Mobile Commerce System Design for Marketplace Growth
Led mobile commerce initiatives at DHgate to improve conversion, drive repeat purchasing, and expand marketplace capabilities through new product and platform strategies.
Chief Designer of Mobile, Mobile Commerce Platform - Led mobile product design across DHgate’s marketplace, focusing on improving conversion, engagement, and cross-platform consistency. Defined and scaled core commerce flows including checkout, promotions, and seller experiences, contributing to significant mobile GMV growth.
Results
Mobile GMV increased from $29.6M to $64.1M
New buyer growth reached 439% on mobile
Conversion improved through checkout and promotional optimization
Mobile revenue scaled significantly through platform alignment and experimentation
Core Growth Levers
Mobile was still early and under-optimized compared to desktop, creating clear gaps in conversion, engagement, and repeat purchasing. We focused on introducing targeted product initiatives that reduced friction, improved discovery, and strengthened user retention, turning mobile into a primary driver of growth.
One Step Buy & Conversion
Checkout was a major point of friction on mobile, with multi-step flows causing drop-off during purchase. We introduced One Step Buy to simplify the transaction process, enabling faster decision-making and reducing the effort required to complete a purchase.
One Step Buy enabled instant purchasing directly from the product page, reducing friction between intent and checkout.
Streamlined checkout flow to reduce friction
Enabled faster purchase completion through a single action
Reduced drop-off across multi-step checkout
Simplified purchasing interactions for mobile users
Coupons & Repeat Purchasing
Mobile lacked strong mechanisms to re-engage users after initial purchases. We introduced integrated coupon systems and mobile-first promotions to incentivize return visits and encourage more frequent purchasing behavior.
Coupons surfaced across the app experience, increasing visibility and driving higher redemption and repeat purchases.
Integrated platform-wide and seller-specific coupon systems
Introduced mobile-first promotional strategies
Enabled seamless application of discounts during checkout
Encouraged repeat engagement through targeted incentives
Seller Stores & Buyer–Seller Relationships
Mobile lacked strong mechanisms to re-engage users after initial purchases. We introduced integrated coupon systems and mobile-first promotions to incentivize return visits and encourage more frequent purchasing behavior.
Seller Stores introduced as a dedicated navigation entry, enabling users to browse storefronts and build ongoing relationships with sellers.
Added Seller Stores as a dedicated navigation entry
Enabled users to browse and follow seller storefronts
Allowed sellers to showcase products and build brand presence
Supported repeat purchasing through stronger buyer–seller relationships
Enabling Platform Expansion Through Partnerships
To expand DHgate’s reach beyond its native marketplace, we explored partnerships that could connect external seller ecosystems to our supplier network. This work focused on enabling new acquisition channels while maintaining a seamless experience for merchants integrating into the platform.
Explainer video showing how Shopify merchants can easily add DHgate products to their store.
Simplifying Integration and Onboarding
Simplified the integration flow so merchants could quickly connect Shopify stores with DHgate suppliers
Reduced onboarding friction by clearly communicating setup steps and product syncing behavior
Worked with partnerships and engineering to align the integration experience across platforms
Launching New Commerce Platforms
To expand beyond traditional marketplace transactions, DHgate explored new commerce models driven by influencer-led purchasing. I led the definition and development of Socialshops, a new platform that enabled influencers to create custom storefronts connected directly to DHgate’s supplier network. This work went beyond interface design, requiring product strategy, roadmap definition, and coordination across a new multi-sided ecosystem.
Influencer portal dashboard allowing users to track sales analytics and customize their digital storefronts.
Platform Overview
Built a web-first social commerce platform for influencer-driven storefronts
Connected influencer shops directly to DHgate’s supplier network
Enabled product discovery, curation, and resale through personalized storefronts
Expanded DHgate beyond traditional search-based marketplace behavior
Product Strategy & Roadmapping
Defined product roadmap and feature prioritization using Aha
Structured initiatives across influencer, merchant, and internal tooling systems
Balanced business goals, user needs, and technical constraints
Translated strategy into actionable features and phased releases
Multi-Sided Platform Design
Internal tools supporting the Socialshops ecosystem, including influencer storefront listings and merchant product management.
Designed for a multi-sided platform including influencers, suppliers, and internal teams
Created workflows for storefront creation, product selection, and merchandising
Enabled merchant integration with inventory and pricing systems
Supported internal operations with tools for content and storefront management
Validation & Iteration
Socialshops booth at the Type A Parent Conference in Atlanta, where we demoed the product and gathered feedback from influencers and partners.
Conducted demos with internal stakeholders and early partners
Presented Socialshops at the Type A Parent Conference in Atlanta to engage influencers and gather feedback
Iterated on product concepts based on real-world conversations and usage scenarios
Refined feature scope to align with adoption and usability
Adjusted roadmap priorities based on validation and feasibility
Testing New Engagement & Commerce Models
To explore growth beyond the core marketplace, we tested whether verticalized experiences could drive stronger engagement and conversion. The idea was to take high-potential categories and design focused products tailored to specific audiences, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all marketplace experience.
Cooby - Mobile Discovery for Trending Products
Diane’s Home was a tablet app that showcased home décor within styled rooms, organized by room type and design style.
Focused on home décor shoppers with a curated browsing experience
Designed specifically for iPad to support lean-back exploration
Emphasized visual merchandising and product storytelling
Tested whether a larger-screen experience improved engagement
Cooby app evolved from endless product scrolling, to a “Hot or Not” swipe interaction and eventually to a crowd-funding experience.
Focused on younger, trend-driven shoppers interested in gadgets and tech
Introduced voting and wishlist mechanics to surface popular items
Designed a lightweight, discovery-first shopping experience
Tested engagement through social and interactive behaviors
Diane’s Home - Tablet Experience for Home Décor
Impact & Outcomes
Baseline (Mobile State at the Time)
Mobile experience lagged behind desktop in conversion and purchasing efficiency
Checkout flows required multiple steps and created drop-off
Marketplace browsing was broad but lacked focused engagement patterns
Limited support for repeat purchasing and seller-driven relationships
Impact
Increased conversion rates through checkout optimization and streamlined purchase flows (~15% improvement)
Contributed to mobile GMV growth through improved engagement and transaction efficiency
Drove adoption of simplified purchasing behaviors including One Step Buy
Increased repeat purchasing through seller stores and coupon systems
Validated new commerce models including influencer storefronts and verticalized experiences
Identified which interaction models translated into purchase intent versus passive engagement