Make Your Business Grow Through Classified Sites

author

Bharatwa Editor

. 12 min read

Follow

You may be a very promising and bright entrepreneur who focuses on customer satisfaction and have burning passion to grow your startup to great heights but if you don’t prioritize to use tactics/techniques to advertise your company and increase your customer base then the outcome may be very very unfavorable also.


Marketing through classified sites or top lead generating sites like Justdial, Sulekha, Hudku, Olx, Quikr, etc. is one of the best ways to reach out all type of customers and expand your business.


We have a very good example of Satpal Singh who made significant progress with the help of Classified sites; however you should always be practical and expect success once you have done detailed analysis of kind of businesses listed on classified sites, Information you must display on Classified sites, Advantages and drawbacks of classified sites and advantages to opt for your own website rather than relying on classified or lead generating websites alone.


This Is How Satpal Boosted His Startup With The Help Of Classified Sites

Satpal was working in a leading Pest Control Company in Chandigarh and resigned to start his own venture with other two fellow lads who also had a dream to do something. But, when you begin with a startup then there are no magic shortcuts and the only real path is- staring them right into the face. 


Meanwhile, real entrepreneurs who start a real business, that employ real people with the spark of doing something, who provide real services to real customers do seldom fail.


Of Course, Satpal wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth, however, was very well aware what to do. He gathered long experience, in-depth knowledge of design and processes, financial management, digital and hard data while working as an operational manager in the previous company.


Nevertheless, there's no specific "special sauce" to add to the recipe for instant success, and nothing is guaranteed, therefore he also had some worries about the outcome and immediate upheavals.


Also Read:  

1. 3 Steps To Start Logistic’s Business in India!

2. This is Why Barcode or Symbol Scanners Are Very Useful for Businesses?


Anyhow, he could successfully make the initial stage i.e. he created a team charter with Job descriptions and then hired those, purchased equipment and took a rented property for office and go down.


He could easily manage the financial aspect since starting pest control business, requires low financial inputs as compared to other businesses. However, with the possible exception of profitable franchises, it normally takes anywhere from 4 months to several years for new businesses to become profitable.


Branding and advertisement are the most essential to new businesses; he recognized the link between successful business and strong branding and worked through newspaper pamphlets, placed ads on poles, distributed homeowner guides, installed gate-boards of his company at multiple places, did door to door cold calling, created alliances with other local pest control operators located in Tricity, Ludhiana and other parts of Punjab, launched awareness campaigns, provided free services for gaining referrals; even though could not drive the business to the extent he had been expecting it to be.


In the online world, getting lots of attention means cash in the bank, however there also, it is getting increasingly difficult to even get your target market to notice you; not only do you have to compete with large companies that have strong marketing departments, but you also have to compete with social media and many other distractors.


Depending on the Segmentation and Interactivity he registered with JustDial and Sulekha and did not go with Google. He availed premium service of Justdial and remained free user on Sulekha. Justdial and Sulekha are basically classified sites, who charge a commission from unlisted companies which are ranked higher on their categorized pages and therefore become more visible to customers who are searching for such services on their site.


He paid the lofty amount for one-year agreement however recovered the same within three months from commencement. In one year he got enough customer base, his business became persevered and he did not renew the agreement then on.


However you will not always listen to success stories similar to Satpal or other people who are associated with such sites, but reasons behind failure may be many like not leading yourself and placing whole responsibility on staff who possesses no or minimal ownership, no control over business, predicting future rather than planning it, poor service quality and no referrals from existing customers, Focus on general business principles instead of the specific industry, etc.


Therefore being a new magnate it is worth trying classified sites and should have a thorough knowledge of do’s and don’ts associated with this.


Top Lead Generating Websites/Classified Sites in India


1. Justdial

It works as local search engine or a lead generation website and the user can find desired address and phone numbers. As an entrepreneur, you can list your company on the website and opt for a paid advertisement or free add page. Through justdial, you will be shared free contact details of the prospective customer. It has most vide presence all over the country and most user-friendly interface.


2. Sulekha

It covers almost all the local needs of a person and allows the user to get quotation as well. Justdial provides free as well as premium service. Sulekha includes listing, classified, deals, e-commerce and reviews/ratings etc.


You can make your own profile by completing signup formalities which require your Mail ID/Phone Number, Name and location else you can also log in through Facebook, Twitter or Gmail. While selecting between Justdial and Sulekha you must ensure that your targeted audience uses mobile or desktop and in case it is mobile then you should go with Justdial which has a much better presence in telephone classified market.


Sulekha is more popular in cities like Delhi or Mumbai, so wherever people use Sulekha more than Justdial, go for Sulekha otherwise vice-versa.


3. Hudku

At present, it has 8,269 Alexa Rank in India. Unlike Justdial and Sulekha, Hudku's services are all free and it lets you connect directly to the consumer by providing their contact details. Hudku is a Business Search and lead generation website and in India, it has comparatively less presence in all states and is confined to cities like Bangalore only.


However, since it has the presence on the global front and it has no local boundaries limitations, therefore, it’s market share in India is ever increasing.


4. Quikr

Quikr has the same market presence as the Justdial has, however it differs from Justdial and Sulekha in terms of more focus on Buy and Sell area; Justdial mainly concentrates on the listing of business. Justdial earns more than Quikr and Olx combined together. 


Quikr is mainly used by common people who want to sell or buy 2nd hand products like TV, Refrigerator, Beds, Furniture, Mobiles etc,


However, is also used by shopkeepers or distributors who want to sell their products. The flip side of Quikr is that sometimes you may also find spams. As a service provider, you can advertise by opting for Premium ads on Quikr.


5. Olx

Olx is one of the best marketplaces to buy and sell, as well as a lead generating a classified website in India; here user can use chat features and activate or deactivate his items at his will. Olx has more user base than Quikr and you can get fast responses as and when you list your product. 


Olx shows accurate products at a reasonable price for example- you can get different cars from different ranges based on the usage and price.


Quikr is the best online classified site when you are selling big items like your Car or Refrigerator and much posting a new and is similar in Olx and Quikr but overall quality and service wise users have reported comparative better experience with Olx. Olx is regarded as one of the best lead generation site.


Besides above, there are many other classified sites like location, craigslist, Trovit, vivastreet, click.in, clickindia etc. which can be explored depending upon the relevance to your work, research on the targeted market, checking peer's ad posting style, applying some experimentation, place where you are placing ad etc.


Also Read:  

1. Aamir Khan – Number 1 Actor or Emotional Businessmen?

2. $69 Billion Sale- Samsung Overtakes Intel as World’s biggest Chip Manufacturer


What Kind Of Businesses Are Listed On Classified Sites Like Justdial and Sulekha

As an entrepreneur, It is one of the most important and useful aspect to go through and have knowledge of. Following are the categories which give the knowledge of different sales areas to glimpse opportunities as a businessman, on the flip side, as a customer quick view of these can help you meet your instant requirement in future also:

  1. Flight Tickets - Booking Flight Tickets
  2. Hire as per your need - In this section classified sites allow the user to hire Costumes, Vehicles, ACs, Machines, Two Wheelers, Rooms, Air Coolers, clothes, different electronic equipment etc. 
  3. Apply for Loans here - Customers can apply for Home Loans, Credit Cards and various loans like Car Loans, Educational Loans and home loans etc.
  4. All kind of Auto Care - This includes repairing Cars, Two Wheelers and providing accessories.
  5. Information related to Automobile - Find your dream Car Here. Browse Cars, Recommend Cars, sub-categories may include Popular Cars, Latest Launches, Expected Soon etc.
  6. Business-to-business - Supply of Products, Equipments, Machinery, material of daily use like apparels, clothes, footwear, Automobiles spare parts and services, all kind of tools and hardware, logistics and transportation, metals and paper products, CDs, material related to agriculture, material related to advertisement, IT hardware, construction material and other home supplies.
  7. Baby Care as a whole - Material related to daily use by babies like milk bottles, diapers, wipes, books, feeding products, breast feeding accessories etc. 
  8. Banquets Bookings - Banquet Halls, Lawn for Events etc. 
  9. Bills & Recharges - Online Recharge and Bill Payments
  10. Booking Hotels - Hotels can be booked online
  11. Books and other reading material - Online Shopping of books 
  12. Buses online - Booking buses online
  13. Cabs & Cars on rentals Book - A Cab Online, hire a Car on Rentals
  14. Caterers in your town - Hire all Caterers for parties and celebrations with the wide range of food recipes.
  15. Chemists in locality - Ayurvedic Medicine and other herbal products, products related to women and baby care, vitamins and supplements etc.
  16. Courier Services - International and local courier services.
  17. Daily Needs - Grocery and Food Products 
  18. Dance & Music - Related dance and music classes
  19. Doctor - Can take appointments of Ayurvedic and modern medical Doctors and surgeons.
  20. Educational institutes and classes - This will include ads related to Schools and Colleges or extra Classes related to various class subjects and hobbies
  21. Emergency Services - Ambulance Service, Blood Banks and other medical facilities which require immediate attention.
  22. Event Organizers - Organisation of different Events related to parties, seminars and trade fairs etc. 
  23. Home Decor - All wooden and other decorative fixtures, lamps and lights or material related to housekeeping.
  24. Hospitals List of all kind of Hospitals - 25 Hotels Hotels based on different budgets and stars.
  25. House Keeping related workforce - All technical works related to housekeeping like cooking, servants, Gardeners, drivers etc.
  26. Industrial Products and Tools - Spare parts required at industries, important tools of machines or all kind of industrial hardware.
  27. Insurance Services - All kinds of insurances can be discovered and compared online.
  28. Interior Designer and decorators - Architects and Interior Designer, Institutes related to interior designing
  29. Internet Services - Internet Service Providers and Web Designers, different companies and their contacts
  30. Jewellery - All kind of Jewellery made up of Gold, Platinum, Silver and Diamonds.
  31. Labs - Contact numbers and addresses of Medical Labs in the vicinity
  32. Modular Kitchen - Whole work related to decoration and building of Modular Kitchen: Cabinets, Chimneys, cooking counter etc.
  33. Packers and Movers - Avail Packers and Movers services for local, National and International transits.
  34. Personal Care - Location and address of Beauty Parlors, Salons and Spas. 
  35. Pest Management - Annual maintenance contracts or Single Services of Pest Control
  36. Play School - Kindergarten, Play Schools for small children
  37. Repair Works - Repair work of all electronic equipment like AC, Laptop, Mobile Phone etc. and also heavy machines like Motorcycle, Car, Refrigerator etc. 
  38. Shop Online - Purchase different accessories and items like Mobile, Tablets online.
  39. Shopping Services - Shopping For Men, Old aged, Women, Kids and infants
  40. Sports Material - Material related to Sports like Badminton, Bat-Ball, Chess and Football etc. 
  41. Train Tickets - Book Train Tickets through Classified Sites
  42. Wine Shop in local area - Information related to Wine Retailers.

Business Information You Must Display On Classified Sites

Most of the classified sites like Justdial and Olx allows you to make your own webpage where you must put following important information:

  1. Company name and address
  2. GPS Location
  3. Phone Numbers
  4. Mode of Payment
  5. Year when established
  6. Website Link
  7. Hours of operation
  8. Detail of profile like the year of establishment, clientele, areas of presence, unique selling points like Wi-Fi: Free etc.

Advantages Of Marketing Through Classified Websites

  1. This is the cheapest and easiest medium you can start and discontinue according to your budget and requirement. Any new entrepreneur cannot go to radio or TV ads at the beginning which is very costly and more complex platforms.
  2. You can choose your geographic area and field of expertise based on different categories and can reach people who are more likely to buy goods or services from you.
  3. Although Radio and TV are a potential source of marketing still these are not in front of potential customers all the time. Whereas potential customers can easily find you on the internet, which is the more prominent way nowadays.
  4. Many online classified websites allow clients to contact advertisers directly and can instantly send Emails or Messages to you and based on your response time you can easily materialize inquiry into a booking.
  5. You can get Real-time notifications which increase the probability of maturing your deal.

Also Read:

1. Top 5 Trusted Websites to Make Quick Money Online

2. 12 Super Hot Ideas that Changed the World!


Drawbacks of Classified Sites: User’s & Service Provider’s Perspective

Drawbacks Of Classified Sites From User’s Perspective:

  1. Phone numbers are mostly invalid or unreachable or don't exist.
  2. Can't decide a go for service or something due reviews like "good", "excellent" etc. which are sometimes fake.
  3. It is very hard to find what you are looking for as mostly you will be diverted to others.
  4. Classified sites provide paid services which mean that you can rank higher by paying them irrespective of the quality you deliver which is a bad practice.

Drawbacks Of Classified Sites From Service Provider’s Perspective:

Despite of Benefits like- Automation of marketing, shortening the sales cycle, getting found online and accelerating boost at the beginning, first and foremost drawback for businessmen may be that his business may become more or less dependent on external source who may charge unpredictably in future and can rank your competitor high based on fees he pays; this makes classified sites tentative but not permanent source of business lead generation.


One must prefer developing and marketing his own website to reach full fry.


Advantages To Opt For Your Own Website Rather Than Relying On A Classified website

The website provides an instant visual presentation of your organization to those who can access the internet, and because 80-95% of all website traffic comes from search engines and these are available on 24/7/365, that too with modest cost, therefore, it allows you to have your own independent source of lead generation.


There are following most useful benefits of individual websites over classified sites:

  1. You don't have to pay for classified websites like Justdial Or Olx.
  2. It is very easy to market your product by marketing your website as you can increase your reach by advertising on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or Google Plus etc.
  3. There is no external interference and therefore you have direct access to the potential customer base and can handle leads more conveniently.
  4. You can create your blog page and can post fresh content to keep it attractive and customers up to date regarding your product and service.
  5. On your website, you can put your comprehensive and detailed information which is not possible when you are relying on classified websites only.
  6. Website improves customer relations as: helps customers opt you after online comparison based on information displayed, support through websites after-sales, receiving complaints and leads, etc.

The Website can target each visitor specifically and interact with a well-designed interface if it has the following technical features:

  1. Giving an accurate GPS location on the contact page. User-friendly navigation results in more chances of landing customer on an individual page and thereby convincing them to become your customer.
  2. Allowing customers to have their own profile pages which can be edited by them to add some photographs etc. Extra features can be made in a page to make it more interactive, user-friendly and flexible, but must be based on your business.
  3. Location-based search bar (in case of chain business) helps in avoiding deviation of referred customers.
  4. If you have chain business then the Mobile app will allow shopkeepers/outlets to receive direct online message/notifications.
  5. If possible then connect your web-app with google map API to guide customers for distance and route towards shop destination.
  6. Display job requirement.
  7. Calling and chatting option i.e web-app can allow the user to directly call the concerned person.
  8. Web app through which you can register customer phone numbers and add in your database, and afterward, can send bulk messages as and when you plan any scheme or offer sales discount, etc.

In this way, if the customer comes to buy one product then may purchase other which is not enlisted for sales. Social sharing options.

More Stories from Bharatwa

Film Mafia, Fueling the Fire and Enraging Masses

Bharatwa Editor.8 min read
Film Mafia, Fueling the Fire and Enraging Masses

Why Nehru Chose the Minority and Caste Based Politics

Bharatwa Editor.4 min read
Why Nehru Chose the Minority and Caste Based Politics

Top 10 Logic, Rahul Gandhi Has Chosen Wrong Profession

Bharatwa Editor.7 min read
Top 10 Logic, Rahul Gandhi Has Chosen Wrong Profession

Who Is More Dictatorial, Narendra Modi, Arvind Kejriwal or Rahul Gandhi?

Bharatwa Editor.10 min read
Who Is More Dictatorial, Narendra Modi, Arvind Kejriwal or Rahul Gandhi?