How to create a marketplace app

The mobile platform is more than just a “convenient version of the site”. In 2025, this is a complete tool that makes shopping easier. If you have a service, you're closer to the customer — literally in their pocket.

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• Convenience. Everything is at hand: search, filters, shopping cart, personal account, payment — the purchase takes a couple of minutes. The user does not depend on a browser or computer — a smartphone is enough to order everything you need, whether on the go or on the couch.

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• Accessibility. Apps are always in sight, and it's easier to access them than to open a website. And if the platform works fast and doesn't slow down, the user will come back to you again.

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• Push notifications. They can be used to remind you of a forgotten cart, talk about discounts, or return a user who hasn't ordered anything for a long time. This is an effective and unobtrusive way of communication that really works.

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• ‍Personalization. The service can “recognize” the user: offer what he is interested in, show products similar to previous orders, and adapt content to his behavior.

Before we dive into the details, we need to understand how to create a marketplace app, which will be in demand. So that the service does not get lost among hundreds of others, it must solve specific user problems, be convenient, intuitive and adapted to shopping scenarios.

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Idea and planning

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• Idea and planning. We need to study the market: who already exists, how big players like Wildberries and Ozon work, what chips they use, and what pros and cons there are. Don't just get inspired, but figure out why they're successful and how you can do it differently, and maybe even better.

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• The audience. Who is your audience? How old are they? Where do they live? What is important to them — fast delivery, easy payment, and the ability to try on? A lot depends on these answers, from features to visual style. A good product is not about “everything at once”, but about exactly meeting users' expectations.

• Business model. How are you going to make money: charge sellers, offer subscriptions, show ads? These decisions need to be made at the start; they will affect the functionality and structure of the application.

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• ‍Technical specifications. This is an instruction for the whole team: what should be in the service, what features are required, and how everything should work. A well-written technical specification saves time.

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Planning and design

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• UX-UI design. It is important to make the service not only beautiful, but also understandable. Easy search, logical filters, a shopping cart at hand — all these are the little things that ultimately make the user experience enjoyable. No one wants to spend 10 minutes just finding the right item.

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• Prototypes. Designers first make prototypes — draft screen layouts. It's like drawing a house: it allows you to see in advance how everything will work and make changes in time.

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• ‍Adaptation for iOS and Android. It should be noted that the service will work on both iOS and Android — with different approaches and user expectations.

Development

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• Marketplace application development starts with an MVP — a minimum viable product. This is the basic version of the service with the main features: registration, catalog, shopping cart and payment. It helps you launch the product faster, test the idea on real users, and understand which direction to take next.

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• The next step is iterative development. This means that the product is developing step by step: you collect feedback, implement improvements, add new features — and so on until you get a convenient and stable service.

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• After — testing. First, we do the functional and the load: to make sure that the application works well even with a large flow of users. Then usability testing. It helps to understand how convenient it is for people to use the platform: whether they get lost in navigation, how quickly actions are taken.

A mobile marketplace platform will have at least three sides — buyers, sellers, and an administrator. Everyone has their own goals, goals and expectations. Therefore, the functionality should be thought out for everyone.

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For customers

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• Register It should be simple: by phone number, email or social media — the fewer steps the better.

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• Product catalogue — the heart of the app. It should be logically structured, with clear categories and beautiful product cards.

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• Search and filters help you quickly find what you need. The user should not spend a lot of time flipping through — everything they need should be at hand.

• Basket — functional, with the ability to change the quantity, postpone the item or proceed to checkout in a couple of clicks.

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• Reviews and ratings. Users trust other users, so this feature is critical.

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• ‍Order tracking — transparency at all stages: when collected, shipped and delivered. This adds credibility and reduces the support burden.

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For sellers

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• Personal account, where all the information is collected: orders, balances, messages from customers.

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• Uploading and managing items — quickly add new items, edit prices and descriptions, manage promotions.

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• ‍Sales analytics — visual reports, graphs and indicators help you make decisions: what is going better, when sales spikes, etc.

For the administrator

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• Content moderation — checking new products, descriptions, images.

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• User management — the ability to block violators, help in case of technical failures or disputes.

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• ‍Platform analytics — global metrics: user activity, number of orders, effectiveness of advertising campaigns, server load, etc.

When development is complete and the application is ready for use, the launch phase begins. It includes technical and marketing training, which largely determines the success of the entire project.

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• The first is registration in the App Store and Google Play. To publish a service, you need to create developer accounts, pay commissions, and be moderated. Each platform has its own rules, so it's important to check everything in advance: compliance with policies, correctness of screenshots, description, age restrictions.

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• The second is marketing. Nobody will notice even the best app if it is not promoted. ASO — App Store Optimization — works here. You need to find the right keywords, create a clear and catchy description, add an icon and screenshots that make you want to download. You can also set up ads: on social networks, in search, through bloggers or within other applications.

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The launch is not the end, but the beginning of a new chapter. The better you prepare for this phase, the faster you'll get your first users and get honest feedback that will help improve the product.

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When creating a marketplace platform, consider possible errors that may occur during the development process. Even if everything seems to be going according to plan at the start, some things can affect the project's success in the future.

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• Ignoring competitor analysis. Without understanding how leaders like Wildberries, Ozon, or Amazon work, it's hard to offer something you really need. Competitor analysis is needed to understand what works and what doesn't and where you can do better.

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• Savings on design and testing. The interface is the first thing a user sees, and if the service is inconvenient or looks outdated, it is likely that it will simply be deleted. And without testing, bugs may remain that will scare away even the most loyal customers.
  

• Architectural scalability. At the start, everything can work perfectly, but as soon as more users appear, problems begin: brakes, crashes, errors. It is necessary to create an opportunity for growth at the design stage.

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• We must not forget about data security. Users trust you with personal information, and protecting that information is a priority. Security leaks and weaknesses can damage your reputation and business.

To make a successful service, you need to clearly understand how to create a marketplace app, from analyzing competitors to setting up all important features. This journey requires attention to detail, the right approach to design and testing, and continuous work to improve the user experience.

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WITH Beetrail You'll get a reliable partner who will help you every step of the way — from concept to publication on the App Store and Google Play. We create functional and convenient solutions that attract users and help businesses scale.

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Take a look at our work and submit a request below. Let's discuss together how to turn your concept into a profitable project and determine the cost.

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With Beetrail, your marketplace is in safe hands!