The directories company, which announced the change of direction in May, has launched a beta site, which includes its first 'emarketplace', as part of its drive to create a transactional digital platform for consumers as well as businesses.
It is currently trialling two local emarketplaces, which allow both businesses and consumers to sell goods, in Chicago in the US and Oxford in the UK.
It has also created a business store that enables firms to rent and design basic websites and ecommerce sites, based on customisable templates.
A basic website costs £20 a month, while an ecommerce site costs £30, with the option to upgrade and choose from a range of templates. It also offers advertising packages, so that the online stores can be promoted on third-party sites, via display, email and search campaigns, handled by Hibu for a fee.
The site also contains 'how-to' video tutorials on selling online, creating an effective website and reaching new customers online.
The site is expected to begin rolling out across all the company's markets in North America, Latin America and Europe from October. Marketing plans for the venture are yet to be confirmed.
The business is to assume the Hibu branding after deciding it needed a 'dynamic' new identity to signal its repositioning as a 'digital business of the future'.
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