Gumtree gets new look and more features

As of 3 March, South Africa’s largest classifieds site, Gumtree.co.za, is sporting a new homepage, along with several improved features, rolling out a PWA (progressive web app).

The homepage will feature trending ads (that displays which ads are most popular in a user’s area), activity card notifications (similar to Facebook, informing users of activity occurring near their location), an improved search bar and location recognition and improved browsing capabilities on mobile devices.

It marks the commencement of an ongoing journey to improve and change the site, with new features expected to roll out over the next few months.

These changes follow the introduction of professional dashboards for property agents, automotive dealerships, recruiters and professional sellers known as ProTool in late 2016.

“We rank among the top five biggest websites in South Africa, drawing 6 million unique browsers per month, making us a powerful marketing platform for brands and SMEs. Much of the innovation implemented has been directed towards enabling these customers to speak to their customers more efficiently via Gumtree,” says Johan Nel, Head of Gumtree South Africa.

In addition, the site will introduce small insertion fees for individuals posting more than 2 ads in the Jobs and Services category.

“Our primary concern has always been enabling our customers to transact safely and easily on Gumtree. We realized that if we were to continue with the current model, it would hamper our ability to do so. By introducing this small fee, we are effectively taking the first step towards reducing spam and scams on the site.”

Nel says the positive effect of such a move has been evident in the automotive category, where customers have been charged a fee when posting more than 10 ad for the last two years.

“The impact on the average individual has been minimal and we offer great alternatives for business who want to post more than 2 ads in these categories, via ProTool for Jobs and Gumtree Connect.”

Gumtree Connect is a new app launched by the classifieds site aimed at services businesses. The app instantly connects businesses with customers, allowing them to book appointments, send and receive quotes and make and receive payments for services such as plumbing or electrical work.

An expanded customer service team will be standing by to familiarise and assist users with the new site via email and live chat on help.gumtree.co.za if required.

“We look forward to helping our customers achieve so much more, so much faster, in 2017.”