DoneDeal

DoneDeal is an Irish online marketplace focused on helping buyers and sellers of cars in Ireland. In 2019, the site listed more cars for sale in Ireland than any other website. The site was founded in May 2005 by husband and wife team Fred and Geraldine Karlsson.[1] The site currently has over 300,000 live ads.

DoneDeal.ie
Type of site
Classifieds website
FoundedMay 11, 2005 (2005-05-11)
Founder(s)
  • Fred Karlsson
  • Geraldine Karlsson
URLwww.donedeal.ie
AdvertisingYes
RegistrationOptional
LaunchedJune 2006 (2006-06)

History

The founders were inspired to set up the site after returning to Ireland from Sweden where they had used similar websites. Initially, the ads included their own belongings before real users started placing ads. By late 2008, DoneDeal was experiencing a notable growth in visitor figures – monthly visitors to the site had jumped from 175,000 per month in November 2007 to 561,000 in November 2008.[2] The site became so popular in Ireland that €1bn worth of goods were sold through the site in 2011, a €300m increase from 2010.[3] Following an independent ABC audit in 2011, it was found that DoneDeal had the most visited motoring classifieds website in Ireland.[4] By late 2011 "DoneDeal" had become the fastest growing search term in Ireland for 2011 according to Google.[5] In 2016, there were over almost 1 million ads placed in the motor section of DoneDeal.[6]

Business model

While the site was originally free to use, a €3 charge was introduced after about a year.[7] The site featured a system where people could place ads and pay by calling a special number which would bill to their phone, as well as credit or debit card and PayPal account.[8] In 2012, the DoneDeal pricing model changed – with some ads reduced to €1 and others increased to €5.[9] In 2015, free ads were re-introduced in the Clothes and Lifestyle, Baby & Kids, Music & Education, Sports & Hobbies and House & DIY sections with the remaining sections incurring a charge of between €1 and €5.[10]

In 2011, Oslo international media group Schibsted Media Group took a 50.09%[11] stake in the company. In July 2015, the Irish-owned Distilled Media Group and the Schibsted Media Group announced the establishment of a combined business, Distilled SCH,[12] which brings together the three iconic Irish brands: DoneDeal.ie, Daft.ie and Adverts.ie.[13]

Apps have played a part in the accessibility of DoneDeal with an iPhone app[14] launched in 2011, followed by an Android app[15] in 2012.[16] DoneDeal ventured into television advertising for the first time in 2012 with a popular and amusing ad featuring a woman who sells her husband on DoneDeal.[17] This was at a time where the number of monthly unique visitors to the site had increased to almost three million.

Since 2010, DoneDeal raised €1.3million for charity[18] by donating a portion of ad revenue to causes selected by its staff.[19] The company is ABC audited[20][21] and is a member of the Interactive Advertising Bureau in Ireland.[22]

References
  1. "Growth a done deal for recession-busting website". Irish Independent.
  2. "Second hand gifts prove popular".
  3. "DoneDeal appoints new marketing manager".
  4. "DoneDeal.ie now Ireland's most visited for buying and selling cars".
  5. "Google reveals most popular searches in Ireland".
  6. "Value of vehicles on DoneDeal".
  7. "Growth a done deal for recession-busting website". Irish Independent.
  8. "Second hand gifts prove popular".
  9. "DoneDeal advertising fees".
  10. "DoneDeal advertising fees".
  11. "Norwegian group invests in DoneDeal". RTE.ie. 30 September 2011.
  12. "Distilled SCH".
  13. "Daft and DoneDeal merge in new venture".
  14. "DoneDeal app on iTunes Store".
  15. "DoneDeal app on Google Play".
  16. "DoneDeal launch new app". Archived from the original on 2012-09-24.
  17. "Woman sells her husband in DoneDeal ad campaign". Archived from the original on 2012-05-18.
  18. "DoneDeal charity blog".
  19. "DoneDeal's charity initiative raises €250,000". Digital Times. Archived from the original on 2013-02-17.
  20. "DoneDeal ABC Certificate". ABC.
  21. "Top of the pile – easy as ABC for Done Deal". Digital Times. Archived from the original on 2012-06-25.
  22. "Internet ad company spins its web wider". Irish Independent.
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