Steven Gliebe, creator of Pro Plugin Directory, is looking for a new owner. The site launched earlier this year and has more than 170 plugins listed in the directory. Gliebe doesn’t have the time to manage the project anymore and is looking to give it to someone who is capable of maximizing the site’s potential.
Since May of this year, commercial plugin developers have slowly added their products to the directory. Gliebe explains his original strategy for monetizing the site, “Build the directory up (get authors to list their plugins) in order to attract traffic (plugin buyers) then monetize it with display ads, affiliate links and/or sponsorships (not yet started).”
Gliebe spends 1-2 hours per week managing the directory which includes, moderating submissions, moderating comments, moderating reviews, answering emails, and responding to tweets. He suggests that the new owner will need to spend more time marketing in order for the project to keep growing.
One of the most interesting parts of the sale offer is where Gliebe explains what powers the site:
The site is powered by Easy Digital Downloads, the Frontend Submissions extension, the Product Reviews extension and Array’s Checkout theme (using a child theme for customizations like showing categories on the homepage).
Looking at the analytics, the site is experiencing low traffic numbers compared to when the site was launched. However, organic search traffic is steadily rising thanks to the content published on the site’s blog.
Outside of Codecanyon, Pro Plugin Directory is one of the only other directories exclusively catered to commercial plugins. Here’s what Gliebe will give the buyer after purchasing the site:
The buyer will receive the domain, website files, database dump, mailing lists and Twitter account. Easy Digital Downloads add-on licenses and Checkout theme licenses will be transferred. You will need to purchase a new SSL certificate. I am looking for a capable buyer but if you require migration assistance or technical support after the sale, I will offer my services at $200/hour (five hours max).
Escrow will be used to facilitate the sale between both parties. If you’re interested in taking over the site or have questions, contact Steven Gliebe.