This post is about two WordPress plugins, one for creating a company, corporate or a business directory, and the other for creating a link or listings directory in a WordPress blog. The basic idea behind both these plugins is the same. To create directories where users can add their listings in a WordPress install.
Plugin 1: For creating a company or a business directory
If you want to run a company, corporate or a business directory in your WordPress install then, you can use this plugin. Users can create listings on your site after they register from the front end of the site. After that you can manually approve them or delete them. Users can create two types of listings: free listings and premium listings. You can enable or disable them as per your requirements. Also, you can charge users for premium listings based on listing duration.
Other feature includes Google maps for listings, search options, options to edit your business directory, use custom widgets for more functionality and to provide the look of a Business directory site in your WordPress install. Also, you can change image settings, enable Captcha to control spam, and enable QR codes for listings.
Here are the features:
1) PayPal integration: Plugin comes with PayPal integration and you can make money by offering a featured listing in your directory. You can set up pricing for premium listings along with duration of listings.
2) Google maps integration: The plugin also integrates Google maps that means a user can search a listing with the help of place and location. From the plugin settings page, you can set up default latitude, default longitude, select map type, and select zoom settings for Google maps.
3) Search option: A listing can be searched with the help of title and category.
4) Customize directory: You can also add your custom themes and logos with the plugin.
5) Custom widgets: There are 5 inbuilt widgets in the plugin to show off your directory content.
6) Listing settings: A user can enter Company name, website, email address, phone numbers, fax, address, city, zip, state, country, two types of description fields to add summary and long description, option to add images, location, mark place in Google maps, company logo, categories and tags. Also, they can add social networking accounts like Twitter username, Facebook URL, Google+ URL, LinkedIn URL, RSS URL and Skype username in the listings. All these options and fields can be enabled or disabled from the plugin settings page.
7) Free and Premium option: You can enable both free option and premium featured listings option your site. Also, you can edit fields for listings settings for free listings and premium listings.
8) Image settings: From the plugin settings page, you can set up image size (height and width in pixels) for logo,thumbnail images, map images, and QR images.
9) Enable limits: From the plugin settings page, you can set up limits for number of categories, tags, image uploads for free listings and image uploads for premium listings. Also, you can set up the number of maximum characters and minimum characters for summary and long description.
10) Enable Captcha: You also have the option to enable Captcha for the listings. This will help in stopping spam listings in your directory.
11) QR codes for listings: This plugin also generates QR codes for listings in your business directory.
Here is an example of business listing which can be added by using this plugin:
Plugin 2: For creating a link or listings directory
By using this plugin you can create a link or a listings directory site in WordPress install. Users can submit the listings from the front end of the site and you can moderate the listings. You can use shortcodes, add Google maps with listings, custom widgets, SEO info, enable comments, rating system, and contact form for listings. Also, users can add images to their listings. From the plugin settings page you can edit fields for listings and default email notifications.
Here are the features:
1) Shortcodes support: You can use shortcodes to display pages, categories, add search form, Submit link form and recent links widget anywhere in your blog.
2) Google maps: Google maps are fully integrated with them plugin and users can add maps in their listings. Directions form and Address line can be enabled or disabled from the plugin settings page.
3) Comments for listings: You can enable or disable comments for listings as per your requirements.
4) Add rating system: From the plugin settings page, you can enable rating system for listings.
5) Contact form in listings: You can also enable or disable contact from for listings.
6) Images for listings: You can allow users to upload images for their listings.
7) Custom email notifications: When a link is submitted by the user or when it is approved by the admin, an email notification message is sent to the user. You have the option to edit the notification emails.
8) SEO information: SEO information like PageRank, Alexa Rank, number of backlinks are also displayed for a listing.
9) Custom widgets: This listings plugin comes with custom widgets to display directory statistics, and most visited listings.
10) Listings category: Plugin adds a listings category section. You can show or hide the total number of listings for categories. You can also select the number of categories to be displayed per row.
11) Link target and nofollow links: From the plugin settings page, you can set up if the links in the listings should be opened in the same tab or in a different tab. Also you can nofollow the links in your directory.
12) Listing details: Users can add the following information in Submit listings page: URL, Reciprocal URL, Submitter name, Submitter email, Phone, Fax, open hours, address, state, and country.
13) Edit listing fields: You can enable or disable the following fields for the listings: Phone field, Fax field and open hours field.
Here is an example of listing which can be added by using this plugin:
