Methodology

What are the different steps in creating a marketplace?

The marketplaces or e-commerce sites have completely changed consumers' habits about how they shop. Almost everything, including products and services, is now sold and purchased through e-commerce sites and online marketplaces.

You have a project of creation of a marketplace? You need to have a good idea, set up a good business plan, choose the persona, define a budget, etc. We will detail these different steps from the design to the launch of your marketplace platform.

A marketplace: what is it?

Marketplace is an English expression that means marketplace. It is an e-commerce platform that aims to connect sellers and buyers. On these sites, you can find products and services in return for commissions or payments according to the system.

What distinguishes a marketplace from an e-commerce site?

It is important to differentiate a marketplace from an online store. In an e-commerce platform or an online store, there are generally products or services from a merchant that cyber buyers can buy directly.

On the other hand, in a marketplace, there are several sellers. Concretely, e-commerce sites are”monosellers” while marketplaces are”multi-vendor”.

What are the different types of marketplaces?

It exists different types of marketplaces according to the classification by market and by sale.

The different types per sale

In this category, we find:

  • The seats of B2B market (business to business) connect professionals.
  • Les B2C platforms (business to customers) to connect professionals and individuals.
  • Les C2C marketplaces (customers to customers) that allow individuals to connect with each other.
  • Les G2B/G2C marketplaces whose function is to connect governments and communities respectively with professionals and individuals.

The different varieties of marketplaces depending on the sale

In this class, we find:

  • Marketplaces for products
  • Marketplaces for services

Creating a marketplace: The various reasons

If you are wondering why launch a project to create a marketplace, here are the various causes.

To meet specific market needs

The first reason for creating a marketplace is satisfaction of a need of the market. This may be because of the difficulty in finding credible sellers or buyers. The reason may also be the need to return the simpler business transactions and more fluid. Thus, a marketplace is the solution when a seller has trouble finding customers. It is also possible that it is the other way around, buyers have difficulty finding a particular product.

To exploit new consumer habits

With the advance of e-commerce and the creation of new consumer habits, marketplaces have been very successful. Customers appreciate buying online, especially when they don't have the time or the ability to travel. For their part, sellers are doing everything they can to offer consumers reasons to continue shopping on these online sales platforms.

To produce profits

Of course, create a marketplace for profit. This makes it possible to earn income through commissions on the various transactions of sellers and buyers. It is an economic model that allows the marketplace to ensure its financing. Thus, the platform can continue to offer its services. It should be noted that the amount of these benefits depends on various points. There is the sector of activity, the size of the transactions carried out and the strategy of the marketplace.

To promote a brand

A marketplace, in addition to connect retailers and customers, is also used to develop a brand. To do this, it must offer relevant content and organize events that strengthen the link between its many users. In this sense, the platform must create a sense of belonging in order to retain its subscribers.

What are the steps for creating a marketplace?

To create a marketplace, you have to go through a few steps. To allow you to clearly understand what to do, here are the different phases to follow to create a marketplace.

Have a concept, a good idea

The first step in designing your marketplace is looking for a good idea. Therefore, it is very important to take a moment to find a concept that can lead you to success. To do this, think about the needs that the current market does not yet meet.

When you have found some, you need Define goals very distinct for your marketplace solution. For example, did you know that Amazon's goal was to become the biggest bookstore in the world. He couldn't find the books they were looking for, so the current giant decided to provide solutions. Today, we all know the rest of its history.

There are also platforms that aim to highlight sustainable fashion. They combine passion and the circular economy. In other words, setting a specific goal leads more easily to success.

Establishing a business plan

For develop a marketplace, it is necessary to draw up a business plan. This document should contain all the details concerning your project in order to facilitate its completion. To develop it, you must have done a market study, put in place a good marketing strategy and a good sales technique. You should also include the details of the financial plan and business model in the market analysis.

What business model should you choose for your marketplace?

It is appropriate to focus on The economic model of the marketplace. Of course, we talked about commissions, but there are other sources of added value for this type of platform. So, remember to make the right choice and even test before choosing a business model.

The classic model: The commission on transactions

It is the most common business model for marketplaces. So, the platform survives thanks to commissions received through the sales made. This varies by product. If this model is very popular, it is thanks to its ease of implementation.

Earnings in the form of subscriptions

For this system, there are two varieties:

  • Sellers pay fees per month or per year to have the right to make sales on the marketplace. They can thus take advantage of the platform's traffic.
  • Buyers, on the other hand, can benefit from advantages such as reductions Or the shorter delivery times.
The model in the form of Sponsorship

With this model, sellers pay not only to sell, but more importantly to guarantee the promotion of their products. This model is mainly found on major market places in the field of generalists.

Another interesting model: Paid options

To earn money with the marketplace, you can also offer sellers personalized offers. For example, you offer them the publication of their products, the monitoring of performance and the optimization and management of their stocks.

An ideal model for B2B platforms: the listing fee

With this business model, you can charge management fees for the publication of new references. Often, negotiations between professionals take place off the platform and payment is not made directly online. So this business model is perfect.

Specify the persona

Another important step in creating a marketplace, Definition of persona or Of the target. So, the aim is to know all the details regarding the target, whether for sellers or buyers.

  • What are they looking for
  • What are their interests?
  • What keywords are they using to do their research?
  • What channels are they using?
  • What are their characteristics (gender, age, buying behavior, etc.)?

It should be noted that the persona study must be done before creating and after creating the marketplace. Indeed, offers and requests are constantly changing.

Creation of a marketplace: What budget?

To create a marketplace, you need a certain amount of money. In order to determine this budget, you must know all the needs from the creation of the marketplace tool; from design to maintenance. Various elements need to be taken into account.

Details about the marketplace tool

Before creating the platform, you should think of all the necessary functionalities. The marketplace may need an online payment system, search filters, a messaging system and more depending on your needs. You also have to think about design, maintenance and support.

Choose the marketplace solution

For develop your marketplace, you have various solutions available. The choice will therefore depend on a few points. These include the technical skills of your internal employees, the functionalities of your platform and the size of your company.

Software as a Service for your marketplace

With this solution, you can take advantage of a ready-to-use platform. Saas has many benefits:

  • The launch of the marketplace is both fast and efficient.
  • The launch costs are attractive.
  • The platform is scalable and flexible.
  • Marketplace updates are regular.
  • The security is reliable.
  • Users will have no trouble using it.

However, the Software as a Service marketplace also has some disadvantages:

  • The platform does not belong to you, you are like a tenant.
  • The publisher risks ceasing its activity.

On-Premise for your marketplace

Unlike a SaaS platform that is on the cloud, The On-premise is installed on your servers, i.e. on site.

  • The advantage of this type of platform is the absence of ongoing fees. You have all the property rights while guaranteeing personalization and support.
  • As a negative point, the On-Premise marketplace is expensive to launch, host and maintain.

Open-Source for the marketplace

In fact, there is no Open source CMS for marketplaces. However, there are multi-vendor plugins for e-commerce CMSs. Examples include WordPress and Prestashop.

  • This system makes it possible to reduce the cost of ownership.
  • On the other hand, the marketplace would seem like a DIY project.

Create a marketplace with the No code

You are looking for a personalized platform in order to meet specific needs? The no code represents an excellent alternative for creating a tailor-made marketplace. To do this, you need to:

  • Define your needs,
  • Choose the appropriate creation tool,
  • create and test the marketplace

For this task, you can use the services of a agency specialized in no code like Scalapp.

Select the payment service provider or PSP

The creation of a marketplace requires the Choosing a payment method or more precisely from a payment service provider or PSP. Since there are so many solutions available, it is important to make the right choice. A few criteria should be considered.

  • A solution that suits your customers and your business
  • A method that offers different payment methods to your customers
  • The payment method must be responsive design, i.e. adapted to all screens, just like the marketplace
  • A solution that guarantees an optimal solution while complying with the rules

As a payment service provider, you have Options like Stripe, Paysurf, Mangopay, etc.

Hire salespeople

Finding the right sellers is also an important step in creating a marketplace. If your platform is of the general type, then you can welcome all sellers, regardless of their products or services.

If you have chosen a specific field, then you need to make a selection. For example, if you have created a marketplace for construction, then, you will only receive traders and companies in the field of building and public works.

When recruiting, regardless of the industry, be sure to only recruit salespeople who offer quality products. With good sellers and good products, buyers will come more easily.

Launch and promote the marketplace platform

Once the creation of the marketplace is complete, it is essential to Work on your visibility. This part is also of paramount importance if you want your marketplace to attract traffic and therefore sellers and buyers.

To do this, be sure to include in your budget the recruitment of a team specialized in digital marketing if necessary. It will undoubtedly be necessary to create a blog, white papers or others to ensure the launch and visibility of the platform. To promote your marketplace, you will need to do online advertising campaigns, collaborate with influencers, create events, etc.

Establishing a social media strategy

Visibility necessarily involves the establishment of a social media strategy. So, remember to choose the channel where your persona is located in order to ensure effective communication. This can be Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Linkedin, Pinterest, etc. Otherwise, you can also reinforce the promotion of your marketplace with Google Adwords and Facebook Ads.

Building the online reputation of the marketplace

Creating a marketplace is not an easy task with the many competitors and especially with the giants of the market. For this reason, it is very important to build a good reputation for the market place.

This can be done through social media strategy, but also by creating a community aimed at create relationships and build loyalty all users of the platform.

Give a place where sellers and buyers can give feedback on the platform. If you have thought carefully about all the details and functionalities of the platform, you are not likely to get negative feedback.

In summary

The creation of a marketplace goes through various essential steps. None of these phases should be overlooked if you want your platform to be efficient in the face of the competition.

Before making a choice concerning the marketplace solution, take the time to inform yourself. Before setting a budget, make sure you know all the details about your marketplace needs.

When you have succeeded in set up the marketplace that you had in mind, don't forget to work on its visibility. Work on web marketing, content strategy, SEO optimization and social media strategy.

Hire good salespeople and improve the quality of your marketplace, payment security and data protection. You can be supported by an expert from the design to the launch and maintenance of the marketplace. This will allow you to be assured of the best results.

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