How to Build a Marketplace With Wordpress (Directory Theme Reviews)
In this short article, we’re going to look, and listen, and watch some of the very best ways to build a fully functional Marketplace using Wordpress.
A quick, very simple definition: When I say “Marketplace” for the purposes of this post, we’re talking about a web directory or content community that allows your members to sell products and services, OR, allows you (as the site owner) to curate and recommend products and services in your niche, market or industry to sell as an affiliate.
10 ways to monetize an online directory Download the Audio below (I added this 50 minute audio to this post which covers a variety of unique ways to build and monetize a web directory, authority site and online agency…..predicated on reader questions. Feel free to listen or download below
https://karmicconsulting.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/mindfulmarket-20150128020109.mp3
Wordpress Directory Theme Reviews: (picking the right “theme” for your marketplace or directory)
Vantage theme. (appthemes)
Probably the best value out of the box. Looks are a bit dated. Performs well. Support from Appthemes is so/so — not always reliable. Decent child themes allow some modernization options that improve the basic design. If you have $150 to spend and want to launch quickly, I recommend Vantage, and the Directory child theme and you have everything you need to build a profitable directory from scratch.
Update March 2017! Vantage 4.0 is now available.
It’s a huge aesthetic improvement over the previous version(s) of the theme (the 3.xx series) and in general, is probably the absolute best choice for folks who want a directory that is 100% ready to build, without mess or stress, in one short afternoon. I’ve written a more detailed Vantage 4 review HERE after purchasing and playing with it on a test site, and another post, where you can watch a video where I share what I like, and what I wished they’d done a tad differently as well. (some of those suggestions will no doubt be improved within the appthemes marketplace of 3rd party themes, plugins + extensions, which will be exciting to see grow for this version of the theme)
Mylisting Theme
Super flexible, beautiful to look at (especially on mobile) a steal of a deal, integrates with BUDDYPRESS, WC vendors (for true marketplace functionality) has built in events, create unlimited landing pages with Elementor page builder, every listing can have a custom store, coupons, and more…..truly a world class solution for 2018.
(the downside of Mylisting is it can be a little bit difficult to use for newbies. Watch a short video tutorial of the MyListing theme — we cover how you can add, extend and build out your directory listings with this very special theme to see if it’s a good fit for your needs, below) If this feels too complicated, you may want to go with something like Vantage 4.0 for your marketplace/directory instead.
ListingPro Directory Theme
Where Listingpro really stands out is it’s incredibly robust, powerful and innovative back end. Simply stated, short of investing in something like a Brilliant Directories license (a SAAS directory offering) you won’t find anything close on WordPress…..full stop.
(and these guys are just getting started, too…which makes this theme and framework so startlingly good, so quickly)
The most innovative element of the back end is the incredibly level of detail you can give the folks who are actually LISTED on your directory, opening up all sorts of cool and creative site “stickiness” possibilities. One of the primary challenges most directory owners have is not just getting the public to come to your directory, it’s actually getting your LISTINGS to return, after they’ve signed up. (especially the freebie, non featured listings, which for most of us, is going to be most of them)
This totally transforms that challenge into something, that my intuition tells me, is going to become a huge part of the appeal.
The colorful back end, with lots of cool statistics (again, built in, not an extra plugin) with reviews, reactions, leads, low review notices, et al…..this all has a visual game like interface that will bring your professional peers (LISTINGS) back to your directory, to get the dopamine dump we all crave from our online interfaces.
But here is where it really separates itself from the competition. (and again…this is less than a week old)
The back end AD campaigns, where your users can literally run targeted ad campaigns on YOUR directory — for THEIR listings — pay you — process them — and watch them go live in real time, while you (as the site owner) eat cupcakes straight out of the box, and watch DEXTER re-runs on Showtime, like I do every night.
That is truly fun. (and I mean the self directed ad campaigns — the cupcakes and Dexter re-runs isn’t fun at all. It’s actually pretty sad)
For more videos on building directories with wordpress, please visit our online course here.
For lots of free tutorials on building business directories on Wordpress, check out our youtube series here!
