What's your top tip for running a directory?

Got a top tip for running a directory? Techniques for processing links? Ways of tackling spam?

Let me know your ideas, and the best ones will appear on Directory Spy. I'll provide a link to your site in the post for each person who suggests an idea that I use in my article!

 

Thanks these tips are not the most creative or innovative

But they sure are the most applicable and essential

That is hard work 365/24/7 for your Directory Marketing, Functionality Support and Submittal Verification Services

For without these essential elements your Directory will never be successful

Running a Directory is not 'a part time pastime' it is a Full Time Business

 

I will add , promote your directory in forums, to invite to users to add links.

regards

 

Heres my best tip to all the owners out there.

RIsk money to make money.

 

love that ,abd i had risk money in hyips but lost around $500.
but i'm happy i got my eyes open that i'll never go for hyips again,and work on my own site.

 

I agree. Spend more to get more. Advertise heavily.

 

that´s true

 

Make sure your directory is clean, neat and very seo friendly. Any very importantly, make sure your directory is unique and different to attract visitors.

The most important technique for processing links, is make your visitors to submit them in the most appropriate category. For example, in my directory i normally dont allow people to submit without selecting a particular directory at the main submit page. I make people who submit, work in selecting a required directory, as otherwise most of them are lazy and throw their submissions from the main page. Because i make them work, I am amazed that people picking good suitable categories and submitting there. While reviewing links its very easy for me and cuts most of my time in picking suitable categories and placing links there.

1. i dont allow free submissions to be submitted more than once. If the editor declines them, then it is almost impossible for free submissions to submit again. Our system will automatically decline repeated duplicate or multiple submissions. This way we handle free submissions efficiantly without being spammed again. Imagine how many free submission you get if your directory is popular and PR4+ daily !!!

2. I do ban IP of directory spammers.

 

top tip:
if you want to eventually move to become a paid directory, start off right upfront as a paid directory.

 

Having a script that gives you mass-ban and mass-reject options is extremely useful here. If you can reject all links from a certain IP, or with a certain email or domain name, it can save a heap of time.

If you own a niche directory, word filters can be very useful for sorting out the inappropriate submissions. They will never be able to catch them all, of course, but certain keywords tend to come up time after time. Sending them all to the back of the queue, or to a page where they can all be deleted at once, is very handy.

Both of these things rely on having a useful and very configurable script. Spending time to get a good custom script, or choosing one that has all the features you need for spam-prevention, will pay off in the long term.

 

Automate your review process as much as you can. That's my best advice...

 

dont decide to change your category structure after you have been indexed

begin with very general categoires and expand as you need

if you are thinking of changing to a paid directory dont submit to free directory categories because you might lose the listing altogether when you change to paid

 

A few tips/pet peaves....

If you have any sort of paid listings, just because someone pays for a link doesn't mean you must list their site. If the site would have been unacceptable as a free submission, it should be unacceptable as a paid listing.

The biggest way to turn away potential submittors and link purchasers is to allow your categories to get off topic. Always keep the categories on topic. If a site is submitted to an inappropriate category either move it to the right one, create a new one or simply delete the link.

Clearly state the length limitation of the description. Even if you don't have a counter on the field - stating the limitation will keep your directory looking better. It will also avoid site owners from getting upset when their listings are truncated and look spammy.

If you allow deep links - say so. If you don't allow deep links - say so. So many have complained in the forums that people are submitting deep links when their site has no clear policy on whether or not they are acceptable. It will not stop everyone from submitting incorrectly, but it will definately help.

 

I think my top tip is use your .htaccess effectively.

Firstly ive always found that the majority of spam i get comes from a select number of IP addresses. Using your .htaccess file you can ban those specific ip's from accessing your site and hence stop the spam!

Secondly you can (i think) use the .htaccess file to stop people from accessing your submit page directly. Implementing this will obviously help to reduce submissions via completely automated submission software.

 

I disagree and would change RISK to INVEST SMARTLY

But the point of putting money into it is a very good point.

 

I agree to some extent, it is good to invest money - however you can get just as good results from not investing any money at all! The only money i have put into my directory is purchase of web hosting (which i had already) and for the phpLD3.x license. Since starting the directory about a year ago though i havent spent anything on it really - other than lots of my own time of course!!!

 

It amazes me how many dir owners miss the boat on these two:

1. publish your submission qualifications and guidelines - and yes, they are two separate conditions. In addition to publishing qualifications and guidelines, be consistent in applying them. If published listings obviously violate them, no one will heed them. phpld owners using a 3rd party template should edit any stock guidelines to reflect their own parameters (It's disturbing to see dirs listing phantom limits on description fields).
2. use symbolic categories - help your visitors find what they are looking for when topics could logically be found in multiple places. It helps folks understand how you are organizing information and where they should submit if they have a site.

 

Good points, Bernard.

My .02 here: http://www.internet-marketing-blog.com/2006/11/30/50000-a-month-with-your-web-directory/

And one other tip: Don't accept free submissions. I found that if you have a free submit option, even if it's just for "non profits" everybody tries to use it. Some webmasters think that if they don't sell anything, that makes them a non-profit, even if they have three Adsense placements per page and exit pop-ups.

 

I just had to quote that because it really is an excellent read and deserves it!

Rob

 

Thanks John, your blog post was very good.