Back in the old days, when someone was in the market for a particular service they just asked a few friends for a suggestion or picked up the yellow pages. Now, with the internet opening so many other options for services, it can be easy to get lost in the crowd. What can you do to find the best location for you to attract the optimal client base?

Online directories are organized collections of links to other websites. It’s the internet version of the yellow pages, only bigger. Much bigger.

Generally the directories are categorized to specific topics, services or products. Your first step is deciding exactly what category you want to feature your product or service. Once that has been decided, you need to find a home for your link.

Here are a few online directories that may fit your needs and get you noticed:

HOTvsNot
This website has a bunch of categories from A to Z. Each website featured in their directory is added by their editors or submitted by general web users and reviewed by the editors for inclusion. No automatic additions, each site is approved by a real live human being. In their editorial policy they confess to firing the monkeys last year. It’s reassuring to know you won’t be running the risk of your site showing up in the company of less desirable sites that may cost you a potential client.

Article Directory Online
This website is a free service to submit articles and information that reaches out to potential clients. Not so much in the form of advertisement, but more in the form of introducing yourself to folks and getting them interested in what you offer. You can dramatically boost you website traffic, sales and newsletter opt- ins. Your articles are picked up by other websites, featured in newsletters, and sent out in ezines. This will create additional traffic and result in more exposure and traffic!

Once you submit your articles and others begin using them, you’ll enjoy a flood of free traffic that will come rolling in and it won’t cost you a dime. You’ll never have to rely on search engines for this free traffic and you won’t be able to stop it even if you try! If you are a website owner or a newsletter/ezine publisher, Articleonlinedirectory.com provides you with a dynamic resource of relevant, on topic content that you can use free of charge.

Free Web Directory
This website has both free and paid listings as their offerings. For a small, independent business they recommend the free listing. Free listings are absolutely without charge, you don’t have to pay a penny in order to register, submit web site and promote it in their internet directory. The one and the only thing you have to do is provide a reciprocal link. As with any site of this type, you run the risk of the automated system periodically associating your content with content you may not want to be associated with.

Directory Mix
Here at directory mix you can find a lot of various news articles, publications, blogs and happenings. If you have something you need to get the word out about, this is the place. You can submit a link to your site with a brief description to peak viewer’s interest, you can submit a blog about the happenings in or business or the services you offer. Free to use and you control the content offered.

Free Web Submission
This site provides webmasters and site owners with free manual and auto submission to the highest-rated, free internet search engines and directories. They also provide free templates, free forum hosting, Word Press themes and much more. With the top 50 search engines and directories as part of their offerings, you are certain to gain some traffic and exposure with their free service.

The key is deciding how you want the directory to promote you, what sort of offerings you want to market and exactly who you want to attract. Once those things are all in place, you will quickly be on your way to gaining the exposure needed to grow and promote your business.

photo credit: Jamiesrabbits