RefreshClassifieds

With all the news around print classified decline its no surprise that services like Hotpads.com are thriving online. The Hotpads.com provides a competitive rental classified site but their website is really just the beginning. When you place an ad with Hotpads.com you have the ability to syndicate your ad with a variety of other classified sites including:

• Yahoo Real Estate
• Edgeio
• Oodle
• Google Base
• Vast
• Move

In additional Hotpads.com has launched a Facebook application to ensure maximum exposure inside Facebook. When combined with the sites already feature reach function this provides great value for advertisers.

In addition to providing a classified republishing system, Edgeio, has announced that they will provide a paid content distribution system through their transaction classified system.  The system will provide the ability for anyone with an article, video, or music the ability to sell it through their classified network.  It would appear they are extending their classified system into the digital product world,  which is a different strategy from traditional classifieds which often avoid digital products and in some cases even ban them for their media.  Often the challenge with digital products is the dispute resolution process since there is no physical product and transactions can cross multiple regions it becomes very challenging.

The new system provides content providers with access to a variety of web sites that want to publish their content.  Content providers can upload individual files or use the Edgeio bulk uploader system to upload their entire inventory.

All transactions through the system are 3-way, with Edgeio, the content provider, and the web site all sharing in the transaction fee.  The content provider can choose the price for their content and the split with the web sites, which act as an affiliate sales channel.

Edgeio will continue to work with web sites who want to publish content as both a source of revenue and a way to attract customers.   Web sites will have the option to choose the types of content they want on their web site, depending on the share of revenue provided and the type of content being published.  The service launched at the Gnomedex conference and is already publishing ebooks through the Gnomedex web site.  n