A new-ish WordPress directory plugin called GeoDirectory has swept across the world of WordPress making everyone turn their head. GeoDirectory has been developed harnessing the experience accumulated while building and marketing GeoTheme, a location-based WordPress directory theme that was the first decent theme of its type. The same developers have now created the GeoDirectory plugin to enable WordPress users to have directory functionality for any theme.

However, if you do prefer going the theme route, there are a few themes made specifically for the GeoDirectory plugin which you can find here: GeoDirectory Themes all of which integrate exceptionally well with the GeoDirectory plugin. The core GeoDirectory plugin is absolutely free but there are also several premium addons that enable you to add more features to your directory.

GeoDirectory: The Features

This refreshing WordPress directory boasts everything that you could possibly expect from a premium plugin or app theme. It has been developed for people who wish to create a professional directory website with WordPress that looks great and works well.

Like most directory themes, this plugin uses Google Maps. GeoDirectory has been integrated with two separate built-in widgets for viewing maps; one is displayed on the homepage of the directory and the other is displayed on the listings pages. GeoDirectory is ideal for national or even global directory websites as it can display thousands of markers on a single page.

The added dual search field is great for visitors to enter the name or category in one field and the location information in the other. Pages and Blog posts have been excluded from the search results to ensure that the search results show only directory listings and no other irrelevant information.

The visitors can leave a review and rate the service provider that they have used in your directory. This rating and review can be moderated by the administrator to prevent spam or other abuse. Visitors can also bookmark the listings to find them easily when they visit the site again. With social icons, the listing can be shared on social media platforms and even emailed.

GeoDirectory Set Up

While setting up the directory, you can import the listings in bulk with the help of .CSV file support which can save a lot of time and trouble.

There a 12 useful widgets that can be added to the website’s sidebar to display various useful information to the visitors wherever you need it making for a fantastically customizable solution

With the help of front-end forms for registration and login, your visitors can create and manage their accounts which means less work for you! The submission form can be customized on the back-end of GeoDirectory via a nice drag-and-drop interface.

GeoDirectory provides several monetization options as well with features such as multiple pricing plans for submissions, multiple payment gateways, acceptance of recurring payments made from PayPal, payment for featured listings, discount coupons, and a few other things can be done with GeoDirectory. You can also manage the invoices created for the paid listings easily as well. With the built-in email notifications for sales, you’ll be checking your inbox all of the time to see how much money you’re making!

GeoDirectory Addons

GeoDirectory may have the core features completely free, but in order to create a directory website that is highly functional. The entire list of premium addons is present on the GeoDirectory website, and this list below should give you an idea of the options available that can be added to the plugin:

The great thing here is that you can download and use the core plugin for free, and then whenever you need to add a new feature, you can just pay for it. This minimizes your risk of having to pay for the entire premium plugin up front and also means you don’t have to pay for features you don’t want or need.

GeoDirectory Pricing

The core functionalities of the GeoDirectory are free, with varying prices for the addons ranging from $10 to $45 if purchased a la cart. Together, all of the add-ons add up to just over $400 if bought individually, But, if you prefer, you can access all of them for about $12.50 a month, less if you get a longer subscription which seems pretty reasonable.

The Verdict

GeoDirectory definitely gives the directory app themes currently available a run for their money. The ability to use your existing theme or redesign a completely new one for your directory website gives GeoDirectory the advantage.

Considering that you will need a handful of addons to create a premium directory website, GeoDirectory offers a reasonable price tag in comparison to the competing best directory themes such as Vantage from AppThemes and Directory from Templatic.

In the end, GeoDirectory is a great solution for anyone wanting to add directory functionality to their theme without paying the big bucks for an app theme. This plugin is really the only one of it’s type out there worth considering, and it’s free, so go check it out!