HivePress<\/a>, a multipurpose directory plugin, it becomes a great solution for building a robust lawyer directory.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSteps to Create a Lawyer Directory<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Okay, now let\u2019s move to the tutorial part of this article and create a lawyer directory website. First of all, you need to install the WordPress theme and all the necessary plugins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Installing ExpertHive & Recommended Plugins<\/h3>\n\n\n\n To install the ExpertHive theme, navigate to the Appearance > Themes > Add New > Upload Theme<\/strong> page and upload the theme ZIP file. Then click on the Install Now<\/strong> button and proceed by activating ExpertHive.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAfter this, you\u2019ll be suggested to install the required plugins, including HivePress, which will handle most of the website\u2019s features. Simply follow the suggested link to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAdding Law Categories<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The next thing you need to do is add different law categories so that customers can easily navigate through your directory and find lawyers that match their cases. For example, let\u2019s add the following ones: Real Estate Law, Criminal Law, Business Law, Immigration Law, Bankruptcy Law, and Healthcare Law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To do that, go to the Vendors > Categories<\/strong> section and start by naming a category. Then, you can add the description. Also, you can create a hierarchy of categories, if necessary, simply by choosing a parent category.<\/p>\n\n\n\nClick on the Add Category<\/strong> button when finished. Note that you can add as many categories as required for your lawyer directory website by following these steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAdding Vendor Profile Fields<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Once you add all the categories, you can add custom vendor profile fields and search filters to allow users to search for lawyers and gain information about them. For example, let\u2019s create the \u201cExperience\u201d profile field, so lawyers can indicate their work experience when registering, while users will be able to filter specialists based on it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To create a new field, go to Vendors > Attributes<\/strong>. Start by giving it a name. In the Editing<\/strong> section, enable front-end editing and make this field required. For the field type, choose \u201cSelect\u201d. In the Search<\/strong> section, you can allow users to use this attribute as a search filter. Mark it as filterable, sortable, and pick the \u201cSelect\u201d field type as well. Finally, in the Display<\/strong> section, you can choose how your custom field will appear on listing pages by assigning it to certain areas and setting its display format. For example, for the \u201cExperience\u201d field, we\u2019ll choose Block (primary) <\/strong>and Page (primary)<\/strong> areas and use the following display format: %label%: %value%<\/code><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen finished, press Publish<\/strong>. After this, you\u2019ll see the Edit Options<\/strong> button appear. Click on it to add experience period options, such as \u201cMore than one year\u201d, \u201cMore than five years\u201d, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\nKeep in mind that you can add as many custom fields and search filters as you need, like \u201cOffice Location\u201d, \u201cLanguages Spoken\u201d, \u201cEducation\u201d, \u201cPrice per hour\u201d, etc. Everything depends on your website niche and requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Creating Homepage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The next step is creating a homepage for your lawyer directory website. Thanks to the HivePress integration with Gutenberg, a native WordPress page builder, this process is easier than ever. Go to Dashboard > Pages<\/strong> and click Add New<\/strong>. Then, write the page title, like “Home”, and start adding layout blocks by clicking the Plus<\/strong> icon and choosing desired ones such as \u201cVendor Search Form\u201d or \u201cVendors\u201d. Also, you can customize each block as you like in the menu on the right. Once you finish, click on the Publish<\/strong> button.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPro Tip: enter “HivePress” in the block search bar to see all the available HivePress-specific blocks.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\nNow, it’s necessary to go to Dashboard > Settings > Reading<\/strong> section and set the page you’ve just created as your homepage (as shown in the screenshot below).<\/p>\n\n\n\nThat’s it. You have just created a homepage for your lawyer directory website. The next step is to customize its look and feel according to your preferences. Feel free to check the video below to do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n