The Complete Beginner's Guide to Free Classified Website
What is a free classified website?
Have you seen the classified portion of the newspaper? Have you ever read it? If yes, then you might have an idea of what a free classified website is. Think of a free classified website as a marketplace. Now think of the purpose of a marketplace. A marketplace is where sellers advertise their products for the potential buyer. Hence, a free classified website is a junction point for buyers and sellers. But don't think of it as a traditional marketplace. On a free classified website, even an individual can post their belongings up for sale/advertisement. There is no restriction on the number of products that you need to post. So, a free classified website caters all sort of sellers; one-time sellers and professional sellers.
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A simple explanation of a free classified website
The one-word agenda of a free classified website is Advertisement. As mentioned earlier, classified sites are a junction point. Free classified sites advertise a seller's product; it can be anything ranging from a t-shirt to household furniture, from offering tuition services to home-made food. In short, classified websites showcase your product to attract potential customers and users.
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Is a free classified website same as the classified section of a newspaper?
The answer to this question is yes and no. Yes, because the theme or main idea of free classified ad sites is the same as the newspaper's classified section. Both are directed to provide a one-stop solution to the consumers and the sellers & service providers.
No, because the range of classified websites varies greatly from the newspaper's classified section. Why is that so? This is so because you can go and browse through various sections on a free classified website and then find your desired product. Similarly, the seller can go and post his/her stuff in one of the many categories present on the free classified sites. So, the coverage and reach of classified sites are a lot different from a newspaper. Best classified sites offer proper categorization and personalized controls.
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Is it free to post an ad on a free classified website?
Many free classified post-free ad websites let the user post free ads, for example, free classified sites like craigslist. On the other hand, many classified sites cost a small fee per ad from the user. So, the criteria for ad posting varies from website to website.
Creating a free classified website
Creating free classified sites is not as difficult as you think it is. It all comes down to proper planning. If you plan properly, nothing can stop you from creating the best classified sites. We have broken down the whole process into a number of easily doable and understandable steps. Let's have a look at them:
1. Decide what kind of free classified website you want to create (niche breakdown)
Planning is the most important step in creating a free classified website. You need to plan and devise your strategy. For example, there are many free classified sites like craigslist, that host ad from various niches and categories ranging from household items to houses and items for sale, from jobs to services. On the other hand, many free classified websites are dedicated to hosting ads about a particular niche, product or service. For example, many websites are classified to host ads of service providers such as plumbers, electricians, babysitters, makeup artists, etc.
So, you need to decide if you are going to create craigslist like personal sites or classified sites that are dedicated to one category only (like cars only).
2. Prototype your free classified website
Once, you have planned what you want; the next important step is prototyping. You need to create a prototype of your website. All best classified sites are prototyped first. Now that we are onto the topic, you will surely want to know about the best online prototyping software. Right?
Wondershare Mockitt is online software that makes prototyping easy for you. There are not many options when it comes to prototyping because not many people pay heed to prototyping. People usually start website development right away without prototyping due to which they end up creating classified sites that are not up to the mark.
Mockitt gives you the freedom to design as it provides you with a lot of template options to choose from. Secondly, it is beginner-friendly software, so you don't need to spend hours and hours understanding the whole process. It guides you on every step, and tutorial videos make it even easier. Isn't it amazing?
So, after planning your free classified ad sites, you need to prototype them on Mockitt.
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3. Choose a platform and create
Now, comes the final step. After prototyping and planning, you need to choose the right platform (it's important). There are many platform options where one can create a free classified website. Wix is one such option. You can also use WordPress for this purpose. All the details of these platforms are given on their official websites. You can choose the platform that fits the criteria that you have in mind and then start creating.
Keep one thing in mind that no one likes cluttered websites. People prefer a website that is soothing to look at rather than a messy and overcrowded one. So, go for a minimalistic design.
Conclusion
A free classified website is easy to create and even easier to use. Classified websites are becoming even more popular since the coronavirus outbreak. People prefer online means of Advertisement over offline means such as newspaper because of the fear of catching Covid-19 via surface contact—all the more reason to create and own a free classified website. You can choose a platform of your choice that offers free website building and create a website of your own. Don't think much; start working right away.
