sahibinden.com is Turkey's largest online classifieds and e-commerce platform, attracting over 58 million monthly unique visitors and generating 12.7 billion monthly page views. With more than 15 million app downloads, sahibinden.com offers a seamless user experience and extensive reach across the country.
INFORMATION
When I joined sahibinden.com in late 2013, the platform had already been operating for 15 years and was the most visited e-commerce and classifieds site in Turkey. Recognizing the growing mobile-first trend, the management team decided to expand its presence by developing dedicated iOS and Android applications.
MY ROLE
I was hired to design the Android and iOS applications from scratch, ensuring a seamless user experience. I conducted user research to understand customer needs and played a key role in defining user experience patterns for consistency and usability. My work helped drive sahibinden.com’s transition to a mobile-first strategy while maintaining its market leadership.
My Impact at sahibinden.com
◦ Designed Android and iOS mobile applications and Apple Watch app from scratch.
◦ Created a design library for native platforms to ensure consistency and scalability.
◦ Conducted user interviews, focus groups, and guerrilla testing with 50+ participants over three years.
◦ Visited real estate agencies—sahibinden.com’s top revenue source—to observe user behavior in their daily environment.
◦ Produced creative assets like teaser videos and splash screens, which are still used in social media, print materials, and TV ads
◦ Created a design library for native platforms to ensure consistency and scalability.
◦ Conducted user interviews, focus groups, and guerrilla testing with 50+ participants over three years.
◦ Visited real estate agencies—sahibinden.com’s top revenue source—to observe user behavior in their daily environment.
◦ Produced creative assets like teaser videos and splash screens, which are still used in social media, print materials, and TV ads
Sahibinden.com Mobile Experience: UX & Impact
The Sahibinden.com app was designed and developed in-house after extensive user experience research, utilizing multiple techniques to optimize usability and engagement.
Navigation & Key Features
Tab-Based Navigation
Enables users to seamlessly switch between options at any point within the application.
Enables users to seamlessly switch between options at any point within the application.
Main Action Button
A prominently highlighted, centrally placed button on the tab bar allows users to post ads instantly.
A prominently highlighted, centrally placed button on the tab bar allows users to post ads instantly.
Voice & QR Code Search
Enhances search efficiency with alternative input methods.
Enhances search efficiency with alternative input methods.
Classified Posting & Featured Listings
Supports seamless ad creation and prioritization of featured classifieds.
Supports seamless ad creation and prioritization of featured classifieds.
Tablet Compatibility & Orientation Support
Optimized for both iOS and Android devices, ensuring a smooth experience across screen sizes.
Optimized for both iOS and Android devices, ensuring a smooth experience across screen sizes.
Impact & Usage
◦ 3+ million monthly active users
◦ 2 million screen views per month
◦ 600K+ new classifieds posted via mobile
◦ 2 million edits made through the app
◦ 2 million screen views per month
◦ 600K+ new classifieds posted via mobile
◦ 2 million edits made through the app
40% Increase in Mobile Ad Postings
At Sahibinden, we designed and implemented the voice search feature, becoming the first e-commerce app in Turkey to introduce it.
Problem statement: After launching the ad posting feature, analytics revealed that mobile ad postings from real estate agencies—our most profitable segment—were significantly low.
Field study: I visited agencies and observed their workflow to understand why. They took photos using mobile phones but later uploaded them via PCs or laptops to enter ad details. When asked why, they highlighted that typing long descriptions on mobile was cumbersome.
Solution and impact: Following a brainstorming session, we implemented a Voice-to-Text feature with a microphone icon for effortless ad descriptions. The results were remarkable: mobile ad postings increased by 40%, and within two years, mobile surpassed web-based ad postings.
We designed and implemented Sahibinden's Apple Watch app, making sahibinden.com one of the first platforms in Turkey to support iWatch, enhancing accessibility and user engagement on wearable devices.
Award-Winning Excellence
Sahibinden’s mobile applications have been recognized as the best app in multiple categories, earning numerous national and international awards for delivering a perfect user experience and introducing innovative features. These accolades highlight our commitment to usability, seamless design, and cutting-edge technology, reinforcing sahibinden.com’s position as a market leader in Turkey and beyond
*Update:
Even after nearly a decade, Sahibinden.com still uses my designs with only minor UI changes, while the core UX remains essentially the same. Seeing my work stand the test of time makes me incredibly proud.
If you'd like to explore the app, click the relevant OS logo below to download it or check it out in the store.
Thanks!
