Instant engagement: the next step for online classifieds

Whilst the primary function of classifieds still is the bringing together of buyers and sellers, the proliferation of mobile technology has seen a change in the way users want to experience online classifieds.

Businesses wanting to realise the benefits of this change will need to find ways to cater to the anytime-from-anywhere delivery that is being demanded and ensure compatibility of their service offering with new and old technologies.

Evolution is not a new phenomenon for the online classifieds industry, which since its inception in the mid 90s has had to adapt with the times. First making the move from print to digital, then from mobi to responsive. This has been imperative to attracting and retaining an ever-increasing mobile audience accessing platforms from multiple devices.

In today’s times, an always-connected user demands sites that are easy to navigate from any device and that are able to communicate with them through notifications or direct engagement.

New improvements in engagement have included the driving of relevant content to buyers in a proactive manner so that they don’t need to return to the site and search for new ads. Preemptive notifications I believe adds to the experience and builds brand loyalty.

What also sets platforms of today apart from those of twenty years ago is the exponential growth their well over tens of thousands of items inventories have had to offer in order to cater to the several million unique browsers experiencing these sites on a monthly basis.

Modernising a platform and implementing continuous technical improvements means a site is not only well-positioned for future development, but these improvements create an opportunity for the platform to innovate much quicker than before.

And this is where the difference between a global and local offering exists. Whilst a global classifieds offering may rely on the strength of its technology to deliver a great service in every market, many users still demand offerings by those who understand or cater exclusively to their market.

In the local market, users still demand fellow local businesses who are able to evolve their product categories much quicker to cater to these specific needs. In the South African market, for example, mobile is the primary and sometimes only interface to engage with for many users.

And since our platform caters exclusively to the South African market, we understand the next development is services such as instant chat to enable sellers and buyers to negotiate a transaction online. But as a developing country, there is still a scattering in terms of the technology our users make use of to access our platform.

So in catering to everyone we are constantly overcoming one of the biggest challenges in mobile instant engagement, which is ensuring compatibility. Compatibility not just across the latest smartphones or web browsers, but with those users who still have feature phones and in such a way that we don’t sacrifice the experience for other users.

There are added benefits for businesses who localise their offering. You understand the finer nuances of a local audience such as knowing that a bakkie is a search term South Africans will use to find a certain vehicle and spaza equipment means commercial kitchen and catering appliances.

Another consideration in this evolution would be to constantly keep abreast of security threats. This means online classifieds businesses, like other online platforms, need to continually innovate to ensure a safe and secure environment for the user community.

Never mind the constant flux of new technology and devices, our goal remains the bringing together of buyers and sellers in a way that is effortless for both parties.

Image: Ian Lamont via Flickr.