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Posted on 04/18/2022

In this webinar, see the most important features of the all-new eDirectory V13.1. We’re joined by Fernando Nascimento, eDirectory’s product manager, who offered a comprehensive tour of everything you can achieve with the new version.

Further, we discussed in depth the new Marketplace widget – for Products and Services – which is a killer feature that enables advertisers to sell both products and services and to make appointments, through external links to their service of choice. Moreover, the online directory owner has the option to monetize this feature on the top listings level.

The Marketplace feature (as we call it) is something that can change the usability and the value proposition of your online directory, so it is highly recommended that you watch this webinar and take some time to read through our new blog articles on the new eDirectory V13.1 release and also the new eDirectory App.

So take your seat and enjoy this session with us!

Welcome to the new eDirectory V13.1

Useful links and tools mentioned in the webinar:

*We are not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected to the tools and sites mentioned in the webinar.

This session was recorded on April 13th, 2022.

Don’t forget to register for eDirectory’s next Webinar.
Do you want to know what eDirectory can do for you? Sign up for a free guided Demo here.

Want more tips? Shoot us a note at marketing@eDirectory.com.

It’s out: New eDirectory v13.1

Posted on 04/08/2022

Meet the New eDirectory v13.1

We are proud to announce a major release: eDirectory v13.1. It is filled with new features and new technology. It reflects the constant evolution of the most complete directory software.

According to Arca Solutions’ CEO, James Chubb, this new eDirectory version comes from a new set of internal processes for faster release cycles. It means more product features are being added with even more quality.

This release gives more flexibility and functionality, making it easier to launch and monetize directory-based websites.

The new eDirectory Mobile App

The star of the new release is the new generation of the eDirectory Apps. Formerly built using two different platforms (one for Android and one for iOS), the new eDirectory app is created with Flutter, an open-source framework developed by Google in 2015. It delivers native performance and visual consistency on different platforms.

Fernando Nascimento, product manager of eDirectory, says that web and app formats are now closer and the plan is to get them even closer in terms of design, features, and functionalities.

There’s no doubt the new eDirectory App brings more flexibility but it also brings more opportunities for customization, to meet specific needs. ”The new version is built on the open-source Flutter platform, where the single code base can generate native iPhone and Android apps. Going forward this will dramatically increase the velocity of the app development, as well as make app customization much more affordable”, says James.

eDirectory App - Listing Stories Example

What’s new on eDirectory v13.1

Besides the new eDirectory App, the web version brings improvements and new features across all modules. As we have a blog post dedicated to the new eDirectory App, let’s see here the highlights for the web version!

New Widgets for the Listing Detail Page

Marketplace Widget

This feature allows listing publishers to create lists of products and services that
will be shown as a catalog on the listing detail page, and an external purchase link can be added so the end-user can purchase the offered item. Learn how to add this feature to your eDirectory site.

Header Widgets

A total of 5 new header widgets for design enhancements and to create fine-tuned templates for each category.

Thin Header
Centralized Header (3 different versions)
Header with Gallery (up to 8 images)

eDirectory - Centralized header (type 3)

eDirectroy - Insert Header Widget detail

Contact Us Widget

The contact information is displayed on the default header widget but now it can be displayed anywhere on the listing detail page. It includes address, phone, an additional phone, website, and email.

Badges Widget

Similar to the Contact Information, Badges were displayed only on the default header but now can be added anywhere on the listing detail page.

Browse by Category Widget

Site managers can now select from which module the categories will be selected on any
of the “Browse by category” widgets. It creates more options to highlight the best content of your project, improving user engagement.

Twitter Feed Widget

With the sunset of the Advanced Social Media Plugin, the Twitter feed is now available for all new installations. Available for Listings and Events modules. LinkedIn clickable URL can now be added to the listing page.

eDirectory - Listing twitter feed detail

Deals Module

Advertisers are now able to upload their own QR code, which will be displayed on the redeemed coupon, making it easier the deal validation. Fixed prices are now optional, allowing advertisers to create generic coupons such as “All products with 50% off”. Advertisers will be able to define if redeem codes will be generated randomly for each deal redeem or define a unique, customized coupon code that will be presented for all visitors who redeem that deal. Lastly, the Site Manager will be able to disable the display of the time left to redeem and the deals left counter. See how to use QR Code on deals.

General Settings – Maps and Banner Ads by level

Site managers can now choose which levels will display Google maps and Banner Ads on the detail page. Available for listings, events, and classifieds It allows to create or highlight the benefits of the premium plans.

Theme Layout Updates

New layout for themes Doctors, Wedding, and Restaurant. Improved default color palette for contrast and usability.

Claimable Listings export

New option to export claimable listings on the Mailing list section. Claimable listing is a powerful built-in feature so you can reach out to your potential advertisers, starting a conversation to engage and sell. This new export feature creates a faster way to pull this data and feed your preferred email marketing platform.

Read the full list of enhancements of eDirectory v13.1 here.

Upgrade to the latest version of eDirectory today!

For active clients looking to take advantage of the latest and greatest eDirectory.com has to offer, simply fill out the Upgrade Request form or contact your account executive.

For new clients looking to launch their online Enterprise with all you see here and much more, please request a demo here, call us directly at +1-800-630-4694, or send an email to sales@eDirectory.com.

The new generation of the eDirectory App

Posted on 04/08/2022

The new eDirectory App is here!

In a mobile-first world, eDirectory has always been ahead of its time: from the early adoption of website design responsivity to the creation of its exclusive Integrated App Builder. That’s part of what makes us lead the online directory software industry.

The eDirectory App

Having mobile apps published on the app stores brings extra authority to any project as it shows the commitment to the online community it serves.

Since 2010 the Integrated App Builder creates both Android and iPhone apps. Twelve years later, eDirectory confirms its protagonism and leadership in the online directory software industry.

The eDirectory Integrated App Builder brings a huge advantage for Online Directory owners as they can manage everything within the same interface. In a few clicks, they can configure the look and feel of the app, manage the main menu, and create custom pages.

Through our powerful API, every content added to the website – listings, classifieds, events, etc – become available on the app. Its dynamic nature allows for quick design changes to reflect automatically on the apps without having to republish them.

Using the integration with Google Firebase, app owners can send real Push Notifications, increasing user engagement and retention. Only native apps have this capability.

Formerly written with Java (Android) and Objective C (iPhone), we totally revamped its base technology and design for an increased amazing experience for visitors and advertisers.

Flutter

With the release of the new version 13.1, our exclusive Integrated App Builder now writes the apps using Flutter technology. This open-source platform was created by Google back in 2015 and it allows more agility in app development.

Flutter combines the quality of native apps with the flexibility of cross-platform development. It’s been used by companies like BMW, Alibaba, eBay, GroupOn, NuBank, Google itself, and many others.

Among the several benefits of Flutter, we can name its versatility, high performance, customization, and reliability of the code delivered. It means that its adoption on our Integrated App Builder allows the eDirectory Apps to become even more powerful, with even more features, and easier to be customized to meet specific needs – and for affordable pricing.

The Process

While we’re passionate about what we do, the new eDirectory app isn’t made “to suit our passions”. The (re)creation of the eDirectory app is the result of more than a year of research, hypothesis validation, data verification, prototyping, and a lot of effort by the entire team. It is the result of a process that involved customers and professionals from all areas of the company.

Led by the Design Team, the process started with several interviews with heavy-use customers around the world to map a wide range of different perceptions, needs, and desires about the eDirectory App.

After completing this step, professionals from all areas of the company (admin, sales, marketing, infrastructure, support, design, and product team) put all hands on this deck to analyze the raw data and build together the roadmap of this new journey.

Priorities set and technical needs over the table, it was time to tackle the challenges and beat them all, one by one, completing all of the planned stages. Nothing was left behind.

Finally, after months of teamwork that involved building, testing, validating, and rounds and rounds of quality control, the new eDirectory App is here, ready for the world again.

The new eDirectory App

The new eDirectory App, despite bringing many new features, still maintains the same nature as the previous generation: it is an application focused on the end-user.

Using Flutter allowed the app’s design to be refreshed and more closely aligned with the web/responsive version, while also including many of the web version’s features and functionalities.

See the highlights of the new eDirectory App:

Listing Template Design: through the Listing Template Editor you can create custom fields and unique designs for the Listing Detail Page – fitting general listings and/or one template for each category. With the new version of the app, all custom fields are displayed on the app, following the design of the associated Listing Template.

Exclusive Content: one of the great advantages of the app was the perception of users and advertisers about the authority of the project. With the new version of the apps, this authoritative item gains an important ally: the offer of exclusive content through the apps.

Stories: similar to the Instagram feature, site managers now can promote listings, deals, latest news, and more, with an eye-catching featured section on the app. Different from Instagram, these stories won’t vanish with time and are stored in the app, this way your users are able to review them at any time. Learn how to create Stories to promote your content.

Deals: advertisers (and site owners) can create deals exclusive to the app. It helps to promote even more your mobile apps, increasing user engagement. Learn how to create app-exclusive deals in your eDirectory app.

Banners: banner ads are now displayed within the apps and can be created exclusively for the apps. The home screen has one slot for the native banner ads. The results screen also displays banner ads in the middle of the results. Learn how to create banners for the apps.

Customizable Home Screen: now you can choose, rename and reorder the elements on the Home Screen. This allows a fine-tuning of the content according to your project and commercial strategy.

Sliders: apps always had their own exclusive Sliders but it was mandatory to link them to existing content such as Listing, for example. Now the Sliders can be just images with no link or even linked to external content.

Inbox: with the new version the users will have access to an Inbox feature that stores all the Push Notifications sent to the app. It may increase the interaction rate as they will have the chance to check the notifications at their own pace. Learn more about the Inbox feature.

eDirectory App - Inbox Feature Message Detail

Apple ID: we added the Apple ID option for account creation and log-in.

What’s next for the eDirectory App?

As we mentioned before, our process of re-creating the eDirectory App took into consideration the most different needs and requests from our customers. The first version of the new generation delivers new features but inside its already known focus: the end-user.

The next steps are to increase the capacity of the app, including features specific to the advertisers, where they will be able to manage and edit existing content right through the app. The screens are already designed and we are currently working on technical aspects of the development.

We are immensely grateful to everyone who took part and helped with the new eDirectory App. This marks a new stage in our history of leadership in the online directory software industry.

Thank you!

Questions, suggestions, or comments about the new eDirectory App? Please shoot us a note here or send an email to marketing@eDirectory.com.

Upgrade to the latest version of eDirectory today!

For active clients looking to take advantage of the latest and greatest eDirectory.com has to offer, simply fill out the Upgrade Request form or contact your account executive.

The Online Directory Business Model (and how to succeed)

Posted on 03/15/2022

Starting a new business with an online directory is a very attractive option for several reasons. Online directories are one of the most effective business models within the online media space and can be used by agencies to grow revenue or by entrepreneurs to launch a new digital company.

Some advantages of the online directory business model:

Easy and affordable to setup;
Provides a valuable service for people making purchase decisions;
Much of the content is user-produced, meaning the business can be run with a small team;
Low ongoing maintenance;
Generates high-margin, recurring revenue.

In this article, we’ll cover the foundation of the online directory business model, as well as learn how to monetize the business and get the first customers.

What is an online directory?

An online directory is a guide that assists people in making a purchase decision, whether it’s a local guide for restaurants and hotels, a niche product, such as a guide to help set up a wedding, or a business-to-business guide for buying factory equipment or enterprise services.

Online directories provide information about specific businesses including their names, addresses, contact details, associations, services, and products offered in the form of listings. Businesses are typically categorized based on their location, activity, or rating, and the directory must ensure that all the information in its listings is accurate.

In this business model, there are several niches to be explored and each one of them generates value differently for users and clients (which we will discuss in the next chapters).

How does the basic business model work

The basic business model is creating a site that has a list of all the relevant suppliers, which includes detailed information about what they offer, photos and videos, ratings, and reviews. The model originally was used by yellow page companies, which in the US was a 20+ billion-dollar-a-year industry globally. Also, niche B2B media companies often published vendor and supplier directories.

The online directory business model has been in use since the late nineties. Did you know that Elon Musk himself, when starting his climb in the business world, created an online city guide with maps and yellow pages, founding Zip2?

Back then, the company’s strategy was to create a physical database to promote this service to major newspapers and media publishers. He managed to close deals with major publishing houses like the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and others.

In short, in February 1999, he sold the company to Compaq for $307 million. With the $22 million he received for his 7% stake in Zip2, he next launched an online bank called X.com, which merged with Confinity to form PayPal in 2000.

Interestingly, since then, the online business directory model has grown more and more, attracting the attention of different brands, products, competitors, etc.

Business listing information example and how the information is displayed in an online directory.

The power of curation

Online information is everywhere these days – you can find information about a business on Google, Facebook, and many other sites. So why would people need a directory? The value is in the curation. The directory shows all the suppliers, ratings and reviews, and other information making it the authority to help make the purchase decision. There is so much information out there that curation is especially valuable, filtering out the noise and delivering only what’s really valuable.

By exploring the best content available in a certain niche, your online directory will be recognized. Customers value the diverse perspectives offer about the topics and interests that interest them. So get to know your audience, what are your customers looking for? What are their pains and needs?

Pay extra attention to the following points in order to have an effective curation process:

The kind of audience you are trying to build
The segment of customers you are trying to attract

Knowing your audience (and your niche) is key. Remember this.

As a source of curated content, your online directory’s purpose is to share listings, events, deals, and classifieds that your audience wants. It acts as a funnel. It is one of the most important ways to build trust between you and your audience. The better the content you provide, the more likely you are to receive clicks and referrals.

Get to know the types of online business directories

There are several types of online business directories to meet the most diverse interests and segments you could think of. Here are the most commonly used today:

Online local businesses;
Classifieds;
Real estate classifieds;
Job boards;
Freelancers;
Domestic services;
Events;
Weddings;
Doctors;
Travel, hotels, and food,
Softwares and apps;
Auto sales.

The key elements to having a good online business directory

For your online directory to be of higher quality, it must consider the following parameters:

Breadth and depth of data for the categories the directory covers, so it has all the relevant listings and all the relevant information about each listing. We have an entire Webinar dedicated to this topic.
Provide relevant related content to attract more traffic (blogs, videos, social media);
Present advertiser listings in an attractive and organized, with good descriptions and images;
It is essential to have integrations with providers for online payment, allowing sales through this channel (check your local and major gateways);
An online sponsor dashboard would allow sponsors to fully manage their listings. This saves time and allows greater flexibility for advertisers;
To ensure a higher position in the search rankings of your listings and websites, it is essential to have content optimized for SEO;
By providing maps and information related to the locations of listed companies, the directory site becomes much more useful to users.
Reviews are important to make other users from your audience to have based purchase decisions.
Invest in good quality photos and videos, hire a photographer or an image specialist. Good photos make your online directory look and feel more professional, and also make the sponsors sell more.
And curation, as we mentioned before. Stay in your niche, promote an Editor’s Choice Award and other creative contests to engage with your audience.

How to get the first customers for your online directory?

To get started, you need to develop some marketing strategies to promote your online directory and attract your first customers. It is a job that requires a certain amount of patience to take the right steps and achieve the desired results.

Next, we will present some tips to attract the first customers to your online directory site, which are:

Build listings on your site to grab users’ attention as an empty business directory doesn’t grab anyone’s attention. You can scrape listings and start filling your website by yourself.
Use social media to promote your online directory, as your target audience is in these spaces and willing to interact with brands;
Take advantage of the opportunity to establish a relationship with your audience by electing your visitors’ favorites in a certain niche;
It is interesting to start using paid advertising, such as Google Ads, to increase traffic to your online directory quickly. Bing ads are also an option;
Drive traffic to your directory site and build authority for your brand by writing relevant content and using guest blogging. Organic strategies typically require a longer time to work;

These are just a few suggestions to get you started in making your online directory popular and profitable.

How to monetize your online directory?

Certainly, most online business directory sites make money by providing visibility to their partners. This happens both with the dissemination of products and services and with the use of spaces for advertisements.

Additionally, some websites offer premium advertising and spaces. Once you have your online directory, it’s time to monetize it. It’s what generates business and profits.

Other forms of monetization can also be found in niches and differentiated business models, for example:

Affiliate Marketing;
Sales of leads;
Sponsored newsletters;
Disclosure on social networks.

Paid advertisement inside the online directory business model

The option of paid advertisements to earn income in the online directory business model is the most used and applies to several types of online commercial guides, such as:

Stores;
Restaurants;
Subscriptions to scientific articles or videos;
Job vacancies, among others.

In this type of monetization, businesses pay to have their brand appear at the top of search results in their category. This is certainly an effective method of gaining visibility.

In addition, this type of listing generates recurring revenue, as the company can pay a monthly membership fee to have your name displayed throughout the month at certain times.

The listing is displayed on the first page of its categories, depending on the type of plan that is chosen by the companies. For example, a plan might offer three levels of memberships, such as:

Bronze ($30/month): Featured listing in a category and 2 photos to upload;
Silver ($50/month): Featured listings in 3 categories, 5 photos to upload and 1 social media account link;
Gold ($100/mo): Featured listings in 5 categories and 1 rotating ad slot, 10 upload photos, and linking 5 social media accounts with active feed updates.

In this example, it is clear how the advantages of each plan are increasing and how you can choose the one that best fits your budget.

Interestingly, the amount charged by companies to advertise their services and products directly relates to the quality of the directory site. Thus, the better your online directory, with a lot of good listings, the more you can charge for these plans.

As well, the more traffic your site has, the more opportunities you have to attract advertisers.

Ad spaces available

You can also monetize your online business directory by selling ad spaces, i.e. banners. Initially, you can offer free advertising space to encourage sponsors to start using your online directory.

You can also use the rotating banner to sell the same space to different companies. This requires defining a marketing plan that can be weekly, biweekly as well as other options.

One way to charge for ad slots can be Cost per 1000 impressions (CPM) or cost per click (CPC), or by setting a monthly fee for a certain space in a specific location on the page.

Take advantage of every opportunity to advertise your online directory. Some ideas can generate good results, such as promoting events related to the niche market in which it operates. Or even promoting articles, classifieds, and everything else that may be related to your business and generate an audience.

How to get started?

This is a critical step in getting your business directory started and on its way to success.

With the tools available today such as directory templates, themes, or online directory scripts, it can be overwhelming to build and update your online directory yourself or have to rely on a developer.

A company that specializes in online directory site software has a lot to offer for your online business model. For example, eDirectory is an extremely complete and commercially available directory website builder.

It offers its users all the tools to create, manage and promote a successful directory site. It also offers a robust list of resources, including some essential tools to help you market your directory online, such as:

Ability to create professional directory listings with images, videos, social media feed, and coupons within an intuitive and beginner-friendly interface;
Customize your pages to fit your needs, using a visual editor to create different categories for each listing you create;
Seamless integration with the most popular social media platforms and encouraging advertisers to promote their own listings with social sharing links;
Automatically integrate with Google Maps as new listings are added;
Providing automatic payment reminders to listing owners as their payment due dates approach;
You can generate business for your advertisers by allowing them to create their own coupons and offers directly from their listings. Additionally, you can sell them banners ad space;

To get a better idea of all these eDirectory benefits, go to edirectory.com and schedule a free guided demo. You will be surprised!

Webinar: Colors & Fonts for a Successful Directory Website

Posted on 02/24/2022

Research indicates that people judge a product (unconsciously) within the first two minutes of contact. In between 60% and 90% of cases, this judgment is solely based on the color of the object.

A site can have stunning images and well-balanced text, but if the color palette does not appeal to visitors, they will likely leave. The worst part is that they may not even realize why they left.

A color can evoke a particular mood or evoke associations based on one’s environment or past experiences. Color psychology teaches us that blue is often associated with feelings of trust and loyalty, while purple represents luxury or imagination.

You can analyze the sites that you like most or that are references in your niche and make a comparison. To identify every color used on a website, up to the exact hue and hexadecimal code, you can use a google chrome or firefox addon extension like colorzilla.

Would like to know how colors & fonts work together to build a successful directory website? Watch this week’s webinar to know more.

Useful links and tools mentioned in the program:

Color palette generator

*We are not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected to the tools and sites above.

This session was recorded on February 23, 2022.

Don’t forget to register for eDirectory’s next Webinar.
Do you want to know what eDirectory can do for you? Sign up for a free guided Demo here.

Want more tips? Shoot us a note at marketing@eDirectory.com and don’t forget to join our Facebook group.

Master your categories optimizing your online directory

Posted on 02/10/2022

In this week’s webinar, the marketing team and CEO James Chubb discussed one of eDirectory’s most powerful features: Categories. This video will teach you how to master your categories and optimize your online directory to the fullest.

We begin by discussing categories and how you can organize your website, then do a hands-on demonstration of the categories of the most important modules, such as listings, classifieds, and even deals.

You’ll learn how to customize your categories with images and icons by using the widgets in the design module, where you can change the background color and texts as well. If you have any doubts, please do not hesitate to contact the team.

Master your categories optimizing your online directory

How to balance the best taxonomy and the SEO for your categories?
We suggest taking a look at the search volume of these keywords using any of the tools below so you can compare the variants and improve your SEO strategy.

Google Adwords Keyword Planner https://ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/
SEMRush https://www.semrush.com/blog/keyword-search-volume/
Wordstream https://www.wordstream.com/keywords
Ahrefs https://ahrefs.com/blog/keyword-search-volume/
SearchVolume https://searchvolume.io/

External links mentioned:

Icons 8 – website for downloading vector icons.
Flaticon – another good option.

This session was recorded on February 09, 2022.

Don’t forget to register for eDirectory’s next Webinar.
Do you want to know what eDirectory can do for you? Sign up for a free guided Demo here.

Want more tips? Shoot us a note at marketing@eDirectory.com and don’t forget to join our Facebook group.

eDirectory vs WordPress Directory Plugins

Posted on 01/21/2022

eDirectory vs WordPress Directory Plugins & Themes: what is the best solution?

As you begin to plan and research creating and building a profitable online directory-based website, you will find that there are a few options for you and may wonder – ‘what is the best solution for me?’

If you are contemplating using WordPress directory plugins and themes, there are some pros and cons to consider.

You can use WordPress for an institutional brochure-type of website, your personal blog, e-commerce, and of course, for directory-based websites such as Yellow Pages, Local Search Site, Classified Ads Portals, and more. If you are not minimum skilled in Webdesign, it can be a daunting task.

eDirectory is a platform specifically designed for building and managing directory-based websites. The skilled development team has thought through all of the details needed to build a fully-functional website. Once you sign-up for eDirectory, your new website is ready for you to configure according to your business model. No coding or design knowledge is required.

To create a good-looking and reliable directory-based website using WordPress directory plugins, there’s a lot more than just starting adding content to it.

If you are new to using WordPress, there may be a bit of a learning curve. Although getting started with WordPress has a relatively low cost as an open-source code, building on the website begins to add up and create a lot of moving parts. Many of the reliable WordPress themes are offered at a premium price – the same is to be said for plug-ins.

Here are the basic steps to creating a WordPress-powered Online Directory

Hosting

What an easy start! There are several companies out there providing low-cost hosting for WordPress websites. Pricing will vary according to the resources offered by each company/plan.

Server Configuration

Not all companies will deliver the server ready to host your project, in many cases you’ll need to do it yourself. Some important things to consider in this step:

Will you need Cpanel or WHM to manage the server?
Can you scale storage, bandwidth, and performance?
Is it ready for email services?
Can it handle safety backups?
How many security levels does it have to protect your data?
Does it provide an SSL security certificate?
What’s the system library version recommended?
What is the policy to update the library for PHP, Java, and other modules?

WordPress Installation

As an open-source simply head to their official website and with a few clicks you can download their code. Assuming you have your server already configured, there are plenty of tutorials available to guide you with this installation.

Directory Theme/Template/Plugin research

Here’s what you need to look for when choosing the right WordPress directory plugins/template/theme:

Is it compatible with the core version of WordPress?
When was the last update?
Is there any support or guidance?
Is it for Business Listing only?
Can you create custom fields for Listings?
Does it include Classifieds too?
Does it include Events and Recurring Events?
Does it come with its own Banner Ads manager?
Can business/members post deals and offers?
Does it support online recurring payments?
Does it automate the billing procedures?
Does it include a portal for the advertiser to post and manage their content?
How many pre-built pages come ready?
Is it drag-and-drop?
What is the page builder? Elementor, Gutenberg or Divi?
Can users bookmark their favorites and have a public profile?
Can you create discount codes and free trials?
Does it have a Claim This Listing feature?
Does it come with pre-built email templates?
How does it handle the Categories Tree?
Does it allow for subcategories?

Additional Plugins

As WordPress is just the core application, many of the basic features for directory-based websites are achieved by adding plugins developed by the community. The Plugins will vary according to the needs you already know (and some will rise along the way). Don’t forget to check on each Plugin if they are compatible with the version of WordPress and with the version of the theme – these issues can break your site. The most common WordPress Directory Plugins sites are:

Yoast SEO
Google Analytics
Google Tag Manager
Google Maps
Google Recaptcha
Payment Gateways (Paypal, Stripe, etc)
Contact Forms
Dynamic Calendar Widgets
Bulk Importing tool
Exporting tool
Image sliders and Carousel
Rating and Reviews
Newsletter widget
GDPR active consent
Facebook comments
Social Login by Facebook, Gmail, and Apple ID

Installation and Setup

Once you have the site, the theme, and the plugins installed. It’s time to activate everything and start configuring the basics to be sure the plugins won’t conflict with each other and won’t break your site.

While you are still considering what theme to use and the collection of Plugins you’ll need to start your idea, an average eDirectory user is already working on the new site and will be launching it soon.

Top 5 reasons to consider eDirectory over WordPress Directory Plugins

1. Support

With eDirectory, you have a TEAM of over 50 techs, reps, and customer success agents to make sure you have the greatest opportunities for success – whether that means scheduling a training session or getting some help with how it all works. No need to chase down a developer or have staff on payroll for basic maintenance or consultation.

2. Product

With WordPress, you may end up with a sort of Frankenstein website with lots of controlled moving parts by various 3rd party developers that may or may not keep current with the constant security updates of an open-source platform like WordPress, meaning you could go weeks with broken items on the page with no sign of help in sight. So in the end, just to make things work, you may bog down your site and find yourself trying to piece things together with bandaids, duct tape, and hot glue.

3. Scalability

Many people launch with WordPress for the low sticker price, but once your clients start gaining traction with WordPress and eventually grow out of it, clients experience high-switching costs to a platform better suited for growth and scalability like eDirectory.com. Many clients experience extended delays and issues with migrating data, service interruptions, customer dissatisfaction from a broken site, and overall growing pains that can easily be avoided by launching with eDirectory from the get-go. So, for clients with serious revenue goals and long-term growth plans, and fewer headaches so they can focus on activities that add value rather than operational development, clients choose eDirectory.

4. Credibility

Visitors can spot a WordPress site from a mile away. There’s nothing special about a $99 theme that makes your brand look credible. With eDirectory.com, our clients LOVE the integrated app builder, all the essentials under one roof like payment processing, hosting, and member management. And your online community will appreciate all of the features you’re able to provide with our fully-integrated online directory solution to provide a one-stop shop for growing your revenue goals. When people see you have an unbranded mobile app, they know you’ve invested and are serious.

5. Growth & Custom Development

As your online community grows and you start to receive actionable feedback, you might find there are features or functionalities unique to your community that you need to keep growing and adding value to your brand. With WordPress, you may encounter the same Frankenstein scenario that makes it more difficult to keep it all together without a full-time developer at an average hourly rate of $100 per hour. We have an entire department of custom development services to add what’s most important to your expansion plans.

Wrapping up

eDirectory offers a stable, secure hosted solution so you can rest assured your investment is in good hands. With so many built-in features and functionality, the website need not get ‘bloated’ with additional plug-ins and scripts.

By choosing eDirectory as your directory platform, you can be up and running AND generate revenue quickly and easily.

To help you get started, contact an account executive to discuss your needs and ask about our onboarding plans to help you get the jump on your new venture!

Content Marketing Strategies For Online Business Directories

Posted on 01/14/2022

If you are launching an online directory there are a number of content marketing strategies to help you attract an audience and build engagement. Content marketing is part of a larger marketing category called Inbound Marketing and is designed to attract your business’ target audience by building content pieces that provide information and reinforce authority on the subject matter.

In this article, we’ve outlined some of the key content marketing strategies that are most effective for building an audience.

Why is content marketing important for an online business directory?

How to get started with a content marketing strategy

7 content formats to explore in your online strategy

Why is it important to use content marketing strategies for online business directories?

Content marketing is part of a bigger category of marketing activities called inbound marketing, or attraction marketing as it is also known. This is different from outbound marketing which takes the value proposition to the customers.

Content marketing offers several benefits such as:

Educate your audience about your niche;
Promote your business’ authority;
Generate engagement from your target audience;
Take a softer approach to convert users into customers;
Reduce your business marketing costs;
Expand your site’s organic traffic and visibility.

How to start a content marketing strategy for online business directories?

Now that you know the importance of utilizing content marketing strategies for your classifieds website, you might be wondering how to get started, right?

Well, contrary to what many people think, a content marketing strategy does not simply involve posting blog posts on your website at random but rather, researching, planning, executing, and measuring the results (and the use of different content formats).

So, before thinking about creating content for your online business directory, you should consider all the steps in this process and think about aspects such as:

Who are you creating content for?
What are the goals of your strategy?
How do you plan to promote them (channels and formats)?
How will you fit content into your business’s sales funnel strategy?
How will you measure your results (KPIs)?

All of these are critical to achieving successful results in your content strategy for online business directories.

Once you plan, execute and evaluate the results, you can make the necessary adjustments to the strategy to improve it further.

7 Content Formats to Explore in Your Trade Guide Strategy

A content marketing strategy is not based on just producing content sporadically and only in one setting (people often associate with blog posts). On the contrary, there are several formats that you can adopt, mix and reframe in your planning. Here is an overview of a few successful formats.

1. Interview with Advertisers (video, podcast or text)

Create a sense of importance in your advertisers by inviting them to an interview by telling their story, and sharing their knowledge. Invite a prominent sponsor and record an interview in webinar format, highlighting their background, strategy and successes (as well as their mistakes).

To save time this can also be done via email, where you regularly send a set of questions to directory listing owners or other people in the industry, edit them and post as articles or blogs.

The goal here is to generate more engagement with your audience, creating identification with real people, so that other users can connect and interact through your platform. We recommend that you hold webinars or do a written email interview with a guest once a month and then feature it in your directory site and other channels such as social media or newsletters.

2. Create Local Itineraries

For local search directories, a great way to drive readership is by creating a virtual itinerary of good options for businesses and services offered in your guide. Contact advertisers and offer space within your itinerary, but be sure to curate it to give your audience a good experience. It can be regional food restaurants, craft and arts stores, street food vendors and other attractions that might be of interest.

You can structure the itinerary into a blog post, or article, including mentions of listings and advertisers, as well as videos and photos to enrich the material and rank higher on Google. You can create thematic itineraries based around holidays and events (watch the calendar). Renewing annually to update with new tips and content.

3. Create Top 10 Lists

Another great opportunity to generate engagement with your advertisers and visitors is to create Top 10 or Best of lists, with the best picks from your online business directory. Use “editor’s choice” badges to value the top-rated advertisers and offer this premium space in a top 10 of the year in key categories in your business directory, such as best restaurants, best dental clinics, best car dealerships, accounting offices, lawyers and others.

Top 10 lists are usually run annually, selecting the best services, products and advertisers. Send an email to selected candidates informing them that they are participating in the selection for the best of the year in their category. Define how the choice will be made and reward the winners with a special badge for that year and promote the result on social networks and groups of your online directory.

4. Create Infographics

Infographics about different subjects relevant to your directory can help capture attention by telling a story with information and images.

This format increases engagement and traffic to your site on search engines. First, think of a narrative (a story) that you want to include and what main data you should gather, for example: an infographic that shows the main attractions in your city center on a map, or an infographic that shows the reviews and prices for services (choose a category) in a particular neighborhood.

As a lead-gathering strategy, you can start off by offering some of the content for free in your business guide, and a more complete version accessible by subscribing to a newsletter, where the visitor leaves their name and email to access the material.

5. Create a Fun Contest

Here’s a fun tip to generate more likes and comments on your social media: a contest is always a good way to generate some buzz on your online directory! Host a photo contest of the best dishes from advertised restaurants in your online business directory. Is your location a coastal city? Even better! Award the best photos of the beaches in your region. Create polls open to the public to choose the best services, food and stores in the region.

Offer prizes to winning advertisers such as upgrades to your ads or free plugins. The better the offer, the more people will engage and participate in the contest.

6. Create Memes

According to scientist Richard Dawkins, “a meme is an idea or information that is propagated and multiplied among individuals, similarly to what happens with the gene in genetics”. This may seem far from the concept of memes we see on the internet every day, but it’s exactly the same concept.

The power of Memes comes from the fact they are meant to be shared – it’s a content format with potential to reach thousands of people. You can take advantage of this format by creating fun images that fit your niche. Believe me, there is a whole audience of the most diverse segments that consume memes produced specifically for them such as pet owners, cooks, nutritionists, lawyers, dentists… In short, look for your niche and pay attention to internet trends.

7. Ebooks, Templates, and Podcasts

Other informative content formats that draw attention and build authority are ebooks, templates, and podcasts.

Ebooks can further deepen a topic and still explain clearly and objectively the topics covered, in addition to serving as a tool for capturing leads. Try to create different ebooks in pdf format of various topics around your niche. Pay attention to what your users are looking for and create files to address their pain points and collect more leads.

Document Templates, which help businesses save time and create a professional image, are great for attracting leads to your business directory. Create ready-made templates of customer engagement emails your advertisers might use, or landing pages, or other things that might help their business like spreadsheets to plan or budget. Businesses will download and customize them to fit their needs, and along the way they learn about your site and may sign up to become a paying member.

Podcasts are also great for attracting an audience. You can plan, record and distribute audio content on subject matters that may be of interest to your audience.

How to Distribute Created Content

Create an email marketing strategy

Email marketing is one of the most effective inbound marketing strategies.

A survey showed that for every $1 you spend, you can expect a return on your investment of $51. It is said that the ROI for email marketing is a whopping 4400%, that’s just amazing and shows how well email marketing strategies can perform. Make sure to customize your emails to your user base (this is key), keep your audience engaged with news and deals when it is relevant. Be sure not to spam your sponsors with too many blasts per week.

Source: sendinblue

Do you want to build loyalty with your audience and establish a connection with your online business directory? An email marketing strategy can help you.

After defining the aspects mentioned in the previous topic, think of ways to build your email list with the contacts of potential customers who might be interested in your listing.

For example, invite your readers to subscribe to a newsletter where you will share valuable content and practical tips to your customers, free of charge and with the frequency defined in your planning (weekly, fortnightly, monthly).

Use Social Media

Social media is an extremely powerful tool in marketing campaigns for one reason: your potential customers are there on a daily basis.

Therefore, using them as one of the means of distribution in your content marketing strategy for trade guides is indispensable.

The great benefit of this means of distribution is that you can be present in the channels that make the most sense for your strategy and you can develop content that will really connect and create valuable relationships between your online business directory and your audience, all of it in a more present and frequent way.

Then, analyze which channels make the most sense for your strategy, according to your persona and objectives defined in the planning phase, and thus start thinking about ways you can engage your audience in these media through content production.

As you may already know, you can create a presence on social networks such as:

LinkedIn;
Facebook;
Instagram;
Twitter;
Pinterest, among others.

Reuse your content across different channels and formats

Who says content has to have the same format forever? A great way to put content marketing for online business directories into practice is to reuse your content across different configurations and channels.

How does it work? Well, blog content can become a more detailed ebook that you will make available to your audience and in return, you will get a contact that can be reused at another time; a live broadcast can become a longer blog post; a video can become a dynamic and useful infographic, among others. You just need to know how to fit the content to another purpose!

Use the video content format in your strategies

Videos, as well as blog posts, are excellent content formats to explore. This becomes more relevant every day as users consume more and more audiovisual content.

Also, producing content in video format is a way to make your content more shareable and thus reach more people. You can even embed videos in some blog articles and further optimize their content.

Videos also appear in search results, such as on Google, and therefore, can be optimized to better rank your portal in the most used search platform in the world.

Make your content relevant to Google – Write with a focus on SEO

One of the pillars of content marketing is blog content written with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in mind. Understand which keywords groups are relevant to the topics you are targeting, and write with them in mind. This will help you become an authority in search engine result pages for those topics.

A great way to do this in 2021, according to Neil Patel’s website, is to produce smaller, niched content and use long-tail keywords to occupy the more specific search positions on Google.

Also, doing keyword research work in your niche and developing content around those terms remains extremely important to getting good results.

Conclusion

Content marketing is a great way to attract an audience to your directory site and make your site the authority on the subject matter, and with the techniques from this article it’s not difficult to get started. Make a plan and a schedule to try different strategies, and build on the ones that are most successful.

And if you’re still looking for a platform that integrates everything you need to successfully launch your trading guide, schedule a free demo with us today and see how eDirectory can help you!

How to Start A Yellow Pages Directory Website

Posted on 11/11/2021

Yellow pages are some of the most useful online directory websites, both for your visitors and local businesses. They’re also beneficial for you as the directory website owner. But what exactly is a yellow pages directory website? What are the advantages of creating one and, most importantly, what does it take to build one? Those are the questions we’ll answer in this article. We’ll also explain how to get started building a yellow pages directory site.

What is a Yellow Pages Directory Website?

A yellow pages site is an online business directory that helps visitors discover local businesses. Typically, a yellow pages directory consists of location-based listings that include businesses, service providers, organizations, and similar. If a visitor is looking for a restaurant or a doctor in their area, a yellow pages directory can point them in the right direction.

This type of listing can provide them with all the necessary information they need to know about a particular business: address, hours of operation, contact information, website address, and more. They can even show reviews and ratings of any individual business.

In other words, online users benefit from a yellow pages directory because it’s an easy way to find the information they need when they need it. Businesses and organizations benefit from being listed on yellow pages because the listing can bring them more customers and clients.

Why Build a Yellow Pages Directory?

A yellow pages directory website is useful for both online users as well as businesses. But what about you, the person behind the yellow pages directory? Why should you bother building a yellow pages directory website?

There are a few reasons. For starters, it’s a good way to make money online. You can sell listings as well as advertising spots. On top of regular listings, you can also sell enhanced listings and allow businesses to claim a listing for a fee.

Secondly, it allows you to create a business without having to worry about creating a product or gaining skills to provide a specific service.

Lastly, it’s a low-risk and low-cost business idea as you don’t need a huge investment to get started. Another benefit is that you also don’t have to worry about renting an office space and paying associated bills and other fees.

What Does It Take to Create a Yellow Pages Directory Website?

The first thing you’ll need to build a yellow pages website is a dedicated yellow pages directory software like eDirectory. Using eDirectory is the fastest and most affordable way to launch a directory website in any niche without the need to hire a developer.

eDirectory Notable Features

eDirectory has a plethora of features that make it a great choice for building a yellow pages directory:

Build a small directory with several thousand listings or a whole network of sites with millions of listings
Easily create and sell listings, classifieds, events, deals, articles, blog and banner ads
Price listings by category, sell enhanced listings, and offer the ability to claim listings
Users can create detailed listings with descriptions, photos, maps, video, categories, keywords, downloadable files, and more
Automated listing renewal reminders
SEO-optimized platform
The ability for users to leave ratings and reviews
Integration with multiple payment providers
And more

How to Get Started With Your Yellow Pages Directory Site

Now that you know what it takes to build a yellow pages directory site as well as what features to look for in a yellow pages directory software, it’s time to take the next step. Here are the steps to get started with your yellow pages website.

1. Decide On Monetization Method

Before you start building your yellow pages directory website, it’s important to decide how you’ll monetize it. As mentioned earlier, you can charge for listings, sell advertising space, as well as charge an additional fee for claiming a listing or selling enhanced listings.

If you’re just getting started, focus on one or two monetization methods and expand from there.

2. Get a Domain

The next step is to decide on a domain name for your yellow pages directory. There is no shortage of domain registrars where you can purchase a domain name. A few tips to keep in mind when it comes to domain names are:

Keep the name short and simple
Try to include your main keywords
Opt for a name that is easy to spell and remember

3. Build Your Directory

Once you have a domain name and you know how you’ll monetize the directory, it’s time to build it. As mentioned earlier, you’ll need a dedicated yellow pages directory software like eDirectory to facilitate the process. Packed with the features mentioned above, eDirectory makes it easy to launch a yellow pages site in no time.

4. Get Listings

A directory is nothing without listings. But it’s hard to get people to create a listing if nobody knows your directory exists. A good starting point for getting the initial listings is to reach out to local businesses and offer them a reduced rate for their first term.

5. Drive Traffic

Once your directory is live and you have the initial listings, the main task is to drive traffic to your directory. A few ideas include:

Being active on social media where your target audience spends time
Creating quality content around topics that interest your audience
Optimizing your directory for search engines

Conclusion

Building a yellow pages directory website might seem daunting. But once you know what’s involved, what features you need to include, and how to get started building a yellow pages directory, the task becomes easier.

Get started on your yellow pages directory website with eDirectory and see how easy it is to build one using our platform. Sign up for a free demo and explore all the features eDirectory has to offer.

How to Create a Classified Website (Step by Step)

Posted on 11/04/2021

Any idea how much annual revenue comes from digital classifieds?

It’s 2.49 billion dollars in the US alone.

So, it’s no surprise more and more people are looking up how to create a classified website themselves.

Especially because more smart business owners are realizing a classified ad website that earns money can be easy to build (with the right tool).

And the industries and niches that a classified website can help serve are nearly endless. From a regional classified site that lists rare items to a local classified site that advertises available neighborhood goods, the opportunities are only limited to your ideas.

But making sure that you have a good idea, a solid plan, and a quality classified site software are all key when learning how to create a classified website.

So, let’s jump right in and take a deeper look at the ins and outs of classified websites, so you’ll have all the knowledge you need to build yours.

What Is a Classified Website?

A classified website is an online advertising platform that connects sellers to buyers by promoting products and services.

Simply put, a classified website is a list of online advertisements. And usually, they’ll be listed by specific categories or by location.

On one end, there’s a listing owner who has a service or product to sell. On the other end, an interested buyer.

The goal of the classified site is to connect the listing to someone who wants that service or product (or in the case of a job board or a wanted ad, someone who could offer that service).

Some good classified site examples (on a large scale) include sites like Craigslist, OfferUp, and OLX. But some other places you may not realize are classified websites can include:

Real Estate Listings
Job Boards
Online Consignment Shops
Casting Notices

…and others.

Since online advertising is becoming the norm, more and more people and businesses are getting in on the action and making their own classified site.

Classified ad websites are an incredibly fast-growing type of online advertising. Businesses and people love advertising on them because a listing is usually affordable. And, if the website is being optimized and promoted well, listing owners can expect to see an awesome ROI on their investment.

For people browsing listings, it’s a great way to connect with a business or person in the exact area they’re researching. Whether someone’s looking for a new job, a second-hand bike, or something else.

And it’s not just for buyers and sellers. Classified websites are exploding in popularity for business owners wanting to start their own classified project.

That’s because a good classified website not only helps connect people, it can also earn the site owner money.

How Classified Websites Earn Money

You might be surprised to learn that classified ad sites can and do make money in more than one way.

Classified websites typically make money for their owners in several different ways, actually. And if you’re using a solid classified ads software like eDirectory, you’ll have all the tools you need to make money with a classified site.

Here’s how classified websites owners earn money:

Selling Listings: The most straightforward way classified sites earn money is by charging people to list an ad on their classified site.
Selling Ads: Charging a fee for placing an ad (usually a banner) somewhere on the classified site. This is often a great upsell to add when selling someone a listing so that more people will see their details.
Pay-per-Click (PPC) Advertising: Using a PPC platform like Google Ads, business owners can earn money from 3rd-party banner ads displayed to website visitors.
Membership Fees: Some classified website tools offer membership features, so site owners can collect recurring dues.
Affiliate Links: Inserting links to partner products that let you collect revenue off any sales you send to your affiliates.

With all these great ways to earn money, are you starting to think creating your own classified website sound like a great idea? You’re not wrong.

Launching your own classified ads site project can be a game-changer for many businesses. But, doing it on your own can have some major drawbacks to consider before you begin.

DIY Site vs a Dedicated Classified Tool

When creating a classified website, there are two main options. You can either do a DIY project and build every aspect of your site from the ground up (advanced) or keep things simple by using a dedicated tool.

We recommend using a dedicated tool to build a classified website. But for advanced users, taking the DIY route to build it yourself or by paying a developer might be a good option for you if you:

Are a web developer.
Have coding skills.
Are planning to continually pay a someone to maintain your site.
Are wondering how to create a classified website with WordPress and a plugin.

Because it’s the easier and more affordable option, using a dedicated classified tool like eDirectory is the best choice for most people. Using a software that’s built specifically for classified ad sites comes with tons of benefits like:

Beginner-friendly tools have made it so building and managing a classified website is easy, even for non-developers.
Make more money by accessing additional revenue-generating features.
Simple setup lets you launch quickly.
Integrated blog modules to keep content management easy.
It looks professional so you can maintain a healthy reputation.
Advanced search functionality so people can find what they’re looking for on your site, without hassle.

Even for people who can build a website on their own, there are tons of other reasons website owners choose a dedicated classified tool instead of a DIY site.

So now that you know how important using a dedicated classified website tool is, let’s take a look at exactly how to create a classified website.

How to Create a Classified Website

Ready to launch your own classified ads site project? Follow these steps to build a high-quality classified website.

1. Pick Your Niche

The first thing you’ll want to do when making your classified website is to pick your niche. This is the industry in which you’ll be making your website.

Already have a business idea? Great! Still exploring ideas? No problem. This is an extra exciting time because as directory and classified websites skyrocket in popularity, there are still tons of opportunities for different types of helpful sites.

The most common classified websites tend to be:

Local goods-based classified directories.
Industry-specific job boards.
Membership directories.

If you notice that your industry or your local area is lacking a strong classified site, take note. You may just notice that you’ve got a great opportunity to create an online classified community that connects people, businesses, and services while also generating revenue.

2. Choose a Domain Name

Next up, you want to pick a good domain name that’s easy to remember and spell, like www.exampleclassifieds.com.

Your niche will help inspire your business name, and your business name should be the backbone of your domain name.

You’ll choose this while you set up your website hosting. If you’re hosting your website yourself, we recommend Amazon or Digital Ocean. However, all eDirectory cloud service plans include secure hosting.

3. Sign up for eDirectory

The next thing you’ll need to do to set up your professional classified ads website quickly and easily is to sign up for eDirectory. Avoid having to hire a web developer to build your WordPress site, and never need to worry about having to pay them every time you need to change anything.

Then once you’ve got your classified ads software up and running, you can start categorizing your site.

If you’re ready to set up your classified website for free and explore all the available features, you can request an eDirectory demo here.

4. Pick Your Categories

In order to make sure your classified website is easy to navigate, you’ll want to pick and define your categories.

Not only do search engines love categories (meaning your website can rank higher when people search for specific keywords), but website visitors love to search through different categories and filters.

Your job? Build out this important section of your site by providing comprehensive details inside each category. Also, make sure to add sub-categories so you can take advantage of the advanced filtering capabilities (your website visitors will!).

With eDirectory, you get unlimited categories, so feel free to get as granular as you want.

Offering to display a listing in multiple categories is also a great way to upsell your higher membership levels, which we’ll cover next.

5. Set Your Membership Levels

If you’re taking advantage of all the ways eDirectory lets you earn money from your classified site, then the next step is to determine your membership levels.

This means you’ll decide which features each level includes plus how much it costs.

And because eDirectory classified websites are scalable, meaning you can have a small site with just a few listings to a network of sites with millions of listings, you can choose exactly how much to charge for your membership levels.

If you’re just setting up your website, we recommended starting with a free membership level.

Even though you aren’t charging them, free members can offer a lot in return. Using a free membership level is a smart way to:

Turn people into paying members when they upgrade.
Grow your email list.
Gather feedback about the site.
Get listings shared on social media.

And for your paid membership levels, you’ll want to offer exclusive benefits that are appealing. For instance, you can offer one month of “free” banner ads to anyone who signs up for your highest plan (a great incentive if you’ve got decent traffic coming to your site).

Remember, you can always adjust your offerings and pricing as your business grows and you learn more about what works for you, your audience, and your website.

6. Create Your First Listings

Before your classified website can be helpful to anyone (advertisers or otherwise) it needs to have listings.

So, the next thing to do to make a classified site is to create your first listings.

You can do this manually or import them if you have a large amount of data and want to make things easier on yourself.

Setting up your listings is where you can really have fun customizing your classified website. That’s because you can use drag-and-drop widgets to configure your pages and highlight:

Top-level classifieds.
New members.
Most-recently added items.

…and more.

Sure, it may take a bit of time to populate listings yourself, and you may need to get creative with the classifieds you’re listing. But until an advertiser can visualize what you’re selling, it will be hard to get them to pay to list on your classified site.

7. Create Quality Content

Once your classified site is up and running with some listings, it’s time to start creating content.

Blogging is one of the best ways to drive traffic and sales to your website. It’s an incredibly important part of advertising a business these days, and your classified website won’t be any different.

Because we know blogging is essential to a successful classified website, eDirectory includes an easy-to-use Blog Module where you can create, monitor, and optimize your content.

Once you’ve got the hang of consistently posting high-quality content, don’t forget to naturally insert your affiliate links within your content. The Blog Module also helps you insert these, which is extremely helpful if you’re planning on generating revenue through affiliate sales.

8. Market + Promote Your Site

Creating a classified website step by step is incredibly exciting. But remember, you’ll need to have traffic coming to your site before you can start earning money from it.

As a classified site owner, part of your job will be to market and promote your site. On top of blogging, this could also range from paying for advertising, using social media, and even rolling out an automated welcome campaign to your email list.

If you don’t already have an email list to promote your classified website to, email marketing is a great place to start. Did you know that more than 8 out of 10 people will open a welcome email?

Image Source: GetResponse

Whatever you do, you’ll need to prioritize getting the word out there and promoting your site.

Be sure to check out our guide on how to market an online directory for detailed tips on promoting your classified site.

9. Keep Optimizing + Improving

Your website is a business, so you’ll need to continually improve and optimize your classified ads site for success.

Connect with your community to ask questions. Find out what they love and give them more of it. And do it all automatically if you can. To automate your outreach, you can sync your classified site to your CRM.

Integration opportunities like this are just some of the reasons why having a tool that can help you create a classified site is so important. It costs a big chunk of change to pay someone to set up a classified website. And when you have to pay them to make any changes in the future to improve your site, the costs can really add up.

With eDirectory, you have tons of control to optimize your website and make it even better for yourself, your advertisers, and your visitors.

And no matter your industry, the more control you have of your classified website, the more control you’ll have over the long-term success of your business.

Next Steps: Install eDirectory and Create Your Classified Website

So now that you know how to create a classified website, it’s time to get started on your own.

If you’re looking for the best tool to help you successfully launch and manage your classified website, try eDirectory. It lets your customers sell or list anything they’d like with expertly categorized, well-organized, and beautiful classifieds.

eDirectory is packed with features that will help you grow your classified site like:

Flexible Customization: Access a nearly ready-made classified website that you can customize to your heart’s content, with detailed control over descriptions, photos, pricing, and contact information.
Professional Listings: Easily create gorgeous directory listings with images, video, and coupons inside a beginner-friendly and intuitive interface.
Classified Website Template: Offers a visual Listing Template editor to further customize your listings.
Social Media Integration: Connect with social media platforms for more exposure with social sharing links and a website Twitter feed.
Auto Renewal Reminders: Automate your payment collection process by notifying listing owners when it’s time to renew.
Blog Module: An easy-to-use area that lets you create and manage content to drive traffic and sales to your classified site.
Interactive Map: Our Google Maps integration lets pins automatically appear as new listings are added.
Optimized Images: Let your listing owners upload a variety of gallery photos, plus use a built-in photo editor.
Membership Site Capabilities: Create member profiles and tap into the power of recurring payments by collecting repeating dues.
Banner Ad System: Earn money from banner space by selling it to advertisers and/or running Google Ads on your site.
SEO Optimized: Rise to the top of search engine rankings with built-in SEO control.
Awesome Support: A robust online knowledgebase plus access to a genuinely friendly and helpful team via chat or email.

…and much more.

With your dedicated classified site tool in hand, you’ll be on your way to creating a classified ads site that earns you more revenue and grows your business.

So get started today.

Sign up for a free classified website demo today and create your eDirectory site right away.