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No more annual listings

Discussion in 'Directories' started by JohnScott, May 18, 2007.

  1. #1
    I submit to a lot of directories, from Yahoo! and Umdum to DMOZ and rlrouse.

    I don't submit to BOTW, and haven't for a while now, because of the annual listing charge.

    But now it seems a lot of web directory owners are going the annual listing route. I have held off saying this for a while now, because I consider most of these web directory owners friends. But it needs to be said:

    Yearly renewal fees are beyond stupid. The spirit of annual renewal fees - well, it feels like greed to me.

    And the "review fee" is bogus, a lie. If a website is listed in your directory, you should be reviewing it on a monthly basis anyway.

    Now, let's do the math. Say a directory charges $69.95 per year. That's $349.75 for five years, and $699.50 for 10 years.

    Now, for arguments sake, compare that to Umdum's $40.00 one time fee. I can say without a shred of doubt that Umdum sends me more traffic and more link juice than 90% of annual-renewal directories out there, and at a discount of $659.50 over 10 years.

    But more than that, it is a matter of principle for me. If I pay for a review, it should be a review. If it's accepted, it's accepted. But with these BOTW type directories, these clowns actually remove your link if you don't pay the fee.

    Even Yahoo! doesn't remove links, but these people do, making it obvious that they are not in the directory business, but in the link-leasing business.

    Why remove the listing if you aren't in it for the money. I have two full time and one part time editor ADDING sites, searching for and adding sites on the basis of heir merits. So the idea of removing a site just seems absurd.

    I mean, was it removed because it did not add value to your directory? If so why the hell did you approve the listing in the first place?
     
    JohnScott, May 18, 2007 IP
  2. SasaVtec

    SasaVtec Notable Member

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    #2
    Added you to YIM about a month ago to ask you about this, ut never seen you come on. Thanks for the info.
     
    SasaVtec, May 18, 2007 IP
  3. JohnScott

    JohnScott Notable Member

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    #3
    To ask me about annual renewal? I wish I would have got your message. I disliked 'em before, but now it's a passionate hatred.
     
    JohnScott, May 18, 2007 IP
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  4. SasaVtec

    SasaVtec Notable Member

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    #4

    Yea, wanted to know what you though of annual and perm.
     
    SasaVtec, May 18, 2007 IP
  5. JohnScott

    JohnScott Notable Member

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    #5
    Well now you know. :p
     
    JohnScott, May 18, 2007 IP
  6. Blonde Jon

    Blonde Jon Active Member Affiliate Manager

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    #6
    Well said John Scott. I won't submit any sites to directories that charge yearly fees. :)
     
    Blonde Jon, May 18, 2007 IP
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  7. wokaka

    wokaka Peon

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    #7
    me too of course. they are greedy people...
     
    wokaka, May 18, 2007 IP
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  8. JohnScott

    JohnScott Notable Member

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    #8
    Awesome :)

    I don't want to say greedy, but it feels greedy. I think it's just a bit misguided. Squeezing the orange a little to hard.
     
    JohnScott, May 18, 2007 IP
  9. stock_post

    stock_post Prominent Member

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    #9
    I would like to clarify on this.

    My directories are free, but I do charge for Sponsored link.

    And sponsored part expire after one year that does not take the link off (I would like to make it that way)

    Is that make sense?

    If I make my directories paid (in future, I hope) I would like to take regular links for one time fee but if you like to be listed in the top of category I may charge and that part would exire every year.
    -- This is just a future plan!

    Does this sound OK?

    Thanks
     
    stock_post, May 18, 2007 IP
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  10. banless

    banless Peon

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    #10
    I'll agree with the fact that annual fee's are a bad idea for directories. However, if a directory is doing constant promotion to keep the site in front of the buying market then you can not blame a directory owner for charging that. Some directories can justify these fees, but most of them out there can not.

    I disagree with yahoo not deleting listings, they do in fact delete your site if you do not keep paying. Now maybe some sites are grandfathered in and therefore will never be removed, but I have seen them remove sites from the directory before.

    Although I perfer a one time fee in certain cases, I am not against charging an annual fee, but only if that price can be justified. Some of the older directories are only tring to use their rep to get sales and most of them no longer promote their directory. Now a days it is all about keeping your name out there, if you are not doing that, then you should not be charging an annual fee.
     
    banless, May 18, 2007 IP
  11. JohnScott

    JohnScott Notable Member

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    #11
    I've never had them remove a site, but that's just my own experience. If you say they remove, I'll take your word for it.
     
    JohnScott, May 18, 2007 IP
  12. an0n

    an0n Prominent Member

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    #12
    John, come submit to my yearly Web Directory

    ;)

    (i promise to fix the previews on the submit if you do)
     
    an0n, May 18, 2007 IP
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  13. JohnScott

    JohnScott Notable Member

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    #13
    *Giving you the evil eye*

    :)
     
    JohnScott, May 18, 2007 IP
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  14. onedollar

    onedollar SEO Consultant for Hire

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    #14
    You are right on this John and instead of charging an annual listing, a one-time listing charges would otherwise prompt one to submit multiple listings in the directory where as if this is a recurring annual one, it all adds up quite fast and the submitter might hesitate a little bit :)

    I too always prefer one-time prices :)
     
    onedollar, May 18, 2007 IP
  15. amitpatel_3001

    amitpatel_3001 Results Follow Patience

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    #15
    John i would support you point in regards to yearly listings, but you can find couple leader directories also offering yearly listings and i dont think they will stop that
     
    amitpatel_3001, May 18, 2007 IP
  16. banless

    banless Peon

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    #16
    To be honest I can only name of few sites that have been doing some heavy promo on a constant basis over the last year and that is alive, avivia and romow. These directories charge an annual fee but I think they can justify this because they keep on pushing and show no signs of slowing down, at least not yet.

    Sites like this deserve to be paid for the amount of work that they put into their directories, and we all know that promo is a big part of success on the internet. No directory can succeed without constant support from submitters and as long a directory is showing dedication to providing it's submitters with quality over quantity then an annual fee is justified.

    And although I do not allow annual listings on index-it.net I can not get mad at those that do.
     
    banless, May 18, 2007 IP
  17. vegabond

    vegabond Shabu Anower

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    #17
    Well Said John :)

    @ banless ~ Romow is not charging annual fee ;)
     
    vegabond, May 18, 2007 IP
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  18. banless

    banless Peon

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    #18
    Featured listings are an annual fee on romow.com. http://www.romow.com/submit.php
     
    banless, May 18, 2007 IP
  19. vegabond

    vegabond Shabu Anower

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    #19
    ahh, John is not talking about Featured listings :D

    We don't delete featured links after expiration, they are listed as a regular links after expire date. Romow is same.

    In my directories Featured listing charge is for 1 year.
     
    vegabond, May 18, 2007 IP
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  20. banless

    banless Peon

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    #20
    Maybe I misread, but I do not recall the thread clarifying what kind of listings he was talking about. My understanding is that annual means a recurring fee, in other words you will be charged on a yearly basis. If links are not deleted if they no longer pay then that is a good thing and the way it should be.

    Sorry if I misread this thread.
     
    banless, May 18, 2007 IP
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