When you are a skilled WordPress developer or designer, building a template seems tougher than selling it. After all, you are no marketer.
At InstaWP, we often hear from our users – How to sell more templates in less time?
Our usual answer is that you must craft powerful and beautiful templates while using a better platform to sell them. And in this blog post, we are going to elaborate on what it means.
WordPress Templates in InstaWP: What are They?
A WordPress Template created using InstaWP can have everything that someone needs to go live with a website in seconds. A creator can add one theme and multiple plugins to this template. Customizing its configuration and creating pages and posts to it comes next.
So, it is basically a complete WordPress website that you can replicate or customize.
Instead of starting from nothing, you can use InstaWP templates to save time and make your website look good. They’re like a shortcut that helps both beginners and experts create a nice and working website without too much work.
While using InstaWP as your WordPress project delivery tool, you can either build your template for reuse or buy templates from the InstaWP Store.
If you wish to build your own template, that’s great!
It will help you build and deliver websites faster in the long run. In fact, you can also sell your templates and monetize them.
Alright, we will talk about building great templates, marketing them, and so on in a minute or two. First, let us help you understand the concept of InstaWP Templates perfectly.
What Makes Templates Better than WordPress Themes?
Because InstaWP templates are different from typical templates in WordPress, as well as from WordPress themes, it is essential that we explain the difference before proceeding.
A WordPress theme is more focused on the design, speed, security, and feel of a website. However, a template created using InstaWP is a complete package – a website that can be launched. It can have plugins, pages, posts, settings, and so on. And as a matter of fact, it also comprises a theme.
Not very clear? Let’s do it through an interesting example.
Imagine you’re organizing a grand event – let’s say it’s a wedding.
Your event space is like your WordPress website.
Your chosen event theme is akin to the overall design and style of the venue. It sets the ambiance, the color scheme, and the general feel of the celebration. It’s what your guests see when they first enter – the grandeur, the elegance, or maybe even the coziness and security.
Now, think of the layout and functioning of specific things within the venue – the individual rooms, the ceremony hall, the reception area, the food, the catering team, and maybe a cozy lounge for guests to relax. These are the settings that make them useful for your guests.
Templates determine these settings, alongside the decorations and the overall atmosphere in the context of WordPress websites.
You, in this wedding, are the wedding organizer. Once a wedding is over, you will use the same theme, stuff, staff, and area for hosting another wedding. It will save you a lot of time, effort, and money. You may or may not customize this setup, depending on what your client wants.
You can even offer your resources to others who wish to have them for personal or commercial use. And that’s akin to becoming a creator with InstaWP when we talk about WordPress websites.
One more thing – Becoming a wedding planner (theme developer) from a wedding organizer (template creator) is much easier than it is in the real world. Plus, perks are more. ?
Read more about WordPress Themes vs. Templates in InstaWP here →
Benefits of using InstaWP Templates over Themes
- Design with Ease: Templates make designing a breeze. Use pre-built pages, headers, footers, and sections. Just swap out text, tweak fonts, change colors, and add images – it’s that simple.
- Customize Effortlessly: Enjoy easy customization. Even with templates, reflect your unique style by adjusting colors, fonts, and layouts without dealing with complicated code.
- Save Time and Money: Templates save time and costs. Skip lengthy design hours and channel that effort into crucial business tasks. No need for a pro designer, saving you money.
- Ready to Launch: Templates are ready-made for quick deployment. Select a template, create your site in a WordPress sandbox, make modifications, and go live with the design that suits your UI needs effortlessly.
- Core Faker: Want to create dummy pages, posts, products, or orders in bulk for your template? You can do it using Faker settings. Go to your site’s Configurations to find this option.
Tips to Market your Themes/Templates to Sell them Faster
1. Upgrade your Skill and Begin Template Development
This tip is useful for those in custom theme development.
In case you know how to create a custom theme, you should create quick staging sites, customize them for a particular set of audiences, and convert these sites into a template. Do it several times. This way, you’ll have a better idea of how to work with InstaWP templates and what can be done with them.
Embracing this learning journey empowers developers to craft reusable and versatile templates, fostering a skill set that goes beyond the confines of mere theming.
2. Sell it via the InstaWP Store
Consider selling your templates on the InstaWP Store to reach a wider market. Exploring this option can be a smart move to expand your sales channels and connect with a community that appreciates the advantages of templates developed within the InstaWP framework.
3. Have a Website/Webpage to Showcase your Template/Theme
Establishing an online presence is paramount for showcasing your templates/themes effectively. Whether through a dedicated website or webpage, this virtual space serves as a centralized hub where potential buyers can effortlessly explore and evaluate the array of products you offer.
The above will not only facilitate accessibility for potential clients but also establish credibility and trust, key factors influencing the decision-making process of individuals seeking reliable and visually appealing templates/themes.
4. Setup a Template/Theme Demo
Showing potential buyers how your templates or themes work in real-time is crucial.
Live demonstrations, where users can see how your template/theme functions and meets their needs, give them a better understanding, and make them more confident about using your designs.
Wondering how to do that? You can set up product demos using InstaWP – right there.
5. Document Everything related to your Template/Theme
Making detailed documentation about your templates/themes is like creating a guidebook. This guidebook helps users understand the features, how things work, and what they can do with your products. So, whether you build a WaaS or create a dedicated website, make sure to provide a detailed description and document your template’s specialties carefully.
6. Go for Niche Template/Theme Creation
When you decide to sell your templates/themes, focusing on making them for specific industries or areas is a smart move.
This means tailoring your designs to fit the unique needs and preferences of a particular group of people. Using this approach, you will know the elements to add to the design of your template/theme, or plugins to add for achieving something in particular.
Not only will it help you narrow down the list of to-do’s, but it will also help your prospects choose your template/theme without thinking too much.
7. Analyze Competitors and Adapt
Keep an eye on what other template developers are doing and learn from them. The InstaWP store has plenty of templates that you can check out.
By checking out their work, you can understand new trends and what users like, finding ways to make your templates even better. Adapting your approach based on what’s happening in the template market helps you stay competitive, relevant, and effective.
8. Create a Video Tutorial and an Overview Video
Videos are a user-friendly way to show off the unique features of your templates. And if you wish, there are several ways to use them for your profit.
For example:
- Video guides can break down complex processes into simple steps, making it easy for users to customize and navigate your designs.
- An overview video, besides a good template demo, will let your users understand your WordPress product better.
- Video testimonials can promote your template amazingly.
9. Promote it through Various Channels
Share your templates on different platforms to reach more people. Whether it’s on community forums or social media, being present on various platforms makes your templates more visible to users with different interests.
Choosing the channel is up to you. So, select the one where your audience is.
10. Ask Buyers for Reviews
Through word-of-mouth endorsements and user feedback, you tap into the influential power of personal recommendations. This organic promotion not only expands your templates’ reach but also builds a sense of trust and credibility among potential users. So, ask people to share their experiences and recommendations.
Additionally, actively gathering feedback allows you to understand user perspectives. With it, you can identify areas for improvement and refine your templates based on real user experiences.
Why Must You Sell WordPress Templates via the InstaWP Store?
Good question. Well, we will answer it really quickly.
25K WordPress Development Agencies using the tool
InstaWP transformed how agencies and individuals used to develop WordPress websites. Nowadays, our customers keep looking for good templates. If you can offer them what they want, you will definitely sell your WordPress templates faster.
Users can build websites in 1-click with your Templates
As InstaWP is a great way to build websites in one click using templates, selling your templates here can attract potential buyers and potentially boost your earnings. The platform has a good number of WordPress development agencies, promising great visibility.
A Great way to Promote your Theme Development Skills
Want to grab that lucrative job or project? Use InstaWP as your portfolio builder.
Here, your templates are viewed by big theme development companies and theme developers. So, while selling your digital product, creators can find theme/template development projects here.
Tip: You can enlist your templates for $0 here.
Recurring Earning
InstaWP allows you to monetize templates by setting a price for users who want to use them (more on this in the next section). So, by creating and selling templates on the InstaWP Store, you can earn money each time someone purchases your template.
By the way, if you want to earn even more, you can couple your templates with hosting to sell them faster. It can be done by building WaaS in InstaWP
With WaaS (Website as a Service), your clients gain access to a personalized end-user portal for managing their purchased websites. They can independently map custom domains, upgrade or cancel plans, and do much more.
Full Guide to creating a WaaS →
Build and Sell WordPress Templates: Here’s How
Step 1: Create a Shared Template in InstaWP
Begin with setting up a new site on the InstaWP dashboard, customizing it for product demonstration, and saving it as a template. This template should be marked as “Shared,” allowing it to be publicly accessible via a unique link.
Step 2: Branding and Customization
Users can modify the template’s name, description, and essential settings.
The Branding section provides options for customization, including logos, email templates, privacy policies, custom CSS, and brand colors. This ensures that the template aligns with the user’s brand and meets specific aesthetic preferences.
As mentioned above already, you must add more details to your template’s description so that your prospects can understand what you are selling.
Step 3: Monetizing a Shared Template
For this, you need to join the Beta program for the latest features by toggling the button in the Beta Program section. Also, set up your payout account by selecting the Payout option, clicking on Setup Account, and updating your payout method.
Once the above is done, you can start selling your templates. Just follow these steps:
- Navigate to the Shared template page
- Click on the Monetize icon
- Toggling the Select Monetize button.
- Choose Free or Paid, set the price if applicable, and save.
- Test your monetized template by clicking Share, copying the link, and pasting it into a new tab.
Step 4: Publishing your Template to the Store
Finally, publishing your template to the store requires customizing its landing page further by adjusting settings, branding, and gallery options in the InstaWP dashboard before sharing the link with potential users or customers.
Conclusion
InstaWP provides a unique platform for creating templates that go beyond the conventional WordPress themes. These templates are complete packages comprising themes, plugins, pages, posts, and settings, offering a shortcut to building impressive websites.
If you’re good at making cool websites using InstaWP, you can also make money by selling what you create. InstaWP lets you build templates, which are like ready-made websites that others can use.
The InstaWP Store, with its extensive user base, one-click website creation, and recurring earning potential, is an ideal platform to showcase and monetize your template development skills. Why don’t you try it right away?
