building a local directory, for income and lead generation

[kelvin brown]

I moved back to Muskogee, Oklahoma from D.C. The internet market is, let's say different.

I have been into niche directories for about 12 years. I had one when I moved here, but because of various situations I did not do much with it.

Then last month I found new software, that mainly took advantage of wordpress. After waiting on a few promised updates, I decided to get moving. The result is http://www.MuskogeeDirectory.com

My main goal is simple: Be the best local directory available online. Meeting this, the other items will take care of themselves.

For me a local directory can generate income in 2 basic ways:
1# from charging for listings
2# expert exposure for selling bigger ticket packages, consulting, hosting, etc

The main thing is to be known as the go to place to look for local .... businesses, etc.
This means being known offline as well as on. Putting decals in store windows, bumper stickers, small newspaper ads, etc.
Including speaking engagements, free and paid, joining local biz groups, such as the chamber of commerce.

Online, you (I) intend to own the keyword phrases surrounding (Muskogee), in google. So, that if you search for "hair care in muskogee", my directory comes up on the first page repeatedly.

Given time, i can survive on the recurring fees, and build on the upsells.

This is my basic plan.

Kelvin

[OpLeads]

Another amazing Classified WordPress theme is WPClassiPress (aff. link). & WPClassiPress (non aff. link).

I have been using it for several of my lead generation sites (from real estate, jobs to used cars) since V.2 and with the latest upgrades (v.3.1) it has become amazing.

[aweb]

thanks for the theme links.. i've been looking for this type of thing!

[Cato]

Good luck with this.
Here where i live (in Europe, Estonia) directories are really good business.
How they work is this...

+ Dominate google first page with every searchable business keyword. (Site in site Model)
+ Dominate Google adwords with every possible business oriented keyword.

= Have a sales team who sells there positions on minisite to businesses (they add text and banner)
= Collect money monthly.

Good luck

¤Cato¤

[kelvin brown]

This is a copy of a post I made in another forum, that I though I would share the strategy here.

=====================================

I added some new domains to my local niche. I had slowed down on buying new domains, but I decided to add a different strategy.

I live in muskogee and my directory of course is about muskogee.
So, I purchased:

www.InMuskogee.com (not yet live)

In is one of those words that sometime seemed to be ignored by search engines, and sometimes not used by searches, in both cases it usually yields different results.

I did some test searches and keyword competition and search looks and found it was used, and when it is it gets very specific.

In most cases this domain will point to my money site.

But for my SEO clients, it is a good place to post an extra mention (ad, page info, etc)

It is also a place to sell a redirect.

examples are:

Plumbers.InMuskogee.com I could work on having all things plumbing point to my main site, www.MuskogeeDirectory.com

or I could add a list of the top 3 (paying) plumbers to the site.

or, I could just lease out the subdomain to a full page advertiser.

But, I expect that the best use is to make it search engine friendly, because probably 95% of it's structure, heavily keyworded is really for search engines to return a 1 page listings, and of course direct you to my main site.

Kelvin

[MrPhelps]

A casual search of several In<cityname> domains (instantdomainsearch.com) shows they're taken. The sites are just parking pages for the domain names.

[Steve]

Kelvin - thanks for posting and all the best with your directory there!

I spent years researching directories and never really found one that did just what I wanted, but the wordpress theme you're using and the other classipress theme are almost perfect in my book, although you can do a pretty nice directory with just wordpress alone.

Do you have enough traffic to justify charging for listings? That's always tricky when you're starting out because you need business listings to get traffic, yet you can't really justify charging for listings until you get good traffic coming your way.

Hope all is going well with you and your directory there!

Steve

[kelvin brown]

Hi Steve,

Depends on the business model as to if you have enough traffic.

For instance, if your prospect is no hits at all, and you can send them even 100 visitors a month and the convert one, is it good for that prospect.

Part of what I am doing right now, is not about traffic at all, but leasing them a full page, which for some may be there only site, and it is up to them to promote their particular link. In this case, lets say I setup a page for steve. example only www.muskogee.com/steve That is your page, you can promote that, and that's your page, no hassle. And in turn you are helping to build links to my main directory.


Or if you choose, you can buy a domain, www.stevesdomain.com and point it to your page. Still works for both of us.

Do I have the traffic I want right now, no. But that will change shortly, or well, maybe 90 days, as I take on another level of promotion starting in about 2 weeks.

Kelvin

[kelvin brown]

Another thing, using the processes of SEO that I am using, my directory, will have in many cases 2 - 3 listing on google first page for various searches. In some cases more. Basically, I am looking to saturate the first page with a direct link or 2nd level link back to the directory. @nd level, being links of properties I do not own, such as social bookmarking, links from yahoo video, youtube video, twitter, etc.

As well as some truly offline marketing such as my upcoming 1 minute tip on terrestrial radio.

kelvin

[Don Alm]

Thanks Dexx....

[kelvin brown]

Hi Don,

Good stuff.

I was just touching up on an article and one paragraph basically says not much is new on the internet. The concepts of old are simply re-worked with new tools. People think social networking is new. But it is as old as time. Only the tools have changed.

Kelvin

[txsigma41]

how has that theme worked for you so far? it seems as if its geared towards classified listings and not business directories. the Vantage theme on that page looks pretty promising, once its released

Another amazing Classified WordPress theme is WPClassiPress (aff. link). & WPClassiPress (non aff. link).

I have been using it for several of my lead generation sites (from real estate, jobs to used cars) since V.2 and with the latest upgrades (v.3.1) it has become amazing.

[DavidCarrington]

Has anyone tried clicking this link the OP posted? http://www.MuskogeeDirectory.com

My computer suggests that something is trying to attack my computer when I go there.

[SJG]

Mine does the same. Use firefox as browser.

[Steve]

Looks as if that directory site was hacked and is now redirected to http://webarh.com/z.php - which causes the warning prompt we're seeing.

And if it's not been hacked - something funny is up and hopefully the OP is aware of what's going on.

Steve

[DavidCarrington]

Mine does it using Firefox, AOL and IE. It's the site, not the browser.

[Cato]

Yeah.

Chrime Warns about malware infection.

So dont GO there, when you dont want to get infected!

[Don Alm]

Thanks Dexx....

[Jimian]

Looks as if that directory site was hacked and is now redirected to http://webarh.com/z.php - which causes the warning prompt we're seeing.

And if it's not been hacked - something funny is up and hopefully the OP is aware of what's going on.

Steve

Yeah, you ain't gonna get too many hits with that WARNING!

[Infoseek]

I have been using Geo-Places theme for my local directories and they are moving along with a newer multi-city version that rocks!


Geo Local



Let me know if you have any questions ?


Jcolome