every directory that i submit to, i see you can submit a free link or pay for a "featured link". does anybody ever actually do this?
I prefer to submit a "free link" (since it is free), but occasionally I submit a "featured link" if the price is reasonable and the directory has good PR and traffic.
I prefer Featured also because it gives your site the best exposure to others who visit the directory category. Many times free links get buried behind every link submitted before it, so people will never see your listing, this is the whole reasoning behind bid directories aka bid for position. It is simple advertising. I want my listing to be seen before yours and others so I am willing to pay for the better spot. If you aren't willing to invest in promoting your own site, why would anyone else?
it really depends ont he directory, if it is a directory with good traffic and ranking then I will not usually got for the free option but if its just a normal directory then I go for the free option. It also depends on the cost.
well personally i've come across only 4/5 directories WORTH investing in. other than that, the only reason i submit my sites is for the backlink.
I think featured spots get bought up by the more 'serious' site owner - they want exposure and/or PR/traffic.
i would pay for a feature listing if this is a quality web directory and the review fee is reasonable.
On a free directory thats quite strong, like domaining.in for example I paid for a featured link. It means instant review rather than sitting in the queue of thousands of other pending sites.
Only those big SEO companies and some others go for featured link(Otherwise most of them go for Free Regular links)
featured links have the chance to send you a bit of traffic and also get you nice positioning in the directory. I always keep an eye out for discount sales and buy most of my featured listings then.
i'm glad i'm not set up with PayPal - each directory is only $2/$3 - i bet i'd go on a spree and end up spending a couple of hundred in one day!
There's probably only a handful of directories that are really worth submitting to. My own personal opinion is that I'd definitely pay for a featured listing if it meant more chance of being visited first.
Most of the time a featured link isn't worth it. However if the directory has high traffic or it is a directory list a featured can be worth it.
I think feature ads are a great value. Where else in advertising can you get a lifetime listing for $5?
it all depends on the quality of the dir, the PR, the traffic and if you are faced with a last page of 50 listing that will really do you no good. sometimes it is better to pay a few bucks and get the top spot. But the price has to be proportionate to the factors i mentioned above! I have a featured section in each category but at the moment it is all free, I just choose the sites I really like and add them there. I may change that to a paid listing if and when I feel that I have something to offer people. right now early days. I have already been approached by 3 people about the price of a featured listing. so yes people do buy those spots.
On most directories a featured listing does not have to send you much traffic to be a good value investment. If you pay $10 or $20 for a 1-year featured listing and get even 5-10 targeted visitors a month from it, then it more than pays for itself. As stated above, look for good quality directories that won't be out of business in a few months. These days I would not bother with PR or Alexa rank, just look for a well maintained directory that the owner has but a few bucks into and some thought.