BID4BARGAINS

The bargain hunter's favourite online auction platform.

Type
Web Application
Sectors
Auction, eCommerce
Technologies
Javascript, HTML, CSS, CodeIgniter, MySQL

Online auction platform for bargain hunters

Bid4Bargains is an online auction platform that was custom-designed and developed to provide a unique and engaging experience for eager online auction lovers.

Moving homes or clearing out? Bid4Bargains makes finding or selling everyday items like air fryers, kettles, and so many more items your household will adore easy. By offering a wide range of items and products, the possibilities are endless, and the platform succeeds at catering to the diverse needs and preferences of its users.

We designed the platform with loads of gamification elements to make the process of finding the best deals on new and secondhand items fun, fast, and efficient. We achieved this by including leaderboards to show past winners, daily bidding sessions to encourage bidders to log in regularly, a bidding system, and many more features that drive engagement.

A CUSTOM ONLINE AUCTION PLATFORM LIKE NO OTHER

What sets Bid4Bargains apart is the incorporation of this very bidding system. Users have the opportunity to participate in auctions and compete with others to become the highest bidder for a particular item. This element of competition adds an engaging and interactive aspect to the website, making the process of scoring crazy bargains exciting for the average Joe.

The emphasis was on creating a unique user experience and implementing gamification elements to make the platform more appealing and interactive, and of course to drive sales on the website.

We designed the website with scalability in mind. This means that as Bid4Bargains gains traction and attracts more users, the platform has the potential for further customisation and the addition of new functionalities. This is how we ensure that the website can adapt and grow along with the needs of the users and the evolving market.

READY, SET, BID!

Elemental was selected to help the Bid4Bargains set themselves up for success with a minimum viable product (MVP) custom-built eCommerce auction platform.

We developed and architected Bid4Bargains to scale as the platform gains traction and sales by using trusted tech stacks like CodeIniter and MYSQL for the backend and custom-coded HTML 5, CSS and Javascript for the frontend development of the platform.

The platform prioritises its users with a unique user-centred design for each different type of user on the platform, encouraging website visitors to sign up and shop as bidders.

Admins will have no issues keeping track of their sales and users with an intuitive control panel! Bid4Bargains was built with an admin zone in the form of a central control panel where managing and keeping track of admin, content, auctions, purchase history, and registered users becomes simple and easy to navigate.

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL PROJECT

The 3Stripes website and mobi site now allow consumers to further engage with the brand, giving them access to loyalty features. It also allows the brand to get more detailed consumer information due to the user's in store activity being tracked through the card.

These websites reinforce brand loyalty and further promote brand exposure through the clean interfaces and user friendly usability.

Bidders can place bids, and the auction runs for a minimum of 24 hours. When the auction ends, the winner is notified, and the administrator is informed to prepare for shipment. We used the Payfast payment integration on Bid4Bargains to ensure that their clients and administrators can rest assured that their transactions on the website are highly secure.

Bidders can invite their friends and family to join in on the bidding fun by receiving and sharing a unique referral code with them, which can be used during sign up to earn free Biddies and bid on deals that are too good to miss out on.

SO MUCH MORE TO THIS MVP

We worked closely with the Bid4Bargains team to create a website that excites users with a gaming look and feel that re-imagines online auctions.

Bid4Bargains was built with sections such as auctions, history, customer feedback, FAQ, and registration. Registered users (Bidders) can log in to their personal client portals to access additional features, purchase ""biddies"" packages using a payment gateway which required a secure API integration, view their purchase and bidding history, and update their personal details.

The admin zone provides an easy-to-use interface for administrators to manage other administrators, edit and view registered user accounts, and manage auctions. The platform also includes a notification system for closed auctions and a single bid page that provides detailed information about each auction.

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INTERESTING FACTS

Let's talk about major automation. By using web techniques like AJAX, we've achieved major advancements in user experience. Through a live feed system and instant email notifications triggered by platform events, we were able to ensure real-time updates that keep bidders in the loop. Once an item reaches the minimum number of bidders, bidding commences seamlessly, while timely email notifications let participants know of being outbid to turn up . This intelligent automation, coupled with engaging communication methods, fosters excitement, urgency, and active participation, creating an immersive and captivating auction experience.

WE LOVE A GOOD CHALLENGE

Our user-centric approach drove the development of Bid4Bargains, particularly in the creation of its custom carousel.

This carousel is no ordinary one; it's highly sophisticated and packed with features. Unlike traditional carousels that simply scroll left to right, ours reacts to user interactions. It automatically expands when users hover over an item to provide a comprehensive view of the auction's details.

What's more, users can place bids directly from the carousel, making it a hub of functionality and a testament to our coding abilities.