Category for Shopping site help.

This seems like the appropiate forum to ask this.

I run a Yahoo Store and am having a hard time getting listed in the directory.
I have tried a few categories with no luck. There is no general merchandise category that I can find a posting link in.
What would be an acceptable category to list in?
Thank you for your time.
Paul Minichillo

 

Shopping/ is understandably drowning in unreviewed submissions. "Trying" several categories doesn't help that a bit. Are you really so "general" that only a listing at the Shopping level will do?

It's also possible that your site has been rejected multiple times. I have no way of knowing at this point.

 

I would have to consider my store as General Merchandise because we sell many products. Some of which are Leather clothing, Hair Care Products and tools, Desks, Small appliances, Sporting goods and more of a mixture. I don't want to list any more in fear of sounding like an advertisement.
I guess what I would like is for a senior Editor visit my store and maybe give me some pointers on getting listed. If that sort of thing is ever done. I don't want to be a pain or seem pushy. I just would like to get listed somehow. Without changing the theme of my store.
Thank to all who have replied, and to the Editors that have also replied. At least I am getting some input and I'm starting to get an idea of why I have had trouble getting listed.

 

http://shoppersfair.com/ is your site, right? I _think_ the issue is that you are an affiliate site, making money by referring people to other places to buy things.

 

kctipton,
But I am not an affiliate site. Unless selling good that I do not make in house is considered being an affiliate. I see products retail that I buy wholesale just like any other retailer. Is this a Yahoo Store thing? I have heard this from others here on the forums.
I have a registered business, my own merchant account for sales, and buy the products and resell them. I am confused.
Thank you for the reply though. I do think this has something to do with my problem. It just doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[thehelper]

I am dying to know why that the site being mentioned is thought to be an affiliate. I just cannot see it and I thought I was pretty good at spotting that type of stuff.

 

[windharp]

Just some thoughts on that site after looking at it myself.
it seems to be a real shop to me, just some explanation why someone having a short look might think its a affiliate-site:

1) Yahoo Shopping image upper left (I dont know when you put this...) - shop itself is at http://store.yahoo.com/minderson/index.html .

2) Pictures are for example at http://store2.yimg.com/I/minderson_1690_2671983

But since Yahoo offers hosting of webstores I dont see a problem with that myself.

 

[WLauzon]

"...Yahoo Shopping image.."

This is the 2nd time I have run into this goofy Yahoo rational in two days from an editor.

Are editors actually LOOKING at these sites?

What does being a Yahoo store have to do with being an affiliate?

 

[dajeffster]

WLauzon,

I think the point was that a newer editor may see a yahoo shopping site and "think" it is an affiliate and errs on the side of caution. (I am not saying it's right, just saying it could be happening)

I think a reason for an editor thinking it is an affiliate is because it carries a variety of products. Unfortunetly, this is something common among affiliate sites.

I agree with thehelper, I thought I could spot affiliates and this sites doesn't seem to be one.

Jeff /images/icons/laugh.gif

 

[WLauzon]

Just yesterday there was an EDITALL (!!) in another thread that said the same thing. THAT is what bothers me. How could someone get to be around that long and not know something so basic? Here is their exact phrase:

"The fact that it is a Yahoo store is probably why it hasn't been listed. We don't list sites that use affiliate links for their sales..."

 

Good morning all you fine Editors. I think, if I read right, that I am making a bit of headway? Not sure I just woke up :/images/dmoz/purplegrin.gif
The reason for the Yahoo image in the top is because whoever visited the site, came through Yahoo shopping or has a cookie that states they we in Yahoo Shopping in the past 30 days. If you go directly to shoppersfair.com you should not see the image. This is how Yahoo knows that they can take another 3.5% of the sale.
So I am going to ask again. How can I get listed, and is there a category I might be right for?
I appreciate all the attention and help, it has been refreshing. This must be a tuff job for all of you.

 

[thehelper]

[This is reply to WLauzon] That editall also posted back and apologized for saying it. Everyone makes mistakes.

 

[WLauzon]

It is not that one particular one made a mistake. It is the fact that I have seen that statement twice in two days. If I see it twice here in that short of a time period, that leads me to believe that there are a lot more than just two people in ODP that carry that same belief.
It leads me to believe that there are a lot of misconceptions that need to be addressed.

 

[thehelper]

You have to understand that the 2 posts are from editors that are not shopping editors. Editing in Shopping is not easy. The only advice I can give to editors answering on Shopping matters is that if you are not a shopping editor it might be best to state that at the beginning of a post.

My advice to minderson remains the same - find a category that fits your site and resubmit - don't submit the site all over the place, pick one category that best fits and submit there. If you are still not listed follow up a month in this forum or email the editor of the category and if there is none or you do not get an answer keep emailing up the tree giving a week for each editor to respond in between.

Also, make sure you write a good non hyped description - and if you want to refer to this thread in your submission place the url to it at the end of your submitted description with a note to the editor.

Just my 2 cents.

 

Well, I gave it another shot in Shopping: Home and Garden: Variety
There is not an editor available but the category seems to be the best I can find. You said to note this thread in the submission. Well I blew that, /images/icons/frown.gif I was planning on doing that in a note to the Editor oops. I don't think I can edit the submission can I?
Thank you all once again for the help. I will keep trying and checking this wonderful resource now that I know about it.

 

[lisagirl]

There was a little mis-translation and I have briefly looked at your site and it appears to be list-able.

For the benefit of all submitters, I'd like to point out this paragraph from the submission form:
"Please take a moment to review some of our submission policies and instructions. It is important that you understand these policies. Failure to understand and follow these policies generally will result in the rejection of a submission." and then when you read the submission policies and instructions it includes:

"Please only submit a URL to the Open Directory once." and "Identify the single best category for your site. The Open Directory has an enormous array of subjects to choose from. You should submit a site to the single most relevant category."

So submitting the site to at least 4 categories probably worked against you, and creating two topics about it in this forum also probably doesn't help.

The Shopping branch has a lot of multiple, repeated submissions, and lots of mis-submissions. It takes quite a while to find the right home and get a site reviewed.

You may wish to consider applying to become an editor. I personally recommend that people anxious to have their sites listed NOT apply for the category where their site would be listed, just to avoid temptation, but there is no rule against them applying anywhere. (For example, a submitter who wants his site listed in Shopping, I recommend he think about adopting his hometown category, or a category about one of his hobbies.) This will help the directory, and give the submitters an idea of how much work is involved.

 

[windharp]

Just a late comment:
>.. has a cookie that states they we in Yahoo Shopping in the past 30 days.

Only for the logs: A very active editor reviews tons of sites in 30 days. So most editors will see those image /images/icons/wink.gif

And as the other editors stated I said it might make some editors _think_ ts a yahoo-affiliate. I agreed with the post before mine that it doesnt look like an affiliate-shop to me...

 

[windharp]

Sorry to bother you again. Just did a check at archive.org to find out why someone might have been thinking that it was an affiliate-farm back some time.

To all people who want to have a look at it, please look at http://web.archive.org/web/20010927092420/http://shoppersfair.com/

I don't think I have to comment on that.

 

[thehelper]

Unless I am seeing something different from you the archive.org link you gave shows a site that has a domain registration placeholder page in place. This is pretty normal for sites when they sign up for a domain name.

 

[apeuro]

Unless I am seeing something different . . .

Even so, all of the "directory links" are affiliate links. Besides the ODP has never listed sites "Under Construction".