Thinking of starting my first directory can you please help me get started

I am looking into starting a directory. I have never done anything like this before i typically just work with wordpress and drupal but i find directories interesting. So since i know absolutely nothing about them i was wondering if people could assist me in a few areas.

1) what software do i use? Is there any free software i could use?
2) Should i make it a free directory right from the start?
3) will adsense work well on a directory?
4) is there anything i need to be aware of before i start this?

 

Hello,

Here are some quick answers:

1. I would suggest phpLD There is a free version and also a paid one ($25)
2. It is entirely up to you. I would advise to start a free directory while you learn all the tips and tricks.
3. I haven't seen many directories using adsense and I never heard of a directory making big bucks out of it.
4. I would strongly suggest to take your time and to read as many posts as you can in the next few days. You will learn a lot of useful things which will definately help you in the future.

Hope this helps

 

it helps alot thank you for your input i am going to monitor this forum and read peoples threads and posts to try to learn as much as i can. is setting up PHPLD difficult or something similar to wordpress and drupal?
loredan thanks for the help does anyone else have any input here?

 

I have 8 phpld accounts some free some paid they are easy to setup and support is fanatastic just run the install and go IMHO it was just as easy as either wordpress or drupal

 

so if you don't use adsense then your revenue comes through paid links correct? is there anything else you can do with a directory to make it more appealing than all the other directories? also i am on shared hosting will this be a problem?

 

mine are on shared plus I do use adsense in a couple of my directories but with adsense you won't make alot of money build a quality directory and you will

 

when it comes to paid links do you charge a rate based on the PR of hte directory so maybe something like
PR 3 directory = $2/link
PR 4 directory = $5/link
PR 5 Directory = $10/link

etc, etc.

 

no feature one price permanent another and so forth

 

before you even install the script spend time writing unique descriptions for all your categories because once you get setup you will have plenty of other things to take up your time
and once its done its done

you should also do the same with sites that you will add yourself to build up the directory..get used to editing and writing descriptions, that in itself is quite a bit of (neverending) work

to be honest payments should be one of the last things you worry about because you arent gonna make much for a long time

 

i see i looked at your directories there jminscoe and i was just wondering were they built with the free version of PHPld? they look pretty cool and i might give this a whirl tonight i think

 

i see people charging a lot for links in their directories which makes me believe they are making some decent money am i incorrect in my assumptions?

 

you arent getting money for nothing
you have to spend a lot of your time setting up the directory and maintaining it
depends how much you think your time is worth but I certainly wouldnt be dazzled with the prospect of making money soon on it
not trying to put you off just let you know how it is

 

those ones are the paid version
my free ones are here http://www.binnieandcurley.com/resource/ and here http://www.ahealthylifestyle4u.net/directory/

 

no please let me know everything that comes with the directory so your honesty is truly appreciated.

I am entering it with a money making thought in mind. I don't mind making it free for a while and then turning it into a paid directory. I am curious though as to how much someone can make owning and operating a directory? Am i better off putting my time and effort into another type of website?

 

i like your binnie and curley one. Do you mind me asking how do promote these directories? strictly through signature links? Do you charge in these directories and do sign ups drop significantly after you start charging?

 

I started off paid but ran some promotions for free links to get it started and it depends on what you offer I think the best directory are niche but I have both niche and general my general make more

 

another tip is dont do that
start paid and keep paid

build up the sites yourself rather than depending on others to submit
best when you add yourself is that you can add authoritative sites and sites which normally wouldnt submit to you anyway

 

interesting point discover
i thought that when directories start off they are free so that they attract people to submit to the directory. I think it would be difficult to get people to pay for a submission if you have a directory with a PR of 0 when you first start out. your thoughts if you don't mind sharing?

 

well thats why its a lot of work to start a good directory
if you really dont wanna have to go looking for the sites and want people to submit for you then run a first 200 free special or somethin to get you started

Id still go for my suggestion because be sure that the sites that are submitted will be across a small range of categories
oh and your web directories category will be choked hence less exposure for other paid directories in the future

 

oh and i wouldnt recommend adsense..waste of time imo