Can Craigslist.com do $1.2 Billion in Revenue?
December 7, 2007 – 12:44 pmI recently watched a video on Craig Newmark, the founder of the popular classifieds site craigslist.com. He said they currently do 5 Billion Page views per month and are expected to do 6 billion page views next month. This got me thinking, if I were to monetize the pages of Craigslist, how much revenue could be earned over night. Here are my calculations:
Numbers are based off of RPM (Revenue per thousand page views)
5,000,000,000 pages views / mo at 20 RPM = $100,000,000 per month.
Annualized revenue at this RPM would be $1.2 Billion.
Even if they monetize only have their page views it would be $600,000,000 per year.
It is estimated that current craigslist revenue, which is primarily from job and real estate postings in few markets is somewhere in the area of $20 million per year.
Currently, Craigslist is primarily dealing with scammers posting to and responding to craigslist ads. The site is community driven and managed, and with any community you will have the good guys and the bad guys. Can we as a society, police ourselves, or do we have to invest in the infrastructure of our communities and hire police, social services, detectives, jails etc to ensure we run a free and safer society? Could charging for more ads allow craigslist to become an even better service for the community? Should craigslist start charging more across their ads? Should craigslist reinvest this revenue into the community to make is faster, safer and better for all? What are your thoughts?
5 Responses to “Can Craigslist.com do $1.2 Billion in Revenue?”
20 cents per page view is pretty steep. Google doesn’t make this much. Regardless, Craig could make a fortune.
By Christopher Johnston on Dec 7, 2007
Thanks for the comment Christopher. Yes, Craig and team could sure make a fortune. Also, it is actually 2 cents a page view.
By Dan on Dec 7, 2007
22 percent of Craigslist is owned by Ebay -I have always felt Ebay wanted to buy Craigslist out right due to the fact that Ebays does lose market share to Craigslist. The lose of money from rentals being placed on there ,auto’s being sold and other items cost Ebay millions every year in lost sales. I feel thats why Ebay owns Kijiji.Craigslist does make some money in some area’s, such as you have to pay in some towns to post a job listing. Why would Ebay own Kijiji that is the real question. What do they have in mind, if they had been able to buy Craigslist out right what would they have done with it would they then charge to use it and they then could have also charge to use Kijij. Were would you then go to list for free and view for free .
By superhomerentals.com on Dec 7, 2007
Craigslist canoot compete with ebay - ebay is too popular . i dont think Craigslist wil ever hurt much to ebay .. google base dont even come close. .
By john on Dec 7, 2007
I need to find a section 8 home/apartmant due to my lack of income. I live only on disabilitly and receive no other income than that. My ex husband is suppose to pay me $200 a month spousal maintnance that he refuses to pay. It has been court order, however his attorney John Collins has told him not to pay it. He is 18 months behind, and I am getting no help from the court system. Could you please help me, I am desperate and do not want to be homeles. I am unable to hold down a job because of my severe disabilities. Pleae help me.
By Kristin on Dec 9, 2007