Recognize businesses and nonprofits on your website with a self-updating directory - manage Tiers and more.
Available for all plans on the Locable Marketing Platform
The Business Directory feature in Locable is one of many tools we offer to highlight your Local Connections™.
Whether you want to cross-promote on your website like you do in your store or you want to highlight a directory of members, Locable's directory tool will do that and more. This can be added to websites powered by Locable or 3rd party platforms.
This article will show you how to:
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create a Directory,
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Manage your CRM Companies & Causes,
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Organize your directory by groups and Tiers, where applicable, and install it on your website.
Locable-powered directories enable you to show your Companies & Causes (organizations) but not Contacts (people). If you want a business to appear in your Directory, you will need to first add them to your CRM.
We STRONGLY recommend using Local Networks with all of the Local Connections™ tools including the directory to save you time and stay organized. Learn more about using Local Networks to organize your Companies & Causes here.
The free Engage Plan includes great options for cross-promotion while the Coordinate Plan offers advanced options and unlocks Tiered Directories.
Like all of our Local Connections™ tools, the data in the directory will stay up to date as your connections make updates to their Locable account.
Creating Your Directory Embed
Start by clicking CRM then Local Business Directories and Create Directory. Here you'll set some initial details, these can always be changed later.
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Give your directory a name - this name is seen internally only, and if you have many, a clear name will help you stay organized.
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Optional - add a public header label that will appear with the directory on your website.
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Organize your listing by category or alphabetical - note, accounts on the Coordinate Plan can use a Tiered approach to organize their directory. Likewise, all paid accounts support multiple directories and many membership organizations and associations choose to create a directory for each category so they can add each category to a specific page on their website. This approach is done using Local Networks.
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Choose whether you want to include a keyword search
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Set the default number of businesses listings in the directory before introducing pagination
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Save the directory, and then Add Sources to choose which Local Networks or which individual businesses will appear in your directory.
A single directory or multiple category-specific directories?
The number of directories available in your account is determined by your plan. For most small businesses a single directory is generally sufficient.
On the other hand, we recommend that most associations & Chambers create multiple directories leveraging Local Networks - at least one directory for every Local Network 'category' and possibly more to feature sponsors or other specific groups of businesses and nonprofits.
Using multiple directories enables far more flexibility such as:
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A single business can appear in multiple categories
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You can add category-specific pages to your website AND still show all directories on a single page if you'd like
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It's easier to make changes and keep things organized in the future
Standard vs Tiered Directories
Standard Directories are included in the Engage Plan and public listing results are displayed alphabetically. If you have categories, you can arrange the categories in any order you wish then the listings within the category are displayed alphabetically.
NOTE: Standard directories display results in a card view.
Tiered Directory Options
Tiered directories currently display listings in a more list view and enable you to have more granular control over how you show listings. This is incredibly useful in situations where you have multiple membership tiers and want to reward businesses that pay more with more prominence and details.
Learn more about Understanding Tiered Directories.
Installing your Directory on a 3rd party website
Once your directory has been created, you can install the directory on your website even if it is not powered by Locable.
To do this, open the Directory Settings and scroll to the bottom to find the embed code:
Once you Copy this code, you can embed this Directory on your website.