paid listings - which ones ?

[Robban]

I am at a point where I think I should add my site at a few paid listings directories.

Which do you recommend? Yahoo? Business.com...?

I am espicially thinking of Business.com since their directory is picked up quite widely. Any expereince with this directory?

Please respond in terms of your experience with traffic and costs. Thanks


- Robban

[cyanide]

Hi Robban,

Unfortunately, I don't have experience with paid directory listings (I know that's not what you want to hear)

My opinion ?
I would ask you, if you think you've done all you can in terms of search engine readiness and listings in the free directories?(I have read a few of your posts)
And, most importantly... is your site ready to receive these visitors?
- no amount of money spent is going to be worthy, if this step isn't looked after first.

I know you didn't ask for a site review, but it's my opinion that it's crucial for you to manicure your backyard, so to speak.
I've seen your portfolio, which includes some very visually creative and appealing work. Your website needs to reflect that. It needs a little punch. As an advertising agency, you would know about that better than anyone.
Keeping your site tight and a little shorter will go a long way to giving your site a polished and refined look.

As a professional business, having affiliate links on your site does not lend credibility and can even have the exact opposite effect, giving a site the look of amateurishness and financial hard-ship.

The Amazon links, if done as a "we recomended reading" may be okay, if strategically placed, but the others, I would personally get rid of.

Sorry for swaying from your subject a bit

[Robban]

Thanks for your sincere posting and advice. I hear you. I am going through a transition period with my site. Should my objective with the site be to only promote my ad agnecy services I would do exactly like you suggested. (clean up & no affl.) However, I have quite contradicting objectives with it. I don't really need new business so I use the site to explore and learn. That is why I have added some affiliate stuff and will even futher add all kinds of things. But I hear you. I will probably take my experiments off the main page so that people who look for me and my services wont be distracted. I have a few other website concepts that I am gearing up for which is why I am exploring & learning. As for major listings. You are correct. There's plenty to do. I haven't even got into dmoz yet which is a sore subject. Yeah there are still some good free listings that I still need to hit.

My site doesn't reflect my creative capabilites mostly because I am an offline art director, so I still have to go pretty simple on my site graphics etc. (i'm learning)

But back to my questions. I am looking into business.com since it seems like a pretty good directory. Any thoughts on good directories would be very welcomed. ( as well as any other dialogue)

[cyanide]

Hi Robban,

Thanks for not jumping on me and also for clarifying your position. Again, I haven't used business.com...

But how's this for interesting
A search on google for advertising agencies and business.com is #10 1st page
and for ad agencies, same thing

I'd say, that's pretty positive