Sub-categories

[blind2web]

Hi

How many sub-categories should a directory have? I hate having to click 10 times to get to where I want. Any opinions on the maximum number of sub-categories in a directory?

Thanks

B2W

[-MGS-]

Hi,

As many as you would like! On my directory I have about 300 sub-cats

[John Scott]

There is no maximum, but I would think that you only need to go three or four deep, at the most, unless you are going for uber-comprehensive directory like DMOZ.

[Rezo]

Originally Posted by JohnScott

There is no maximum, but I would think that you only need to go three or four deep, at the most, unless you are going for uber-comprehensive directory like DMOZ.

Somehow I hate DMOZ categories I must navigate trough nearly 5-9 other subcategories to get in the one I wanted. I run ~450 categories in my general directories and I don't get any category requests or anything like that. I guess nearly 450 is enough.

[stoner3221]

I’m a lot long winded but find around 15,000 categories is a good start.

[John]

Originally Posted by stoner3221

I’m a lot long winded

That is why the wow directory approach makes a mockery of the concept of a useful category structure.

Typical example: http://www.wowdirectory.com/dir/60/1.php ; 30 subcategories, each with 0-30 subcategories, each with 80 regional categories, USA categories broken down to country and/or city level. This gives at least a million subcategories in the science branch alone. Number sites listed probably less than 100. That is 99.99% empty categories.

It needs a warning page saying that you are entering the twilight zone of directories.

[John Scott]

Originally Posted by John

That is why the wow directory approach makes a mockery of the concept of a useful category structure.

John, given the fact that most people search a directory instead of browsing it by topic, I really don't see the harm in it.

[WhatiFind]

At the moment in my webdirectory I have over 1000 categories and I'm still have to add so many more categories to the directory. When having for instance a hosting listing listed in the internet category is worthless imo.

Getting the most out of a listing is getting it in the right category.