Add a Directory Module for Lead Generation and Residual Income through Advertising

Online directories for a niche market can be enormously profitable ventures, generating residual income from affiliate marketing, classified and banner advertising and payment for listings. Directory listings can be free or paid by advertising members who are included within the directory.

Follow the Money!

The following example will give you a conservative idea of the monthly amount a membership website can produce. Let’s assume you are in the marketing business and have a website filled with resource information that helps businesses market more effectively. What you offer on this website is extremely valuable and hard to find information that provides the subscriber with an easy to implement system that works.

The subscriber pays $25 a month to use the site, take advantage of a monthly webinar and receives your eNewsletter. These give you opportunities to market other products including events that can make you even more money. Let’s assume you have 1000 subscribers who are paying $25 a month. That is $25,000 per month and $300,000 per year, just for subscription fees alone! As you grow your subscriber list, you also grow your profits.

Custom Developed Online Directories

Directory and Membership Sites

When a directory or membership site is the main objective, custom development is likely to be the best solution. Custom website development demands careful planning to assure a consistent display of content across multiple browsers, reliable functionality that is logical and simple for the visitor, and a password protected backend that provides easy management. The best strategy for proper design and functionality must be carefully defined to assure a good fit with the client’s goals and budget and is likely to produce a significant return on investment. The plan for a custom developed directory often requires extensive time and research to prepare, and may be subject to proposal development fees.

Enhancing a Website by Adding a Directory Module

When a directory is not the main objective but serves to enhance a site, an add-on customized WordPress directory module may be an ideal solution for monetizing a site and/or building business relationships that produce a win-win. A directory may offer selected merchants a free listing and opportunities to pay for advertising. The invitation conveys a perceived value to the prospective member. With follow-up communication, directory listings can become the basis for an ongoing exchange including referrals. The directory can include a requirement for reciprocal linking if desired. Although it is no longer an effective SEO strategy, reciprocal linking from a site that gets good targeted traffic, provides listed merchants exposure that can drive traffic to their website. Being listed also conveys a degree of trust even though it is not meant as a referral. Whether for a custom developed directory or WordPress directory module, including a legal disclaimer is advised.

Monetizing Your Website through a Directory Module and Advertising