Case Study
MVC Architecture
Native iOS (Swift)
Custom PHP
The client is a bookseller and reseller selling new and used books for over a decade. After realizing the scope of mobile apps, he wished for the same to enhance his business and wished for a platform where the original owner can directly converse with the final buyer, cutting the client some amount of commission on the sales.
Our client wanted an app to be created which could allow both buying and selling. He wanted to create opportunities for the sellers, the resellers and the reading enthusiasts.
The client wanted a mobile app that could be used for both large scale and small scale buying. An application was needed where a customer could store the books in the cart and checkout with the bulk buying.
An app needed to have both the roles for the same user. The client demanded an app where the same person can sell and buy stuff without shifting to a different application. A kind of this concept is called the double-sided market place.
One of the biggest challenges while making the application was to accommodate the functions of both the user and the buyer, and that too on the same window. The demand was basically to allow the user to upload the catalogue and maintain the market and at the same time, allow him to purchase books from the other sellers.
As the same person was going to play both the roles, hence the user interface needed to be altered to cater to both the needs on the same screen. And all of this was required to be done without hampering the fascinating feel of the UX. The chaos was needed to be arranged in proper order. In fact, since this was the first of the kind case in the region, there was no availability of any kind of template or reference, so everything had to be done from the scrap.
Another robust challenge standing ahead was its bearability with the large scale usage. As the nature of the business was about the books, it was going to be in wide usage. So, scales had to be set high for multiple users at a time.
The client wished for a system where delivery of the product is undertaken by a third party so that the seller does not have to bear the overhead costs while maintaining the delivery fleet.
The client undertook the task of preparing the list of requirements through the regular brainstorming sessions, complementing their expectations. The requirements were then given a visual outlook through a wireframe presented by our team.
The priorities were set for the features to keep at the back and for the features to bold up. This helped direct the working and reduce the costs to a great extent.
We ensured that the app configures the same ID for both roles of seller and the buyer. A seller, while maintaining his market and selling the product can look into the buying department to buy some stuff at the same time.
Our biggest challenge became our masterpiece product. The app included some well defined clutter-free features, which made it highly user-friendly. Now, the seller could add new products to their shops, figure out the relevant shipping methods and add up the calculated taxations along. The buyers, on the other hand, could add up products from multiple shops to the cart and checkout via the single cart management system. This enhanced simplicity and creativity in the technicalities.
The app catered to 3 types of delivery options. These were: postage, click & collect, and delivery.
A special protective layer was applied to take care of all the financial travels. A third party delivery provider was to be introduced for finance deliveries. In case the payment fails, a system was applied where the buyer would be credited with the whole amount.
The platform was to be developed for both the mobile operating systems. Hence, React Native development came into use. The backend was, however custom developed. The technologies which deserve the mention are:
The app allowed an equilibrium of opportunities for buyers and the sellers relating to the book marketing sector. The buyer could fill the cart with the products from multiple shops and checkout without any hassle. The platform helped discover the undiscovered opportunities for small scale sellers and gave an additional benefit to the mid-level and established sellers.
The buyer now can feast upon a wide variety of books, writers and genres. If this was not enough, buyers now can choose between paperback, hardcover and Kindle Edition.
With such an amazing system, if a buyer doesn’t get his desired kind of book, he can submit a request on the platform, which can be fulfilled by any of the sellers. Moreover, the new launches are made for auction, which not only increases customer engagement but also reduces their bounce rate.
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