Organising the Internet has been a common goal for countless online ventures – from local business directories to Google. But while generalist sites often struggle to compete with the big boys, niche directory websites frequently see much better results by serving a previously unmet need.
Here are a few we like with a distinctly Irish feel:
WeddingDates.ie lets Irish couples narrow down their list of potential venues by checking availability live on the site. This makes a lot of sense – most couples will already have a date in mind, so phoning every venue in the phonebook or traditional directory to ask the same question would be a bit of a pain.
Results pages show ‘detailed hotel descriptions, large format photos, and downloadable brochures and menus’. Revenues come via wedding suppliers (bands, florists, dress designers) advertising and enhanced (paid) listing options for venues.
Indeed wedding suppliers provide the topic for many successful directory sites. FindaBand.ie, for example, showcase up and coming Irish acts to people ‘looking for a band for their wedding, birthday party, corporate event or pub gig’.
Targeting the tourism market is another common theme. HolidayHomeIreland.com is a recent new entry from a Derry-based teacher turned entrepreneur, building on the success of his DonegalCottageHolidays.com website which lists over 500 privately owned cottages and holiday apartments to rent.
As a bit of a twist on the simple directory / search site, Belfast-based Lookaly highlights ‘the best places in Northern Ireland’ based on reviews from users. A slick look and simple to use funtionality is helping this site to grow quickly.
Staying on the Irish theme but taking a bit of a jump in scale, RevaHealth.com (founded by Irish entrepreneur Caelen King) is the world’s largest directory/search engine for dental and cosmetic surgery – listing over 100,000 clinics in around 100 different countries.
Finally, Pitchup.com is our one non-Irish entrant (simply because I just read about it this morning) but it does list over 5,000 campgrounds and caravan sites in the UK and Ireland. The site was launched in Summer 2009 – capitalising on the growing trend towards ‘staycations’ and fuelled by credit-crunched holiday makers looking for economical alternatives to overseas travel.
The featured-packed search function is simple to use, reader reviews add context and in a nice twist they’ve teamed up with another directory business, the Good Pub Guide, to highlight the best pubs near each campground or park. It appears that revenues come solely through advertising at present but becoming a big player in this niche market will no doubt lead to plenty of other opportunities.
What’s Your Niche?
In fact, there’s very little you can’t search for through a variety of directory sites – the key to success here seems to be in the execution rather than the idea. That said, niche is the order of the day – finding yours could be as easy as Googling ‘find an x in x’ and seeing if it’s already been done.
Feel free to add your own favourite niche directories and search engines (Irish or otherwise) in the comments below.
[Update: The guys from RevaHealth got a mention on Springwise here - and they seemed to think the same, "there are still niche areas where consumers will welcome a comprehensive, accessible directory with reviews"]
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Great post Mark, another great site I know of and great user of twitter is @thevenueshop. Worth checking out. Sharon
Great round up, am always on the look out for innovative local websites. Thanks for the mention Mark.