Types and levels of listings

Listings types

Types and levels of listings control the functionality amount of listings and their directory conception. Types of listings are just like sections of your site, for example: classifieds, events, agents and dealers, houses, coupons, cars, boats. These sections may have different behaviour, categories tree, search fields, layout and structure. You are able to configure everything.

Lets take classifieds and events listings types as examples: they have different content fields - events date field for events type, price field for classifieds type. These types must have different categories trees. It would be better to render classifieds listings especially as rows of the table. Some listings of events type require to be with eternal active period, for instance, for recuring events. But classified ads will have limited number of days to be shown.

Configuration of all these features and behaviour starts from types and levels settings.

Listings type settings:

name and seo name - seo name is a userfriendly part of url, user friendly URL recommended for better search engines optimization
enable locations in listings and zip or postal index options - using it listings may be assigned with city, state, country, ...
search type: global search, local search, disabled. For 'global search' will be used global configuration - if it was enabled, listings will be searched globally website scope. 'local search' - this type will use its own search configuration and search fields, search will be processed only from listings of this type.
enable 'what?' field search - enables search by keywords field, the system will search matching of keywords in listings titles, description, categories
enable 'where?' field search - enables search by locations field
categories search list - you may enable or disable categories tree for the search in appropriate type
categories type - as well as search type, each listings type may has its own list of categories either connected to global categories list
meta title and meta description - recommended for better search engines optimization, if empty - information from site settings will be used

Listings levels

Listings levels is the great tool to force users to pay for services on your site. For example listings in basic or free levels may have only standart options: such as name, logo image, only one category and one location to be assigned, very simple text description with 200 symbols max length, also such listings will be ordered by creation date without an ability to raise listings up. Instead, listings in featured levels may have additional and advanced options: such as seo-friendly URL, richtext unlimited description, Google maps, images gallery, assigned youtube videos, ratings, reviews, ability to stick listings on top of all search pages + ability to raise listings up. Also these listings will have higher priority in ordering than basic or free.

And you may set auto-decreasing of level, so listings will decrease to lower level after active period has expired.

Listings levels settings:

name of level
description of level - describe this level's advantages and options as much easier for users as you can, this information appear in advertise page
listing active period - after this period listing will expire, listing will set suspended status and user have to prolong listing, also you may set eternal active period
featured listing label - in listings templates it sets $listing->level->featured object's property to true, usefull for web designers, may set special css classes for listings divs
ability to raise up listing - users will be able to raise up listings of this level to top of lists and search results. This option may be payment
sticky listings - listings of this level will be always on top
title enabled - when enabled users will be able to enter titles of listings, some listings may skip titles entered by users, for example autos ads - usually title automatically builds from its make and model
seo title enabled - seo name is a userfriendly part of url, user friendly URL recommended for better search engines optimization, when disabled listing's url will have its ID
meta information enabled - allows to fill in meta description and meta keywords fields during listings creation, also useful for SEO
listing description mode and description symbols length - short description of listing may enabled as pure text area field or richtext editor or disabled at all
categories items number - listing may be viewed in this number of categories items
locations items number - listings will have number of locations, each with own marker on map and marker icon
pre-approved moderation mode - when enabled - after creation listing will have 'unapproved' status, listings will be moderated before activation
enable logo and logo size options
images count, images size and images thumbnail size
videos count and videos size
files count
maps enabled and maps size options
users options panel: print option, get listing in pdf option, quick list option, email friend option, email listing owner option, report this listing option
social bookmarks panel option
ratings enabled option
reviews mode - may be disabled, may have view of pure list of reviews or may have view of comments tree
reviews richtext editor enabled - richtext editor will appear in reviews/comments block instead of simple textarea

Also each listing of level may contain additional information in assigned content fields. In order to manage fields of content fields group go to 'Content fields/Manage fields groups' page.

System structure

Look at this simplified example scheme of system's structure:

As you see main components of the directory script these are: types, users groups, content fields. Each type contains listings levels. According to enabled options and settings of type and level, listing gets necessary functional destination and layout.

On the example above 'Simplified', 'Basic' and 'Featured' levels of 'Special ads' type combined into membership package, called 'All in one unlimited package'. This allows users to pay onetime only for package and create for example unlimited number of listings. Such things have great marketing and promotional potencial. Or for example '2 Featured listings package' membership package plan, 2 featured listings for only $5.95 when standalone featured listing costs $5.00.

As an example 'Events' type has local type of search. 'Event dates' content field assigned with 'Free level', search by this field realized in calendar widget, selecting date in this widget will lead users to search results page with listings those satisfy 'Events date' condition.

Also each listings type in the system may have local categories list, this means that on index page users see global categories, when entering to type's page - local categories list show.

Site manager can set up permissions not only to directory functions, but also to content types. Typical types in the directory script allow to create listings for any users groups, but for example 'Our News' type of listings may be created/edited/deleted by certain groups of users 'Admins' and 'Website managers', so usual members just allowed to view such listings.

Each level may have a price for their listings with currency and value according to the users group of listing owner. You may manage it at 'Payment/Listings prices' page. More information you may find in Payment section.

As you see Types-Levels model of the directory script provides you a great instrument of marketing features. During listings creation user choose listing type and level.