Hi everyone

I realise this is in the wrong section but I can't seem to post in the general section yet so if someone could move this then that would be fantastic .

Im new here so go easy on me haha.

Right basically I am a professional web developer and have been having a gander at the independent escort sites and I don't know if its just me thats noticed this but the sites I have come across have been fucking terrible, the closest I have come to an acceptable site has been Adult Work.

So  since i'm a web developer (and an opportunist ) I thought id create a new site to fill that need.

I have just started development on the site and thought id come on a couple of forums and get an idea of what you guys would like to see and what you wouldn't want to see in an independent escort site.

Just to clarify, I am not doing this to empty your pockets, the site will function along the lines of sites like Adult work but will be more streamlined , better looking and more functional.

Anyhoo enough of my ramblings, if you have any opinions on this then it would be greatly appreciated

My apologies for not reading the rules

Anyhoo aye if anyone has any input on my post then that would be fantastic .

Im not trying to reinvent the wheel... just improve on it!.

I have had some great feedback from other posts on other forums, the purpose of this isnt to learn how to create a directory, its to get an idea of what features you guys want. I am a very experienced web developer and have worked on multi million pound projects so I know my stuff .

There is no need for sarcasm haha, I am about to spend months worth of development time into creating a better user experience for you guys so thats why I am on here so I can find out what bugs you the most about the sites you currently use and get it right on what I am creating.

However I will have a good read through your forums when I get some time between coding sessions

As we may well keep this as the generic 'yet another directory' thread because of all those links...

Want to create a directory website? Don't read this - buy a lottery ticket, it's a lot cheaper than the time you'll spend. The one in fourteen million chance of winning the jackpot is also much better than your chances of being the next AW, and you won't have to deal with lots of escorts wondering why their webcam isn't working or reporting someone else for stealing their content and demanding you do something etc etc etc...

Ah, you're still here, proving that you're determined to succeed. I can see why: it's very easy to look at existing successful directories and sneer. Some look horrible and hardly any do anything that's technically very difficult. The problem is that doesn't matter.

Look at auction sites. Any competent person could knock up an auction site in a day or so. Having it look better than eBay wouldn't be hard either, but until you have their user numbers, why should anyone offer anything for sale on your site? Without millions of items on your site, why should any buyer look at it? No buyers, no sellers. No sellers, no buyers.

OK, what about specialist areas? The fine art auction cartel hasn't gone out of business despite eBay, for example. But again, what it has is users, those who want to sell fine art and those who want to buy it, plus centuries of experience and expertise in bringing the two together. No buyers, no sellers. No sellers, no buyers.

It's exactly the same for directories. For a general directory, you want a mass of users and there is nothing short of throwing a big pile of money at the problem that you can do to get them until the existing ones fail to be 'good enough' for some reason. (Even then, it's probably not going to be you who will luck out and become the next successful one.) For a specialist one, it's a bit easier, but again where are the users going to come from?

'But', you cry, 'I am going to offer free ads to escorts!!' Yawn. At least it's better than stealing ads (a good way to have your providers close you down) but it's still nowhere near enough: many of the existing directories are also free, so you can't compete on price. Plus even a free listing has a cost: the time taken to keep it current, for example.

'But', you cry, 'If I don't try, I won't succeed!!' OK, some free advice: if you must do a specialist one, pay people to have ads on it, at least until you're bigger than your rivals.