How to Create Your Own Classified Ad Website (In 4 Easy Steps)

Want to learn how to create your own classified ad website? We'll show you how using WordPress and the AWP Classifieds plugin makes it REALLY easy!

With thousands of people wanting to sell their goods and services, creating a classified ad website like Craigslist can be big business. However, while these sites may look simple, it can be hard to know where to start.

Fortunately, when creating a classified ad website, there's a plugin that covers everything. AWP Classifieds is an all-in-one tool perfect for beginners and experienced users alike.

In this post, we'll look at the things you should consider before creating a classified ad website. Then we'll go through the process in four easy steps.

Let's get into it!

Why create a classified ads website anyway?

On a classified ad website, people pay you to list products or services they're buying or selling. They also usually include contact information. Therefore, interested parties can communicate directly after seeing the ads on your site.

A classified ad website can be a profitable business. Ad spending in the classifieds sector should reach $23.9 billion by 2026. If you can make a high-quality website and attract customers, there's plenty of money to be made.

However, before making your website, you'll need to choose a domain name and hosting. We also recommend using WordPress to build your site. It comes with many themes and settings to customize your website's appearance. It's also pretty beginner-friendly.

Additionally, WordPress comes with different plugins to supercharge your website. We'll be working with a popular classified ads plugin in our tutorial. You might even consider making a classified ad website combined with a business directory. In this setup, customers pay you to list their companies in your index. Then, you can make money from both listings and ads. Plus, our Business Directory Plugin is very user-friendly.

Your best bet: create classified ads websites with WordPress

If you don’t have a CMS (content management system) picked out yet, hands down the best choice is WordPress. When you use WordPress, you can create a classifieds website the easy way.

The reason? Because WordPress has a huge community of plugin developers who create solutions to make building a classifieds site easy (like AWP, the one we’ll show you a bit later).

For a specific use case like this, WordPress websites are the usual pick. That goes for any kind of directory websites too.

Unless you are a talented web designer and developer, building your classified listings site with WordPress is easily the best choice. Even as a non-programmer, you’ll be able to follow our step by step guide below to create a listing website in no time.

? Want the best classifieds plugins for WordPress?: 8 Best WordPress Classifieds Plugins for Your Website

How to create a classified ad website (in 4 easy steps)

Now let's look at how to create a classified ad website in four easy steps!

This tutorial will use the AWP Classifieds plugin. It’s a plugin that works with virtually all modern WordPress themes.

That means you won’t need a specific classified ad WordPress theme – all you need is this plugin (and a hosting plan, of course).This plugin has a ton of features that we’ll cover, including the often requested ability to feature ads and place Google adsense wherever you want on the page.

Here are the four steps to creating your classified ad website:

1. Install and activate AWP Classifieds.
2. Set up the plugin.
3. Build your pages.
4. Create your classified ads.

Step 1: Install and activate AWP Classifieds

We'll be working with AWP Classifieds in our tutorial. This freemium plugin lets users search for ads based on different classifications. These include location, state, username, and other popular filters. Plus, the tool is compatible with Adsense, helping you make money from your site:

The first thing you need to do is install the AWP Classifieds plugin. You can do this by opening up your WordPress dashboard, going to Plugins → Add New and then searching for “AWP Classifieds” :

Click on Install Now. Once the plugin is installed, select Activate. The tool should now be ready to use on your site!

Step 2: Set up the plugin

Now head to Classifieds. If you'd like a detailed walkthrough on using the plugin, you can click on Yes Please! underneath Would you like some help getting started?

Otherwise, select Classified Ads → Settings. Once open, you'll see tabs for General, Pages, Classifieds, and more:

The settings in the General section deal with how you present your ads. You can choose to show ads on your main page and define your categories. There are also settings for welcome messages and terms of service.

Moving along, you will find options for Date & Time, Currency, Registration, Anti-SPAM, AdSense, and Advanced Settings. Make sure to change all these settings to meet the needs of your classified ad site.

Step 3: Build your pages

You'll now need to make pages for your classified ad website. Here you will show your advertisements and allow users to submit listings. Head to the Pages tab:

AWP Classifieds can create default pages for your site. Otherwise, you can make new ones by clicking on Create Page. Make sure to select Save Changes once you're done.

You might also consider adding other pages to your classified ad website. For example, a contact page can help advertisers reach out to you with questions. An about page can also teach visitors more about your site.

Step 4: Create your classified ads

Finally, you'll want to create some ads. This step ensures that your site isn't empty. It also lets you test different features.

Head over to the Classified Ads → Classifieds and click on Add New:

As you can see, creating a new ad uses the familiar WordPress interface. You can add your title and description just as you would when making a post.

You can insert media files, custom fields, and choose a category for the ad. You can also Preview to see how your ad will look on the front end. Finally, hit Publish.

Once your website is ready, we recommend making a social media strategy to reach new users. For instance, you can use local Facebook groups, paid ads, or Instagram. Using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques can also bring organic traffic to your website.

Conclusion

Creating a classified ad website is easy with AWP Classifieds. By correctly setting up the plugin and building the pages your customers need, you'll be up and running in no time.

If you want to take your website further and create a directory, our Business Directory Plugin can help. Learn more about the many directory features we offer!