May 13th, 2007 by admin 6,725 Views
Over a million people are using Wordpress to blog and the number of Wordpress users is increasing every day. Every blogger wants his blog too look good but most of them don’t have enough web design knowledge to create their own theme, that’s why they usually download themes created by web designers. Installing a Wordpress theme is so easy that most of users are able to do that and that’s why it is possible to make money by creating Wordpress themes.
What do I need to create Wordpress themes?
Creating Wordpress themes is very simple, all you need is a basic knowledge in web design and CSS. To create the graphical part of a Wordpress theme you will need a program like Adobe Photoshop while the CSS can be edited with a CSS editor or directly with any text editor.
I know CSS and I’m able to use Photoshop, what now?
The easiest way to create a Wordpress theme is to download the Default theme and replace the graphical parts with the ones you created in Photoshop and by editing the default style sheet. Using this technique will help you to learn how Wordpress themes work and soon you will be able to create your own.
I made my first Wordpress theme, how can I earn money with it?
There are two different ways to make money with Wordpress themes:
1) by selling the template to someone who likes it. Templates can be sold on many forums, like Digitalpoint
2) by selling sponsored link spots in the footer
the second option is the more interesting and profitable one. Once you have created a Wordpress theme you can add up to 4 links in the footer (don’t add more than 4 or it will be hard to sell links on it). One of these 4 links is usually the “Designer link” (you can sell the designer link if you don’t have a website or you can place a link to your website there, if you have one) and the other 3 links will look like these “supported by: link1″ and “link2″ and “link3″.
Why should someone buy a link on my theme?
Because by promoting the Wordpress theme properly, it will get hundred of downloads. Everytime a blog will use the Wordpress theme you have designed, the “Supporters” will get a link with anchor text to their website.
For how much can I sell a link in the footer?
It depends on the quality of the Wordpress theme but even if it’s not a professional one you will be able to average 50-60$ EACH link. That’s a total of 180$ for each Wordpress theme if you sell 3 links and keep the designer link for your own website, or 240$ if you sell all links. Professional themes can bring you even 300-500$!
In average I’m making 100-200$ with each Wordpress theme I design by selling only 2 “supporter links” and keeping the designer link for my website.
Where can I find sponsors for my Wordpress theme?
In the “link sale section” of Digitalpoint Forums. I was able to find supporters for all the themes I have made thanks to Digitalpoint.
Conclusions:
By practicing you will be able to make 1-2 Wordpress themes every day and also your graphics should become better with each theme. The Wordpress sponsor link market is quite new and it is difficult to predict for how long it will be possible to get some serious money (make 2 themes a day and sell sponsor links on each for 150$…that would be 9.000$ /month) out of it.
If you don’t believe that it is possible, just have a look at Digitalpoint to see for how much sponsor links have been sold recently ;)
This is a good way to make money online. I’m trying to learn skinning for ASP.NET application (DotNetNuke) and i will be able to use my skills on wordpress themes too.
You should also know that the final decision isn’t in yet, but it looks like any paid or sponsored WordPress Themes will not be permitted in the official WordPress Viewer or other official WordPress lists. Thus, you will now need to put the energy into self promoting your own Themes. As more and more users become aware of the sponsored links, many don’t like it and won’t use them. There have been plenty of posts making the rounds on this issue recently and the outcry has been against them.
So buyer and designer beware.
The discussion about sponsored Wordpress themes is still active on the ufficial Wordpress forum but I think they will only mark sponsored themes with something like “Sponsored theme” and will allow them on themes.Wordpress.net.
Even if they don’t allow sponsored themes on the ufficial Wordpress viewer, there are plenty of other places where you can promote Wordpress themes. Just have a look at this article: http://www.linkrain.com/articles/how-and-where-to-promote-a-wordpress-theme-wordpress-theme-promotion/
thanks for this post - i never thought of it that way. I’m curious to see where the final decision of sponsored themes goes as Lorelle brings up.
I’m curious too, Matt. Anyway it will be possible to sell sponsor links in Wordpress themes even if Wordpress Viewer will reject all sponsored themes.
Any suggestions for other places to sell the themes that are on the same level as Digitalpoint? You have to make a bunch of posts and be signed up for 2 weeks before they let you onto the buy/sell section which is a chore.
Hi Spike.
Actually Digitalpoint is the best place to sell Wordpress themes at and also the only one where you will sell them for sure! I think you should absolutely register and make that bunch of post to get into the buy/sell section.
If you can earn a lot of money why don’t wait 2 weeks and make some posts?
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Hi Linkrain , I was also going to skin a wordpress theme and hope that it will bring me some money as well.
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Thankz for your great sharing.
Can anyone tell some of the other places where I can sell WP than Digital Point ?
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Thats alot of cash. Guess i found my calling not if only i wasnt so lazy >_>
But I don’t think so. The prices came down but wordpress users grow each day. so the market is hot yet. although with a lower price.
ooh, so this thing had been going on for a year? damn, i only knew about this last january, since then I think I earned around $5,000 or so.. and now there’s a lil prob going with it right? ah! i wish i found out about this along time ago
and if only, maybe i have my own house and car already 