ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla., Nov. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ — Revenue at Craigslist climbed more than 30 percent in 2013 to a record of $166.5 million, with profits around 80 percent, the AIM Group reported today.

Craigslist increased its revenue by adding nine cities to the markets where it charges for recruitment advertising, and by placing a new fee of $5 on dealers who sell tickets to concert, theater and sports events. While revenue at the privately held, for-profit company grew almost one-third, its expenses stayed relatively flat. The AIM Group, which publishes Classified Intelligence Report and has been tracking Craigslist’s revenue for 10 years, reported profits at Craigslist were in the range of 79 to 84 percent.

“Craigslist has an amazing future, and it continues to prosper despite the safety and security issues it faces and its relatively outdated interface,” said Peter M. Zollman, AIM Group founding principal. “We see options for Craigslist to improve its services to users and advertisers, and increase its revenue substantially, if only it wants to.”

The AIM Group 2013 Global Classified Report, which included the Craigslist projections and five charts about Craigslist market revenues, profiles 18 “sites to watch” and classified companies in 41 countries. It identifies eight investment companies that have placed major bets in the classified industry, and covers the “Big Five” global classified companies — Axel Springer, Craigslist, EBay Classifieds Group, Naspers and Schibsted.

Highlights of the report:

— Profiles of 18 “sites to watch,” classified websites or companies that provide lessons and opportunities for revenue improvement at other sites that follow their leads.

— Overviews of classifieds in 41 countries, including expanded coverage of Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia (with over 120 global sites mentioned throughout the report.)

“The shift of classifieds from print to online still has a long way to go, so all of these sites and companies are just scratching the surface of potential revenue and services they can offer. The integration of e-commerce, daily deals, social networking and classifieds means huge opportunities for expansion and growth,” Zollman said.

The 188-page report is available at AIMgroup.com for $1,295/ €960. A free preview is available on the site. It includes dozens of charts, including Craigslist revenues and ad counts for various markets and graphic looks at the classified sites operated by Naspers, Schibsted and EBay.

(Free copies are available to media for editorial use. See contact information below.)

Note to editors: Peter M. Zollman, founding principal, and Jim Townsend, principal and editorial director, are available for interviews or comments on the research. Zollman can be reached at # 407-788-2780 or peterz@AIMgroup.com. Townsend can be reached at # 713-550-0699 or jimt@AIMgroup.com. For free review copies of the report for editorial use, call 407-788-2780 or email: jenniferl@aimgroup.com / info@aimgroup.com .

About the AIM Group: The AIM Group, formally the Advanced Interactive Media Group LLC, is the world’s leading consultancy in interactive media and classified advertising. It publishes Classified Intelligence Report, a continuous advisory service often called“the bible of the classified advertising industry.” Founded in 1998 and based near Orlando, Fla., the AIM Group works with leading media companies, broadcasters, dot-coms, yellow-page publishers and technology companies. It provides strategic and tactical consulting; sales training; proprietary and published research about interactive media; and other services.

Media Contact: Jennifer Waxman-Loyd, The AIM Group, Advanced Interactive Media Group LLC, 407.788.2780, jenniferl@aimgroup.com

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SOURCE The AIM Group