Home | Articles | Links | Sitemap

Why Our Site Was Removed from the Open Directory Project
by K.D. Wiseman

Our website,www.bestofthehome.com has been listed in
the Open Directory Project for over a year. Recently, I
conducted a search of the ODP for my site, to update it, and
found that it was no longer listed in any category.

I went to the ODP forums http://resource-zone.com to try to
obtain information as to why this had happened. The editors
and moderators of the forum informed me that websites that
sell products via the drop-ship method do not get listed in
the ODP, “because the content of these websites are not
unique and the sites are just “order takers” for the
wholesalers.” ODP will gladly list the wholesalers if they
meet the ODP guidelines.

The guidelines for a site to be listed in the ODP
Shopping/Home and Garden/Furniture Category are listed
below:

“Submission guidelines include that the web site itself
actually be a means of selling the Furniture products. Thus,
appropriate product images and descriptions, specific
product pricing and a means of ordering from the web site
itself are required to qualify as a "Shopping" site.”

As you can see, the guidelines say nothing about the fact
that if the website uses the dropship method that they will
not be listed. Even the category descriptions, Sites which
sell Furniture used in the home are listed in this category.
Please note that web sites listed in this or any Furniture
Shopping category must be the "means of selling" the
furniture, and therefore must properly display and describe
the products for sale, give specific prices and provide a
means of ordering the product from the site itself.” does
not mention anything about dropship websites not being
listed.

In our own case, our website meets all of the requirements
above, we list the products for sale, we have pictures and
descriptions of all the products we sell, give specific
prices and provide a means of ordering the product on site,
but since we do not design and manufacture the products we
are considered a drop-shipper for the wholesaler.

The OPD, by their own admission, looks at dropship websites
in this fashion, and these are direct quotes from some of
the moderators on the forum,

“Let's call the real businesses "mom-and-pop businesses" and
the other ... oh, I think "pseudonymous fright wigs for
anonymous faceless giant corporations" pretty well covers
the relevant facts.”

“drop shippers are a variety of affiliate operation, they
don't offer anything unique, and they act merely as an
extension of the marketing department of the corporation
they are affiliated with. Therefore we don't list 'em.
Renting storage space in someone else's warehouse to store
your own goods, using an independent courier to deliver,
etc. don't make someone a drop shipper. But then again the
independent distributor of mass market stuff is unlikely to
make it in if we already have sites selling the same mass
market stuff listed. Unique content is king. In addition, a
site's placement in the directory is subject to change or
deletion at any time at our sole discretion. ”

“A drop-ship order taker isn't information, it is
disinformation. "I claim to be doing this for money, but I
won't tell you who actually does it." It's a lie, pure and
simple……….That is just flat not honest. If it is not
outright criminal fraud, still, the mere fact that society
tolerates that kind of deception -- that shoppers aren't
taught from birth to avoid it like an Ebola outbreak --
gives unlimited unquenchable opportunities for outright
criminal fraud. No, there are surely thousands of genuine
little shops out there, providing their own unique goods and
services, and depending on the net to find customers. The
Vstore spammers try to bury the real little guys in doorway
spam. Who wouldn't sympathize with the little guys? Who
WOULD sympathize with the bully with a thousand fright masks
(each claiming to be a "little guy")?”

As you can see, the folks at the ODP do not think much of
websites that use the dropship method of selling products,
regardless if it a cost effective method for the website. It
comes down to this, ”if a company designs and manufactures
something, then obviously they are offering both unique
services and unique goods. Such a company has ample scope
for creating a website containing an authoritative
description of those goods and services, and that would
indeed be listable.” By their very nature sites which
promote someone else's wares neat don't provide unique
content, simply another way of purchasing the same thing.”

If the ODP thinks otherwise then you are considered a drop
shipper and will not get listed in the ODP.

My advice to all the websites out there that use the
dropship method to sell products on your websites, even if
your site is one of a kind, do not bother trying to get
listed with the ODP, because you will not. If you’re already
listed, check periodically to see if your listing is still
there and be thankful if it is, because if an ODP editor
happens across it, chances are it will be deleted.

• Hilton Garden Inn Congratulates Top Hotels of 2011
  
  MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --  Hilton Garden Inn , the worldwide brand of upscale, yet affordable, hotels announced today its top hotels of 2011. Nearly 70 individual and hotel awards were ...
  


• Debut Ellerslie garden more than a pipe dream
  
  A garden inspired by the Mackenzie Country's hydro engineering landscape - weeds and all - will be created by debut Ellerslie International Flower Show exhibitor Paul Roper-Gee of Beca at this year's show.
  


• Click here for audition notice for "The Music Man" from Garden Theatre
  
  The Garden Theatre is pleased to announce auditions for its third self-produced spring musical The Music Man, directed by Claud Smith III. Auditions will be held Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, February 13 - 18 at the Garden Theatre (160 West Plant Street in Winter Garden). This large production requires a minimum of 9 adult females, 12 adult males, multiple female and male ...
  


• Urban Garden? Check. Now, Chickens.
  
  City dwellers are making some headway in securing local permission to raise a small number of chickens and harvest their eggs. Still, some towns are firmly opposed.
  


• Chicago Home + Garden Magazine's Spring Outdoor Living Issue
  
  CHICAGO, Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago's winter has been surprising mild, but with Spring around the corner Chicagoans will be gearing up once again for backyard BBQ's and alfresco entertaining. ...