Marketplace users generally fit into one of either sides: supply or demand.
Tailoring the signup process to each user type in a marketplace can enhance the user experience by ensuring relevant information is collected according to their role.
For example, you might ask providers for their business names and details while keeping the onboarding process simpler for individual customers. You could also create four distinct user groups with unique signup forms: individual customers, business customers, private sellers, and business sellers. Or you might design a three-sided marketplace that connects concertgoers with artists and concert venues.
This differentiation not only provides a personalized signup experience but also helps the marketplace gather important data for each user type, facilitating better management and targeted marketing strategies.
Sharetribe allows you to create different signup flows with the User types and User field features. Learn more about User types and User fields.
You can see how different signup flows work on Teetribe, a demo marketplace set up by the Sharetribe team. Teetribe is an example marketplace for buying and selling designer t-shirts. Check out the Teetribe marketplace.
1. Create User types
First, create two (or more) User types for your marketplace. To create a User type, follow these steps:
Go to your Console's Build section > Users > User types > Click on + Add a new user type.
In the User type name field, type in the name of the User type in your marketplace. They can be as generic as "Customer" or "Provider", or more specific to your marketplace's concept. For Teetribe, we will have the "Vendor" and "Customer" User types
In the User type ID field, type an identifier text for the User type. Note this identifier, as you'll need it later.
Decide whether to enable the Display name and Phone number in the Default user fields list. Determine if these fields should be included in the signup process and if they should be mandatory.
Save changes.
For Teetribe, we will enable the Display name field during signup, which will be optional for both "Vendor" and "Customer" User types. The Phone number field will be mandatory and will only be shown to the "Vendor" User type.
2. Create User fields
Second, create listing fields to capture relevant information about the User types you created in Step 1. Focus on the most important information you need from your users. Be careful not to add too many fields, as an excessive number can make the signup process cumbersome and discourage users from completing it.
To create User fields, follow these steps:
Go to your Console's Build section > Users > User fields > Click on + Add a new user field.
In the User field name field, type in the name of the user field, which will be displayed to your end users. In the User field ID field, type an identifier text for the User field.
Select the User field type and enable the "Add this field to the sign-up form" checkbox. Then, decide whether to make it mandatory.
Save changes.
For Teetribe, we will create two select-multiple-type User fields, one for each User type: "Interests" for Customers and "Styles Sold" for Vendors.
3. Assign User fields to specific User types
The last step is to assign the User fields created in Step 2 to the respective User types created in Step 1. Follow these steps:
Go to your Console's Build section > Users > User fields > Click on a User field
Scroll down to enable the "Limit this field to specific user types" checkbox.
In the User type IDs field, add the ID of the User Types (created in Step 1) where you want the User field to appear.
Save changes.
For Teetribe, the "Interests" User field is assigned to the "Customer" User type, while the "Style sold" User field is assigned to the "Vendor" User type. As a result, depending on the User type selected during signup, different fields will appear, providing a tailored signup flow for each type. Check out and test the signup flow on Teetribe.
Personalized signup links
You can use the User type ID created in Step 1 to create personalized signup links on your marketplace by adding the ID to your signup page URL (example.com/signup).
For example, if your User type ID is "vendor" and your marketplace domain is mymarketplace.com, the tailored vendor signup link would be mymarketplace.com/signup/vendor.
This functionality is useful for redirecting purposes, such as in call-to-action links on your landing page. It streamlines the signup process by directing potential users to the signup form with the relevant user type, like "vendor," automatically selected.
Finding and exporting User type and field data
The data collected from User fields can be found on the marketplace and in your Console. On the marketplace, the User field data is displayed on a user's profile page, but the User type data is not displayed.
In the Console, User type and User field data can be found in the Manage users page by opening the respective user and checking the Public Data section. Learn more about Managing users capabilities.
You can also export User type and User field data via CSV in the Manage users page in Console by clicking on Download .csv. This allows you to perform analysis on the types of users signing up to your marketplace. Additionally, by using the third-party extension Lemonado, you can create an analytics dashboard that visually presents detailed information about your users. Learn more about Lemonado.