I am pretty sure that all free directory owners (free as in free submission) know that they have 2 main types of visitors. One of these types of visitors are those who visit your directory to submit their sites. I wonder whether these kind of traffic can actually be considered as traffic? Because most of these visitors are usually webmasters or those hired by webmasters (like SEO Companies or freelance websites submitters) to submit their sites to the directory. In my opinion, they are not real traffic.

I have two directories. One of them is a free general directory and the other is a Singapore small business directory (also free). So, in general terms, one is catered for everybody and the other is only for Singapore small businesses. The main traffic for the general directory goes to the submit page of the directory. However, for the Singapore small business directory goes to the different categories I have in the directory. And the visitors mainly come from Singapore. I got these information from my WebStats program. Well, you may not think that this is significant as traffic is still traffic, no matter where it goes. But in my opinion, it isn’t. Directories are meant to for users to come and source for information and this information should be arranged in such a way that web users can easily find whatever they are looking for. Hence the name “Directory”. So if the majority of your visitors goes to the submit page, then it is useless as a directory. Your directory then cease to be a directory and becomes just an SEO Tool.

It is also important to note that my general directory attracts web users to the submit page while my Singapore small business directory attracts users to the different categories I have. It stands to reason that a specialized directory (or a niche directory) is more useful to web uses then just a general directory which users don’t usually visit to search for information. How many of us really visit even big name general directories to search for sites anyway?

Are you guys sick of KFC? I have said in my previous blog post that the standard of KFC has dropped quite a bit and now, I seldom visit KFC anymore. Heck, not even my nephew likes KFC. Okay, he is more of a McDonalds kind of Toddler, so we will leave it at that. Anyway, if you are tired of crappy tasteless chicken from KFC, you should look at Arnold’s Fried Chicken.

But the sad thing about Arnold’s is that there is only 1 store. They have an express outlet at Pasir Ris, but I would not recommend eating there. The food is delivered and well, I don’t think it taste as good as if you get it fresh direct from the kitchen. You should go to the main store at City Plaza. Nothing beats eating a piping hot and juicy fried chicken right?

I had known about Arnold’s after one of my friends took me there for lunch. Wow, the chicken they served is great. Tender and juicy chicken, but you need to know that the chicken is fried, not baked like KFC, so if you are an health freak, this may scare you. Anyway, if you are a health freak, this kind of fast food should not be your thing. 

They are famous for their spring chicken and I would certainly recommend it. I had not tasted such great tasting and delicious chicken for years now. They don’t make them like they used to. Their close competitor is a store specializing in Fried Spring Chicken, but I will reserve that for another post. They also have a variety of side-orders (like Onion Rings, Potato Wedges, Criss-cut fries) and desserts you can try out. Arnold’s market itself as a fast food joint and you should expect huge crowds (and kids running around) at Weekends. Perhaps their service isn’t that great but I don’t really believe KFC’s service is any better either. Well, comparing their prices to KFC, they are not exactly cheap. But you get what you pay for, a little more for some great fried chicken, why not? Oh, they deliver too. So if you are planning a little party in your office, Arnold’s is a good choice, but their delivery areas are limited.

Is the general web directory market in big trouble? All you have to do is to look around you on the Internet and you will realize one thing - there are a lot of general web directories. General as in “everything”. And with this huge amount of directories come a big problem, the market is getting saturated. Everyday you will see new directories being launched, all hawking the same thing - human edited family friendly general directories.

Sure, once in a while some directory owner will announce a new feature in their directory - like allowing deep links in their directory or their customers will get more details for the listings and so on. But even with these “great” features, what really makes them any different from the thousands of other directories out there? Basically, they are the same. Some directories claim that they advertise and promote their directories heavily or that their directories are famous throughout the Internet. Yes, that may be true, but then is there anything really impressive about a directory in the first place? And how do you define a good web directory? Content? Advertising? Uniqueness?

The Web Directory Industry has been stagnant for quite sometime now. And it’s my opinion that most of them will not see any significant difference in the near future. Cool features alone will not help a directory. Being famous alone will not help a directory either. Trust me on this. It’s time for directories to start “specializing“. Instead of casting a wide net and hoping to catch a huge haul, directory owners should look at niche markets. They would offer a lot more than what general directories can provide and I believe that soon, people will start to realize that and they will move away from general directories.