We asked 1000 people in the US and UK to find out how different types of content in classifieds ads affect user behavior. This is what we found:
Consumers clearly don't have any patience with irrelevant or missing information. When shown an ad lacking relevant content nearly 80% said that they would not return to the site where it was posted, nor would they recommend it to others. Scams, illegal and inappropriate content are often discussed as the biggest concern in the industry but our findings were that lack of relevant information gave the most immediate negative impression and a gut reaction was to turn away.
The listing containing racism and nudity was the second least favorable. This means that the buyers found an ad without relevant information more disturbing than inappropriate content. We don't mean you should keep disturbing texts and images on your site, but again lack of information is something you shouldn't turn a blind eye to.
Buyers are (downright) bad at detecting scams. 43% of the respondents were likely to act in favor of the scammer on the ad. This is just emphasizing the importance of protecting your users from fraudsters by keeping your site clean from such content.
Even though the genuinely good listing was perceived the best, 1/3 of the respondents still shied away due to lack of trust. This points to a general skepticism and the need to patiently continue the job of earning the trust of your audience and strengthen your brand.
Less than 50% spotted the counterfeit, even though this was very apparent and clearly stated in the ad. Yet another area where you need to step in and help your users to make the right choice.
Brits appear to be more skeptical than Americans, as they regularly chose to not take the desired actions on the ads shown to them. Keep this in mind if you have to prioritize your moderation efforts between different markets.
