something that those with experience in operating cross-border e-commerce platforms like eBay or Amazon will easily understand. In fact, from the browsing habits of B2C independent website audiences, it’s easy to deduce that B2C independent websites should focus on mobile devices for responsive design, because the majority of B2C independent website users browse the site during their non-working leisure time to fulfill their consumption and purchasing needs. During non-working hours, the most suitable electronic device for internet communication is naturally the mobile phone. Therefore, when creating the VI/UI/UX design drafts for B2C independent websites, the creative design, user interaction, and user experience of the mobile version should be emphasized. The technical implementation method is the same as for B2B independent websites, but remember that the approach is the same, not the exact execution. This means that we should first aim to perfect the VI/UI/UX drafts for mobile, and then create the VI/UI/UX drafts for desktop and tablet versions. This is because, in most cases, designers tend to put the most creative effort into the first design draft, and subsequent designs for different device ends are adaptations.

2. Creative Design Shapes Brand Identity (VI)

Creative design is the “face” of an independent website, directly impacting first impressions, visitor retention, bounce rates, and other key digital marketing metrics. It plays a crucial role in converting visitors into users, driving them through multiple visits in the SEM conversion funnel toward making inquiries or placing orders. To effectively shape a brand identity through creative design, attention should be paid to the following aspects and corresponding outcomes:

• Visual Impact: Creating high-quality images/videos, color schemes, and dynamic elements can quickly grab users' attention, enhance brand perception, and increase dwell time.
• Brand Recognition: Unique logo design, icon style, and color schemes can strengthen brand memory points, forming a visual identity.
• Emotional Resonance: Targeting user profile characteristics, using color psychology and graphic expressions to stimulate emotional connections with users, making the independent website more engaging.
• Brand Story Visualization: Using images or videos to present the brand story in an intuitive way, enhancing users' understanding and emotional connection, thereby strengthening the brand's impact on users' minds.
• Exclusive Design Theme Style: Creating a personalized visual style based on industry characteristics and product positioning, such as tech, minimalist, or retro styles. By selecting the design theme first and then proceeding with content creation, we can ensure that the VI design work avoids fundamental errors that would require repeated revisions.

3. Creative Design Enhances User Experience (UI/UX)

Beyond visual appeal (VI), creative design must focus on user interaction and experience (UI/UX). Web designers are required to produce visual identity (VI), user interface (UI), and user experience (UX) design drafts for desktop, mobile, and tablet platforms. It’s essential to fully consider interaction patterns and user experience across these different devices.

• Interactive Innovation: Using hover buttons, action transitions, scroll animations, and dynamic displays to make the page more lively, enhancing the brand tone of the independent website.
• Smooth Interaction Design: Fluid animations, button feedback, and scroll effects in interaction design can improve user satisfaction during operation and reduce bounce rates on the independent website.
• Responsive Design: When creating the creative design for the independent website, it is essential to design responsive VI/UI/UX drafts for multiple devices. Front-end and back-end developers should base the development on the confirmed VI/UI/UX drafts, ensuring that the website provides a consistent and high-quality experience across mobile, tablet, and desktop versions.
• Clear Navigation Structure: Creative design is not only about appearance but also about rational information architecture and easy-to-navigate layouts, enabling users to quickly find the content they need. This is also a prerequisite for improving SEO effectiveness, as a simplified navigation structure that is easy for users to operate also conforms to search engine SEO standards.

4. Integrating Creative Design with Marketing Strategy

The planning and concept of creative design should go beyond aesthetics. It must align with the marketing goals of independent websites operating under various business models. The integration of creative design with marketing strategy reflects a more advanced approach to both website development and business operation. This integration ensures a smoother path to achieving digital marketing success once the site is live.

• Landing Page Optimization: Landing pages designed for specific products, services, or promotions should have page layouts, content, and component elements focused on quickly guiding users to complete their purchases or inquiries, which are the conversion goals of the independent website.
• Dynamic Ad Design: Creative ad graphics and video content can capture user attention and direct traffic to the independent website. Dynamic ad designs should focus on fun effects and core user needs.
• Interactive Element Guidance: Using countdowns, raffles, and forms to engage users, encouraging them to interact and improving user retention and conversion rates.

5. Technology Empowers Breakthroughs in Creative Design

With the continuous innovation of web technologies and the advancement of front-end development, creative design for independent websites has surpassed the limits of traditional styles, realizing diverse display effects. The most impressive among these are the 3D interactive product displays and VR visual systems made possible by Web 3.0 technologies, which have completely enabled multidimensional and multifaceted interactions for independent websites' products. Speaking of Web 3.0 technical implementation, Logic Digital Technology mainly focuses on custom Web 3.0 3D interactive website development as its core business. The Logic Digital Technology Homepage and WordPress Website Design pages showcase the 3D interactive effects made using Web 3.0 technology. Interested readers can visit these two pages to experience the actual 3D interactive effects.

• 3D Modeling and Dynamic Effects: Using 3D interactive technology to display products in 3D, enhancing visual impact and user interaction.
• 3D Application Scenarios: Web 3.0 technologies implement visualized 3D models and interior layouts that enhance virtual reality systems (VR).
• Animation: Dynamic effects can make pages more attractive, enhancing the brand image and perceived value. Additionally, using animation as a page element can reduce page monotony and increase the fun of browsing the independent website.

Ⅳ、Independent Website Operations - Internet Marketing Traffic Channels/Platforms

The success of an independent website relies heavily on professional knowledge and expertise in digital marketing. Once you've avoided common pitfalls and completed a thoughtful design plan, the next step—before launching the website—is to map out a full digital marketing roadmap. This roadmap will guide your upcoming marketing strategies and campaign execution. The digital marketing landscape can be categorized into seven major types of traffic channels/platforms. Excelling in any of these channels requires significant investment in manpower, resources, and focus in order to outperform competitors on the same platform. Unlike traditional marketing, digital marketing is an iterative process—one that demands continuous testing, optimization, and strategic scaling to maximize commercial value. Data and leads generated from campaigns also need in-depth analysis for accurate attribution. Each traffic channel deployment involves extensive groundwork, and even professional internet technology companies may not be able to effectively manage multiple channels simultaneously. Therefore, during the early stages of a website, while it's acceptable to experiment with a mix of marketing channels, the primary focus should be on the most commercially valuable channels. First, optimize a single high-value channel or a key combination. As the site and the business grow, and as resources allow, broader omnichannel coverage can then be pursued. In this section, we introduce seven categories of digital marketing traffic channels/platforms (not ranked in order of importance or effectiveness). Later, in the final section—“Recommendations for Independent Website Marketing Strategies”—we will provide tailored suggestions on how to match traffic channels based on the product/service and the competitive strengths of each independent website business.

1. Search Engine Marketing

Before we talk about search engine marketing, we need to understand which search engines are suitable for independent websites to conduct online marketing. The globally well-known search engines include Google, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, and Yahoo. Among these, Google and Bing have the most prominent global presence, while Baidu and Yandex are dominant in their respective countries or regions — Baidu in China and Yandex in Russia. In fact, DuckDuckGo and Yahoo can be grouped under Bing, as both use Bing's indexing database. In other words, Bing provides SERP data support to both DuckDuckGo and Yahoo. Anyone with some SEO experience knows a key professional insight: once a site is submitted to Bing, there is no need to submit it separately to DuckDuckGo and Yahoo, since Bing’s indexing and ranking data is consistent across all three. Since this article focuses on independent websites, we can basically rule out Baidu, as its market share outside China is negligible. Even Chinese people who have lived abroad for a long time tend to use Google or Bing by habit. Therefore, the search engines worth considering for marketing are Google, Bing, and Yandex. If your independent website targets the Russian market, then Yandex should be your focus. If your site targets a global or multi-regional audience, then Google should be your first choice, followed by Bing, due to their significant difference in market share. There are two main methods of online marketing: SEM (Search Engine Marketing) and SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

To help readers better understand, this explanation uses clear and simple language to describe the two main methods of search engine marketing: SEM and SEO. SEM (Search Engine Marketing) refers to placing advertisements on search engines. It is a paid method of gaining visibility and clicks by displaying ads prominently on the search results page. To advertise on a search engine, you first need to create an Ads account. For example, to advertise on Google, you need to open a Google Ads account and connect it with your website domain. The same applies to advertising on Bing. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is about optimizing your website content to improve its ranking in the search engine results for relevant keywords. SEO helps you gain traffic through keyword rankings. The impressions gained through SEO are part of the process, but actual traffic comes from user clicks. SEO is often referred to as free traffic, but the term “free” is relative. Search engines do not charge for SEO traffic, but achieving good SEO results requires significant human and material resources. From an operational perspective, it is not truly free. A comparison of the characteristics of SEM and SEO is shown in the table below: (Insert comparison table here)

Features	SEM	SEO
Cost	Search engines charge by click for bidding campaigns, which is more expensive	Human resource costs for content creation and SEO operations management
Speed ​​of effect	The effect is fast and takes effect almost immediately after being launched. The review and launch of the advertising campaign can usually be completed within 12 hours.	It takes a process to create valuable content, rank keywords, and gradually gain traffic. The effective time depends on the comprehensive capabilities of the SEO operation team. Generally, there will be initial results in 1-3 months.
Flow continuity	Traffic stops when the campaign stops running	Traffic is steadily increasing, attracting visitors continuously
Controllability	Precise control of budget and placement	Ranking and traffic cannot be absolutely controlled, and there will be small changes in ranking position, such as a drop or rise
Advertisement Marker	"Sponsored" label that indicates advertising	No mark
Technical requirements	Keyword analysis, advertising parameter setting	HTML code, CSS code, keyword analysis, independent site structure, search intent reasoning and content creation, search engine algorithms and signals, link strategy formulation and business cooperation negotiation

2. Image Search Engine Marketing

Visual Content-Based Image Search Engines As far as I know, there is only one visual content-based image search engine: Pinterest. Independent websites can publish "Pin" images, videos, and creative content via their verified business or personal accounts. Its marketing model primarily revolves around promoting visual content, using users' interests and search behaviors for precise marketing. In addition to creating and publishing high-quality content to attract organic traffic from Pinterest's image search engine, Pinterest also has its own SEM advertising system. Pinterest’s business accounts can link their independent website domain and set up ad campaigns for promotion. The types of ads Pinterest supports include Pin images and video promotions, shopping ads, and carousel ads. High-quality creative design images and videos on Pinterest often attract user attention quickly, and the content of Pin images/videos will continue to appear in Pinterest search results, bringing long-term traffic to independent websites.

3. Social Media Marketing

Facebook and Instagram are the most popular social media platforms globally. Currently, although both platforms belong to the Meta parent company, the focus of the two platforms differs. Facebook emphasizes social interaction, while Instagram focuses on visual sharing. Their marketing methods primarily revolve around advertising promotion, content marketing, and community operation. The advertising method on Facebook requires creating a Facebook Business account and managing ads via the Facebook Ads Manager, where you need to configure the audience and conversion goals for ad campaigns, just like in any other platform's Ads manager. A notable point about Facebook and Instagram marketing is that since both social media platforms belong to the same parent company, Meta has integrated the data of Facebook and Instagram in the Business control panel. With one Business account or one ad campaign, the ads can be pushed to both platforms simultaneously. Regarding content marketing to gain organic traffic, Facebook and Instagram attract viewers and followers by publishing valuable content such as industry news, tutorials, brand stories, product applications, and user experiences. This helps increase user engagement and boost the follower count. Additionally, users can create and manage communities by initiating regular discussions and events, keeping the group active and staying in touch with potential customers, forming a loyal user community to expand the independent site's product/business reach.

4. Video Platform Marketing

We will only discuss the largest video platform in terms of global users: YouTube. YouTube is the largest video platform globally, with a broad user base, making it suitable for brand promotion, product displays, and traffic monetization. Although TikTok has a large user base and a strong growth trend in recent years, I am not very familiar with TikTok marketing and have not yet practiced it. Since YouTube belongs to Google, ads on YouTube can be set up directly in Google Ads’ control panel. There are two ways to display ad content on YouTube. The first method is to select "YouTube Video" ad type when creating a new campaign and upload the required video ad materials. The second method is to enable the “Search Network” feature in other ad campaign networks, both of which can display Google Ads campaign content on YouTube. Since video platform content is made up of video materials, producing video files requires a higher technical skill and greater financial investment compared to creating text and image content. Because of this, there are fewer independent websites that excel in gaining organic traffic from video platforms. Since 2023, with the launch of OpenAI's video content creation AI Sora, and the continuous evolution of Sora’s AI, there is a significant transformation likely taking place in the area of content creation for video platform marketing. AI technology can quickly generate high-quality video materials, supporting virtual characters and voice synthesis, greatly reducing video production costs and time. It also offers creative visual effects and dynamic content, enhancing brand appeal. Regarding how to use AI for video platform content creation, I am currently in the exploration phase and do not have a definitive conclusion or any experience to share. However, I believe this will likely be achievable in the near future.

5. Influencer Marketing

Influencer Marketing (Influencer Marketing) is a marketing method that relies on social media and content creators' influence to promote brands or products. The specific method is to choose influencers whose style matches, target audience overlaps, and who meet the expected number of followers and follower quality, based on brand positioning and audience analysis. The collaboration agreement should include creative content co-creation, shared copyright, and usage rights, and the content is spread via influencers' multi-platform accounts. After confirming cooperation with influencers, independent sites typically provide products directly to influencers, who then showcase the product experience to their followers through images, videos, or live streaming. These actions are similar to live-streaming e-commerce influencers in China but differ in that foreign influencers tend to focus more on content creation and life sharing, with an emphasis on brand storytelling and soft marketing, while Chinese live-streaming e-commerce influencers focus more on live interaction and direct sales. Foreign influencer marketing emphasizes content creation and brand story shaping, suitable for long-term brand building and user relationship maintenance. In contrast, Chinese live-streaming e-commerce emphasizes immediate interaction and quick transactions, focusing on short-term sales conversions. Although both forms differ in style and cultural context, they both rely on social platforms and personal influence for marketing and promotion. In the future, they may learn from and integrate each other's models and technologies.

6. Communication Tool Marketing

WhatsApp is an extremely popular instant messaging tool with a large global user base. Independent website businesses can create a WhatsApp Business account and use the official WhatsApp Business app to set a brand name, contact information, address, and automatic welcome messages, creating a professional image for the independent website business on WhatsApp. Through the WhatsApp Broadcast feature, businesses can send promotional messages, event notifications, or order updates to a contact list, but they must comply with anti-spam rules. WhatsApp does not directly support advertising, but it can be integrated with Facebook (Meta)’s advertising platform. Yes, WhatsApp, like Facebook and Instagram, is also owned by Meta, and businesses can use the Business account on Facebook to indirectly promote ads and drive traffic.

7. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based digital marketing method in which independent websites collaborate with third-party promoters (affiliate partners) to bring traffic and sales, and pay commissions based on results. Independent website businesses can post product/service sales tasks and promotional materials on third-party affiliate platforms, such as ShareASale or Awin, and establish partnerships with promoters like bloggers, social media influencers, review sites, and coupon sites. When a product or service link from the independent website generates a sale through the affiliate's website or media account, the affiliate earns a commission. This collaboration model via affiliate platforms helps independent websites reduce marketing costs while improving conversion rates and brand exposure. Using professional affiliate platforms and promotional strategies, independent websites can quickly expand their market, attract more precise customers, and achieve long-term profit growth. To operate affiliate marketing with ShareASale, website operators need to create an account, upload product information and promotional materials, set the commission structure, and publish sales tasks. Once the sales tasks are published, affiliates can view the related information on ShareASale's task claiming page. Affiliates will decide whether to apply to become an affiliate partner based on their audience’s needs, and once the task is accepted, the affiliate uses the provided materials to showcase the products on their site or social media accounts. Subsequently, ShareASale’s web link technology will synchronize the click and sales data to the independent website’s ShareASale account dashboard. These data help the website operators monitor affiliate marketing performance in real-time, analyze reports, and adjust marketing strategies to increase click-through and conversion rates.

Ⅴ、Independent Website Operations - Internet Marketing Strategy Recommendations

1. Recommended Primary Online Marketing Channel for Independent Websites

When it comes to internet marketing strategies for independent websites, the undeniable first choice remains search engines. To this day, search engines are still the most widely used internet product by people across the globe, in every country and region. Unless you're reading this article via a direct link shared by a friend or family member, chances are high that you found it through a search engine result—and clicked on it because it ranked relatively high in the search engine's SERP. A quick comparison of historical advertising revenue between search engines and other platforms makes this fact obvious. Even Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce platform with significant brand influence, has consistently invested in search engine advertising. Although we lack access to precise data, these observations already prove the irreplaceable role of search engines in the online marketing of independent websites. I won’t overemphasize why so many website owners are fixated on Google search engine marketing, because without supporting data, such claims could easily fall into logical fallacies. However, based on my own experience with various internet marketing channels, Google Search remains the highest-converting channel. I believe that readers with some hands-on experience in SEM/SEO for independent websites will agree with this point. Therefore, based on my own internet marketing practices and my understanding of marketing channels for independent businesses, I strongly recommend that readers choose Google Search as their primary internet marketing channel. Even websites that fall into categories like adult products or e-cigarettes—industries that are banned from advertising on Google Ads—should still prioritize Google Search as their core marketing channel. Even if Google SEM isn’t an option, you can still properly implement Google SEO. As long as your content doesn’t violate laws or regulations, SEO is unrestricted regardless of product category.

2. Suggested Combinations of Internet Marketing Channels for Independent Websites

For independent websites, marketing strategies can either start by focusing on a single channel to perfect and strengthen it before expanding to others, or they can be developed as a combined approach that matches the business’s products/services. However, as mentioned above regarding marketing channel coverage, when forming a combination strategy, it’s important to take into account the current development stage and overall capabilities of the business. As I’ve emphasized, Google Search is an essential starting point. Once your SEO/SEM efforts on Google are yielding good results and you have sufficient capacity, you can consider combining Google with other channels that suit your product or service. The decision to include non-search-engine channels should depend on your business’s strengths in content creation and product nature. For instance, if your website is in the e-cigarette, home décor, fashion, beauty, or travel industries—and you have creative graphic designers on your team—you can adopt a combined strategy of Google Search + image-based platforms like Pinterest. Pinterest serves as both a search engine and a social media platform, making it ideal for brands that rely on visual content to attract customers. Its marketing model uses both paid advertising and SEO to generate short-term and long-term traffic. With creative content, precise targeting, and data analytics, brands can use Pinterest to attract highly interested users, enhance brand visibility, and increase sales conversions. As another example, consider industries like auto parts or mechanical and electrical (mechatronic) products. These typically require instructional videos to demonstrate usage. The ideal marketing channel combination would be Google Search + video platforms like YouTube. Creating instructional videos for these product types is relatively accessible and doesn’t require advanced visual optimization. All you need is multilingual support and subtitles in corresponding languages. Independent websites in these sectors can attract prospective buyers on YouTube with product demos, how-to videos, and customer testimonials.

3. Recommended Allocation of Human Resources, Materials, and Budget in Internet Marketing for Independent Websites

When it comes to resource and budget allocation for internet marketing, my advice is to do what is within your means. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer because every business has different budget capabilities. Of course, financial strength is a crucial factor in whether an independent website can generate long-term commercial value—after all, no army moves without its provisions—but more important than money is the decision-maker’s determination and their understanding of internet marketing. From the moment a decision is made to launch an independent website, the key is whether the decision-maker understands the essence of internet marketing and sees the cause-and-effect logic behind it. A founder who has grasped these core concepts can drastically reduce trial-and-error costs (and avoid being misled by unqualified vendors). They’ll also be able to make rational decisions and corrections when marketing efforts fall short. Thus, the most critical success factor for an independent website is the professional internet marketing skills of the decision-maker, and their ability to understand the true nature and priorities of digital marketing. Success is not primarily determined by how much capital you have, but by the capabilities of the person leading the project. A decision-maker without clear strategy or focus may end up repeatedly taking the wrong path, burning through the budget, and eventually abandoning the project when funds run dry. On the other hand, a founder who does understand digital marketing and SEO—someone who can independently produce high-quality content and optimize the site structure and SEO code—can still achieve marketing results on their own. It may take longer, but progress will happen. For example, the article you are currently reading on "Independent Website Development and Operations Planning" was written entirely by myself over the span of a week, without any additional costs. Yet it has already started attracting SEO traffic from search engines.

To sum up, my recommendation for allocating people, resources, and budget to independent website marketing is: as the project leader, you must have strong learning capabilities, and be prepared to break away from traditional thinking—learning digital marketing is an essential process. This is especially true in the startup phase, where resources and funding are limited. Unlike established corporations, startups must rely on strong learning and execution to break through. The fundamental differences between traditional and internet industries mean that old knowledge and strategies are often not reusable. It’s necessary to let go of outdated mindsets, rebuild your understanding, and adopt a digital-first way of thinking. Running an independent website is essentially the “internet+” version of a traditional business. While it may not technically qualify as a full-fledged internet enterprise, the involvement of internet marketing makes it at least a half internet business. If you lack strong learning abilities or resist shifting your mindset, and continue to apply outdated thinking to the management of an independent website, success in online marketing will be difficult to achieve.

Ⅵ、Independent Website Operations - Internet Marketing Summary

The core of an independent website’s digital marketing strategy lies in clearly defining the target audience and market positioning. First, it is important to analyze user personas to understand the target users' age, gender, interests, and purchasing behavior. At the same time, studying competitors’ strengths and weaknesses helps to develop differentiated strategies, ensuring that your product and brand occupy a unique position in the market. In terms of foundational setup, high-quality visual design and marketing features are key to success. The website should ensure fast loading speeds, mobile-friendliness, and basic SEO optimization, such as setting keywords, completing meta tags, and adding alt text to improve search engine rankings. Additionally, the content on the site should balance visual appeal with user experience, ensuring that visitors can quickly find the products or information they need. Content marketing plays an important role in enhancing brand influence. Creating high-quality blog articles focused on industry news or practical guides that users care about can help establish brand authority. Short videos or infographics can also be used to increase engagement and improve content reach through visual storytelling. Furthermore, encouraging users to leave reviews and share user-generated content helps enhance the authenticity and credibility of the website.

Social media marketing is also an important traffic generation channel. Choose platforms where your target users are active, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc. By regularly posting high-quality content or collaborating with KOLs to promote products, you can further expand brand influence. Combine this with social media ads to guide traffic to your independent website through targeted advertising strategies. Email marketing is a powerful tool for increasing customer retention. By offering discount promotions or free resource downloads, you can attract users to subscribe to your email list. Then, use an automated email system to send welcome emails, abandoned cart reminders, and promotional offers to further encourage purchasing decisions. To ensure the effectiveness of marketing strategies, data analysis and optimization are crucial. Monitor user behavior through Google Analytics, analyzing traffic sources and conversion rates. Additionally, funnel analysis can help identify specific stages where users are dropping off on the independent website, allowing targeted improvements to be made. Establishing a customer trust mechanism is also essential. Displaying customer reviews and real case studies enhances social proof, while providing SSL certificates, secure payment guarantees, and clear return and exchange policies helps build user trust. Providing online customer support can also quickly resolve user queries, further improving satisfaction and the purchase experience.

Finally, combining organic traffic with paid channels can maximize the effectiveness of an independent website’s digital marketing efforts. Organic traffic generated through SEO and social media content distribution complements paid traffic from Google Ads, social media ads, and affiliate marketing, working together to expand user reach. Throughout this process, continuous optimization through funnel analysis and user experience testing can effectively improve conversion rates and sustain growth.

Conclusion: At the end of this article on “Independent Website Development Planning and Operations,” I’d like to share a few heartfelt words. While writing this piece, I held certain expectations for it—I sincerely hope that as many readers as possible will come across it. You are warmly encouraged to share this article with friends around you who are currently running or preparing to start a cross-border e-commerce independent website. It may help them properly plan the development and design of their websites, understand the core principles of internet marketing, and run their sites effectively. For those already operating an independent website, this article can serve as a reference for review—any mistaken mindsets or incorrect approaches can be identified and corrected in time. Although one of my goals in writing this article is to enhance the SEO strategy of Logic Digital Technology, my original intention has always been to use my professional knowledge to help as many newcomers in the cross-border e-commerce space as possible—especially during the current downturn in the domestic economy. I hope to help them avoid costly pitfalls, preserve and make the most of their rare entrepreneurial opportunities, and ultimately improve the survival and success rates in the independent website industry.

Finally, to readers who have made it this far—if your time is valuable, and the time cost of learning and practicing technical skills is too high, and you have no intention of diving deep into technical learning and hands-on work—if you're reading this article just to understand the process and key points of how an independent website is designed and developed, and you're not planning to complete this technical process yourself, then it’s important to recognize that professional work should be handled by professionals. If you need our professional WordPress site-building and technical development services, you're very welcome to contact the Logic Digital Technology team and entrust us with the design and development of your independent website.

Logic Digital Technology (SZLOGIC) All rights reserved. This article is welcome to be shared by individuals to help newcomers entering the cross-border e-commerce independent website track, but reproduction for commercial purposes is prohibited.