You Created a Plugin. Now What?

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Start with a question.

How many of you are developers?
How many of you are entrepreneurs, marketers

WP Evangelist means that I attend WordCamps and other events and listen to the community.

Start with a question.

How many of you are developers?
How many of you are entrepreneurs, marketers

So now we come to the ultimate question. Should you start a software business and all that entails?

http://lifehacker.com/should-i-start-my-own-business-498632898

Pros: The pros are pretty obvious, since they're the reasons millions of people dream about ditching their conventional jobs. Your reasons for starting a business should include several of these motivations, rather than, say, just doing it for the money opportunity:

You can make a living doing what you love (or at least what interests you)
You're in control of every aspect of your work life, from when you work to where and with whom
You can choose which clients to work with and which projects or what kinds of business to go after
You might find better work/life balance and can even work with your family (although that's a whole other situation)
You may get things done faster and better when you're free from office politics and red tape
You have a chance to earn more than you would working for someone else. The money you have been making for others now shifts to yourself.
You'll have greater job security. That might sound counter-intuitive, but business owners typically have multiple clients, which lessens the pain if you lose one of them. Employees, on the other hand, have only one "client," their employer.
You build something that's all your own, which gives you a great sense of accomplishment and also life purpose.

Cons: There's a flip side to every coin. Which of the disadvantages below will really trouble you?

You'll have to deal with an uncertain income and possible cash flow problems ("feast or famine" describes it pretty well).Finances overall will be more complicated (hello crazy tax laws!). Also, if you want to get a mortgage or other loan, banks will look at you differently and you'll have to meet higher criteria.You have to be a self-starter every single day you work.You have to do everything yourself (or hire someone to help you). "Everything" includes: managing the business' finances, marketing your products or services, organizing paperwork, dealing with lawyers, and chasing clients for money owed to you.If you want them, you now have to pony up for the paid benefits you once got as an employee. These benefits can be very expensive, especially health insurance or even taking a vacation. (Business owners learn the true meaning of "time is money" when they try to take time off.)You may be more likely to overwork and burn out.You're exposed to the same problems that trouble those who work from home: isolation, pressure, and loneliness.All of this can be much more stressful than working for someone else.

http://lifehacker.com/should-i-start-my-own-business-498632898

Is it a good idea?
Doesn’t have to be mind-blowing. It just has to be good enough to build a business around
No need to look for the idea of your life or a revolutionary

Example: When Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia founded AirBNB, they had no idea it would become the largest threat to the hotel industry with 250,000 rooms in 30,000 cities. All they wanted was to make some quick cash to help pay their rent and decided to rent an extra room.

http://lifehacker.com/should-i-start-my-own-business-498632898

Is there a market for it? The million dollar question is: Would people actually buy it?
Where and who are your potential customers?

A few market research tools can also help you figure out if you're creating something people really want. Use Google Insights, Google KeyWord Tool, and Google Search to check out trends related to your idea and scope out the competition. The US Bureau of Census, Small Business Administration's Business Data & Statistics page, and CEOExpress research portal also offer helpful information.
In short, the only critical thing you need to start a business is something to sell that people will buy. With that in place, you could even start a business for $100 or less.

A short history of how I found WordPress and created FooPlugins.

Anyone know this movie? Better Off Dead. First "remote work" job - Newspapers, anyone remember those? Get home, roll papers, rubberband them, load them into the basket on the front of my bike. 7 days a week.
Various jobs through high school, always having some kind of side business on my own…typical 80s stuff, mowing lawns, etc.

Fast forward to college, graduated with Advertising Design degree, went to work in an office furniture factory because that’s what you did in West Michigan. Still had side businesses…pen and ink portraits, logo designs, flyers, etc.

Fast forward to 2004/2005
Created photo memorial DVD for brother. Created a business and partnered with local funeral home.

Worked in customer service for audiobook publisher managing website orders and processing

It was also when I discovered WordPress. I migrated the memorial business website to WordPress

I was hooked.

Web sales for audiobook publisher
Always trying something with WP
Blogged what I was learning – had a following
Moved to IT department, started blogs for audiobooks
Started a paid blog network WPMU, made some $$$, got hacked and failed.

Tried creating themes and plugins – not a designer or developer
Frustrated but settled into the fact that I was merely an “implementor”
Websites for friends/family and eventually small businesses

By this time, I was working as a Web Development Manager for a ventilations systems company (fans) and using WP Multisite to run their web properties

As my nature dictated, and being in WP all day, every day, I wanted to start a premium plugin business because I had seen the continued success of others.

Outsourced unsuccessfully. Until one day when working on a project for a client…gravity forms forums.

Start with a question.

How many of you are developers?
How many of you are entrepreneurs, marketers

Types of Market Research – Primary and Secondary | Primary – (start data collection)
Interviews (only people you don’t know), surveys, questionnaires, focus groups (or beta/mvp groups) – Example: Before FooGallery, emailed FooBox customers with gallery survey

Questions - What factors do you consider when purchasing this product or service?
What do you like or dislike
What areas would you suggest for improvement?
What is the appropriate price for a product or service?

Secondary – (continue data collection)

Identify competitors,
establish benchmarks
identify target customer segments.
people who fall into your targeted demographic--people who live a certain lifestyle, exhibit particular behavioral patterns or fall into a predetermined age group.

Market research (simply google, forums, etc.)
A few market research tools can also help you figure out if you're creating something people really want. Use Google Insights, Google KeyWord Tool, and Google Search to check out trends related to your idea and scope out the competition. The US Bureau of Census, Small Business Administration's Business Data & Statistics page, and CEOExpress research portal also offer helpful information.

Business Model Canvas

Show you exactly what you don’t know and what you need to learn. Finding out that you don’t know something essential before you get started is fine. That’s the point. The first version of your canvas defines what research you need to do.

Lean stack tool – free- A Lean version of the traditional business model canvas
1-page business modeling
Replaces big boring business plans with a 1-page Lean Canvas.

https://www.wpkube.com/want-sell-wordpress-plugins/

Easy to find – Gravity Views, Gravity Wiz – Zack Katz
Easy Digital Downloads – problem solved was that WooCommerce didn’t focus enough on digital downloads.

FooGallery, Form Builders (No less that a dozen form builders before Caldera started)

Instant traffic
Instant sales?
Revenue Splits – Boo!

Set Your Own Prices
Keep 100% Commissions
Manage Affiliates
Build a Brand
https://torquemag.io/2014/08/4-reasons-sell-wordpress-plugins-independently/

EDD or WooCommerce
EDD image + Starter pack List?

Freemius Checkout

Include comparison link on a slide:
https://freemius.com/wordpress/features-comparison/

Benefits-
much lower % than codecanyon (72.5 compared to 27, 17, 7)
No starting costs, revenue share from the start
Setup in hours, not weeks
Sell from WP Admin
Auto install!!!
Sell from any website, not just WP
Stripe, PayPal, Software licensing built in.
Trials, discount codes
We are migrating now after testing.
Aff program coming
Cart abandonment coming

The freemium model.
Giving everything away is not a business model

Software programmer and software freedom activist – thank him for the GPL - the license WP uses and any derivitive of it.

I’ll be talking about the Freemium sales model, which includes both free as in free speech (WP GPL) AND free as in beer (for certain functionality that is)
Free version/lite version
Limited features
Extensions or Pro version.

Largest and most obvious marketing channel for free WP software is the wordpress.org plugin repository. Over 50,000 plugins and counting!
Why?
Targeted users – they all use WordPress already;)
Feedback mechanism via support forums
Ability to utilize that public space to build your brand – star ratings, answer forums threads, reply to reviews, be helpful, link to dev versions of your free plugin

Awareness – Almost immediate when on .org
Activation- Simply down from WP through Plugins->Add New search
Usage – Users become familiar, including capacities and limitations.
Purchase – Access to more features/benefits
Advocacy – Reviews on .org, mentions in groups like Meetups, FB, Slack, blog posts, social media, etc.

Types of Freemium
Extensions or Addons - Caldera
Pro Version – Coming Soon and Maintenance Mode
Trial Period – FooBox Pro
Also works with SaaS/cloud services plugins – SiteLock – Free account with limited capabilities, upgrade path for users who need it.

Free vs Pro?
Free with Addons?
Free vs Pro with Trial Period?
Free vs Pro (with live demo of Pro)?

Or gaining more free and paying users
The freemium model.
Giving everything away is not a business model

Focus on active installs, reviews, support thread answers.
Social proof
Answer reviews and especially support threads, fast!
Prompt this from within your plugin too!
Ask for the review!
Link to forum (this is in Free and the Pro links to our own support ticket system)

https://freemius.com/blog/wordpress-plugin-copy-that-drives-installs/
On your plugin description and on dedicated site.

What your plugin does and why –
Features – include benefits too, a feature could be that it’s easier than others
How – include simple how to steps – short video works too
Include info on extensions/pro version BUT BE CLEAR ON DIFFERENCES

https://freemius.com/blog/seo-on-new-plugin-repository/
Redesign and better SEARCH.

Short desc, Long desc, FAQ, Installation, Screenshots (not on browser search but still in wp-admin search)
Link to your other plugins (show FooBox and FooGallery example)

https://freemius.com/blog/seo-on-new-plugin-repository/
Redesign has more search.
Matches results for initial colleciton based on these things

Short desc, Long desc, FAQ, Installation, Screenshots (not on browser search but still in wp-admin search)
Link to your other plugins (show FooBox and FooGallery example)

https://freemius.com/blog/seo-on-new-plugin-repository/

Refines results based on these things.

THIS IS ALL NEW CRITERIA THAT DIDN’T MATTER BEFORE THE UPDATE

DATA COLLECTION
Google Analytics of course but…
Better decisions for product features and marketing
Usage opt-in form EDD, (GA) Monster Insights, Foo Freemius
Freemius Insights

The old method vs the new method

12 Steps!!!
Non-tech savvy customers have trouble

Diagram first include plugin zip download and install, then Show fooplugins edd example
Diagram of upgrades process – click link, sales page, add to cart, create account, enter payment details..look for email…blah blah.

4 steps compared to 12!
Auto install is revolutionary for premium plugin devs

The old method vs the new method

Opt-in Free – newsletter sign up, usage tracking
Opt-in During Purchase
Automation - (thanks, follow-ups, moving subscribers between lists)
Add Value – Build trust. Do that by sending a thank you email, then series of tips/tutorials. 5-7 emails
Ask for the Sale - soft sale, discounts, upsells, cross sells
Freemius MailChimp – Create triggers based on the Freemius webhooks that already exist. Things like “trial, activated, deactivated, and many more”

Dedicated site.
Get back to the roots of WordPress and blog baby!
Use every little piece of your plugin as blogging fodder. What problem it solves, each individual feature and why it matters, use support forums questions etc. The long tail (image)
Customer showcase – automat posts by using form submissions by your customers!

Twitter, FB, you know where from that data you collected right?
Sources – blog posts, support threads, reviews, customer showcases, other sites that are complimentary to your demographic
Schedule posts - Hootsuite, social web suite, Buffer
Bulk scheduling – spreadsheet of social posts, reword the text and use same links.
Non-designer tip – Canva - Also good for product images

EDD – Affiliate WP
Freemius – Next thing to be released

Upsells, cross-sells, abandoned carts

Upsell on sales page
# of domains
length of license
= more savings for customer

Related or complimentary products
Cross sell during add to cart
Cross sell during checkout

Exit Intent popup on cart page.
Fun fact! Never considered this, but will now!

Set it up once (or continually tweak)
Proof It works

Related or complimentary products or services to promote
More traffic
Another customer acquisition channel
Affiliate commissions = extra $$$

Shortpixel complimentary service
SiteGround in customer area of fooplugins

Where market research comes in
What are competitors doing?
Change pricing, test it. A/B test your pricing

Yearly discount? Maybe but not necessary.

Pricing
Add to Cart, Buy
Any Call to Action
Never stop

The old method vs the new method

Prefix variables, functions and classes BUT ALSO CSS

Good or bad customer service
FedEx

Wendys nugs for carter

United

Carter
United

Forums
Support tickets
HelpScout
Tell of going from helpscout to forums to helpscout again

Anticipate problems, proactive solving
Continually add/update content based again on support issues, reviews, etc.

Force KB search before allowing ticket submission
When clicking the support button
Sounds a bit harsh but…it works

The old method vs the new method

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You Created a Plugin. Now What?

Adam W. Warner

You Created a Plugin. Now What?