| In this article a survey about one of the hottest | | | | In little market like Italy classified ads are hot too. |
| market on Internet: online classified ads. With Google | | | | Trader Classified Media, one of the largest classified |
| and Microsoft now offering free classifieds, Craigslist | | | | advertising companies in the world, has recently |
| ( ) and its free classifieds growing into an international | | | | finalised the acquisition of Annuncigratuiti.it (classified |
| force, and EBay investing more than $1 billion in | | | | ads site with about 70,000 listings) for EUR1.4 million. |
| classified advertising sites worldwide, this market can | | | | Moreover, a Kijiji clone, Annunci.net ( ) is starting its |
| be considered the new Eldorado. | | | | activities in Italy. |
| Free online classified ads market starts in 1995 when | | | | With this market it is clear that some advertising is |
| Craig Newmark began sending friends in San | | | | moving from print to online, and it can only be |
| Francisco e-mail messages with lists of local events. | | | | assumed that this trend will continue relentlessly. Most |
| This became Craig's List, a massive not-for-profit | | | | of the classified market will shift to the Internet. The |
| community service which has expanded across the | | | | competition on the Internet is more intense, causing |
| most important cities in the United States and many | | | | lower margins, with lower profitability of printed |
| cities in other countries. The service gets 4 billion | | | | product. |
| page views and 10 million unique visitors every | | | | What is the key factor in order to have success in |
| month, with a staff of just 21. Annual revenue of | | | | this busy market? Innovation. |
| Craigslist approached $10 million . | | | | Mobile is set to revolutionise the media and |
| In Europe in 1999 Het Goed Beheer BV, a company | | | | communications in a way that nothing has done to |
| that owns second-hand retail shops in The | | | | date. Already more media consumers use mobile SMS |
| Netherlands, founded Marktplaats.nl ( ), a website | | | | texting services than do the Internet. |
| where buyers and sellers can meet to trade a wide | | | | Mobile offers a range of specific benefits in the |
| array of items, from clothing and collectibles to cars | | | | classified arena. It allows advertisers to place and |
| and household items. | | | | receive advertisements where and whenever they |
| Today it is the most popular classifieds website in | | | | wish. Charging for the advertisement (or alert) can be |
| The Netherlands with more than one million listings at | | | | integrated into the phone billing service, making |
| any given time. In 2003 they launched an international | | | | payment a seamless aspect of the service; Moreover |
| version of the service, Intoko.com, into Spain and | | | | mobile phones can now carry advertisements with |
| Germany, shortly followed by Canada and Turkey. | | | | pictures. The next generation of phones will be able |
| In November 2004, eBay acquired Marktplaats.nl from | | | | to carry video-clips or internal views of rooms in |
| HGB. Ebay paid EUR225 million for a company that | | | | homes. |
| was estimated at the time to be turning over EUR12 | | | | AdsML will be an international standards initiative to |
| million - a multiple of 18.8 times turnover, against a | | | | create the first truly global, comprehensive standard |
| norm for newspaper companies of around 3.2. | | | | for end-to-end advertising workflows. |
| It is clear that eBay is confident that the | | | | The initiative was set-up to provide participants in the |
| Marketplaats business model will work across the | | | | advertising supply chain with a set of internationally |
| world, and that further expansion will justify their | | | | adopted XML based specifications and business |
| heavy investment. | | | | processes that will create value and reduce costs by |
| Marktplaats.nl was only an acquisition of Ebay in the | | | | providing standardized electronic processes for all |
| classified ads space:o on August 13 2004 eBay took | | | | sectors of the advertising industry. |
| a 25% stake in Craigslist;o in February 2005 Ebay | | | | AdsML provides an XML framework for unifying and |
| launched Kijiji ( ), a Craigslist clone for posting local | | | | extending XML advertising standards. |
| classified ads;o in May 2005 eBay acquired Gumtree, | | | | These are all factors that need to be facilitated by |
| a network of UK local city classifieds sites;o on May | | | | integrated technical solutions, which enhance the |
| 18 2005 eBay acquired the Spanish classifieds site | | | | general listings and add to the value and usability of |
| Loquo;o at the end of June 2005 eBay acquired the | | | | the site. |
| German language classifieds site Opus Forum; | | | | |