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Brian Van Nieuwenhoven - WordPress Site Developer @brianvan http://485i.com Using Commercial Plugins

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Page 1: WordPress Commercial Plugins

Brian Van Nieuwenhoven - WordPress Site Developer

@brianvanhttp://485i.com

Using Commercial Plugins

Page 2: WordPress Commercial Plugins

Discussion - Have you ever...

● Purchased plugin modules?● Subscribed to a service attached to a

plugin?● Purchased support or installation

services?● Upgraded from a "lite" or normal

plugin to a "pro" plugin?

Page 3: WordPress Commercial Plugins

What is a "commercial plugin"?(for the purposes of this discussion)

Any code module which requires a purchase or a license from a software developer and... Any code module for which commercial services or additional products can be purchased.

Page 4: WordPress Commercial Plugins

What does that definition include?

● "Premium" or "Pro" plugins● Plugins (or parts of plugins) that work only

when you purchase a service, license, or access key

Page 5: WordPress Commercial Plugins

What about all the other plugins out there?

● There is a vast collection of "free" plugins(the code is licensed and available for download and distribution without cost)

● The WordPress Plugin Directory will host and list anything with a "compatible" free license

● Some plugin authors offer free code licenses, but are happy to sell service and support or premium products related to their free products or to WordPress in general.

Page 6: WordPress Commercial Plugins

The WordPress Plugin Directory is NOT a commercial plugin marketplace

● Premium plugins are neither available for purchase nor listed in the directory

● Premium plugins can't be found if you're using the "Add new" plugin search feature in the core WordPress dashboard

Page 7: WordPress Commercial Plugins

But what about themes?

Just FYI: ● WordPress.org does list some

commercial/premium themes● WordPress.org doesn't sell the themes - it

just links to some of them● Premium themes are not available from the

dashboard's theme search feature● If you want the most popular premium

framework/parent themes, you would need to find them on your own

Page 8: WordPress Commercial Plugins

The difference between premium themes and premium plugins

● WordPress.org has a list for some premium themes

● WordPress.org has no list at all for premium plugins

Page 9: WordPress Commercial Plugins

Will WordPress.org ever add a plugin marketplace?::shakes 8 ball:: "Outlook not so good" ● There are currently no plans for this in the

works.● WordPress is a free software, open source

product under the GPL license; the core team chooses to keep its directory services limited to plugins/themes that are similarly licensed.

Page 10: WordPress Commercial Plugins

That said...

● There is nothing stopping you from adding any code to your WordPress installations

● If you want to purchase a premium plugin, you'll be able to add it the manual way

● You might not find a premium plugin in the directory, but you CAN get the benefit of Automatic Upgrade alerts for premium plugins (if the author included that feature)

Page 11: WordPress Commercial Plugins

Where to find premium plugins(the type that is not part of the WP directory)

● Author's sites● Editorial reviews● User forums, discussions● Google

(abandon hope all ye who enter here)

Page 12: WordPress Commercial Plugins

And in the future...

There is at least one service claiming to offer a dashboard-integrated plugin marketplace...It's not finished, yet. Currently in private beta. Visit http://renku.me to join the mailing list and receive updates (I have no affiliation with or recommendation of their services. But I'm interested...)

Page 13: WordPress Commercial Plugins

Adding a plugin manually(this might be new to some)

● All plugins live on your web server in this directory (under your WP site root):

● Put your plugin folder in this directory to add

the plugin to the available (but not yet activated) plugins

● Activate the plugin from the dashboard(Plugins -> Installed Plugins)

Page 14: WordPress Commercial Plugins

Automatic Updates?

● If the plugin has included its own update server, or is in the WP plugin directory, automatic updates will let you know when a new release is available.

● Otherwise, manual updates are required. It's the same process as manual installation (overwrite/replace the old version)

● (For advanced users) If you've made direct code edits, you'll likely lose them. Avoid direct code edits when possible, or track your changes and merge them.

Page 15: WordPress Commercial Plugins

If you're not using automatic updates...

It's still really important for you to make sure all of your plugins are fully updated, for stability and security purposes! ● Check often● Set reminders● Keep your site safe and secure

Page 16: WordPress Commercial Plugins

Now, to review...

Page 17: WordPress Commercial Plugins

● What

● Where

What we've covered so far:

● Commercial plugins offer or require paid services or purchases

● Sometimes in the WP plugin directory (when the code is free but something else isn't), sometimes not (when the code is NOT free)

Page 18: WordPress Commercial Plugins

What we've covered so far:

● When ● How

● Anytime you choose

● If it's not in the

directory, you'll have to use the manual installation process to at least install the first timeYou may also have to manually monitor for updates

Page 19: WordPress Commercial Plugins

Which leads us to:

Why?

Page 20: WordPress Commercial Plugins

● Spend money on your site's code? ○ especially if there are free alternatives?○ especially if you're not completely sure you like it or

you haven't used it directly?

● Deal with the hassle of a separate installation/upgrade process?

● Choose to use a product that doesn't fit the

community code & support model that we're all used to by now?

Why would you...

Page 21: WordPress Commercial Plugins

If a plugin can be an investment in your site

and can save you costs in the long run, then...

Why not?

Page 22: WordPress Commercial Plugins

● Offer options to consider along with free alternatives

● Can offer excellent value (depending on how

you'll use it and how well they are built) ● Might save you time and money over using

the "free" alternative

Commercial plugins...

Page 23: WordPress Commercial Plugins

Are commercial plugins always better than free alternatives?

No. It is important to:● Define your goals and your budget● Evaluate on a case-by-case basis● Test, record, analyze, decide

Page 24: WordPress Commercial Plugins

Repeat:Test, record, analyze, decide

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."&"By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail."

- a man whose wisdomwas so great that theyput his face on the$100 bill

Page 25: WordPress Commercial Plugins

You can prepare by:● Using product demos when available● Testing plugins (and themes!) ahead of time

in a "development" installation● Reading relevant support forums, reviews,

ratings By doing this you can avoid:● Technical headaches● Growing pains● Unrealized expectations● Buyer's remorse

Page 26: WordPress Commercial Plugins

Example: simple contact form

Free:Fast Secure Contact Form Plugin

Premium:Gravity Forms ($39 for personal license)

Analysis:Gravity Forms is really nice, but I only need a simple contact form. Fast Secure Contact Form works and is highly rated.Decision: Fast Secure Contact Form

Page 27: WordPress Commercial Plugins

Example: Highly customizable contact form for 10 sites

Free:Fast Secure Contact Form Plugin

Premium:Gravity Forms ($199 for unlimited developer license)

Analysis:Fast Secure Contact Form isn't as customizable, but I can get the exact look I want on each site with Gravity Forms. And also, I've been toying with the idea of selling t-shirts. GF has a PayPal add-in! I could make the money back in a month or two...Decision: GravityForms

Page 28: WordPress Commercial Plugins

Example: Site Backup

Free: WordPress Backup to Dropbox

Premium:VaultPress ($15 monthly)

Analysis:VaultPress backups are easier to restore if I end up in-trouble. My developer charges $200 to just LOOK at the site. I'm ok with spending a little more over the next two years for peace of mind.Decision: VaultPress

Page 29: WordPress Commercial Plugins

Example: Site Backup on a tight budget

Premium: WordPress Backup to Dropbox with add-ins for .ZIP backup and email notifications ($28 total)

Premium:VaultPress ($15 monthly)

Analysis:I can't spend $180 a year on this. I'm a tinkerer, I'll take my chances with a manual restore if I need it. I want the notifications & archive files, though. And I already have a paid Dropbox subscription, so space isn't an issue.Decision: WordPress Backup to Dropbox

Page 30: WordPress Commercial Plugins

The general idea:Premium plugins offer additional options for

extending your site.

Page 31: WordPress Commercial Plugins

These options are sometimes bad options, sometimes not-ideal options...

but sometimes, they're really great options.

Page 32: WordPress Commercial Plugins

And now you know:

● They exist● How to install them● Where to look for them● Why it's a good idea to

look for them

Page 33: WordPress Commercial Plugins

(to be followed by a wonky discussion of any advanced topics of interest)

Q&A time

Brian Van Nieuwenhoven - WordPress Site Developer

@brianvanhttp://485i.com