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An online directory or resource is a great way to start building traffic to your site and to encourage site visitors to come back.
Most of the time, when people visit websites, they are interested in many things related to the product or service you offer.
For instance, if you are offering men's wear on your site, visitors will most likely be interested in men's perfume, men's shoes, and other items. So wouldn't it be great if you can point them in the right direction by providing an online directory of related items?
How to Create Useful Online Directories
First: Before you jump into creating your own online directory , look at what competitors are doing and list down what you like and don't like about their online directories .
Second: Ensure that your online directory is targeted to your site. As mentioned above, provide only resources that are related to your own offerings. If you provide jewelry and then all of a sudden have links to mortgages in your online directory. They really do not serve your site's visitors.
Third: Offer good descriptions to the sources you list on your website. Always think of what your visitors want; a description that does not say anything about the link provided is really of not much use as it does not encourage him her to visit the link.
Fourth: Try to make your online directory unique by not only offering good and original descriptions but by ensuring that the page where it is on in your site is visually appealing too.
Fifth: An online directory of about 10 items is really not interesting to website visitors. As such, it is not surprising to end up with about 50 (or more) categories and sub-categories. Keeping tabs on a growing online directory can be tedious so shop around for software you can use to help you create and maintain your online directory.
Almost every site offers their visitors an online directory so why shouldn't you? However, keep in mind that it does require thinking and planning so that you end up with an online directory that visitors want to come back to again and again.
Action Steps to Creating a Useful Online Directory
- Take a look at and evaluate your competitors' online directories.
- Come up with a good outline for your own online directory.
- Start researching the sites that should go in the online directory and choose only the ones that are relevant to yours.
Important Points to Creating a Useful Online Directory
- Do not put up an online directory just for the sake of having one. For an online directory to contribute to your site, it MUST be useful to site visitors so do plan it well!
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