What WordPress services do you offer?

I offer comprehensive WordPress services including custom development, WooCommerce store building, plugin development, theme customisation, speed optimisation, security hardening, maintenance, and migration services.

How much does WordPress development cost in South Africa?

WordPress development costs depend on the scope and complexity of your project. Every website is unique, so I provide custom quotes based on your specific requirements. Contact me for a free consultation and detailed quote.

Do you build custom WordPress plugins?

Yes, I specialise in custom WordPress and WooCommerce plugin development. I build bespoke plugins for payment gateways, shipping methods, inventory management, API integrations, and business-specific functionality.

Can you integrate South African payment gateways?

Absolutely. I have extensive experience integrating South African payment gateways including PayFast, Yoco, Peach Payments, and SnapScan with WooCommerce stores.

Can you help with an existing WooCommerce store?

Yes, I work with existing WooCommerce stores for optimisation, custom development, troubleshooting, migrations, and ongoing maintenance.

Do you offer ongoing WordPress support?

Yes, I offer WordPress maintenance and priority support packages that include regular updates, backups, security monitoring, and guaranteed response times for issue resolution.

What areas do you service?

While based in Cape Town, I work with clients throughout South Africa and internationally. All communication and work can be handled remotely.

How long does it take to build a WooCommerce store?

A basic WooCommerce store typically takes 1-2 weeks, while complex stores with custom functionality, integrations, and advanced features can take 2-4 weeks depending on requirements.

Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Classified Ads Website Using WordPress

By WordPress Experts |January 7, 2025

For many years, developers have explored various methods to generate revenue through WordPress websites. While launching an e-commerce store or engaging in affiliate marketing are common approaches, establishing a classified advertisements platform presents another viable opportunity.

A classified ads website functions as a digital marketplace where individuals can list items they wish to sell, purchase, or exchange. These listings can encompass a wide range of categories including pre-owned household items, vehicles, real estate properties, or various services such as landscaping or pet care.

This comprehensive guide will demonstrate how to construct a fully functional classified advertisements website using WordPress, following a systematic approach. Whether you're new to WordPress or have extensive experience, this tutorial will enable you to create an intuitive classified ads platform without requiring advanced development skills.

Benefits of Creating a Classified Ads Platform

A classified advertisements website enables users to post listings for products or services they want to offer. Visitors to your platform can then utilize the information provided in these listings to connect with sellers and complete transactions.

You can implement various monetization strategies, such as charging commission fees on completed sales or requiring payment for listing submissions. Additionally, you might incorporate job posting functionality similar to popular freelance platforms.

Creating a platform tailored to your local community's buying, selling, and employment needs can be particularly valuable. You could also focus on specific niches like sporting goods or vintage clothing to attract targeted audiences.

This approach makes it convenient for users to conduct transactions from their homes while increasing traffic to your website. Overall, developing an advertisements platform represents a practical method for generating online revenue.

Now let's examine the detailed process for creating a classified ads website. Below is an overview of the steps covered in this tutorial:

Step 1: Select a Website Platform
Step 2: Choose Domain Name and Hosting Services
Step 3: Create a New WordPress Installation
Step 4: Select an Appropriate Theme
Step 5: Implement a Business Directory Plugin
Step 6: Develop Homepage and Navigation Structure
Step 7: Add Contact Form Functionality
Step 8: Optimize for Search Engines
Additional Step: Implement Website Analytics

Step 1: Select a Website Platform

To initiate your classified ads website project, you must first choose an appropriate website building platform.

WordPress is widely recommended for this purpose, as it powers over 43% of websites globally. This platform is free to use, user-friendly, and highly scalable for growing projects.

It's important to distinguish between two WordPress variants. WordPress.com functions as a hosted blogging service, while WordPress.org provides open-source, self-hosted software. For detailed comparisons, many online resources discuss the differences between these two options.

For a classified ads website, WordPress.org is necessary as it provides complete creative control and compatibility with specialized directory plugins. Numerous comprehensive reviews are available for those seeking more information about WordPress capabilities.

After selecting your website platform, you'll need to acquire hosting services and a domain name.

Step 2: Choose Domain Name and Hosting Services

A domain name serves as your website's address on the internet, such as LocalMarketplace.com or CommunityListings.com. This is what users type into their browsers to access your platform.

Web hosting provides the server infrastructure where your website files and data are stored. Various hosting providers offer specialized WordPress hosting solutions with different features and pricing structures.

While WordPress software is free, domain registration and hosting services involve costs. Domain names typically cost approximately $15 annually, while hosting plans generally start around $8 monthly.

For beginners, these expenses might seem substantial. However, many hosting companies offer introductory discounts, sometimes including free domain registration and SSL certificates with hosting packages.

When selecting a hosting provider, consider companies that specialize in WordPress hosting and receive positive reviews from the developer community.

After choosing a hosting plan, you'll typically proceed to a domain registration screen where you can search for available domain names.

Select a name relevant to your niche that's easy to remember, spell, and pronounce. Many online guides offer strategies for choosing effective domain names.

Some tools can generate business name suggestions if you need inspiration. After entering your preferred domain name, the system will check its availability.

Add a domain name for the classified ads website

Next, you'll provide account information including contact details, email address, and payment information. Most hosting providers offer additional services during checkout, which you can accept or decline based on your needs.

After completing payment, you'll receive confirmation emails with login credentials for your hosting control panel.

This control panel will serve as your primary interface for managing your classified ads website.

Step 3: Create a New WordPress Installation

With hosting secured, you can now install WordPress. Many hosting providers automatically install WordPress when you sign up for their services.

If you need to create an additional website or your provider doesn't offer automatic installation, navigate to the website management section in your hosting dashboard. Look for an option to add a new site.

Click the Add Site button on the Bluehost dashboard

You'll typically encounter options for different site types. Since you're building a new WordPress website, select the WordPress installation option.

If you're transferring an existing WordPress site to a new domain, choose the migration option instead. After making your selection, proceed to the next step.