The First Steps …
When we started the first brainstorming sessions for our delicatessen marketplace at the end of 2011, the question regarding a suitable software almost automatically came up. For IT-savvy people, as we certainly are, this is probably the most normal thing in the world. In addition to summarizing and intensive discussion regarding technical requirements for a future marketplace software or a shop-in-shop system, we also carried out a first base search on the internet for possible solutions.
… The First Disillusionment
To say it upfront and right away, by the alternatives offered as professional Marketplace-Solution, we where quite disappointed quite quickly. Somewhat disillusioned but at the same time motivated by the challenge, we dived deeper into the challenges of a possible development and implementation of an online marketplace.
And what did we discover? The marketplace model offers many technical, legal and technical challenges. Accordingly, it is not easy to meet all requirements.
What Types Of Marketplace-Software Did We Find?
Most marketplace software solutions were found in the (small) advertising market, but these typically represent a different business model for the operator. Other solutions did cover the shop-in-shop model, but were barely flexible in terms of customization and could not meet our needs. Here was the highest of feelings a WYSIWYG editor, by which you could move your logo from left to right. The claim of a premium marketplace with an independent design and standalone added features could not be satisfied nearly enough.
Why Not Go With The Market Leader Magento?
The longer we dealt with different shop systems, the more we became enthusiastic about the market leader among the shop systems - Magento! The advantages were obvious to us:
- Established System with high technical maturity and
- Its flexibility together with the Zend-Framework
- Huge number of Extensions and
- The big and highly active developer-community
Magento stood for all the points that we have missed and longed for in our research until then. In particular, the flexibility in the technical architecture and in independent designs seemed important to us. Many marketplace operators recall the same shop-in-shop business model, but the differences, such as e.g. regarding the billing model or processes are then given, no doubt. Thus, our solution should also allow flexible addition or modification of features.
Magento As Multi-Vendor-System
After deciding to use Magento as the technical base for the marketplace software system, we set out to find a partner to implement. After long-list, short-list, countless negotiations and the realization that costs for such a project can easily go in the high five- or even six-figure range. But then we found the partner of our choice abroad and together the development was on the way. For years, we now have maintained a familiar relationship with our colleagues and look forward to many more exciting e-commerce projects in the future.
JaJuMa-Market – All From One Hand
The JaJuMa team offers you as an E-Commerce Agency and E-Commerce Service Provider a lot more than just a technical system. We also gladly support you with our experience in the development of solutions for the marketplace model as a partner.
Brainstorming and evaluating alternatives together and getting honest feedback – that is JaJuMa as well!
Lets get in touch!
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