You can’t deny Airbnb’s incredible popularity spurt. Since its launch in 2008, it grew to a $1 Billion company in merely three years. Today it contains over 800,000 listings in around 192 countries.
That’s phenomenal!
Airbnb has taken advantage of “sharing economy” – a trending business concept – and one which certainly holds space for more players.
“The next wave of opportunities in businesses will be companies that look at how we support the development of the sharing economy,” says Sundararajan a professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business.
– According to Entrepreneur.
If you’re thinking of setting up a local Airbnb type of business, it is – without a doubt – a great idea!
So, what does it take to convert that idea into a living breathing website like Airbnb? Could it be as simple as using WordPress and a directory theme?
Well, I don’t know about using just any directory theme, but a theme I can vouch for is- Listify.
(No I’m not an affiliate. And Astoundify hasn’t paid me to promote the theme. My evaluation is purely based on my own research and discussions with my WisdmLabs workmates who have first-hand experience working with the theme).
WordPress Directory Theme – Listify
If the long list of features does not convince you, the 4.5 rating, 3,000 purchases in less than 6 months, and 5-star reviews by WordPress community experts will surely catch your eye.
Listify is a top rated and popular directory theme. It’s compatible with several WordPress plugins (the WP Job Manager and WooCommerce plugins are required with the theme) and booking services as well. To add to this, Astoundify provides detailed documentation, and several hooks and settings to customize the look of the theme.
(You make like to read this detailed guide on how to set up the Listify theme)
The list can go on. But what makes the Listify theme a suitable fit to build a WordPress website like Airbnb are the basic features it provides. My top 5 are as follows:
#1 Paid Listings Support
List Your Space Option on Airbnb
It’s obvious, isn’t it? When you think of Airbnb, you think of bookings and listings. Listify, like any directory theme, allows you to create and add listings and listing types (to categorize listings). But, having the advantage of features provided by WP Job Manager and WooCommerce, you can also:
- Create and monetize ‘Featured Listing’
- Sell products through listings
- Create Bookable listings
- Create Listing Packages… and so on.
Submit Listing Option using Listify
For every listing you create, you can add details about the location, add images and reviews, just like you would see on Airbnb.
#2 WooCommerce Integration
If you’re one of those who is thinking the plugin dependency is an overhead, it’s quite the contrary! WooCommerce provides you with numerous benefits. To begin with, you have a plethora of payment gateways at your disposal. You have the WooCommerce Bookings add-on which can be used to set up your bookable products (rooms, rentals are bookable products).
Another advantage is the WooCommerce Social Login add-on which similar to Airbnb, allows users to use social login during checkout or for the account creation process.
#3 Advanced Search Options
Advanced Search Option on Airbnb
As you know, Airbnb offers a killer search option. Listify comes awfully close providing zip code-based searching and several filters based on tags. With the WooCommerce Bookings plugin, you can offer a calendar search option as well.
Advanced Search Option provided by Listify
(If you’re hoping Listify provides the interactive map like Airbnb, it, unfortunately, does not. But with some custom development you can include that feature too).
#4 Bookmark Support
The wishlist feature in Airbnb is a lure for interested travelers. It provides them with an option to mark a listing they would want to book.
The bookmarking feature in Listify theme is similar to the wishlist feature. You can spot it easily on a Listify website, because it employs a similar heart-shaped icon to bookmark listings.
#5 Responsive Design
Airbnb’s exceptionally user-friendly interface displays seamlessly on mobile devices as well. And you would have the same experience if you used the Listify theme. No worries there.
The Listify theme provides you with an added bonus as well. The theme’s code is search engine optimized to make sure you’re website fares well in search results.
If there are any shortcomings, I’d say it was the Listify Theme’s tagline- “The last WordPress directory theme you will ever buy”. The theme is great. I love it. But that tagline is lame needs improvement. But in fact, there’s genuinely no reason to keep looking for a different theme. The theme is cleanly coded, provides adequate hooks and filters (explained with code snippets in its documentation) to customize the theme. And with the latest update (v1.0.3) you now have color schemes for maps!
What more can you ask for?! 😀
If you need help with the Listify theme, you can contact our awesome team of Listify developers for any assistance.
Please note, some of the links in this blog post might be affiliate links. This means if you go on to purchase a product using such a link, we receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). This helps us support the blog and produce free content. We only recommend products we work with or love. Thank you for your support!
Gary :
You guys can try this plugin https://wordpress.org/plugins/wc-frontend-manager/ for front end submission. it is fully integrated with WC product vendors and Bookings
Subham :
Hi Namrata, Can Google Adsense (or google ads) can be applied on Listify?. No Matter which plugin do I need to use. But Is that possible to earn from google adsense for a person using Listify Theme?
Julian :
You guys are either affiliates for Listify/WooCommerce (and misleading in the process) or writing articles without enough knowledge. There is no “out of the box” solution to build an AirBnb clone. Even with all the expensive plugins from WP and WC you will still have to send your clients to the backend to create a bookable product, and then to the front-end to create a listing to attach that product to.
With so many people brining this issue up, I don’t understand how you can be advertising the contrary, and why WooCommerce have not come up with a more seamless solution yet. The closest I’ve seen is BuddyForms, but unfortunately not close enough.
John :
Suggest me a clone of airbnb with home page video sliding option.
Namrata :
Hi John,
You could use a slider plugin (like Soliloquy or Revolution Slider) to add a video slider on the homepage.
Peter :
Hi John,
I have found an info on linkedin post here https://goo.gl/eQdnCe It talks about the home page video banner for airbnb clone script. I think it’s from apptha airhotels. Hope this info will be helpful for you.
P Rao :
Hi Namrata – Great article. I was wondering if you take on any consulting work. Please let me know.
Namrata :
Hi P Rao,
Yes. I have forwarded your requirement to our Business Development team, and someone should get in touch with you soon. 🙂
Arafat :
The writer seems to blind lover of listify. It’s really a big pain to buy all other plugins/addons with too high price.
Thor :
Hey Namrata
Where have you read that you can set up a calendar function and make it a search field? I want to do that with my listify site, but I am not able to find a how to guide anywhere. Hope you can help :)t
Namrata :
Hi Thor,
To add a calendar search functionality with WooCommerce Bookings, you can use the Availability Search Plugin.
Conny :
Namrata,
as I said no AirBnB stuff here, doesn’t matter how many plugins you buy,
it is just not made for that what you advertise. To be more clear, you can only add listing with text, pic. and video. You can’t add a product as booking module together with your listing, you need to go back end on wordpress. There are several complete themes which offers that option and full complete project for your business.
So no need to waste time on Listify, instead search for professionally made scripts, they cost a around 199$ – 1999$, but provide all in one solution.
DG :
Connie,
“instead search for professionally made scripts, they cost a around 199$ – 1999$, but provide all in one solution.”
Could you help by providing the names of all in one options to consider?
Once I’ve looked at is WP Rentals, however I’m trying to find one that allows for a seamless booking between owner and traveler without admin getting involved, and with a commission to the site.
May also customize with APIs that allow reservation softwares to reflect bookings.
Thanks
Conny :
Waste of time after 6 months I give up 🙁
This theme is for paid listings ONLY !!!!
Don’t think you are smarter then the creator….no Airbnb stuff here
Forget about anything else then selling monthly subscriptions on paid adds
About 600$ on plugins and lots of breaking code
Otherwise very simple theme light theme for 1 lang and up to 100 customers daily
Namrata :
Conny,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the theme. 🙂
I know Listify needs quite a few plugins to add more functionality. But surely you don’t expect a $64 theme to provide you a website like Airbnb, out of the box?!
For me, this theme provides a good foundation to create such a website.
lakewood :
Another killer problem with Listify is the lack of normal check in check out date picker. The built in one is very difficult to use. Very disappointed with Listify, their sales pitch is very misleading!
SixtyMarketing :
Hi, also you have to purchase more plugins to make the theme look and function like the demo. We have wrote a review on our experiences using Listify and the breakdown of all the additional plugins you need to buy – Listify WordPress Theme Review
Faizan :
There is no support for user profiles.
It uses default woocommerce account page, which sucks.
Need to integrate with plugins like UPME to create user profiles.
Need to play a lot in the code to integrate profiling fields.
I disagree with you as far as Airbnb like website is concerned, we need a strong theme which has built in support for strong user profiles.
Regards,
Faizan
e-Lightening Technologies
Namrata :
Faizan, I hear what you’re saying. But the user profiles in Listify are certainly not a deal-breaker. There are stronger reasons to use the Listify theme. In my opinion, there isn’t a theme which you can use out-of-the-box to create a site like Airbnb. Any theme you use would need some amount of customization. 🙂
Do you have any particular theme in mind which fits the bill better?
junyatta :
I bought all the plugins even summer I don’t need now how do I get all this stuff to work I downloaded the demo and was thinking just replace most of the content with my own but creating subscriptions for free and one paid subscription I been on this for months now where can I find help just to finish this