Not sure if malaise is the right word or indeed if I spelt it correctly. At the end of last year I started a general directory (tag911.com) as I had never created a general directory and thought I should at least have one. This is not a run o' the mill directory as it is coded by myself and has several unique features. It is a manually moderated directory and I am relatively strict with regards to submissions. I have found that I am rejecting an awful lot of sites that are submitted. The quality of submissions seems to be quite low. Why are there so many poor quality sites being promoted, surely webmasters would want to promote a well developed site rather than something that looks like it was thrown together in a few hours. I have nothing against basic design as I focus on the quality of the content on the site. Another gripe is that submitters do not seem to read the submissions or fill out the submission forms correctly. Whats has been your experience of running general directories?
Is your directory a free one? I would suggest changing it to paid because that will greatly increase the quality of your submissions.
Yes sometimes that works but not always. But yes bad content based sites will always be there. You just have to live with it and spend hours clearing the queue. Cheers
Free means expect 'crap' paid means a better quality and less 'crap' But 'crap' is a constant problem that you must watch out for at all times
We accept both paid and free submissions, but either way a lot of submitters don't bother reading the submission guidelines even when we put the comments right next to the field they are typing into. We reject anything up to 90% of the free submissions made in a day, in part because the submitters don't stop to read what they are required to enter for a submission or what the minimum requirements are for their site to be considered. Paid isn't much better, today 66% of paid submissions have been rejected thus far. We won't accept any business site not displaying a trading address, phone contact and offering an online method of contact, it's an unusual rule I know, but it is stated on the start of the submission process yet you'd be surprised how many sites are submitted with no contact options. In the past I tried making the text for this rule and the rule asking for their business name in the title, bright red and much taller than of the rest of the page text, but alas it didn't help. I think part of the problem is submissions companies charging almost nothing to do the work, this then doesn't give them time to read the requirements for the directory, they have to stuff the same text into the directories as fast as possible in order to be profitable. This can be especially noticeable when they submit 100+ of their clients to a single incorrect category. As for sites with bad content you just have to weed them out, I've seen ad spam sites submitted as paid so I don't think paid only solves the problem just reduces it.
A very nice response from an established directory owner. Welcome to DP too. I have been submitting my sites to your directory way back since 04 and yours is just an exceptional one. A very high traffick site and excellent arrangements. A must have for everyone for featured backlinks. Green Rep and Welcome to DP. Best Regards.
Thanks popotalk. I'll also add that if you are worried about the number of sites you are refusing then remember that a directory is only as good as the sites it lists.