How to start a WordPress theme business w/ Mike McAlister

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With so many WordPress themes available on the market, it might sound crazy to even try and start a business selling your own. There are super-huge, multi-purpose themes selling $100k worth a week with option panels the size of their revenue charts, others with big passionate communities supporting them, and countless other shops just as successful in their own right. How can you compete?

What would make someone choose you over anyone else?

And that’s the rub, isn’t it? What makes you different? As you will find out in this episode with Mike McAlister of Array.is, that’s the key ingredient in today’s theme market. It’s not just your theme’s code, your support, or even your price point — give your customer a new reason to choose you over their never ending suite of choices.

If I haven’t scared you off by now, let’s dive into how to start a theme business.

May 24, 2016 Matt 0

Pioneer of creative accounting, Jason Blumer

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Creative accounting.

Have you heard that phrase used before? I certainly didn’t until I met today’s guest, Jason Blumer. Jason runs a virtual accounting practice specifically designed for creative agencies and development firms. I love this business idea because it focuses on a specific vertical, with a specific customer type, translating to a better level of service — something we can all learn from.

He wraps it all together nicely by producing a podcast called, The Businessology Show. A podcast I got hooked on quite some time ago. He speaks to his potential customer and provides value at the same time, it’s genius. He offers a wide-range of guests that have boutique agencies (like me), all the way to larger 40+ person shops, each producing their own unique product or service. I have no issues if you add his show right next to mine on your playlist!

We cover a TON in this (almost) hour-long podcast. From team building to the client sales process and everything in between. This has become one of my favorite conversations on the show, and I hope you enjoy it too!

March 25, 2016 Matt 0

How Blogo secured funding for a WordPress publishing app

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Several years ago Amure Pinho started as a Blogo user and now is the CEO @GetBlogo.

Amure shares his experience with growing Blogo and provides insights for you to include as you fine tune your product offering. Invest in yourself before going after investors for your product. Get a good team together and produce a starter version of your product. Amure held Blogo Day, an event to highlight the first version of the product, and invited investors to attend. There is nothing like good product and interested users to get the interest of angel investors.

October 21, 2014 Matt 2

The 6 P’s to Building an Engaged Audience

Building an audience is quickly becoming the #1 way to market yourself or your services.

When I hear developers say, “I stopped selling xyz product because I couldn’t market it.” I wonder if they ever gave themselves a chance to cultivate an engaged audience first. Lot’s of them feel “weird” about marketing and they shouldn’t.

I don’t want to be THAT gal hocking my wares. I don’t want to be THAT guy plugging my services.

Why not? What’s the worst thing that could happen?

If you don’t ask, you will never get the sale.

May 6, 2014 Matt 0

Pricing a WordPress product

It looks like 2014 WordPress entrepreneurial resolutions include launching new products.

I’m also on that list and because of that I’ve been thinking a lot about pricing.

In fact, my friend Chris recently published a new e-book, The Price is Right An Introduction to Product Pricing that I downloaded for my two-day getaway in Maine. A quick read you can finish in less than an hour that gives you some solid advice for your next product launch.

If you’re a resolutioner looking for some pricing advice you’ve come to the right place!

January 8, 2014 Matt 7

6 Killer market validation tips

Yesterday I posted 4 tips for content marketing and today I want to followup with how you can get instant market validation while that audience grows.

Arguably, the methods I mention in that article will help you validate your idea with the audience on the respective channels — but even that could be a slow train.

Specifically, I want to address a question from Nick Haskins, “How do you validate an idea if you’re not known in the industry?”

December 28, 2013 Matt 1