AyosDito sees rapid online ad growth

MANILA, Philippines – AyosDito, an online marketplace, expects online ad placements growing rapidly as more people use smart phones and engage in online buy-and-sell.

AyosDito marketing manager Tanya Pablo Cabbab said in an interview that the firm is optimistic that advertisements posted on its website will increase because smart phones are becoming affordable and accessible.

“The number of new ads posted on the site is at an average of 10,000 to 12,000 daily....We are open to higher ads. Our capacity is ready for 20,000 new ads per day, even 50,000,” she said.

At the start of the year, she noted that the site only had 4,000 to 5,000 new ads posted daily.

“2012 is the year of online businesses. We saw a lot of players this year with the boom of smart phones,” she said.

She said more micro entrepreneurs see the importance of having an online presence.

The increase in the number of individuals engaging in buy-and-sell either for business or getting rid of items they no longer need, is also expected to contribute to higher ad postings.

The firm’s promotion efforts are likewise seen to result in more online ads as well as more traffic to the site.

Cabbab said AyosDito is currently focusing on efforts to get the website known so that more people would use it.

The firm is holding contests as part of efforts to attract more people to use the site like the Surf, Click and Win! promo, which gives users a chance to win cash prizes worth P500 to P10,000 by browsing ads.

Sellers of used cars, real property, gadgets and even small items like books, can post ads on AyosDito for 60 days for free.

Sellers may edit and delete their ads anytime as well as re-post the ads after the 60-day period lapses.

Buyers also do not have to register or pay fees for browsing advertisements for products they are looking for on the site.

Cabbab said that while sellers can post ads on the site for free, the firm is planning to sell ad space later on.

As for scams, she said users can report these incidents to the company, which can take action by taking down the ads and inform the National Bureau of Investigation.

She said the company also screens ads being posted on the site as part of efforts to protect users.

AyosDito is a joint venture between Singapore Press Holdings Limited (SPH) and Schibsted ASA.

SPH is a leading media organization which publishes 18 newspaper titles in four languages in Southeast Asia.

Schibsted ASA is the biggest online classified advertising company in Europe. It has activities in Belgium, France, Spain and Sweden, as well as growth markets like Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America.