Developer Briefing Document Version 1.0 Project: CardboardReview.eu Date: 25 December 2025 1. Project Overview 1.1 What is CardboardReview.eu CardboardReview.eu is a content-driven affiliate platform focused on Trading Card Games (TCGs) and related accessories (playmats, sleeves, deck boxes, proxy cards, storage, etc.). The platform combines: • Editorial blog content (in-depth guides, comparisons, Top 10 lists, reviews) (like this: https://blog.hubspot.de) • A coupon & deals section inspired by MyDealz (like this: https://www.mydealz.de/gutscheine & https://www.mydealz.de/gutscheine/tchibo-de) The goal is to generate affiliate revenue by: ww • Educating users through high-quality SEO-focused articles • Converting intent-driven visitors via coupon listings and merchant-specific deal pages 1.2 Target Audience • TCG players (Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Lorcana, Flesh and Blood, etc.) • Hobbyists looking for accessories in Europe • Price-sensitive users searching for deals, discounts, and coupons 1.3 Key Deliverables • Fully responsive WordPress website • Mobile-first UX (priority on smartphone usability) • Blog system with comparison-style articles like https://blog.hubspot.de • Coupon system with: ◦ Coupon overview page ◦ Individual merchant coupon pages • Affiliate-ready tracking integration • Figma mobile design for all core templates (before development) 2. Platform & Tech Stack 2.1 Core Platform • CMS: WordPress • Reason: ◦ Strong content management ◦ SEO-friendly ◦ Mature affiliate & coupon plugins ◦ Easy scalability 2.2 Example Reference Sites • Content & UX Inspiration: ◦ https://blog.hubspot.de (clean layout, typography, mobile optimization) • Coupon & Deal Logic: ◦ MyDealz.de ◦ MyDealz coupon overview & merchant pages (https://www.mydealz.de/gutscheine & https://www.mydealz.de/gutscheine/tchibo-de) 2.3 Suggested Plugins / Tech (indicative) • SEO: RankMath or Yoast • Caching & performance: WP Rocket / LiteSpeed Cache • Affiliate link management: ThirstyAffiliates or Pretty Links • Coupon management: Custom Post Type or dedicated coupon plugin • Analytics: Google Analytics 4 + Search Console 3. Navigation & Information Architecture 3.1 Primary Navigation (Top Menu) • Home • Coupons • Guides & Top Lists • Blog • Newsletter • About • Search bar that finds brands offering coupon codes 3.2 Secondary / Utility Navigation • Submit a Coupon Code • Contact • Privacy Policy • Imprint • Affiliate Disclosure 3.3 Content Hierarchy Level 1: Homepage → Blog → Article with Affiliate Links Level 2 : Coupons → Coupon Overview → Merchant Coupon Page → External Shop 4. Page Templates & Requirements 4.1 Homepage Purpose: Entry point combining editorial authority and deal discovery Sections (inspired by this: https://blog.hubspot.de): • Featured blog article • Featured articles • Large Featured coupon deals • Popular Magic: The Gathering articles • YouTube Video carousel • Popular Yu-Gi-Oh! articles • Instagram Post carousel • Popular Pokemon articles • Newsletter subscription section • Trust & transparency elements • Exit Pop-up asking users to subscribe in exchange for a €250 voucher for games-island.eu. 4.2 Blog Article Template It should have a reading progress bar like this: https://blog.hubspot.de/marketing/urheberrecht-ki Example Articles: • Top 10 Proxy Card Makers • Top 10 Playmat Makers in Europe Requirements: • Long-form content (SEO-focused) • Comparison tables • Affiliate CTA blocks • Internal linking • Mobile-optimized reading experience 4.3 Coupon Overview Page Inspired by: MyDealz (https://www.mydealz.de/gutscheine) Features: • List of all active coupons • Filters: ◦ Brand ◦ Category ◦ Discount type • Sorting by popularity / newest • Clear CTA buttons ("Get Deal") 4.4 Merchant Coupon Page Inspired by: MyDealz brand-specific coupon pages (https://www.mydealz.de/gutscheine/tchibo-de) Features: • Merchant header (logo, short description) • List of active & expired coupons • Affiliate tracking links • Merchant-related blog articles 5. Design Requirements 5.1 Visual Style Overall Direction: • Clean, modern, editorial • Trust-focused (not spammy affiliate look) • Inspired by HubSpot’s clarity and spacing Design Principles: • Mobile-first • High readability • Strong typography hierarchy • Neutral base colors with TCG-inspired accents 5.2 Mobile Design (Figma Required) Mandatory: • Figma mobile designs for: ◦ Homepage ◦ Blog article ◦ Coupon overview ◦ Merchant coupon page Mobile UX Focus: • Thumb-friendly navigation • Sticky CTAs • Fast loading & minimal clutter 6. Project Timeline (Indicative) Phase 1 – Discovery & UX (1–2 weeks) • Final sitemap & IA • Wireframes • Figma mobile designs Phase 2 – Development (3–5 weeks) • WordPress setup • Theme development • Coupon system implementation • Blog templates Phase 3 – QA & Launch (1–2 weeks) • Mobile testing • Performance optimization • SEO setup • Soft launch 7. Skills Required • WordPress Development • Custom Theme Development • Mobile-first UX/UI Design • Figma Design (mobile-focused) • SEO best practices • Affiliate & coupon site experience • Performance optimization