Comments on: Why We Need a Premium WordPress Plugin Market

By: What We Do and Why We Do It : iThemes : Business WordPress Themes, WordPress CMS Themes

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 19:03:40 +0000

[...] features in plugins just like they do with themes. (BTW – I wrote an in-depth piece on why WordPress needs premium plugin developers here.) We have some more ideas in the making and are excited to release them [...]

By: Nicholas

Nicholas — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:56:10 +0000

I am a consultant and software developer and was looking for new ways to branch out. When doing market research including sounding people out on LinkedIn, I got one consistent reply, namely there is no real money to be made in WordPress development. I find this hard to believe given WordPress is a very easy to use, extensible, and flexible framework.

It would be helpful towards making the case of a premium plugin market if people could help distinguish the different WordPress plugin needs. For example,

- SEO (including Google site maps)
- Statistics
- EMAIL Capture
- Advertising (i.e. Adsense)

Identifying the major sectors so to speak will help nascent WordPress plugin developers identify where there are critical needs in The WordPress user community.

By: Preview Video of our New WordPress Backup and Restore Plugin : iThemes : Business WordPress Themes, WordPress CMS Themes

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:59:59 +0000

[...] I wrote a comprehensive post on why we need a premium WordPress market on my personal [...]

By: Rebecca Gill

Rebecca Gill — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:57:40 +0000

As a WordPress website designer and internet marketing professional, I am 100% behind paying for premium plugins. I also believe in donating to quality plugin authors.

I wish the WordPress community would embrace premium plugins more, because I for one, would pay for them.

By: David McDougal

David McDougal — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:20:36 +0000

WordPress Boston was a great event, and it is clear that it sparked some great conversations, and I was glad to be around to hear the passion from everyone.

I have to agree 100% with Cory on this also. I switched all my dev from Joomla to WordPress for a number of reasons. One of the things that I really missed, and have had to start hiring devs for are those extra plugins and add-ons. I have never worked with Glenn, but I know a few plugin developers that we have worked with that feel bad that they cannot release the plugins to the public.

I think, and Cory touched on this that just as the premium theme network grows, it encourages and challenges people to push the envelope. I have been a long time iThemes and StudioPress user and am floored by the work being done with Headway Themes. If that passion was echoed in the plugin market it would be amazing. As Cory pointed out Gravity and a few others are already doing this, and for me Gravity Forms is a MUST have for all my clients. It goes on the top of the list of things I require my clients to buy. I can think of a couple other functions that if there was a Gravity Forms caliber plugin I would be on board every client.

By: James Farmer

James Farmer — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:33:55 +0000

You get me [a little] wrong – I was just complaining that everyone talks about premium plugin marketplaces, without mentioning the people who… y’know.. started the first premium plugin marketplace

I agree with you too, competition is always good, improves your game and the service you bring to your users, so bring it on for sure!

FYI, your comment notifier is bust.

By: Emil

Emil — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:28:06 +0000

Just a very quick note, I am supporting this. Few plugins that I am using since the beginning are All In One SEO and Google Sitemaps plugin. Both helped me and my clients a lot, it saves time and saves money.

See just for an example, my work is not free, why should there be yours, we all have families.

Count on me.

Thanks,
Emil
PS Well this wasn’t really quick was it?

By: Michael Martine

Michael Martine — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:16:30 +0000

Cory, very cogent and well-thought-out, man! I’m with you on this 100%.

By: Cory Miller

Cory Miller — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:12:09 +0000

James Farmer, thanks for stopping by … yes, I’ve definitely heard of WP Plugins and love the look and what you’re offering.

But also as I said, I think there needs to be 4-5 plugin stores with big-time brand recognition (much like in the theme business).

If we were the only theme developer, there would still be a HUGE need for a bunch of others in the market, just like there is.

The only way I think one plugin store would gain traction is an official WordPress.org one, but that’s not likely to happen.

When I was in Boston, I thought the idea of one main store could get traction, but in reality, there needs to be 4-5 major players for the market.

Re: the other issues …. I know there’s a huge back story to it all. I don’t want to get into that, only to say I think we need to express our voice and be more active in the community in a balanced, calm manner.

By: James Farmer

James Farmer — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:47:48 +0000

Hi Cory,

There already is a premium plugins marketplace, that’s doing really well for plugin authors (we paid out almost $9,000 last month… only our 3rd in operation!)

It’s entirely GPL, 100% legitimate and supported by us (Incsub_) who have been providing premium plugisn and support for the WPMU market for years.

It’s also being 100% ignored by people like Matt and Jeffro for reasons so long and boring that I can’t bring myself to go into.

And it’s even got a cool name… WP Plugins http://wpplugins.com

Anyway, if you wanna know anything more about it let me know or its got a blog / twitter feed, cos I can guarantee you won’t hear a word of it fropm any ‘official’ wp sources

Cheers, James