As an entrepreneurship consultant, I often advise small business owners on effective online marketing strategies. Many are surprised to learn that Craigslist — the humble classifieds site founded in 1995 — still drives significant web traffic and offers real money-making potential.
Let‘s explore key data points on Craigslist‘s massive user base and find out why it remains wildly popular after over 25 years.
Monthly Visitors: Still in the Multi-Millions
In March 2022 alone, Craigslist attracted 250.6 million monthly visitors. And as of August 2023, it still sees over 208 million visits per month – hardly a negligible number!
The table below shows how users and visits have trended over the past 3 years:
| Year | Monthly Visitors | Monthly Visits |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 250.6 million | n/a |
| 2023 | n/a | 208.7 million |
| 2020 | 75 million | 450 million |
So while visits show some decline post-2020 likely due to COVID, we‘re still talking staggering nine-figure traffic stats.
And here‘s a crucial point: each visitor spends an average of 8 minutes browsing over 36 pages. This shows real user engagement – not just flitting in and out.
Beating the Competition
How does Craigslist stack up against alternatives like Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp?
- Craigslist gets over triple the web visits of OfferUp per month
- And almost 8x more traffic than LetGo
So despite some erosion, Craigslist still dominates the classifieds space.
United States Drives Majority of Visits
Per traffic analytics firm Semrush, approximately 92% of visits originate within the U.S. So while Craigslist operates sites globally, its home-turf U.S. users really power the platform. This allows Craigslist to focus its development and user experience to best serve American consumer needs and behaviors.
Typical User Profile: Who‘s on Craigslist?
Let‘s visualize the common Craigslist user according to demographic data:
- Gender: 57% male, 43% female
- Age: Largest share of users are 25-54 years old
- Location: Highest search popularity score in Montana, Idaho, and Alaska
- Device: Over 71% access via mobile device
This paints a picture of majority middle-aged American men browsing Craigslist real estate, job and automobile listings on-the-go from their phone.
Why Does Craigslist Maintain Its Popularity?
Given so many new apps and sites now competing for classified ad dollars, how has this relatively old-school platform remained so popular for over 25 years?
1. Sheer network effects. With 50 million monthly listings and years of built-up user trust and engagement, Craigslist offers unparalleled reach for finding anything under the sun. Newer competitors can‘t match this vast scale yet.
2. Quick, no-frills experience. Users appreciate Craigslist‘s famously spartan site speed and simplicity compared to bloated newcomers. You can rapidly search, post and respond without fuss.
3. Familiarity and trust. In many Americans‘ minds, "online classifieds" still equates to Craigslist. The brand recognition and buyer/seller trust accumulated over decades confers an enduring competitive edge.
So while disruptors keep emerging, Craigslist hangs on to its throne by leveraging its unmatched size and efficiency.
As a small business consultant, I regularly advise entrepreneurs to consider harnessing this still-formidable classifieds juggernaut to directly connect with millions of motivated buyers. Post wisely, and you can cost-effectively turbocharge sales far beyond your local area.
I hope this data provides helpful insights into the enduring popularity and user base of Craigslist in 2024 and years to come. Please reach out if you need any assistance implementing an effective Craigslist strategy tailored to your business!
Data sources: SimilarWeb, Semrush, Deal Promoter Pro
