CMS Based Classified Website Design and Development

Client: 4 SALE

Objective

Develop a classified website to support the client in exhibiting classified advertisements online and generate revenue

Quick Facts

Delivered the complete website in six weeks' time
CMS based website to enable the users to edit, renew or delete the ads
Fully bespoke website layout along with classifieds listing engine

The Client

"I had an idea of classified website in my head for a long time and neighbour of mine recommended SunTec team. Firstly I had my doubts that this concept would work, but I had it all wrong and things turned out beautifully. I have always received responds on my queries and have no negative impressions whatsoever regarding any aspect that we covered on this long and winding road. I wish to thank the Project manager of my site in particular. He has been a great help all the way being devoted to the project. In couple of solutions they came by surprise in positive way, so they overcome my expectations. Now it is my turn to give recommendations and I would gladly recommend the SunTec team to anyone out there."

Dina

The client approached SunTec India for support in preparing a local classifieds website that can serve as the one-stop-solution for the buyers and sellers, and can be largely moderated by the community of users.

Problems with the Existing Website

Following a meticulous analysis of the competitor sites, their approach to buyer and seller interaction, and the role the website for '4 SALE' would need to play in successfully achieving the desired objective, we identified the following key issues:

Visually, the site did not impart an accurate impression of a classified ads website, where users could place ads pertaining to real estate, housing, goods, transportation, job vacancies, etc. Creating new pages and adding content on the site was cumbersome.
The site allowed limited access and control to users in buying, selling, and other community activities

The site lacked an effective content management system and was challenging and expensive to update.
Poor security configuration
The users could not display their ads on their social networking profiles

The New Site Developed by SunTec

Following a rigorous vendor selection process, the client chose to work with SunTec India. We undertook the design, development, planning the information architecture, metrics and delivering the final project within a determined budget and the timeframe

The new site of 4SALE has the following significant features:

User management, ad type and condition management of goods, managing listing settings, and search all listings by keywords, or by categories, etc.
Multi-level category, option to view all the goods and services of a customer in an assorted way, sorting of ads on the basis of price and keywords, mail template management
Multilingual site - currently facilitating Icelandic and English languages
Template management allowing resetting the position of elements on all pages, creation of unlimited number of extra fields including select lists, checkboxes, file upload, date field, and single or multi line text fields related to the specific category, etc.

Promoting the ads through feature ads, banner management and "multi listing" on linked directories (subdirectories)
Payment management system facilitating three ways to post ads: free to post, pay per post, package based
User engagement through private message system via website, and social networking including Facebook sign in and displaying Skype status on every ad for chat with interested parties
Security configuration for expurgating offensive content

Technical Features

Built on CMS - Joomla 2.5
Employs Listbingo, a classified Gobingo extension

Extensive use of jQuery, and further technical customization to meet the customer requirements

Benefits

The '4SALE' project was delivered within six weeks and within the pre-determined budget. Equipped with Access Control Level (ACL) and installable extra fields, all the updates can be managed directly through the site's content management system. The current site is more visually appealing, has clear and intuitive information architecture and offers enhanced visitor experience.