The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the auction landscape, making in-person bidding challenging. Consequently, ‘Timed’ online auctions became predominant. However, the existing Brightwells online presence was primarily optimized for ‘Live’ auctions, leading to several challenges:
- User Confusion: Clients had to navigate between two separate sites—one for viewing catalogs and another for bidding—resulting in a fragmented user experience.
- Listing Limitations: Sellers could only list their items when the catalog was live, constraining marketing efforts.
- Performance Issues: The intertwined nature of backend systems led to downtimes during peak traffic, especially during high-demand auctions, causing potential financial penalties for Brightwells.
To address these challenges, we collaborated closely with Brightwells’ internal marketing and technical teams to overhaul their online presence comprehensively.
Our approach included
- Unified Platform Development: We consolidated the marketing and auction functionalities into a single platform, built on the latest version of Umbraco (v9). This integration allowed users to view catalogs and place bids seamlessly with a single login, enhancing the overall user experience.
- API Integration: We developed a suite of APIs to support the bidding processes and facilitate data transfer from Brightwells’ internal auction systems. This modular approach provided flexibility, enabling internal teams to manage auctions without impacting the website’s performance.
- Scalable Infrastructure: To handle periods of high demand without incurring excessive hosting costs, we implemented auto-scaling Azure functions for the bidding process. Notifications and emails were also managed separately to ensure they didn’t affect bidding activities.
- Enhanced User Engagement: We introduced advanced notification features, keeping users informed and encouraging active participation in auctions.
Outcomes
- Increased Auction Volume: The revamped platform’s robustness allowed Brightwells to conduct more auctions without concerns over system performance.
- Empowered Marketing Efforts: The marketing team gained greater flexibility in promoting auctions, leading to improved outreach and engagement.
- Enhanced User Experience: Clients benefited from a streamlined, intuitive platform, resulting in higher satisfaction and increased participation.
This project underscores our commitment to leveraging technical expertise to simplify complex processes, delivering tailored solutions that align with our clients’ evolving needs.
