WordPress themes have changed the WordPress ecosystem significantly over the past 5 years. Early themes were mostly simple blog themes until some individuals started creating premium themes that could be sold. This proved there was money to be made, leading to an explosion of commercial theme vendors like StudioPress, DIYThemes, WooThemes, and ThemeForest. These vendors have generated millions in revenue through various models like yearly subscriptions, one-time fees, and revenue sharing on individual theme sales. Their success demonstrated themes could be a driving force for WordPress growth and acceptance beyond just being a blogging platform.

1. How WordPress Themes
Changed The World UPDATED
by Michael Kimb Jones
for WordUp Edinburgh 2011
http://mkjones.co.uk @mkjones

2. About me
• 4 years agoin the NHS
Work
made the first Foundation
Trust WordPress-powered website
• I love WordPressa long search
Started using in 2005 after
for a solid CMS platform (Joomla, Drupal,
PHP Nuke.. etc)
• I love WordPress Themes!!
For me, its always been about the themes.
My personal site http://mkjones.co.uk

3. I love WordPress themes so much I
made my own marketplace.....

5. ...ends shameless plug

6. not really.....

8. ......ok really this time

9. About this talk
• History over the past few years before
A look back
Lesson
premium themes and how we got to where
we are today.
• Commercial/Premium
Themes
A look at how people/businesses started to
sell WordPress themes.
• Case Studies/Success Stories
How people/businesses have grown theme
marketplaces and created businesses
My personal site http://mkjones.co.uk

11. Why Themes?

12. The eureka moment....
If you can design, if you know HTML/CSS and a little PHP, then
chances are you can make a WordPress Theme

13. The eureka moment....
If you can design, if you know HTML/CSS and a little PHP, then
chances are you can make a WordPress Theme

14. the embarrassing baby photos

15. the embarrassing baby photos

16. MY FIRST THEME!
Circa 2005 - personal blog theme - embarrassing!

17. MY FIRST THEME!
Circa 2005 - personal blog theme - embarrassing!

18. ...and, my 2nd theme...
A few months later - project for a local training company website

19. ...and, my 2nd theme...
A few months later - project for a local training company website

20. Why Designers/Developers
love the WordPress theme platform
• Provides a usable easy to learn platform
• Well supported, lots of documentation,
open-source and FREE
• Anyone with intermediate CSS/HTML
skills can pick up the basics and get theming
• Improving all the time; &ameworks, parent
themes, TwentyEleven etc...

21. The evolution of
WordPress themes
• Over the past 5 years the WordPress
theme landscape has changed dramatically
• Thousands of WP users are now developing beautiful
and elegant themes either for themselves, for clients or
as products/services which they can sell
• This is significant because IMO it helped drive the
growth and acceptance of WordPress more than
anything else (i.e. plugins, CMS improvements, core upgrades...)

23. Think about it....
Theme development is the most innovative
driving force in theWordPress ecosystem
agree? / disagree?

25. The History Lesson

26. 5 years ago (ish).......
if you wanted a theme, chances are, you would go here

27. 5 years ago (ish).......
if you wanted a theme, chances are, you would go here

28. Today...
there are a lot places to get (buy!) themes from

29. Today...
there are a lot places to get (buy!) themes from

30. WordPress Commercial Themes
How did we get here?

31. 4 years ago (ish)
1. No theme clubs, 4. Most of the themes were
marketplaces or stores simple blog themes, no
cool options or features
2. WordPress was still
growing as a platform and 5. A few individuals creating
was still seen as purely a the first ‘premium’ themes
‘blog’ platform
6. One of the first
3. 1000’s of FREE themes in to see potential
the directory of varying was WPDesigner.com
quality

32. WP Designer
The wpdesigner.com website by Small Potato
(AKA Yung D0 now a DevPress partner)

33. WP Designer
The wpdesigner.com website by Small Potato
(AKA Yung D0 now a DevPress partner)

34. The WPDesigner Themes Club
$5 per-year, 12 themes, support, tutorials, community

35. The WPDesigner Themes Club
$5 per-year, 12 themes, support, tutorials, community

36. 6 months in, WP Designer was SOLD
Less than 6 months after launching the theme club, Small Potato sold the site and moved on.
Although the site went on to be a failure (http://bit.ly/q3vXVP) its legacy is everlasting.

37. 6 months in, WP Designer was SOLD
Less than 6 months after launching the theme club, Small Potato sold the site and moved on.
Although the site went on to be a failure (http://bit.ly/q3vXVP) its legacy is everlasting.

38. What did this prove?
There was now serious money to be made
selling premium WordPress themes

39. Meanwhile....
Other personalities were becoming well known in the WP theme
arena and putting their own spin on the premium theme model

40. Meanwhile....
Other personalities were becoming well known in the WP theme
arena and putting their own spin on the premium theme model

41. What happened next?
The WordPress Commercial
Theme Explosion TM
2008 - present

42. What happened next?
The WordPress Commercial
Theme Explosion TM
2008 - present

44. WordPress Commercial
Theme Vendor Case Studies

45. StudioPress (aka Revolution, Revolution2)
Founded by Brian Gardner. Evolved from the
‘Revolution’ theme.
Revenue Models
Yearly subscription - $249
Access to Genesis &amework
Access to a* child themes (and legacy themes)
Access to support forums
Access to future upgrades for 12 months
Individual Purchase
Genesis &amework - $59.95
Child themes - $80/$100 (lower in new marketplace)
Access to related support forums
Access to theme upgrades http://studiopress.com

46. StudioPress (aka Revolution, Revolution2)
Other Notes
Brian has changed his business model a number
of times before settling on StudioPress, recent
changes make the site part of the CopyBlo,er
Media business
Revolution/Revolution2 themes were FREE to
download with optional purchase of support
Their Genesis framework is now central to the
StudioPress brand and business
Recently introduced a ‘marketplace’ option
where selected Genesis-powered child themes
are sold
http://studiopress.com

47. DIYThemes/Thesis
Founded by Chris Pearson. Centres around
Thesis, a single, customisable, user friendly theme.
Revenue Model
One-off payment - $164 or $87
Developer or Personal option
Access to support forums
Access to a* future upgrades
Skins/Child/Sub-Themes
Developed using built in custom CSS features
Available though the DIY Themes community
Theme sites such as http://thesisthemes.com also exist
http://diythemes.com

48. DIYThemes/Thesis
Other Notes
One of the first truly popular premium themes
Thesis used to be a strictly closed-source project
and didn’t embrace the GPL causing friction
between DIYThemes/WordPress in the past
Thesis is one of the most popular and affiliated
WordPress-related products online
Major selling point is the Thesis advanced
options panel which allows the most novice of
users to create different layouts and quick
designs easily using the product
http://diythemes.com

49. WooThemes
Co-founded by Adii Pienaar (AKA Adii Rockstar).
A WordPress blogger and online personality
known for the ‘Premium News Theme’.
Revenue Model
‘Theme Club’ - $125/$200 joining fee + $15/$20 per-month
Access to ALL themes/upgrades
Access to support forums
Individual Purchase
Single/Standard/Developer - $40 $70 $150
Access to related support forums
Access to theme upgrades
Permanent 3-for-1 on a* single purchases
http://woothemes.com

50. WooThemes
Other Notes
Uses the first real subscription-based ‘theme club’
model since the demise of WPDesigner
Recently moved into the premium plugin market
with WooCommerce
Initially non-GPL, this was swiftly changed once
the site became more established
In an interview with Mixergy.com Adii announced
that the site had taken in over $2million dollars
in its first 2 years
http://woothemes.com

51. ThemeForest
Part of the ‘Envato Marketplaces’ founded by
Collis Ta'eed (Tuts+, Freelance Switch).
Revenue Model
Digital Marketplace - no fixed price structure
User submitted themes
Revenue sharing on single sales
Offers ‘regular’ or ‘extended’ licences on themes but
a* themes are licensed under the GPL
Theme Seller Options
Se*ing Exclusively
- 40% to 70% of every sale
Se* Items Elsewhere
- 25% of every sale
http://themeforest.net

52. ThemeForest
Other Notes
Also sells Joomla, Magento, Drupal and basic
HTML/PSD, Flash-based products
Uses GPL for PHP but not strictly for images,
CSS, HTML - most themes have a mixed licensing
system
Can be highly profitable - For example a top user
has 2784 sales of theme worth $42 = $116,928
The entire marketplace has almost 1million
registered users
http://themeforest.net

53. ThemeForest, a final note
Success stories...
Other high earning examples include:
Display Theme
Makes an Average of $28,000 a Month
LondonCreative+ Theme
Makes an Average of $7,000 a Month
Twicet Theme
Makes an Average of $7,000 a Month
ShareShifter Theme
Makes an Average of $7,000 a Month
BigFeature Theme
Makes an Average of $5,500 a Month
Find out more: http://themeforest.net/winter-wordpress/
http://themeforest.net

55. Recap...
StudioPress DIYThemes
Mixed yearly subscription One-off fee revenue model.
or individual item revenue
model. Based around a single,
Based around a WordPress strong product.
Theme Framework. Relies on theme support
Relies on theme support and future upgrades.
and future upgrades.
Has a marketplace.
WooThemes ThemeForest
Mixed monthly subscription One-off individual sales.
fees or individual item
revenue model. Community driven products.
Now moving into Premium Revenue share.
Plugins
GPL/Mixed-licence model.
Relies on theme support
and future upgrades. Part of a more elaborate
network of sites.

56. Recap...
StudioPress DIYThemes
Mixed yearly subscription One-off fee revenue model.
or individual item revenue
model. Based around a single,
Based around a WordPress strong product.
Theme Framework. Relies on theme support
Relies on theme support and future upgrades.
Over just a few years these 4 sites alone have
and future upgrades.
managedmarketplace.
Has a
to generate millions of dollars in
revenue by selling WordPress themes
WooThemes ThemeForest
Mixed monthly subscription One-off individual sales.
fees or individual item
revenue model. Community driven products.
Now moving into Premium Revenue share.
Plugins
GPL/Mixed-licence model.
Relies on theme support
and future upgrades. Part of a more elaborate
network of sites.

58. So.....

60. Changed the world ?
Probably not.

62. Changed the web?
Maybe.

64. Changed WordPress?
Defiantly.

66. Done...

67. Have WordPress Themes
Changed the World?
What do you think?
questions, discussion....