Many Marketplace dashboards overwhelm sellers with raw data but fail to surface what matters most:
"What's happening?"
"Why is it happening?"
"What should I do about it?"
As a small retailer selling on multiple platforms, I found it difficult to quickly answer these questions. This friction is common among sellers on current marketplace platforms and leads to frustration, burnout, and abandoned shops.
Staying "Dill"-igent
Conceptual Enhancements to Marketplace Dashboards
Background:
Throughout my life I have created art. I used to participate in live vending events to sell my work but when the 2020 shutdowns happened and in person events closed, I started to explore selling online.
In person, the feedback was always very insightful. I could see that user engagement with some products changed due to how and where I displayed items in my booth. I was excited to bring my work online due to the potential to drastically increase my reach.
But Online, Everything was not brine.
I quickly discovered that the data insights provided are borderline unusable for the average person. I wasn't familiar with any of the technical jargon and more importantly, it was not obvious why those data sets mattered for my store.
Trying to investigate the meaning of the store data was frustrating and time consuming.
As a small business owner I was quickly overwhelmed. More time spent trying to make sense of marketplace data allocated less time to focus on what mattered (making the art).
What's Happening?
Why is it Happening?
What Should I do?
2024 PickledProduct Shopify Stats
2024 PickledProduct Etsy Stats
What's Happening?
Why is it Happening?
What Should I do?
I turned to online e-commerce discussion forums for advice and research. Turns out, my frustrations are shared amongst sellers on the top online marketplaces.
Was it just me?
Incomplete or inaccurate reporting
Lack of context or actionable insights
Feeling of being ignored by the platform
Missing or misleading data
Confusing UI, recent crashes
Difficult integrations with Google Analytics
Mismatched data across reports
No single dashboard with high-level clarity
Poor seller support + generic automated responses
“What’s happening?” Users see numbers but often lack clarity.
“Why is it happening?” No context, no root causes.
“What should I do?” No guidance or prioritized recommendations.
Key Insights:
How Might I change existing e-commerce analytics to make them as insightful (if not more) than in person vending events?
How Might I make it easier to learn what data sets actually mean for the average person, whilst retaining its utility for power users?
What do I find most useful about in person insights at live vending events?
What is currently working for users?
Shopify currently has a modular analytics dashboard which is great because it accommodates various store types. For example, a seller utilizing print on demand for their products (PickledProduct) would likely prioritize overall market trends and suggestions at the top whereas someone with less customizable products might prioritize their data differently.
I created a conceptual data card that is organized to mirror in person insights. I want to know how users are navigating through my store, as if they are browsing my booth at a vending event. Where do they bounce? What do they spend the most time considering? Why didn't they make a purchase?
I start my designs with sketching to quickly hash out ideas and layouts.
Rumination & Goals:
Taking What Works
Sketching it Out
Sellers set up for marketplace success
Increased engagement vs. competitor marketplaces
More sales for vendors = more commission profits for marketplace
Proof of Concept Next Steps & Projected Outcomes:
What is Happening?
Why is it Happening?
What is Happening?
Why is it happening?
What can I do about it?
What can I do about it?
What is Happening?
What is Happening?
What is Happening?
What can I do about it?
Why is it happening?
Why is it happening?
What is Happening?
Why is it happening?
What can I do about it?
Why is it happening?
Dill-ightful Improvements
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