Directory / article listing web site need advise.

learn2success · Share | #1 (**permalink**) 07-17-2012, 04:58 AM

Dear Members,

i am seriously planing to build a directory listing web site. [PHPlink Directory] i think they are the best at present. [if you any one else pls share].

What do you think it is worth to spend money on this project ?

i knew now days it is not much worth in SEO to get a link from a directory listing web site but people / companies still submitting there web site to directories.

also i have estimated the setup cost to me around $200/- which is not bad.

please please advise!

stoner3221 · #2 (**permalink**) 07-18-2012, 09:02 AM

People are not submitting to cookie cutter directories, at least not the kind of submitters you would want. Unless you willing to spend a year developing a unique directory prior to launching it online and at least $25,000 marketing it your wasting your time.

learn2success · #3 (**permalink**) 08-01-2012, 03:09 AM

Thanks Stoner,
i have created a directory site, have a look and pls give your feedback if you like it.
http://www.nuslink.com

stoner3221 · #4 (**permalink**) 08-01-2012, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by learn2success

Thanks Stoner,
i have created a directory site, have a look and pls give your feedback if you like it.
http://www.nuslink.com

Basically just another cookie cutter directory. If you want to succeed you must be original so you can brand your directory. Original script, original topic structure and show a significant time and financial investment so people will take you seriously.

Dan · #5 (**permalink**) 08-01-2012, 11:33 PM

@learn2success - Stoner is 100% correct. What you have created is a cookie cutter directory. These are worthless. In the post-penguin environment they might even be harmful to be listed in.

When creating a directory the single most important factor is editing listings that are submitted (if you add them yourself, using your own descriptions then they are already unique)

Quote:

Originally Posted by example of a bad listing

punjab news,breaking news,online punjab news
hxxp://www.punjabnewsline.com
Latest Punjab News, punjab, punjab news, punjabi news, punjab online news, punjabi online news, punjab latest news, punjabi latest news, latest news punjab, online punjab, northern india news, punjab politics, daily news, news from punjab, north india news, punjab news headlines, exclusive news, punjabi media, english newspaper, media news, chandigarh, ludhiana, jalandhar, amritsar, bathinda

This is one of the listings in your cookie cutter.

That listing is spam. It's not like spam, it's not spammy, it is 100% the definition of spam, and you are giving them a link. So what you are doing is supporting spam.

That's no good to anyone. The fact you are using a default template, default category structure, etc is also bad, but those things pale into insignificance against the fact that you list spam and are therefore a link farm supporting spam.

My comments may seem blunt, or even harsh, but they are the truth. I will always speak the truth.

I have a vested interested in the directory industry and what you are building harms the directory industry.

learn2success · #6 (**permalink**) 08-02-2012, 12:48 AM

hmm Dan i like straight forward people, you guys are absolutely right. as this is my first experience. i will learn from it.

one question: is any future of directory listing web site coz there are so many now days?

at present i am slightly confused what to do next!

learn2success · #7 (**permalink**) 08-02-2012, 02:00 AM

ok let me clear my question.
if i go and spend quality amount of time and resources to build a directory with a good brand name.. will it worth it or nor ?
you guys have been in this business for a while.. will you make enough after spending good money and time ?

Dave-mmayh · #8 (**permalink**) 08-20-2012, 03:31 PM

it depends on how you do it, if you do it right, you will be successful. Still new successful directories are being created, so why yours shouldn't be a success too?

Dan · #9 (**permalink**) 08-21-2012, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by learn2success

hmm Dan i like straight forward people, you guys are absolutely right. as this is my first experience. i will learn from it.

one question: is any future of directory listing web site coz there are so many now days?

at present i am slightly confused what to do next!

There is, and always has been, a future for directory listings. There are many different types of directory-style sites. From job boards to restaurant-reviews (like Yelp) to the more generalised categorised listings of websites that you are probably used to seeing.

The "so many" issue, is only a problem when they are all the same type, list the same junk, look the same, and are all easy to gain a listing in. These are called cookie cutters, and you can see from my linked blog post, that the death knell has sounded on these. What they are the equivalent of is FFA (free for all) link farms from years ago, the only difference is they are disguising themselves with a directory script.

Quote:

Originally Posted by learn2success

ok let me clear my question.
if i go and spend quality amount of time and resources to build a directory with a good brand name.. will it worth it or nor ?
you guys have been in this business for a while.. will you make enough after spending good money and time ?

Yes, but spending that time will also (like any business) involve marketing and promotion and brand awareness to make it successful. Doing none of that then blaming the directory industry or calling it "dead" is just sour grapes (and we hear it a lot from lazy owners).

So if you are prepared to spend the time, then I am sure you can make a go of it. First things first though --- you need to learn how to edit. Because without that skill, the content doesn't hold any value.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave-mmayh

it depends on how you do it, if you do it right, you will be successful. Still new successful directories are being created, so why yours shouldn't be a success too?

Correct and well said.

nks · #10 (**permalink**) 08-21-2012, 10:56 PM

In my experience, PHPLinkDirectory is one of the best, if not the best Link Directories out there. I see other people posting that you need $25k to market your site; but you could easily do it with a couple of hundreds quids, or even less.

I have my own Link Directory, which I have built up over the years. One of the things that I learnt was, to drive proper traffic and approve legitimate links on your directories. There are lots of spam bots out there creating dubious sites and that could cause an issue, which indirectly affects your earnings.

Bottom line, go for it. Hard work at the initial stage, but good (not great) returns.

adsonmycar · #11 (**permalink**) 08-23-2012, 06:55 AM

Have unique code and unique content and you may survive. PhpLD have been over thousands times if not 10s of thousands times. Highly doubt if this code still has some respect in Google. Probably you could have survived with a pre made template before, but that was good old days.

tsci · #12 (**permalink**) 08-25-2012, 02:11 AM

PHPLD is a good directory to start with but you can also build your custom web directory if you like to have unique Design for the Directory

larryfinch · #13 (**permalink**) 10-05-2012, 02:51 AM

It is hard for you to make success, there are huge numbers of same sort sites out there