Tips Guides

Are you looking to increase traffic to your website? Does your online business need more exposure than it’s currently getting? To jump start your business and see your number of online visitors skyrocket, try using an online website directory service.

An online website directory service is a website that features every type of business imaginable. From dog food to florists, all of the business websites are neatly categorized into headings and subheadings.

The category system of organization helps the online website directory to be as user friendly as possible. It offers up a wealth of information in a manner that is easy to understand.

It is important for web surfers to find the information they desire quickly and easily. Website directories are constructed to make a visitor’s experience convenient and hassle free. The pleasant experience a potential customer encounters when using a website directory will directly affect their overall impression of your business.

If you are affiliated with a directory that is well-designed and easy to use, it makes your business look professional. If you are listed on a sub-par site that is cluttered and chaotic, it will make your business look unorganized and give a bad impression to your potential clients.

Often, the best online website directory service is one that listens to the needs of its visitors. For instance, if a web surfer sees that a new category is needed for a certain group of businesses, the website should make it easy for them to submit their suggestions.

After all, their ease of use on the website translates into web traffic for their valued advertisers. Make sure the online directory you choose to list your business with cares about the satisfaction of their visitors.

Many online website directory services also allow their users to rank and review the websites they frequent. If you have a particularly good website, listing it on a directory service is a must. It will earn you the positive feedback that your online content deserves.

Another convenient feature that is offered by a good online website directory service is a search tool. Imagine if a potential client was looking for your website through the directory, but couldn’t remember the exact name of your business. The client could simply go back to the directory and type in as much of your business’ name as could be remembered.

Because there are far fewer competitors listed in an online website directory than in a huge search engine, clients are far more likely to find your website again. In this manner, an online website directory service makes you easier to find online than lots of the competition.

In fact, some directories offer more than a simple, standard search feature. The best directories offer an advanced search option, sometimes called a power search, that allows visitors to search by a person’s name, e-mail address or business category. This is very useful if a potential client can remember your e-mail address, but not your business’ name or phone number.

Often, you can add your business’ website to an online directory service for free. The directory will provide you with a back link to your website at no cost to you, just like registering your domain name for free with the major search engines. So, if there’s no charge, listing your website on a directory is a no-brainer.

This article was written by Jay Gaulard on behalf of http://www.experato.com , a popular website directory.

Submitting your site to web directories for SEO purposes is a tried and true way to increase your link popularity and ranking in the search engines. There are, however, some pitfalls to avoid.

Here are some tips that will prevent you from “spinning your wheels”, as it were, in the directory submission game.

First of all, do not fall for offers to “submit your web site to 10 thousand web directories for only $24.95!”. The submissions are usually done using software, and the majority of them will be rejected by the directory owners for being in the wrong category, not following the guidelines, etc. Even if they happen to actually hand-submit (yeah, right) the directories are always completely useless from an SEO standpoint.

Unless you happen upon a brand new one, they are almost always saturated (meaning they have too many pages of listings that the search engines will never crawl deep enough to find).

In most cases the directories will only be around for a short period of time. They usually stick around just long enough for the owner to get tired of rummaging through the submissions before realizing that there is very little profit from it, then letting the domain expire.

Besides the above reasons, the search engines do not favor these directories at all, and even if they somehow manage to find your link among the numbers it will not count for much.

Now that you know what to avoid, here are some tips for finding quality directories. First, we will talk about the “elite” directories that everyone knows about- The Yahoo! Directory, The Open Directory Project (Dmoz.org) and Best Of The Web (BOTW.org). These directories are well known, and the search engines love them for sure. These are the three directories any serious webmaster needs to have a listing in.

The only one of the three above mentioned that is not a “pay-per-inclusion” directory is the Open Directory Project. The problem with the ODP, however, is it’s lack of reliability. It is run by volunteers who receive no compensation for the work they do. Therefore, many of the thousands of categories have no volunteers, and because of the lack of compensation many of the volunteers often neglect the project or are just plain lackadaisical about it altogether. Needless to say, getting a listing in the ODP is a crap shoot. But it is definitely worth a try, as many of the search engines put a measure of trust in sites listed in the ODP.

The Yahoo! Directory is another one that grabs Google’s attention for sure, some believe more so than the ODP. A listing in the Yahoo! directory is quite expensive, however. At the time of this writing it will set you back $300 yearly. But if you are serious about your site, it is worth the investment.

Last but not least, we have the Best Of The Web directory. This is an old directory (started in 1994) with lots of high quality inbound links, and is a favorite of many SEO enthusiasts. At the time of this writing, there is a one-time review and inclusion fee of $240. Another great investment.

Now that we are familiar with some of the top general web directories, let’s talk about finding other great directories. There are plenty of lists out there, just Google “list of directories”. But before spending any money for inclusion fees, here are some things to look for.

First of all, the age of the directory should be looked into. You can usually obtain this information by finding out when the domain was first registered. The older the better in this case.

Next, make sure the directory has plenty of quality inbound links from other authority sites, because some of this “link juice” will be passed on to your site. Lastly, make sure the directory is “SEO friendly”.

If the link to your site utilizes a tracking URL, the link may not be counted by the engines. Also, watch out for saturated directories and ones that use the “nofollow” attribute.

These same principals apply to niche directories. Niche directories are great because they are on-topic, and there are a lot of authority niche directories out there. To find these directories within your web sites niche, Google your keywords and put “directory” after it.

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It is not difficult to find an advertising service or method that is economical as well as efficient. All you need to do is have some articles ready to be place on article directory sites, this will increase your Internet presence and visibility.

You can increase traffic to your Internet website and develop a steady stream of purchasing clients by have a variety of articles that are related to your website or business place on article directories or directory submission sites. The great part of this is that it is a cost free way of advertising unless you are paying for the articles to be written on your behalf.

Search Engine Spider Magnet

Tools, known as search engine spiders go through the Internet searching for keywords and links. They collect and identify information on websites in order to help those that search the Internet for specific terms know the web pages the terms are found. When you submit to article directories you can use articles that are rich in keywords and link them to your website through the description and also through the resource information box. The ability to track and even quantify the value of the keywords you use and the link on your site is something that the major search engines are able to do. The more visitors you have to your site the stronger your site becomes and the more important it becomes to the search engines… this in essence brings more visitors and more purchasing customers.

Web Site Index

The ranking or linking process that gets your website noticed by search engines is what Indexing your website is about. When you submit to directory submission sites it is a way of speeding up the indexing and when your site is indexed submitting to article directories is a way to improve and increase the rankings of your site in the indexes. Algorithms are used to measure whether web pages meet the standard and quality, and what each search engine uses is different from the other. When you use a service that specializes in creating articles and submitting them to various directories then you can improve your chances of having an effective index for your Internet presence.

Economics

Directory submission sites can either be free or request payment to post your articles. You can use either type of site no matter what your budget is. Free is a great price, no argument here, however even though it may seem that using a free site is the best there are time that paying a fee to get your articles posted may be a more sound financial decision. The reason is that directory submission sites that charge fees most times have a much higher page ranking from search engines and this will make them show up higher on the search engine results page (SERP). What this means for you is that you article will also come out higher on the search results when a search is done on the keywords that you have in your article.

Beating the competition

There are times when as a business owner you stop and think about your competitors doing better than you. They seem to be getting more customers to their site and they are selling more of their services or products. If you use a directory submission service then you can get out ahead of your competition. Giver you website a facelift to make sure that you presenting an image of your business that attracts the customers. Then make sure that you get some articles submitted to the article directories so that you become noticed on the Internet.

Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of Be Successful News, a site that provides information and articles on how to succeed in your own home or small business.

The bathroom is flooded, you have no hot water, the lights won’t work or the roof is leaking. For many people that is just the beginning of their woes. Suddenly you have an emergency on your hands, but what next? A journey into the unknown…

House related emergencies leave the best of us feeling helpless. You don’t know where to turn. Yet you have to find a tradesman to sort out the mess and fix your problems. You need someone who will put your mind at rest and do an efficient, reliable job. If you are a woman, or elderly, you may feel particularly exposed to being overcharged or having a botched job done. An AXA Insurance survey found that on average women are charged 20% more than men for an emergency job.

In days gone by your only option was to flick through Yellow Pages and cross your fingers that you got a good guy. Now there are far better alternatives. Yes you want a name and number quickly. But you need someone you can trust. Someone with a good reputation to maintain.

There are an increasing number of websites offering tradesmen who are recommended and rated by other users. These sites provide reassurance, not just contact details. For women and the elderly it can be a daunting experience inviting someone into your home when you already feel stressed and unsure of what the problem is.

Online ratings services allow you to read feedback on tradesmen, written by past customers who want to share their experience. And the tradesmen signing up to these sites want to set themselves apart. They want it known that they do a good job, are honest and reliable.

Online ratings services are a great way for women to feel more empowered when choosing a tradesman to sort out the mess. The person who turns up will understand that if they do a good job and gain your trust you are likely to leave good feedback about them. This will help them to build their reputation and grow a strong and successful business.

Getting someone trustworthy to sort out the mess is great, but how else can you take control just when you are at your most vulnerable?

Firstly keep calm. Every problem has its solution. Secondly remember you are employing a tradesman to sort out a problem for you. Even though you are dealing with an emergency, don’t feel that someone has come round to “help”. You have asked them to do a job and that is what you are paying for. Third, it is easy to feel overly grateful and you shouldn’t let anyone make you feel any worse about the situation than you already do. Finally consider asking the tradesman to do the minimum needed to stop the problem. Then sort out a longer term solution once the panic is over. Don’t be talked into an expensive new boiler or rewiring in the heat of the moment.

So don’t make domestic headaches a journey into the unknown. Get to know a bit about the person who is coming to fix your leaks and broken down appliances before letting them into your home. Use a website that lets you find out whether they are trustworthy, honest and competent. Arm yourself with information about them and have confidence in your choice of tradesman.

Gone are the days when you helplessly rang a random number from a business directory, hoping for some response. Now you can take control of the situation and pick the best person for the job.

Expert home improver India Cooper advises the public to avoid the traditional business directory in emergencies so as to be more in control of selecting the best person for the job. To find out more please visit http://www.ratedpeople.com

It’s a fact. People these days don’t refer to their paper directories more than once or twice a year, if at all. So as a business owner, perhaps having a listing isn’t such a good idea after all, especially when you consider one entry can set you back anywhere between a hundred and a few thousand pounds.

Since the 1880s, printed business directories have allowed companies and individuals to list themselves and their contact details, allowing customers to get in touch and use their services. The directories are sent to households and offices at no charge and are replaced, usually annually. Businesses that are listed pay a fee and then sit back hoping potential customers see their advert and contact them with work.

But times have changed and all business owners today should be made aware of some of the clear disadvantages of a paper directory.

First of all, financially you are committed to a minimum one year fee and the amount will vary according to which part of the UK you want to be listed in. So if your business operates in certain areas you will pay far more than in others. And of course if you want to be listed in more than one area you will need to pay more than one fee.

Secondly, because the listings are published and delivered once a year you cannot change your entry if your contact details change. This can be frustrating to both you and your customers and lose you business.

As for value, should you be looking to set yourself apart from the crowd, think again. You cannot give much detail about what you offer, so it is difficult to differentiate yourself from other outfits offering a similar service. Throw in the rising trend from customers demanding ratings and business owners relying on paper listings find themselves in an impossible situation.

So what’s a solution? A good alternative is to use an online business directory or better still an internet based recommendation and ratings service. Sites like these not only allow you to advertise yourself but also to build up written ratings which future clients can review when deciding whether to use your service. Your contact details and the work you have achieved can be kept bang up to date, making it relevant and useful to both you and your clients.

Online services also make financial sense. Some do not ask for an upfront fee and many don’t expect you to commit to anything like a year, so you can spend as much or as little as you like according to how effective the advertising proves to be. This makes budgeting and cashflow much easier and cuts out waste.

And the perks don’t stop there. Online listings offer a solution to calls from customers with work which have no bearing on what a business offers. Online sites often allow you to include descriptions of the work you do and let you show photographs so that people wanting to use you know what to expect.

The more sophisticated online directories are even democratic. Unlike the one way approach of paper directories, where business owners simply advertise and wait for calls; many online directories allow you to see what jobs are out there and which ones you’d like to do.

The whole process of acquiring work becomes more proactive and fair when sourced through online sites. Paper directories in comparison are an expensive, old fashioned and uninspiring approach to getting work. This is why an increasing number of business owners are choosing online listings as a means not only to advertise but also to grow their business.

Expert business adviser India Cooper explores why advertising in a traditional business directory may be a thing of the past. To find out more please visit http://www.ratedpeople.com

Increasingly people are turning to the internet to source information about local services, either where they live or in areas that they are going to visit. Certain sectors have become well established online, for example booking flights, buying groceries and banking. But the internet is now proving indispensable in all aspects of life - for example finding good local tradespeople, a local hairdresser or what’s on at the nearest cinema.

Many people are becoming more discerning and demanding and expect as much information as possible about the services they are planning to use. Maps, photographs, detailed descriptions and links to websites all help a potential customer assess whether a local service provider is the right one for them.

One step further is to take traditional values and put them on the web. People like nothing better than a personal recommendation from someone they trust. All too often, however, nobody you ask knows of a good tailor or decorator which is where the internet can help. Many online directories allow you access to comments and ratings by a large population of users who can leave frank feedback on the person or service they have used.

This is an incredibly valuable resource. It releases a huge amount of hitherto untapped information which benefits not only customers but businesses too.

So how can you tell if a directory of, say, restaurants or builders has genuine feedback from genuine customers? How do you know that friends and family have not simply done the business they know a quick favour and added a positive comment?

Firstly look at the comments critically - if any given business has both brilliant and appalling reviews, with little in between then chances are the comments have been written by friends and competitors only and not by genuine users. Sites that allow businesses to build up their ratings are more likely to have genuine, useful information. This approach also gives the business a real incentive to do a good job.

Some websites explicitly state that only people who have used their system to book a business are allowed to leave feedback and that nobody else is given access to the relevant page. This is known as a “closed rating” system. This is used by some websites that offer a brokering or introduction service where a fee is paid for details each time a service is used.

So what sort of information should you leave if you’re the one giving your opinion in a business directory? It’s always useful for other readers to know what you were hoping for and if that expectation was met or better still surpassed. People like to know if the service provider gave good value for money, was competent, courteous and mindful of your specific needs. They are also interested in whether any deadlines that you gave were met. If appropriate and if the website allows, you could upload before and after pictures of what the business did for you - your new haircut, bathroom or garden.

Online business directories are becoming increasingly useful sources of information and now offer so much more than print directories. Their use is increasing every month as more businesses switch to online marketing and people realise what is on offer on the web. The thought of telephoning endless builders or hotels until you get to one that “sounds alright” now seems ridiculous when you can get so much information and opinions from internet based directories and recommendation sites. In short, they are a real step forward.

Expert business consultant India Cooper explains that in today’s internet obsessed age people expect ratings as part of an online business directory. To find out more please visit http://www.ratedpeople.com