Create Fully Functional Directory Sites with WP Directory

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If I were to ask you to build a directory website using WordPress, what would your first thought be?

Yes, you're right. It will be about choosing the right directory builder plugin. Perhaps we don't even give enough thought to a directory theme.

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If I were to ask you to build a directory website using WordPress, what would your first thought be? Yes, you’re right. It will be about choosing the right directory builder plugin. Perhaps we don’t even give enough thought to a directory theme.

There’s one serious problem with this approach though. Unfortunately directory owners only realize this later. A plugin, in most cases, may not be able to match the rest of your website – Now you might pick the most robust plugin to power your listings website, but if the site doesn’t look good, there’s no point.

You have exactly 2 options at this point

Get your hands dirty with the code – Least said, this isn’t the best option for non-programmers. Unless you know how to code really well, customizing a plugin is not for you.

Hire a developer – This option obviously doesn’t come for free. You have to pay the developer by the hour. Besides, even after the final handover, there will still be bugs that the customization code could have introduced (which you will possibly discover later).

Also, each time an update is rolled out, you will have to chase developers and save your site from breaking.

You could have avoided all these challenges –

If you only gave a great directory WordPress theme a chance. There are some decent directory theme options out there but I’m going to discuss WP Directory by WPEka Club.

It’s a truly powerful directory theme for WordPress and every required feature is packed right into it. You won’t need a plugin to extend its functionality. It’s fully-functional all by itself.

Why WP Directory is a game-changer

WP Directory easily outdoes all the alternatives. Thanks to a robust framework that supports and runs a multitude of features without bogging down the site’s performance.

I won’t go a lot into details about setting up the theme options. They are like any other regular theme. Getting to what makes WP Directory so powerful.

Key Features

WPDirectory-Homepage

Beautiful Design

WP Directory sports an elegant design. There’s a huge map on the homepage. It’s an interesting element  with all the listings mapped into it. You can also use this map to filter out the listings based on their locations.

There’s a direct “Submit Listing” link that lets users submit listings right there without any need to register. Not forcing people to make accounts makes sense as it avoids overhead. The search bar also seems perfectly placed. There are various ways to search for listings. They are all listed neatly below the map.

The option to add an image to the category adds a great visual appeal to the whole directory. There’s an interesting slider at the bottom of the page. Provisions for adding featured and latest listings are also present in the theme.

Search

Search Feature

WP Directory comes with a powerful in-built search.  Right on the Homepage, there are 3 ways of looking for the relevant listings. Visitors can search using keywords, categories and the pinnings on the Homepage map.

Intuitive Admin Panel

WP Directory has one of the most user friendly interfaces around. You really don’t get stuck anywhere. It’s amazing how the huge range of functions also don’t seem to overwhelm the dashboard. It’s neat – and is structured in a way that all the settings that you want to manage are easily accessible.

Adding a New Listing is Easy

WPDirectoryListing

WP Directory supports 2 ways of adding new listings:

  • Users can submit their listings from the front-end ( No registration is required)
  • Alternatively, the admin can add new listings from the backend

The first option may come across as tiny, but it’s helpful while populating the directory initially. Lesser number of steps are always welcome. You’ll be surprised with the number of people who’ll get happy about this.

If you’re getting worried about Spammy listings, you don’t have to be. There’s a reCaptcha provision in place to fight such listings. Besides, the ultimate decision is yours. You can choose to approve/disapprove a listing.

Advanced CSV Import/Export Feature

WPDirectory-Import

You can use CSV sheets to import data and add new listings to your directory. If this data contains any undefined categories, WP Directory can be set to auto-generate new categories in their place.

You can also export your complete directory as a Spreadsheet. If you manage a network of directories, you will really appreciate this feature.

PayPal for Payment Processing

WPDirectory-Payment

WP Directory is fully integrated with PayPal for processing payments. Adding business listings can be a great way of monetizing a site. PayPal is clearly one of the most accepted and widely used payment processing options.

WP Directory makes it possible to charge people for  premium features. For example, you can let users add up to 5 images per listing for free. Over this limit, you can ask people to upgrade to the premium listings plan. You can set this number to anything. WP Directory works seamlessly with PayPal.

Someone who’s looking for listings needs the information immediately. You have really little time after bringing him on your site – so, if your generic looking site doesn’t offer him the expected information quickly, you’re likely to lose him.

So ditch that regular theme and install WP Directory now.

WP Directory comes from the makers of WPLocalPlus – the ultimate auto-content directory solution for WordPress. So you know what to expect. You can view its demo here.

Find out what a powerful directory theme can do for your site. Grab your copy now.

Alyona Galea

Alyona is a WordPress enthusiast, focused on sharing interesting things she comes across during her work with this great CMS. She loves exploring new destinations and maintains a travel blog at www.alyonatravels.com

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