In creating content and a category structure for my niche directory, running under the mighty phpLynx, I wondered about the need for sub-categories. I am going to make this directory also have geographical functionality, the way a directory should be. The niche is relatively conservative, but are category sub-categories really necessary. I'll give an unrelated example: A sports directory,with categories on each sport - a category for football, golf, hockey, skiing, etc. In your opinions really necessary, for example, 'premier league', 'second division' etc under 'football', 'pro' and 'amateur' for golf, etc, etc. The niche is rather limited, but is a massive market, and nobody else has really in this market niche, except for one very well known directory, which in my opinion is one of the worst and spammer targeted directories going. I fully intend to post both here and at phpLynx's forum an insight into my workings with the script, how its flexibility has enabled me to create features exactly as I wanted - and run a niche directory as both a geographical business listing directory and a categorised directory, with much greater added benefits than you've ever seen, for that I'll guarantee you As soon as I'm back from holiday I'm going all out on it - all guns blazing, so to speak. Anyway, back on topic - are sub-cateogories a necessity for success?
For the most part any niche directory worth doing will probably have the need for subcategories at some point otherwise you will end up with categories 10, 20 or even 100+ pages.(yes, there's a directory out there like that) After about 3-4, I seriously question even bothering to submit. Niche directories can and do get non-submitting traffic, why make it impossible to find anything or assume everyone will simply use your search function?
Yeah I reckon so. Football can be divided up into many things History Statistics News and Media Shopping/Category for buying football gear football boots football kits pitches clubs stadiums players etc etc. I would say a true directory needs them. Otherwise your directory will be painful (unless empty of course) as it will have hundreds of pages of links all within categories. Just add the sub categories when you need them. Don't add them for the sake of it
One of the best pieces of advice I've seen around here. +Rep will be added when the system allows me to do so
Sub categories would really depend on how large a directory you want to have. One of directories has just over 100 categories and I have treated all of them as Main Categories - no sub cats. We'll be creating a travel directory real soon and this too will have about 100 categories - none will contain sub cats. As Mikey pretty much stated - if you require these at a later date then just add them. .
I agree with Mikey.... just add them when you need them. Regardless of your niche all your directory will eventually fill up and thus they will become a necessity.
I tend to agree with mikey and silky, but would have just one concern about adding them as you go. Lets say you have 10 main categories in your niche and no subs - visitors who come and see a directory with only 10 main level categories and no subs might be put off thinking that there was not much effort put into the site. I have seen it over in the solicitations section where someone will announce a directory and all it has is main level cats. It will get numerous responses to the effect of add some categories... Go with what you feel comfortable with though.
sub categories for directories are important. plus makes the value of the categories before them more valuable too.
Yes.. sub-catagories are necessary. Sites should be listed in an appropriate catagory based on relevency.
If you follow this advice, I recommend clearly stating on your submission instructions (or other pages as appropriate) that sites that don't fit existing categories are welcome. There are a lot of directories with editors who expect submissions to be perfect (ie. to the right category) or they get deleted. Knowledge of this MO can cause folks who don't see relevant categories to just move on instead of wasting their time submitting when there isn't a relevant category.
Don't make categories for the sake of it with a niche but perhaps give your visitor the opportunity to make suggestions as they may have some ideas that you haven't thought of.
Not touching what is right or wrong just an observation with a dir that has 11k empty spots over a dir that creates as it goes. As mentioned , doing a great job of filling them, i see this as more of a forced and un natural way of the directory being made up in that, many square pegs are probably dumped into round holes to fill the directory, giving this big full impressive wow type effect when really a lot of it is false padding and does not represent the users and or viewers. This is over and above the person who builds to the customers requests and as needed, which would give an accurate representation of its users and viewers and even with out the marketing hype of the wow 11k catagories would hold more value and over a longer period smash the grat pretender. just my 2c
Dmoz is so deep and every deep does get submissions. I don't see any problems going deep and deep into many sub-categories.