I’m looking to build a multi-vendor marketplace website, (think multiple sellers listing products on one site). I'm not here to compete with the leading players, I would be happy with a decent return on investment and time. I want to hear real world experiences before I go too deep into it.
I’m currently considering using WooCommerce with plugins like Dokan or WCFM. However MultiVendorX is sticking out for me, has any got decent really feedback regarding MultiVendorX? Amazon aws is another area I am familiar with.
A few things I’d love honest feedback on:
How scalable are these setups in reality?
Any major headaches with vendor management (payouts, disputes, onboarding)?
Performance issues once you have lots of vendors/products?
Hidden costs (plugins, dev work, maintenance)?
If you’ve done it before would you do it again or avoid it?
For context, I’ve built standard eCommerce sites before, but never a full marketplace.
Not looking for sales pitches, just genuine experiences (good or bad).
Appreciate any insights.
Would onboarding Chinese investors/companies to flood the platform be a good thing or bad thing? Would providing some companies to list products for free help grow the platform? My hardest part would be marketing the platform. Thanks