how much time does it take to build a directory site?

i had a couple ideas for niche directories that I'm toying with. But I'm not good with php and such. So I want to know 2 things;

1. how long does it take to build a directory
2. and if i had to hire someone to build it, is there any rough estimation of cost?

 

When you build a directory:
- You've to build categories (count a whole day)
- You've to set the design, or use a template (that can take a week)
- Fix all the little bugs and problems (a day)

Then its done. Give yourself 2 weeks to build a good looking directory, or 2 days if you want to use a template and avoid designing (i know how painful it can be sometimes).

I don't know how much it costs to hire someone to build a directory, could be great to have some comments bout that

 

Thanks Irka,

I have purchased Dir Script today with in a month i'll also come with a new directory

 

10 minutes.

1. Buy a domain at namecheap
2. Upload a directory script on your server.
3. Download a free template.
4. Find a good category set with more than 1000 categories

Then you have a full featured directory.

 

It tooked 1 week to develop my webdirectory but it's done from scratch
Design and coding and since then 2 monthe to promote it and afther the pr update my effors will be seen
I like customized solution not that crapy scripts out there that makes all the directorys look the same ....

 

allow plently of time in planning and building your new directory. dont just rush.

 

Yeah if you want to create a useless directory follow latehorn's advice....or you can actually put some effort in to it. If so about 1 to 2 weeks should be enough time.

 

Latehorn's suggestion will leave you with a fast, templated solution, but it will be empty. In my opinion, what takes the most time in building a directory is finding good sites to add so you don't have loads of empty categories.

I'm also an advocate of customising your directory as much as possible. There are so many out there with the same script, the same look, the same category structure and the possibly same dupe penalties from the search engines.

You don't have to reinvent the wheel by getting a completely new custom-built script, but it's probably worth your while to make extensive modifications to an existing one. Get one where you can write your own filters - this is essential for niche directories. Rewrite all the text. Do what you can to make it different to the hundreds of other directories out there.

 

Yep - That is it.

 

I think that is the key point. It takes much longer to promote a site these days than to build one.

 

nate_king1

And there r few lazy designers like me who take too much time to design them wat do u say my friend.

 

if what you say is true, and i believe it is since I'm a designer myself, then I can only wonder why so many people go through the headaches and put on a, well...half-a** directory site. it's obvious there is alot of work to be done after the initial programming such as promotion and such.

 

Are directory sites always PHP-based? Or some could also be static

 

It takes a good couple of hours to get the script up and running and customized.

It takes a good couple of weeks to get it looking customized with your own personal template (optional, but highly, highly recommended)

It takes a few months to get going.

My site (see sig) has just taken off this past few weeks. It has been around five months, but now the submissions (free AND paid) are pouring in.

 

For the right price I would build a directory for someone by hand. Nothing but html static pages, all pages would be w3c valide, all pages would have a different set of keywords and descriptions, I would create a full site google sitemap, and all the other things needed to make it sound. As well as put the design together.

Anyone interested, no penny pinchers please. A good example is my own directory listed at the bottom of this page, yours would be different in style and theme of course.

 

Price wise- what's your definition of a penny pincher?

I'm not at the current stage of figuring out if I want to go ahead with this but feel free to PM me a rough cost estimate of what it cost to just program the site and the database. I can do the overall design myself.

 

Find some other toying niche directory and follow

1) how long they had been online for?
2) how many categories they have?
3) find average of link popularity?
4) Find search engine index?
5) from 3 and 4 try to find average of spending money for marketing/advertising?
6) how much you can advertise..

and many more.. these you have to think before buying domain name and hosting.

 

looks are less important IMO . I would suggest spending 1 full day ,
1. thinking why would you be building the directory for - is it for seo purposes ? Is it to help visitors find content in a orderly manner ? is it just to show u can and since everyone else is ?

2. Finding out what is the topic u realy have a hold on or will find interest in ?
3. WOuld you be having enough time to follow it up fixing things , getting the desings, finding and attracting the visitors ?

4. If it is onlky for SEO and gettign back links , you can even buy a footer link at www.phpbb.com , if u havent noticed u dont need ur own General Directory for that

Once you have decided all these , then u can check how much balance u have in paypal and how much u realy find it worthwhile spending for this ... without dreaming of how much alive directory etc are making

 

why all hardwork? just go to marketplace and buy a directory which is already indexed. i would be happy to buy such directory anywhere between $100 - $200. I believe this would save lots of your effort and would be easier to promote.