I would like to start a directory for a niche category. What do I need to do? I was thinking once it's designed and coded I would hire someone to search and find entries for the directory. Is there anything else I need to consider?
Sounds like you've got the basics covered. I'd get thinking about how you plan to structure the directory - categories, editors adding links, adding articles. A unique design will help and make your directory stand out, although is not essential. Get a reliable host too. Plan on how you will promote this directory and what will make you different to the other directories in your niche.
If I get the high PR sites on it then the lower PR sites will want to pay. And charge them a listing fee. In long term there will be profit.
You sure do keep repeating pr a whole bunch in your post. Is that all you feel there is to a directory?
you got it all covered to start. the rest you will learn along the way, keep reading the threads here, they will give you more info on the small bits and bobs, good luck!
I would recommend as a quick and very effective solution: Joomla! It is a CMS system and you can bolt-on SOBI2 a directory listing component. Very easy and this process has been well documented throughout the web. Simply google Joomla and SOBI2
Interesting idea, a CMS with an added directory component. But I seem to like all the features of PHP LD.
What is needed to run a directory? Well, an ordinary directory won't work anymore, search engines have been done to death, and portal sites are too expensive. Actually, they are all expensive if they are done properly, as quite a lot of start-up capital is needed. The directory scripts these days are okay if all you're after is some quick cash, but to make a directory truly successful needs a lot more than you will find on the web. There's much to it, money, ideas and time, lot's and lot's of time. I suggest the best thing for the guys on here is to go the affiliate route with the directory as a kind of traffic driver. It's just too difficult to think you will get the clients to buy advertising, the industry has a bad reputation, and it wont work without a serious new idea or some kind of big edge. And forget buying your way into this industry, as you need hundreds of thousands to do that, and even if you have, you be eaten by the players. You would need such a fresh idea for this to work, and that requires much research and/or choosing the right industry. So many get that vital thing wrong, and that's why directories fail and you get so many trying to sell them off. One guy John Scott owned V7n, had another 2 directories, one began well, but Google caught him buying links and dealt him a serious blow, and that was the end of Bluefind, he then started another directory, which was sold off later - so it proves how difficult this really is. I remember him coming to webmasterworld and he got trashed, many members just bought links for the high PR, and lost out 6 months later when Google got him. He probably made a lot, but basically he screwed up by buying too many links. It's so difficult to make a directory work the webmaster way, and it's the wrong strategy.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. The reason directories get tarnished by Google is because they themselves are selling links, which is against their policy. Google didn't take action for him buying links, but for selling them - otherwise he'd have gone round, bought links for all the other big players, reported it to Google, then sat back and laughed while he was the only real player makin' a killin' in the market. PS. What's the meaning of the new avatar - not giving away more of your scent, are you?
@jingCo do your own thing, don't take any notice of any of the replies in this section of DP, it has about 10 top posters 3 off them I would listen too, the rest BLAH...