Help for building Online Business Listing Directory

Yes, I do know what that's like. Thank you.


I also know what it's like to sell 20,000 directory listings. Perhaps you know what that's like?


It all depends on what you promise. If you are selling on the basis of a ton of traffic from search engines , then you may have trouble delivering for awhile, however there are 20 other sales points you can focus on. In truth search engine traffic isn't the best anyway.


Pitching on search engine traffic isn't the only way to pitch and sell.

Is that supposed to be a barrier that prevents people from replicating them and all the money they've spent? Or was you making another point?


You could clone that site and rebrand for a grand or so, so you have all the features. You could then launch a full marketing and sales process to start building it.

You'll have a great product and service for both users and businesses. Check out their paid upgrade packages for businesses and what they charge. They made it so there is value for the business and is an attractive proposition. It's viable and above board.

Some crappy site with no user base that is just one in 10,000 other similarly crap site - how most people build them - come nowhere near to providing what they have.

And them being well financed, so not stop someone with decent capital themselves to invest.

If you combined that with a creating a print directory you could send out to 20,000 - 30,000 people in certain location every month, you could quickly build it and give away free listings, while building and promoted your site and userbase, whilst also monetizing through selling advertising and features in your print document.

Nearly every town has a little independent magazine aimed at letting people knows what's going on, and they are rammed with advertisements and no shortage of people.

When I started looking, I've seen them everywhere, and some, if they are getting full rates as per what they are asking for in their rate cards, must generating 50k plus in ad revenue per issue.

More than enough to build your brand and drive users to your site and have your marketing paid for by others, clear costs by some margin, and make a very healthy profit.


I've had to focus purely on the print aspect with the others sites with pre-launch lead capture pages. and just create the magazine first. Production, researching, writing copy which was mostly a waste of time since I cut it down from 25 pages to 5 last night cause most of it was overkill, building another website, creating the rate card in indesign when I've never used it and didn't realize I could just by a media kit template, have thwarted me getting launched earlier, but I'm nearly there.


You can't build a highly success business without a hell of a lot of investment. People think there's a nice, easy cheap way to do it, but at some point, in a business where you are serving two major segments, businesses and consumers, you are going to need to invest, but you don't need to be a big conglomerate with millions, but you need experience, knowledge and skills to make that smaller budget go further.

I think the model you are talking about is outdated, yellowpages pricing and charging model is also outdated but they can do it becuase they are the big names in most countries.

If possible replicate Yelp on markets were there is no competitor doing the directory+review model (Most developing markets have been ignored, srs)

I think the only potential for directories now is the following:

+ Directories with highly attractive and complete free listings
- Offer top positions to paid listings
- Possibility to add reviews
- Include full Menu or services on the listing
- Integrate with a booking services
- Integrate with Online-Take Out Food delivery companies

Use the directory to attract business and audiences but monetize through other ways

Let me know what you guys think of this approach

I find this interesting and get what you are saying. However look at the overall concepts of "Growth Hacking" with concepts of Acquiring, Retention, and Referral at its core this plays on both sides of the street.

If you are out Acquiring the front end "Directory Listings" and neglecting the actual user end Acquisition you will without question fail at Retention let alone Referral of your directory listers. There is no question there is a balance that has to be made here.

I find that Getting paid directory listings is a fairly simple process. I am not going to say its overly easy.. but it can be done in volume with a good sales system in place. Its the user side of the project that gets a bit more complicated. How do you create the value for your listing clients while creating value for the end user or your clients customers.

I think that is where the game of directories has changed. I think that is the point that most directories fail. There simply is no reason for a end user to use a directory let alone YOUR directory. Like has been said here there are hundreds.. thousands... 10's of thousands of competing sites out there. So what can be done to separate yourself in such a seeming crowded market.

I looked at my competition.. most of it is micro sites. Most of it is thin in content and focused more on the list. Most of it is designed by fools ( in terms of CRO ) Most of it is built by hacks that are looking for the quick dollar and end up pulling out over time.

I have been playing with my concept for a bit over 4 yrs now. I had an initial list of 300 sites that were my "Direct Competitors" ONLY 15 are still up today. The fall out rate is about ridiculous. the idea of looking about and seeing all of that competition and saying.. geeze why bother is in itself short sided.

A long term strategy for success sometimes requires a long term study of the market before jumping in. Getting a better idea of what REALLY is succeeding in the market place and what is failing. TIME can only tell you that. Research can only tell you that.

Even if you do jump in to a market space on a whim ( I do all the time ) its perseverance, determination, and the ability to change up as needed that creates success. More importantly its starting the research of everything around you once you start, and having the ability to pinpoint what didn't around you and why.

Regardless if we are taking a Directory or a Amazon store thing... we are talking business. In many cases the success of business is in the planning and research before you actually build. Demographics play a huge part in brick and mortar success. Store front foot / car traffic can be a huge indicator of success. How many of like business in a market,and how well they prosper, and fail is a good indicator.

The web is the same thing. Not always so easy to find good solid numbers to base a decision on, but the devil is in the details. Market research and analysis is the path to success.