My final INDEXU review

[esm]

Over the past year or so I've come to two conclusions about INDEXU.

First, there are just not many successful sites using INDEXU. In all probability there are not many active INDEXU sites. I can say that because I've helped a lot of them in the past 3 years and ever so often I go back and visit them only to find they are no longer there or haven't updated their site in months. I hope my help has not been the kiss of death for them .

And if you visit the Sites in Action forum, many of the sites there (and on the Nicecoder featured sites page) suffer the same fate.

(as an aside, I think that the above fate occurs regardless of which links directory software is purchased, so it not just INDEXU)

Which brings me to the second conclusion. If you want to make money in the links directory industry, sell the software; don't build sites! And more specifically, just keep adding new features to attract new customers because there is no money in customers who have already purchased your software. Do just enough to keep existing customers placated so that they don't jeopardize your future customers.

Now some of you will say that just won't work. Actually, I initially thought that too. But then I noticed that other link directory software got low marks and support was a problem and then the light came on for me.

To illustrate this, I am reminded about the two guys swimming in the lake when they spot an alligator approaching them. The first guy starts to swim at which point the second guy says to the first guy, "You really don't think you can outswim an alligator, do you?" The first guy says to second guy, "Nope, I can't outswim an alligator. But then I don't have to. All I have to do is outswim you!"

So if you are developing links software all you have to do is stay ahead of the competition because you are all in the lake together when in comes to customer support.

INDEXU keeps adding features without growing and maturing the existing feature set. And if you ignore the customers long enough, they will leave without a whimper which will allow you to concentrate on your objective which is to sell your software to new customer's.

dody is well aware of this.

Anyway. Like Marlboro, tjoreg and aladdin who have come and gone, the time has come for me to reduce my role in INDEXU. so I pass the mantel to inspireme hoping against hope that he does not suffer the same fate as those who have gone before him.

Like aladdin and others, I will drop in from time to time and I will download the latest and greatest but it is time for me to do something else...





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[ezykiwi]

I must say that I read ESM's message with sadness,

Esm has put alot of time and effort into the community here, A perfect example of this is when people post questions on this board, who is the first to try and help, I often see ESM's name as the 2nd post on alot of threads here.

I find his thoughts on the industry to be accurate, as long as you always have new buyers of the software, it makes no difference to nicecoder if the sites are successful or not.

ESM has also pointed out that over time, people will come and go... and with them all the experiance that has been built up in them over the time of using indexu, Maybe we all could try and come up with a better way to retain information so that its accessable to the "new-bred" of users.. so that we can then put the building blocks in place to make the software itself better...

Look forward to anyones thoughts

[inspireme]

ESM speaks a lot of truth... I started with indexU with hardly any php knowledge... it becomes apparent very quickly you wont run a directory HOW YOU WANT IT unless you get your hands dirty. Its true, you can run something out of the box, but then you wont get very far.

You can make a success of these things but you do have to really be prepared to either
1) throw money at the problem
2) Long hours, hard work, and lots of learning

ESM has nearly 3,000 posts here, I have 700ish ... I never go out of my way to help people anything i post is because i have had the problem and solved it and its simple for me to pass on the information. I have posted changes I have wanted to make, nothing else. Support is the job of the people who get paid for it. I wont be sticking around here as much as i have been - my work on the new site was completed today - 5.1.1 is a big improvment. I have 3 more indexU directories that link into the one here, which will be launching in the next few months. Once that is done i doubt i will visit much.

http://www.bigfreeguide.com/camping/index.php


You can make a success of things - im still new to this, my sites been online a year and a few months. I get 500-1000 unique visitors a day, google positions are still poor but i think it will come right eventually. If i add up the hours i worked on this it would easily hit the 1000s. ... and the dollars... also the 1000s I woudlnt do it if i didnt think i could retire on what im doing. I belive it - but so far its nothing but work and money outwards thats why you get the "dropout" Its not the software so much as the internet. 10 sites per search term get the traffic, the money. New sites have to have detemination and fire and an unquenchable thirst to do it... if you dont, give up before you start.

ps.
Niche sites are the answer.

[lexpression]

ESM you will be greatly missed you have helped me tremendously over the past couple of years. Will you still be supporting addlinks and the forum at indexuhelp?

[esm]

...the time has come for me to reduce my role in INDEXU...[but] Like aladdin and others, I will drop in from time to time...

ESM you will be greatly missed you have helped me tremendously over the past couple of years. Will you still be supporting addlinks and the forum at indexuhelp?

I appreciate the kind words and thoughts of all. I probably should take my own advise and complete my Links_Coder program and sell it. but I just can't do what dody does. I can't sell it and then not support it.

Yep, I will keep AddLinks/EditLinks. I use them at my own sites!!! (remember, they are not tied to INDEXU ).

Anyway, I am working on an internet-based Sales/Receivable billing program. I won't sell the program itself but I would host it. then someone would be able to create customers and invoices on my site and then email the invoices and process payments for their customers.

While the idea did not come about because of INDEXU, it could be used by INDEXU link owners. It will be particularly suited for recurring billing. I'm pretty sure that I will add some code that will allow the biller to update a mySQL table at his site when posting the transaction and when posting the payment.

I'm thinking they will be able to accept payment by credit card and by paypal. But I am working on the billing part right now and hope to have something working within the next week.



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[webaliser]

if i understand well, i hope not, there is no support for the indexu?

[esm]

if i understand well, i hope not, there is no support for the indexu?

official support is thru email only and limited to installation, templates and paid customization.

see my post at http://www.nicecoder.com/community/s...6&postcount=11

While I am no longer active with INDEXU, the developer does answer questions in the forum that are not covered by the official policy.

He has been active recently but in the recent past he has been absent for days at a time. even weeks. He only obligates himself to the areas covered by his official support policy.

When he is here, he is very good with INDEXU.



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[webaliser]

official support is thru email only and limited to installation, templates and paid customization.

see my post at http://www.nicecoder.com/community/s...6&postcount=11

While I am no longer active with INDEXU, the developer does answer questions in the forum that are not covered by the official policy.

He has been active recently but in the recent past he has been absent for days at a time. even weeks. He only obligates himself to the areas covered by his official support policy.

When he is here, he is very good with INDEXU.



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I would like to talk to you via msn or yahoo or in case you have skype or phone line, even better.
Let me know the best way to contact you asap.
Thx

[dody]

Thank you esm, for your help to this community so far. Please visit us if you have time.

[magican]

official support is thru email only and limited to installation, templates and paid customization.

see my post at http://www.nicecoder.com/community/s...6&postcount=11

While I am no longer active with INDEXU, the developer does answer questions in the forum that are not covered by the official policy.

He has been active recently but in the recent past he has been absent for days at a time. even weeks. He only obligates himself to the areas covered by his official support policy.

When he is here, he is very good with INDEXU.



.

That sounded an awful lot like one of those 'requested' semi retractions. Definitely a flag there somewhere.

[dody]

His review is based on his experience in past few years back. But now we're totally different. I believe veteran member experience better product and support both from helpdesk and forum.

[ezykiwi]

I would have to agree with Dody, Ive been around since 2004 and the support is slowly getting better and better, Zubby is a great addition to the Nicecoder team.

ESM's decreased input into the forum has been a loss to us though, as I know from personal experience that he has helped me out on many modification of the script back in the v3 days.

I still believe there is room for improvement, but all in all, its getting better, so I dont think overall we can complain about the fact they are trying.

Cheers Ezy

[jagsinc]

ESM ...when I started w/t INDEXU (ver 3) you went way out of your way to help me get it working and customized (I probably owe you $)...As it is mentioned above, you were usually the 2nd post....I appreciate your assistance...re-writing code, checking errors, ....on and on.

I believe it has helped you grow in coding, experience, and knowledge - the future is wide open. My experience has been, to make money on the net, you have to look at current user demand and forecast. Example: 2006 to date, video demand is up 60%. Google, Yahoo, and MSN didn't get on video the band-wagon (and bandwidth wagon) so one could post all their videos....it's market share....and Google (being the 1st of the BIG 3 to market) steadily increases overall market share daily.

inspireme said: "Niche Sites" above. It is part of the formula for success and it is a formula:

1. 1st to market with a NITCH site
2. Provide the end-user what they want
3. Let your end-users build your site
4. Maintain your presence

And you will always be a dominant player. period

We pre "dot com" crash guys learned from the "let's all build local Yahoo sites with private investors money" disaster. There is only one Yahoo.....so on and so one.

Another important factor: the internet is a numbers game. If one is building PPC portals.....think numbers. Use domains that were registered 2000 or earlier. If you don't have any, buy a few (shop the auction blocks for expired domains). REAL IMPORTANT: use "keyword domains" and research the demand via Overture/Google keyword suggestions.

Don't put all your sites on one IP or one server. If you can, put each site on a different IP. Don't duplicate every site behind one theme that you customized/built (Search and Replace is your best friend).

Just a few things I know from experience that work.

ESM - thanks again - you be around

[CEC]

i've only owned the script since April. online support (doddy and community) has been great. and zubby's ticket support nothing short of exceptional.