Makeover for colourful market

According to Inge de Klerk, general sales manager at Junk Mail KZN, the publication, which has served buyers and sellers in the region for over a decade, needed a revamp to enhance its appeal and realign its offering to the requirements of buyers and sellers in that market.

“Up to now the design, layout and content of the publication has shared a persona with our flagship publication in Gauteng; but after 11 years of success in KwaZulu-Natal we decided that Junk Mail KZN needed a personality of its own.

New Junk Mail KZN design

Old Junk Mail KZN design

New look website

In addition, Junk Mail KZN's website (www.junkmail.co.za) is sporting a whole new look after a major revamp and, with new functionality aimed at enhancing the user's online experience, the new site should be faster, more intuitive and easier to use.

According to de Klerk, the enhancements to the site are simple but cutting edge when compared with current web trends for classifieds; and facilitate the use of mobile and digital technology which meet consumer expectations of online functionality and provide for value-added convenience.

One of the key enhancements to be effected is the ability to upload pictures online for free, which de Klerk says significantly increases the user's likelihood of selling.

“As the old adage goes, a picture says 1000 words and with the type of technology we have at our fingertips nowadays, users expect to be able to view a product or item that is for sale online from the comfort of their own home or office.”

Another major change to the site is that visitors no longer have to subscribe in order to enter the site and non-subscribers are now able to preview adverts for free. Those who do subscribe are given access to all the publications in the Junk Mail stable.

Online billing

“We have also introduced an online billing option that allows users to subscribe and make their payments using their mobile phones. Up to now, users needed to have a credit card in order to complete their subscription online or they had to subscribe the old fashioned way and phone-in.”

“And, after extensive research into the local market, we found that while widely accepted and utilised by buyers and sellers in the motor industry, Junk Mail KZN was under-utilised in the other key sections of the classifieds market, namely property and careers.

According to de Klerk, the KZN commercial sales team has been expanded and, with an emphasis on re-establishing ties with the local market, they have been touching base with their customers and refashioning the advertising packages and solutions to fit their needs.

The format of the paper has also been tweaked so that the prime pages are committed exclusively to local ads.

The jobs section has been boosted with an additional 100 local adverts duplicated from Junk Mail Publishing's national weekly careers classifieds, Job Mail.