In this series wrap up, Jake and I talk about some of the sticking points from the previous three episodes. We discuss what we’ve learned and what we thought was useful information for those looking to start a business in anyone of the three areas that we covered. Among some of the topics of discussion were the low barriers to entry for theme and plugin authors, the costs of running a Software As A Service model, the majority of panelists not taking to the Freemimum model too well, and other tidbits of information. I hope you all enjoyed this series and if you could, please tell me anything you learned from this series in the comments.
Smashing Book Contest:
Week Three Winner – Carlos Frevert
Congratulations to all the winners.
Ad Copy:
This episode did not have a sponsor. If you’re interested in advertising on WordPress Weekly, check out the Advertising information page to find out how.
WPWeekly Meta:
Next Episode: Saturday, May 1st 2P.M. EST
Subscribe To WPWeekly Via Itunes: Click here to subscribe
Length Of Episode: 1 Hour 2 Minutes
Download The Show: WordPressWeeklyEpisode97.mp3
Listen To Episode #97:
Regarding: listener comment at around 43 min mark,
I am aware of the MyFTP plugin and have even recommended it to some clients. It does okay for little things (like changing favicon) but not the best suited for moving entire folders. And as Jacob alluded to in his response around 44:45, the FTP access is not a profit center for us. We charge for it to make the average user think twice if they really need it. Because really, FTP adds support costs.
Perfect example: A customer downloads a plugin.zip from somewhere. Sometimes inside that .zip is a couple folders.. containing readme files, assets, that obligatory hidden __MACOSX folders, and 1 folder or .php file will be the actual plugin. There have been cases where the user just uploads the entire outer folder, and then opens a support ticket to ask why their plugin is not working. It’s an easy fix.. but still adds support costs.
Mr Anonymous commenter is the type of customer we are happy to do without. He appears to feel we are somehow being dishonest by encouraging our less then technical audience to utilize the built in WP methods of adding plugins and themes, and forgoing the sometimes more complicated task of FTP client based file transfers. We are simply guiding/directing our audience to utilize the easiest method to so do by putting a small paywall up to make them consider if they really need it before buying. Trust me when I say FTP access is a lo$er for us as it drives up support costs.
If our customer is savvy enough ‘hack’ the system and find workarounds to save $5.. rock on. As long as it complies with our Terms of Service, we fully encourage our clients to maximize their experience with us.