Navigating the Resources Directory

Copyright © 2015-2019 StuttgartDNA.com

At first glance, using the Directory might appear a little daunting.

But once you get the hang of it, navigating the Directory will become second nature, especially if you’re a seasoned pro at surfing the Internet.


StuttgartDNA TIP:

You may want to open the “Resources Directory” page and the “Navigating the Resources Directory” page in side-by-side windows so that you can simultaneously refer to these navigating instructions while exploring the Directory.


 

Getting Acquainted with the Porsche® Resources Directory

To get started, click or tap on the “Explore the Resources Directory Now” from the “Porsche Resources Directory” drop-down menu on the Menu Bar at the top of any page (or from the rectangular Menu button on smart devices).

The initial page that you land on is the “Resources Directory” page.  It is broken down into two (2) major sections:  the upper “Select a Region” section and the lower “Business Categories” section.


StuttgartDNA TIP: 

Here are the two (2) ways to search from the “Explore the Resources Directory Now” page: 

  1. Search by Country, and then by State or Province; you can optionally drill down to City. (CAUTION:  It is best to narrow your selection down only to State or Province; otherwise, if you drill all the down to a particular City, then you will severely limit yourself to businesses only in that City.)  OR:
  2. Search by Business Category.  This is the better, easier way to search for a resource.  Select a particular Category that you wish to explore.  They run from “Porsche A/C & Ventilation,” to “Porsche Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI),” to “Porsche Tuners.”

 

Here are descriptions and usage suggestions for each of the two sections:

  1. “Select a Region” appears near the top of the page inside the grey dialog box immediately below the “Resources Directory” title and the grey bar bearing the “Directory” button and the “View All Listings” button.
  • The “Country – Select a Region” field is the only visible drop-down box at this point
  • Get started by clicking or tapping in this field under the word “Country” where it says “Select a Region” or by clicking on the field’s drop-down arrow on the field’s far right end
  • Then you will see the list of countries appearing; it starts with Australia, Belgium . . . and continues down to the USA at the bottom.  Select the particular country of your choice to filter your resource listings for that country
  • This prompts the “State / Province – Select a Region” drop-down field and box to load and appear directly below your chosen Country; select your desired State or Province; now all of the listings appear for that region
  • (Optional) Although not advisable, once the State or Province is selected, you then have the ability to drill down even further by selecting a City listed in the newly loading and appearing “City – Select a Region” drop-down box just below the “State / Province” field’s drop-down field. (CAUTION:  This will severely limit your choices of resources only to those in that selected city, however.)
  • Finally, you must click or tap on the Set Filter” button to activate your chosen filtering.  Once your filter is thus set, a maximum of 10 business cards per page appear.  Click “Next” below the last card to move to the next page of business cards.
  • To start over with a new Region search, click on the “Clear Filter” button to clean the slate; repeat all of the foregoing steps to create another search filter

. . .and. . .

  1. Business Categories appear in alphabetical order.  This grouping appears in the lower portion of the “Resources Directory” page.
  • This is the better way to search because it immediately narrows down your choices to the specific resource Category you desire and choose.  As an option, you can next select your Country and possibly your State / Province of choice, from either the “Country – Select a Region” drop-down box or from the list of geographical locales running down along the page’s right margin (please see the “handy-dandy list” description right below).
  • A maximum of 10 listing excerpt cards appear per each page
  • But, more important, a handy-dandy list of Countries, States / Provinces, and Cities loads and appears running down the right margin of the “Resources Directory” page. This allows you to see all worldwide geographical locales at a glance — by Country, State / Province, and City.  This gives you the option to click on any one of these listings in blue to go directly to that chosen Country, State / Province, and/or City.
  • The number in parentheses following each Business Category, Country, State / Province, and City alerts you to the raw number of total resource listings under each Business Category, Country, State / Province, and City, respectively
  • Get started by clicking or tapping on any Business Category, which takes you to excerpts of all listed resources under that Category
  • A page opens, displaying the following:
    • Business Category Title (e.g., “Porsche Pre-Purchase Inspection,” etc.) — serves as the descriptive header / page title
    • Google® Map — appears right beneath the title of the Business Category, displaying locator pins of all Business Category listings on the world map
    • Sort-By Bar — enables you to sort the listing excerpts by Rating, Rating Count, Business Name, City, State / Province, or Country
    • Resource Listing Excerpt Cards — itemizes each Resource Listing alphanumerically.  Includes a description of each business’s Categories, brief description of goods and/or services, City, and State / Province.
  • If you see a Resource Listing Excerpt that you wish to explore further, click or tap on the Business Name, which opens up the listing to display all available info about that resource listing (e.g., phone number, website address, etc.).  You will also see three (3) clickable tabs on the page:
    • Overview Tab (default view) — presents basic information about the business
    • Reviews Tab — allows you to rate the business and write a review on the establishment, if you have ever patronized the business in the past.  Also allows you to check the resource’s rating and read previous reviews if any have been posted by previous patrons — all the more reason for you to write your own review to assist others in assessing the quality of the goods and services of that business.
    • Map and Directions Tab displays the listing’s own Google® map geographically locating the business.  A dialogue box to the right of or below the map allows you to map out precise directions to that resource listing (for details, please see “Getting Turn-by-Turn Google® Directions” below).

    Easy-peazy, right?  Now go locate that Porsche resource that you want to find in order to get the help you need.

    Getting Turn-by-Turn Google® Directions

    A cool feature of StuttgartDNA‘s Porsche® Resources Directory is that it enables you to chart out turn-by-turn directions to a desired vendor or service provider once you discover any prospective resource in the Directory.

    First decide whether you want directions from your “Current Location” (the default), or whether you wish to enter a “Specific Address” from which to start your turn-by-turn directions.

    You’ll find the “Directions to Listing” dialogue box containing these two “Current Location” and “Specific Address” radio buttons just to the right of, or below, the Google® map displaying the selected resource’s locator pin on the map.

    Next drill down to your desired mode of transportation listed under the heading, “Travel Mode,” as follows:

        • Driving (the default)
        • Public Transit
        • Walking
        • Cycling

    Finally, click on ” Show Directions” and — presto! — your turn-by-turn directions are all mapped out for you.

    Using the “Search Listings” and “Advanced Search” Functions

    Multiple Search Fields from which to Choose

    The Search functions allow you to search the Directory by way of a variety of search fields, thus leveraging your ability to track down your desired goods or services as quickly and efficiently as possible.  Just bear in mind that the “Search Listings” and “Advanced Search” buttons / functions are essentially one in the same.  Here are your search-field choices:

        • Business Name
        • Business Type(s) – multiple types can be selected at once by holding down “Ctrl” and then clicking on each desired selection
        • Short Business Description
        • Long Business Description
        • City
        • State / Province
        • Country
        • Address or P.O. Box
        • Zip Code / Postal Zone (please also see “Searching for a Listing within the Radius of a Specified Zip Code” below)
        • Country – Select a Region
        • Business Phone Number
        • Business Website Address
        • Business Tags

    Even though you can use any one of these to build your search criteria, probably the most practical fields to employ are the following ones:

        • Business Name
        • Business Type(s)
        • City
        • State / Province
        • Zip Code / Postal Zone (also see “Searching for a Listing within the Radius of a Specified Zip Code” below)
        • Country – Select a Region
        • Business Website Address
        • Business Tags – allows you to enter keywords related to your desired search

    Finally, at the bottom of the page are two buttons:  “Clear” and “Search.”  Hit “Search” to embark upon your exploration of the Directory after you’ve selected your search criterion or criteria.  Click or tap on the “Clear” button to remove your previous search criteria in order to begin a brand-new search.


    StuttgartDNA TIP:  Filtering by Country, State and City

    For best results when filtering by Country, State and City (i.e., while using the “Search” and “Advanced Search” functions) proceed as follows:

        • Avoid the generic “City,” “State / Province” and “Country” search fields
        • Instead, scroll down to the “Country – Select a Region” field and drop-down box to refine your searches first by “Country” (just below the “Zip Code / Postal Zone” field and radio buttons)
        • Click or tap on the down arrow and select the desired Country for your search
        • Then scroll up to the newly appearing “State / Province – Select a Region” field’s drop-down box right above the “Zip Code / Postal Zone” field; now click or tap on the box’s down arrow and then select the desired state or province
        • (Optional) Once the state or province is selected, you then have the ability to drill down even further by selecting a city listed in the newly appearing “City – Select a Region” drop-down box just above the “State / Province” field’s drop-down box. (CAUTION:  This will severely limit your choices of resources only to those in that selected city, however.)

    StuttgartDNA TIP:  Searching for a Listing within the Radius of a Specified Zip Code

    This very cool and useful search function on the “Search Listings” or “Advanced Search” pages can be accomplished in a few simple, easy steps:

        1.  Select a Business Type or multiple similar Business Types (the fewer at a time the better, though, to more efficiently narrow down each one of your searches)
        2.  Enter a zip code or postal zone in the “Zip Code / Postal Zone” field
        3.  Select the “Distance Search” radio button (this should already be the default selection, though)
        4.  Click or tap on the down arrow to left of “miles.”
        5.  Select the desired number of radius miles for your search — from 5 miles, on up to 1,000 miles.
        6.  Click or tap on the “Search” button to ferret out all resource listings within your chosen mileage radius.  If none can be found closest to your entered zip code, then select a mileage radius further out until you capture some listings.

     

    Now, Happy Hunting! for that much-sought-after resource that will happily resolve your particular Porsche predicament!