2021’s 6 Best WordPress Directory Plugins

Want to jump straight to the answer? We suggest WP GeoDirectory or Directories Pro for the best WordPress directory plugin. 

The Internet is full of directories.

In fact, your website might already be listed on some directories right now.

Directories like Yelp help consumers find a restaurant or service in their area. While a directory like Angie’s List connects people with contractors for things like electrical work, landscaping, and plumbing.

Both of these websites are very different—and they are both directories.

There’s a good chance you can find a way to implement a directory on your website. Law firms use website directories to list their lawyers and employees. Real estate companies have directories for their listings as well as their agents. A retail chain probably has an online directory for its store locations.

If you’re using WordPress, adding a directory to your website is simple. You just need to install a plugin.

The 6 Best WordPress Directory Plugins

Below are my in-depth reviews of the six best WordPress directory plugins:

GeoDirectory

GeoDirectoryGeoDirectory

GeoDirectory has one of my favorite search interfaces, allowing you to create a massive global directory on your website.

This is a great option for those of you who are looking for a free WordPress directory plugin as well.

They make it easy for website visitors to find exactly what they’re looking for without sacrificing the look and visual appeal of your website.

This plugin offers a front-end form that allows other businesses and users to submit listings, so scaling your directory is limitless.

When someone searches for a business on your website, the listings are displayed by proximity, so users can see the closest and most relevant…

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WordPress Shortcodes Beginner’s Guide – 2021 Update

Shortcodes are a powerful tool to help simplify the coding experience as you’re building pages and creating content on your WordPress website. These are especially useful for WordPress beginners but even experienced WordPress users leverage shortcodes to simplify the coding experience.

Rather than spending a ton of time and effort writing intricate lines of code, inserting a single shortcode can accomplish your goal in a much easier way.

Shortcodes ultimately eliminate complex scripts on WordPress sites. The possibilities with shortcodes are virtually endless, from creating in-depth page layouts to embedding interactive content on your site.

This guide will cover the basics that every WordPress beginner needs to know about shortcodes.

What are WordPress Shortcodes?

Shortcodes can best be described as coding shortcuts, hence the name. WordPress shortcodes use bracket strings on the backend of your site to create something and change the elements on the frontend of your page.

A shortcode makes it easy for webmasters to add content to their sites without any coding knowledge. It’s as simple as copying a piece of code and pasting it into your page editor.

WordPress shortcodes can be added to specific pages, posts, widgets, plugins, or even an entire theme.

5 Tools to Improve WordPress Shortcodes

The best way to manage shortcodes as a beginner is by using third-party tools. These will make your life even easier, especially if you don’t have a background in coding.

#1 — Shortcodes Ultimate

Shortcodes Ultimate is one of my favorite WordPress shortcodes tools on the market today. I’m not the only one who loves this resource—the tool has over 11 million downloads and 800,000+ active installations.

It’s perfect for WordPress users who want to save time and be more productive when writing…

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The 8 Best Conference Call Services – 2021 Review

Want to jump straight to the answer? The best conference call service for most people is definitely Nextiva, RingCentral, or GoToMeeting.

A good conference call services allows you to connect with the folks you want, when you want, and how you want.

It doesn’t matter if you need to hop on a quick call with your boss to discuss a client, or if you need to host a 100 person webinar over video — you need the right platform to do it all.

And in the age of the global pandemic and the rise of remote work, they’re more important than ever.

No matter your budget, you’ll find the right solution on this list.

I’ll show you the best conference call services on the market today, as well as my methodology for how to rank them.

The Best Conference Call Services

These eight options are a clear cut above the rest:

  1. Nextiva — Best Conference Call Audio Quality
  2. RingCentral — Best Video and Phone Conference Call Combo
  3. GoToMeeting— Best for Upgrading (or Creating) Your Conference Room
  4. ClickMeeting — Best Tools for Webinars and Presentations
  5. Phone.com — Cheapest Options for Routine Small Conference Calls
  6. Zoom— Best for Large Teams
  7. Google Hangouts — Easiest to Set Up and Invite
  8. Webex — Best for Team Collaboration

But which is right for your business? I’ve reviewed each service in detail below to help you compare them.

1. Nextiva — Best Conference Call Audio Quality

  • Rock-solid reliability
  • Carrier-grade data centers
  • Voice & video conferencing
  • 24/7 support

Get Started Now

VoIP calling providers often promise crystal-clear HD voice and audio, but VoIP can be susceptible to…

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Top 9 Best Virtual Private Servers (VPS Hosting) 2021 Review

Want to jump straight to the answer? The best VPS host for most people is definitely Bluehost.

Virtual private server (VPS) hosting is a step up from a shared hosting service. While shared hosting is cost-effective for beginner websites, it’s not the best solution when your traffic and business grows.

As your site scales, its hosting needs are going to change. That’s when it’s time to start looking for VPS hosting.

Not sure whether VPS hosting makes sense for your business? Jump further down this post for more on how VPS works and how it compares to other hosting options.

Finding the best VPS hosting plan can be intimidating. There are so many hosting providers out there offering VPS options. Taking the time to research all of them would take days.

Fortunately for you, I’ve already taken the time to do all of the research. I’ve gone through dozens of VPS hosting plans and narrowed down the top options for you to consider.

Here are my nine top picks for the best virtual private server providers in 2021.

The Top 9 Best VPS Hosting Providers:

  • Bluehost – Most painless upgrade from shared hosting
  • LiquidWeb – Best hands-off VPS hosting with high memory and storage
  • Kamatera — Best VPS hosting for instant scaling
  • Scala Hosting – Best VPS hosting for getting an exact blend of resources
  • HostGator – Best VPS for hands-on customer support
  • InMotion – Most reliable uptime
  • A2 Hosting – Best unmanaged plans for developers
  • Hostinger — Best cheap VPS hosting plans
  • iPage – Best VPS hosting for when you’re starting from scratch

Read on for detailed reviews of the VPS hosts above….

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Best Online Business Banking for 2021

Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Want to jump straight to the answer? The best online business banking accounts come from Novo Bank, Mercury, or Radius Bank

What makes a great bank for business purposes?

A good bank needs to have online banking capabilities. There are online-only banks as well as physical branches offering online banking services.

While most banks today have some type of online portal, not all of these are created equal.

The best business checking accounts have dozens of online features, like mobile deposits, digital bill pay, and fraud alerts.

You’ll also need to consider other banking products that you can access online. I’m referring to things like business savings accounts, merchant services, credit cards, and small business loans.

Whether you run a startup or a multi-million dollar well-established corporation, I’ll show you the best online business banking solutions to fit your needs.

Top 6 Online Business Banking Accounts For 2021

There are hundreds of different online business bank accounts on the market today. But these are the top ones that I recommend:

  1. Novo — Best online banking for freelancers and entrepreneurs
  2. Mercury — Best online banking for startups and ecommerce businesses
  3. Radius Bank — Best online banking for growing businesses with tons of transactions
  4. Axos Bank — Best business banking that you can also treat your employees to
  5. Chase Business Complete BankingSM — Best for those who also need in-person banking
  6. BlueVine — Best for new businesses to keep (and grow) cash

I’ll highlight the type of online…

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Wix Review – How Does Wix Stack Up?

Wix is the best website builder with simplicity at its core. The ease of using its drag-and-drop editor is second to none as it lets anyone create a website without touching any code.

It’s a great all-rounder, so you can whip up a personalized website whether you’re a small business or an artist with a portfolio to show. It may not be suitable for more complex sites, but it has all the basic tools you need right out of the box.

With Wix, you can focus more on building an online presence and less on figuring out technical jargon.

Wix Pros and Cons

Pros.

  • Free plan available
  • Scalable pricing
  • Effortless registration
  • Beginner-friendly interface
  • Drag-and-drop editor
  • Hands-off security and maintenance
  • Automatic website backups
  • Extensive app market
  • Widest selection of prebuilt templates
  • Comprehensive knowledge base
  • Optional multilingual feature
  • Built-in traffic analytics
  • Innovative AI assistant

Cons

  • Impossible to switch templates once website is live
  • No live chat support
  • Difficult to get out of

Compare The Best Website Builders

We reviewed dozens of website builders and narrowed them down to the best options.

See Top Picks

How Wix Compares to Top Website Builders

Wix is the IKEA of the online world.

It has everything you need so you can assemble a website in minutes.  No coding skills are required, as using the drag-and-drop editor is as simple as creating a Powerpoint presentation.

While Wix has simplified the process of creating websites, it does this at the expense of flexibility. You can’t switch to another template once your website goes live and you’re locked into the Wix server from the get-go.

You can do only so much with a Wix site,…

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