A Forum OR A Directory - which one ?.

[SCOBAHCAN]

In some of my previous posts I asked you a few things about forms and Web directories but now I would like to ask you a few questions about which one of the two would be more lucrative to do. Your answers will help me make a final decision.

- Is a forum or a directory easiest for a beginner to make up ?.

- Which one of a forum or a directory is the easiest to monetize ?.

- When considering a forum or a directory if I decide to make up a forum is it difficult to get moderators to help you or do they need some kind of financial incentive.

- There are so many forums and directories on all kinds of subjects on the Internet and many of them are on my hobbies and interests so I was just wondering if someone would be so kind as to give me a list of the more popular ones so I could compete and have a better chance at success.

My main hobbies are photography (all aspects of it) , computers (all aspects of it) , inventing things and wood work/creativity in general.

Anyone who has any ideas or suggestions please let me know.



Thanks Craig

[BossBozz]

Both are pretty easy to set up, the installs and software are pretty straightforward. I think with both options you have to consider how you will seed them with quality content. No-one (except for spammers) posts in an empty forum or an empty directory.

With a forum it'll take time to build a community that will need moderating not only for spam but also for the conduct of the users so I expect this will take more time to manage.

It's unlikely that you'll make much money out of a new directory, most people only list their websites for the link and will look for a directory with a decent page rank.

I think if you have a passion for a subject and have a lot of knowledge then a forum would be the way to go. Doing it for the money is probably not a good motivator, it'll take time to build a good community but once you have a popular forum you then have a targeted audience for ads and offers etc. You'll need to keep yourself motivated to maintain and grow the forum even when it's running at a loss.

I have a directory for small businesses in the UK but the value comes from having a targeted mailing list for my SEO & web design services, not from the paid listings. Though it's tempting to list anyone who pays you have to keep up a standard of quality, Google has been cracking down on low quality directories and many get removed from their index.

[lisa]

Well, I wouldn't create either until you already have a traffic base. Before you create them, ask yourself "What need will this site provide?" I agree with BossBozz about the directory -- most people are just searching for backlinks (which are not valued as much anyway) so what is the real value there?

Now, if you have an audience and there is a specific need for an organized directory of some sort to find information, then by all means create a directory for your user, but don't just create it because you think it's an easy way to make money.

Neither one are necessarily easy to monetize and it takes a lot of traffic to build an active forum.

[dineshsmm]

Both are Nice.

If you used Directory, your business could go well.
If you used Forum, You have a lot of customers or clients or Managing Directors or CEO or COO & etc., Databases.

If you want to increase your money or business, should use directory...if you want to increase your data's should use forum.

I have used Ezydir Directory. After used that directory to my business is well.