When you Google the most popular classified apps in the world, the results you will get are LetGo, OfferUp, eBay, OLX. But among them, Craigslist tops the list. As more people attempt to sell unwanted and used products, this industry expands exponentially.

Many industry leaders are investing in classified app development. You can too become the next industry giant when you develop a classified app like Craigslist. Statista says that the market will grow at a rate of 1.95 percent per year, which will bring it to a size of 23.85 billion dollars by 2029.

This figure entails the demand for classified app development solutions will double. So, now is the perfect time for entrepreneurs to create an app like Craigslist and reach greater heights. Thus, this blog goes through the crucial steps to develop an app like Craigslist, features, costs, monetization strategies and other aspects.

So, let’s begin!

 

What is Craigslist App?

Craigslist is an ad listing app just like eBay for posting and looking through classified ads. It allows users to post and look through different kinds of ads. For example, ads for jobs, homes, services, goods for sale, community events, and more.

It is one of the best classified apps. It was created by Craig Newmark in 1995. At first, it was just an email list for San Francisco events and classified ads. But later, Craigslist grew to cover many more places and types of items. It became a popular way for users in the same area to buy, sell, and meet with each other. Thus, if you want to develop a classified app like Craigslist, you should first validate your idea with a classified app development company in USA.

 

Future Predictions & Projections of Classified App

 

 

• It is expected that digital classifieds ads will bring in $21.66bn around the world in 2024.
• The market is estimated to grow at a rate of 1.95 percent per year from 2024 to 2029. It will bring the total value of the market to $23.85 billion by 2029.
• In the General listings market, people will spend an average of $1.07 on ads each year in 2024.
• In 2029, 51% of all ad spending in the digital classifieds market is expected to come from mobile devices.
• The global market for digital listings is seeing a rise in AI-driven ad targeting. It is changing the way ads work and the engaged users are.

 

How Does Classified Ads Listing App Work?

If you want to develop a classified app like Craigslist, you must know its working process. This app is free, and it might have things that paid apps don’t have. Users may use this free ad listing app for free. So, an Android app development company has explained the working mechanism of a Craigslist app. 

 

 

 

1. Download and Install

Firstly, users install the craigslist app from the app stores for their device.

 

2. Create an Account

Once a user downloads the app, they sign up and create an account on it. They fill the basic information like the name, email address, and password for registration.

 

3. Browse Categories

Now the Craigslist app will likely have various categories for different types of listings. Users may easily explore them to find what they’re looking for.

 

4. Search for Listings

Once browsing the items is done, users can filter their search results to make a wish list of the  options.

 

5. Create a Listing 

If users want to sell, rent, or offer a service, they may create a new listing. Also they may offer complete details about the item or service. For example, photos, description, price, and contact details.

 

6. Communicate with Users

Once users have found a listing or someone has contacted them, they can use the app’s messaging feature to chat with the other user. They may discuss details, negotiate mobile app development costs, and arrange a meeting or transaction.

 

Steps To Develop a Classified App Like Craigslist

Now comes the main part of the blog–”steps to develop a classified app like Craigslist”. Developing a classified application required thorough planning and expertise. So, it is best to take assistance from a mobile application development company. But first let’s look at the crucial Craigslist app development process.

 

 

 

1. Validate Your App Idea

The first stage to develop a classified app like Craigslist is to validate your app idea with IT consulting firm experts. It helps you know the scope and demand of classified applications. Also, you must know whether your Craigslist app really solves the user’s problem. It is also vital to know the size of your possible market. What makes them most angry about the problem they’re having?

Moreover, what have they tried before that didn’t work to fix the problem? Are there problems that go with this that they need to fix? You can move on to the next step to build a classified app like Craigslist once all of these questions are solved.

 

2. Know Your Competitor Apps

Next step is to know who your competitors are before you develop a classified app like Craigslist. Is there any similar classified app like LetGo that delivers the same purpose? Craigslist or letgo is an app that connects buyers and sellers locally. What unique and special things do they have?

Do they have enough downloads and positive feedback on app stores? Also where they lack so that you can add it in your classified app. By doing competitor analysis, you can easily resolve the mistakes that they have already made. However, you already know the current landscape of the market and you need to differentiate from your rivals.

 

3. Design UI/UX 

The user interface needs to be carefully considered so that users have the best experience possible. Users will quickly switch to rivals and stop using the app you worked so hard on if it turns out to be messy or broken.

With the help of a mobile app design company, you’ll need to decide what information will be in your app, how it will be shown, and how people will be able to connect with it. Now you’ll process maps to develop a classified app like Craigslist, which can help you keep track of all the ways users could interact with your app.

 

4. Develop the Classified App 

After finishing the design process, the next step is to develop a classified app like Craigslist. It has two key parts that make it up – Frontend and backend. Hire dedicated developers who pick the right coding languages and start writing code for the app. They can also choose the database tools and a hosting system. The homepage of a mobile app is where the user will do most of their work. This is the part of the user interface that you have already made.

 

5. Test Your App

Once you’re done with classified app development, it’s time to begin testing. After all, you want to make sure the developed solution is stable, secure, and doesn’t have any bugs. For the best quality delivery, you must perform the 5 testing methods. It includes functionality, security, performance, platform & devices and extended reviews. Once all these aspects clear the testing, you can finally move to the launching part.

 

 

6. Final Launch

When you’re finally ready to deploy your classified app, you’ll have to go through different distribution models depending on the platform you were developing for. You can either launch the app on Play Store or App Store or both.

But it is vital to thoroughly follow the app stores guidelines before publishing it on it. Once done, you can develop marketplace apps Like ETSY or Craigslist that go live to the audience.

 

7. Market And Maintain   

Now you should promote the classified app using different marketing methods. After your app goes live and people start getting it, you should be more critical and keep an eye on how it’s doing.

Don’t skip this step; it might take longer than to develop a classified app like Craigslist itself, and it needs to be handled all the time. You need to check and update the app that lists classified ads like Craigslist carefully. It makes your app run more smoothly and helps you keep users longer.

 

Key Features To Build An App Like Craigslist

Many users worldwide are using classified apps and websites. So if you also want to build a buy-sell classified mobile app like Olx or Craigslist, you need to consider some essential features that almost all classified apps have and are necessary to develop a classified app like Craigslist. 

 

 

 

1. User Panel

• User Onboarding:

This feature allows the user to create an account for use via entering their social media id, e-mail, or phone number. After an appropriate verification and validation, the user can access their accounts.

• Ad Posting:

The users post their classifieds on the app or website, including location tagging, image submission, and details belonging to the ad.

• Location Feature:

When you build an app like Olx or Craigslist, allows users to search or post classifieds for a particular location. Before searching or creating ad posting, users have to select the location.

• Searching:

It is the most powerful feature for any classified app required for the best user experience where users can search for the desired classified ads as per their needs. When you develop a classified app like Craigslist, the user can perform the location-based search, category and sub-category-wise search, or product-wise search.

• Wishlist:

It helps the users to save their desired posts to see them later, and they can get a notification about the preferred ads.

• Communication:

It works as a bridge between sellers and buyers connected via classified apps like Craigslist.

• Add or View Images:

Images always have a significant impact on the mind, especially in terms of the advertisement, so Craigslist has a great feature to view or add the images with posts.

• Notifications:

When you develop an app like Yelp, allow users to get real-time updates about their actions on the app or classified website.

• Paid and Free Listing:

Apps like Craigslist allow users to post free listings. For job postings, users have to pay $10-75 which varies according to the areas of the USA.

 

2. Admin Panel

• Login:

Admin has to log in first to manage the things on the app.

• User Management:

It is one of the prime responsibilities of the admin to manage the users including user requests, user onboarding, inquiry, and so forth.

• Manage Service Providers:

The service providers also need assistance that the admin handles. That includes services provider’s requests and issue handling if any.

• Listing Management:

If there is an issue on the website regarding listing, then the admin can handle it with ease via the listing management feature. It also includes category management.

• Manage Client Reviews and Ratings:

You must hire mobile app developers to add replying to the reviews and ratings posted by users.

• Manage Database:

The database management feature allows the app admin to handle all the tasks related to the database including information retrieval, addition, and modification

• Payment Management:

The admin has the right to view the information regarding revenue generation.

 

Best Classified Ads Listing Apps Like Craigslist

Before you develop a classified app like Craigslist, look at some of the top-5 best marketplace apps similar to Craigslist that you would like to read about:

 

Top Apps like Craigslist	Available Platform	Downloads	Ratings
OfferUp	Android | iOS	50M+	4.4
LetGo	Android | iOS	100M+	3.5
OLX	Android | iOS	100M+	4.2
eBay	Android | iOS	100M+	4.6
Locanto	Android | iOS	1M+	4.3

 

How Much Does It Cost To Make An App Like Craigslist? 

If you are planning to develop a classified app like Craigslist, of course, you would like to know the required budget. Before you know the cost to create a classified app like Craigslist, it is vital that your project requirements play a major role.

It affects the overall classified app development cost. But we can provide a rough estimate as the actual cost to build a mobile app like Craigslist is not possible to define. It generally lies between $10000-$25000. Let’s look at the below table:

 

App Complexity	Cost Estimation
Simple Craigslist-like App	$10000-$15000
Medium Craigslist-like App	$15000-$20000
Complex Craigslist-like App	$25000+

 

 

Besides, you can calculate the cost to develop a classified app like Craigslist with the below formula:

 

Total Craigslist App Development = Hourly Developer’s Rate * Development Time 

 

Now that you know the Craigslist app development cost, it is time to consult with an on demand app development company. They provide the best cost estimation for your Craigslist app development solution.

 

Why Is It Important To Fix A Budget?

It is important to establish a budget before getting into the specifics of how much money would be required for classified app development. Setting a budget helps you understand the whole planning process and take the right steps to build your listed app. Because of this, before you start making your own classified app like Craigslist, make sure you remember these things: 

 

 

 

● Helps Identify the Actual Needs

The budget that you fix to create an ecommerce marketplace like Amazon aids in contemplating the needs of the end customers thereby giving them what is required at the moment. This way you can easily know the features required for your app and make decisions in the right direction.

 

●  Need to Save for Marketing

There is no way you can be sure that your job and expenses will end when the app is finished. The development process has a few steps left. The big challenge is getting the app out there, selling it, and getting it to the right people.

 

The costs that come up after the development is done are what really matter for the success of an app. You can figure out how much on-demand ecommerce app development costs.

 

●  Aids in Market Research

As soon as you think about your budget, you have to go out and do a lot of study on the market to find out what the going rates are.

 

●  You Need the MVP

That meeting with the funders will only happen if you have a minimum viable product. To figure out how much and how long an MVP app development will take, you need to have a budget.

 

How Do Apps Like Craigslist Make Money?

Everyone knows that Craigslist is a free service. It doesn’t cost anything for regular people to sell things. It only makes money from certain types of ads, like those for jobs, flats, and cars from car sellers. There are multiple methods to monetize your classified app. Let’s talk about a few of them that will help you make money with your app.

 

 

 

a)   Paid Ads

Making money by selling the platform’s basic functions is the easiest way to do it. For instance, one of the main functions of apps like Craigslist is to post ads for things that can be bought and sold. So, one way to make money is to charge the buyers a small amount of what their goods are worth. But it could make the app vulnerable to being replaced.

 

b)  Subscription

Paid ads might not be the best way to make money, but subscriptions might be. The ecommerce app development must offer improved features and functions to its users. One-week, one-month, three-month, or yearly subscriptions are all options.

 

c)   Featured Ads

The promoted ads are kept on many apps like Craigslist, as an option to the basic ads. Many advertising apps charge a fee to put ads in the “featured” area, which is where they get more attention from people who might be interested in buying. You have a better chance of getting a deal if you pay the listed charges.

 

d)  Registration Fee

Adding a membership fee is a great way to make money with an advertising app. When users sign up for this type of marketing, they are charged a certain fee to use the platform’s services.

 

e)   Commission

Adding the fee is a good way to get more people to use the service and get rid of the doubt that people have about paying for it. With this business plan, sellers will only have to pay a fee after the deal is done, the product is sold, and the buyer pays.

 

Let’s Create a Classified App Like Craigslist!

The marketplace mobile app boosts business growth very quickly, and big names like OLX and Craigslist are leading the way by giving people all over the world smart shopping options.

This type of app will cost you less to invest in, and there is almost no risk to your money. This makes it a great industry for starting a new business. Now is the time to make a classified app like Craigslist that has some cool and advanced features.

So, if you’re also looking for Craigslist app development services, get in touch with our team of skilled mobile app developers. This way, you can stay ahead of the competition.

 

FAQs

1. How Long Will It Take To Develop A Classified App Like Craigslist?

The time to develop a classified app like Craigslist is not always the same. It varies on the basis of different factors. Usually, it can take 2-7 months or more.

 

2. What Are the Tips To Making Money From a Classified Website? 

Here are the tips to making money from a classified website:

• Membership or pay per ad
• Advertisements
• Featured ads
• Sell classified directory listings

 

3. How Much Does It Cost To Develop A Classified Ads Listings App Like Craigslist?

The cost to make an app like Craigslist lies between $10000-$25000. But it fluctuates on the basis of your project requirements. So, it is best to consult with a mobile app development company for an actual estimation.

 

4. What Are the Benefits Of Craigslist App Development?

The benefits of Classified application like Craigslist development are mentioned below:

• Boost user engagement
• Reach wider audience
• Leverage Craigslist’s credibility
• Cost-effective

 

5. How To Make Money From Classified App Development?

You can monetize your classified ads listing app in the following ways:

• In-app purchase
• Advertisement model
• Freemium model
• Subscription model

 

6. Is It Profitable To Invest In Classified App Development?

Yes, it is! The global classified platform market is likely to reach $9,843.5 million by 2033, up from $29,959.8 million in 2023 advancing at a CAGR of 11.4% during the forecast period. It is the right time for entrepreneurs to develop a classified app like Craigslist.