A new website launched this week is expected to shake things up in the world of online classified ads.
Jaspermarket.com is a one-stop shop that organizes items into categories making it easy for people to buy and sell items.
The website is the brainchild of Ian Vaydik and Ryan Bray, who were tired of navigating the hodge-podge of websites that currently exist in Jasper, including the Jasper Buy and Sell Facebook group.
“Let’s be honest,” said Bray, “Facebook is a social media site, it’s not necessarily designed from the ground up as a classified website and that’s what this is.”
Unlike its competitor, which is a scrolling list of items and comments, the new website is designed solely for classified ads.
Dave Miller, the founder of Jasper Buy and Sell on Facebook, welcomed the competition.
“The more the better,” he said. “The way I look at it, if a new soda pop came on the market, would Coke be worried?”
The Jasper Buy and Sell group was created in 2009 and currently has about 10,200 followers.
“Everybody uses Facebook. Social media is more powerful than a website,” said Miller, who spends about an hour or two monitoring the group each day.
For Vaydik and Bray, their website came about after a series of discussions about the need to create a site that is easy to navigate and organized into categories.
“I started building it thinking more about myself as an end user,” said Vaydik, explaining that he doesn’t use Facebook and was therefore excluded from buying or selling items in the community.
“Basically it’s laid out in a way where it’s extremely easy to find items.
“If you want to find a place to rent, for instance, all the places to rent are there, if you want to find a car, all the cars are in one section. All the items are searchable, indexed and organized.”
To sell an item on the website, users have to make a profile using an email address or their Facebook account.
“We’re not anti-Facebook by any means,” said Vaydik, “our site is totally integrated with Facebook. If you use Facebook you can login directly with your Facebook log in. If you don’t use Facebook, you can make your own log in with just your email.”
On the other end, interested buyers can either search for what they are looking for or choose from a dozen categories. Each item includes a brief description, the date it was posted, photos and the ability to share it on social media. If interested, the user can then contact the seller privately for more details, including how to pay for the item.
Recognizing the fact that people like to ask quick questions about items, the website also allows public comments.
“Part of the fun is the community banter. We like people talking, commenting and interacting with each other and that’s still totally possible,” said Vaydik.
The website is also mobile-friendly, making it easy to search for items and respond to inquires on the go.
In addition to buying and selling items, the website also includes a category for community events.
“Right now when I want to know what’s going on this weekend, I have to look in four or five different places. I’d like it to be integrated into one easy spot,” said Vaydik.
Ultimately the men hope this website will make it easier for people to connect with the community, whether they’re long time residents or new to town.
“We want our site to be the place to go when you are looking for anything,” said Vaydik.
Editor’s note: Ian Vaydik is Fitzhugh editor Nicole Veerman’s spouse.
Paul Clarke
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