An old idea could be getting new traction at Facebook, where company leaders are said to be reconsidering the classifieds business. The social network first implemented a system for classified listings called Facebook Marketplace in 2007, but the service was never fully integrated with the site's core features and a short time later was abandoned and handed off to a third party. Now, though, Facebook could be looking to implement a revamped version of Marketplace as a part of a new business strategy.
The Daily cites anonymous sources within the company who say that the new classifieds service would be free to use for some purposes and require a small fee for others. Apartment and job listings would be free, for instance, while selling things like furniture would cost something less than $5.
The new listings would work more like ads and get more prominent real estate on the network than in the past when users had to uncover a specific tab.
A timetable for the new Marketplace is not yet known.
[The Daily via Venture Beat]
