starting directory - is it worth??

Hi

I am thinking of getting in directory business. Since I am programmer & web developer, the cost will be my time. However, time is also money.

Anyway, before to start, I would like to hear your opinions, since I consider this forum as very good resource.

My first dilema is: niche or general directory.

Why I am asking this? I am one man show. No employees, no help, nothing. During the day I must to work to make for living and at evenings, I have to spend 4-5 hour working on the directory. Will I be able to manage general directory? What is your experience?

My second dilema is: How to start? Noone will pay to be in empty directory with PR 0.

Should I enter 10-15 websites in each category from DMOZ or Yahoo directory and to start charging now, or to leave it free until I get some PR and after to start charging?

Another thing is: My advertisement budget is $0.

Will I manage to get some PR only from free links and articles?

What is your experience?

Finally...the income.

I am not expecting to get reach overnight, but is it possible to reach $500 -$600 per month after 6-8 months of work with only one directory, or I have to create few of them?

It will be very dissapointing to earn $60 per month after so many hours at evenings.

I will appriciate any sugestions and / or advices.

Regards, Zoreli

 

Ill be rather brief:

General or Niche - If you go for general you'll get a lot more submissions however if you go niche likelihood is that you'll be able to achieve a high PR (due to the niche content of your site) and potentially once you a achieve a good PR you'll be able to charge more for a standard listing. Of course this all depends on which niche you choose and how much investment there is in that niche. People from different industries are probably more likely to invest in link building than others when it comes to parting with their money. If you go for a niche ensure its something that your interested in, otherwise you'll likely to lose interest, plus it will potentially become confusing as to where you should be putting and approving links.

How to start? - This is something that different people have different views on. I personally think that starting with free submissions is the way to go until you achieve a PR, others reacon (that if you are going to be paid) to start paid from the very beginning and fill your directory with submissions yourself.

My advertisement budget is $0 - its quite attainable to achieve PR4 or PR5 without any form of money. Obviously if you do have a budget to spend this will obviously potentially improve the speed at which you obtain your desired PR.

Finally...the income - you'll need a good few directories to achieve that sort of money (especially in the first 6-9 months). I would think you'll be lucky to make $0-$100 per month in that first period, although that obviously depends on your dedication to your directories and the effort you put in. What most directories also tend to do is reinvest their money back into their directories to make them more popular and more visually appealing. These days a custom template is an absolute must if you want to stand out from the crowd. A standard template screams 'cheap' - but thats a subject for a different thread all together.

Best of luck.

 

Hi, welcome

No problem, depends on your objectives

It's the better way to do it, if going for paid

Max probably PR4, with luck PR5

With 1 directory and $0 budget probably not, will be more like $60/month, you can make 10 directories with $0 budget and get 10x$60 but will have to quick your day job.

 

I should add if you start with $0 budget the best way to go, is to reinvest 100% of revenue, so $600 month profit is not going to happen anytime soon.
If you invest $600/month you could probably be getting $600/month on 6 months.

If you go for free you will get a loot of SPAM and work and no revenue, and your directory will probably die in 3-6 months

BTW

Where you get these ideas from?
- niche is harder to build backlinks
- niche tend to be lower PR
- PR formula as nothing with due content only backlinks

 

Thanks for the advices guys...

Well...That's why people invent credit cards...
I will try to ensure some budget before to start...Hopefully the money will start to rolling after. I hope that $600 will be enough to get PR5 after 6-9 months.

 

Really essential $$$ to get somewhere.

- from $150 to $500 for a custom skin
- from $100 to $1,000 for buying some links

You can buy some PR7 for around $25/month to get the PR going, don’t buy any link for less than 3 months.

 

Where the lack of funds, talent should step in. Free directories and blog commenting and just asking webmasters to link to you could also help you achieve those goals.

 

my experience: start with General by word of general i mean, a few good category where people most likely will want to submit i.e. directory, games, dating , myspace and those related stuff.

Next is it is okay to start with PAID coz if you start of Free, most likely your site will be fulled by the time you wanna put PAID.

With no budget for advertising, I find it hard to promote directory (just my experience)

and man, with 600$ per month? That is something I have not achieve. It is like 0 - 20$ per month for my "most" advertising directory.

toby

 

I have one good example of a $0 investment but won an SEO Contest and now is selling already also have descent income at Link Sales. He comes from my country and now investing some good links derived. A very nice guy too.

ISULONG SEOPHIL

 

Everybody had to start somewhere. It is well said that a good start means half succeeded. You have to give a start first atleast to experiment atleast.

1. Unless you are familiar with something go with general.
2. Dont expect to make money atleast for a year but work hard in building quality directory.
3. Quality directories never needed big advertising and can be achieved with small or no budget.

And time will answer. Good Luck !!!

 

Hi guys. Thanks for all advices and sugesstions. I hope that there will be more of them.

As I said, time is money...If I work 6 months * 4 hours evry day is 240 working hours. If I charge my hour only $20 = $4800.

Why to do it then? That's why I name this thread starting directory - is it worth?

 

thats up to you...

You have to have a love for what you do as well as a few bucks
just my personal views as i spent well over $xx,xxx on sleek and king alone...

This market is saturated and very competitive... and someone is always selling cheaper links so.... its up to you regardless much success to you.

thx
malcolm

 

Wow !! Amazing. I admire your skills since very few calculate their earnings from a per hour basis. You are a marketing or business oriented to be in that position. Green rep for you. Might be in the US too.

 

Sometimes you need a little guide to achieve that or an insperation. Alive directory and Aviva directory, this two are the most talk about directories and the great thing about those two are that they post here pretty often and from time to time they might just pay for your hosting for a month or two

 

Well you just killed my budget-bragging rights... mine----> x

 

2 strongest motivations in a man life are woman or money. No woman involved here so....

But let's live jokes aside now.

I understand that to make an attempt in such a satrurated market, you must be a dreamer in some way. However, since costs are involved, it is not bad to think on a economic aspekt of each project.

I realy appriciate your posts guys. It will help me to make my decision later on.

Regards, Zoreli

 

Malcolm,

You forgot to mention if you got back your investment, so if your biz is profitable?...

 

i appreciate you, it's a really good job

 

Welcome to the OPEN FREE MARKET of Global Economy !!

 

I would like to ask...

How much should I invest (time & money) to reach this number? Is it "mission impossible"? What is your experience?

Thanks, Zoreli