I am planning a marketplace( large knowledge in the technologies involved ) but i have little to no interest in being just one more like all others so i would like the opinions of professional vendors regarding general features, payment methods, vendor's individual presence in the market, rules and whatever you want to idealize how the market should be. Maybe we may come something that is worth to release in the deep web.
The number one concern of vendors is unfettered access to their own takings.; A simple escrow is fine, but it needs plenty of fair admin staff to arbitrate. Most important is AUTO WITHDRAW TO THE VENDOR'S OWN OFFSITE WALLET.
No marketplace can keep the keys to our cash register anymore, we're sorry. You've taken your 5% already. We don't need you to "look after" the remaining 95%.
The customer intends us to have that. Its none of your business.
SheepMarketplace actually had a nice design. vendors liked their gallery feature.
Agora has thought out the vendor interface really well. Each order has its own mailbox for messages associated with that order.
The general mailbox doesn't even get looked at by some vendors. Its like a combined spam / trash folder, full of nutters, blackmailers and other vendors playing games.
An ideal marketplace must never steal from us. Its owner and servers should be anywhere outside US Jurisdiction.
Most important of all, the owner should retire in an orderly manner BEFORE he goes insane or gets arrested. Pre announce it a fortnigt before it happens.
They could retire in the sun with nobody chasing them. If they get bored and come out of retirement, their next marketplace would be uber-credible and trusted.