Marketplace development: features, best platforms, tech stack, and benefits
Types of marketplaces we build
Itransition delivers feature-rich marketplaces to connect retailers, manufacturers, or suppliers with their customers and help increase incoming traffic, boost conversions, and streamline sales for every business model.
B2C marketplaces
We develop B2C solutions that allow sellers to offer their products directly to the target audience and ensure convenience for customers with various delivery and payment options.
B2B marketplaces
Itransition builds business-to-business marketplaces that streamline procurement processes and order management and enable buyers and suppliers to track their transactions.
P2P marketplaces
We develop secure peer-to-peer marketplaces that work as mediators between individuals who sell products or services and people who buy them, bringing regular profit from sales and listing fees to the site owner.
Multi-vendor marketplaces
Multi-vendor marketplaces built by Itransition can host multiple storefronts where established brands can sell products, manage their accounts, and interact with customers.
Crowdfunding platforms
We create crowdfunding solutions that enable individuals and organizations to raise money for specific initiatives and projects from people on the internet.
Have a marketplace development project in mind?
Why choose Itransition
20+ years of experience in ecommerce development
Enterprise-wide Ecommerce Center of Excellence
Certified Adobe and SAP Commerce developers and consultants
Listed as a Top Ecommerce Developer 2022 by Clutch
Recognized in the IAOP’s Excellence in Strategic Partnerships program
Acknowledged as a Modern Application Development service provider by Forrester
Client spotlight
+25%
sales growth
Product feed creation system
Itransition built an SAP Commerce-based feed generation system for promoting products on marketplaces. The system doubled the feed creation speed for a multi-category online store selling products across 10,000+ categories.
2x increase
in internal recruitment
Internal talent marketplace
Our AI-powered internal talent marketplace provides a 360-degree view of the company’s talent pool. The solution helped our HR team to cut the mean lead time for an opportunity by 15% and reduce onboarding resources by 5x.
Lower
transaction costs
Patent management platform
We delivered a blockchain-driven patent management solution with advanced search tools and AI-based analytics. It enabled our client to automate monetization processes and bring transparency to the intellectual property market.
+25%
sales growth
Product feed creation system
Itransition built an SAP Commerce-based feed generation system for promoting products on marketplaces. The system doubled the feed creation speed for a multi-category online store selling products across 10,000+ categories.
2x increase
in internal recruitment
Internal talent marketplace
Our AI-powered internal talent marketplace provides a 360-degree view of the company’s talent pool. The solution helped our HR team to cut the mean lead time for an opportunity by 15% and reduce onboarding resources by 5x.
Lower
transaction costs
Patent management platform
We delivered a blockchain-driven patent management solution with advanced search tools and AI-based analytics. It enabled our client to automate monetization processes and bring transparency to the intellectual property market.
+25%
sales growth
Product feed creation system
Itransition built an SAP Commerce-based feed generation system for promoting products on marketplaces. The system doubled the feed creation speed for a multi-category online store selling products across 10,000+ categories.
2x increase
in internal recruitment
Internal talent marketplace
Our AI-powered internal talent marketplace provides a 360-degree view of the company’s talent pool. The solution helped our HR team to cut the mean lead time for an opportunity by 15% and reduce onboarding resources by 5x.
Lower
transaction costs
Patent management platform
We delivered a blockchain-driven patent management solution with advanced search tools and AI-based analytics. It enabled our client to automate monetization processes and bring transparency to the intellectual property market.
Key marketplace features
We equip our marketplaces with essential functionality and add advanced features on demand to help businesses attract customers and vendors globally and reach their growth and development goals.
Marketplace administration
Marketplace administration
We equip marketplaces with comprehensive features that allow owners to effectively manage all aspects of the platform on their own.
User and account management
Content management
SEO tools
Marketplace analytics
Website performance monitoring
Security
Multi-vendor management
Multi-vendor management
We build solutions that give you complete control over vendor relationships and help you meet their needs.
User onboarding
Vendor administration
Personalized commissions and fees
Automated billing management
Multiple revenue models
Multiple revenue models
Depending on your requirements, we can integrate multiple monetization models to give retailers more options and diversify the ways your marketplace generates profits.
Subscriptions
Commissions
Sign-up fees
Publishing, listing, and transaction fees
Freemium
A mixed model
Product information management
Product information management
Our marketplaces allow vendors to create and upload products, import product lists, quickly update parameters like categories, availability, discounts, and prices, and set dynamic pricing to better meet customer expectations.
Multiple product fields that sellers can enable or disable
Customizable product attributes and options
Support of digital and tangible products
Mass data uploading from CSV files
Stock management
Price management, including discounts and regional prices
Order management
Order management
Our solutions streamline booking, ordering, payment processing, and order fulfillment. We build modules for order visibility, real-time delivery tracking, and billing management to help retailers deliver great customer experience during and after the sale.
Assigning different order statuses and states
Notifications for new orders
Real-time updates about products back in stock
Order shipping and tracking
Multilingual and multicurrency support
Multilingual and multicurrency support
Itransition delivers marketplaces convenient for vendors and audiences globally, with default language and currency settings and multilingual and currency support based on the user’s region.
Automatic location-based language and currency selection
Major global languages packs
Assisted translation to local languages
We equip marketplaces with features for dashboard and report generation, allowing vendors to analyze their store performance and draw actionable insights.
Customer liquidity analysis
Revenue analysis
Repeat purchase ratio calculation
Activity tracking per day, month, or year
Sales trends analysis
Search and navigation
Search and navigation
We create granular search filters and add advanced search features to marketplaces to ensure that customers can easily find what they are looking for.
Optimized navigation with mega menus and clickable breadcrumbs
Search by multiple categories and subcategories
Faceted filtering
Search query autocompletion
Search results display for misspelled words
Communication with vendors
Communication with vendors
Our marketplace developers implement secure in-site chats and notification systems for informing customers about order shipping and special offers, fostering customer satisfaction and retention.
Chatbots and chats with live reps
Email notifications and text messaging
Comments feature
Ratings and reviews
Ratings and reviews
We can equip marketplace solutions with features allowing sellers and buyers to rate each other, establishing a trust-based review system that can positively impact your brand’s community.
Fake feedback prevention
Review mechanisms for sellers and products
API integration with external rating systems like Google or Facebook
AI-driven personalization
AI-driven personalization
We can integrate machine learning-based algorithms to analyze user behavior, purchases, and behavior patterns in addition to delivering personalized shopping recommendations and personalizing customer journeys.
Personalized search query recommendations
Recommendation of similar or complementary products
Checkout page auto-completion based on previous purchases
Essential characteristics of marketplaces
Itransition follows industry standards and trends to deliver high-quality marketplaces that meet the expectations of both businesses and customers.
SEO-friendliness
We create a clear site structure and ensure fast page loading to optimize marketplaces for search engines, helping our clients increase organic traffic and improve their search rankings.
Stable performance
We make sure our marketplaces perform all their functions consistently, load fast on all devices, and handle sudden traffic spikes during peak shopping seasons.
Our developers implement security mechanisms on multiple layers of the marketplace to prevent cyber attacks, protect data, and ensure safe online transactions.
Scalability
We make our marketplaces flexible to easily handle the growing number of users and expanding operations volume, enabling the software to adapt to your changing business needs.
Responsiveness
We create responsive, mobile-optimized marketplaces that automatically adjust the content to the screen size and deliver consistent user experiences regardless of the devices used.
User-centricity
We design visually appealing and intuitive websites that provide seamless journeys for all marketplace users.
Our marketplace solutions for different industries
We build vertical marketplaces tailored to the specific needs of different industries or niches, helping businesses reach out to their target audience more effectively.
Retail
Our ecommerce development specialists can create high-performing platforms for selling and buying products, promoting brands, and reaching new customer segments.
- A search engine enabling personalized and intelligent search
- Multiple payment gateways
- User-friendly and fast shopping cart and checkout flow
- Product recommendations powered by machine learning
- Integration with ecommerce ERP, inventory, and order management systems
- Data analytics and business intelligence capabilities
- Marketing and advertising tools for brand visibility
Travel
Our travel marketplaces connect travel agencies and customers, showcase different sightseeing tours and holiday packages, and offer additional trip-related services.
- Search filters by location, date, price, or tour category
- Listing pages with tour or lodging thumbnails
- Popular destinations or recommended tours sections
- Tour or lodging page with integrated maps
- Various registration options
- Communication through message bots or live chats
- Reviews and ratings for tours, agencies, and places
- Secure online payments
Elearning
With our online learning marketplaces, students and teachers can get specialized tools for organizing an effective educational process.
- Simple user registration and authorization
- Student profiles with personal data, purchased courses, points earned, and certificates
- Dashboard for student progress analytics
- Course page with detailed descriptions and introductory videos
- Course-building and editing tools
- Admin panel
- Reporting
- Email or message notifications
- Gamification features, such as badges, points, and ratings
Logistics
We develop transportation marketplaces that remove friction in finding, buying, and selling freight shipping services and building customer trust.
- Easy onboarding for carriers
- Convenient comparison of several transportation options for shippers
- Instant quote generation
- Automated in-platform feedback loops
- Fintech solutions for flexible driver payouts and tax payments
- Real-time shipment tracking
- Ratings and reviews for carriers
We build reliable healthcare marketplaces where users can sell and buy pharmaceuticals and medical equipment and get services from health consultants, health insurance firms, as well as healthcare and telemedicine service providers.
- Orders and reservations placement and automated processing
- Product comparison capabilities
- Product information including FDA and other certifications
- Store locator and product availability information
- Video and audio conferencing and live chats
- Online appointment booking
- Compliance with GDPR and HIPAA
Real estate
Itransition delivers accommodation rental marketplaces that connect homeowners offering their property for rent and potential tenants.
- Advanced search filters by property type, pricing, availability dates, facilities, and number of rooms
- Guest and host pages
- Map integrations
- Messaging system with multi-language and translation support
- Relevant accommodation recommendations
- Reviews for real estate owners and tenants
- A secure payment system with multiple payment options
Finance
We provide secure financial solutions that connect borrowers and investors and can handle high transaction volumes.
- Admin panel with data and user management tools
- Integrations for document management and funds processing
- Fundraiser’s dashboard for viewing transactions, making repayments, monitoring payout schedules, and managing offerings
Build an online marketplace for your domain with Itransition
Platform-based vs. custom marketplace development
Our developers can build custom marketplaces from scratch as well as set them up using the world's most trusted platforms. Regardless of your choice, our experts will support you throughout the development process and foster the long-term growth of your marketplace.
Custom marketplaces
Platform-based marketplaces
Time to market
Time to market
6 to 12 months.
Starting from several weeks.
Cost
Cost
The cost of solutions built from scratch is higher due to the expertise, time, and labor required.
Out-of-the-box solutions are more cost-effective and have a lower total cost of ownership.
Features available
Features available
Bespoke marketplaces can have a custom feature set tailored exactly to your business model, industry, and requirements.
Platform-based solutions have ready-made templates and features covering basic business needs.
Customization opportunities
Customization opportunities
Custom development enables businesses to create fully-customizable marketplaces.
Platform-based development provides limited customization options because of the ready-made templates. However, we can expand the solution’s capabilities by installing additional plugins or API integrations.
Integrations
Integrations
While custom marketplaces don’t come with pre-built connectors, they are commonly developed using open-source or widely-used tech stacks, which means software developers can create bespoke integrations with most third-party software.
Marketplace platforms typically come with essential out-of-the-box integrations, such as payment gateways, a search engine, and analytical tools. If there are no pre-built connectors, platform-based marketplaces can also be integrated with third-party systems through custom development.
Scalability
Scalability
Marketplaces can be built with flexible architectures, allowing owners to add numerous components and integrations to the website to better align it with the business’s growing needs.
Scalability depends on the platform’s capacity. Generally, vendors offer additional storage space, features, and integration options to accommodate companies’ increasing demands.
Regulatory compliance
Regulatory compliance
When building custom marketplaces, technology partners should implement relevant mechanisms that protect user data and ensure compliance with international and local security standards and niche market guidelines.
Usually, vendors of out-of-the-box marketplace platforms take measures to ensure compliance with the major payment and data security regulations and provide tools that help merchants meet security requirements in their industry.
Top 6 marketplace platforms
Although all leading marketplace development platforms offer a wide range of customizable templates, built-in features, and integrations for a quick store setup, they have distinctive capabilities and limitations that companies should consider when choosing a marketplace provider.
Key features
- A free Magento Open Source and premium Adobe Commerce editions
Individual custom branding, account, and storefront for every vendor
Admin dashboard and vendor management tools
Assisted inventory and order management for individual sellers
Powerful search across different vendors and faceted navigation
Commission management tools - Adobe Sensei AI-powered product recommendations for customers
Numerous extensions and plugins for adding required functionality
Ability to respond to customer feedback
Order management tool for orders from different sellers
Social media integration
Multi-lingual support and regional extensions
Amazon sales channel
Limitations
API-based customization calls for vendor-sponsored developers
A steep learning curve
Target companies
Medium B2B and B2C merchants
Large-scale B2B and B2C merchants
Pricing
Custom pricing on demand
Key features
- Headless commerce with an API-first approach
Pre-built features and components for marketplaces
Marketplace Accelerator, a ready-to-use web implementation template
Industry-specific accelerators to complement the commerce functionality and accelerate time-to-market
Seamless integration with SAP products - Many easy-to-implement integrations from SAP Commerce community developers
Support of multiple languages, currencies, and payment methods, including PayPal
SAP Commerce Marketplace Management app by Mirakl with comprehensive capabilities
Bundled services for complex service scenarios
Omnichannel commerce support
Limitations
Requires software development expertise
Can be expensive to implement and maintain
Target companies
Medium B2C, B2B, and B2B2C enterprises
Large B2C, B2B, and B2B2C enterprises
Pricing
Available upon request
Subscription-based pricing, with the final cost depending on the number of components and integrations and used service storage
Key features
- Order management tools for product, service, and rental providers
Listing availability per day, night, or hour
Advanced filtering and categorization tools for quick and accurate search
Payments from 200+ countries with 25+ currencies on Sharetribe Go
Sharetribe Flex admin console for user activity monitoring, content moderation, and transaction management - High scalability potential with powerful APIs for web and mobile solutions
User communication and review management tools
Extensive knowledge base and expert support 7 days a week
Limitations
Few branding customization options
A limited ecommerce feature set
Target companies
From startups to established corporations with B2B, B2C, and P2P business models
Pricing
Sharetribe Go
starts at $79 per month
Sharetribe Flex
starts at $299 per month
30-day free trial
Key features
- Modular architecture
Strong operations management capabilities
Fast AI-powered catalog data and seller quality categorization
Mirakl Connect, a sellers and partners network, to simplify recruitment for operators
Multiple fulfillment models support, including dropshipping and direct delivery
New order alerts for sellers - Rich B2B selling functionality, enabling businesses to sell directly without branded storefronts
Real-time product updates for customers
Multiple KPIs for monitoring suppliers’ performance
Numerous integrations with existing ecommerce solutions
High scalability
Limitations
Can be expensive
No seller-facing analytics tools that could help merchants optimize their business
Target companies
Large companies that want to expand their offer to marketplaces
Pricing
Upon request
Based on subscription and gross merchandise value percentage
Key features
- No-code and on-premises deployment options
Seller management tools, such as a customizable vendor panel, payout options, and communication tools
90+ payment and shipping options
Multiple storefronts support to tap into new regions, niches, and markets
Zapier-based integrations with over 5000 apps - 3 storefront customization tools
Role-based access
Advanced search with 45 parameters
26+ languages and multiple currency support
Database backup and restore tool
Native mobile app for Multi-Vendor Plus users
Limitations
Paid software upgrades after one year
A limited number of free customer service credits
Target companies
Businesses of all sizes
Pricing
No-coding
starts at $75 per month
On-premises
starts at $1,250 a year
Free trial
Key features
- Native marketplace and omnichannel commerce capabilities
Certified by the MACH Alliance for its modern, serverless architecture
A large network of pre-integrated sellers across 3200+ online stores in 38 countries
Order orchestration from all channels in one place
Live shopping and conversational commerce support - Easy seller onboarding via VTEX Seller Portal
Automated seller payout and commissioning
Integration with other marketplaces with the ability to sell there
Seller quality management and sales analytics
Catalog management and moderation
A sales channel for global digital marketplaces, including Amazon and eBay
Limitations
Complicated configurations for nonstandard products and services
A limited set of built-in features
Target companies
B2C brands and retailers offering extended assortments
Pricing
Upon request
Marketplace development tech stack
After analyzing your project requirements, the future solution’s complexity, and your growth plans, we select best-in-class technologies to build fast-loading, secure, and scalable marketplaces with the necessary features and modules.
Hosting platforms
Hosting platforms
DigitalOcean GoDaddy
AWS Cloudflare (CDN)
Shopify On-premises hosting
Front-end technologies
Front-end technologies
CSS
JavaScript (Angular, React)
HTML
Back-end technologies
Databases
Databases
MySQL
MongoDB
Firebase
Modules for Adobe Commerce
Modules for Adobe Commerce
Checkout, payment, and shipping
OneStepCheckout for faster checkout Abandoned cart emails Shipping rules Subscriptions and recurring payments Various modules for payment and shipping methods
Social media
Social login for faster registration
UI
Layered navigation with advanced filters Mega menus GDPR compliant UX
Admin
Admin actions log for several users in the admin panel irrespective of their roles Advanced reporting tools
Extensions
SMTP extension SEO extensions
Optimization
Google Page speed optimizer Cache Warmer Lazy Load Other extensions based on the product quantities, content volumes, etc.
Module for SAP Commerce
Module for SAP Commerce
SAP Commerce Marketplace Management by Mirakl
Custom marketplace development
Custom marketplace development
We select technologies based on the project requirements
Marketplace development roadmap
1
Research
Idea validation
Niche, competitor, and target audience analysis
Budget planning
- Business analysts Project managers
2
Planning
Requirements analysis
Feature set selection
Defining architecture, tech stack, and integrations
Team selection
- Business analyst Project manager
3
Design
Hands-on prototyping
Specification review
Technical sketching
UX/UI design
- Tech team:
Architect
Tech lead
Project manager - UX/UI design:
Analyst
UX/UI expert
Graphic designer
Project manager
4
Development
Coding
MVP development
Integration with other systems
- Architect Tech lead Front-end developers Backend developers Project manager
5
Quality assurance
End-to-end acceptance testing and expert supervision
- Analyst QA engineers Project manager
6
Deployment and support
Deploying the final project
Post-release testing
On-demand support
- DevOps engineer Tech lead Support engineers
Online marketplace development cost
The cost of marketplace development services ranges from $100,000 for platforms with basic functionalities to $250,000+ for solutions with advanced feature sets, multiple integrations, and embedded advanced technologies.
Benefits of building a marketplace
For owners
No personal risks or expenses related to product manufacturing, inventory management, or order fulfillment Large-scale operation and high revenue due to the involvement of multiple vendors High user acquisition rates due to the growing site traffic and extensive sales opportunities
For vendors
No expenses on building and maintaining an ecommerce website Streamlined sales due to process automation Higher profit margins ensured by constant customer flow Improved brand awareness with better search engine visibility Lower marketing costs with the marketplace’s effective promotion campaigns
For customers
Best deals available from various vendors Easy comparison of products, prices, and vendors Trust towards the established platform Convenience due to buying everything you need in one place
Learn how a digital marketplace can drive your business growth
FAQs about marketplaces
Why are online marketplaces important?
Many people prefer marketplaces to single-vendor online stores because they can quickly browse multiple offers, compare prices, and buy products from various sellers in one place.
That’s why the marketplace business model efficiently expands the customer base, drives sales, and generates revenue.
What is an example of a marketplace?
The most popular global ecommerce marketplaces are Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba. Examples of non-ecommerce marketplaces are AirBnB, Udemy, and Upwork.
How to choose the perfect marketplace development platform?
Businesses should consider the platform’s functional scope, business model relevance, monetization options, pricing, and customization opportunities and then shortlist the one that best fits their needs. Alternatively, you can contact ecommerce experts for advice.
What are the common challenges of online marketplaces?
The problems that marketplace owners can face include:
- building a recognizable marketplace brand from ground zero
- keeping the website profitable while offering appealing terms and conditions for vendors
- grappling with fraud and counterfeit distribution
- keeping up with technological advancement
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