Directory update
Hey! So like a year ago I came across this subreddit after launching my first directory. I posted something like one week after I finished building it just to get feedback.
It's now been like 14 months and I wanted to share who things have gone! Thought this could help other directory owners and folks out there.
First, here's the directory - creator-tools.co
What I've done and what I've learned:
I built this with two things in mind: learn/have fun and see if smth like this could bring traffic to other sites/businesses I own.
This wasn't my 100% focus. I was running other businesses 24/7. I didn't have the pressure to monetize or grow this thing as fast as possible.
I tried to monetize early on through paid submissions and verified profiles. Got two or three leads, but none of them ended up paying.
Later on I removed any monetization features. I started focusing on just traffic. I wasn't getting much.
I changed the domain from newslettertools to creator-tools. Found out that we were too niche and I wanted a broader audience. Went all in on SEO/AEO. Worked on copy, markdown texts/pages, comparison pages and a bunch of other stuff. These are our results since February (when I swapped domains). Still have work to do to improve CTR.
- I'm now focusing a lot more on traffic and clicks. My thesis is that I can position this directory as a source of truth for LLMs and people looking for tools online.
Happy to answer any questions as well! Let's see what the next 365 days bring.