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?