WordPress is a very versatile content management system and that is why the platform can used for so much more than “just” blogging. People use WordPress for resource sites, company profiles, and so much more. With the right theme, you can do just about anything with this free CMS.
For instance, you could use ClassiPress by AppThemes to turn your WordPress blog “into a professional classified ads web site.” You don’t need to invest in expensive classifieds software; WordPress can handle it just fine.
How Does ClassiPress Work?
It is largely in your best interest to implement ClassiPress on a fresh WordPress installation on a fresh domain. This is because it will drastically alter the way that WordPress operates, away from being a “blogging platform” and into a full-fledged “classifieds site.”
You can put it on an existing domain with an existing WordPress blog, but you may run into some issues with formatting and the like. If you didn’t know any better, it can be really tough to tell that a ClassiPress-powered site is actually using WordPress as its backend software.
As you can see in the screenshot above, you can allow people to post classified ads in your various defined categories. Should you choose to do so, you can also charge people to post these ads on your site. Check out the main theme page to read about the other features that this theme has to offer, including multiple pricing models and multi-language support.
Looking at an Individual Classified Ad
Each posting published on your ClassiPress-based classified ads website comes with a number of features that you may not find with many other classified ads software.
For instance, instead of just showing a text address, the ad can integrate with Google Maps to show a map of the seller’s location. This can be very handy for buyers. As the site owner, you can define other fields for the sellers to use too, like expiry date, images, description, and city.
Each ad (here is an example from the demo site) also includes the ability to add post tags, printer-friendly versions, quick email links and social networking sharing links.
One other feature that I find interesting is the two ways that potential buyers can contact sellers. There is a contact form integrated into the ad (click on the tab above the map), as well as a blog commenting area toward the bottom. The former is private, of course, while the latter is public.
Customization and Usability
On the back end, after you install ClassiPress on your blog, you will find an additional ClassiPress section in the WordPress dashboard.
This further breaks down into the ClassiPress dashboard, settings, pricing, ad packs, gateways, form layouts, custom fields, transactions, and system info sub-sections. This makes it relatively easy to customize ClassiPress to suit your needs and preferences.
If you are comfortable dealing with the various settings and preferences pages within other areas of the WordPress dashboard, you should no trouble navigating through the ClassiPress dashboard as well.
How Much Does It Cost?
ClassiPress is available in four different packages. Choose from the $69 Personal Edition, $99 Small Business Edition, $159 Professional Edition, and $199 Ultimate Edition. They all come with lifetime updates.
Link: ClassiPress
* This was a Paid Review. If you are interested in having your site reviewed on Blogging Tips, please check out our Advertising Information Page.
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