Thread: 20 tips to start and run profitable paid web directory

I already announced this article on few forums, but couldn't miss this one
http://www.templateslord.com/2007/04...web-directory/

Hope you find it helpful.

I thought about starting a directory, spending about 3 years building links so all of the categories are well page ranked and have good page strength and then releasing it.

Those are great tips. I have 2 directories ( 1 over 7 years old the other over 5 years old). Neither is paid for submission, but this articles makes me want to start a few paid ones.

Thanks,
chad

c. If possible choose domain name that will start with a,b,c or d. You might get better positions in web directories or web directories lists that sort listings by alphabetical order. Not most important thing to do, but still might help a bit.

Thats an insight, now i am stuck with one that starts with an "S"

Some good tips balkan

I've been thinking about starting some directories and was
wondering if they can be profitable? I had just begun two
this past week and somehow my SQL databases just disappeared.
Now I will have to start all over again. But, I really wanted to
build a city-wide directory for one of our local towns. Would
this be a good directory or would a general directory be better?

Originally Posted by nexxus

I've been thinking about starting some directories and was
wondering if they can be profitable? I had just begun two
this past week and somehow my SQL databases just disappeared.
Now I will have to start all over again. But, I really wanted to
build a city-wide directory for one of our local towns. Would
this be a good directory or would a general directory be better?

A localized website will be much easier to rank #1 and you have the advantage of being able to promote it live and in person.

Plus everywhere I read they're saying niche directories is the way to go now instead of general.

Sounds like I might be on the right track. Two questions:
The best script? I was using Joomla! with the SOBI2 directory,
but I'm new to Joomla!'s component system and you still
have to know some PHP and CSS. Like I said, I don't
know what happened to my SQL databases. The cpanel
showed I had too many connections. I have multi-domain
hosting and this may have been a conflict. Secondly, if you do a
city-wide directory, can you just start adding businesses
into your categories or do you wait for them to come to
you? Okay, maybe a third question: a traditional category layout
with sub-categories or more of a yellow page format?

PHPLD is pretty good and pretty popular.
You will not have a hard time finding someone to write hacks or do a custon theme for it.

On the directory itself, I would start listing businesses in it myself. You can't sell space in/on an empty directory.

Try and spread the free listings around too.
For example...
If the city you serve is large enough, list the restaurant from restaurant chain A in the North of the city, but list the restaurant from restaurant chain B in the South of the city. You have two different restaurants so your restaurant category doesn't look empty and the other restaurants will want in. You can make the category look even more varied by adding 2 or 3 independant restaurants too.

My tips for starting a profitable directory (since I recently started my own) are the following...

1. Get a good domain name. One that people will remember.
2. Give it a good clean look and feel that is unique. Sometimes this can been done with directory scripts. In the case of my directory, I hand coded it so it is 100% unique.
3. Optimize it and build it's link popularity.
4. Make submission fees reasonable.

People who submit their sites for inclusion in a web directory will want to see a site has a clean professional look and is easy to navigate. They will want to feel like they are getting what they paid for. But most of all they will want to feel like they are getting a link in a site that isn't going to be here today and gone tomorrow. That means taking time to ad sites to your categories so the directory doesn't seem barren. Something I have to do more of for mine.

Good advice. I have started a city directory for a local
town near my home. I think a classified site might also be
a good addition. Any ideas? My Fantastico panel has
these three offered:

(1) Noahs Classifieds
(2) Open-Realty
(3) phpAdsNew

Does anybody have any experience with these?

I tried it, I think it is very very old and outdated, and very dumb, there is not much thing you can configure and it seems 90s stuff rather than the 21st century. After trying it I decided not to continue, I am still looking for a good one but all good ones seem to need money. I guess I will pay for a good one rather than use a lousy and old one.

Originally Posted by nexxus

Good advice. I have started a city directory for a local
town near my home. I think a classified site might also be
a good addition. Any ideas? My Fantastico panel has
these three offered:

(1) Noahs Classifieds
(2) Open-Realty
(3) phpAdsNew

Does anybody have any experience with these?

I agree. The first doesn't offer any kind of support anymore
and the second is just what it is, a realty script. The third
I couldn't tell much about. I have my hands full now with
the beta 3.3.0 version of the phpld links directory anyway.

One question: several of you have mentioned adding links
to the directory to keep it from appearing empty, but is this
okay, I mean, I won't get into trouble doing this? I see these
as courtesy links, but someone may see it differently.

Also, being I have a local city directory, how will I promote
this other than through search engines? I don't want just
anybody putting a link on it being it's for a specified region
of the country. Any ideas?

thanks for the list.

Originally Posted by balkanboy

I already announced this article on few forums, but couldn't miss this one
http://www.templateslord.com/2007/04...web-directory/

Hope you find it helpful.

Those are great tips Thanks for sharing

i like the 20 tips u make at templatelords hope with this tips i can create more better for my webhostbeez.com directory

Great resources it. Hope it will help us a lot for prompting our directory in proper way.

I know an awful lot of people trying to sell rather than start new directories but I guess there are still some who are just starting.