ABOUT PROJECT
We had the chance to bring something special to life with Traderoo, a platform built to make buying and selling websites simpler, safer, and more approachable. The idea came from Julian Oppelt, who noticed a gap while working in the digital acquisition space. Despite strong interest from website owners willing to sell, there just wasn’t a straightforward way for them to connect with serious buyers. That’s where we came in. Together with Julian, we helped turn his vision into reality by creating a modern, user-friendly platform where these kinds of deals could happen more naturally.
Since its start in 2020, Traderoo has been all about clarity, trust, and ease of use. We focused on building a clean interface, smart features, and a solid, secure foundation so people could confidently explore and close deals without unnecessary hassle. For us at Roobykon, it’s always exciting to work on something that solves a real problem and brings real people together, and Traderoo does exactly that.
Key Challenges
One of the biggest challenges we faced while building Traderoo was designing and implementing the fully custom listing creation process. At first glance, it might seem like a straightforward feature. But in reality, this part of the platform had to balance flexibility, clarity, and structure all at once. Sellers needed to be able to present their websites or digital projects in a detailed, professional way, while buyers needed consistency across listings to make informed comparisons.
Getting that balance right meant building a smart, step-by-step flow that guided users without overwhelming them. It took a lot of thoughtful UX planning, trial and error, and countless iterations to land on something that felt natural and easy to use.
TECHNOLOGY STACK
Solution Highlights
To bring Traderoo to life in a way that was both efficient and scalable, we leaned on a smart combination of reliable tools and custom engineering. At the core of the platform is Sharetribe OpenSource, which gave us a solid foundation to build on while still offering the flexibility to shape the platform exactly the way we needed.
For hosting, we chose Digital Ocean for its simplicity, reliability, and great performance-to-cost ratio. It gave us the control we needed to manage deployments and scale resources smoothly as traffic grew. To handle email communications, we integrated Mailgun, a powerful solution that made sure transactional emails like confirmations, listing updates, and messages between users were delivered quickly and reliably.
The process
01
Taking over the project: When our team took over in October 2021, we inherited the early concept and got to work immediately. Our first task was to fully understand the client’s vision and evaluate the existing groundwork to ensure a smooth transition.
02
From idea to interface: Once we were aligned, we dove into designing the user experience from the ground up. We created a modern, intuitive interface that reflected the clean, professional identity Traderoo needed. This phase involved close collaboration with the client to refine the listing flow, platform structure, and overall usability.
03
Full-stack development: In parallel with the design process, our developers built the platform using Sharetribe Open Source as the foundation. We customized key components, set up hosting on Digital Ocean, and integrated services like Mailgun for transactional emails. The goal was to create a secure, scalable environment tailored to Traderoo’s specific needs.
04
First launch in just a few months: We’re proud that in just under four months, we were able to go from onboarding to release. The first version of Traderoo went live on February 3, 2022—a big milestone for both our team and the client. It marked the beginning of a working product that people could finally use to connect and trade online projects.
05
Ongoing improvements: After launch, we continued adding new features, fine-tuning the platform, and responding to feedback from early users. While our regular work on Traderoo has since wrapped up, we’re still here when needed, occasionally making updates or adjustments based on client requests.
Main Features
Custom multi-step listing creation
One of the most significant features we built was the fully custom listing creation process. Unlike standard forms, this one had to be broken down into clear, guided steps, with each field thoughtfully designed for clarity and ease of use. We handled both the design and development from scratch to make sure the experience felt smooth, modern, and tailored to the platform’s specific needs.
Xing social login integration
Because Traderoo is focused on the German market, the client asked us to integrate Xing (a leading professional network in Germany) as an option for user registration and login. We made it possible for users to sign up or log in quickly using their Xing credentials, adding a layer of convenience and local relevance.
Auction-style listings
To give sellers more flexibility and increase buyer engagement, we also implemented auction functionality. In addition to listing websites or online projects at a fixed price, users can now open their listings up for bidding. This feature makes it easier to attract interest and potentially get the best price through open competition.
RESULTS
Our collaboration with Traderoo turned a simple concept into a functional, user-friendly platform for buying and selling websites. From design to development, we worked closely with the client to bring their vision to life, starting with a clean foundation and building out features that truly serve the needs of both buyers and sellers. In just a few months, we delivered a custom, production-ready product that continues to grow and evolve. It was a fast-paced, rewarding partnership that proved how much can be accomplished with clear goals, mutual trust, and the right technical approach.
Lessons from Traderoo
Working on Traderoo gave us some valuable takeaways. First: even with a solid technical foundation like Sharetribe, creating a truly user-centered experience often means rethinking standard features and building custom solutions, like the multi-step listing flow we designed from scratch. Second: local market understanding matters. Integrating Xing showed us how small regional touches can make a big difference in user trust and engagement. And finally: speed and quality can go hand-in-hand when there’s close communication and a clear product vision.
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