Hey guys. I'm wondering if anyone has a successful and populated business directory up and running? If so, I'm curious as to how you got it up and running and how you got businesses to put their information on it. I started one up a while back and haven't gotten around to advertising it and I see the huge potential it can bring to getting more SEO clients.

Any thoughts?

I don't have any direct experience with these but I do have a close friend that operates a local directory in this area - he cold walks with an iPad and an order form and gets almost every business he approaches to sign up for a free listing. Then he hits them up a week later with an offer to add pictures, videos, and an enhanced profile for a "premium listing" fee, and it works like a charm. Last time we spoke he had over 150 listings at $39 a mo, and it took him about 10 months to get that far. Not bad for a little scratch on the side eh?

Good stuff as usual 7878. I normally hate walking in places but this sounds like a solid plan. If you market your directory right, you would get a good response. That's definitely a workable plan run by your friend. I'm wondering what he offers as an incentive other than prettier online real estate. Does his directory receive good traffic?

Here is a man on BHW which have around 100 above directories own by him self, you can contact him so he can give you a better idea as well, guy name warrichpk

Originally Posted by aStroke

Good stuff as usual 7878. I normally hate walking in places but this sounds like a solid plan. If you market your directory right, you would get a good response. That's definitely a workable plan run by your friend. I'm wondering what he offers as an incentive other than prettier online real estate. Does his directory receive good traffic?

As far as I know there isn't much for traffic. In fact, I'd be willing to bet the real value to his customer's business is negligible. The reason he does so well is because in the grand scheme of things $39 a month is dirt cheap advertising and most people won't think twice about signing up if it's presented the right way. Make it dead simple and make it easy to buy and you're half way there. It also doesn't hurt to have no fear of asking for the sale (we came up in the car biz together so we're both relatively fearless closers). That one step right there is half the battle and yet so many people out there just don't ask for it.

Originally Posted by 7878

As far as I know there isn't much for traffic. In fact, I'd be willing to bet the real value to his customer's business is negligible. The reason he does so well is because in the grand scheme of things $39 a month is dirt cheap advertising and most people won't think twice about signing up if it's presented the right way. Make it dead simple and make it easy to buy and you're half way there. It also doesn't hurt to have no fear of asking for the sale (we came up in the car biz together so we're both relatively fearless closers). That one step right there is half the battle and yet so many people out there just don't ask for it.

I would like to here more

Seb

Hi My name is Warrich and I'm the owner of 200+ Web Directories...First of all Thanks to
theMHR to mention my name its feel good if someone talk about you and your business.
theMHR If you have any website let me know i will give link in all my web directories in very cheap rate.(special discount for you)

All you know that Optimization and making your website top is very hard work its take time money and lot of other things.

So lets talk about Directories there is two things the first one is web directories and other one is local directories and i'm doing web directories business in which i offer to people come to my web directories submit your link and increase your SERP.

The Other one is local web directories in which you just put specific website located in your area.

Both local and web directories take a lot a lot time to make good one you need to do optimization increase ranking and worst part is you need target traffic which takes unfortunately a years.

As far as for me i invest lot of money and i spend 3 years of my life to make directories pr and ranking and now i earning not enough but its good.

if you go back a couple of years web directories and local directories doing very good business but now people don't want to pay money.

so what i suggest you if you want to make local directory where you can put different people website pic and videos like other local directory you can find script over the internet put nice template and your directory is ready...what next? no one will come to your directory...you need to do optimization offer people to list your website for free do TV Advertisement news paper and may be leaf let in your area and all things will take about years and once your local directory is famous then all you need to do is sit in your home and received paid listing...so if you have time and money then do this business.

Hmm I guess if a client was paying a low monthly fee for a 'premium listing' then you could do minimal seo on his directory page so he ranks locally. Maybe on the directory page you could have a 800 number to track results for the client. I would give the client more then one price option. bronze: premium listing. silver: premium listing + google places seo, etc