I was being asked this question alot over the email and on my blog therefore I decided to write a blog post. I got opinion from 3 directory other directory owners which I think is definately not enough to get the whole picture therefore I am posting this here to get the opinion of more directory owners. Can you make money with a General Web Directory? Explain your answer. Here is the link to the post where I wrote some of the techniques I would use now and that I have used in the past. If I like someone's opinion, I will add it in the blog post with a link to their directory. Let me know what everyone thinks...
I run a general web directory and it's going well everyday. Upon lot of work I got PR 5. I notice that it's very important to keep clean your directory and remove any content related to gambling, adult and warez stuff. It's known by everyone that a niche directory can bring more results in less amount of time compared with a general web directory that took me 2 years of work in team to be where I am at this moment. If someone ask me if I want to repet the story, my answer is clear: NO! I spent many days and nights focusing to build quality on this directory and it's really a pain ...somewhere... Now, you make an idea if it's good or not. If you do it regular will become a sort of addiction and now I simply can't give up upon all the masive work. To everyone success! Robert / NetHelp
Since most of the submitters are guided by PageRank, the submissions are few if you don't have a decent PR on the homepage and inner pages as well, you must admin that. Besides that you need a unique directory, because if you go for a basic directory, there are probably other 50.000 ppl who own a directory just like you. Who is gone be picked by the submitter ? Of course the chances to get a submission(not a spammy one) are minimal. So with a general directory, you can hardly make some $, because nowdays everybody owns a directory, even the lamers. This is how this business got fucked up.
Mike people use the contact form on my blog to ask me questions like those ... and some people wrote that in the comment of my blog.
Hope it doesn't sound bad but it sounds like a daft question to ask smub, you have ran directories and the visitors here run them and your asking if you can make money with a general web directory? I dont understand
If you can get people to pay money to submit, then you can obviously make money. However, can you make profit? That's a different game altogether. Most people don't see a value in paid submission unless the directory is huge and does some seriously awesome editing. Most general directories asking for money are full of crap for doing so IMO. Now, an awesome directory would be one that starts out as being completely paid and it offers no free links whatsoever. Only quality sites get listed. Period.
I didn't expect you posting such queries, use the search function dude. And you know the answer obviously. Moreover just tell them you can also make money by selling directories at the right time before they have a PR loss and face penalty, just like some do.
Sunny he doesn't want to know the answer to this question for his next project or anything, he is just asking people's opinions.
ok for all those who are wondering why I am asking this question. Obviously I didn't need to because I have enough experience in the directory industry to put my own thoughts on my blog. But to establish credibility on any argument it is good to have different viewpoints that either support my argument, or disagree with me. That is the only reason why I am asking to get more view points. Sunny, i have no intentions of making another directory and I believe I clarified that long ago when I sold IDK. Now I don't know if you have any grudge against me for selling the site and made profit before multiple directories were manually degradraded in their PR including IDK. Now I dont know what is the grudge because this is only a one-sided issue, so I will let you solve that.
Makes us all look like stupid directory owners though doesn't it, we probably look like the weakest bunch of mistakes to any readers, for whatever reason you ask the questions it makes directory owners look like a confused bunch and just gives everyone else a laugh. Now when a noob asks this same question, they either get ignored or told to read previoys posts, i just dont think its a good idea to be asking if a web directory can make money. If you need ideas for something to write about on your blog i bet i could come up with something meatier than the question you asked and would get some genuine replies and building content on your blog. Its not like me, to say i can do better than that, but this time i gotta say it. Your question makes our industry sound confused.
I don't have much idea about the money making opportunities with dirs. Actually I am willing to know how and how much people are making with dirs
Do you want a dead honest opinion? sometimes a whole week can pass and nothing im not joking either, no money, then other weeks and days you do ok, its as simple as that for some. How much, well it simply depends on your listing fees, if someone told you they got 4 submissions this week, ask what submissions they were then check their prices, theres your answer.
as has been said its the type of question asked by new or prospective directory owners I dont see any value in someone already knee deep in directories asking it tbh I think this whole subject is best left to the directory owner to find out its a part of the reason people have flocked to open general directories in the last few years because of the stories of untold riches