I am wondering what I should do for pricing. I am planning on 3.99 for a featured link, $1 for a regular link, and then the free link option will require a link back. This would in my eyes keep out the rift draft sites like spam, hackers, etc... because they have to actually do something to get in whether its pay a small fee or post a link back. What do you guys think about this method and would you use it?
Most of your submittions are coming from a submission services, therefore they wont be paying at any rate you set, however someone will come along that is not from a submission services and will submit sites but you wont get many of them unless you advertise and are well known. It's a good idea to set prices on your directory and stick to it. I had 3 free directories and turned one as payed. The payed one got a couple submittions that actually payed. It went from 150 submittions in a day to, well 1 a day after it became payed. lol the other 2 free ones are getting nearly 120 submission a day, both have ads, even though I been approving sites, no one really is clicking on the ads that I have in both sites, this should tell you that most submitters are not very greatfull even though you are providing a free service, you figure they would be greatfull enough to click an ad or two, but they don't. So, if your patient, keep the prices LOW and build your back link and advertise like hell. One day they will come and they will submit to your payed directory.
At this point in time, if your directory is new and have submitted in places like directory critic and such's, there is a good change your submitters are from a submission services(96%), which have one goal in mind..to submit to a free directories.
People will pay as much as few hundreds dollar for listing in a good directory, on the other hand, they will never even bother to pay for listing in a mediocrely normal / bad directory. I'd said build your directory's reputation and branding up first..then charge as much as you like