Bertha: We recently shared how to Create a Killer Directory Listing Website with Bertha & Directorist. Directorist is a WordPress plugin for easily creating directory websites. The Chief Marketing Officer of Directorist, Sazzadul Bari, has agreed to let me interview him so we can learn a bit more about this powerful tool.
Hello, Sazzadul, it’s nice to meet you! Thanks for doing this interview and sharing your experience with our audience. To get started, tell us:
What inspired your team to create a WordPress plugin?
Sazzadul: Good one to start off the conversation. First of all, thanks for having me and giving me an opportunity to share my thoughts.
The product market is a tough playing field for entrepreneurs and businesses alike, and now more than ever it is incredibly competitive with companies constantly pushing boundaries to come up with the next innovative idea. In order to be successful in this environment, you need something special; a unique idea that makes your product stand out from the crowd. If you don’t come up with an innovative concept when developing your product, it can be difficult to make it last.
When it comes to selecting a product for our business, we typically choose plugins over themes – even though we have created some of the best free and paid themes available. This choice is primarily down to the fact that the theme market is becoming increasingly saturated with thousands of competitors vying for attention. Nonetheless, there are several advantages to using plugins over themes that make them a better choice for many businesses.
After researching the needs of our customers, we realized that a WordPress plugin would be an incredibly powerful tool to help them better manage their content. We wanted to provide an easy-to-use platform where our customers could easily create, edit and share content with their teams. We are thrilled with the results and look forward to continuing to develop this product in the future.
Bertha: What was the most challenging aspect of developing a WordPress plugin?
Sazzadul: Since I started my career as a web developer in the IT sector, I know a bit about the development part as well. Moreover, I have been working with the WordPress ecosystem as a product marketer for a long time and know how WordPress development works.
Developing a plugin for WordPress can be a difficult and confusing process, especially when dealing with the diverse range of environments in which WordPress can be run. To ensure maximum compatibility and functionality, developers must consider everything from server configuration such as PHP version to the operating system, web server, and other components. Additionally, the ever-evolving nature of WordPress means that software updates are released frequently and plugins must often be adjusted accordingly. We have had some difficulties with some of the plugins, and because it is difficult to know what may be having a conflict with your plugin, it is mostly a game of guessing.
However, there are more common & the most challenging aspects of developing a WordPress plugin is ensuring that it’s compatible with all versions of WordPress. It’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest version so your plugin works with the newest features and bug fixes. Additionally, you need to make sure your plugin is secure and doesn’t contain any malicious code. Lastly, testing and debugging can be difficult, especially if you’re unfamiliar with clean coding.
Bertha: What are the most important features of the Directorist plugin?
Sazzadul: Well, developing a successful WordPress plugin requires attention to detail and an understanding of what your audience needs. Knowing which features to prioritize can be challenging, so it’s important to think carefully about which components are the most important.
Directorist is our flagship product in the WordPress ecosystem, and it’s a popular and powerful business directory plugin for creating beautiful, feature-rich directories. Directorist got its popularity for its ease of use and comprehensive, user-centric features. Some of its most popular features include:
- multi-directory feature
- a customizable search form
- user-friendly frontend submission forms
- advanced directory builder
- multiple mapping sources
- translation ready
- built-in SEO compatibility
- easy migration process
- CSV bulk importer
- advanced search filters
- the ability to monetize your directory with multiple income streams
- and many more
Moreover, Directorist offers 30 cost-effective, paid extensions to scale up your directory website. You’ll also have 15 free and paid Directorist based WordPress directory themes depending on the respective directory niches (Home Services, Multi-Purpose, Lawyers, Doctors, Restaurants, Travelers, etc). So, it’s no wonder people choose Directorist as their go-to tool!
Bertha: How does Directorist help users manage their website?
Sazzadul: In the directory niche, audiences are segmented in 3 different categories: Directory Owners, Listing Owners, and the end users who get the ultimate services. Needless to say, our WordPress directory plugin makes it easy for directory owners to manage their directory website with ease. It allows them to create and customize directories, add categories, search and filter entries, and more. The tool also gives admins the ability to provide controls for the listing owner as well.
Plus, it comes with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that makes it simple to set up and use. We also offer a range of additional features like the ability to export data in different formats, integrate with other services, and more. With Directorist, managing a directory website is no longer a hassle!
Bertha: What inspired the team to create Directorist?
Sazzadul: We recognized a need in the market for an easy-to-use directory plugin that could help small businesses create their own online directories. We wanted to make it easier for businesses to get their information out there, while also providing a powerful tool that they can use to manage their listings and grow their reach. We’re excited to see how Directorist helps people achieve success with their business!
We wanted to create a tool that would make it easier for people to find businesses in their local area. We recognized that there was a need for an easy-to-use directory plugin since it felt a gap in the marketplace, and we saw the opportunity to develop something that would benefit both businesses and consumers. With Directorist, we are proud to have created a powerful tool that helps bring customers and businesses together.
Bertha: What problem does Directorist solve?
Sazzadul: Core question indeed! Directorist is a powerful directory plugin for WordPress that makes it easy to create and manage an online directory. It solves directory site creation problems by helping users quickly build beautiful, fully-featured directories with advanced search, custom fields, and multiple monetization options.
Moreover, with its intuitive user interface and comprehensive features, Directorist makes it easy to create a professional-looking directory without any coding knowledge. Add to this the deep integration with Bertha AI and the barrier to entry becomes almost non-existent for anyone wanting to create a directory WordPress website.
Bertha: How does your WordPress plugin help users generate revenue from their website?
Sazzadul: As a WordPress directory plugin, Directorist is an advanced directory plugin for WordPress that makes it simple to create, manage, and monetize a local business or global directory. There are multiple ways a directory owner can earn money using Directorist. As a directory site owner, anyone can earn money by using paid listing, claim a listings, featured listings, subscriptions, pay per submit, and so on.
Additionally, it allows them to monetize their content by displaying ads and sponsored listings. It enables them to offer discounts and coupons to their customers. Finally, it provides an easy way for users to create a subscription-based membership site for recurring revenue. Overall, with Directorist, users can easily tap into the potential of their website and start generating more income today!
Bertha: What’s next for Directorist?
Sazzadul: Well, Directorist is committed to continuing to provide the best directory plugin for WordPress users. We are working hard on our next major & improvements release which will include all the requested new features, as well as enhanced user experience features.
We are also exploring ways to integrate Directorist with other popular platforms (like Bertha!) to scale up its usability and capability. We look forward to continuing to innovate and improve our product in order to meet the needs of our customers and makes it unbeatable in the directory niche.
Bertha: As a CMO, what would be the marketing suggestions for the directory site owners to get more traffic?
Sazzadul: Good question! As a marketing guy, I would suggest directory site owners focus on developing content that is both valuable and shareable. This could include creating blog posts, infographics, videos, or podcasts that add value & provide helpful information to their target audience. Additionally, they should look into leveraging social media platforms to promote their content and engage with potential customers, build relationships, and share content.
Moreover, investing in search engine optimization (SEO) can help ensure their website is appearing in the top results of web searches. Finally, they should consider paid advertising to reach new audiences and increase visibility.
The great thing is that Bertha can help with all of this, making it easier than ever before to create a high-traffic directory website.
Bertha: How can someone get started using Directorist?
Sazzadul: Getting started with Directorist is easy! All you need to do is create an account and start setting up your directory through a simple set up wizard using Directorist. You can customize the look and feel of your directory, add categories and listings, and even accept payments. With Directorist, you’ll be able to create a powerful online business directory in no time.
Bertha: Thank you very much Sazzadul for allowing me to interview you and learn more about Directorist.
I highly encourage readers to check out Directorist and see how it can help them create and manage their own directory website. Visit directorist.com to learn more and start your journey with Directorist today.
And of course, be sure to use Bertha AI to make populating your listings a breeze! Check out this brief tutorial on how easy it is to use Bertha and Directorist together:
