Kijiji is an online classified advertising service that works as a centralized network of communities online. It allows the formation of online communities, based on city and region, where local advertisements can be pot up. The users on this website can post or search for classified ads to buy, sell, or rent almost anything. The items can range from cars, housing, jobs, and many more things. The websites are available in more than 100 cities in Canada and Italy. Kijiji first began as a start-up within eBay, created by a team of its business-minded employees. It was launched in February 2005, initially only in Quebec City and Montreal. And it was expanded all over Canada in November 2005 and also in India. The Indian counterpart of the website was rebranded as Quickr in August of 2008.
It is the most popular online classified service in Canada. When compared to its biggest competitor Craigslist, it draws three times more traffic.
So now that the use of the website is clear and the origins understood, let’s talk about how does Kijiji work?
How does Kijiji work?
Due to it being a premier online classified website, internationally present and popular, the workings of the website need to be understood to look at how it reached its current potential. Let’s see how does Kijiji work for all the stakeholders
How does Kijiji work for the seller?
Since it is a service to post online classified ads, sellers, or more appropriately, the users providing the goods are an important part of the website. The website can be used by the user to post ads to sell stuff, to provide their services, offer trades with the other users, and even request services and products. And now given below are the steps a user has to take to post classified ads on Kijiji.
Step 1: Create an account
Before the user can post ads on the website, they need to create an account of the website and register. The user needs to have an email account with any of the popular email services such as Gmail, Yahoo, etc. And then fill in all the personal details asked for by the website.
Step 2: Provide the title of the Ad
After selecting the post ad button available on the website, the user needs to type in the title of the ad. And after the title is selected the website would suggest a category that would be appropriate for the ad. The user has the option to select an appropriate main category and even a subcategory.
Step 3: Add details about the ad
After the category has been selected, the user needs to add in details of the ad. The details include the price, description of the item, images, and videos of the item in question, and any additional features if necessary. The details need to be added so that it can increase the exposure that the ad receives. The price point, the pictures, or videos you upload, and the way you present the ad all play a role in the success of your ad.
Step 4: Select Ad type
If the ad is for the user seeking something they need, they have to select “I Want” under ad type. The user can also select either Free or Swap/Trade ad type if the user wishes to give away the goods for free or wants to perform an exchange or trade of goods and services through their ad. This allows the users to not only be stuck with one mode of payment and thus expands the function of the website.
Step 5: Select the location
Since the Kijiji website focuses on increasing exposure on the local level, the location of the user is important. By default, the site shows the general area of the user instead of the exact address. If the user wishes to provide their exact location with their ad, then the check the “Show my exact location” box after entering the address.
Step 6: Finding the right buyer
After the ad has been posted and is live on the website, other uses can use the messaging feature of the app to talk to you and discuss the ad. And after the deal has been finalized, the ad can be removed from the website.
These are the basic steps one has to undergo to post an ad on the website and make a sale or an exchange of goods.
How does Kijiji work for the buyer?
The other important user bases of this website are the users looking for products, services, and trades that are available on the website. The website offers a variety of products for the user and this allows people to find anything that their heart desires at the best deal. So to be able to take advantage of the website and find listings that fulfill the user needs, the following basic steps need to be taken.
Step 1: Create an Account
Before searching for ads based on your needs, it is important to create an account as it allows you to interact with the users who have posted the ads. To create an account you need an email ID from the popular email providers such as Gmail, Yahoo, etc.
Step 2: Search for listings
On Kijiji users can search for classified ad listings from the various categories that are provided by the website for various products ranging for home decor to cars to anything the user needs. The user can also use the search functionality to find the products they want. The user can refine the ad results by adding details such as location and keywords. The search results can be sorted by filters ranging from price, date of ad posting, and ad types. The users can favorite ads that they like for future reference. And the user can also create search alerts in case they don’t find what they are looking for. And so they can be notified when new ads in their search category are posting.
Step 3: Interact with the Seller
After the user selects an ad for a product or service they need, the user can contact the seller through the chat feature available on the website. And after all the discussions have taken place, the can finalize the deal. The site makes sure to secure both the seller and buy on their site by masking their email address, so the user can make visible the account and contact details that they deem necessary.
How does Kijiji make money?
Though understanding how the company works for its users is necessary, it is also essential to look at how does Kijiji make money. This would be your significant concern if you want to build a business similar to Online Classified Script like Kijiji.
There is a limit of 2 ads per account on the website, combined across most of the service categories. If the ad listing is for the following categories, then a listing fee by the seller is to be paid:
● Moving and Storage
● Automotive Services
● Real Estate Services
● Financial & Legal Services
And if the user wants to put up more than 2 ads then also listing fee has to be paid to increase the ad limits. And if the user does not want to pay separate listing fees for posting ads, then they can also pay for visibility packages. After paying for the visibility packages as long as the duration of the package lasts, the user does not have to pay listing fees for their ads.
The site also provides the seller with various other paid packages that the seller can use to boost their ads and thus is another avenue of income. The packages available are the Top Ad feature, Bump Up feature, Highlight feature, Urgent & Reduced feature, Homepage Gallery feature, URL feature, Price Drop feature, all of which the user has to pay for and becomes a source of income.
And the final charge that is applied to the seller is a cut on the net sales and advertising revenues.
Summing-Up
So this presents how the classified ads service and community website Kijiji works, from its inception where the buyers need to create an account on the site and also play a role in the increased footfall of traffic on the website. The more customers visit the website, the more there are sales bound to happen, and since the website accommodates a wide variety of categories of goods and services and various forms of payments or exchange, the more the website earns a cut from the sales that occur on their website. And on the seller’s side, they are charged listing fees when they reach their free ads limit. And they also are presented with packages that allow them to increase their number of ads or to promote their ads which all add on to the income of the site. So they both play a role in the income that is generated by the website.
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Let us know if you have any questions regarding how does Kijiji work in the comment section below!
