People have become more and more familiar with the idea of a marketplace. It takes only minutes to find what you are looking for. If a company wants to expand its ecommerce business, an online marketplace is a must.
What is an online marketplace? At its core, it is a website or web app where one can compare and buy goods or services. It is a mediator between the buyers and the sellers.
Choosing the right technology stack for your marketplace development project can be a daunting task. There are so many options available that it can become overwhelming. When choosing a technology often people ask themselves:
- Is it reliable?
- Will it scale?
- Will I be able to find good developers?
- Is there a community to help with technical issues?
- What’s the best combination for my niche?
It is really important to choose the right technologies as they greatly influence the time of the development, its cost, and how the product will perform in the future.
In case you've got lost in the abundance of marketplace development innovations, this article will help you decide on a highly performant technology stack.
What is a technology stack?
A technology stack is all the suitable software, programming languages, and other tools that will be used to develop a marketplace. The term sprang from the notion of technologies being stacked on top of each other since tools layer up one on top of another to create a fully functioning system. There are two sides to web development:
1. The client-side (front-end technology stack)
The client-side of the tech stack is the visual part of the website, the one that users will interact with. It includes:
- HTML and CSS, which tells the user’s browser how to display the web page’s content;
- JavaScript, which allows the user to interact with the website.
2. The server-side (back-end technology stack)
The server-side tech stack is the part that powers the whole website or application but isn’t visible to users. It consists of:
- programming language, which is used to build the basic logic of the website or application;
- a database, which is the place where the site will store the necessary data;
- a server, which deals with the requests from the users’ devices.
Let’s examine these technologies in further detail for the best understanding.
What technology stack should you go for?
Selecting the right technology is a significant factor in the success of a marketplace.
Front-end e-commerce technologies
Client-side web development involves everything users see on their screens. Front-end technology stack includes:
HTML tells a browser how to display the content of web pages, while CSS styles that content. Bootstrap is a helpful framework for managing HTML and CSS.
JavaScript makes web pages interactive. There are many JavaScript libraries (such as jQuery, React.js, and Zepto.js) and frameworks (such as Angular, Vue, Backbone, and Ember) for faster and easier web development.
Back-end e-commerce technologies
The server-facing part of the technology employs an army of tools and frameworks to perform its functions. Let’s review the main back end technologies:
- Programming language
Programming languages use different syntax to command a computer to do whatever is desired. These are the major programming languages used for developing websites with respective frameworks.
· Ruby [Ruby on Rails]
· Java [Spring]
· Python [Django, Pylons, Flask]
· Scala [Play]
· PHP [Laravel]
- Databases
Databases allow you to maintain and process a lot of data points. The most popular databases are:
· MySQL
· MongoDB
· DynamoDB by Amazon
· Firebase database by Google
· PostgreSQL
- Web server
Web servers are software that takes requests from users, analyzes them, and provides an output of the requested documents to the user. Two major web servers that are open source are:
· Apache
· Nginx
How to choose a technology stack
Here are several important factors that will help to choose the best fit for the marketplace. The success of a marketplace directly depends on the following factors:
- Security
It is crucial to choose a tech stack that safe-guards the important information. The chosen tech must be able to minimize the vulnerabilities and unwanted threats.
However, the security does not depend solely on the technology stack. The developers must be proficient enough to use the right encryption models and suitable technologies.
- The magnitude of your project
How will you define the size of the project? First, identify the features that will be integrated into the marketplace. After this, check with your development team and finalize the best technology stack.
Make sure that the selected tech stack is in coherence with your idea. If you want to create a big online marketplace, you should opt for high-end programming languages.
- Talent availability
Take into account talent availability for your chosen tech stack. The more popular a technology is, the more developers master it.
For example, it’s easy to hire a developer who’s good at working with Java, but if you want something rarer like PHP, finding a good expert may be a problem.
- Scalability
Scalability in e-commerce is the fundamental factor that can make it or break it. If your platforms and frameworks are not capable of scaling fast without much extra investment, a significant market share could be lost.
Understanding the costs involved
Creating and then maintaining a website requires a fair amount of resources. All expenses associated with the marketplace development can be divided into 3 categories:
- Developer payment
The more skilled the developers are, the higher their salary is going to be.
- Technologies
The more complex your technology stack, the more the final price will be. While it is your choice to build your web app on open-source technologies for enabling cost-efficiency, maintaining your application and keeping it running will require additional costs.
- Site maintenance
It’s not enough just to make a site, you also need to keep it running. You can reduce maintenance costs by using open-source technologies.
Choosing the right online marketplace type
When you understand your project requirements, such as size & niche-specific characteristics, you can narrow down your choices.
At the very beginning, you should decide whether the marketplace will be:
1. Centralized
It is managed by a single authority. For example, Uber controls nearly everything, including payments, customer support, vehicle locations, and driver verification.
2. Decentralized
Platform participants connect and make transactions directly. For example, eBay controls only payments and customer support. Pricing, transaction terms, photos, and communication are decentralized.
Also, before creating a marketplace, ask yourself what value your users will exchange. Here are the most popular types of online marketplaces:
- Goods and products
These marketplaces operate by charging a fee during a payment transaction. If you need to build an e-commerce marketplace, think over what product categories the platform will offer.
Examples: eBay, Amazon, Etsy, AliExpress.
- Services
These marketplaces match service providers with clients who want help.
Examples: Uber, Airbnb, Booking.com, Couchsurfing, Upwork.
- Media
The participants of such marketplaces buy and sell the products of their intellectual work, such as videos, pictures, and blog posts.
Examples: TravMedia IMM, Matpra Media Marketplace, MediaMath.
- Investment and crowdfunding
With crowdfunding marketplaces, it is possible to find investors and suppliers.
Examples: Kickstarter, Indiegogo, CircleUp.
What marketplace technologies power up world-known companies?
The right technologies make a world of difference. Let’s consider what technologies fuel up top marketplace platforms.
- Amazon works on C++, Angular.JS, and Java.
- Airbnb uses React.js for the front-end and Ruby on rails for its backend.
- Fiverr implements React.js and Ruby on Rails.
- Etsy has its faith in Backbone.js and PHP.
Final thoughts
Technology stack enables the creation of a system where different application functions work on the same infrastructure. The success of the online marketplace solely relies on it.
State-of-the-art trendy technology may involve innovative solutions, but bumps along the road might occur as well. Maturity means smooth operation, yet it may also mean old-school ways.
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