Question regarding theme sales

[Dad.]

Hey all,

Had a question I wanted to ask you guys about how you guys would prefer to purchase a premium theme based on a framework.

I have a framework, UI.X. And I have built my skins on top of this framework. But UI.X in itself is also a design. So, UI.X is $30. But some people want to buy UI.X and one of our other skins that are using UI.X.

So what makes more sense, packaging UI.X inside of the other licenses and having the license be $30 + (the cost of the other product) or should I just have a message that requires the purchase of a UI.X license and then just charge the normal cost of the product?

Hope this makes sense. I will do whatever you guys prefer, want to be fair about this.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Chris D]

I think consumers generally want to know the price of the product to be quite clear and transparent. So if they see a style that they like, they want that advertised at the full price they need to pay to get that in their hands...

So, at the very least, the RM price would have to be UIX + Style so they know exactly what they need to pay to buy it.

Of course, that still doesn't prevent you from having that as two separate products that need to be purchased. My comments are more about the visible marketing of the product.

 

[Dad.]

So what about people that already bought UI.X? I need to convey that some how.

 

[Carlos]

Try selling UI.X as a theme, then. Since, that's basically what you're saying.

And I agree with the notion of bundling UI.X with a skin.

As a marketer/business owner: This way you raise the adoption rate of UI.X and raise awareness of the software.

 

[Dad.]

Try selling UI.X as a theme, then. Since, that's basically what you're saying.

It already is. Therein lies the question

 

[Carlos]

It's viable, but you need to show what it does. Like as a demo and as a video.

How far can you go with UI.X? What's possible with UI.X? How well can you design a skin with UI.X?

 

[Dad.]

It's viable, but you need to show what it does. Like as a demo and as a video.

How far can you go with UI.X? What's possible with UI.X? How well can you design a skin with UI.X?

I have a half hour video and multiple demos and screens. Im more worried about people's preference in purchasing skins that are built on frameworks.

Was wondering if people had a preference. Because then people can buy UI.X for $30 and like xenBlock for just $10.

 

[EQnoble]

Was wondering if people had a preference. Because then people can buy UI.X for $30 and like xenBlock for just $10.

It makes more sense that way, a person may very well use two of your themes on a single board for different purposes or seasons or whatever and it makes little sense to package the framework with them since both styles can be installed as child styles of a single instance of the framework if I understand correctly.

That's my opinion anyways, I view frameworks and child styles in general as style extensions rather that a single style. Like in your example, for me xenBlock is better viewed as a style extension for the UI.X style as it requires it to work. It is probably a good way to express it as it implies automatically that there is a prerequisite style or framework.

 

[Dad.]

It makes more sense that way, a person may very well use two of your themes on a single board for different purposes or seasons or whatever and it makes little sense to package the framework with them since both styles can be installed as child styles of a single instance of the framework if I understand correctly.

That's my opinion anyways, I view frameworks and child styles in general as style extensions rather that a single style. Like in your example, for me xenBlock is better viewed as a style extension for the UI.X style as it requires it to work. It is probably a good way to express it as it implies automatically that there is a prerequisite style or framework.

Well, the framework itself I charge for as thats where all the technical magic. I figure thats what I focus on the most. Then the design of it is actually easier to change out.

The problem is that if I sell, say XenSplash for $10. Someone might buy that and wonder why it doesnt work correctly as they may have not ready the part that says UI.X is a required parent theme.

 

[EQnoble]

Well, the framework itself I charge for as thats where all the technical magic. I figure thats what I focus on the most. Then the design of it is actually easier to change out.

The problem is that if I sell, say XenSplash for $10. Someone might buy that and wonder why it doesnt work correctly as they may have not already have the part that says UI.X is a required parent theme.

That's why I refer to xenBlock, Xensplash and your other styles which rely on UI.X as style extensions, people know a browser extension requires the browser that the extension is extending. I figure in a like manner the styles which depend on UI.X would be best marketed as style extensions and then at the top of resource posting, a note describing that style extensions require the UI.X framework to be installed as a parent style and that all styles can use one instance of UI.X as their foundations.

It makes it more obvious that way, when I think install a style I figure that everything I need is included already, when you call it an extension it differentiates and makes me think, 'ok so what is it extending', from there out I know when style extension is referred to it means that it requires a base theme or framework to function properly.

If you then updated the UI.X resource to keep current a list of style extensions for it every time you release a new style and referred to them that way, it would catch on rather quickly and with a notice at the top of each extension resource stating the need for the framework a person really could't buy it thinking that it was a standalone style as it would be made quite clear.


I dunno that's my take on it anyways.

 

[Dad.]

I think you make a lot of sense. I think your way might be best so far.

 

[MattW]

I also think having UI.X as the framework and keeping that separate from the other themes is a good idea.

You could then also do different licensing for the framework vs the "extension" themes.

Say for example someone owned multiple sites. You could licence the framework for single site installation (based on your current prices of $30 for UI.X) and then $10 for the extension (xenBlock.....currently $40 shipping with UI.X framework).

Someone who has multiple sites. You sell the multiple site UI.X for say $80 (just an example price) which they can use on multiple sites, and then just buy the specific "extension" they want on a per installation basis, or just run UI.X.

 

[Dad.]

Also, brilliant. We have an unlimited domains cost of $100 on all our products. SO someone could buy UI.X for $30, the add-on license is $100 for unlimited sites and uses, and then they can buy the cheaper styles at $5-$15 each. And I have plans to make a lot more themes for UI.X.

 

[Sheldon]

I'm liking this idea of $10 for the theme extension.. heh. I can see much $ from me being used.

/gets back to work!