What is an ebay clone and 5 Benefits of Developing one?

Introduction

Do you know someone who doesn't like shopping or hasn't even shopped once? We bet you don't! 

Today, people can visit a store and buy the apparels that interest them, or they can relax on their recliners, sipping on tea, and shop for clothes online.

The ways of buying goods were different 30 decades ago from the ways prevalent today. And the pandemic had a pivotal role in bringing about this deviation in our shopping practices.

The pandemic restricted our movements, confined us to our homes, and made us purchase essential items using our mobile phones. Although it was unchartered territory for many, the convenience and ease that accompanied this approach earned it a place in our hearts.

And one such platform that helped us during that period was eBay which facilitates business-to-consumer and consumer-to-consumer sales. Founded in 1995, it has over 159 million active users, and the platform witnesses around 109 million visitors to its website every month. Also, this platform generated 10.2 billion dollars in revenue in 2020.

It is safe to say that developing a platform like eBay is profitable by looking at the number of active users and monthly visitors. And with a vast number of sellers and buyers, numerous transactions are bound to transpire. And these transactions give you commissions on every order made and delivered using your eCommerce platform.

If you have second thoughts about whether to develop a similar platform, read this eBay clone development guide to know why you should go ahead and develop such a platform.

What is an eBay clone? A Complete Guide!

In simple words, we can define eBay as a multivendor eCommerce marketplace. And an eBay clone is a solution that you can launch instantly after tweaking a few things to suit your business needs. People love such a platform as it offers them wonderful features and a seamless user experience.

When one goes for an eBay clone, all one needs to do is design the user interface with one's logo and use a color palette in harmony with the brand. Thus, you can launch a multivendor eCommerce marketplace in a few weeks at an affordable rate. 

Now that you know you can customize an eBay clone per your requirements, let us read about the features you must have in your multivendor eCommerce platform to attract your target audience. 

What features should you include in your eBay clone app?

This section of this eBay clone development guide discusses the features you must include in your User app, Vendor Panel, and Admin panel. This feature makes it easy for the concerned players to use the platform without hassles.

Let us first talk about the must-have features of a user app.

User App

The user app of your platform is what people interested in buying goods will use. Therefore, this part of your platform should have features pertinent only to them. We list a list of such features below.

Social login

Adding the feature to sign up using social media credentials is beneficial as it eases the signup process for your audience.

Explore

The second feature essential to your user app is the explore feature that lets users navigate the numerous enlisted items on your platform. This way, users can see multiple products on the platform and finalize which ones to purchase.

Search box

Besides navigating the enlisted goods, people can also search for a particular product by typing in the item's name. 

Profile Management

Such a feature in your eBay imitation lets users maintain and update their personal information such as name, address, work address, email ids, etc.

Order History

It is like a receptacle where users will find details of the orders they have placed. Details such as order value, order number, products purchased, order date, etc., will be displayed here.

Reorder

This feature is a boon to those who find themselves purchasing the same order again and again. Now a person can directly reorder the required product without having to search for it again, saving them their precious time.

Multiple Payment Options

Providing a gamut of payment options helps you attract a wide range of customers as different people prefer different modes of payment. It would help if you considered including the following payment options in your eBay solution:

1. Credit/ debit cards
2. E-wallet
3. Net banking
4. Cash on delivery
5. P2P transaction

This eBay clone development guide now talks about the must-have features of a vendor panel.

Vendor Panel

The vendor panel of your platform is what merchants and vendors signed up with your platform will use. Therefore, this part of your platform should have features pertinent only to them. We list a list of such features below.

StoreFront

It lets store owners set up their stores, list their goods, offer discounts on their items, etc., increasing their sales.

Product Management

Such a feature allows vendors to efficiently view, manage and upload new items and goods to their online store.

Vendor Dashboard

It provides a preview of the vendor's proceedings to them in a single dashboard. A clear preview of one's proceedings can help boost one's business efficiency. 

Order Management

Vendors can easily overlook, pack and dispatch buyers' orders using this feature.

Inventory Management

This feature gives vendors control over their inventory. It helps them stock up on a particular type of product if it is unavailable or below a certain number. Thus, it allows vendors to deliver goods to buyers without failure.

Banner Advertisement

An online marketplace should also have a feature where sellers can create a banner for their business and post them to attract new customers.

So far, we have read the must-have features of a user app and a vendor panel. At this juncture, this eBay clone guide discusses the features you must add to your admin panel.

Admin Panel

The admin panel of your platform is what a person assigned as an admin will use. Therefore, this part of your platform should have features pertinent only to them. We list a list of such features below.

User management

This feature lets admins manage all the users on your platform. If admins suspect some user of wrongdoing, they can remove that user immediately.

Vendor management

Vendor management is a way in which admins can control vendors registered with your platform. You can also remove vendors if they are reported as selling bad-quality goods. 

Moreover, this feature gives admins complete details of every vendor's activity.

Product Listing

Although vendors have the freedom to list goods on the platform, their items are made public only when admins approve their goods. Thus, this product listing feature helps admins see what goes live on their platform.

Commission management

Commission charges vary with different products, and the commission management feature helps admins determine the commission percentage quickly.

Analytic dashboard

The analytic dashboard gives users a preview of their current business proceedings.

Review management

The review management feature is essential to an eBay clone as it gives admins access to all the reviews and comments submitted by buyers. 

These are the features you must include in your solution. The remaining section of this eBay clone development guide will tell you how an eBay clone app lets you make money.

What are the benefits of developing an eBay clone?

There are several advantages of developing an app like eBay. All these things help the entrepreneur make money in several ways. Here we list the five benefits of developing a solution like eBay.

Commission

The first benefit of developing an eBay clone is commission. Vendors selling on your platform will give you (the eCommerce marketplace) a fixed commission on every order.

Thus, earning money via commission is the first reason you should develop an app like eBay.

Banner Advertising

You can also charge your sellers a fixed fee when they promote their business via banner advertisement.

Featured listing

Your eBay clone will also help you earn money with the help of featured listing costs. This feature lets vendors get featured on the listing, for which they need to pay a fee.

Third-party Advertisements

You can also earn money by using your large customer base's database. You can let third parties post advertisements to attract them.  

eBay jumps in when nefarious activity comes to light. 

Building such an app helps you keep tabs on the activities transpiring on your eBay clone app, ensuring that the platform's activities are honest and fair. As an admin, you will have detailed reports on the activities of your sellers and shoppers. If you find something amiss, you can contact that particular seller and discontinue them.

Suggested Reading: How to build an app like eBay? Find Out!

Conclusion

Launching an eBay clone is beneficial since it helps you earn money via the featured listing, third-party advertisements, banner advertising, and commission. Also, numerous people come to this platform as it helps them find multiple vendors in one place. In the traditional way, they need to move from one shop to another to find the same product at different prices.

Thus, those who want to launch an eBay clone already have an audience and must add a few more unique features to attain and retain others. 

We also listed the essential features to include in your user app, admin panel, and vendor panel. And adding these features will help you and your users operate the app optimally.

You can develop a stellar app for your venture by selecting a proficient mobile app and web development company, and AppsRhino is one of the best. All you need to do is contact us, share your vision and focus on other aspects of your venture while we develop your eBay clone!