Hi, I have an idea for a directory that I would like to start but it's for a niche that is rather small right now. I can only think of about 6-7 categories. Would it make sense to use a directory script for something with so few categories? Or what would you recommend in this case? Thanks for your opinion. Regards, Sunshine
Rob...the goal is to offer a resource where people can go to when they are searching for something in this particular niche...it would also serve as a place where people who offer this particular service/product can list their site. At the same time I would also want to be able to have some of all of the other features that a link directory offers: sponsored listings, link exchange, etc, etc. Sunshine
Sunshine, Why don't you start smaller with a well categorized links page. Offer a small site review for each different "category". Put each category on a separate HTML page and offer an index of all of the links. Truth be known, this is how many smaller niche directories start. This is how I started on the Internet myself back in 1996. I had a links page that got big enough I categorized it and eventually wrote site reviews. It was a sub page to my own site. Before long it had far more traffic than my personal web page and I set it up on its own domain. About a year later it had reached a couple hundred links and I realized that I could no longer do it by hand. Then I bought software. It eventually had a few thousand links and was comprehensive for the niche. Since then the niche became crowded, I lost interest and the site is no longer but that's how many of the pure niche directories start...
What you've suggested here sounds like a good idea. Would you suggest a script for the links page? If so what kind? Sunshine
The whole idea of using a script is to manage those links. Receiving and handling submissions, reviewing sites and links, sending email messages etc. If you do it by hand you'll just need to get organized, but if you are going to handle just a handful of links, then don't use one.
Having a script generally allow your directory to grow. Otherwise if your listing is only 7 categories, and never going over 20 links per category, then straight up HTML is good enough.
If you do it by hand, I definitely recommend that you also keep an excel spreadsheet (or something similar) with the relevant data such as contact info, date last verified, etc. Whether or not you run a script just depends. The directory scripts is pretty much overkill for anything less than a hundred or so links which are spread out in 5 - 20 categories. I find most niche directories will fall in that category at least for some time. The real question is what your goal will be. If you are wanting to list every possible site in your niche, then get a directory script right up front and save yourself the trouble. If instead you want to find and write about and review the 3 - 5 best sites in each unique area and sub topic of your niche, then I'd say do it by hand, its managable. I might add that the later of the 2 is likely to be of better quality than trying to list all sites/links within the niche.
Thanks guys, what both of you suggested here seems like pretty good advice. Since I've never had a directory before, it helps to have all these opinions to consider. Thanks again, Sunshine
Hi, there's one other thing; many directory scripts give visitors a link to "suggest" a category. You might be able to use a "comments" text box for visitors to suggest a new category when they submit. Just make the feature as prominent as possible, and hopefully your visitors will help build the directory structure for you. Cheers, Paz.
Yeah, this is one of the things I like about many directory scripts - is that it actually allows visitors to help you build the site. It's features like this that I like about the idea of having a directory script, however, everyone seems to think that 6-7 categories is not enough. Regards, Sunshine
I think is better to use a script also for a directory with only 6-7 categories, a good script will allow to manage suggestion better, and allow changes more easily. Only if you don't accept url suggestions a script is not important.