How to Build a Marketplace with Dokan Cloud Marketplace

With a platform like Dokan Cloud Marketplace available, creating and managing a marketplace has become quite easy

An interesting stat caught our eye recently- by 2027, 62% of global eCommerce sales will be conducted through marketplace websites.

This stat indicates the growing popularity of multivendor marketplaces. No wonder Amazon has been doing billions of dollars in revenue for the last 5-6 years. As marketplaces give customers more options, similar products at different prices, and the comfort of shopping online, the industry has caught fire in the last few years.

That is why people are leaning towards creating a marketplace and learning how to build a marketplace has become a very important trait. But it’s not everyone’s cup of tea as it requires extensive technical knowledge.

But don’t worry. With a platform like Dokan Cloud Marketplace available, creating and managing a marketplace has become quite easy. You don’t need coding or technical knowledge to create your own marketplace.

Interested to know how? Let’s dive in

Dokan Cloud Marketplace: The Future of Marketplace Industry

Dokan Cloud is an eCommerce solution designed for businesses of all sizes, offering features to help manage and grow online stores. It provides a platform for building, hosting, and managing stores with an easy-to-use interface, detailed analytics, and customization options.

As an all-in-one solution, Dokan Cloud allows store owners to create attractive storefronts, manage products, and interact with customers. Whether you’re starting a new store or expanding an existing business, it offers the tools needed to improve operations and increase sales.

This is the SaaS version of the Dokan multivendor marketplace plugin and can help you launch a marketplace. This platform has features like-

• Registration via email or social media
• Verified vendor profile approval
• Marketplace builder with necessary widgets
• Product listing management
• Convenient search for products
• Order tracking and shipping details
• Refund request handling
• Multiple payment methods, including credit cards
• Coupon management
• Live chat system for buyers and suppliers
• Vendor subscription and commission adjustments
• Sales report generation
• Advance tax and shipping system
• Ratings and reviews for feedback and more.

Here is the Pricing plan of Dokan Cloud Marketplace:

• Launch Plan ($29/month)– Includes unlimited products, shipping solutions, payment gateways, order management, marketing tools, SEO setup, Google Analytics 4, Mailchimp & Twilio integration, live chat, and basic reporting.
• Pro Plan ($69/month) – Everything in the Launch Plan, plus advanced reporting, priority ticket-based support, product import/export, dynamic product variations, customizable shipping profiles, multiple office addresses, a 14-day free trial, and storefront widgets.
• Advanced Plan ($299/month) – Includes all Pro Plan features, plus Slack support, unlimited product categories, and brands, an extensive product review system, a digital goods shop, advanced reporting insights, and order email notifications.

Now, let’s see how to build a marketplace with Dokan Cloud Marketplace.

How to Build a Marketplace Website from Scratch Using Dokan Cloud Marketplace

So we are at the business end of our article. Now we are going to show you how to build an online marketplace from scratch using the Dokan Cloud marketplace platform.

Here are the steps-

• Step 1: Signup to Dokan Cloud Platform & Complete the Onboarding Process
• Step 2: Configure Your Business Details, Domain Name, Product Categories, Brands,etc
• Step 3: Create Subscription Plans for Vendors
• Step 4: Configure Shipping & Set up Payment and Payout
• Step 5: Configure the Tax Settings
• Step 6: Design Your Marketplace with Page Builder
• Step 7: Connect to Google Analytics 4, Live Chat and SMS Gateway
• Step 8: Configure Other Settings and Launch Your Marketplace

Now let’s see the steps in detail-

Step 1: Signup to Dokan Cloud Platform & Complete the Onboarding Process

First, you need to sign up for the Dokan Cloud platform to get started. Dokan Cloud offers a 14-day trial period. So you will get plenty of time to explore and test the available features before you make your final decision.

Also, after purchase, you will only need to pay $1 per month for the first month. This will give you time to test whether your idea is market-fit.

While signing up, you need to add your email address and set a password.

Dokan Cloud will take a few minutes to set up the marketplace and you will get a message that your marketplace is created.

To start your marketplace, complete the setup wizard by selecting the Marketplace option and entering essential details such as your store address and business name-

You can read the documentation on the onboarding process to get a better idea.

Step 2: Configure Your Business Details, Domain Name, Product Categories, Brands,etc

In this step, you need to configure your marketplace name, business details, brand, custom code for your site customization, vendor onboarding settings, etc.

Go to Settings–> General to find these options- 

Then, create product categories so vendors can easily assign their products to the right sections. If you plan to sell branded products, set up brand options as well.

Go to Products–> Categories to create categories-

And got to Products–> Brands to create brands–

Step 3: Create Subscription Plans for Vendors

If you didn’t create subscription plans for vendors during the setup wizard, you can do so from the dashboard. Simply click on the Subscription Plans option to set up the plans for your vendors.

Step 4: Configure Shipping & Set up Payment and Payout

Shipping is a crucial and often complex aspect of any marketplace. However, Dokan Cloud simplifies the process, making it easy for vendors to configure shipping options for their products.

All you need to do is create a shipping profile and shipping types for vendors from Settings–> Shipping–

Also, Dokan Cloud marketplace provides a range of payment methods, including Stripe, PayPal, Paystack, Mangopay, and Bank Payment. The available payment methods will depend on your location.

You can set payment method from Settings–> Payment–

Also, to allow vendors to withdraw their earnings you can setup payout methods from Settings–> Payout-

Step 5: Configure the Tax Settings

Dokan Cloud marketplace has an amazing tax feature that can handle tax settings for any location.

You can find all the tax-related settings from Settings–> Tax

Step 6: Design Your Marketplace with Page Builder

Yes, the Dokan Cloud marketplace includes a page builder that allows you to create a unique, standout marketplace. The page builder offers all the essential blocks to design your shop page, home page, header, footer, and single product pages.

Go to Design–> Themes and click on the customize button of your activated theme-

Step 7: Connect to Google Analytics 4, Live Chat and SMS Gateway

Dokan Cloud marketplace has integrations for live chat, analytics, email sending, marketplace migrator, and SMS gateway.

You will find all of them in the Integrations section. Configure them the right way.

Step 8: Configure Other Settings and Launch Your Marketplace

You are almost there. Now you need to configure other settings like SEO, Notifications, Teams, etc. and you are on your way.

Now you are ready to launch your marketplace. Invite vendors to your marketplace and help them set up their stores on your marketplace.

Create Your Dream Marketplace Today

You are all set. Now you can prepare your marketplace for promotion so that vendors can sign up to your marketplace and start selling.

Here are some successful tips we have seen marketplace owners use to attract vendors to their marketplace-

• Use social media and run targeted ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
• Identify and reach out to existing online sellers on platforms like Etsy, Amazon, or Instagram.
• Offer early-bird incentives such as reduced commission fees, free promotions, or exclusive premium features.
• Collaborate with industry influencers, bloggers, and niche communities to spread awareness.
• Host webinars, virtual events, or networking sessions to demonstrate the advantages of selling on your marketplace and address vendor concerns.

Hopefully, these tips will help you to get the vendors you need to launch your marketplace and realize your dream.