If you had 500 unique visitors per day for a business directory website

█ SafePBN - PBN on different shared hosting company
█ 100% no bad neighborhood | host pbn at safest
█ MultipleCloud - Multiple location hosting provider
█ 200+ worldwide location | different server | different ip owner | best for pbn

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8895176].message }}

Mark Tandan

10 years ago

Definitely monetize through ads - with a listing that comprehensive coupled with traffic, there will be advertisers lining up to get visibility on your site.

Thanks

Signature

Get Your Free Ultimate Affiliate Marketing Cheat Sheet!

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8895466].message }}

Ripster

10 years ago

You can place AdSense ads on the site to make an income.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8895868].message }}

Mohsin Rasool

10 years ago

Exactly go for premium paid listings!

However if this business directory is not very unique and is just a source for link building
for those businesses and if traffic is mostly from the website webmaster/SEO guys then
I can tell you from my past experince it is the hardest traffic to convert, as they mostly there are to add link, edit profile and only interested to change their business listing and move on to next directory to do the same.

I wish you good luck with the monitization of this site, if you have real unique traffic
of real users coming to the site to look for other businesses then you really can show
this to top free businesses listed and upsell them for enhanced exposure for their business listing so they can convert all those traffic into hot leads.

Best Regards,
Mohsin

Thanks

Signature

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8895870].message }}

SEOArbiterJoanne

10 years ago

Ads + premium listings for sure.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8931840].message }}

Artesh

10 years ago

Thanks for the responses. The website is actually getting real users and it seems to be growing fast now 700 visitors per day with some leads ie. both real users asking questions and businesses asking to edit their listings. The questions i have for you guys are

1) i hate it when i see ads cluttering up websites so is there a number or amount of adds you shoot for and is adsense really the best way to go?
2) like every here is suggesting i would do featured listings and enhanced capabilities but how are the enhanced listings usually priced initially? any suggestions as far as starting point for placing businesses on the home page or in top of the category page with this amount of users?
3) Any out of the box ideas you guys have seen that have worked with directory websites?
4) I don't want to charge businesses for basic editing of their listings but should i charge for website links or things of that nature?

Cheers

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8932538].message }}

tahir100 10 years ago

Adsense is one of the best strategies to monetize directory sites. I run a few directory sites monetized with enhanced listings and adsense. I charge clients $20 - $35 per month for enhanced listing, but I do not charge them for amendments/editing to their listings. As my sites are mini directory sites each targeting a local niche, I have kept my charges at lower side.
- Thanks
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8939041].message }}

Danny Cutts

10 years ago

I would be charging to have the listings....

Even if its $17 a year you will make good money :-)

Thanks

Signature

Come and See me on Facebook... Come and See me at my blog...

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8939321].message }}

Artesh

10 years ago

Would you guys consider placing affiliate links from clickbank or shareasale on a directory site as opposed to adsense?

As far as ads what are average CTR rates for directory sites using adsense? what would you look to make just with adsense to benchmark ad placement?

When monetizing with ads do you generally just goto adsense or would it make more sense to go onto buysellads when the traffic is large enough?

Thanks
2 replies

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9027805].message }}

alexshawn1216 10 years ago

I prefer google ads and focus more on the quality of the sites submitted, follow the direction what dmoz directory did, meanwhile, offer advertize options for people who interested in ads on your website.
- Thanks
Signature
China dropshipping fulfillment agent 1688 agent www.shipant.com
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9027814].message }}
Jason Freeman 10 years ago

I think you can do better than adsense. I agree with the enhanced listings. On buysell ads you could offer placement for companies or other websites.

Look at all the different affiliate programs and find things that your visitors would be interested in.

What are they searching for when they come to your directory? Whether it's services or products there is likely an affiliate program for it.
- Thanks
Signature
Finally An Affiliate Wordpress Plugin That Works With Adsense, Amazon, Clickbank, CJ, Ebay, and more!!!

Get Tons of Views To Your Videos With This FREE Wordpress Plugin!!!
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9027822].message }}

dvduval

10 years ago

I would be interested in which pages of the site the traffic is visiting. For example, some directories get a lot of hits to their submit pages, but not to their actual content pages. And there can be some tricks to enticing even this traffic to visit other parts of the site.

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

It is okay to contact me! I have been developing software since 1999, creating many popular products like phpLD.

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9027819].message }}

Artesh

10 years ago

Originally Posted by dvduval

I would be interested in which pages of the site the traffic is visiting. For example, some directories get a lot of hits to their submit pages, but not to their actual content pages. And there can be some tricks to enticing even this traffic to visit other parts of the site.

Almost every visitor i have comes into the individual listing pages. I chose/filtered through businesses in my niche that don't have an internet presence and i actually preloaded the directory with these businesses information so that there would be some initial visitors and it has worked so far.

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9027832].message }}

hustlinsmoke

10 years ago

First I would start banner advertising. daily visitors / 10 for each ad spot. Start there and you can move up slowly. so 500 / 10 = 50 bucks per ad.
I would also put mouse tracking software and a heat map on the site, this way you can find where the hottest parts of the site are to put ads and make sure it has a counter so you know your counts per page.

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9027821].message }}

Artesh

10 years ago

Originally Posted by hustlinsmoke

First I would start banner advertising. daily visitors / 10 for each ad spot. Start there and you can move up slowly. so 500 / 10 = 50 bucks per ad.
I would also put mouse tracking software and a heat map on the site, this way you can find where the hottest parts of the site are to put ads and make sure it has a counter so you know your counts per page.

So you mean you expect $50 per ad per month? are you referring to adsense?How many ads would you place?

Thanks

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9027836].message }}

shankar48

Banned 10 years ago

[DELETED]

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9035679].message }}

jasons 10 years ago

1. Biz listing is free to set up.
2. Advertise the biz across all plforms fb ub all
3. Charge the biz 5000 double there month by leveraging mine
4. Give them 10,000 right after they gave you 5000

Help them scale

Jason R Szova
- Thanks
Signature

Want to make money online dropshipping with instagram influencers. If so PM Me
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9035692].message }}

Michael Garett

10 years ago

Ads Ads Adq, monetize through Ads, this is my advice

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9035768].message }}

DeePower 10 years ago

You could do what angieslist.com does. It's a listing of services such as cleaning, landscaping, plumbers, dentists, and so forth. The listing is free. However, if you want your business to show up in the top three in your category you have to pay for it.

Dee
- Thanks
Signature

FREE Pump Up Your Profits With PLR
Are You a Writer? Then you need this FREE guide Convert Your Words to Ca$H Make Money Writing Online
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9036099].message }}