CM Business Directory (CMBD) - Use Case - Creating a Business Directory From Scratch

Use Case - Creating a Business Directory From Scratch

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Note: This guide covers features from the Pro version of CM Business Directory - This document uses version 1.8.5

Introduction

CM business Directory allows you to create a site with a comprehensive directory of businesses. Each business has a profile page with detailed information.

Quick Read: Only The Admin Edits Profiles 

In this base plugin, users cannot submit/manage profiles. The admin controls all pages.

To let users manage their business profiles, use the Community Add-on.

Video Tutorial

Use Case Front-End

Business Directory

Business Profile


Use Case Assumptions

In this example use case guide, we'll cover how to create a small directory with five businesses in Education and IT. You can apply the same idea to the topic of your site.

We consider that you have already bought the plugin, but not installed it. 

It follows:

Installing The Plugin

The process is the same for all CM plugins.

  • Download the plugin from your customer dashboard
  • Log in to WordPress and navigate to the WordPress Admin  → Plugins settings
  • Click on Add New
  • Activate it and add the license

Learn more: Getting Started - Plugin Overview

Adding First business 

With the plugin ready to go, it's time to add the first business! 

Head to  WP Admin Dashboard → CM Business Directory Pro → Add Business. 

You will be able to fill detailed information for your new business.

Creating Design Agency Profile

Here we show the main sections of adding the page for a Design Agency.
  1. Description, additional info
    1. Picture gallery
    2. Documents/ attachments
    3. Video
    4. Tags
    5. Up to 5 addresses with Google Maps - Business Google Map
    1. Social media links
    2. Additional Links and Fields - Additional Links and Fields 

Learn more: Getting Started - Adding a business

Configuring The Directory

The Directory Page is automatically created upon plugin installation in the address www.yoursite.com/business-directory. As you add businesses, it will be automatically updated to present all profiles.

It's a normal page with the shortcode  [cmbd_business], which outputs your businesses.

 You can configure how it looks by default by heading to the plugin's settings →  Directory Appearance tab.

In this page you can decide options such

  • Default template
  • Filters
  • Default sorting order

Learn more: Index - Header Settings (Page ID, Number of Items, Pagination)

Different Views, Different Settings

The Directory plugin has four available views, each with their settings.

Settings

Search and Filters

Another important setting in the directory is regarding filters - in other words, how users narrow down and search the directory.

For example, you might want to let users search by tags but not keywords. Or, allow search by custom taxonomies.

TIP: Filters Are Essential For UI

Especially if your directory is big!

What You Can Change

  • Displaying filter fields as Dropdown or Tags.
  • Display search field
  • Show or not these filters:
    • Category, Subcategory
    • City/ZIP
    • Tags
    • Custom Taxonomies
    • Other info

All settings are under Filter settings.

ZIP Search Filter

If you have CM Locations installed, you can enable ZIP search on the Business Directory. It will also include City and State search

This is controlled from the CM Map Locations setting. Head to A dmin Dashboard → CM Map Locations → Settings. Then, enable ZIP code radius filter.

Notes:

  • it works only within a single country that you've set up in the settings. 
  • The Zip code of the business is fetched from the coordinates, and not from the Postalcode field. The postalcode field is used as a public information you can show on the page

Learn more: CM Map Locations (CMML) - Integration - CM Business Directory

TIP: Modifying The Index Content With Shortcodes

You can change what appears in the each instance of the directory by adding parameters to its shortcode,  [cmbd_business].

Parameters 

A small sample:

  • view - the id of the view from the following: tiles, list, directory
  • filter_search - whether to hide Search filter on businesses Index Page (set 0 to hide )
  • cats - the slug of the category from which the business should be displayed
  • tags - the name of the tag the business displayed should have

Example   [cmbd_business view="list" filter_search="0" cats="it,healthcare" tags="small,big"]

Check all shortcodes and parameters: Shortcodes - Available Shortcodes

Editing The Business Page

Now let's match the page to our site's identity. Here are some examples of what we can achieve:

Head to the Business Page tab.

Sample of what you can change:

  • Default country
  • Page colors
  • Show or not logo, publish date, update date, comments, back to directory link, business e-mail address, video
  • Show or not custom taxonomies
  • Show or not additional links and fields, and also what are their labels
  • Related businesses

Learn more: Business Page - Customizing What is Shown (Template, Colors, Related Businesses) 

What Else Can I do?

Check some useful tips:

  1. Enable Star Ratings CM Star Rating Module (CMSR) for Directory Plugins
  2. Show persistent advertisements CM Business Directory (CMED) - Business Page - Advertisement

Business Page - Additional Links, Fields and Taxonomies

Business Directory is flexible in that you can configure a series of fields and choose to display them or not.

Example

What's The Difference?

  • Custom Taxonomy - Work like categories or tags and is searchable. Ideal for concepts shared by many businesses.
    • Examples: Company Type, Industry
  • Custom Link - Simple link.
    • Examples: Landing Page, Customer Showcase
  • Custom Field - Simple text field. Ideal for unique values
    • Examples: Revenue, Awards

1) Taxonomies

You can enable/disable and rename taxonomies from the Taxonomies tab. They will apply to both Directory and Profile page.

You can then manage, add and edit custom taxonomy items from the WP Admin Dashboard → CM Business Directory Pro → Relevant menus

Learn more: CM business Directory (CMED) - Additional Taxonomy (Labels, Business Page, Index)

2) Custom Links

The settings are in the business Page tab. Set Show additional custom links to Yes and you will be able to see these fields when editing an business. Choose a label and icon for up to four custom links.

3) Custom Fields

Custom fields are similar and the settings are just below Additional Links in the business Page tab.

Google Maps Integration - Showing Map For Single Business and Directory (Requires CM Locations)

If you have CM Locations installed, you can display Google Map on:

  • Business Page - Address of that business 
  • Business Directory - Map with all businesses

API Key is Required

This feature requires an API key from Google.

Once you have it, add to the settings in the API tab.

Learn how to generate one: CM Map Locations and Routes - Getting Started - Adding API Keys (Google Maps and OpenWeatherMap)

1) Show Map of Single Business on Business Pages

Example

Under Business Page tab → Business Page Defaults, configure Display map (if and where it should be shown).

TIP: Enabling/Disabling on Single Page

While editing a business or expert page, you can toggle the map on or off for that page alone.

2) Show Map With Businesses

Example

Apply the shortcode  [cmloc-business category="id|slug" categoryfilter="0"]

It has two attributes:

  • category - Specify one or more categories by their id or slug
  • categoryfilter - Set "1" to allow users to filter categories and "0" to disable it (Default is "1")

Latitude and Longitude are Required!

The map will only display items that have latitude and longitude in their address.

You can add them by choosing the precise point on the map. To do so, enable the option "Place the marker manually".

Alternatively, you can use services such as Get Lat Long from Address Convert Address to Coordinates to obtain coordinates.

Translating Interface

If your site is not in English, that's ok. 

The CM Business Directory lets you translate the most important front-end labels to your language of choice. To do so, head to the Labels tab.

Some examples of labels available for translation:

  • Business
  • Address
  • City/Town
  • Back to Directory

Business? Company? Startup? You Choose!

A common use case is using a different name other than "business". For instance, you directory might contain only startups, stores or departments.

For this adjustment, you should:

  • Check all labels related to "business"
  • Edit the title of the business Directory page from the back-end

Learn more: Settings - Labels

Show Advertisements (Google AdSense, Ad Changer)

You can add advertisement or other content in three sections of business pages.

Advertisements can include shortcode generated by other plugins such as the Ad Changer plugin and JS code generated by external ad services such as Google AdSense.

Example

Settings

Navigate to the Admin Dashboard → CM Business Directory → Settings.

Click on the Advertisement tab.

Change the code for the different advertisements as needed.

  • Ads to display above the related businesses.
  • Ads to display below related businesses.
  • Ads to be displayed under the business map.

Learn more: CM Business Directory (CMBD) - Advertisement

API

You can show the number of Twitter followers and Google Maps on each business page. Twitter and Google integration require an API key.

Settings

Navigate to the Admin Dashboard → CM Business Directory → Settings → API tab

Twitter Options

  • Show Twitter followers: Check yes or no to show the number of Twitter followers on the business twitter account. If you selected yes you will need to obtain an API key from Twitter developers website found at apps.twitter.com
  • Twitter Consumer Key: Enter the Twitter consumer key in the box provided.
  • Twitter Customer Secret: Put the Twitter Consumer Secret in the box provided.
  • Twitter Access Token: Enter the Twitter Access Token in the box provided.
  • Twitter Access Token Secret: Enter the Twitter Access Token Secret in the box provided.

Google

Discussed above, in the Google Maps integration section.

Learn more: CM Business Directory (CMBD) - Settings - API (Twitter, Google)

End Result

Following instructions found in the plugin and guides, you should be able to complete the directory with multiple businesses.

Business Directory

Business Profile<


More information about the CM Business Directory WordPress  Plugin

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