Classified listing aggregators like vFlyer, Postlets and Mpire are now popping up on the Web. These sites offer templates for creating and posting classifieds ads, sometimes for free, on major
listings services like Craigslist, eBay, Google Base, and Windows Live Expo. Since many of the listing providers like Craigslist offer largely free services, one wonders how these resellers plan to
make any money. Some analysts aren't too sure, either. "It's relatively easy for someone to cut, copy and paste, and slap a posting for a used couch out there," said Scot Wingo, chief executive of
ChannelAdvisor, which helps large retailers and manufacturers sell on multiple Web sites. "This won't make a ton of revenue." However, Greg Sterling of Sterling Market Intelligence, a San
Francisco-based consulting firm, points out that aggregators can save sellers the time of evaluating fragmented local online marketplaces. "With the exception of posting an ad on Craigslist, it's hard
for sellers to reach volumes of people," he said. vFlyer, for example, offers especially easy-to-use templates in roughly 30 classified ad categories. These include simple checklists for things like
dogs for sale or home rentals and cute little graphics that can be customized. To make money, vFlyer displays paid ads on its own pages as users surf the site. Ads are distributed by Google. One day,
to make real money, vFlyer hopes to be paid a commission for high-volume sellers like used-car dealers or real estate brokers. But for now, it's AdSense.
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