Is niche really it for directories?

This is why when creating a directory, that the concept has to be original. Yet so many opt for copying failed ideas, and that's not improving the web at all. Much talk about improving this and doing good blah blah, and yet it's all talk and action centred around copying other's ideas.

Don't forget that advertisers want something different, they look for new ways to advertise and get fed up with old model web sites. Directories just don't deliver like they used to because so many are 'small time' and people know 'big companies are best' - and that's what they go for.


So a directory must be either:

Unique or be able to buy it's way into people's heads.


You could think of a niche like say, Computers. Now I know that there are so many computer resources it's shocking, so it's crazy to bother taking them on and only settling for minor success. Better to invent a totally new service nobody else is doing and own the market for that.

But I guess that's not possible for most to do. I see another G directory and know it's a waste.

 

One of the things I like about this forum is when people who really know what they are talking about post and include evidence of their of their works

One is apt to take their words seriously, Thanks YMC, I've seen your directory before an must say its gets better every time i see it.

However, if I may ask, does it actually yield the kind of profit one would consider sufficient for a busines as opposed to a hobby ? Its a great directory but do crafts generate enough income to sustain a business on standard business measures? Or could it be one strand in a group of sites leading to that objective?

 

Just to add a little to what centime said -

What I really like about the niche directory YMC has related to crafts is it does demonstrate how interest and knowledge of the niche can lead to a successful niche directory. It also demonstrates how something unique can be made within a directory to help those interested in that niche share their knowledge with others. ie the crafty tips...

 

Niche directory are best one

 

Mikey - for you info, not sure if you're aware of this - but you can set category-specific banners in phpLynx, which I am sure you will be taking advantage of with your new directory So yes, you can technically keep a main general directory niche-specific in categories. Well worth a look, imo.

 

Ah, yes, the old how much does it make question.

One part of knowing an intended audience is to know how much they have to spend. Like webmasters often have a day job, so do most crafters. There are some that have money to throw at advertising and many more that don't. I knew that going in and never expected to fully live off the proceeds. They do however, not have the aversion to ads that webmasters do; which from the beginning is where I saw the most reliable revenue coming from.

I launched the site to help establish myself in that market and promote my writing and business services to those folks working in it. In fact, yesterday's email brought first contact from a greeting card company looking for a writer. It's also helped me to land some writing work from other directory owners.

I launched Crafty Tips with the intent of making some money from it directly and with a bit of altruism to help a section of webmasters who typically understand the need for backlinks but don't understand SEO. So whether or not it makes me a huge income every month is not the only goal for me.

All that said, there is potential in the niche (maybe not directories) to make a living online. I know several who are or are getting there.

There are some days that I envision being bigger than Craft Site Directory, the biggest and perhaps original craft directory. But that site has more than a few dead links; so bigger isn't always better. Perhaps if I were to switch my ratio of time vs money spent I could grow to a true competitor to them.

With the pets niche, there is much more money floating around but that also brings out the get rich quick crowd as I found out the hard way.

Both sites earn outright more than it takes to keep them running. But, factor in the secondary business they can and have driven to my writing services and the numbers are much better.


Thank you everyone for the compliments on the site.

 

There was someone recently asking about which niche they should build their new site to.

Were I looking to create a new niche directory, I would look harder at ones where the primary businesses in that niche are used to spending money on advertising.

That was a major reason why I suggested looking into real estate. That's another area where I have more than a passing interest. I know from experience the professionals in that field are easily caught up in a 'keeping up with the Jones' sort of thing. I watched as an entire firm got caught in that game when it came to their websites. Each agent threw hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars at what was mostly a scam outfit offering cookie-cutter website in a day solutions where all the features were extra and every site looked the same.

 

THE POWER OF THE NICHE

I think the biggest problem with directories today it that they started as directories and to morph into something different (a content rich site) is like a leopard changing his spots. Most people want to start a directory because its premise is relatively easy, create some categories and let people go at it. They overlook the obvious that most people don't go to a directory for information they go to content sites.
When I started my business I wrote over a hundred pages of content for 4 month even before I added my directory component. Then I waited a few more months for traffic to build even before I felt I deserved a paid listing fee. I used pay per click to drive traffic for 4 months before I could earn a dime in revenue.
For most directory owners they would consider this insane. But I think that is the kind of initial investment that is required to become a niche.
Now I think I have an excellent product for the long pull I have created some real bona fide backlinks. I rank in the #1 position of a number of important terms for my niche.
Type in google search estate settlement or find a probate attorney (that's me)

The thing about a niche is that it is a situation that large non niche company has some pretty big problems to compete. Let me give you an example:
My largest internet competitor is a company called Martindale or lawyers.com on the surface I would be crazy to try to compete with them. They do over a billion dollars in revenue and everybody has heard of them and most of my clients have used their services. They can and do spend huge sums of money on marketing but the fact is they really can't compete with me.

Let me give you just two powerful reasons (for starters)

#1 Their website is a lawyer directory for all types of law practices. This means its pretty much a nightmare for a client or consumer to navigate all the different legal categories to find my area or niche which is estate settlement and probate.

Because they are a general purpose site if a consumer looks for advice on the specific topic of estate settlement or probate they find me on top of the search engines not them because they are too broad of content to rank well in seo keywords. (not like me).

The second factor is that they charge lawyers about $2,000 3000 per listing per year. This may have been a good deal in the past but because the directory has grown in size they now have over a million lawyer directory listings worldwide. Sounds like they have a good business right?
The reality is that they are screwed and they don't even know it.

Why would I make such an outlandish statement? Because within their success is the seed to their business decline. Their clients are doomed to fail because their listing competes with the million other listings.
How do I compete? I give exclusive listing for attorneys in their markets up to 500,000 in population. What this means at my current fee structure that my revenue potential at my current rate of $997 taps out at $400,000. I have given my niche client a great niche value which most appreciate. It the future, I could always raise my price as my traffic and brand builds. Heck I should be charging 2 or 3 grand a listing not my competitor.

That is the power of the niche.

That's all for now … feedback and comments welcome.

 

The number one thing I learned from my communications professor was to know your audience.

estateguy, your post clearly indicates you know exactly who your audience is and what they are looking for. The exclusivity concept was masterful - lawyers and Realtors both know the value of that and as your post indicated they are willing to pay dearly for it.

Anyone else care to share their insights? This is so exciting that we finally have a thread where real information is being exchanged and no one is fighting!


Also checked out your site. Looks like a real resource and not just another directory - great job!

 

By branding the directory "exclusive" having a smaller number of listings is considered a "ground floor opportunity" not a fledgling enterprise. We now get over 20,000 pageviews a month. We started jan 2 2008.

 

estateguy - I just read your comment - re read it and then re read it again. There is some real insight in your post.

 

Well done real estate guy, I started a legal directory back in 2006 but I clearly lost my way

Thanks for that post, its like a beacon in the Dark

I am planning the same for the Gambling directory in my sig, but its very low down in the list of Niche directories I am trying to build

 

Niche directories will definitely have a smaller audience. A big advantage of a niche directory is that you can have ads that will most likely be of interest to that smaller audience. So you may actually have more success with adsense or affiliate links than you would with a general directory, where it is harder to target the interests of your visitors.