Classified advertising website Sell.bm is officially relaunched today as it battles for business with rival e-Moo.

And computer expert Kevin De Silva, who is the mastermind behind the website, believes the Island can support both classified ad websites.

"I think there is room for both Sell.bm and e-Moo — I don't mind if they get 10,000 adverts a day, as long as we have 10,000 as well.

"There is no loss for anybody to post on both sites because they potentially get more exposure — if Sell.bm can just be another tool for them to use then I will be happy with it."

Sell.bm offers everything from real estate, vehicles, boats, outdoor furniture, computers, electronics and household appliances, to exercise and leisure equipment, baby and kids stuff, pets, lost and found, and even free goods.

Mr. DeSilva has added a whole set of new features, including thumbnail images, RSS feeds, notifications and documents.

The web designer and founder of Sell.bm and Sitters.bm (a website for baby sitters, house sitters, pet sitters and home tutors), all of which belong to Reid Street-based Vertigo, originally launched the site back in 2004 and believes the new revamp will really put it on the map.

"The site has been up and running for a couple of years now," he said.

"I used to use e-Moo all the time and it is a great site, mainly because of the 8,000 to 9,000 people who use it a day, but there were a number of annoyances with it and I figured a better product could be made.

"With Sell.bm you can sign up and post adverts like everywhere else, but it also offers instant gratification in that you can put an advert straight up without having to wait for confirmation."

Other benefits of the site include a multi-browser which allows users to view the content in different formats, while they can also browse by the latest advert or by picture, and there are also thumbnails on all of the adverts to make them easier to view, according to Mr. DeSilva.

Users can also rate the adverts, enabling others to see which are the most popular, while being a member comes with its own privileges, such as getting notification of new adverts and specific notification, and new RSS feeds, allowing them to access the data straight away.

Another useful feature is the ability to add Word documents or PDFs so that vendors can compile several items on the same list, if, for example, they are having a big house sale. There is also a similar adverts option for viewing and the opportunity to see detailed images like floor plans and still images of houses.

"We are having the relaunch with a couple of new features and a new look," said Mr. De Sliva.

"We are having a little giveaway for the person who puts the 1,000th advert, who will receive an Ipod classic, and for the 1,000th user we are giving away an Ipod deck.

"That is really what we are looking for now — to make the difference between ourselves and everybody else, I think definitely it is the best online classified website on the Island, but we are trying to build on the user base subscription."

Mr. DeSilva, who previously worked as a web designer for insurance company BF&M, is currently designing sites for individuals and companies, having done the websites or logos, brand and corporate design for the East End Group, Shark Oil, Easy Access Consulting, North Atlantic Asset Management, the Irish Linen Shop, the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Club and health and nutritionists Willow, to name but a few.

He works on the websites with his brother Keith and reckons competition can only be healthy when it comes to running an online classified advert website.

"I am really well aware that you can get any type of site in Bermuda anywhere else and there are a lot of free services out there that we are competing with," he said.

"But I think a lot of people like to be Bermuda specific, which is the beauty of this site."