If you have an eCommerce store, turning it into a multivendor marketplace should be the next step. Why? eCommerce stores most of the time offer one dimensional shopping experience. One admin, one seller, one price, and one type of product can make shopping in an online store boring!
Whereas, in a multivendor marketplace, shoppers will get different types of products from different vendors. That is why the multivendor marketplace game is heating up.
Statista estimates that the multivendor marketplace market size was over $5.2 trillion globally in 2017 and would likely reach $8.1 trillion by 2026, which is an increase of 56%.
Luckily, WordPress makes it easy to create any kind of website, especially a multivendor marketplace website. Because it has plugins like Dokan multivendor plugin.
Today we’re going to do a detailed Dokan review so that you can get a clear understanding of what the plugin is all about.
A Short Overview of Dokan Multivendor Plugin
Dokan multivendor plugin is a popular multivendor marketplace plugin in WordPress. The plugin holds the record for the highest number of active installations, surpassing 60,000. It has received an impressive rating of 4.6 out of 5 on WordPress.org, based on user feedback. Additionally, it has garnered 577 5-star reviews from satisfied users. Furthermore, this plugin has been translated into 15 different languages, making it accessible to a diverse global audience.
Dokan multivendor is a WooCommerce-powered multivendor marketplace plugin that enables users to turn their WordPress eCommerce store into a multivendor marketplace platform. The plugin has 40+ modules, and 45+ features that can be used to create and manage a marketplace easily.
How does Dokan multivendor work?
First, you need to install the Dokan multivendor plugin from the WordPress dashboard or download the plugin from WordPres.org and activate the plugin.
Second, you need to install a theme. Either you can use a free eCommerce theme or a premium one. Dokan multivendor is compatible with every WooCommerce compatible theme. Also, there is a list of third-party premium themes on their site.
Third, configure the basic settings and invite vendors to your marketplace. The settings are straightforward and you can customize the vendor registration form.
Lastly, set up your commission system and get paid!
That’s how easy it is to start a marketplace with Dokan multivendor.
Dokan Multivendor Plugin: Amazing Features List that Makes Your Marketplace Super Engaging
So we have been saying how easy Dokan multivendor makes it to create and manage an online marketplace, that’s because the plugin has some amazing features. We are going to divide these features into three categories:
- Features for admin
- Features for vendors
- Features for customers.
Features for Admin
- Multiple Commission Type: The most popular revenue system of a multivendor marketplace is the commission system. Dokan offers three kinds of commission features:
- Percentage based commissionFlat commission
- Combine (percentage+flat)
You can also customize the rate of commissions and set separate commissions for the shops. You can set global commission rates which will be applied to all the shops in the marketplace. You can also choose a vendor-specific or product-specific commission rate as well.
- Admin Reports: In order to get a full overview of the marketplace and how the marketplace is doing, an extensive report system is very important. From the Dokan admin report, you can see the total earnings, and earnings of each vendor, and filter them by year, month, and day.
- Coupon Creation: Coupon is an important part of marketing for any eCommerce store or marketplace. Dokan multivendor gives the chance to create coupons for vendors from the admin dashboard. The admin can give a coupon a name, detailed description, and discount type. You can choose between a fixed cart discount, a percentage discount, and a fixed product discount. You can also allow your vendors to create coupons.
- Shipping: Dokan multivendor supports all the WooCommerce shipping features. On top of that, the plugin has its own shipping features as well. You can add vendor shipping so that vendors can configure shipping from the frontend. Also, Dokan Multivendor offers Table Rate Shipping, Distance Rate Shipping, and Shipping Status tracking.
- Vendor Management: Dokan multivendor makes vendor management easy. Vendors will get a nice vendor setup wizard upon registration. After submitting the request, the admin has the option to approve or reject the vendor. Also, the admin can customize the vendor store from the admin dashboard, and control the product publishing ability of vendors. If an admin wants, he/she can disable the selling ability of vendors.
- Announcements: The announcement feature of Dokan multivendor lets admins directly communicate with vendors with important notices. Admin can post important announcements that vendors can see directly from their dashboard.
- Payment Gateways Integration: Dokan multivendor has integration with some of the most popular payment gateways. You will find integrations with PayPal, Stripe, Wirecard, Stripe Express, Mangopay, and Razorpay. Admin can configure payment gateways for vendors to withdraw their payments and customers to complete their transactions.
These are the main features for admin. There are more features available.
Features for Vendors
- Independent Store: Every registered vendor will get their store. In the store, they can chat with customers, customers can leave their reviews, and call for support as well. There is also a vendor contact form so that customers can elaborately explain their inquiries.
- Vendor Dashboard: Vendors can manage their store from their vendor dashboard. They can manage shipping, products, social profiles, store SEO, coupons, and orders from the vendor dashboard.
- Frontend Variable Products: Vendors can also create variable products from the frontend. The product editing page has the option to let vendors create their own variable products with all the attributes and variations and publish them on their store.
- Earning Reports and Statements: Just like admin, vendors can also earn their earnings from the vendor dashboard. The reports give vendors real-time information about their sales and make decisions with real-time data.
- Order Management: Vendors can manage their orders from the dashboard. They can change the order status, and update and delete orders as well. They can also filter their orders, and add notes for tracking as well.
- Social Login: You can allow vendors to register or login to your site using social media or other platforms. They can log in with their Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc. accounts.
- Product Management: Vendors can create, delete, and edit products right from their vendor dashboard. They will get a product editing form that they can use to create downloadable, physical, variable, and booking products with ease. They can also bulk edit the products as well.
Other than these features, there is also, a custom withdrawal system, live shipping status, store SEO, etc features available for vendors.
Features for Customers
- Email Notifications: Customers will get an email notification when they sign up for the marketplace, complete their order, and when their order status is updated. They will be notified of all the updates with the email notification.
- Live Search: Dokan Multivendor has a live search feature that will help customers find the product they are looking for with ease. As soon as customers search for a product, it fetches results immediately.
- Product Categories: Customers will be able to discover the products they’re looking for by selecting the desired category. However to make that possible, the admin needs to create multiple categories yourself.
- Follow Store: With the follow-store feature of Dokan multivendor, customers can follow their favorite store in the marketplace. That way they’ll be notified when there is any update of their followed store.
- Request and Warranty: Customers can request a return and also utilize warranty facilities as well. The rules of the warranty will be set by the admins.
- Product Enquiry: The product enquiry feature lets the customer learn more specific information about the product. They can ask questions to the vendor and get the answers they require before making the purchase.
- Geolocation: Customers can choose vendors based on their location. The geolocation module shows the location of every vendor and customers can choose based on their locations. That helps with delivery and in-store pickup.
So these are the main features for admin, vendors, and customers with Dokan multivendor.
Modules and 3rd-Party Integrations of Dokan Multivendor
So far we talked about the features of the Dokan multivendor. Now, in this Dokan review section, we are going to list the amazing modules and 3rd party integrations of the plugin.
Here is the list of modules of Dokan multivendor:
| Vendor Management Modules |
| Vendor Staff Manager |
| Vendor Vacation |
| Product Management Modules |
| Product Duplicator |
| Single Product Multivendor |
| Product Addon |
| Product Enquiry |
| Shipping and Payment Modules |
| Table Rate Shipping |
| Stripe Express |
| MANGOPAY Integration |
| Razorpay |
| Marketing and Analytics Modules |
| Product Advertising |
| Minimum Maximum Order |
| Vendor Review |
| Seller Verification |
| Vendor Analytics |
| Other Notable Modules |
| Dokan Migrator |
| Stripe Connect |
| Elementor |
| EU Compliance Fields |
| Live Chat |
| Wirecard |
| ShipStation |
| Color Scheme Customizer |
| Export-Import |
And here is the list of 3rd party integrations with Dokan:
- YOAST SEO
- Rank Math
- WooCommerce Simple Auction
- WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slip
- YITH WooCommerce Brands Add-Ons
- WooCommerce Booking
- WooCommerce Multiple PayPal Accounts Plugin
- Square Payment Gateway for Dokan
- Stripe Express
- Wirecard
- ShipStation
- Elementor
So as you can see Dokan multivendor plugin has all the ammunition to help users create and manage any marketplace with ease.
Dokan Pricing
Dokan Multivendor has a free version that you can download from WordPress.org or install from the WordPress dashboard. For the premium version, it has 4 plans:
- Starter: $149/year
- Professional: $249/year
- Business: $499/year
- Enterprise: $999/year.
Here are the current pricing plans and discounts for your reference.
To Sum it Up
Dokan is a powerful and versatile multivendor plugin for WordPress that can be used to create a successful online marketplace. It offers a wide range of features, including vendor management, product management, shipping, payments, and marketing. It also integrates with several third-party plugins, such as WooCommerce, and has its plugins that can be used to enhance the functionality of your marketplace.
Overall, Dokan is an excellent option for anyone looking to create an online marketplace or improve their existing one. It is easy to use, affordable, and offers a wide range of features and integrations.
Now, if you’re interested in the Dokan multivendor plugin, you may also be interested in Woocommerce-related hacks. I’ve made a thorough post about “27 Ways to Improve Woocommerce Store” that you can read here.
