I am getting really pissed off. I submitted my directory to hundreds of directories over the course of a couple of years now. All that happened is that my directory lost all it's page rank (it used to have a page rank 3 and get 1-2 featured link submissions a month when it was listed on vilesilencer, on the old vilesilencer layout) . I even spent money buying several paid links but that didn't help either. My directory gets about 80-100 submissions a day, including some spammy reciprocal links but it is getting NO featured links. The traffic is stable and is not growing anymore. Adsense earnings amount to about 25 cents a month, when my directory was listed on vilesilencer (on the old vilesilencer layout) the adsense earnings was about 5-7 bucks a month. I want advice that will help my directory get more featured links and traffic and higher adsense earnings.
I am no expert but in general if it were me i would delete the reciprocal option from your directory. make your regular price say 1 or 2 $ and lower your featured to say 5 $ per review. run a few promos where you can etc. and regardless if you have the best directory in the world if it's not promoted all of the time then people wont find it or will forget about it. and maybe install a blog or other info into the site, just floating ideas.
I confident that your ideas won't help at all. As a matter of fact making the directory paid will only kill whatever traffic I do have since I will lose my place in vilesilencer and other free directory lists. Also, I do promote my directory all the time already! Ya install a blog, like thats going to make a world of a difference! It's a directory not a blog, installing a blog will do nothing!
SEO my man, do some seo on your website if you want to increase traffic and money. Even try to make the design more cooler. Lets see what else... I'm actually looking at your site and giving you feedback. umm... honestly, the best best things to do is have polls and surveys so you can find out what more your visitors want to see from the directories. Remember, Viewers first Money Second. Don't be like the other directory makers who think about money first, thats why directories is a hard business.
Here is what I would do: 1) remove adsense 2) enable url_rewrite from admin 3) update your directory script 4) clean your directory for junk websites (pharmacy, adult, etc) 5) redirect indian traffic to Disneyland 6) stop wasting time with free directories 7) work on harder to promote your directory 8) review websites, not just mass-approve them waiting for the featured submissions to come 9) get a decent theme 10) maybe add some deep link options 11) take care of duplicate content & add some quality content Just my honest opinion
OK, I saw your directory, and it has very General categories, so it will be percieved as another directory along with the other 25'000 or whatever the number is. That's your No.1 problem. As a potential user, I will first judge you by your homepage, and that matters big-time, so don't ingnore it. I'm being honest, I see nothing quality here, it looks like all the others eg: same categories, similar homepage style, adsense blocks etc - straight away you look like an affiliate - not a professional business, it looks like all the other directories out there which is not good. I think if you're straight, you'll agree that you don't specialise at all, and you need to if you want to make money, although that's the worst attitude to take on the web, because people want stuff for free. Being the same doesn't give you an edge, and you need one badly or your career in the publishing world will be short. It's my opinion that even if people are finding you, they are arriving and thinking "This is the same thing that I keep running into, this is nothing special" so they leave, brutal yes, but a fact on the web. You need to be able to sell this easily, and if your the same as the rest, it will be impossible, as it sounds like even the webmasters aren't biting, and that's really bad if they won't. Forget this crap about blogs, joining lists etc as you are running a directory, a resource doing a service and not writing a personal blog here. You need to do something special, you gotta think like a businessman, not a teenager looking to cream off some adsense bucks. You admitting that you make naff all money, tells you that something is wrong with your site, and not just the little things either. The general directory trend was over years ago, and the thousands that are failing plus that they all hit the forums looking for tips, is even more fact this doesn't work. Now, your site can be turned around, but it needs a whole new idea for it to work or it will fail. Publishing is a precise, detailed business and not something that can be done in 5 mins with a cheap script website. Good luck
One thing that could help also is having your site listed at alivedirectory.com,journaldirectory.com,avivadirectory.com,ewebpages.org, romow.com etc,... Why would it help? Because SEO companies tend to look at other directories in those directories, when they know they have invested money getting their sites on high quality directories like I mention above they will also go to yours, the money invested will surely pay off. As they say-- To make money, you got to spend money as they have.
If we are talking about DirectoryFire there are a few things you can do. As others have already said you need to look at your directory from the view of your visitors. My suggestions will mean you will need to put in some work and spend some money. 1. A new custom theme for your directory with a professional logo to improve your branding. DirectoryFire is a great name for a directory so build on that. 2. Review your categories, take a look at what areas are popular and expand them. 3. Be strict on who you approve, it's hard work but will pay of in the future. 4. Look for on topic backlinks, as you said yourself vilesilencer helped your site, find others like it. 5. Slowly slowly catchy monkey Hope this helps.
General directories won't really get targeted traffic aside from the submitters. And the submitters won't submit featured links if your directory is full of spammy links and sites with poor editing. Also they'll never click on Adsense ads as webmasters never really do. If you want Adsense money create a niche directory and add loads (thousands) of links and unique articles related to your niche. Google will send you hundreds of targeted visits to the categories and articles then you will see high paying, genuine clicks.
There are thousands of directories out there. It would help if you can do something unique and valuable to your target audience. There is not enough business to support all directories in existance. Why pay for yours? When you can give a good answer to that question, use it to promote and brand your site.
Honestly, from a fresh point of view, your site looks very plain and looks like cutting-edge 1990 website material. It needs a massive face uplift in front page design to say the least. Install some plug-ins that will make the script do some snazzy things or something. Find something unique to that directory. The name is really cool; you need to RE BRAND it. Your adsense is not working and your directory is very general. Take a look at other popular directory sites and take one thing away from them that you like and ask yourself if you can implement some new ideas... Im sure by now that most other posters have given you a harsh but constructive criticism. Don't take it personal.
What people generally will not tell you is you wont make any money from a directory that is google smacked. Most people still have PR envy as sad as it is. This theory about submitting to high priced directories in hopes of traffic will not help much either because you get very little traffic from directories. Most people are lucky to break even running a directory unless they have many friends that help to "fudge the numbers". I cant be bothered to explain what I mean by that term but many know exactly what I am talking about.
Fire directory, I expected to see lots of red, yellow and/or orange. Done well, that could help to brand you. Instead I see a plain-ish red banner on a boring default-looking blue and white template. Never put those big units on the homepage above the proverbial fold, IMHO it brands you in a negative way. I would never submit to your directory because there is way too much stuff in the wrong places. Instead of looking for a magic bullet solution, you are going to have to roll-up your sleeves and do some work with your database. You should never assume submitters are putting their listing in the right place! Cell phone reviews in the marketing category? A gift shop in the photography category? I would suspect that is also why you lost your place on VileSilencer. Dan warned folks to clean up their categories or face removal. You should have heeded his advice and warning. Off topic listings and reciprocal links are probably why you also received the Google penalty.
Better but does not quite do the name justice. I could imagine a very hot design for a name like that.
SEO and constantly monitor the submissions for quality links Announce free submissions in Dp and related sites. Also put some free resources and articles in your directory These might help you to get good google results