Market Size for Online directory in 2026 [Example]

The Total Available Market (TAM) for online directories spans numerous sectors, including local businesses, service providers, and freelancers.

Assuming that each of the 1.5 billion potential users globally could spend around $100 annually to list their services or products in an online directory, we arrive at a TAM of $150 billion.

This encompasses users outside specific niche markets, as online directories attract varying business types worldwide, creating a broad base for this estimation.

The Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM) narrows this down to those businesses actively seeking to utilize online directories.

Estimates suggest that about 10% of the total TAM are small businesses and entrepreneurs who rely on online listings for visibility, translating to around 150 million individuals annually. If we assume each spends roughly $100 per year on a directory service, the SAM totals about $15 billion.

This reflects a more realistic segment of the market that you can serve with your online directory.

The Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM) focuses on what you can realistically capture in the first year.

Assuming you can capture 0.01% of the SAM, this translates to about 15,000 businesses or individuals using your service initially.

At an average spend of $100 per user per year, this results in a SOM of approximately $1.5 million, which is a conservative yet achievable goal for a new online directory business.