Do directories offer value for money?

Most of us have read the constant attacks at the 'paid model' directory and what they 'DON'T' offer the budding link buyer. So here's a question, do YOU as a directory owner feel you offer a good v.f.m. service? Is just a link and description enough? Do site owners really want pages to pretty gimmicks like alexa trends that aren't worth the paper their written on or do they want to see more value for their money.

I know that at Cantufind.com we decided that it isn't all about money, its about value and on that score we have started giving each site an individual review and more. Spider-Man wrote about what he though here. to me that epitomised all that our idea stands for.

not everyone is going to be able to afford to do this as the resources and time it takes is huge, it certainly isn't a way to make a quick buck, but if the customer is happy then so am I.

 

Eeeerrrrrrgggggaaagggg!!!! You don't even come close to getting it Jamie. Do you really think this sort of endorsement is going to cut any ice with anyone. I have seen much silliness including talk of coffee shops in Alaska, and primary family safe searching systems. The other day I compared pay for inclusion directories with herbal Viagra, and you now jump up and provide a perfect example of their marketing techniques, that is the supposedly unsolicited testimonial.

I do not intend to specifically criticise you or your directory Jamie but the facts remain, directories with minimal collect are completely useless to people searching the internet, and google clearly and unequivocally say they devalue links from such sites.

The plausibility that a member of this forum completely by coincidence, totally without any collusion, has leapt up singing the praises of your directory is something that the fine readers of this forum will decide for them themselves.

 

Your about as interesting as listening to a speech by an opposition party, your never going to agree regardless. Throw as much mud as you want, people are more than aware of your views now, and from what I see are as bored as I am.

You remind me of a lonely preacher standing on a bench in the middle of a high street chanting his beliefs, nobody is taking a blind bit of notice of what your saying except yourself. Sad really.

 

Nebuchadrezzar, what exactly is it that you are soliciting? From memory you are nothing but a decrepit editor on a completely dead directory. No, not dying - well and truly dead.

Your post completely mystifies me, for an editor of a directory with - as yet - no proof of ownership of his own directory, or any other business matter, your opinions nullify themselves.

I fail to see a reason why you continually jump on the back of literally every post JamieG makes. What is it that you are seeking? Seems to me like a completely lost cause for a troll such as yourself.

Now that you have began interrogating my movements, I'll start doing the same with yourself. Who knows - you might get a real job one day.

Finally, your opinions are just piss in the ocean, remember that. A negative rep well and truly deserved.

 

yes i agree with your thoughts

 

Bottom line, a directory owner needs to offer something different to set their directory apart. This concept is true for every business. What added value do you offer to your visitors? What added value do you offer to webmasters? What added value do you offer to your advertisers?

Jamie's idea of reviewing sites that he lists is a value add to his visitors. If people who visit his site agree and respect his opinion he will be able to build a community of users that will look on his site first. I think it will be a very tough road, but it's possible.

Other directory owners are selling PR, traffic, link text, or trying to server a specific niche. The directories that find some value add for their visitors or for webmasters will succeed.

 

Very good post and thanks for the positive words, about time some came along not just to me but to everyone who has nothing but hard work in mind to earn hopefully respect and then perhaps money.

Yes for sure it is hard work but we've been doing this for over eight years and are confident of our abilities. Not everyone is going to have the resources we have to do what we are doing but they will have other things to offer, its all about supply and demand.

Once again, good post I'm sure the whole community appreciated this one.

 

Well, I would never attack the 'paid model' in general, simply because I have seen it done right. 'Right' to me means projecting an image of a directory and not a cash machine. Yet what I see is that many of the paid and/or bidding models attempt to be a true directory then once you scroll past the header it's all dollar signs.

If a directory is supposed to be for surfers, why list the bids for everyone to see? A very small portion of the viewers are going to be bidders. Make bidders log in to see prices/bids. Lost sales, maybe?

By now we all know that most folks don't really search for a directory to then in-turn search the web with it. But I still prefer one that looks that way!

 

Nice post. I'm not going to comment on bidding directories as I'm not a fan of them and never have been. And if truth be known until the model changes I probably never will be.

To me there is absolutely no issue with the paid model and our directory Cantufind.com has started offering free reviews with the listings to give the submitter at least some value for money and if nothing else hard evidence that the site being submitted are actually being reviewed. How else would be able to do reviews if we hadn't reviewed them kind of approach.

I won't waffle on here as I don't want to turn this into an adfest for my own benefit, all I can say is that most certainly some directory can and do offer value for money if for nothing else than to get some valuable input from our editors.

 

thanks to all for good knowledge distribute here.

 

I charge for submission to cover my server costs.. All profits are generate from affiliate revenue basically, until my membership kicks up. The thing is that, you don't have to have membership to utilize the basic function of my directory, which is advertising for your website. Kind of tough to get people to pay even $2.25 per year for one link when the directory asking them to pay offers 4,000+ for free lol

How can I increase membership and revenue from link submissions?

 

a directory owner needs to offer something different to set their directory apart

Very true. You want to be unique and fresh with any website, then you can offer more to visitors than just the plain old standard listing that everyone else offers.

 

A vertical portal being the obvious evolution.

 

Interesting topic Jamie, i was lately thinking about starting a web directory, but i do not want to get submissions only because my website PageRank is high besides making business around PR is quite dangereous because it is something you cannot control, no matter how hard you try.

So i started thinking what value can i offer except PageRank:
Traffic obviously, is the answer. So my idea is to make a directory which will send people traffic, lets say 10 visits a day, that 3600 yearly not bad for 50$ a year right? However to send traffic i need to get it to my site first.

 

And you do that by creating stickability, its not easy in a directory but if you create a vertical portal you can achieve it.