A service marketplace is a platform that brings together clients and service providers with at least minimal experience – from drivers and mechanics to mentors and lawyers. In theory, such a trading platform should be beneficial to both parties: reduce overhead, simplify the process of finding and providing services, but in practice, many applications are quickly blown away. This is usually due to low demand and service value or poor service level.

The marketplace must provide users with the same level of expertise as the traditional marketplace. And offering service providers a sufficient number of orders is the only way you can become competitive.

Here are some ways to help you create a really useful app.

Reduce the time and cost of finding new customers

Even the best and brightest experts in any field should not spend a significant portion of their time talking, finding new customers, marketing and making new deals. All of this not only wastes billable time, but also costs a lot of money.

If you are promoting your suppliers and simplifying other workflows, they will be more willing to partner with you because it will save their resources.

“Eliminate” intermediaries

Most of the specialists already work 40 hours a week in other companies. Often these companies not only overestimate the expert’s paid rate due to overhead costs, but also pay him only a part of this rate, and sometimes less than 50%.

If you can replace these companies, service providers will get more money per hour and customers will pay less. This will add value to your marketplace for both parties.

Update and improve the app

Your platform should find specialists and clients, organize their communication, carry out adaptation and training, create a payment system, make ratings and communicate with both parties.

You should not just create conditions for their interaction, but give the client and the seller reasons why their communication should be limited only to your service.

Reduce the level of uncertainty

It is important that the application is convenient to use both for specialists and their clients. Help users avoid getting lost on your platform by accompanying them every step of the way, collecting feedback, and keeping them from worrying about marketing, deal counts, meeting arrangements, and billing.

Ask them for information (but not too often) and learn to anticipate and automate the functions of the application. Instead of asking a lot of questions, give people a limited set of options based on their latest choices and behavior analytics.

Chat with users

Try to do your best to gain the trust of both parties. Salespeople need to know they won’t have bad customers, and customers need to be sure they won’t be fooled by questionable salespeople. Mistrust cannot be tolerated, so every aspect of the work must be transparent. Buyers must know exactly what they are getting and when, and sellers must know what is expected of them and in what time frame. All of this needs to be reported repeatedly and preferably through the platform itself.

Test and match candidates well

Last item on the list, but not least. Freelance markets and directories are poorly vetted and rarely meet the expectations of clients and professionals. On the contrary, you must prove your expertise. Before you start working with a service provider, check their qualifications, look at the track record and make sure that the specialist can act independently and get along well with customers.

Require service providers to adhere to the principles and rules of working on your platform – this will give you a guarantee of quality and stability that will strengthen and maintain trust with customers.