If you own a business online, would like to increase targeted traffic to your site but simply don't have any free time, hiring someone to submit your URL to niche directories may be what the Dr. ordered.

I hope the following interview with Tim Mathews who owns http://timmathews.com a Directory Submission Service helps.

Before we get started Tim tell us a little about yourself.

I am an avid web designer at heart. I have been in the computer industry for about 10 years - back when AOL 2 was the bomb, and if you didn't have a 14.4 modem, you were cruising slow. (Wow, how times have changed). I really enjoy taking the mom and pop 100 product site and building it into a powerhouse ecommerce site. I love building sites, then getting them listed in the search engines and directories, and watching the sales roll in for the client.

How did you get started in directory submission services?

I first stumbled into Directory submission services when I was trying to get a companies site listed in the search engines. I was trying and trying to get it listed, but no use. After numerous reworking, I finally got the site listed. I was then thinking... Huh, this was tough for me, and I am a pro! I was wondering if others were having issues, and alas, THEY WERE! From then, business has spawned from current local clients to all the seven seas!

For those new to the internet could you explain what a directory submission service is?

A Directory Submission Service, in my opinion, is a company that will submit your website to directories. Now, the client must be careful when selecting a company. Many I have seen say something along the lines of "We submit you to over 800,000 Search Engines and Directories". This statement alone lets me know that they are not trustworthy. We can all fire up ANY free/shareware submitter and boast the same statement. What I LIKE to see, when checking my competition, is a listing of directories they will submit to. And, of course, no one can guarantee inclusion.

What was your motivation for offering directory submission service?

Well, to be blunt, I was thinking this could make us some money. I was thinking of my stumbling in the submissions, and how long and hard I worked to get sites listed. I learned what to do, and definitely what NOT to do. I figured it would be a great service.

What problems did you have to overcome to start your directory submission service?

Our main problems are the sites that boast hundreds of thousands of submissions to directories... This confuses the client to thinking there are this number of "separate" directories. After explanation that there are far less, (We submit to as few as 20 directories up to around 200 for some clients), so you can see why this would be a problem.

How did you overcome these problems?

We overcame the issues by explanation of the services that the "other guys" provide, and most importantly, we overcame the problem with RESULTS. We do what we say, and get it done.

What impact can using a directory submission service have on ones online business?

Directory submissions can make the business, LITERALLY. Submitting to search engines is fine, and SHOULD be done. Submitting to directories is definitely a necessity.

What kind of gains can one expect to make by using a directory submission service?

Once Directory listings take, you can expect to probably double your traffic. Double traffic could mean double sales/leads.

What could the downfall be of using a directory submission service?

Well, un kept promises. Many "other guys" make big promises, but deliver seldom few or none altogether. Do your research. How long has the site been in business? Do a "who is" look up and see when they bought the domain name just to be certain.

Can you give 3 tips on successfully submitting to directories such as DMOZ for example?

With Pleasure!

Tip 1.) MOST IMPORTANT
Proper Category Selection is KEY
You MUST submit to the applicable category. This is the most overlooked, because we think we have a site selling Sports Blankets, like http://www.blanketmall.com/tim and they wanted to be listed into the "sports category" After research, I decided it be best that they be submitted into the Shopping: Sports: Theme Merchandise category. If I would have submitted the site into the root of sports, I can GUARANTEE it would have not been accepted.

Tip 2.) Wait.
Do NOT submit your site to ODP (dmoz.org) again in a month. Give it 2 months to see results. If after 2 months, you are not listed, rethink your submission, drill down to a deeper, more relevant category, and resubmit.

Tip 3.) Do not hound the guides.
I have seen people talking about "direct relationships with guides for category "****" They say to email the guide and bug them. We disagree with this. If your site is properly submitted, you will not have a problem. We have clients that tried this tactic, and have never been listed. We submitted them, and got them listed.

Thank you for the opportunity to give my feedback in this. It has really been a pleasure. Thanks!

Brian Holte
Email: theebookking@shaw.ca
Copyright-Brian Holte

Have You Been Thinking of Creating E-books? Brian Holte is a freelance writer/researcher and owner of http://www.theebookking.com. He publishes a newsletter which focuses on brainstorming and researching techniques for e-books.