As a marketer, adding a directory to your website can significantly boost engagement and revenue. A well-structured directory turns your site into a valuable resource hub – whether you’re showcasing local businesses, creating a comprehensive supplier database, or building an industry expert network.
Examples are real estate agents using directories to highlight properties and agents, conference organizers listing speakers and sessions, non-profits building a business directory os sponsors, and educational institutions showcasing faculty expertise. Not only does this content drive organic traffic, but it also creates opportunities for paid listings and sponsored placements.
Creating and managing an online directory can be overwhelming, though. Whether you’re building a business listing, staff directory, or membership database, the technical challenges often seem insurmountable. Many website owners struggle with complex coding requirements and limited customization options.
Formidable Directory
Enter Formidable Forms, the premier WordPress form builder that has fundamentally redefined how directories are created. As the most comprehensive form solution in the WordPress ecosystem, Formidable seamlessly integrates directory capabilities into its core platform, enabling businesses to build sophisticated, data-driven listings without coding knowledge.
This powerful solution revolutionizes directory creation through its intuitive drag-and-drop interface and comprehensive feature set. Users can easily collect free and paid submissions, implement rating systems, and customize listings with unlimited data fields. As one example, here’s a team directory walk-through:
The platform’s responsive design ensures perfect display across all devices, while the visual form styler maintains consistency with existing WordPress themes. Advanced automation features eliminate manual page creation, saving hours of development time.
- Contact Forms: Built-in forms enable direct communication between visitors and listing owners.
- Customizable Templates: Pre-built templates for business, staff, and user directories accelerate development.
- Drag-and-Drop Builder: Create custom directory forms quickly with an intuitive visual interface.
- Front-End Submissions: Allow users to submit and update listings directly through your website.
- Mobile Optimization: Responsive design ensures perfect display across all devices.
- Payment Integration: Accept paid listings through popular payment gateways.
- Ratings & Reviews: Implement comprehensive rating and review systems.
- Visual Styler: Match your directory’s appearance to your WordPress theme without coding.
Getting started is simple. Choose your directory type, customize a pre-built template, and launch your directory in minutes. The platform automatically generates listing pages based on submissions, while the Views feature handles data display without requiring PHP knowledge.
The most remarkable plug-in I have ever used. Unbelievable as to the functions you can perform, knowing next to no html, php or any other technical stuff… Your plugin has been a dream to me and was the critical piece I was missing in building a directory.
Paul Widdershoven
Formidable Directory is WordPress’s most flexible directory plugin, trusted by over 300,000 businesses to create beautiful, functional directory listings without coding knowledge.
