RefreshClassifieds

Yourlist.com has launched a free classified site which seems to be targeted at Craigslist.  The site features free listings for most categories except for employment which carry a $15 charge.  The site is focused on providing a safe and secure site for buyers and sellers to meet.  This seems to be tried to make this process as easy as possible at a very price point.  Users can search for classified listings in their city or with a radius of their zip code.  The site is currently only available in the US and most major cities.  There is currenty very little content and with all other free classified sites available I think they will have a hard time building up content.  To help with build content the site is giving away an Apple iPhone monthly through a random draw of advertisers.

Autotrader.com has announced today that they have launched a new ad taking system for their Autotrader.com website that provides 3 advertising options, including the option to publish your ad into the Autotrader magazine. The 2 of the available bundles now include print advertising, with the Deluxe bundle include the ad until sold in both print and online. Autotrader.com has traditionally been pushing itself as an online only classified advertiser and down playing the value of print advertising. With the new launch and online/print bundles they are well position to complete with free classified sites like Craigslist with do not have a print component to them.

The new ad taking system is very well design with minimal required fields but many of additional options. Users can choose to write their ad free form or have select from popular options to have their ad automatically created. The popular options include recent automotive features like GPS navigation and iPod accessories. The photo upload process was a little more time consuming with the user needing to select individual photos and with 18 possible photos this can be time consuming. Autotrader.com does provide a free photo taking service and photo taking centers for people that would rather avoid this process. Once the ad is built it provides a good preview of the both the Online and Print ads, with an option to select the best Autotrader magazine for the vehicle being sold.

Last month Autotrader.com launched a new dealer interface for dealers to quickly create ads online and now with the new private party ad taking system it would appear they are committed to maintaining their leadership position.