A website builder adapts the latest AI trends to develop advanced features. Building a directory website is worth it with AI support. Apply AI-generated content tailored for the specific needs of website visitors and businesses. Based on BrightLocal, 97% of consumers find local businesses through online directories. So you need to critically think about the directory listing and directory theme you want to focus on. Your website can receive monetization and sponsorships with an excellent brand authority.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Your niche for your directory site should encourage business owners to submit their information. A website builder provides automated features to match visitors and businesses on a selected niche. AI automation helps individual editors lessen manual matching for visitors and businesses. Today, we are going to discuss website builders for directories, highlighting their advantages and key performance indicators. Each website builder offers a unique directory feature that matches your needs as a business owner.                

1. Snapps.ai

Snapps.ai’s Unique Directory Feature: Shows Hidden Elements

Snapps.ai’s unique feature shows hidden elements. Majority of website visitors will look for directory listings using their mobile phones. You can unhide site elements that are relevant in mobile view. Ensure that all important elements are working in desktop, tablet, or mobile mode. 

Snapps.ai offers these pricing plans:         

• Single Site Pack - $19/month                       
• Starter Pack - $79/month   
• Decade Pack - $159/month                             

Sara is a small business owner who gave Snapps 5 stars for its user-friendly templates. This intuitive platform provides features to customize and personalize different sites. Building websites with Snapps are hassle-free and time efficient. You can choose from a variety of templates that provide functionality for businesses.



2. Brilliant Directories

Brilliant Directories’ Unique Directory Feature: Automatic Lead Matching

Brilliant Directories’ unique directory feature called Automatic Lead Matching sends leads to businesses. This lead generation tool lets you receive website leads and generate more revenue. Also, members will receive admin notifications for accepted, declined, or purchased leads.                                                                             

Brilliant Directories offers these pricing plans:

• Monthly Plan -$145/month
• Yearly Plan - $950/year
• Lifetime Deal Plan - $1,450/one-time





3. WordPress

WordPress’ Unique Directory Feature: Business Directory Plugin

WordPress’ unique directory feature called Business Directory Plugin is for customizing your website. What’s great about this plugin is you can create a Yelp clone for review sections. This plugin provides features like sorting options, quick-search, sorting bar, and multilingual directories.                                                                                         

WordPress offers these pricing plans:             

• Personal - $4/month                       
• Premium - $8/month
• Business - $25/month           
• Commerce - $45/month 

Umair gave WordPress 5 stars for being the best web development software and CMS. This platform allows you to build stunning websites within a few hours. You can publish articles, sell products, and add pages. WooCommerce Plugin is a valuable tool if you’re an online seller.



4. Vevs

Vevs’ Unique Directory Feature: Role-Based Access Control   

Vevs’ unique directory feature called Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is for team members. You can assign specific roles to employees. Give access to each of their roles or to the whole site. This feature prioritizes distribution of labor based on the responsibilities of each team member.

Vevs only offers a yearly pricing plan, which costs $299. This platform doesn’t have any hidden fees and you can cancel the subscription anytime. 

Ivan recently gave Vevs 5 stars for improving how their boat rental company operates. The platform is easy to use and has an intuitive interface. Ivan and his team can immediately take bookings and payments.



5. Wix

Wix’s Unique Directory Feature: Benchmarks

Wix’s unique directory feature, called benchmarks, provides insights of your website performance. You can use this analytical tool to compare traffic and sales metrics. Get workable tips from your website’s low performance for improvement.    

Wix offers these pricing plans:

• Light - $17/month
• Core - $29/month
• Business - $36/month
• Business Elite - $159/month 

What Features Should I Look for in a Website Builder for Directories?           

SEO Optimization. SEO optimization helps your directory website to rank in Google. Select a website builder that offers built-in SEO tools. Remember to include relevant keywords on the type of web directory you’re building. Also, SEO optimization makes it easier for visitors to look for directory listings.                                                                                                                                                       

User Registration.  Include user registration for website visitors to create accounts. A user profile allows visitors to find the listings they’re looking for. For example, a user made an account on a job directory website. This user can now receive notifications of recent job listings and company hirings.                                                                                                                                             

You can also use Google Sheets and Google Form for user registration. Make a directory listing in Google Sheets and use Google Form for registration. If you already have the registered emails of users, send them the directory sheet and registration forms.

Easy Listing Submission. Provide easy listing submission through user-friendly forms. These forms will allow them to submit listings. Listing submissions serve as the primary source of content in a directory website. It contains relevant information like business details, services, contact information, and reviews.   

Email Marketing. Email marketing is important on a directory website for updates. Include an email icon so users can have access to your newsletter. If you have an automotive directory website, you can send updates to a user about a newly released car model.   

Analytics and Reporting. Analytics and reporting track the performance of your website. Provide track performance metrics for individual listings. Make use of Google analytics when monitoring website traffic and user behavior.                 

Social Media Integration. Include social media integration to announce new listings. Connect social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

What Are Social Media Features in a Website Builder for Directories?           

• Social sharing buttons - Social sharing buttons should be included in a listing page. This allows users to easily share the listing across social media platforms.             
• Social login - Let users log in to a directory website using their social media accounts. This feature is associated with the social sharing button when you want to share directory themes.                       
• Social media feed integration - Display social media feed integration in a directory website for user engagement. Include a directory website’s social media feeds like Facebook posts or recent Tweets. 
• User reviews - Create a separate page to collect all user reviews for service listings on the directory website. You can include a page that allows users to leave reviews and suggestions within the website so they won’t have to use another platform.
  

What Are Mobile-Friendly Features in a Website Builder for Directories?       

• Responsive templates - Having responsive templates is crucial for a mobile-friendly directory website. Majority of users will probably use their mobile phones when searching for listings. Select a website builder that offers mobile-responsive templates and screen sizes are adjustable. 
• Clickable elements -  Clickable elements are the backbone of a drag-and-drop website builder. Select a directory website builder that prioritizes drag-and-drop elements for a seamless customization experience. Including clickable elements in your website must work well for proper navigation.                 
• Accessible search -  An accessible search bar is a must-have in your website. Visitors will often use the search bar to look up specific directory listings. Remember that having a mobile-friendly site provides accessibility for users.           
• Hide non-essential elements - Select a website builder that hides non-essential elements. This option is crucial to reduce instances of slow loading times.
• Click-to-call - The click-to-call functionality is crucial so users can directly contact business directories. Adding a click-to-call widget provides direct communication between users and businesses. 
  

What Are Key Performance Indicators in a Website Builder for Directories?     

Total visitors. Total visitors show the total number of viewers who visited your directory website.                                                                 

Unique visitors. Unique visitors are distinct individuals who are visiting your site. Tracking unique visitors helps understand your site’s impact to a larger audience.    

Run statistics on your server if you want to prioritize tracking unique visitors. This way is applied anonymously so you wouldn’t have any worries. 

Consider email marketing if you have a growing number of unique visitors but less income. Collect email addresses of your visitors at the end of an article related to web directories. Send unique visitors regular newsletters containing updates about your blog or listing.                                          

Page views. Page views refer to the total number of pages viewed in your directory website. The number of page views determine how users would engage with your content.                                                                         

Bounce rate. Bounce rate shows the percentage of visitors who leave your site after visiting one page. High bounce rate means that visitors aren’t finding the information they need. Having a low bounce rate means that visitors are staying on your site because they’re already  receiving the information they need. 

In calculating your site’s bounce rate, try implementing scroll depth. This is an important metric that shows how good and bad your rankings can be. Integrate Google Analytics in your site to know a visitor’s scroll depth. Remember that zero depth is bad for your rankings. This happens when a user opens a page in your site. But the user only stares at the page for a while before closing it. To reduce zero scroll depth, include a large photo or infrographic to make visitors scroll down your page.

Number of listings. Number of listings is the total number of listings on your site. Your website works well if there’s an increasing number of listings.

Backlinks. Backlinks are the number of external links directed to your website. Including backlinks can improve the authority and SEO of your directory website.

The reality for some people is that directories offer little value for having backlinks. Depending on your web directory, your site may not rank 1st on search results. However, directories are still crucial since it tells Google that your business exists and it can be found on the web. Have a consistent Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP). Also, providing information on directories allows your site to appear in branded search results. Another way to get your site to appear in branded search results is positive reviews.   

Page load time.  Page load time refers to the average time it takes for your website to load. Remember that slow load times can decrease user experience. 

What is the Best Website Builder for My Directory Website?   

The best website builder for your directory website is Snapps.ai. This directory website builder offers the features visitors need when searching for directory listings. Make use of SEO tools like Keyword Research, Localgrids, and Snappseo. These tools will help you improve your site's search rankings. Snapps lets users create an account to make it easier for them to locate directory listings. With the help of drag-and-drop elements, users can utilize the search bar or enter their email address for directory updates. Lastly, track the progress of your directory website  with Google Analytics and other built-in tracking tools.