Shopee, Momo, and PChome charge 5–15% in fees that keep rising every year, and ad costs are climbing too. In 2026, running a brand purely on marketplaces is hard to make profitable. Here are five structural reasons brands need their own D2C site — from fee pressure to long-term brand equity.
5 Reasons Marketplace-Only Brands Struggle to Make Money
The reality on Shopee, Momo, and PChome in 2026: (1) marketplace fees of 5–15% that keep rising; (2) monthly ad spend (Shopee Affiliate, Momo ads) of NT$ 50,000+ is now standard; (3) crowded categories mean constant price wars; (4) the platform algorithm controls traffic — no ad budget, no visibility; (5) the platform owns the customer data — your buyers are theirs, not yours.
5 Structural Reasons to Run a D2C Site
(1) 0% platform fees (you keep what you sell) — 5–15 points of margin straight back to you. (2) You own the member data — enables remarketing, private-domain campaigns, and subscriptions. (3) You build brand equity — customers remember you, not "some seller on Shopee". (4) Content and SEO compound — 100 articles over 5 years equals permanent free traffic. (5) No platform dependency — policy changes, algorithm shifts, suspended accounts: the marketplace is someone else's house, your own site is the only real asset.
How to Choose a D2C Platform
Shopify: global reach, abundant themes, deep app ecosystem, from $39 USD/month. Shopline: built for Asia, strong Chinese-language UI, tight integration with Taiwan's ecommerce ecosystem, from NT$ 2,990/month. LiteShop: formerly 91APP, Taiwan-grown, integrates with LINE Shopping. Recommendation: start on Shopify Basic or Shopline's Startup plan; upgrade once monthly volume exceeds 5,000 orders or SKU count exceeds 200.
3 Pitfalls When Launching a D2C Site
(1) Build it and no one comes — without SEO, content, or paid traffic, zero monthly visitors is the norm. (2) Too many SKUs, bad photography — 30 SKUs with great photos beats 300 SKUs shot carelessly. (3) Checkout that's too long — more than 3 steps and cart abandonment hits 60%+.
The "Marketplace + D2C" Dual Strategy
The right play is "marketplaces for acquisition, D2C for conversion": use marketplaces to attract new customers and run promotions; use the D2C site to retain loyalists and lift AOV; use LINE OA as a private-domain channel for remarketing and VIPs. Running all three together is the 2026 standard for brand ecommerce.
Frequently Asked Questions
QWe only have 50 SKUs — do we need a D2C site?
AYes. A D2C site isn't a question of SKU count, it's a question of brand equity. Even 50 SKUs deserve a home.
QHow long until a new D2C site sees real traffic?
ASEO takes 6–12 months to show results; paid ads work day one; community and private-domain take 3–6 months to build. Run all three in parallel.
QShopify or Shopline — which should I pick?
AIt depends where your customers are. Taiwan-focused? Shopline. Cross-border (Southeast Asia / US)? Shopify. Integrating with LINE Shopping? LiteShop.
QHow do I keep D2C inventory in sync with Shopee and Momo?
AUse a WMS to run a single-pool inventory model. GoWarehouse treats the D2C site as just another channel and applies the same two-stage stock-lock allocation as Shopee or Momo.
QHow are D2C returns handled?
AYou'll need to sign your own contracts with carriers (Hei Mao, Hsinchu, 7-11 returns). The flow resembles Shopee returns but you design your own forms and SOPs.