Simplification of Search functionality
This topic contains 17 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by 
Guust 8 years, 3 months ago.
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January 12, 2017 at 8:51 pm #341707
Hi,
I am trying to find some way to simplify the Search function to make it more intuitive and user friendly and less daunting since, as it is now, I feel that it has too many fields and it can be confusing for many users.
This is what I would like to achieve in the Search Widget and Shortcode:
1) Field 1. Post type. I would like to have configuration options to be able to disable it and assign a post type by default.
2) Field 2. Select Categories (of the CPT selected previously). Enabled with with Advanced Search. As it is now is ok.
3) Field 3. Search Field. Keywords. I would like to have a configuration option to be able to disable it, since I believe that most users do not need to use it.
4) Field 4. Near Field. I would like to have a configuration option to be able to disable it, since I believe that most users do not need to use it.
5) Compass. I would like to replace it with a checkbox field, with the “Near me” text translatable. I believe that most people do not understand what the compass means and it would be much clearer in the way I suggest. Ticking the checkbox would open the distance slider.
6) Distance slider. For single location or small areas directories, the distance range should be configurable, since it is confusing, difficult to finely adjust and unsuitable for a location, for example, 10 miles wide with many places, where the user will want to find the nearest places without being flooded with search results. I already mentioned this issue long time ago here. https://wpgeodirectory.com/support/topic/default-near-me-miles-limit/
I would suggest that the setting “GD > Advanced Search > GEOLOCATION SETTINGS section > Default Near Me miles limit (1-200)” should have the “1” and “200” configurable as “min” and “max” distance and the “min distance” should accept decimals.
About Search by Distance. Enabled with Advanced Search. As it is now is ok. I would not use it.
Would this be possible?
I look forward to your reply.
Thank you very much once again for your attention.
Best regards.
January 12, 2017 at 10:30 pm #3417451. Post type by default can be set by changing the CPT order at
GD > Custom Post Types > choose a CPT to edit > go to the “advanced mode” tab > and change “Order in post type list”2. Category field is optional, see https://wpgeodirectory.com/docs/gd-search/#cat
3. Can be hidden with CSS only. It is the main search field for titles, description and taxonomies (tags and categories) of the listings.
4. Can be hidden by CSS only.
If you would do what you propose so far, the Search Widget will no longer be a search. All it will do now is giving the option to select a CPT and possibly a category; no option left to narrow by keywords or location.
All that would happen now is return all listings in a CPT and/or category.
I would be a lot simpler to disable your search then and use the CPT categories widget: see more at https://wpgeodirectory.com/docs/searching-and-browsing/
If you want to give visitors the option to browse your site, and not search, category widgets, the location switcher and menus are a better option.5. With some CSS and the help of the language files you could change the compass and text.
But if you hide the #4 location field with CSS, then the compass will not be there.6. Using the “Near” field only will order the search results by distance from the location entered. So regardless of the distance selected, the closest listings will be always presented first. See https://wpgeodirectory.com/docs/searching-and-browsing/#search
Thanks
January 13, 2017 at 5:30 pm #342155Hi Guust,
Thank you very much for your prompt response and detailed explanations.
Please, allow me to expose the idea I have in mind.
1) My WPGeodirectory site is a single small town directory. The town has less than 20.000 inhabitants and the longest distance within is approximately 6 kilometers. It is a tourist town that can host more than 100.000 tourists any time during the high season. There are tourist districts with a lot of businesses within very short walking distances.
2) I would like to offer a search option to make very simple, quick, easy and user friendly for tourists to find with their smartphones what they look for, usually within short walking distances from their current location.
3) These are a couple of search examples of this type:
a – Restaurants near me within a 200 meter distance range.
b – Events near me within a 200 meter distance range.4) This is how I see this search option work:
a – Restaurants near me within a 200 meter distance range. Using a Search Box (widget / shortcode) configured for the CPT Places that would show only the field “Select Category” and a slider allowing to finely select the distance from 100 meters to 6 kilometers.
b – Events near me within a 200 meter distance range. Using a Search Box (widget / shortcode) configured for the CPT Events that would show only the field “Select Category” and a slider allowing to finely select the distance from 100 meters to 6 kilometers.
Therefore: “Post Type” and “Near” fields should not appear while “Search” field should be optional, “Near me” geolocation function should be automatically activated without having to click anything and the widget / shortcode should have settings to set the CPT, enable / disable “Search” field and the distance slider max and min distances.
After reading very carefully and considering your explanations and rethinking all about, now I think that this should be an additional search functionality with its own widget / shortcode. I would call it, for example, “EZ Mobile NearMe GD Search”.
Since I do not expect you to develop such an specific functionality, my question now is: is this something that a developer could develop following your documentation?
For any other kind of search, the current GD search is perfect since it offers a wide range of configurable options and functionalities.
Also, since I do not know about CSS, I would like to ask you to let me know the CSS to hide:
1) “Search” Field.
2) “Near” Field (and “Compass”).I look forward to your reply.
Thank you very much once again for your attention.
Best regards.
January 13, 2017 at 5:33 pm #342157Hi,
if you find a good WP developer, anything is possible. At this point thought, I would ask him to create a search plugin to replace our advance search so that you won’t have troubles with updates.
Thanks
January 14, 2017 at 12:47 am #342324Can I suggest to delete the GD Search widget, and just add the Near Me button.
Make sure that you have a popular post widget for each CPT on your location page.
That will geolocate the visitor and return all listings ordered by CPT within the set radius at GD > Advanced Search > Default Near Me miles limit (1-200)That should achieve what you are after I think.
January 14, 2017 at 8:27 am #342456Hi Paolo,
Thank you very much for your suggestion.
I tested it here:
https://inforoses.com/test-gd/
This is the first time I use the GD Location Page and I notice that it looks unstyled. I am using the Elegant Themes Divi theme. You can see the result in the attached screenshot with Divi Builder not used (but the Divi Builder does not work properly either).
I used the Popular Post View shortcode [gd_popular_post_view], so default settings should apply.
Is this how it should work?
I look forward to your reply.
Thank you very much once again.
Best regards.
January 14, 2017 at 8:54 am #342468The location pages is built with widgets, just like the other pages, see more at https://wpgeodirectory.com/docs/layout/#directory
So you should build the pages without shortcodes.
https://inforoses.com/location/
https://inforoses.com/location/roses/January 14, 2017 at 9:42 am #342474Hi Paolo,
Thank you very much for your response.
Finally I got it, after almost two years 🙁 ! GD Home and GD Location pages are the same!
Best regards.
January 14, 2017 at 10:37 am #342480🙂 Never too late to learn 🙂
January 14, 2017 at 10:41 am #342481Hi Paolo,
Now I am trying again to understand the documentation about GD Pages Permalinks here:
https://wpgeodirectory.com/docs/core-permalinks/
I am confused about this part:
“GeoDirectory Pages
GD will automatically add 8 pages that will be used as templates to create all your directory pages: GD Home page, Add Listing, Listing Preview, Listing Success, Location, Terms and Conditions page, Info page and Login page.
You can change the title and slug of these pages at the normal WordPress pages settings.
Only the Terms and Conditions page option can be left blank, all other options should have a page selected.”
I do not understand why I would like to select another page than the original GD Page. I have just tried selecting one of the Divi built pages of my site for the GD Add Listing page and the GD Add Listing page just looks as a mad mix of the two pages.
Could you please let me know?
I look forward to your reply.
Thank you very much once again.
Best regards.
January 14, 2017 at 10:59 am #342516It does not say you should select other pages, but it says you can change the title and slug of the page, just like you would change the title and slug of any other WP page.
For example you may want to change the Location title and location slug to Localidad and localidad, or Directory and directory etc.January 14, 2017 at 11:23 am #342522Hi Guust,
I am having a good day to learn a lot of things today 🙂 Let’s continue!
Ok, but I am still confused. :$
If I want to change the title and slug of a GD Page should I edit them like I do with any WordPress page?
Which is the purpose of the dropdown selector for each GD Page at “GD –> Permalinks –> GD Pages” containing the names of all the existing WordPress Pages in the site?
I look forward to your reply.
Thanks once again.
Best regards.
January 14, 2017 at 12:39 pm #342532If I want to change the title and slug of a GD Page should I edit them like I do with any WordPress page?
YesWhich is the purpose of the dropdown selector for each GD Page at “GD –> Permalinks –> GD Pages” containing the names of all the existing WordPress Pages in the site?
For example, instead of just changing the Location title and location slug to Localidad and localidad, you may want to create a new page with that title and slug, and then select that page in the dropdown.January 14, 2017 at 12:51 pm #342557I assume that the new page must be empty, blank, without content, right?
January 14, 2017 at 12:54 pm #342560Not necessarily, you can add content to some of them, it will show up.
Feel free to test, just add something in the Add Listing page for example, it will show on the top of the page. -
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