Allchorn Design

Please note: This is all meant in good humour, but it’s the gospel truth, so pay heed.

Really people. I know it’s exciting when you first start using the internet and you think:

“wow, imagine if there was a web site where people could list their company, and I could charge them to list, and I can target every industry and niche and small mom and pop side cafe in the known universe, and I’ll be RICH beyond all my wildest dreams!… muwahahahaha!”

Do you think you’re the first person to consider this?

Do you think that with the nature of the internet being such that you can create web pages in freely downloadable software packages, upload it to low cost, or even free web hosting provider’s servers using more free software and even integrate a database into the site with even more free software and technology… nobody has thought of this before? Surely not!

Sorry, someone has thought of it… and quite a few people at that, and over quite a few years, and some have poured millions of $ into the idea!

Take for instance the most obvious example. The Yellow Pages. A few years back, it was pretty badly made in this country, and me being in the business of developing websites often heard this justification of building their silver bullet website to compete with them. Even then I politely declined.

Here are some excepts from real emails to some of these enquirers:

“…to be perfectly honest, I am not entirely certain as to the viability of the job in question. I think the job is going to cost more than it’s going to be worth as the system (while inventive) is too close to many, many other web directories. I just think the market is too flooded.”

“…I pride myself in my ethics and honesty in business. As such, I feel it is my obligation to decline the offer to carry this project out for you but I do wish you the best of luck…”

I can also state that the projects those emails related to were passed onto other web companies who eventually abandoned them or are still trying to develop the system years later and are still not close to what you’ll find on the yellow pages or something like dmoz.org.

The Web Directory’s Saving Grace - Niches

The one place I’ll gladly admit a web directory to being a worthy addition to the internet is when it is niche related and only focuses on a certain industry or topic.

Take for instance, a directory about motorycles. Listing shops, tyre fitment centres, battery suppliers, leather, gloves, boots, helmets, accessories, spare parts etc. Now that is a legitimate an useful service to the web browser and one I’d readily bookmark if it’s content was up to date and reliable.

Keeping a directory up to date can constitute immense admin labour. Especially if it grows to a size that will actually be making money for you to buy more than a 6 pack every quarter. Bare this in mind, and remember that time is money. Especially if it’s not your time…

Well, thats enough about that, and I guess I’ve got that sufficiently out of my system.