Want to create a business directory website using WordPress? Then, keep reading this page.
The Business Directory plugin is currently the best WordPress directory option to create a yellow pages type directory for your business, with higher popularity with 20,000 active installations.
It is so popular because the essential plugin is free and includes many, but not all, of the necessary features a directory website should have.
Creating a WordPress business directory is a great way to inform and help internet users and local businesses with inspiring achievements.
In this new article, I will show you how to easily create a WordPress business directory without hiring developers, step by step.
Let’s go.
How can creating a business directory website help you?
Backlinks from online sites are essential in ranking your site in Google search results. It means that you can attract directory visitors to your website.
In other words, the directory helps to qualify your potential leads and send them directly to your site.
It is beneficial to create a WordPress directory site. Here is a brief overview:
- Prove help to your audience by providing them with the information they need.
- Highlight service businesses.
- Give local businesses more visibility on the Internet.
- Yellow page sites generate profits from billed listings.
- It is also possible to monetize your directory site by running ads.
- Directory sites have many other benefits, such as SEO-improved ranking.
And much more!
What Features Should I Look For Before building A Business Directory Website?
Since directory sites usually contain a lot of information, it is necessary to include a search feature so that visitors can check spelling and grammar before posting on your site. Online directories are also called citation sites.
The features you should look for in a directory site are:
- The presentation of articles by category.
- The search and filtering options for easy discovery.
- The advertising and paid listing system.
Below is a list of the main features you should check before creating your directory system:
- Local search and filtering options
- Business reviews and ratings
- Business listings on Google Maps
- Images and Category Hierarchy
- Discount and coupon campaign
- Advertising system
- Search by postal code
- Accept payments directly from your site.
Business Directory Plugin is available in a free and commercial version. The free version is a great tool to get started.
It has essential features that will help you create primary directories, and if you want to discover the true potential of the Business Directory Plugin, you should opt for one of its paid versions.
A Simplified Directory Plugin For WordPress Users
The business Directory plugin is a premium WordPress directory extension used by thousands of users. You can easily create any content on your WordPress site.
Benefits
Here are some benefits of using the Business Directory WordPress directory plugin:
- Free and paid listings: Offer free listings to get more traffic or generate profits from recurring subscriptions through the most popular payment systems.
- Simplified directory templates: You can quickly and easily transform your directory with a new look and feel by choosing from many templates.
- Simple directory site setup and configuration: Get everything you need to launch your site in a simple and intuitive environment. Everyone is always looking for ease and simplicity.
- Mobile-friendly listings: Listings display well on all screen sizes: You can also opt for a mobile-friendly template to create sites designed just for mobile users.
- A rating and review system: Put a rating system for contractors, businesses and service providers online. The reviews will appear in the search results on Google!
The Business Directory plugin has all the features you need to make money with your WordPress site by keeping your visitors and users involved.
WordPress business directory Types
Here is what you can do with the Business Directory WordPress directory plugin:
- Local business directory: like Yelp yellow pages.
- Tour and travel reviews directory: for example, TripAdvisor.
- Medical directory: such as ZocDoc.
- Hotel directories: such as Airbnb.
- Software review sites: such as Capterra and TrustPilot.
- Book review sites: like Goodreads
Creating a powerful and attractive directory that its online users appreciate has never been easier than with Business Directory Plugin.
How to build a WordPress business directory?
In this tutorial, I will use the Business Directory plugin, one of the easiest ways to create a directory website on WordPress.
When this post was published, this extension was already active on more than 20,000 websites, with more than 500 positive reviews and 4.7 rating points from its real users.
Please follow these steps to create a Yellow Pages WordPress directory on your WordPress site in minutes.
At the time of publishing this post, this extension was already active on more than 20,000 websites, with more than 500 positive reviews and 4.7 rating points from its real users.
Please follow these steps to create a yellow pages WordPress directory in minutes on your WordPress site.
1. Installing the Business Directory plugin
You must first install the accessible version of the Business Directory plugin and then install and activate the paid version. If you want help getting started, follow a detailed guide to installing the Business Directory plugin.
To create a Yellow Pages WordPress directory, you also need to install some of its essential add-ons. Here’s how to do it:
From your WordPress site panel, go to the Directory Modules page. Install the following modules: claim, ranking, Google Maps, and regions.
Now, let’s continue with the next step.
2. Create Directory Pages
A WordPress website directory combines different directory pages, including the submission form, the individual listings page, and the listings archive.
After installing the necessary add-on module on Business Directory, you now need to define the following pages for the directory business website:
- Yearbook Article Submission Page
- Directory archive page
The best part is that all of this works in the front end. Now let’s see what you can do:
Regarding the directory post submission page, go to the WordPress dashboard ” Pages ” Add New. Create a new page, paste the shortcode [businessdirectory-submit-listing], and then publish the page.
Regarding the WordPress directory archive page: Activating the Business Directory plugin will automatically set up a main directory archive page. However, it is possible to create multiple directory archive pages, considering your requirements.
Click the “Create required pages for my account” button to generate directory pages for your WordPress site.
Business Directory Plugin provides you with an excellent selection of directory templates that are fully functional on all devices.
These pre-designed templates will help you make your Yellow Pages site even more professional. It also supports third-party WordPress plugins and page builders.
The image below is an example of a professional modern form theme template :
3. Configuring Settings
To start, please click Directory – Settings in the left sidebar. From this page, you can customize your Yellow Pages directory and the different modules' functionality to suit your needs.
The default company directory settings can be helpful in many circumstances, but you can adjust them as needed.
4. Configure Pricing and Payment Options
To generate revenue through your Yellow Pages site, you must install Authorize.net software to receive payments for your site. To do this, go to your WordPress admin area, choose Directory – Settings – Payments and enable the settings.
The Business Directory plugin allows you to sell features and elements of the listings. Additionally, you can set up pricing plans to generate and manage billing plans on your directory pages.
You can launch your directory site once you have completed all the above steps. However, don’t forget to spend more time on your site to strengthen your SEO to reach your customers and contribute to your community.
It is also possible to save your data from your directory site, as it offers CSV file export and more advanced features.
And that’s it!
how to make money with a business directory website
You can implement a virtually unlimited number of ideas to increase your income on your WordPress paid business directory.
- Affiliate Marketing
- Google Ads
- Sponsored blog posts
- Set up a paid membership site
- Offer digital products
- Create an e-commerce business
- WordPress paid business directory
Creating a WordPress-paid business directory portal is the niche of your directory site, making money with your listings.
Conclusion
Creating an internal directory site is a great solution to generate recurring revenue. Creating and configuring the Yellow Pages site with the Business Directory plugin is easy. This guide has helped you learn how to create a Yellow Pages WordPress directory on WordPress.
Business Directory WordPress plugin is not the only extension with which you can create a Yellow Pages WordPress directory. Still, there are other solutions that I have already shared with you in my list of the best WordPress extensions to create directories.
Some of the best WordPress plugins for a business directory:
- Business Directory – Ideal for large directory categories.
- GeoDirectory – Best WordPress directory plugin.
- Name Directory – Best structured online WordPress directory plugins.
- Directory Pro – Best free directory plugins.
- Advanced Classifieds – Best directory plugins.
If you have any questions about creating a WordPress directory, you can leave me a comment about it below.
