Creating a Successful Premium Plugin Business

Ross Johnson & Justin Ferrmin

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Going from nothing to profitsWhat We’ll Cover

Getting off the Ground

Going to Market

Expecting Challanges

WordCamp Ann ArborJustin Ferriman

Founder, LearnDash – WordPress LMS

@learndashlms

Welcome

Ross JohnsonFounder, Project Panorama

@3pointross

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eLearning Expert Since 1995Justin Ferriman

Started Career as a Consultant

Consulted with Fortune 500 companies

Created LearnDash in 2012

Industry blogger

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Story of LearnDashFrom idea to thriving business

Inspiration

Exploration

Build

Launch Evolution

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Designer, Developer and CEO at 3.7 DESIGNSRoss Johnson

Designer & Developer

Teacher

Entrepenuer

Launched Project Panorama in 2014

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Story of PanoramaFrom internal tool to independant business

InspirationInternal Use

Free Release

Premiumify Launch

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Every journey starts with a single step....Getting off the Ground

1. Finding your muse2. Validating your market3. Getting it built

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IDEASOf course to get started you need an idea....

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You can build or design anything, but not sure what?Finding Your Muse

Scratch Your Own Itch

Scratch Your Clients Itch

Research Popular Free Plugins

Create an add-on

WordPressify a SAAS

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What’s better than free?

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RESEARCHYou might have something useful, but will people pay for it?

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Before you invest time and money, research the market wants and needsValidating Your Market

Keyword Research

Release a Free Plugin

ResearchCompetitors

orSimilar Offers

Search the WordPres.or

g Forums

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Usefull doesn’t always mean profitableWill people pay for this?

Make / Save Money Vanity Solve a ProblemSave Time

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MAKING IT HAPPENYou have your idea flushed out, how do you make it happen?

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Sure you’re a subject matter expert but who can you trust?Getting it Built

Start with feature list

“Must-have” vs. “Nice-to-have”

Test script & mock-ups

Finding a developer

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You can build it, but how do you find time?Finding the Time

Make it a partial client project

Simplify your scope

Small frequent bursts

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If you build it, will they come? Getting attention in a crowded marketplace is no easy task. What works?

Going to Market

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MARKETINGMarketing doesn’t start the day the product is finished...

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Using Connections and Current AssetsGoing to Market

Use your existing network and audience

Explore low cost paid opportunities

Do giveaways or discounts for sharing

Optimize for search

Create a free version for the plugin respository

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Using Content for Pre-LaunchGoing to Market

Articles, videos, blog posts

Collect emails (incentive)

Pre-launch contest

Go-Live Discount

Mutually beneficial opportunities

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It’s not going to be all rainbows and lolipops.You’re likely to run into some challanages, it’sbest to prepare for them.

Expect Challanges

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SUPPORTIf you’re getting sales, you’re getting support requests

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Nightmare Support

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Nightmare SupportWhat “the world” sees…

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Nightmare SupportWhat we see…

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Nightmare Supportits great to see when a company holds true to the promises it makes to its initial supportersin case you fail to compute i am being sarcasticits damn f**kin lucky i find your crud usable or else id be seeing you in court for false advertising and using deception to obtain fundshonestly pathetic to find dudes with such skills being such scumsurely noted and will be passed along to any who will listeni hate being lied to by scammersyou will not now ever get another cent out of me you skunks and if you once more tamper with my licensing and again change the original agreement you FRAUDULENTLY took my money by selling me you will be coming in direct contact with my legal advisersf**king pathetic lowlife crapand to think i thought you worth even a cent off my hard earned money

30attached is the original fucking copy of the license you gave meTAKE F***KING NOTE OF IT SAYING CLEARLY UNLIMITED SITE USAGE YOU C**K SMOKING F***KING DOGYOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE THIS F***KING PAINFUL RODENT GO THE F**K AHEAD

READ IT YOU C**K SUCKING PIECE OF F**KING S**TITS GOING F**KIN EVERYWHERE TO SHOW YOUR F**KING PUTRID SCAM FOR WHAT IT F**KING ISEMAIL STATES EXACTLY THE SAME INFO D**KHEAD

QUESTION MY MOTHER F**KING INTELLIGENCE AGAIN DOGPLEASE

--

might want to seriously think of what your site was representing itself as around juneas i am fairly certain i will find an archived copy and or screencast and with such i will see you stripped of every f**king cent your scams have ever f**king earnt your piece of f**king s**t a**

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it appears i owe you an apologyif that would measure for the abusive attitude towards yourself and staff.i see where my mistake was and see also i was very wrong in my accusationsas it is i have breached your terms the refund is unnecessary as the mistake was my own and you should not suffer financial repercussions due to my suspension for my own misguided and over inflated ego.

i apologize for any inconvenience and any untoward and insulting behavior and communications.

Long Days And Pleasant Nights

32Optimizing SupportTake some of the pain out of great support

Resources (docs, videos, faqs, etc.)

Forum & help desk

Set expectations

Avoid timelines

PhraseExpress

33Optimizing SupportTake some of the pain out of great support

Use a ticketing system

See the value in every ticket

Use forms to your advantage

Attitude is everything

Some souls are not worth saving

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Set the tone, use psychology to keep people

happy

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RELEASESPushing out a release and cringe?

39Releasing UpdatesA neccisary risk?

Core versus add-on

Beta test period

Multiple testing environments

Everyone on standby

Be accessible

Discover

Go ahead and replace it

with your own text.

Design

Go ahead and replace it

with your own text.

Code

Go ahead and replace it

with your own text.

Go ahead and replace it

with your own text. Deploy

40Releasing UpdatesExciting yet risky?

Phased releases

Release early and often

Get a beta team

Develop a QA system

Use your own product

Discover

Go ahead and replace it

with your own text.

Design

Go ahead and replace it

with your own text.

Code

Go ahead and replace it

with your own text.

Go ahead and replace it

with your own text. Deploy

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COMPETITIONIf you’re making money, someone is thinking of joining in...

42CompetitionShould you be worried?

Competition = market

Control the controllables

Monitor, don’t obsess

Respect goes a long way

Focus on customers first

43CompititionShould you be worried?

Focus on a niche

Find ways to be different

Lead, don’t follow

Add value beyond the product

Create an ecosystem

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Go out, make something greatQuestions?

SUCCESS