Job listings

Listings for job board marketplaces require custom development to accommodate the unique needs of the target audience. Our client, IHSS Connect, a healthcare company, commissioned a custom B2C service marketplace that connects in-home care providers with impaired individuals.
One of the central features that we built was the job listing manager. It allows care recipients to publish, delete and pause job requests that are searchable by care providers based on criteria such as location, contract type, schedule, preferences and specialisations.
The job listings are linked to a custom search engine. This required the marriage of a seamless user interface with complex under-the-hood technical flows. Faster, more granular search results are supported by faceted navigation in the form of dropdown filters and tags for specialised services.

Seller onboarding

Sellers represent the inventory of your marketplace, whether B2C vendors of retail goods, B2B wholesale merchants, or service providers. Seamless, low-friction onboarding aligned with your business model will attract a more diverse selection of goods or services.
For instance, on-platform transactions require identity verification and the collection of address and bank details for tax and regulatory purposes. Third-party tools like <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/which-stripe-connect-account-for-your-marketplace/">Stripe Connect</a> can automate this process. Off-platform transactions (e.g. some service marketplaces) can move that responsibility onto individual sellers. 
MobyPark&#8217;s car park owners had to provide more than 15 data points to register a car park. To lower friction, we utilised dynamic and multi-step forms. Forms are pre-filled based on user information such as country or language. Conditional logic is used to shorten forms, i.e. questions are displayed or not based on previous answers. We also included a predictive notification system and progress bar that provide owners with assistance on how to complete their profiles.
Some industries also require additional documentation like certifications and contracts. We created an admin dashboard for Nestify’s property management platform that allows them to upload contracts, gas, EPC, EICR, HMO, PAT certificates for each property owner and send renewal notifications.

Seller shop management

Search engine optimised seller profile pages that act like mini e-commerce stores can grow engagement with your platform. They offer buyers an additional way to find products and services, help sellers to promote themselves, and drive organic traffic to your marketplace.
Our client, <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/grosa-marketplace-case-study">Grosa</a>, wanted merchant profiles that reflected the physical grocery shops they represented. Shoppers can view each merchant&#8217;s information (e.g. shop address, distance from shopper), reviews, as well as refund, return and delivery policies. Merchants are also able to highlight promoted items.
Category filters allow Grosa’s shoppers to narrow down their search of a merchant&#8217;s product range. Each search result can be further sorted by price, name, promotion, sale or best value. When clicked, individual product cards display product descriptions, allergy information, and availability status.
<a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/affordable-art-fair-marketplace-case-study">Affordable Art Fair</a>&#8216;s gallery profile pages function as microsites that promote SEO and link the buyer&#8217;s journey of discovery from artwork to gallery and vice versa. Buyers can discover what other artworks a gallery stocks, which artists it represents, and if the gallery is attending any physical art fairs.

Buyer onboarding

<div class="acf-label">
If the user interface makes it difficult, time-consuming, or confusing to use a marketplace, buyers will abandon it. Buyer-focused onboarding features can help them engage quickly and productively with your marketplace.
Soshop.club, a neobank, has to adhere to various banking regulations, which meant long checklists before clients could use their cards. We sped up the process by integrating specialist Banking-as-a-Service applications like Jumio, Trezor and PFS,  for identity verification, KYC compliance and card issuance.
We created guest account features for Affordable Art Fair and FanPass that allow first-time visitors to make purchases without logging in or saving personal information. This helps to build initial trust (shows your platform is not after their data) and expedites checkout (no need to fill in long forms), both of which can have a positive impact on conversion rates.
Our client, Remoovaz, a service marketplace for home removals, realised that many users struggled to select suitably-sized vehicles, because they couldn&#8217;t calculate the volume of their household goods.
We therefore built an inventory calculator, with dropdown lists for common household items, to help users calculate their total volume and then recommend the right size moving van. 
</div>

Product listings

Your listing infrastructure should provide buyers with as much product information as possible, while sellers need to be able to quickly and efficiently list new products and monitor inventory levels.
The quality of listings, and thus your marketplace reputation, should be protected by ensuring that only qualified sellers are marketing their goods and services on your platform. This requires a suitable <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/marketplace-curation-boost-trust-and-growth-with-seller-quality-control/">seller screening and management process</a>.
CobbleWeb helps clients to develop listing templates that can accommodate any product attributes, including detailed descriptions, image galleries, geolocation, ratings, prices and specifications. For instance, <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/the-box-hut-marketplace-case-study">The Box Hut</a>’s merchants can highlight up to five product features to make them more enticing.
We&#8217;ve managed various SKU scenarios, from automatically generated SKUs to the migration of over 50,000 SKUs to a new art marketplace.
<a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/grosa-marketplace-case-study">Grosa</a>&#8216;s merchants offer products in different package sizes and flavours. We incorporated these attributes into the product listing and navigation systems, making it easy for merchants to indicate different product variations and for shoppers to select them.
<a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/fanpass-marketplace-case-study">FanPass</a> sellers do not always have time to publish tickets to popular events like the UEFA Champions League. Our solution was to build a product generator for back orders. Punters can now buy tickets without having to wait for sellers to publish them.

Service listings

IHSS Connect wanted their service providers to be able to build trust in their offering by showcasing their experience, expertise and certifications in searchable rich profiles.
We developed an interface for service providers that allowed them to create and update their profiles quickly via drop-down lists. Profile sections include provider details (preferences, task scope, languages), experience &amp; training (education, certifications, medical conditions), transportation, and availability (short or long term, overnight, on-call, split shifts).
The platform search engine uses easy-to-negotiate dropdown filters to deliver highly granular service provider results. This ensures faster, better quality matches for clients.

Product alerts

CobbleWeb has used product alerts to solve supply constraints for event tickets and car parks and to encourage product exploration in an art marketplace. Some of the alert mechanisms that we implemented:
When buyers purchase an artwork on <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/affordable-art-fair-marketplace-case-study">Affordable Art Fair</a> we notify them if similar art by the same artist becomes available. The same process is followed if buyers favourite an artwork without making a purchase.
Drivers that save a search query (e.g. parking in Amsterdam on Thursdays at under €10 per day) on <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/mobypark-marketplace-case-study">MobyPark</a> are alerted whenever parking that matches their criteria becomes available.
Product alerts can also be used to advise buyers of product changes. For example, if buyers follow a particular seller, they can be advised of price increases or decreases or when the product is available in different colours or sizes.

Custom Search & Navigation

Start with the right site architecture. A robust infrastructure, built with applications like Elasticsearch, RabbitMQ and AngularJS, will ensure scalability, 
Navigational tools designed according to user behaviour deliver a better user experience. Custom search algorithms deliver faster, more accurate results, while faceted navigation (filters, sorting) allows more granular customisation.
We&#8217;ve used the above principles to design highly effective navigational tools for our clients. This includes a conditional job search feature for <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/ihss-connect-marketplace-case-study">IHSS Connect</a> which can only be used if the user&#8217;s subscription is active. 
<a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/grosa-marketplace-case-study">Grosa</a>&#8216;s business model relies on hyperlocal access. So we created a map view of nearby merchants based on shoppers&#8217; postcodes. Shoppers can refine their map search further by using filters like distance, customer ratings, or delivery fees and types.
The <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/remoovaz-marketplace-case-study">Remoovaz</a> removal platform needed accurate address search results to ensure a good user experience. Google&#8217;s popular location API is not always precise enough, so we used Loqate&#8217;s address verification tool which cross-references data sources for better accuracy. And better conversion rates.
Multinational IT provider, <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/atos-marketplace-case-study">Atos</a>, required an advanced search feature through which a huge number of projects could be searched for by various attributes of contracts or service providers such as title, type, location or status.
User scenario testing was conducted to create a better search experience for <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/trelleborg-marketplace-case-study">Trelleborg</a>&#8216;s QA tool. It helped us to align the user interface with how users scanned information on the app.
We used Google Autocomplete with filters for nearest or cheapest parking bays to assist <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/mobypark-marketplace-case-study">MobyPark</a> drivers with their selection process. They subsequently saw a five-fold decrease in failed searches.
<a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/fanpass-marketplace-case-study">FanPass</a> wanted to improve their navigation with dynamic search results based on users&#8217; prior searches and preferred event types. Removing friction contributed to a rise in their repeat customers.

Booking system

MobyPark&#8217;s booking system had to manage several complex scenarios, like recurring availability, adding different slots for the same day, and blocking dates. We built a custom interactive calendar to show parking availability on ad hoc, daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
Since drivers can search and book highly granular fifteen-minute blocks, it was a technical challenge to make sure that they were matched with the right parking. We used a robust infrastructure, built with Elastic search, RabbitMQ and AngularJS, to make sure it’s scalable.
Parking lot owners, like hotels, with multiple parking bays presented additional complexity that had to be handled. While drivers only see availability for one car, the algorithm had to consider the booking status of all the parking bays.
Ride-hailing app, Moto+, had a similar booking challenge to the one that faced Uber: how to connect passengers with the drivers in their vicinity and auto-calculate a complex pricing matrix involving location, time, type of service and more.
Remoovaz’s house moving clients have access to different price options depending on the date or day of the week and the level of service assistance required. We created a sleek calendar interface that uses clickable elements to clearly show the variances in cost for different service and date permutations.
Their booking system also needed more accurate addresses than what Google&#8217;s API can provide. We used Loqate&#8217;s address verification tool which cross-references data from different sources for better accuracy.

Request for proposal

Service marketplaces for projects or complex tasks, like Upwork, can’t rely on the standardised execution and pricing of on-demand services, like Uber. They must therefore keep their users engaged by offering sufficient value and convenience via workflow tools, like a Request for Proposal (RFP) feature. 
The main goal of any marketplace RFP tool should be to expedite the soliciting and reviewing of bids from potential service providers. This is complicated by the fact that selecting a suitable service provider is usually based on more factors than just price. 
A basic RFP should therefore include: organisational background, the scope of work (i.e. tasks to be performed and their timelines), specifications (e.g. government regulations), evaluation criteria (e.g. business certifications, capacity, experience), proposal format and process, and contract terms.
It’s important that the Request for Proposal mechanism aligns properly with your users&#8217; business needs. Procuring services for a private event, for instance, will follow a different format and process than that for a large engineering project with more onerous requirements. 
Our client, Atos, needed us to integrate an RFP tool into the complex project management workflow of a large public institution. The goal was to manage project allocation in an efficient and transparent manner. The solution we developed allows users to invite service providers directly from the projects they create, making it easier to share project details, goals and timelines. We customised some aspects to streamline the user experience:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Granular search for suitable service providers via attributes such as contractor type or location.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Scope of work fields are preformatted in a detailed and structured manner.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Project owners can link technical documents and a pre-planned meeting schedule to the RFP. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Once the service providers have been selected, their contracts can also be linked to the RFP. </li>
</ul>

Product recommendations

Product recommendations perform better when they are based on relevant user data. We leveraged <a href="https://www.visii.com/">Visii</a> for Affordable Art Fair to create personalised product recommendations for their buyers. It uses AI technology and data points such as browser history, past orders, wish lists, search queries, and marketing channels to guide buyers from browsing to discovery to purchase.
Affordable Art Fair place their product recommendations at the bottom of search results pages and individual product listing pages. There are some other approaches that can work too, such as popups or a less obtrusive teaser ribbon that opens the full popup.
Timing when recommendations appear can also make a difference. For instance, showing them after the buyer has taken an action, like adding an item to their cart. This is a smart way to increase average order values.
Another clever tactic is to combine recommendations with cart abandonment reminder emails. This is especially effective when the buyer simply lost interest in the original item.

Payment systems

Marketplace payment systems need to provide several <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/marketplace-solutions/key-features-list/marketplace-payment-systems/">key functionalities</a> in order to be effective, including split payments, a hold function (escrow), a robust refund mechanism, multiple payment methods, security protocols (including PCI-compliance), and the ability to generate sales receipts, tax invoices and reports.
CobbleWeb has set up custom payment systems for various marketplace business models and revenue streams, using major payment service providers like <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/which-stripe-connect-account-for-your-marketplace/">Stripe Connect</a>, MangoPay marketplace, and PayPal marketplace.
We used Stripe Connect to accommodate a variable (percentage-based or fixed amount) commission structure, which could be set globally or per seller, for <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/affordable-art-fair-marketplace-case-study">Affordable Art Fair</a>. For enhanced security, Stripe’s machine learning-based fraud prevention application, Radar, was implemented to provide notifications of high-risk transactions.
<a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/nestify-marketplace-case-study">Nestify</a>&#8216;s cleaner management app allows property managers to review work and approve shifts, which triggers <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/seller-payout-guide-for-online-marketplaces/">payouts</a> to cleaners. This hold function improved quality control. 
The <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/remoovaz-marketplace-case-study">Remoovaz</a> payment system had to handle rescheduling of services which could entail new providers with different rates or an extra markup if the new date was on a weekend. We adapted the payment system to emulate airlines which automatically calculate an upgrade fee for date changes.
<a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/mobypark-marketplace-case-study">MobyPark</a>&#8216;s payment system had to accommodate aspects like pre-authorisation for driver payments, recurring payments, as well as parking lot owner payouts and refunds. 
We automated FanPass&#8217;s complex event ticket payment flow, which includes a variable commission structure, with Stripe Connect. They also needed us to integrate multi-currency support for different payment methods and payout types.

Project management

B2B service marketplaces can attract and retain users with project management tools that help them manage project flows, collaborate more efficiently with service providers, and expedite reporting functions. This can be a fairly intricate technical undertaking since each marketplace will require a management tool that suits its particular user profile.
CobbleWeb developed such a custom project management dashboard on behalf of Atos, one of Europe’s largest information technology companies. 
Users can create new projects to which they can add the project details and goals, invite potential service providers (via an integrated RFP tool), attach documents, and associate additional resources. They are also prompted to set up two compulsory meetings, one to examine the service provider&#8217;s expertise and one to examine the financial viability of the project.
We simplified oversight by applying a Kanban structure to the user home screen. It offers a global view of how projects are distributed across the organisation, allocating them to various stages such as draft, implemented, revised, terminated or expired. For time management purposes, the user dashboard also contains a scrollable ticker of upcoming meetings and a calendar view where new meetings can be added.

Category management

Your marketplace site structure should offer fast, intuitive navigation for users and a logical hierarchy for search engine crawlers. Administrators should be able to manage categories efficiently, while sellers should find it easy to add their products to relevant categories.
CobbleWeb employs a three-stage process of <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/how-to-design-a-winning-marketplace-category-structure/">discovery, validation</a>, and <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/optimise-your-marketplace-category-structure-for-stellar-growth/">optimisation</a>, based on clearly defined user behaviour metrics, to ensure your marketplace category structure drives the best possible outcomes. 
In the case of <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/fanpass-marketplace-case-study">Fanpass</a>, we created an easy-to-navigate administration panel to manage the relationships between various categories of tickets, events and venues. Dynamic forms make it easier for sellers to create listings within relevant categories, while dropdown category selection ensures good quality listings and more accurate search results for buyers. 
FanPass saw £50,000 daily ticket sales within a year of implementation. The data the admin panel generated also helped us to identify profitable segments for further optimisation. 
An example of category optimisation can be seen in the new smart category management feature we developed for <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/affordable-art-fair-marketplace-case-study">Affordable Art Fair</a>. It enables the platform administrators to create new categories from product tags, like Valentine’s Day. This makes it easier and faster to optimise platform navigation.
The smart category manager can also generate product lists based on different product and seller attributes, such as price, medium and location, to support ads on Facebook, Pinterest or Google.

Subscription systems

We implemented a multi-tier subscription plan for our client, <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/ihss-connect-marketplace-case-study">IHSS Connect</a>. Their platform offers Basic and Premium tiers with monthly or yearly payment options. Scenarios that had to be taken into account include:
<ul>
<li>Enabling features such &#8220;job search&#8221; only if the subscription is active</li>
<li>Allowing users to upgrade/downgrade their subscription tiers, taking into account pro-rata usage</li>
<li>Allowing cancellation of subscriptions without loss of access if the current subscription period has not ended</li>
<li>Allowing the marketplace administrator to change subscription plans without affecting existing subscriptions</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/the-box-hut-marketplace-case-study">The Box Hut</a> customers had to be able to select from different subscription plans (monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, yearly), disable renewals, and pause or cancel their subscriptions. Subscriptions could also be purchased as gifts.
In addition, we had to synchronise the subscriptions with their monthly shipping schedule. If a subscription is cancelled, paused or refunded, the shipment schedule is automatically updated.

Contract management

Our client, Atos, requested the addition of some contract management functionality to the project management dashboard we built for their service marketplace. It entailed that once the service providers have been selected, the user can associate a contract with the project. If additional resources or services are required after the project has been started, they can be added via an Addendum that is linked to the project.
For our client, Nestify, a property management platform, we integrated Docusign, an electronic contract tool, to onboard landlords. It removes a lot of admin burden from the Nestify team, since they only have to fill in a form with the landlord’s details and starting date. The contract is created by Docusign and sent to the landlord. Once it’s signed by both parties a copy is saved on the platform.

Internationalisation

CobbleWeb has internationalised various aspects of our clients&#8217; platforms to make them more accessible to a larger audience:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Payment systems that support multiple currencies.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Page content, error and success messages, and email templates offered in multiple languages.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">User generated content in multiple languages. For our client <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/mobypark-marketplace-case-study">MobyPark</a> we added a Google Translate button so that users can translate listings into their preferred language. This works similar to the &#8216;see translation&#8217; links found on platforms like Facebook. Another client allows sellers to upload manual translations of product descriptions in similar fashion to Etsy.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Shipping models that allow sellers to use local shipping providers instead of a universal UPS API. This helps sellers to cater for different buyer locations and offer extra value such as bespoke packaging.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Platforms and sellers can set different tax rates (e.g. VAT) for countries, states (e.g. US) and product types (e.g. VAT exempt items).</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">UX elements such as additional address fields (e.g. zip codes in the US) and alternative navigation options for languages like Arabic.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Allowing users to set their currency and language preferences, with defaults based on the IP address. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Embedded currency converters.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Data segregation. <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/nestify-marketplace-case-study">Nestify</a> operates in multiple countries and wanted their employees to only have access to the data of the country they work in. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Work allocation. <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/affordable-art-fair-marketplace-case-study">Affordable Art Fair</a> wanted sellers to be automatically assigned to different onboarding teams based on their location.</li>
</ul>
For a more detailed discussion about timing cross-border expansion, deciding which aspects of your marketplace to internationalise, and how to avoid some of the pitfalls, read our <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/the-opportunities-and-challenges-of-online-marketplace-internationalisation/">in-depth blog post on marketplace internationalisation</a>.

Search Engine Optimisation

SEO has technical, off-page, and on-page components. While off-page SEO mostly concerns content marketing efforts like backlink building, your platform&#8217;s SEO structure should support the other two.
<a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/grow-marketplace-traffic-with-technical-seo/">Technical SEO</a> means making sure your platform is fast, secure, and boasts user-friendly site architecture and navigation. On-page SEO entails creating an optimised framework for user generated content (UGC) such as seller product listings.
Optimising UGC with HTML elements like metadata can make your sellers and their products more discoverable. For example, certain meta tags will make your sellers&#8217; products appear in search engine results with star ratings and pricing. These rich snippets are proven to increase click-through-rates and conversions.
By automating SEO elements like metadata you can put UGC on steroids. We&#8217;ve built SEO frameworks for clients that automatically include the seller&#8217;s product title in the page title and URL, and add metatags to data inputs like dates and venues.
With organic search still making up 46% of e-commerce traffic, you cannot dismiss it. Ask our client, <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/fanpass-marketplace-case-study">FanPass</a> &#8211; they started pulling in an additional 50,000 monthly visitors after we helped them with their SEO structure.

Shopping cart

A good shopping cart feature should marry a user-friendly interface with the complex moving parts behind the UI. For a marketplace this can be extremely challenging, since the sellers in the buyer’s shopping cart don&#8217;t necessarily accept/decline or ship products at the same time. 
Our client, Affordable Art Fair, caters for art sellers and buyers around the world. The shopping cart we developed for them had to take into account complicated scenarios that involved multiple sellers, different stock levels, and various discount rules. As an international marketplace, it also has to cater for multiple currencies, including payouts to sellers in their preferred currency.
Grosa&#8217;s shopping cart feature is able to handle complex transactions that involve multiple sellers, product variations, different stock levels, and various discount rules. It also automatically calculates total delivery fees for orders with multiple sellers, taking into account their different fee structures. A banner notification updates the threshold at which the order qualifies for free delivery. Shoppers can also elect to pay sellers separately.

Bank as a Service

Our client SoShop, a digital banking platform, wanted to offer all the features you would expect from a bank, such as debit cards, statements, and account management.
Users have to complete an extensive checklist before they can use their cards. We sped up the process by integrating a number of specialist BaaS applications, such as Jumio, Trezor, and PFS,  for identity verification, AML &amp; KYC compliance and card issuance. Once user onboarding is completed, a SoShop debit card is shipped to the user and activated. 
The mobile app includes several features that help users manage their SoShop debit cards in a secure manner: reporting lost or stolen cards, freezing card usage, adding a virtual card or renaming a card.
The Banking-as-a-Software solutions we integrated with the SoShop platform allows the tracking of every transaction which can then be displayed in a statement to the user.
In addition to top-up vouchers, customers can also fund a SoShop debit card via bank transfers (each account has a RIB or IBAN number) or do an instantaneous free transfer from another SoShop card.

Promotions management

Our customisable promotions feature offers the flexibility to test which promotions work best for your marketplace. Clients can, for example, choose how promotions should be funded, e.g. marketplace commission, marketing budget, seller discounts, or sponsored shipping. 
The management dashboard helps our clients to refine promotions by adding conditions such as validity dates, minimum order amounts, discount codes, usage limits, and buyer, seller or product eligibility.
The promotions system that we built for Affordable Art Fair had to take into account complex technical and functional details. For instance, applying pro rata discounts if some items in a shopping cart are out of stock. Sellers can manage their own promotions based on a wide range of promotion types in the seller dashboard, including threshold, scarcity, and closed list promotions.
We built a promotions system for MobyPark that allowed them to test unlimited rules, such as discounts that apply only to specific countries, dates, users, or volumes. Administrators then analysed each new rule to prevent conflicts with existing ones. This process allowed MobyPark to find the right pricing/promotions mix, which increased their turnover tenfold and repeat transactions fourfold.

Loyalty program

CobbleWeb built a comprehensive loyalty program system for our client SoShop. 
SoShop onboarded several well-known companies such as Nike, Dell, Groupon, Orange, Lacoste, Samsung, and Bookings.com. These merchants have many sales locations with multiple points of sale from which they wanted to promote different cashback incentives. 
We built a merchant interface and API  to help merchants manage their customer rewards, set limits, such as expiration dates or minimum orders, and administrate payment of commission on cashbacks to SoShop.
Customers can view their cashback rewards by logging into the SoShop mobile app. Under the &#8216;My accounts&#8217; tab they can find a breakdown of each cashback reward earned, from whom it was earned, its status (pending/processed), and the total cashback balance available.
The mobile app includes a search feature that allows users to search for cashback incentives by keyword, merchant name or business category. They can also browse daily curated rewards. Each reward includes a description, its conditions, where to get it, and a link to the merchant&#8217;s external site.

Order management

In its simplest form, order management (aka fulfillment) is the process of receiving, accepting, processing, tracking, and delivering customer orders. 
A pivotal part of any product marketplace, it needs to work seamlessly with other features like payment systems, shopping carts, and third-party solutions like shipping providers.
Designing a fit-for-purpose order process requires close collaboration with our clients. The first step is to map out an order flow that is aligned with the customer journey. 
For instance, does the seller need to accept the order first or is there instant acceptance as with Airbnb rentals? Multiple sellers, products and currencies can further complicate the fulfillment journey. 
Event ticketing marketplaces like FanPass have a complex order flow, since tickets need to be delivered before the events take place. Their order system manages this by notifying buyers immediately after a transaction of the delivery date and cost.
Neobank, SoShop, offers debit cards which need to be shipped to users. We made sure the customer service team can track each step of the order process in the admin dashboard, making it easier to follow up with customers.
Insufficient stock levels can hurt your reputation. Connecting your sellers’ inventory systems to your marketplace order process can help them prevent over and understocking of products.

Shipping

Shipping-related issues (e.g. high delivery costs or surprise fees) constitute the main reasons for shopping cart abandonment. That&#8217;s why CobbleWeb <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/everything-you-need-to-know-about-planning-a-marketplace-shipping-strategy/">designs shipping systems</a> that increase our clients&#8217; conversion rates.
Affordable Art Fair, for example, required flexible shipping options to leverage lower local rates. We built a system that allows sellers to use default rates provided by UPS or local courier services. Grouping rules that ship artworks with the same dimensions together lower costs further. For buyers, a delivery fee calculator on each product page provides up-front transparency.
The Box Hut&#8217;s subscription model meant that the number of shipments had to be synchronised with the subscription period. If a subscription is cancelled, paused or refunded, the shipment schedule is automatically updated. 
Ticketing marketplace, FanPass, required a hybrid approach utilising UPS, Royal Mail and custom delivery options to service its international user base. Event date deadlines added an extra challenge. This is usually the case when tickets are bought very close to the event date. Our system automatically selects the most suitable shipping provider to deliver the tickets on time. If none are available, it checks if the seller enabled a click and collect option. If that is also not available, the buyer is notified with a suggestion to choose a collection address, such as a hotel, close to the event.
We also created a click-and-collect feature for Grosa, allowing their customers to order online and collect in-store by selecting a radio button in the shopping cart. This helps customers to avoid shipping fees and longer delivery times.

Transactional email management

Automated transactional emails are off-platform messages triggered by common system events based on user activity. These include five broad categories: 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Registration, e.g. welcome emails, email address confirmation </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Confirmation, e.g. order, booking or sales confirmation </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Notification, e.g. shipping status, password resets </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Feedback, e.g. product review requests</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Re-engagement, e.g. abandoned cart reminders</li>
</ul>
Your users are <a href="https://sendgrid.com/resource/what-is-transactional-email/">three times</a> more likely to open transactional emails than other marketing emails due to their:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">deliverability (less likely to land up in spam folders)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">user anticipation (a buyer expects to receive an order confirmation email) </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">actionability (a newly registered user knows they need to verify their email address)</li>
</ul>
This represents a huge opportunity to push engagement rates and provide a more reliable, consistent shopping experience. There are some key factors that make a transactional email system truly effective. 
For starters, administrators should be able to customise email templates, whether it&#8217;s the content, layout, triggers, or brand identity. It should include a reporting function to, for example, test which subject lines and calls-to-action work best. The system should also apply appropriate email routing to prevent high volume senders landing up in spam folders. 
Our client, <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/affordable-art-fair-marketplace-case-study">Affordable Art Fair</a>, had to manage more than forty transactional email types. We solved this by combining Mailchimp&#8217;s email marketing platform with its transactional mail service (formerly known as Mandrill). This allows administrators to easily manage the parameters (e.g. buyer location), triggers, as well as the content and layout of templates. The system is also able to pull data from multiple external sources such as customer databases.

Notifications

System or app notifications promote trust by keeping buyers in the loop about their orders. They can also improve service levels, such as faster response times, by alerting sellers and platform owners to issues as they occur.
Auto-generated notifications can update users on any change within order, payment or shipping flows. Common usages include alerting sellers if their product is out of stock, updating buyers when an order has been processed for delivery, or advising platform administrators when a refund has been requested. 
Notifications can be delivered via push notifications, in-app messages (platform inbox or IM), email, SMS, or even third-party messenger services like WhatsApp. For the best experience, users should be allowed to activate or deactivate notification channels according to their own preferences. 
CobbleWeb has used notification systems in innovative ways to improve the user experience of our clients&#8217; platforms:
<a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/mobypark-marketplace-case-study">MobiPark</a>&#8216;s parking marketplace updates drivers when new parking slots open up, while parking lot owners are notified and assisted with advice if their profiles are incomplete. 
The <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/ihss-connect-marketplace-case-study">IHSS Connect</a> messaging system notifies care recipients when there is a new care provider application. Retail and service marketplaces can use the same functionality to notify sellers of new orders or buyers of new quotes. These auto-generated messages are fully customisable and can contain multi-media such as images and videos (aka rich messaging).

Product returns

Buyers return items for a variety of reasons, e.g. wrong or damaged products, incorrect sizes, or bracketing (ordering multiple sizes or styles of an item). As e-commerce grows, so has the impact of good returns management. <a href="https://see.narvar.com/rs/249-TEC-877/images/Consumer-Report-Returns-2018-4.3.pdf">96% of customers</a> have rated a low-friction returns experience as reason to use an online retailer again.
Returns cost money though. Marketplaces have to balance their bottom line with keeping customers happy. Proactive strategies, like a well-managed order system, accurate product descriptions or leveraging data to manage serial returners, can help to decrease returns.
Our client, Grosa, lets each merchant set and manage their own return policies, which can be accessed on their shop profile pages. Alternative approaches include assigning different policies to product categories or implementing a blanket policy for the whole platform.
Some marketplaces impose restrictions on sellers&#8217; return policies.  For example, limiting refunds on cancelled orders to either full, partial, or zero options. Another example would be to restrict returns to a specific period (e.g. fourteen days) after delivery.

Promoted listings

A promoted listing can either be paid for product placement at the top of a search results page or it could give verified or trusted sellers more visibility. The main challenge is to update the marketplace search algorithm so that promoted listings are displayed more prominently in product search results.
<a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/the-box-hut-marketplace-case-study">The Box Hut</a> allows sellers to promote any product of their products for a period of time. We had to figure out when promoted products were to be displayed, how to rank them and how this would impact search results and the buyer journey.
<a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/fanpass-marketplace-case-study">FanPass</a> sellers can earn a &#8216;trusted&#8217; tag when they reach specific thresholds for turnover, customer satisfaction and cancellations. All the products of a qualifying seller will as result be labeled as trusted. According to FanPass, trusted listings have a 20 percent higher conversion rate.

Visual search

62% of Millennial and Generation Z consumers in the UK and US <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180829005092/en/New-Research-ViSenze-Finds-62-Percent-Generation">prefer visual search</a>. This presents huge opportunities for marketplaces that have implemented the right visual search technology.
One advantage is that it can reduce the number of steps to make a purchase. Recommendations, based on similar visuals, colours and styles, can help refine the buying process.
Prerequisites for effective visual search includes making it easy for vendors to add optimised images to their product pages. Structured data remains important and should be automated by your product listing structure.
CobbleWeb used <a href="https://www.visii.com/">Visii</a> technology to create an intuitive image search feature for Affordable Art Fair that allows art collectors to browse visually by clicking on images they like. It then uses deep learning and custom AI to provide users with more personalised search results and recommendations. These can be combined with standard display conditions, such as number of reviews, stock levels, best sellers, and IP locations.

Analytics

Marketplace owners are confronted by a twin set of challenges when it comes to using user data to grow their platform. Firstly, which metrics should they track? Secondly, how to interpret the data in a productive manner?
A metric is only relevant if it supports the profitability and growth of your particular marketplace business. A <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/aarrr-pirate-metrics-improve-marketplace-performance/">framework like AARRR</a> can help to organise metrics so that you can get the most out of them. Its main advantage is that it contextualises metrics by linking them to your sales funnel: acquisition, activation, retention, referral and revenue.
We&#8217;ve used the AARRR framework and tools like <a href="https://snowplowanalytics.com/">Snowplow</a> and Amazon Kinesis to build custom analytics dashboards for our clients  <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/affordable-art-fair-marketplace-case-study/">Affordable Art Fair</a> used it to track specific user events, such as which product categories were viewed or which artists were added to wish lists. This helped them create more personalised ads, which increased engagement threefold.

Abandoned carts

69.57% of ecommerce <a href="https://baymard.com/lists/cart-abandonment-rate">shopping carts are abandoned</a>. Commonly cited reasons include additional costs (e.g. shipping fees), forced account creation, complicated checkout processes, and trust issues. One reason that is often overlooked is buyers who simply forgot about their carts.
We discovered this when we tested FanPass users, who abandoned their shopping carts, with a simple reminder email. The results were astonishing. 54% of those we emailed clicked to review their shopping cart and five percent converted, which was ten times the overall conversion rate at that stage.
CobbleWeb has since built various user engagement flows, integrated with marketing tools, that provide our clients&#8217; sales teams with data for customer follow-ups. 
We implemented various strategies to minimise Affordable Art Fair&#8217;s cart abandonment rate. For example, buyers receive automated estimates of shipping costs on the product page. Another successful tactic was to send reminder emails with discount codes to buyers who abandoned their shopping carts.

Seller relationship management

CobbleWeb has used seller analysis and feedback to create revenue-boosting seller management features for a number of clients.
FanPass, an event ticket marketplace, offers three payout levels. Standard sellers get paid seven days after the event, while trusted sellers get paid immediately after buyers receive their tickets. Corporate sellers can elect to receive monthly bulk payments. In addition, FanPass can restrict specific events to certain sellers, to cater for demand constraints or special seller attributes such as super-fast delivery. This flexibility offers a powerful way to <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/marketplace-curation-boost-trust-and-growth-with-seller-quality-control/">manage seller and product quality</a>.
Sellers rated payout flexibility as their number one reason for using FanPass over legacy ticketing platforms like TicketMaster or Viagogo.
Affordable Art Fair offers flexible shipping options to sellers. They can use the default shipping costs returned by the UPS API, with an optional markup, or they can use local shipping providers’ rates. This helps sellers to cater for different buyer locations and offer extra value such as bespoke packaging.
Grosa, a marketplace for specialty groceries, is a good example of how flexible platform fees, based on specific seller attributes, can promote seller adoption and loyalty:
In general, commission paid by merchants can be set at a standard or premium rate, plus a fixed fee. Commission rates can be set even more granularly for individual sellers that sell higher volumes, such as merchants with multiple shops or those that sell popular products like dried fish. Total commission per transaction can also be capped with a maximum or minimum threshold. 
This flexibility was extended to merchants’ product prices as well. Since some Grosa shoppers prefer to buy in bulk, sellers can set separate pricing structures for wholesale goods.

Pricing system

A marketplace is only viable if its value proposition can be monetised. CobbleWeb has developed advanced pricing systems for a variety of marketplace <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/revenue-streams-for-marketplace-business-model/">business models, with revenue streams</a> based on commission, subscription, freemium, ads or listing fees. 
We helped parking marketplace MobyPark develop a highly profitable real-time pricing model based on platform searches (similar to the yield management models used by hotels and airlines). Their pricing algorithm had to prioritise different criteria, such as number of parking slots chosen, booking periods, discounts, special offers, availability, and weekly, daily or monthly price tiers.
We created a flexible fee system for Grosa that can cater for many different permutations. Administrators can set commission fees for both shoppers and merchants, at either standard or premium rates, and add a fixed fee. Total commission per transaction can be capped with a maximum or minimum threshold. Some shoppers prefer to buy in bulk,  so we allowed sellers to set separate pricing structures for wholesale goods.
House moving platform, Remoovaz&#8217;s pricing system had to support many variables: van size, hourly rates, assistance levels, markups for same day, next day and weekend service and platform fees. We created a sleek calendar interface that uses clickable elements to clearly show the variances in cost for different service and date permutations.
When users reschedule a Remoovaz service it often means that the fees change due to additional markups (e.g. weekend or next day service). We dealt with these scenarios by emulating airline date change fees. The payment system automatically recalculates the new fee and charges or pays out the difference.

Premium feature management

Charging users for access to premium features, via subscription fees for example, is a hallmark of many successful marketplace revenue plans. A versatile option, it can be used in both product and service marketplaces.
The proviso is that users will be willing to pay for premium features if they perceive sufficient value in them. Smart marketplace entrepreneurs <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/lean-approach/">use an MVP to test</a> which features and price points work best. 
Premium feature management is by nature highly granular. That means platform administrators should be able to control access to specific features at individual user level.
The premium features we have implemented for our clients include The Box Hut, which charges sellers an additional fee for access to product analytics. Another client, FanPass, gives sellers access to custom shipping options once they have reached a minimum turnover threshold. 
For healthcare marketplace, IHSS Connect, we implemented an interface that unlocks additional features, such as priority messages and more prominent profile placement, for premium accounts.

Auctions

Marketplaces with auction or bidding features have been around for a while. Well-known platforms like eBay (general), Copart (vehicles) and Sotheby&#8217;s (luxury items) use auction features to sell items in different verticals.
Auctions are complex features because they allow several buyers to bid for the same items simultaneously. Some auction sites charge a buyer&#8217;s premium which is a fixed or percentage fee on top of the final bid.
The user interface and UX challenges can therefore be substantial. You will also have to consider quality control in the form of valuations or inspections to protect your marketplace reputation.
CobbleWeb built an auction system for a luxury fashion marketplace that allows buyers and sellers to make offers and counter-offers for items. It includes conditions such as reserve prices, e.g. bids may not be less than 10% of the reserve price.

Ratings & Reviews

Sellers need feedback from their customers so that they can improve their offerings. They should also have the tools to respond to reviews to create a balanced picture. These feedback loops have the power to improve the quality of sellers on your platform.
<a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/build-trust-in-your-marketplace-website-with-customer-review-software/">Reviews can also drive traffic</a> to your platform. If you work with your sellers to generate positive reviews and improve their reputation, studies show that you will get more customers who are willing to pay a higher price. 
CobbleWeb has helped several online marketplaces build trust with their users:
We built a rating system for MobyPark drivers to rate parking spots. The Box Hut&#8217;s lack of reviews was solved by allowing merchants to display their existing Google reviews via API imports.
IHSS Connect needed a recommendation system for service providers. We  created a low friction curation tool similar to Facebook or Twitter likes. Recommendations are collated on provider profiles, providing them with an additional marketing tool.
We built a bespoke review system for Grosa. Shoppers can search for merchants based on other shoppers’ feedback by using a star rating filter. Merchant profiles have a reviews button which when clicked provides more details about each review.

Wish lists

There are several advantages to allowing users to build wish lists by favouriting or liking products. Firstly, wish lists provide valuable user data for more personalised product recommendations. Buyers are more likely to make a purchase, the more relevant recommendations are to them.
They also encourage potential buyers to explore your platform, since products can be liked or favourited from multiple locations, such as the search results page, the individual product listing page, the order details page, or even the shopping cart. 
Retaining access to wish lists can incentivise users to create an account. Once created, wish lists act like reminders, which is great for repeat sales. This can also be useful when a product is currently out of stock.
We implemented such a wish list system for Affordable Art Fair with great success. It is, for instance, used by buyers who want to compare combinations of paintings for a room or a house.
The ability to add favourites to an account can also be used to enhance the customer experience. Only1cent&#8217;s contact tracking app permits customers to add their guests as favourites to restaurant check-ins. This saves time at future check-ins.

Curation tools

Allowing users to follow or like each other can have several positive impacts. It can promote the community aspect of your marketplace by helping to build closer relationships between buyers and sellers. It can also provide useful data that can be used in product recommendations.
Most importantly, it can increase <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/grow-marketplace-value-with-network-effects/">network effects</a> by making one side of your platform (e.g. buyers) more engaged, which creates more value for the other side (sellers). This strategy has been successfully implemented by global marketplaces like Airbnb (wish lists) and Etsy (favourites). 
We built similar curation tools for our client, Affordable Art Fair. Their buyers can favourite or unfavourite individual product listings, as well as follow or unfollow artists and galleries. Buyers are notified when artists or galleries they follow add new artworks, while favourited items are used to recommend similar art in a more accurate manner.
This has helped buyers to explore the Affordable Art Fair platform in more detail, leading to higher engagement rates and increased sales.

Lead generation

<a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/how-to-launch-marketplace-go-to-market-strategy/">Marketplace lead generation</a> has come a long way since Brian Chesky and co knocked on people&#8217;s doors to ask them if they want to join Airbnb. These days lead generation can be built into product or order flows (to turn leads into buyers) and user flows (to turn leads into active sellers). 
Our client, Affordable Art Fair, uses product enquiries to onboard new art buyers, while Roxlor shares visitor wish lists with their sales team who convert them into clients. This strategy has increased Roxlor&#8217;s conversion rate by 500 percent.
Events can be excellent sources of leads. For example, we built a productive lead generation flow to onboard sellers that attended Affordable Art Fair&#8217;s physical art fairs. For FanPass, we integrated their marketplace with Ticket-Compare, a price comparison site for event tickets, and CJ Affiliate, an affiliate marketing network, to generate more buyers.
Other lead generation strategies include referral or affiliate programs, competitions, and useful content like a knowledge base. Again for Affordable Art Fair, we integrated a WordPress-based CMS into their platform to send lead generation data from landing pages to a Salesforce CRM.
Piggybacking on another platform with a similar audience can be a quick way to grow your marketplace. Our client, Nestify started out as a complementary Airbnb property management platform.

Customer support

Customer service is key for <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/soshop-marketplace-case-study">SoShop</a>. We had to build a set of tools for their customer service team that could help them support their users better.
The first item was to allow the customer team to use the admin dashboard to inspect onboarding information provided by users and view third-party reports. They can also use the dashboard to track the status of debit card orders and shipping, making it easier to follow up with customers.
The SoShop mobile app includes several features that help users manage their debit cards in a secure manner: reporting lost or stolen cards, freezing card usage, adding a virtual card or renaming a card.
We have also integrated the Zendesk CRM into some of our clients&#8217; marketplaces to better serve their users. It allows them to manage a knowledge base with FAQs, how-to instructions, and other useful information. Issues can be reported directly from users&#8217; marketplace accounts which automatically creates a ticket with all the information in Zendesk.

Instant messaging (chat)

According to <a href="https://go.forrester.com/blogs/16-03-03-your_customers_dont_want_to_call_you_for_support/#:~:text=Our%20data%20backs%20this%20up,with%20good%20online%20customer%20service.">Forrester</a>, &#8220;53% of US online adults are likely to abandon their online purchase if they can’t find a quick answer to their question&#8221;.
This has meant a shift away from delayed email/inbox messages to instantaneous WhatsApp-style messaging. In line with this trend, CobbleWeb offers bespoke messaging systems that support your specific marketplace user flows. Our messaging solutions cater for real-time user-to-user messaging, chat rooms, as well as system messages and automatic notifications.
Our client, <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/ihss-connect-marketplace-case-study/">IHSS Connect</a>, a peer-to-peer marketplace for in-home care providers, required a custom instant messaging system that also allows users to access group chats. In addition, the client&#8217;s external systems (e.g. CRMs such as Salesforce or Hubspot) had to be able to access and re-publish customer service and sales messages. 
Another useful feature of our custom messaging systems is that users can share different types of files such as spreadsheets, PDFs, images, as well as specialised formats such as DWG files for AutoCAD and PSD files for Adobe Photoshop.

Content management system

CobbleWeb has customised and optimised content management systems to create powerful custom applications. For example, we integrated the WordPress CMS with the <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/fanpass-marketplace-case-study/">Fanpass</a> event ticket marketplace by tweaking the platform to dynamically update content-rich information pages with new events.
Vendors can add new products (events) via a custom admin portal. The event details, such as title, category, and image, are searchable by WordPress, and used to add the new event listing to search-optimised information pages (e.g. a page about Arsenal Football Club) pre-created by the site owner.
Once we had implemented this integration, Fanpass could use it to create many new landing pages for their events. These landing pages have now risen to the top of Google search results, driving tens of thousands of visitors to the Fanpass website every month. 
<a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/affordable-art-fair-marketplace-case-study">Affordable Art Fair</a> required a productive way to manage different types of content: blog posts, information pages and lead generation pages. We integrated WordPress into their platform so they could leverage its publishing tools and send lead generation data to a Salesforce CRM.

CRM Integration

Did you know that CRM systems form the <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2018-04-10-gartner-says-crm-became-the-largest-software-market-in-2017-and-will-be-the-fastest-growing-software-market-in-2018">largest and fastest growing software market</a> in the world? No surprise, since they can have a direct impact on many different aspects of a business: people management, lead generation, sales automation, customer service, marketing, workflow automation, data analytics, and reporting. 
In short, they help your business to understand, segment, manage and nurture customer relationships in a more productive and profitable way. Instantaneous customer information updates, shared across marketing, sales and customer service teams, is just one way they can help to improve conversion rates and customer retention. 
Of course, the data-centric nature of online marketplaces make them a perfect fit for CRM implementation. The downside is that integrating a CRM with a particular marketplace business model and custom user flows can be challenging. A clumsy CRM integration can become a white elephant siphoning off valuable funds with little reward.
CobbleWeb has integrated a variety of CRMs, from full-stack enterprise CRMs like Salesforce to startup-friendly CRMs like Pipedrive, into different marketplace business models:
Both our clients, <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/affordable-art-fair-marketplace-case-study">Affordable Art Fair</a> and <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/nestify-marketplace-case-study">Nestify</a>, wanted to be able to control the onboarding of art sellers and property landlords respectively. We created sales pipelines that start with lead generation pages that send prospective client details to the CRM. From there the platform administrator can vet and follow up with applicants, and if approved create their marketplace accounts. This streamlined process has had a significant impact on the quality and conversion of suppliers.

Marketing automation

This was the challenge confronting us when we designed a custom marketing automation stack for <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/affordable-art-fair-marketplace-case-study">Affordable Art Fair</a>. The client wanted to be able to track specific events such as which product categories were viewed and which artists were added to wishlists. This would allow them to create highly personalised ads on Google, Facebook and Pinterest.
Our solution incorporated various technologies such as Snowplow (a data collection, processing and modelling platform), Amazon Kinesis (collects, processes, and analyses video and data streams in real time) and Google Merchant Center (manages how product inventory appears on Google). This allowed us to track relevant user and server events, collate them, and then present them in an easily digestible format.
We also helped them to automate their newsletter segmentation. When users subscribe, information, such as their user location and buying profile, is sent to the ActiveCampaign marketing automation tool. It allows the marketing team to create segmented email lists for more personalised newsletters.

Internet of Things (IoT)

A number of our clients have embraced the Internet of Things to solve challenges in innovative ways. 
<a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/nestify-marketplace-case-study">Nestify</a> tracks the work that cleaners have done by making them clock in and out via an app on their phones. It uses geo-location (phone GPS and property co-ordinates) that only permit clock-ins when in close vicinity to the property. This prevents cleaners from subcontracting to other cleaners. Clock-outs are automatically triggered when cleaners exit the geo-location. 
Property access for cleaners and guests have also been automated with IoT solutions. KeyBox sends a one-time code to the cleaner once a shift is created with which to open a key lockbox. When the keys are returned to the lockbox the code expires. ​KeyNest uses collection points (stores) close to the property. A collection code is sent to the guests, who exchange it for the keys. Property managers are automatically notified when keys are collected or returned.
Drivers using <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/mobypark-marketplace-case-study">MobyPark</a>&#8216;s parking marketplace had to be able to access car parks via their app. We managed this by developing a system that allows drivers to communicate access codes received via the app with entry booms whether there is a mobile signal or not. This was done by attaching hardware to parking entrances that can accept access codes via Bluetooth or manual input.

Digital wallet management

Digital wallets allow consumers to buy credits that are added to their marketplace account for future use. It offers convenience and security against fraud by avoiding a long checkout process and credit card transactions with third parties. Used as batch buying instruments they can also be used to push bulk discounts. 
Digital wallets simplify the refund process and can be used to promote cross-selling. For instance, when a damaged or incorrect item is delivered, a quick refund can be made to the user’s wallet, accompanied by an alternative suggestion.
CobbleWeb has implemented digital wallets for a number of clients and use cases:
<a href="https://www.mes4devis.fr/">Mes4Devis</a>, a platform that provides house moving quotes, sells batch access to leads (quote requests) to moving companies. For example, a batch of 10 future leads cost €84. These are stored as credits in the moving company&#8217;s digital wallet, which are depleted when actual leads are provided.
Bereach sells recurring REACH compliance certifications. REACH is a set of regulations adopted by the European Union to protect people and the environment against risks posed by chemicals. To comply, companies must identify and manage any risks linked to chemicals used in products they manufacture or sell within the EU. By allowing companies to purchase credits for future certifications Bereach reduces red tape and the per unit cost.

Event management

Event ticketing marketplace, <a href="https://cobbleweb.co.uk/projects/fanpass-marketplace-case-study">FanPass</a>, wanted to minimise the effort required for venue managers to post events on their platform. This was a huge challenge, since more than ten data sets are used to create between 100 and 150 event listings per month.
Our first step was to simplify the event listing process by using dynamic forms that automatically complete input fields based on the user&#8217;s account information. Venue managers only have to fill in fields that require updated/additional information.
Dynamic forms can also identify the type of device the customer is using and adjust the forms to make completing the questions easier. Suggestions on how to complete the form are automatically provided.
We also created a venue functionality that helped to speed up the event listing process even further. Administrators can preconfigure different seat maps, e.g. for football matches or concerts, for each venue. Event creators then simply select the seat map configuration that suits their type of event.

Talk To Us

We can help you select and implement the right features for your marketplace.

Do you have a list of features in mind?

Marketplace features provide the functionalities that make an online marketplace useful for its intended audience. The right features will attract growing numbers of buyers and sellers, promote engagement between users, support the sales of products or services, and drive overall revenue.
Since 2012, CobbleWeb has helped numerous clients (from marketplace startups to established corporations) identify, customise and integrate powerful features that perfectly align with specific user journeys and individual business cases.
We&#8217;ve built features for a wide range of user profiles and interfaces, including for visitors, buyers, on-demand service providers, corporate sellers, employees, and administrators. The common foundation for all our features is always a highly optimised, mobile-friendly <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/marketplace-technology-stack/">platform infrastructure</a> that provides lightning-fast, scalable performance.
Our custom development process covers two important factors for success. Firstly, we make sure that your features are perfectly aligned with your user flows, something <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/6-ways-turnkey-software-solutions-can-kill-your-marketplace-startup/">turnkey solutions</a> often don&#8217;t provide. Secondly, our vast experience helps you to prioritise the right features in your <a href="https://www.cobbleweb.co.uk/ultimate-guide-to-minimum-viable-product-mvp/">MVP</a>. This makes it easier to establish product-market fit and minimises the risk of budget overruns.
This feature tour will introduce you to the most important marketplace features that we have built for our clients. We&#8217;ll give you the low-down on each feature&#8217;s benefits and capabilities, the challenges of implementing them, and how we customised them to create seamless user experiences that deliver superior business outcomes.
How to use this page: 
You can either browse the list of features via the menu or search for a specific feature by using the search bar. The menu is grouped by general features that are common to most marketplaces, features that are particular to marketplaces that sell products, and features required by marketplaces that sell services.
Note that this is not an exhaustive list of features. We are able to develop new features if your marketplace concept requires them.

Popular marketplace features that will delight your users

Please try another keyword or browse on Features list below.

Instant messaging (chat)

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