Looking for a GeoDirectory expert to help with our new directory site development. We need custom coding to solve an issue with listings that have multiple zip codes (as many as 44,000 zip codes).
Background:
We are building a listing/location directory site using GeoDirectory and need help. We have a few categories that require the search results to display providers that offer service based on zip code location. They are TV, Internet, and Home Phone providers. An example of how we need the search functionality to work is on connectyourhome.com.
For these listings, we need search results to display providers that service the visitor’s zip code. Some of the providers service thousands of zip codes. We do not want to create a separate listing for each zip code. We want to create one listing that includes thousands of zip codes.
In addition to TV, Internet, Home Phone, we will have listings that service the entire US, such as home security. We will also have listings with physical locations that require the near me functionality or a complete address input.
Is it possible to use one search box on the home page to search for all services based on zip code and/or address or can we have one search box where the visitor can select a category and then depending on the category selected search by address or zip code? Would the near me feature work if they enter a zip code that falls within a specified radius?
We have a WordPress developer that you would work alongside for this project. He is located in Pakistan, readily available and easy to communicate with via Skype/What’s App and email. He will help manage the project and can clearly communicate the technical requirements.
**We need to get this site live in the next two months.**
We asked GeoDirectory support about how to create one listing with a long list of zip codes. They sent the following reply:
GeoDirectory Support reply #1:
I would recommend you hire a developer that will create a script to save the results of a multiselect field -> tags field. To save the contents of the multiselect fields INTO those other fields.
In that way you would have a list of zips with autocomplete for them to choose from, but saved in a place that is searchable from the search for / keyword field.
This would require custom work, but we have a list of experts here:
We asked support to elaborate on their response. Following is there reply.
GeoDirectory Support email #2:
You would want to create a new multiselect field. If you have a developer they could create this programatically to include a potentially very long list of zip codes – so they could create the field with a plugin and store the list of zip codes in the plugin.
They would further add custom code that will store the values from the multiselect field as tags – they would need to program logic for how the tags would be added, updated or deleted when the listing and the new custom field are saved.
They could also create a specialized GD Badge that would display the tags as a links – maybe these could be pointed at a custom tag archive specifically for zip codes where you can have a custom layout.
For search you would just use the main search for keyword search field. If you want to add another field for zip code filtering a developer could do that with the multiselect field, perhaps a custom multiselect search field.
Jolene Martin
