Case study · SaaS / Marketplace
A multi-vendor software marketplace, end-to-end
A two-sided marketplace where vetted B2B software vendors list their products and buyers compare, shortlist and transact, a focused alternative to the giant horizontal review sites, with curated categories and real implementation-cost data.
The challenge
What we had to solve.
Two-sided marketplaces are notoriously hard to start: no buyers means no vendors, and no vendors means no buyers.
Existing review giants compete on breadth; the new platform had to win on trust, accuracy and useful pricing data, without becoming another lead-broker site.
Monetisation had to feel fair to vendors (so they invest in their listings) and useful to buyers (so they keep coming back).
Our approach
How we tackled it.
We bootstrapped vendor supply by hand-curating the first 80 products with their consent, full listings, real pricing, screenshots, integration list and implementation notes, before opening the platform to self-serve sign-up.
Buyer-side discovery was rebuilt around 'compare-3' shortlists rather than infinite scroll. Every page leads to a saveable comparison.
Monetisation came in two layers: paid listing tiers (better placement, video, lead capture) and a transaction-based fee on demos booked through the platform.
We launched a content engine, implementation guides, category landing pages and a fortnightly market roundup, so the marketplace pulls in organic search traffic instead of relying on paid ads.
Deliverables
What we built.
Specific, named outputs, not vague "strategy".
Vendor onboardingSelf-serve signup, listing editor, multi-user team accounts, document storage and a vetting workflow.
Buyer experienceFaceted search, 3-way compare, shortlist sharing, scheduled demos and a question-and-answer thread per listing.
Transaction layerDemo booking + qualified-lead routing with Stripe-billed referral fees and clear receipts on both sides.
Admin consoleVendor approval, content moderation, fraud signals, billing override and an analytics overview for the operating team.
Content engineCategory hubs, comparison guides and a newsletter system tied to the listings database so content updates as listings do.
Outcomes
What it returned.
- Marketplace launched publicly at month 5 with ~80 vetted listings; self-serve vendor signups overtook hand-curation by month 7.
- Paid listing tiers generated recurring revenue within the first quarter of monetisation; transaction-fee revenue followed in the second.
- Content-driven organic traffic became the leading acquisition channel by month 9, lower CAC than paid, and a moat the giants are slower to copy in a focused category.
The takeaway
What we learned.
Marketplaces that try to be Yelp-for-everything die. The winners pick a narrow category, hand-curate the first hundred listings until they're genuinely useful, then layer monetisation only after both sides admit they'd be sad if it went away.
Services used
How we got it done.
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