Webinar Wednesday 202 – June 11, 2025

New Features and Updates

• The hosts encourage viewers to type in their questions, which will be answered during the questions and answers portion of the webinar, and they will sift through the comments to address as many questions as possible (00:03:00).
• The webinar will cover various updates, including a new design for the admin login page, and other features that will be demonstrated throughout the webinar (00:03:18).
• The software’s functionality is a representation of the steps being taken to improve the platform’s UI and design, with changes already started earlier in the year and more to come through the end of 2025 and into 2026 (00:03:38).
• Schema markup has been added for jobs, events, and videos, which helps Google understand the content of a webpage beyond its title and content, and can give a boost to SEO for these types of posts (00:04:13).
• The platform has added 10 new languages, bringing the total available languages to 40 plus, which covers about 95% of use cases, and allows the front end of a website to be translated automatically into the chosen language (00:05:27).
• The system now checks that website URLs added when importing members are in a correct format, skipping any that are not, to keep things tidy and prevent broken links on the front end of the site (00:06:48).
• Instant business records, a feature released last year, has seen significant usage, with people starting sites in different markets and industries and quickly populating them, making it a useful tool for site creation (00:07:09).
• The instant business record tool allows users to import content for various categories, including pet-related and medical-related things, and the site will look seasoned with this update, and if users delete listings that were imported using this tool, they can reimport them for free without using any import credits again (00:07:26).
• Users can also recategorize the imported listings, which is a significant part of the update, so if a user accidentally assigned doctors to the accountant category during import, they can reimport them and reassign their category (00:07:45).
• The update enables users to reimport deleted members and reassign their categories, which is a quality of life feature that allows users to hang on to records without having to reimport them and use credits (00:08:20).
• For developers, the BD API has been improved with a new endpoint specifically for album photos, which allows users to add titles and descriptions for each individual image in a photo album, making it useful for SEO (00:08:56).
• The web page builder now includes a Google search snippet preview, which provides users with more SEO cues and allows them to see a visual representation of what their page will look like in Google (00:09:56).
• The Google search snippet preview is part of the SEO settings tab in the web page builder, where users can add custom meta titles and descriptions to make their pages rank in Google, and future updates will include character lengths and other suggestions (00:10:18).

Manage Offers Tool

• The “Manage Offers” tool is a new page in the admin area that allows directory website owners to earn extra revenue with affiliate offers, and it will be covered as the tip of the week (00:11:33).
• The “Manage Offers” tool is located in the finance tab, where preset offers from various solutions with valid affiliate programs are available, such as website or domain design tools, legal services, and others, and website owners can offer these to their business members and earn affiliate commissions (00:11:55).
• A new WordPress plugin called WordPress Forms will be released, which will allow users to send lead data from their WordPress site to their Brilliant Directory site to create member and lead records, and this plugin will be demonstrated in a future webinar (00:12:36).
• The WordPress Forms plugin is the third WordPress plugin to be released, and it will be available in the WordPress repository, providing a way for users to capture leads and feed them into their Brilliant Directory site (00:12:56).
• The platform has improved right-to-left support, including languages such as Hebrew, which can be selected in the general settings and localization, and there is also an advanced setting to change the text direction of the website (00:13:33).
• The “Manage Offers” feature can be found within the finance section of the website’s admin area, where users can enable or disable the default tools and services listed, and these tools will be displayed to members in their dashboard (00:14:28).
• The default tools and services listed in the “Manage Offers” section include a couple dozen options, such as business tools and software, and users can promote these offers to their members, who will see them in their dashboard (00:14:48).
• The “Manage Offers” tool is located within the business toolkit section of a user’s dashboard, where they can view various offers, including services, logos, names, brief descriptions, and links to claim or learn more about the offers (00:15:06).
• Website owners can enable or disable default offers and have the option to register for affiliate programs for various services, software, and tools, allowing them to earn affiliate commission when their members sign up (00:15:25).
• The tool is particularly useful for business directories or professional directories, as it allows website owners to link their members directly to services or provide affiliate links to earn commission (00:15:46).
• Website owners can control what their members see in the business toolkit section, with an on/off toggle for each offer, and can also choose to enable or disable the business toolkit section for specific membership plans (00:17:00).
• The feature can help website owners increase member retention and upgrades by providing value-added tools to their members, and also offers the opportunity to earn extra income through affiliate links (00:17:20).
• Members can discover trusted tools to help them run and grow their businesses, with access to offers and discounts, and can easily sign up for affiliate programs to get started (00:18:31).
• The “Manage Offers” tool allows users to provide their members with a directory of exclusive offers and resources, including discount codes, to help them succeed in their business, and this can be achieved by extending offers from various tools and services (00:18:50).
• The tool also enables users to create a single directory of offers, making it easy for members to find resources that can help their business succeed, and it provides an emotional aspect where members feel supported by being offered amazing resources and potentially special offers (00:19:09).
• By providing this directory to members, the goal is to make their business as successful as possible, which can ultimately lead to the growth of the user’s directory, and it also solidifies the user’s credibility by making them look like a bigger player with relationships with larger brands (00:19:27).
• The “Manage Offers” tool can elicit trust from newer members who sign up to the site, as they will see the user’s brand pinned with larger brands, and some affiliate programs give users an extra 5 to 30% off code that can be passed on to members, making them feel like they’re getting preferential treatment (00:20:02).
• In the future, the tool will allow users to add their own custom offers to the business toolkit, including third-party tools, software, or services, as well as their own marketing services or digital products, providing a lot of flexibility once this feature rolls out (00:20:54).
• The “Manage Offers” tool is turned off by default for all existing sites and their membership plans, and users need to enable it manually to make the business tools visible in their members’ dashboard, which can be done by heading to the “Manage Offers” page and turning on the default offers (00:21:52).
• The settings for the “Manage Offers” tool can be found in the dashboard area, where users can enable or disable the default offers for each membership plan, and this is where users can start configuring the tool to make it available to their members (00:22:09).
• The “Manage Offers” tool allows customization of offers, such as turning off specific offers like GoDaddy and Docusign, and using custom affiliate links, for example, Wix’s affiliate program, which can be registered for by clicking the “start earning now” link (00:22:30).
• To use a custom affiliate link, users can click on the link, register for the affiliate program, and then paste their custom link in the designated area, with the system working to ensure that default business toolkit tools have valid affiliate programs (00:22:49).
• The “Manage Offers” page also allows enabling or disabling offers for specific membership plans, such as membership plan 3, which can be edited to show business toolkit offers to members, with this setting turned off by default for all sites (00:23:06).
• In the membership plan settings, the “show business toolkit offers” setting can be turned on, which will display a side menu link for the business toolkit in the members’ dashboard, with this link being customizable in terms of its text label (00:23:27).
• When a member clicks on the business toolkit link, they will see a list of available offers, which are dynamically generated based on what has been enabled in the admin area, with descriptions and benefits for each offer, and the ability to claim offers, which will take them to the relevant website, such as Wix.com (00:23:49).
• If a custom affiliate link has been added, the URL will include the referral link, allowing the site owner to earn a commission if the member makes a purchase, providing an additional revenue channel (00:24:05).
• The business toolkit page is fully dynamic, with the system working to add more controls in future releases, and the current page showing all enabled offers, with the ability to claim offers and earn rewards (00:24:24).
• Members can access the business toolkit link in their dashboard, which will display all available offers, with the site owner able to customize the link’s text label and the offers that are displayed, and earn commissions on any purchases made through the custom affiliate link (00:24:42).
• The system ensures that the business toolkit link is translated according to the site’s language, and that the link’s text label can be customized to fit the community’s needs, such as “business resources” or “recommended tools” (00:25:01).
• The “Manage Offers” tool provides a way to offer additional value to members, while also generating revenue through affiliate links, with the potential to “tick the needle” and provide an additional revenue channel (00:25:21).
• The business toolkit link can be customized to fit the site’s brand and community, with the ability to add or remove offers, and customize the link’s text label, providing a flexible and dynamic way to offer value to members (00:25:41).
• The system allows site owners to earn a small reward and commission on purchases made through the custom affiliate link, providing an additional revenue stream, and the ability to track and manage offers and commissions (00:26:00).
• The “Manage Offers” tool provides a range of features and customization options, including the ability to add or remove offers, customize the link’s text label, and earn commissions on purchases, making it a valuable tool for site owners looking to offer additional value to their members (00:26:17).

Business Toolkit and Affiliate Programs

• The Business Toolkit page is a widget that can be found by searching for “business toolkit” in the widget manager, and it provides various tools for business use, with the option to add supportive text around the page (00:26:36).
• The page allows users to turn on or off default offers, such as the GoDaddy offer, and also enables them to add their own custom affiliate links to earn rewards for referrals, which can be particularly useful for business directories or local business listings (00:27:31).
• The Manage Offers tool can be used to promote custom offers, such as digital products or services, and can also be used as an upsell opportunity for members to pay a small fee to be included in the offers section, creating a win-win situation for all parties involved (00:28:29).

Hidden Member Profiles and Other Features

• The tool has potential for future development, including the ability to add custom offers and restrict access to certain membership levels, with an existing add-on called Hidden Member Profiles that can address privacy concerns by hiding profiles of specific membership levels and limiting search functionality (00:29:44).
• The Hidden Member Profiles add-on allows users to select which members can be found in search results by other members, enabling them to incentivize members to upgrade by limiting their search functionality, and can be used to control which members can view profiles of other members (00:30:00).
• The membership level can be used to search and view other members, and there is a link to documentation on how to enable and use this feature, which can be found at the bottom of the page or in the support center (00:30:20).

Advertising and Monetization

• The Brilliant Directory site allows users to include their AdSense code and display Google AdSense ads across the site, and settings can be adjusted to add AdSense code in various areas, such as the design settings (00:31:01).
• The business toolkit feature has no impact on AdSense, and users can add a new connection to their members’ accounts, with the option to show ads inside the members’ dashboard, although this may clutter the experience (00:31:18).
• Users can add banner ads, including AdSense ads, to their site by going to the design settings and using the below header banner ad option, which allows them to add an embed code for their AdSense (00:31:53).
• The membership plan settings allow users to choose whether to show banner ads, including Google ads, inside the members’ dashboard, with this setting available per membership plan (00:32:14).

Future Developments and Tips

• Phase 2 of the business toolkit is expected to launch in about a month, around the middle of July, and will empower directory owners to make offers, but in the meantime, users can use existing features, such as adding calls to actions and offers inside the member dashboard (00:33:10).
• A previous tip of the week showed users how to add calls to actions and offers inside the member dashboard, which is still a useful feature that can be used currently (00:33:27).
• The “Manage Offers” tool is discussed, and it is mentioned that there are three ways to engage users inside their member dashboards, including adding calls to action and offers to boost visibility (00:34:03).
• Site owners can promote the business toolkit page to their members through various methods, such as creating a blog post, sending an email newsletter, or adding a link to the page in the site’s footer, and they can also use banner ads or other touch points to direct members to the page (00:34:39).
• Members can be notified when others reply to their posts, and they can also follow posts and receive email notifications of new comments, which can encourage general users to register for the site and potentially become members (00:35:38).

Community Comments and Discussion Feature

• The community comments feature is a free add-on for all Brilliant Directory sites, allowing members to create posts, add videos and images, and comment on each other’s posts, with the ability to follow posts and receive notifications of new comments (00:35:56).
• The demo site shows an example of how the discussion feature works, with a place to comment and an option to follow comments and receive email notifications of new comments, which can help site owners convert general users into members (00:36:55).
• Site owners can use the discussion feature as a call to action to get people to register for their site, as members need to have a general user account to receive notifications, and this can later be converted into a membership or other offerings (00:37:34).
• The community comments feature allows users to have videos in posts, receive notifications when there are new comments, and stay up-to-date on post activity, with a support document available for more information (00:37:52).

Troubleshooting and Support

• The affiliate program may allow segmentation in a future iteration, enabling users to target specific membership plans with affiliate scheduling tools, such as showing certain offers only to certain membership plans (00:38:33).
• Older BD sites may not allow HTML for profiles, but this can be resolved by checking settings or updating to the newer code, and users can reach out to the Brilliant Directory support team for troubleshooting (00:39:10).
• Issues with search results on sites, such as storagecontractors.com, can be troubleshooted by checking settings, such as radius, and contacting the support center for assistance, to ensure that members who service a specific area are displayed correctly (00:39:45).
• The search results on sites like storagecontractors.com differentiate between members who are actually in the location and those who have selected the location as a service area, with the latter being labeled as “serves [location]” (00:41:17).
• Users who have selected a wide service area, such as the United States, should be showing up in search results, and if they are not, it may indicate an issue that needs to be resolved (00:41:36).
• The support team can assist with troubleshooting issues, and an example can be provided to them for further investigation (00:41:53).

Pretty URL Search Results and Server Updates

• To enable service areas to appear in the normal location search, the “pretty URL Google key” setting needs to be turned on, and this can be done by going to the advanced settings and searching for “pretty” (00:42:12).
• Enabling the pretty URL search results consumes more Google Maps API, as it searches for name matches instead of latitude and longitude, and this setting can be found by searching for “pretty” in the advanced settings (00:42:33).
• The pretty URL setting allows the system to smartly connect members’ vanity names for their locations to the location search results page, and it can be enabled by following the instructions in the “learn more” link (00:42:51).
• The development team is working on updating the server system to move to newer and faster servers, which will include new payment gateway options, such as Stripe’s additional wallet (00:44:05).
• The updates to the server system and payment gateways are part of a larger effort to empower directory owners to offer more to their members and have more revenue streams (00:44:22).

Conclusion

• The webinar will be posted in the Facebook group, and users can subscribe to the Brilliant Directories YouTube channel for more updates and information (00:44:57).
• The next webinar will be held in two weeks, at the end of June, and will continue to provide updates and information on the Manage Offers tool and other developments (00:45:16).