RYO Membership Directory Plugin Administrator Manual
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Before trying to configure your member directory, it makes sense to think a bit about how to organize it so you get the most from the system with the least effort.
The RYO Member Directory is a system that makes it possible to add directory services to your WordPress Blog, adding to the value of the community.
How it works:
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Members enter and edit their own information in a private profile page (so you don't have to do it), and their changes are reflected immediately on the website.
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Certain information is picked from the profile to display in a Member Directory Page, other information is picked from the profile to display in Member Search Pages, some for a Business Directory. And some information that is entered when they edit the Directory Profile is displayed in mmore than one directory page type.
Let's be clear: There's a lot more here than most websites need or want. And if you do too much, it can be confusing. So... Keep it simple! You can install most directories with a single code pasted on a page. That's amazing! Then, if you want to, or if you need to, you can customize your directory pages in many ways. (But that makes it a little harder.)
What Kind of Directory Do You Want?
You can do a lot to build your community with a Member Directory...
Create a Basic Member Directory Page
You can create a Member Directory Page that lists all the members. Or, create several Member Directory Pages, each with a different member type.
And you can choose from two different styles of Member Directory:
- The Basic Member Directory. This is a textual listing of members with a minimum of additional information.
- The Yearbook Photo style Directory. This includes a photograph (or other image) with each listing, plus name and up to 35 descriptive words.
Both include a link that will send your website guest to a full profile page about the member. And a search box for name and keyword searches.
Use your membership management software (WishList Member) to put these pages on a protected page, if you wish, so only members can see the directory, protecting privacy.
Build a Member Search Page
A Member Search Page has two ways to search for members:
- A Search Field, where you enter a keyword and the system searches for members with that keyword in their profile.
- A Category List, which lists broad categories which your website guest clicks to bring up a list of matching members. This may be special interest areas, class activities, organization sections, or business topics or interests.
Either way, the listing includes image and a short description. Clicking on the name will display the full member profile for that member.
Members pick the categories where they want to be listed in Category List searches when they edit their profile.
Category List Searches can search the entire database, or may be limited to certain member types if you wish.
You probably won't need a Member Search Page unless you have some kind of topics or categories list, because you can put the text search box on a Basic Member Directory Page or a Business Directory Page!
Should you Have a Business Directory Page?
This is a special kind of Member Search Page. It's perfect for a business "yellow pages" listing, where the categories are broadly defined products and services and clicking on the category brings up a list of members who provide that product or service.
Like the Member Search Page, it can also include a Search Field search that scans through qualified members.
Or, Build Added Value With a Member Offers Page
This is a page that displays optional "special offers" from advertisers or business members. These members, if they want to promote business or give other menbers a "special deal," can enter a special offer in their profile that will be displayed on the Member Offers page.
We envisioned this as a special page where you use your member management software to protect it so these are offers exposed only to your members as a special membership benefit. But, you could choose to place it on a public page as general advertising. Either will work.
One membership website allows Platinum level members to advertise to all members as a special benefit using a Member Offers page. How can you adapt this idea to your website?
How About a Featured Member on the Front Page?
Add a simple code to your "static" Front Page and you can feature a different member every day with a short write-up and a link to their directory profile page. Or, if your membership is small, feature a different member every seven days, ten days, or whatever you choose. You could even show several featured members on the front page, each from a different membership level.
We want your website to help build membership value, so we even make it possible to have the computer automatically send an email each day from you to the newly selected featured member, so they'll be sure to see it!
Recognize Key Members With a Board/Directors Page
You can set up a special page to list those members who serve on your governing board.
Or... use this for some other special group, such as class officers, honorary members, or top achievers.
Your page will display a special "search results" style listing for each member of the group, and you may write special custom copy to display in the listing.
You can only set up one special group page like this, so consider your needs carefully.
One membership several ways
Imagine this scenario. A community organization wants an online member directory to replace their printed directory that was out of date by the time it was printed, plus it cost too much to print.
They set up their memberships by family.
In a member family profile the family records a variety of information. Some information is picked from the profile to display in a member directory, some is picked from the profile to display in the business directory, and some is displayed in both. Fields that a member family would fill out in their profile would be:
- Name, address, phone.
- Spouse name, Children's names.
- A description of the family's interests, successes, and plans.
- And they upload a photo.
- A business name, if they want to promote the business at the website. (If they don't want to promote a business, they just leave this and the rest blank.)
- A business address and phone number.
- A short description of the business.
- A more extensive business profile.
- They pick business product and service categories that match up to their business.
The website is set up with a protected area for members only. This allows addresses and home phone numbers to be revealed to members only. In this area Pages are set up with:
- Member directory
- Search capability
In addition, in the unprotected area of the website, where both members and non-members can see the Pages, a Page is set up with:
- Business "Yellow pages" style directory, listing product and service categories and providing a search function. This allows the organization to promote members who have businesses, enabling members to easily do business with other members. It also reaches the general public, providing additional promotion value. Alternate templates are used so the business search results and individual profile display the business information, not the family information.
Another approach would be to have separate memberships available for businesses and families and to set the directory pages to include only those membership types that are wanted on a particular page.
They actually use *one data entry system to create two different member directories!*
One Association's Approach
One state association was affiliated with a national association with requirements that only members of the national association could be called "members."
They set up separate member types for:
- Professional Members,
- Candidates, and
- Vendors
They created three different pages: a Member Directory, A Candidate Directory, and a Vendor Directory, and all three have full keyword search capability.
The separate listings satisfied the national association's rule, and the master search page made it easy to find someone.
They also set up a "Featured Professional" at the top of the front page, featuring a different Professional Member each day.
Another Association's Solution
A publishing association included Publishers and Vendors, but a number of the Publishers also provided consulting and other services of interest to the membership. In other words, they were both publisher and vendor.
The association set up their website with a Member Directory that included everyone, plus a search page that searched the full list.
Then they set up a Vendor "Yellow Pages" style directory, with product and service categories.
Members of either member type who chose to select any of the product and service categories were automatically included in the Vendor Directory.
Multiple Member Types, Multiple Directories
Since each directory page includes a directive for which member types are included on that page, you could establish different directories for different member types.
As an example, you could have separate directories for Police, Fire, and Utility workers. With membership software, you could protect the pages so the directories are visible only to members who have joined that section (level) of the website.
