Turning Milliseconds into Millions
Speeding Up Marketplaces for Maximum Impact.
Case Study: Adevinta’s Online Marketplaces Core Web Vitals Optimization
The Problem: When Big Means Slow
Adevinta’s platforms are huge, serving millions of users daily. But here’s the thing: with scale comes a whole new set of problems. It’s not just about slow load times or dropped rankings. When you’ve got multiple teams across different countries, turnover is inevitable, documentation gets lost in the shuffle, and accountability? Well, that starts slipping too. People need to own their work, and without clear processes, things fall through the cracks. That’s where the real challenge was: not just optimizing the code but getting the people and processes aligned to keep these platforms running smoothly long after the fixes were implemented.
This is exactly what I thrive on. I wasn’t just there to throw some quick fixes at a big site—I was there to make sure the entire operation ran like a well-oiled machine, even after I was gone..
The approach: Navigating Diverse Teams, Sites, and Stages
From the very start, this project wasn’t just about fixing slow websites—it was about navigating a maze of teams, sites, and development stages, all with their own unique challenges. Adevinta operates across several countries, each platform—Marktplaats, Subito, Fotocasa, Kijiji—existing in different phases of growth and facing its own specific issues. Adding to that, the teams behind these platforms were scattered across time zones, and turnover meant knowledge gaps that had to be filled quickly.
- Adapting to Varied Development Stages: Each marketplace was in a different phase of growth. Marktplaats for example needed to clean up legacy code while Subito had newer tech but required process refinement.
- Solving User Experience Disconnects: Marketplaces inherently invite the same user behavior patterns like like 'constantly bouncing between result and product pages'. These were universal problems. I identified these pain points and helped teams share successful fixes across marketplaces.
- Bridging Knowledge Gaps Across Teams: High turnover and inconsistent documentation made communication even harder. I had to quickly assess what each team knew (or didn’t) and facilitate knowledge-sharing practices, so solutions could be replicated rather than reinvented.
- Sustainable Solutions for the Long Term: I wasn’t interested in band-aid fixes. Every solution was tailored not only to solve immediate problems but also to prevent technical debt, ensuring that Adevinta’s platforms could scale without breaking down.
The Results: Adevinta’s Marketplaces Transformed
- Load Times Cut by 35% Across Platforms: From Marktplaats to Kijiji, every marketplace saw faster load times, improving user engagement and retention.
- Improved SEO and Traffic: The speed improvements translated directly into better SEO rankings, driving more organic traffic and boosting visibility across markets.
- Seamless User Experience: Whether users were browsing in Italy or Canada, the experience became smoother and faster. No more frustrating navigation loops, just quick, efficient journeys from search results to product pages and back.
- Unified, Empowered Teams: The biggest win was getting the teams aligned. By sharing solutions, we reduced duplication of effort and created a more streamlined, communicative work environment. Turnover became less of a stumbling block as documentation and processes were improved.
- Built for Growth: The platforms aren’t just optimized for today—they’re set to handle future growth. The teams now have the tools and processes in place to continue optimizing and scaling without falling back into bad habits.
Want to learn more about how I helped Adevinta’s marketplaces thrive? Let’s chat about how I can bring this kind of transformation to your platform too!
