Digital auction platform
SmartAuctions
SmartAuctions started as a WordPress project. As lots, bidding and back-office handling became the product, it needed custom auction software rather than a catalogue sitting on a CMS.
- Role
- Product engineering from the original WordPress site through custom auction software for lots, bidding and administration.
- Technology
- WordPress
Areas of work
- Auction workflows
- Lots / items
- Bidding
- User accounts
- Admin operations
01 Context
The work began as a WordPress project — enough to get an auction-facing site live. Auctions are timed, competitive and operationally fussy, though. Lots, bidders, bids and administration have to stay in one coherent workflow.
02 Problem
WordPress could hold pages and content. It could not, on its own, run the auction: listing lots, taking bids, and keeping the operational side consistent as the product grew.
03 Product
Custom auction software was added later so the product could be organised around operations rather than a static catalogue:
- Lots and items
- Bidding
- Users
- Admin operations
04 Key Decisions
When bidding and lot state became the core of the product, the work moved into custom auction software instead of stretching WordPress around a live auction.
05 Architecture
The first version sat on WordPress. Custom auction software was added later to handle lots, bidding and operational workflows that the CMS was not built to run.
06 Interface
The public marketplace is organised around live auctions — lots, current bids and categories — rather than a static catalogue of pages.
07 What's Next
Further auction, lot and bidding screens can be added as they are cleared for the portfolio.
Next
TeeUp