I Built a Directory Template Before Launching a Directory — Big Mistake

When I decided to jump into building directories, I thought I was being smart by starting with a custom directory website template—a starter app that could quickly be cloned and used to spin up new sites.

I had heard some "directory gurus" suggest spending only a day or two max creating and testing directories before launching. Their reasoning? Move fast, launch quickly, and see what sticks. That sounded great, so I figured a template would help me speed-run multiple niches and find a winner.

But damn, that was completely the wrong approach.

Why Building a Directory Template First Was a Waste of Time

1. Built for a Type of Site I Had No Experience With

I built this template without any real-world experience running directories myself—I was essentially systematizing something I hadn’t even gone through yet! How could I possibly know what features or elements would be needed? Instead of solving real problems, I assumed the template should include this and that—many of which turned out to be wrong or unnecessary.

In hindsight, that mindset led me astray. If only I had spent more time understanding actual directory needs first!

2. Should Have Focused on One Directory Rather Than Multiple

Instead of trying to create a system for mass-producing directories right away—I should have built just one and learned from it along the way. Every hour wasted fine-tuning the template was money (or rather, time) spent on things that could have been better utilized elsewhere.

For instance:

• Finding data sources takes effort.
• Structuring listings properly requires research.
• Writing useful content needs time to craft.
• And let’s not forget getting traffic—something even AI tools can’t do alone without human oversight!

Templates don’t solve those problems, especially the hard part: gathering and enriching high-quality data.

3. Directories Take Time—Not Just a Few Days

The "gurus" made it sound like you could build, launch, and test a directory in 48 hours. That’s not reality! Building the site is easy—but data curation isn’t. For directories with thousands of listings:

• You need to curate, validate, and enrich your data.
• If you’re aiming for 1,000+ listings, you can't just scrape it all up quickly; each listing needs attention if done manually or even with AI tools.

A directory is more than a website—it’s a data-driven product that requires time to curate high-quality content and ensure users find value in your offerings.

What I’d Do Differently

If I could redo this, I wouldn’t have wasted my time on the template. Instead, I would:

1. Focus on One Niche First before trying to scale up.
2. Build the Directory Itself, not a system for directories—maybe just one niche at first.
3. Prioritize Gathering and Enriching Data over building an untested structure.

The Bigger Picture: Why Scaling Early Isn’t Feasible

I realize, after messing things up by trying to create templates too early, that scaling without a proper foundation is impossible—and it’s time-consuming beyond belief! No wonder the advice about doing it in 48 hours was just that—a recommendation for the quick and dirty.

In conclusion, while trying to build directories quickly was fun in theory, it set me up for failure. Focus on one niche first—build what you need—and then scale up as your skills grow!