The document provides a guide to building a business directory using WordPress, discussing the purpose and benefits of such a directory, as well as comparing various WordPress themes and plugins available for this purpose. It outlines key steps for starting a directory, including planning, hosting, and marketing, and highlights both free and paid options with specific features. The conclusion emphasizes the affordability and variety of WordPress solutions while noting that effective marketing is crucial for success.

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