In the global cross-border e-commerce landscape, the Russian market is demonstrating unique growth vitality. In recent years, local consumers have increasingly relied on online shopping, but a notable shift is occurring: the growth rate of self-built e-commerce websites has surpassed that of traditional platform-based e-commerce, becoming a new choice for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) expanding into the Russian market. "Muyu Life," a Chinese home goods brand, exemplifies this trend. Its transition from relying on third-party platforms to building an independent website offers a valuable reference for other companies expanding overseas.
From Platform Dependence to Growth Bottlenecks: Muyu Life’s Overseas Challenges
Founded in 2018, Muyu Life specializes in minimalist-style home storage products and initially expanded into the Russian market through major local e-commerce platforms. With cost-effective products, the brand built a certain user base on these platforms, where 90% of its sales came from in 2022. However, as the business expanded, the drawbacks of platform dependence gradually emerged:
Rising Traffic Costs: Platform commissions increased from 8% to 15%, and competitive bidding for promotional placements caused the cost per click (CPC) to grow by over 40% year-on-year.
Limited Operational Autonomy: Frequent changes in platform rules once led to product delisting for three days due to category reclassification, directly causing approximately RUB 120,000 in lost sales.
Insufficient Localization Experience: Uniform page templates on platforms failed to highlight the brand’s uniqueness, while delayed Russian customer service resulted in an inquiry conversion rate that was only 60% of the industry average.
In early 2023, the brand’s founder, Li Zhe, discovered during industry exchanges that Russian local consumers were increasingly trusting independent brand websites—data showed that user repurchase rates on self-built websites were 2–3 times higher than those on platform stores. This trend convinced him to launch the independent website project.
Breaking Through with a Self-Built Website: Technology, Localization, and Ecosystem Integration
The transition was not easy. The Muyu Life team first faced three core challenges: technical setup barriers, localization capabilities, and integration of payment and logistics systems.
On the technical side, the team initially attempted to build the website using open-source systems but soon found it difficult to resolve issues such as Russian language interface adaptation and responsive multi-device design. Eventually, they partnered with a third-party technology service provider to quickly deploy a website framework supporting bilingual (Russian/Chinese) switching and mobile adaptability. The site also integrated with Russia’s mainstream Yandex payment system and SPSR logistics system.
Localization was another key focus. The team hired two local Russian staff members to handle content planning and customer service:
Content Localization: Product detail pages shifted from “functional descriptions” to “scenario-based storytelling.” For example, “multi-layer storage racks” were described as “space magic for small living rooms,” accompanied by images of local family settings.
Precision Marketing: User engagement was conducted through VKontakte (a Russian social platform) and Telegram communities. A campaign titled “Home Transformation Case Collection” attracted over 500 user submissions, generating more than 300 daily organic visits.
Instant Customer Service: Russian online support was launched, reducing response time from four hours (under the platform model) to 15 minutes, and the inquiry conversion rate increased to 25%.
Seamless payment and logistics experiences were equally critical. After integrating local Russian payment methods, payment success rates increased from 85% (under the platform model) to 96%. Collaborating with local logistics providers shortened delivery times from 15 days to within seven days, while return rates dropped by 12%.
Transformation Results: Sales Growth of 35%, Significant Improvement in User Retention
After six months of operation, the results of Muyu Life’s self-built website gradually became evident:
Sales Data: Monthly sales on the self-built website grew from zero to USD 120,000, accounting for 45% of total revenue. Overall brand sales increased by 35% year-on-year.
User Metrics: Average visitor dwell time on the site reached 4 minutes and 20 seconds, exceeding the industry average of 2 minutes and 30 seconds. The repurchase rate reached 30%, significantly higher than the 18% on platform stores.
Cost Optimization: Excluding technology and operational investments, the overall profit margin of the self-built channel was 8 percentage points higher than that of the platform channel, mainly due to savings on platform commissions and improved marketing efficiency from direct user engagement.
Li Zhe summarized: “The core value of building a self-owned website is not about ‘breaking away from platforms,’ but about establishing brand-owned user assets. We can now directly access user data and analyze their browsing paths and purchasing preferences—something impossible in the platform era.”
Trend Insights: The Growth Logic and Future Opportunities of Self-Built E-commerce in Russia
Muyu Life’s case is not an isolated example. According to data from the Russian E-commerce Association, self-built e-commerce website transaction volumes in Russia grew by 58% in 2024, significantly outpacing the 23% growth of platform-based e-commerce. This trend is driven by three key factors:
Increasing Platform Dependency Risks: Leading e-commerce platforms continue to raise commission rates, with some categories reaching 18%–25%, squeezing profit margins for SMEs.
Awakening of Consumer Brand Awareness: Younger consumers prefer purchasing distinctive brands through independent websites, valuing personalized experiences and brand storytelling.
Rising Demand for Localized Services: The degree of localization in language, payment, and logistics directly influences purchasing decisions, and self-built websites offer greater flexibility in meeting these needs.
For Chinese companies expanding overseas, capitalizing on this trend requires addressing two core issues: technical barriers and localization capabilities. In this context, platforms like LnRu Viking Overseas, which offer product promotion pages and localization tools, are helping more SMEs reduce the startup costs of self-built websites and accelerate the transition from “platform sellers” to “overseas brands.”
Looking ahead, as Russia’s e-commerce infrastructure improves and consumer habits mature, self-built e-commerce is expected to become the “second growth curve” for Chinese brands in the local market. For SMEs, rather than competing in the traffic saturation of platforms, it is more strategic to proactively build independent channels and establish a brand moat of their own.