Internet and Businesses Online

Creating online directories has become a serious business. There are may types of directories to choose from which can be created like business directory, article directory, supplier directory, manufacturing directory, retail directory etc. All of these can be quite lucrative.

There are various ways of making money from online directories.

These can be subscription based or free directories depending upon the niche that one selects and the demand in that area. Selection of a niche area constitutes the most important factor in the profitability of a directory.

Some areas are highly competitive. Therefore one has to specialize in one's particular area and provide relevant material. Ultimately inclusion of content constitutes a vital factor in the success of a directory.

What is a directory? A directory is composed of businesses, suppliers, individuals, articles, etc. Generally it is a database in any particular field or in more than one. An article directory is composed of articles from writers and other sites.

The beauty of a website directory is that it presents information relating to any particular area in a very organized way. This is particularly beneficial to persons who are looking for relevant information at one place.

There are numerous places on the internet which can supply information on any particular topic. All of this can be scattered at thousands of places which can be a challenge for any researcher. If all of this information is available at one place, that could really be a boon to users. People will be willing to pay for that type of information as this will save them a considerable amount of time.

Article directory is a niche area and there can be other niche areas within this. One can have a look on sites like EzineArticles.com, helium.com, ideamarketers.com, artilcecity.com etc. There are also related article directories like magazine directory, newsletter directory etc. Selection of a directory depends upon one's choice and aptitude.

As we forward, there is a likelihood of more and more website directories coming into existence. There will be increasing tendency to create in specialized areas. Niches are developing and then there are mini niches within niches. As people will be looking for more detailed information, websites directories will concentrate on making them more and more relevant. Therefore, there is likely to be intense competition.

Creation

? First select a suitable domain name in your niche area and fill it up with keywords
? Then set up a hosting account with some hosting website. Next step relates to the installation of software and a dashboard on the hosting account.
? Create keyword rich categories. For example in an article directory these can be money and finance, real estate, business, health, travel, relationships etc.
? Then upload all the information that one has and start looking around for more information.
? Invite others to contribute to the database.

This is time consuming and may take several months to develop a respectable websites directory. Therefore, one needs to be patient with this. Selection of keywords is quite important. One can use WordTracker or Google Keyword tool.

Monetization of a web site directory is another critical area as the success of any online directory depends upon the amount of revenue that it is able to generate. Use of Google adsense and affiliation with others are two main sources of revenue generation.

Content is the king. The success or otherwise of any website directory is dependent upon this single factor. This will also affect its ranking with search engines.

Creating online directories can be more lucrative. There will be need for special information in special areas. Websites Directories with irrelevant information will get weeded out. Anyone delivering relevant content can profit from internet directories. Though there will undoubtedly be more competition and thriving of hundreds of new directories, the ones with most relevant material will thrive.