Topic: Can BuddyPress be used as a business directory service?

Can BuddyPress be used as a business directory service?

ugcheleuce
Participant

@ugcheleuce

11 years, 1 month ago

Hello everyone

I’m actually looking for software that I can use as a directory of freelancers, much like a business directory, but one in which each person gets a profile page that he can edit and add all the services that he can offer and all of the tools that he can use. Would BuddyPress be suitable for such a thing?

I know there are some paid solutions out there, but I don’t intend to charge for providing this “service”, so I’d prefer to use a system that is free. If BuddyPress won’t do, can you tell me if you know of other products that are either free or nearly free?

Thanks
Samuel

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

bp-help
Participant

@bphelp

11 years, 1 month ago

@ugcheleuce
BuddyPress can do this “Out of the Box.” Please review:
https://codex.buddypress.org/buddypress-components-and-features/extended-profiles/

Henry
Member

@henrywright-1

11 years, 1 month ago

@ugcheleuce WordPress and BuddyPress could handle this no problem. Depending on what features you’d need, you may need to write some custom code or add some plugins.

Jobster123
Participant

@jobster123

11 years, 1 month ago

With latest updates in Gooogle like Hummingbird and penguin , a directory is sucessful if it has sufficient unique content also so don’t forget to add at least 250 word unique desc.

ugcheleuce
Participant

@ugcheleuce

11 years, 1 month ago

@Jobster123: I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.

The success of a directory does not depend on unique content but on whether you can entice users to register profiles. In addition, the success of the directory depends on how easy it is for visitors to search the directory and find the user profiles that fulfils their need. This means that a directory system needs to be easy to use for users who want to register but who aren’t computer literate or who don’t have time to figure out how to beautify their profiles beyond that which is necessary.

Of course, it would be great if Google could index the directory, but the strength of the directory lies not in the “description” field of each profile page, but in the way all the factual fields have been set up… because those are the things that visitors will search.

Samuel (ugcheleuce)