It seems to me that everyone is jumping into the “News/Magazine” themes. It’s great to see it, it definitely brings out the creativity from the people. By making it premium, they supposedly put a little more effort into it. It’s good, as a matter of fact, it’s great! The thing is… does the cost justify the ownership of the theme? This post is actually for the Premium Theme buyers and makers.
Couple weeks ago, I talked about how Brian Gardner banked at least $5,000 from a single theme. He didn’t create the idea of selling themes, but he sure “revolutionized” it. He inspired many to create and sell their own “news / magazine” themes. Microsoft didn’t invent operating systems, but they sure revolutionized it… just like how Digg didn’t invent social bookmarking and YouTube didn’t invent video services. The point I am making is who do you look at your competition when you’re setting a price for your theme?
It’s like selling a car. Why does a Ferrari cost $200,000+ and a Honda civic cost $20,000? They both get you from point A to B. Do they set the prices based on how they LOOK? It’s all about the mechanism, that’s actually what you’re paying for, not the aluminum body. People pay for the mechanics. If they sold Ferraris for $20,000 instead of $200,000… it wouldn’t be special anymore, it wouldn’t be a Ferrari anymore. Makers of Ferraris aren’t only selling cars, they are selling status, fame, a feeling of being proud. Now… let’s take this idea to WordPress Themes.
Do you want to buy a premium theme? First, ask yourself this question… WHY? Do you need it or do you want it? If you can distinguish between these, then ask yourself this question. Do you want a Honda Civic or do you want a Ferrari? They both do the job of getting you from point A to point B. How exclusive do you want to be, should be the question you should ask. When you’re buying premium themes.
Now the question for themers, how do you set a price? Do you look at the compition and adjust your price or do you simply charge for what you think is the right price?
What do you look for when you’re buying themes? What do you look for when you’re creating a premium theme? I’ll leave this to an open discussion.
