Summary: There are many ways in which you can earn money from free classifieds sites. Here are some of the simplest ways in which you can create a constant flow of money through your classified site.
Most of the websites available on the Internet are developed with only one objective – to earn money. And when it comes to earning money online, free classifieds sites offer the best opportunities. In case of most websites, you promote your own products and services and try to allure the potential customers to invest money. But with classified sites it is a bit different; you allow other business owners or individuals to promote their businesses through your website and reach a larger audience.
Earning money with free classified websites is easier since people would be interested to improve the visibility of their products, services, etc. by investing money, especially if your online classified site attracts huge amount of attention. Free classified sites are more alluring since the advertisers don’t have to invest any money to display their ads. Once they are convinced that there are enough opportunities, they can opt for the paid plans. So it is a win-win situation for both the parties – you and the advertisers. By investing money in paid plans, the advertisers can improve their reach and visibility whereas you can earn some money.
Brief History of Classifieds
Classifieds used to be an integral part of print media. For some publications, it used to be the major source of income. However, things changed drastically with the advent of the Internet. Today more and more people are opting to place their ads on online classified sites, since they are niche specific and the reach is much wider. The best part – some classified websites allow advertises to post ads for free; so by leveraging these platforms the advertisers can reach out to a huge audience at no cost at all.
The classified market has become so widespread that it has overshadowed the print classifieds and the advertisers are spoilt for choices. So it is all good for the advertisers, but how do you, as a classified website owner earn money? To know more, keep reading.
Tips to Earn Money from Your Classified Website
The scenario has however shifted now. With the world now intricately linked through the Internet, those looking for products and services prefer browsing for the same online rather than going through the many pages of a newspaper. Plus, when one is viewing a certain classified ad online, then there are several options to go to the next level. One can watch the ad, share the ad, print the ad and even sent an instant message. This cannot be denied, that there are many limitations when it comes to classified ads in the print media.
Earning money is quite simple with classified websites. One only needs to know how. Here are some simple ways in which you can earn money from your free classified ads USA:
Feature Ads
Classified sites have hundreds and thousands of listing in every category. So if the advertisers want to highlight their ads and want more visitors to view their ads, they can opt for featured ads. Advertisers can avail featured ads by investing a small amount of money. This feature is very beneficial since the feature ads can be marked in a different color, in bold letters, etc. To improve the credibility, you can also mark the ads with a ‘Trusted’ or ‘Verified’ mark.
However, you must remember that advertisers will only be willing to place featured ads on websites that get a considerable amount of traffic. So you must put in a lot of effort to drive traffic to your free classified sites.
‘Move to Top’ Ads
Ideally the listings towards the top of the page are the ones that get the maximum views. So in this highly competitive market, it is necessary that advertisers place their ads towards the top. So, allowing advertisers to place their ads on top of the page or listings, you can allure them to invest their money in your classified website.
Affiliate Links
Affiliate marketing is a strategy where a company takes advantage of your traffic flow to improve their sales by selling their products and services to them and gives you a commission based on the number of clicks or sales received. You can sign agreements with one or more companies and agree on certain terms like:
- Pay per click
- Monthly fee to post links (on a per link basis)
- Get a commission by offering coupons for their products
- Commission based on conversion, etc.
Membership Options
By offering some extra privileges to advertisers willing to sign a membership with your classified site, you can earn a lot of money. Special privileges for members can include discounts on special features, feature ads on a specific premium location for a limited period, etc.
By being a little thoughtful, you can create a steady flow of income from your free classifieds sites. Study other classified websites and see how they are leveraging their own websites. Implement the above ideas and get new ideas, to improve your income through online classified sites.