How to Monetize A Directory By Selling Featured Listings

[@ryfuji]

Thanks Tim, great video..can you break out what you charge per business, how you get to 20k a month?

[@cultivatelongevity4026]

Thanks Tim

[@josieharding8623]

Doing directories is so much fun! I have many.

[@AnnellaLawrence]

How is money monetizing

[@veeridgley2454]

Hi and thank you for this video. I had considered using the Business Directory Plugin. But would need the Elite licence. However, I am not willing to send money to a developer that keeps their location a secret 😞

[@mhdoti]

Thanks for the great content. How you handle a situation where you have 100 businesses signed up for featured listing on your site and you need to show them at the top of your page or on the first page?

[@timstodz]

rotate them at random.

[@carlitosangulo]

Thank you! I am building a latino food directory, do you recommend a wordpress directory theme istead?

[@JamesNicholson-pp4uj]

Hey Tim, thanks for the clip! I've been planning on building a couple of directories within a few niches, using this model. I had one question, and sorry if you mentioned it and I miss it... BUT, Once you have a good number of listings you've manually sourced and added yourself (and I assume, populated all relevant data from their site), how do you let them know that they're on your directory and entice them to spend with you? Direct email marketing explaining the service/offer perhaps? Cheers mate!

[@josieharding8623]

You have to be careful with email marketing - I use a system. I also just call the business.

[@michellebuslov1440]

Also do you go state by state and research each of these business and copy information from their website or is there a way to automate that information?

[@raymakara]

I love the business directory idea, Tim! Thanks for showing all of this info! Question: Is it easier (or better) to do a directory for a bigger city, or the smaller surrounding towns? Like, I live 22 miles east of Pittsburgh, PA. The town I live in has ~30K population, and probably another 30K with a few more towns around mine. Is it better to do a directory for my town and surrounding ones, or do a Pittsburgh directory with all of the suburbs, which may or may not extend all the way out to my town. Would really appreciate your advice and insight! Thanks!

[@josieharding8623]

Hey....we live close to each other.

[@michellebuslov1440]

Any potential to do a simplified version of this on Squarespace?

[@timstodz]

Totally. But you'll have to do it through static pages.

[@randomuser88844]

Amazing content, Tim. Incredible. Do you use same business directory plugin on all your sites?

[@timstodz]

No. We custom code most of our directories now, but if I am ever just starting out in something that I'm not 100% certain will work, then yes I always start with the plugin.

[@jasonduprat3781]

Great content! Is your directory course/training program available yet? I searched your website and 😊 the copyblogger academy, but I'm looking for the details on building the directory websites.

[@imrankalathingal6444]

How do you find these businesses information? Do you scrap?

[@blackcatwebsitedesignstudio]

Thank you! I have built one and am doing interviews with the business owners to try and get some traction but want to know the best way to reach out to other businesses I have listed while I am building up the traffic?! I'd love to hear more on building successful directories as I can see the massive potential and want to make mine super successful. What's your time frame for expecting to monetize it once set up? Should I start asking for featured listings now even though my traffic is super low? Do you use paid advertising to boost traffic and interest? Sorry so many questions!

[@timstodz]

I wouldn't try to monetize yet, or you'll burn advertisers. Time frame is probably a year. I don't use paid advertising I never have.

[@ericmasonco]

Thanks. I'd love to chat for a few minutes so I can understand a few nuances of what I'm thinking about regarding building a B2B directory.

[@timstodz]

[e-mail]

[@professortrivia1]

For the free listings do you contact each and ask them if they want to be listed ? And do you ask for backlink

[@timstodz]

No. I just list them.

[@courtneyellis9716]

Any thoughts on building directories in industries where supply is suffering (i.e. healthcare industry) ?

[@shanewalsh247]

Can i buy these modules like "claim listings" individually? Elite is $249/year and I think that is needed for "claim listings"

[@timstodz]

Yes. Exactly right.

[@ColdCallSteve]

I would definitely pay for a product as you mentioned .

[@louisecourville]

Hey 👋 interesting concept. I am thinking a specific industry versus local any insights? I’m thinking suppliers of an industry versus the specific locations of the market. Or do you think that the best directory is for location services because you mentioned maps. It’s kind of hard to describe without saying the industry!

[@timstodz]

Industry is good too. You can do it without map, of course. No problem. You can structure the categories in whatever way you want.

[@BillTrevorWebSmartAdvisors]

How can I pay you to be a mentor for my local directory????

[@timstodz]

I've had a lot of people ask me about this recently. Email to me [e-mail]

[@geostocktrade]

@@timstodz Tim, I just sent you email as well in regards to mentorship.

[@timstodz]

@@geostocktrade I replied brother.

[@omarbonilla3724]

Ive been doing lots of research on this. What i cant get around is how do you do listings using their photos and not get hit with copyright infringement? Thats my main problem at the moment.

[@Eoins_Look]

Most businesses are happy for you to use their images once you're promoting their business.

[@sparksilly]

Nice! How much do you typically charge a business for a featured listing and do you just do it monthly?

[@timstodz]

Yeah I guess I should have mentioned that. It all depends on the market. FOr Sober Nation I charge $149 a month.

[@ColdCallSteve]

@@timstodzis there a scale what to charge or is it perceived value? For example a contractor / home’s services provider?

[@aleksandars9254]

​@@ColdCallStevethis is a good question

[@andrey10k]

@@timstodz on SoberNation website it says $99/year. Are you experimenting with a different model?

[@iAbhishek_official]

💯

[@johansmith5132]

I'm clueless now. Will have to watch a few of these videos to understand how to make money with this.

[@timstodz]

The trick is to not expect you will get it right on the first try. Just keep tinkering with it and it will work.

[@GrantCharge]

Where are the other videos in the Description please Tim?

[@timstodz]

Added. Thanks for the nudge.

[@prosperousmusician419]

Tim, thanks for sharing this video. As a fellow recovering from addictions, I find you very inspiring. Iam starting up a local music biz directory for Oslo, Norway, where I live. Iam using GeoDirectorys and finding it a bit clunky but gonna stick with and Iam getting some help setting it up. www.thepromu.com I'd love to get your advice.