1. Do not start with a .info - use (or buy) a very good dot com 2. What does "PaidPaid" has to do with directories?! Get a good NAME 3. Build your initial database using publicly available RDF dumps and XML lists and other free directory lists - make sure you are not breaking the TOS of any of them 4. Provide some kind of differentiation - or else, you will be JADW (Just Another Dmoz Wannabe) (This is the step which will make or break it - if you don't have a USP - do not bother reading further) 5. Obtain quality links from PR 7 or PR 8 (or PR 9, if you can find someone willing ) sites - be ready to pay for it. Edit: This does not mean a "link" as such - but a news report, an interview, etc, which is picked up by the media (non-internet) as well. 6. Unleash a marketing blitz - with social networks, and top bloggers - again, be prepared to spend some serious money. Seriously, I think there is a greater chance of success if you scale down your ambitions to dominate a specific category and focus on providing value there, rather than trying to shake the toes of the DMOZ giant hoping to topple it. Can it be done? Yes, by someone who has the idea, money (serious, serious money), time (years, years) and persistence. If you gain unexpected traction without some of these ingredients, then it is a whole different story - but I would rather buy lottery tickets.
I have nothing against anyone trying something with their site. I am trying to make the biggest Martial Arts directory for instance, and even if there's some serious competition I'm coming after them. The thing that bothers me is the way it looks. I am a designer mostly and the layout in your case needs a serious revamp. It's not ugly, just doesn't yet "yell" unique and doesn't grab my attention ... Work a lot on the links .. I assume you have some DMOZ database dump (a famous feature in some directory scripts). Make sure you put it to good use, it's a useful thing. Ads ... try to NOT put them in our nose that hard. I have ads on my directories too, but try to use some smaller ones that would "complement" the content and not bother my visitors. Since I have the bad habit of entering some serious competition topics myself I'll just wish you best of luck on this and make it happen
.. nice try .. get a good name and a better extension (.org) .... Also dmoz is backed by many searchengines ... do you have some such idea ? putting a lot DMOZ in a site is a good idea (!!) because it is a popular keyword ... haha ... You have to work a lot ... do you have dumped data of dmoz ? Putting ads in such directory is not a good idea either ... you should not put word as dmoz killer ... This is 2007 .. if all go good ... with good handling your site may become another dmoz after 3-5 years (or sooner) .. who knows .. best of luck
Sorry, I admit I'm too tired to have read this whole thread, but I think you should think about the fact that you might be headed down a dead end. In my mind, directories admit defeat. A defeat that isn't real. We're saying algorithms can't handle their vocation. But eventually, in my opinion, they will. Search results are going to get better and every second they do directories will become increasingly useless. Yes I have directories myself. But I would never devote everything to one, because I think they are ultimately heading out the door. Just my thoughts.
Ok, The next change i will make is ultimatly the domain. The current domain does suck. I have read jill_domains post, and i think it contains very useful information, and although i dont have any money at the moment, i will probably start advertising in a year or so's time. Rob
you just want to remember one thing.....altavista was the biggest SE in 1996 until google came along ...