5 min read
A fast-growing marketplace startup partnered with Elyxtech to build a real-time in-app messaging system to enhance buyer-seller communication. Using Firebase, we developed a scalable live chat feature with push notifications and secure user authentication delivered in just 5 weeks. This helped the platform boost engagement, reduce transaction drop-offs, and improve user satisfaction.
Client:
DealConnect
Industry:
Peer-to-peer marketplace
Location:
Berlin, Germany
Users:
30,000+ active users
Platform:
Web + mobile PWA
Challenge
DealConnect was experiencing high abandonment rates in user transactions. One major pain point was the lack of real-time communication between users. They needed:
- A secure, real-time chat system
- Push notifications for new messages
- Integrated authentication with roles (buyer/seller)
- Scalable backend without managing servers
- Fast go-to-market delivery with minimal complexity
The startup had limited backend resources and needed a cost-effective, serverless architecture that could handle growth.
Solution
Elyxtech designed and implemented a fully integrated Firebase-based chat module tailored to DealConnect’s unique marketplace environment.
1. Architecture Planning
- Chose Firebase for real-time database, auth, and push notifications
- Defined chat data schema for users, messages, and threads
- Scoped MVP with modular UI and performance in mind
2. Real-Time Messaging
- Built 1:1 and group chat rooms with Cloud Firestore
- Used Firebase’s real-time syncing for instant message updates
- Added read receipts, typing indicators, and timestamps
3. Push Notifications
- Integrated Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) for instant alerts
- Supported browser and mobile push for both PWA and native wrappers
- Created opt-in and permission flows for compliant UX
4. User Authentication
- Set up Firebase Auth with email/password and OAuth (Google, Apple)
- Role-based access: seller, buyer, admin
- Integrated Firebase rules for access control on Firestore documents
5. Frontend UI/UX
- Designed a clean, mobile-first chat UI with emoji, image upload, and chat status
- Added "New message" badge system for notifications
- Used lazy-loading and pagination for performance with older messages
Technologies Used
Results & Achievements
- Chat system launched in 5 weeks
- Avg. 4,200 messages exchanged daily within the app
- 75% of users opted into push notifications
- Secure authentication across buyer/seller roles
- Reduced transaction abandonment by 28%
- Supported 30K+ users with no backend maintenance required
The solution scaled seamlessly and became a core part of the user experience on DealConnect.
By leveraging Firebase’s robust ecosystem, Elyxtech empowered DealConnect to offer a fast, reliable, and secure chat system without building a backend from scratch. This project is a testament to our speed, technical expertise, and ability to craft scalable solutions for growing startups.
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