Ever wondered how the best business directory websites get so successful? Read this article to learn some of their secrets!
Starting with a blank canvas for a business directory listing can be a challenge. This is especially true if you want your site to be one of the best business directory websites around.
Fortunately, there are plenty of stellar examples that can help you kick-start your process. By looking at a few effective small business directories, you can get some ideas for designing your own site.
In this article, we'll look at ten of the most impressive directories and discuss what we like about them. Let's jump right in!
1. Bride and Breakfast
Bride and Breakfast is a wedding resource website dedicated to helping couples plan their special day. The directory page plays a big role in this. Here you can find information on everything, from wedding planners to cake bakers.
We’re fans of Bride and Breakfast because of its elegant design. Despite the huge number of entries, the alphabetical assortment makes it easy to find what you’re looking for.
Furthermore, this site uses a calm color palette. With all the stress involved in planning a wedding, this small detail can help users feel more at ease.
2. Sausage Fans
Serious foodies need serious resources. That's what Sausage Fans strives to provide. Users can simply log on and find a local sausage maker.
Sausage Fans offer an alphabetical directory, making it easy for users to find their preferred location. We're also impressed with the decision to alphabetize based on location. If it was organized based on product type, users might waste time looking at merchants that aren't close to them. Prioritizing local marketing means that potential customers get to start with the most relevant business information.
3. The City of New Orleans
Our next entry comes from New Orleans. Tourism is at the heart of this town. As such, the city has created a comprehensive directory to help people find their perfect hotel.
The search function for this directory is very impressive. You can search by pricing, neighborhood, or keyword. Additionally, users can view results as individual listings or on a map.
Every person plans business listing sites differently. Thus, the flexibility to customize search terms and results makes this site one of the best business directories on the market.
4. Tennessee Chiropractic Association
Accessing healthcare services can be a bit stressful. Thanks to the Tennessee Chiropractic Association's website, you can easily find contact information for a doctor based on their last name, practice title, city, or zip code.
The results are displayed on an interactive map, so you can zoom in to see the offices closest to you. Underneath the map, you'll find important information such as names and addresses. These details are orderly and correspond to the map. Therefore, this directory is packed with useful information, without being overwhelming.
5. Balance Well-Being
At Balance Well-Being, health is divided into four main categories: body, financial, mind, and social. This is replicated on the site's directory, where entries are divided accordingly.
With Balance Well-Being, you can quickly access the resources you need. Additionally, each section comes with its own search function. You can also view all the local listings in one place.
Finally, this directory enables users to add their own listings. The site owners have made it easy for their audience to contribute to the directory for local SEO.
6. Auto Repair Key Directory
When your car breaks down, you'll want to find a repair person as quickly as possible. Auto Repair Key created a clean and simple list of business to help you get your car fixed in an efficient manner. You can also search for a repair shop by zip code or individual state.
Auto Repair Key also uses its directory as an opportunity to profit from the site. Instead of browsing through the listings, you can enter your car information and zip code for a direct affiliate-supported quote.
7. Visit Westerham
Listings can either be free of charge or paid for. One of the best business directory websites, Visit Westerham, combines both options.
The paid listings bring in income to support the site. However, the free business listings help ensure that community members don’t have to pay a fee to be included.
This strategy results in an even mix. Users have a wide variety of options to choose from, but the webpage still receives fees to keep the site working. Thus, you may want to consider this approach for your own online business directory website.
8. First Coast Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Not all directories are open to the public. In fact, sometimes the best business directory website is one you create for a specific group. First Coast Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is an example of this.
A chamber of commerce exists to help community members find local businesses to support. However, First Coast Hispanic has made its directory for members only.
We’re impressed by this strategy for two reasons. For one thing, interested users are encouraged to become members in order to access the directory. Secondly, the Chamber of Commerce can understand their audience better and tailor product and service listings to fit their needs.
9. Illinois State Bar Association
Finding a lawyer should be easy when provided with the right information. This is why we like the Illinois State Bar Association directory. The interface is clean and easy to use, and the details are top-notch. Organized listings show names, locations, licenses, and membership status.
Additionally, you can search lawyers by other important criteria, such as languages spoken and pricing plans. Whatever your needs, these features can help you (and search engines) find a lawyer in no time.
10. Waterfront Gurus
A niche directory can be an extremely useful tool, and Waterfront Gurus understands this. By collecting professionals who work in the same industry, this website makes itself a central resource for the local community.
We’re also fans of the site's contact feature. You can select several businesses to contact at once. So, you’re free to scroll through the results while taking note of all the companies you might want to reach out to.
Conclusion
There are plenty of beautiful directories out there. While this can be intimidating, you can also use it to your advantage. By studying the best business directory websites, you can get some ideas for building your own stellar directory or review site.
In this article, we reviewed ten different directory pages. We emphasized important elements such as ease of use, a clean layout, and a powerful search feature. Whether you're looking for a specific design or function, you can draw some inspiration from these examples.
If you're looking for the ultimate tool to help you start your own business directory website, consider using our powerful Business Directory Plugin!
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Thanks for sharing such a resourceful post. I will definitely try a few of them in order to get my business listed to those directories.