Originally presented to the Vancouver WordPress Meetup Group, this presentation covers some of the themes & plugins available to build different kinds of business directories.

1. Building a Directory
using WordPress
Themes, plugins and other options

2. What is a Business Directory?
•
Listing of businesses on a theme
•
Yellow Pages
•
Yelp
•
Google Places

5. Why start a business directory?
•
Promote businesses, groups, locations or events
•
Marketing your own multi-location business
•
Make money selling listings, add-ons and advertising
•
Local search is big business
•
Google loves this content

6. Why choose WordPress?
Because, WordPress
FTW!

7. Non-WordPress Options
•
phpMyDirectory $99.95 + $29.95/year + add ons
1/2 price for additional licenses
•
Brilliant Directories (SaaS) $97 - $497 / month
•
eDirectory (SaaS) $199 setup and then complicated
•
eDirectory $1799, $199 unbranded, $1299 mobile
•
eSyndicat (SaaS) from $25/month to $977/year

8. Where to start?
1. Ideas
2. Business Plan
3. Hosting & Design
4. Marketing
5. Promotion

9. Free Options
•
Store Directory
•
LDD Business Directory
•
Connections Business Directory
•
Business Directory Plugin - Freemium (from $49)

10. Paid Options
•
GeoPlaces
•
Templatic Directory
•
WP Directory Plugin
•
DirectoryPortal
•
DirectoryPress
•
Sabai Directory

11. Common Features
•
Unlimited listings
•
Multiple Cities
•
GeoLocation
•
Google maps integrated
•
Claim A listing
•
Multiple Price Packages
•
listing Categories
•
Vary features With Price
•
Ratings & reviews
•
Hide WordPress backend

12. GeoPlaces - Templatic
• One of the first
• Version 4
• Standard layout
• Less Than Great Code
• No longer supported
• Not responsive
• $99

13. Templatic Directory
•
Brand New
•
Child Themes Sold
•
Responsive
•
Complicated
•
Less Than Great Code
•
$99

14. WP Directory Plugin
•
Older style
•
Plugin
•
Very basic features
•
Facebook Page
integration
•
Marketed by Marketers
•
$37 - $97

15. DirectoryPortal - ThemeForest
•
More Modern
•
Large Map
•
Responsive
•
5 Color Schemes
•
$55 - $2750

16. DirectoryPress
•
Website, Business, Affiliate or
Classifieds
•
20 themes includes
•
Nice admin & user dashboards
•
Unlimited Installs
•
$79 - $199

17. Sabai Directory
•
Plugin - Any Theme
•
Shortcodes & Widgets
•
Multiple Map Styles
•
Updated Jan 16 2014
•
$25 - $125

18. Vantage - AppThemes
•
Large Map Size
•
Modern Design
•
Multiple Payment Gateways*
•
Updated Jan 11, 2014
•
$99 - $159

19. GeoTheme

20. GeoTheme
•
Unlimited Installs
•
Responsive
•
iOS app
•
Actively Supported
•
Busy user forums
•
$85 + $94 / year

21. • Not released yet - Beta 0.3
in .org repo soon
• Freemium - Free coreGeoDirectory
• Premium plugins to follow
• Events
• Multi Location Manager
• Pricing and Payment Manager
• Dynamic Custom Posts
• Claim Listing Manager
• Ratings and Review Manager
• Marker Cluster
• Advance filters
• Autocompleter

22. Summary
•
Many high quality WordPress options
•
Generally less expensive to start than other options
•
Think about what features you need
•
Marketing is the key to success

23. Links
•
Templatic “Directory Theme” - templatic.com
•
WP Directory Plugin - wpdirectoryplugin.com
•
Directory Portal Theme - ThemeForest.com
•
Directory Press - DirectoryPress.net
•
Sabai Directory - CodeCanyon.net
•
Vantage - AppThemes.com
•
GeoTheme - GeoTheme.com

24. Thank You
Jeff Rose
http://www.jeffrose.ca
jeff@jeffrose.ca
@jeffrose