EDirectory Blog

Any idea how much annual revenue comes from digital classifieds?

It’s $2.49 billion in the US alone .

So it’s no surprise that more and more people are looking for how to create a classifieds website for themselves.

Especially since the savviest business owners realize that a money making classifieds website can be easy to create. (with the right tool).

And the industries and niches that a classified website can help serve are nearly endless. From a regional classified site listing rare items to a local classified site advertising products available in the neighborhood, the opportunities are only limited to your ideas.

But make sure you have a good idea, a solid plan, and quality classifieds site software are keys to learning how to create a classifieds website.

So, let’s jump right in and take a deeper look at the ins and outs of classifieds websites, to that you have all the knowledge you need to create your own.

What is a classified website?

A classified website is an online advertising platform that connects sellers with buyers by promoting products and services.

Simply put, a classified website is a listing of online advertisements. And they will typically be listed by specific categories or by location.

Enabled one endpoint, there is a listing owner who has a service or product to sell. At the other end, an interested buyer.

The goal of the classified site is to connect the listing with someone who wants that service or product (or in the case of a job board or search ad, someone who might offer that service).

Some good examples of (large-scale) classified sites include sites like Craigslist, OfferUp, and OLX. But some other places you may not know are classified websites may include:

• Real estate listings
• Job listings
• Consignment stores online
• Casting Notices

…and others.

As online advertising is becoming the norm, more and more people and businesses get in on the action and make their own classified site.

Classified ad websites are an incredibly fast-growing type of online advertising. Businesses and individuals love to advertise on them because a listing is often affordable. And, if the website is being optimized and promoted well, listing owners can expect to see incredible ROI on their investment.

For people browsing listings, it’s a great way to connect with a company or person in the exact area they are investigating. Whether someone is looking for a new job, a used bike, or something else.

And it’s not just for buyers and sellers. Classifieds websites are gaining popularity among business owners who want to start their own classifieds project.

That’s because a good classifieds website not only helps connect people, but also which can also make money for the site owner.

How Classified Websites Make Money

You may be surprised to learn that classified ad sites can make more money in a way.

Classified websites tend to make money for their owners in a few different ways, actually. And if you’re using solid classifieds software like eDirectory, you’ll have all the tools you need to make money from a classified site.

Here’s how classified website owners make money:

• Selling Listings: The easiest way classified sites make money is by charging people to place an ad on their classified site.
• Ad selling: Charging a fee for placing an ad (usually a banner) somewhere on the classified site. This is usually a great upsell to add when selling a listing to someone so more people will see their details.
• Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: Using a Platform Through PPC such as Google Ads, business owners can earn money from third-party banner ads that are displayed to website visitors.
• Membership dues: Some marketing tools Classified websites offer membership features, so site owners can collect recurring fees.
• Affiliate Links: Insert links to partner products that allow you to earn income from any sales you send to your affiliates.

With all these great ways to make money, are you starting to think that creating your own website classified sounds like a great idea? You’re not wrong.

Launching your own classifieds site project can be a game changer for many businesses. But doing it on your own can have some major drawbacks that you should consider before you start.

DIY Site vs. a Dedicated Classified Tool

When creating a classified website, there are two main options. You can do a DIY project and build every aspect of your site from scratch (advanced) or keep things simple by using a dedicated tool.

We recommend using a dedicated tool to create a classified website. But for advanced users, taking the DIY route of building it yourself or paying a developer might be a good option for you if:

• You’re a web developer.
• Have coding skills.
• You are planning to continually pay someone to maintain your site.
• Wondering how to create a classified website with WordPress and a plugin.

Because it is the easiest and cheapest option, using a dedicated classifieds tool like eDirectory is the best option for most people. Using software designed specifically for classifieds sites has many benefits such as:

• Easy-to-use tools for beginners have made creating and managing a classifieds website easy, even For non-developers.
• Earn more money by accessing additional revenue-generating features.
• Simple setup gets you up and running quickly.
• Built-in blog modules for easy content management .

li>

• Looks professional so you can maintain a healthy reputation.
• Advanced search functionality so people can find what they’re looking for on your site, seamlessly.

li> </ul

Even for people who can build a website on their own, there are many other reasons why website owners choose a dedicated classified tool over a DIY site.

So now that you know how important using a dedicated classified website tool is, let’s take a look at exactly how to create a classified website.



How to Create a Classified Website

Ready to launch your own classifieds site project? Follow these steps to create a high-quality classified website.

1. Choose your niche

The first thing you’ll want to do when creating your classified website is to choose your niche. This is the industry in which you will build your website.



Already have a business idea? Excellent! Are you still exploring ideas? No problem. This is a very exciting time because as the popularity of directories and classified websites skyrockets, there are still tons of opportunities for different types of useful sites.

The most common classified websites tend to be:

• Classified directories based on local products.
• Industry-specific job boards.
• Membership directories.

If you notice that your industry or local area lacks a strong classified site, take note. You may find that you have a great opportunity to create an online classifieds community that connects people, businesses, and services while generating revenue.

2. Choose a domain name

Next, you should choose a good domain name that is easy to remember and spell, such as www.exampleclassifieds.com.

Your niche help inspire your business name, and your business name should be the backbone of your domain name.

You’ll choose this while setting up your website hosting. If you host your website yourself, we recommend Amazon or Digital Ocean. However, all eDirectory cloud service plans include secure hosting.

3. Sign up for eDirectory

The next thing you need to do to set up your professional classifieds website quickly and easily is to sign up for eDirectory. Avoid having to hire a web developer to build your WordPress site, and you never have to worry about paying them every time you need to change something.

Then, once you’ve installed your classifieds software and running, you can start categorizing your site.

If you’re ready to set up your free classified website and explore all the available features, you can request a Demo of eDirectory here.

4. Choose your categories

To make sure your classified website is easy to navigate, you’ll want to choose and define your categories.



Not just to search engines They love categories (which means your website can rank higher when people search for specific keywords), but website visitors love to search through different categories and filters.

Your job? Develop this important section of your site by providing full details within each category. Also, be sure to add subcategories so you can take advantage of advanced filtering capabilities (your website visitors will!).

With eDirectory, you get unlimited categories, so feel free to be just as granular. as possible. whatever you want.

Offering to display a listing in multiple categories is also a great way to boost your membership levels higher, which we’ll cover next.

5. Set Your Membership Levels

If you’re taking advantage of all the ways eDirectory allows you to earn money from your classified site, then the next step is to determine your membership levels.

This means that you will decide what features each level includes and how much it costs.



And because eDirectory classified websites are scalable, that means you can have a small site with just a few lists to a network of sites with millions of listings, you can choose exactly how much to charge for your membership levels.

If you’re just setting up your website, we recommend starting with a membership level. free membership.

Even if you’re not charging them, free members can offer a lot in return. Using a free membership tier is a smart way to:

• Convert people to paying members when they upgrade.
• Grow your email list.
• Gather feedback about the site.
• Get lists shared on social media.

And for your paid membership levels, you’ll want offer exclusive benefits that are attractive. For example, you can offer a month of “free” banner ads to anyone who signs up for your highest plan (a great incentive if you have decent traffic to your site).

Remember, you can always adjust your bids and prices as your business grows and you learn more about what works for you, your audience, and your website.

6. Create Your First Listings

Before your classified website can be useful to anyone (advertisers or others), it must have listings.

So, the next thing you All you have to do is create a classifieds site and create your first listings.



You can do this manually or import it if you have a lot of data and want to make things easier for yourself.

Setting up your listings is where you can really have fun customizing your classified website. This is because you can use drag and drop widgets to set up your pages to highlight:

• Top tier qualifiers.
• New members.
• Most recently added items.

… and more.

Sure, it can take a bit of time to fill out the listings yourself, and you may need to be Get creative with the classifieds you’re posting. But until an advertiser can see what you’re selling, it’s hard to get them to pay to list it on their classified site.

7. Create Quality Content

Once your classified site is up and running with some listings, it’s time to start creating content.

Blogging is one of the best ways to drive traffic and sales to your website. It’s an incredibly important part of advertising for a business these days, and your classifieds website will be no different.

Because we know blogging is essential to a successful classifieds website, eDirectory includes a easy to use Blog Module where you can create, monitor and optimize your content.



Once you learn how to consistently post high-quality content, don’t forget to naturally embed your affiliate links within your content. The blog module also helps you embed them, which is extremely useful if you plan to generate income through affiliate sales.

8. Market and Promote Your Site

Building a classified website step by step is incredibly exciting. But remember, you’ll need to get traffic to your site before you can start making money from it.

As a classified site owner, part of your job will be to market and promote your site. In addition to blogging, this could also range from paying for advertising, using social media, and even implementing an automated welcome campaign to your email list.

If you don’t already have an email list to promote your website classified email marketing is a great place to start. Did you know that more than 8 out of 10 people will open a welcome email?



Image source: GetResponse

Whatever you do, you need to prioritize getting the word out and promoting your site.

Be sure to check out our guide on how to market a directory online for detailed tips on promoting your classified site.

9. Keep optimizing and improving

Your website is a business, so you will need to continually improve and optimize your classifieds site to be successful.

Connect with your community to ask questions, find out what they like and offer them more And do it all automatically if you can.To automate your outreach, you can sync your classifieds site with your CRM.

Integration opportunities like this are just a few reasons why having a tool that can help you Creating a classified site is very important.It costs a lot of change to pay someone to set up a classified website. asified. And when you have to pay them to make future changes to improve your site, the costs can really add up.

With eDirectory, you have a lot of control to optimize your website and make it even better for you, your advertisers, and your visitors.

And regardless of your industry, the more control you have over your classified website, the more control you’ll have over the long-term success of your business.

Next steps: Install eDirectory and create your classifieds website

So now that you know how to create a classifieds website, it’s time to start on your own.

If you’re looking for the best tool to help you To help launch and successfully manage your classifieds website, try eDirectory. Allow your clients to sell or list anything they want with expert, well-organized and engaging classifieds.



eDirectory is packed with features to help you grow your ranked site such as:

<ul

• Flexible customization: Access a nearly ready-to-use classifieds website that you can customize to your heart’s content, with detailed control over descriptions, photos, pricing, and contact information.
• Professional Listings: Easily create great directory listings with images, videos, and coupons within an intuitive, beginner-friendly interface.
• Classified Website Template: Offers a visual editor of listing templates to further customize your listings.
• Social media integration: Connect ese with social media platforms for increased exposure with a social sharing link s and website Twitter feed.
• Auto Renewal Reminders: automate your renewal process I charge by notifying list owners when it’s time to renew.
• Blog Module: An easy-to-use area that allows you to create and manage content to drive traffic and sales to your classified site.
• Interactive Map: Our Google Maps integration allows pins to appear automatically as new listings are added.
• Optimized Images: Allow your listing owners to upload a variety of photos from the gallery, plus use an integrated photo editor.
• Listing site capabilities Membership: Create member profiles and harness the power of recurring payments by charging membership fees. Periodical ads.
• Advertising system: Earn money from banner space by selling it to advertisers and/or running Google Ads on your site.
• Optimized for SEO: Rise to the top of the search engine rankings with Control SEO.
• Impressive support: A solid knowledge base in hotline plus access to a genuinely friendly and helpful team via chat or email.

… and much more.

With your site tool classifieds in hand, you’ll be on your way to creating a classifieds site that will generate more income for you and grow your business.

So get started today.

Sign up today for a free classified website demo and build your eDirectory site right away.

.