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Classified Ads Platform: Comprehensive User Journey

This document outlines the detailed user journeys for the various user roles identified in the Classified Ads Platform PRD.

Part 1: The Anonymous Visitor/Guest Journey

This journey describes the experience of a user who has not created an account or is not logged in.

  1. Arrival at the Platform:

    • The user navigates to the website's homepage.
    • The user is greeted with a clean, mobile-optimized interface displaying a grid of icons for the primary product categories (e.g., Electronics, Fashion, Real Estate, etc.).

  2. Exploring Categories:

    • The user clicks on a primary category icon, for example, "Electronics".
    • The page transitions to show the subcategories within Electronics (e.g., Smartphones, Laptops, Tablets).
    • The user then clicks on a subcategory, for instance, "Laptops".

  3. Browsing and Discovering Products:

    • The user is taken to a product listing page showing all available laptops.
    • The user can browse through the listings, which display a thumbnail image, title, price, and location for each ad.
    • The user clicks on a specific laptop ad to view its details.
    • The ad detail page shows all the information provided by the seller, including multiple images, a detailed description, and the seller's contact information.

  4. Searching and Filtering:

    • Alternatively, from the homepage or a category page, the user can use the search bar to look for a specific item, like "HP Spectre".
    • The user can filter the search results by location (State/Local Government Area) to narrow down the options.

  5. Attempting to Interact:

    • The user finds an item they are interested in and decides to contact the seller.
    • The user clicks on the "Show Phone Number" or "Chat" button.
    • A pop-up or a redirect prompts the user to either Log In or Create an Account to proceed with contacting the seller, posting a review, or performing any other user-specific action.

Part 2: The Registered User (Buyer & Seller) Journey

This journey covers the experience of a user who has signed up on the platform.

A. Registration and Account Management

  1. Sign-Up:

    • The user clicks on "Sign Up" or "Register".
    • The user fills out a simple registration form with their name, email, phone number, and a password.
    • The user completes the registration and is automatically logged in.

  2. Login:

    • A returning user clicks "Log In".
    • The user enters their email/phone number and password to access their account.

B. As a Buyer

  1. Contacting a Seller:

    • Now logged in, the user browses to an ad they are interested in.
    • The user can now successfully:
      • Click to reveal and view the seller's phone number.
      • Click a button to open a WhatsApp chat with the seller.
      • Use the in-app chat system to send a message to the seller directly on the platform.

  2. Leaving Feedback:

    • After a successful transaction, the buyer can navigate back to the product page.
    • The user can leave a rating (from 1 to 5 stars) and write a comment about their experience with the seller and the product.

  3. Social Sharing:

    • The user finds an interesting ad they want to share.
    • They click the "Share" button and can post the ad link directly to their Facebook or Instagram profile.

C. As a Seller

  1. Posting a New Ad:

    • The user clicks on the "Post Ad" button.
    • The user selects a category and subcategory for their item.
    • A customized ad posting form appears based on the selected category.
      • Example (Fashion): The form asks for Title, Description, Price, Size, Gender, Material, Color, and allows for image uploads.
      • Example (Real Estate): The form includes fields for Location, Property Type, Price, Bedrooms, Bathrooms, and Area (sqm).
    • The user fills out the form, uploads images, and submits the ad.
    • The ad is now live on the platform.

  2. Boosting an Ad:

    • To increase visibility, the seller decides to boost their ad.
    • From their dashboard or the ad page, they click "Boost Ad".
    • They are presented with boosting options (e.g., 7 days for ₦1,000, 14 days for ₦1,800).
    • The user selects a package and is redirected to Paystack to complete the payment.
    • Once payment is successful, the ad is marked as "Boosted" and given higher priority in listings.

  3. Managing Ads:

    • The user can go to their personal dashboard to view all the ads they have posted.
    • From here, they can edit the details of an existing ad or delete an ad that is no longer available.

Part 3: The Agent (Educational Content Seller) Journey

This journey is for users who sell digital products.

  1. Becoming an Agent:

    • A regular registered user navigates to their profile or a specific section on the site.
    • They find and click the "Become an Agent" or similar opt-in button.
    • After agreeing to the terms, their account is upgraded to an Agent account.

  2. Uploading Educational Material:

    • The Agent now has access to a specialized upload interface for the "Education Material" category.
    • The Agent fills out a form with the product's Title, Description, Price, and File Type.
    • They upload the actual file (e.g., a PDF of past questions, an ebook) and a preview image.
    • The uploaded material is submitted for admin review and approval.

  3. The Buyer's Experience (Educational Material):

    • A buyer finds the educational material they want to purchase.
    • They can see the preview image and description but the download button is locked.
    • The buyer clicks "Buy Now" and is taken to Paystack to make the payment.
    • Upon successful payment, the download button is unlocked, and the buyer can download the file.

Part 4: The Affiliate Journey

This journey is for users who want to earn by promoting the platform.

  1. Becoming an Affiliate:

    • A registered user navigates to the "Affiliate Program" section.
    • They click the "Become Affiliate" button.
    • The system generates a unique referral link for them.

  2. Promoting the Platform:

    • The affiliate shares their referral link on social media, blogs, or with friends.
    • A new user clicks on this link and is taken to the classified ads platform.

  3. Earning Commission:

    • The referred user makes a purchase (e.g., boosts an ad or buys educational material).
    • The system tracks this referral. The affiliate earns 65% of the value of the first item purchased by the referred user.
    • The affiliate can track their earnings through their affiliate dashboard.

Part 5: The Admin Journey

This journey outlines the tasks performed by the platform administrator.

  1. Content Management:

    • The admin logs into a dedicated admin panel.
    • The admin can Create, Read, Update, and Delete (CRUD) all categories, subcategories, and user-posted listings.
    • The admin reviews pending educational materials submitted by Agents and can either approve or reject them.

  2. User Management:

    • The admin can view and manage all user accounts.
    • The admin is responsible for the Verification Badge System. They can verify the identity of Merchants, Agents, and Affiliates (via ID or business proof) and assign a "Verified" badge to their profiles to increase trust.

  3. Platform Oversight:

    • The admin can view basic user analytics, such as the number of active users, views per category, and total downloads.
    • The admin can post news and information updates to the platform.
    • The admin manages the affiliate payout logic and reporting, ensuring affiliates are paid correctly.

Part 6: The Verified Merchant Journey

This journey is for sellers who have been officially verified by the platform admin.

  1. Applying for Verification:

    • A registered seller who has posted ads navigates to their profile or a "Trust and Verification" section.
    • They find an option to "Get Verified".
    • The user submits required documentation, such as a valid ID or business registration document, through a secure form.
    • The application is sent to the admin for review.

  2. Admin Review and Approval:

    • The admin receives the verification request.
    • The admin reviews the submitted documents to confirm the seller's identity and legitimacy.
    • Upon successful review, the admin approves the request and assigns a "Verified" badge to the user's account.

  3. The Verified Seller Experience:

    • The seller receives a notification that their account is now verified.
    • A verification badge is now displayed next to their profile name on their profile page and on all of their ad listings.
    • This badge signals trustworthiness to potential buyers, potentially leading to more inquiries and faster sales.

  4. Buyer's Perspective:

    • When a buyer sees an ad from a verified merchant, they see the verification badge.
    • This gives the buyer more confidence to interact with the seller and make a purchase.

Part 7: Security Considerations

This section outlines the key security measures that must be implemented to protect the platform and its users.

  1. Authentication and Authorization:

    • Password Security: All user passwords must be securely hashed using a strong, one-way algorithm (like bcrypt, which is default in Laravel).
    • Secure Authentication: The platform will use Laravel Sanctum or Breeze for API and session authentication, providing protection against session fixation and CSRF attacks.
    • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): A strict RBAC system will be in place to ensure that users can only access features and data appropriate for their role (e.g., Admin, Agent, User).

  2. Input Validation and Sanitization:

    • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Prevention: All user-generated content (ad descriptions, reviews, chat messages, profile information) must be properly sanitized before being rendered in the browser to prevent XSS attacks.
    • SQL Injection Prevention: The use of Laravel's Eloquent ORM with parameterized queries will prevent SQL injection vulnerabilities.
    • File Upload Validation: All file uploads (user images, educational materials) must be strictly validated by file type, size, and name to prevent the upload of malicious scripts or executables.

  3. Payment and Transaction Security:

    • Secure Payment Gateway: All payment processing is delegated to Paystack, a PCI-DSS compliant payment gateway.
    • No Sensitive Data Storage: The platform will never store raw credit card numbers or other sensitive payment details on its servers.

  4. Secure File Access:

    • Controlled Downloads: Access to paid educational materials will be protected. Download links should be temporary, single-use, or tied directly to an authenticated user's session to prevent unauthorized sharing and direct URL access.

  5. API Security:

    • Endpoint Protection: All API endpoints must be protected by authentication (e.g., JWT or Sanctum tokens) to prevent unauthorized access.
    • Rate Limiting: Implement rate limiting on sensitive endpoints (like login, registration, and ad posting) to protect against brute-force attacks and denial-of-service.

  6. General Security Best Practices:

    • HTTPS/SSL: The entire platform must be served over HTTPS to encrypt all data in transit between the user's browser and the server.
    • Software Updates: All frameworks, libraries, and server software (PHP, Laravel, React, etc.) must be kept up-to-date with the latest security patches.
    • Error Handling: Configure the application to not expose sensitive information or system details in error messages in a production environment.