Acquiring a WordPress Plugin with Scott Deluzio
There are over 54.000 Plugins on wordpress.org.
Acquiring a plugin has the advantages that you save time. You do not need to develop a plugin from scratch.
First you need to find a problem that you like to solve. The you code the solution well enough that it is easy enough to be used by someone.
Beside that you need to market it.
You need to put a lot of work when you like to create a plugin from scratch.
Acquiring a WordPress plugin also eliminates a lot of, when not all of the risk. Also it is not needed to figure out if it is solving a need. Just look at the reports of the developers and you can see if the plugin is used and sold. Money talks.
The code is already there. You can start selling right away and you can start to think about updates and new features, but the plugin itself should be stable enough to solve what it is programmed for.
You also have a head start with marketing. Probably the previous owner already promoted the plugin and dried different prices strategies.
You can use all that information right away
Where to find plugins to acquire
Own way is to connect with the developers of a plugin through social media. You can also use WordPress gatherings like the WordCamps to meet these people.
If the plugin you like to acquire is a free or open source plugin. You can use that as a kickstart to build a premium version out of it. So you can follow the Freemium approach.
Why a plugin is sold
One important part is to determine the truth why a plugin likes to be sold.
Sometimes it is because the developers having other plugins that are selling very good. Selling a not so good running plugin could free up some time for them.
Leaving that a Win:Win situation. You get a kickstart and they get free time.
What I want to do is write about my experiences and share any pain points, things I wish I did, or just general good advice when acquiring WordPress plugins. Hopefully this can serve as a guide for anyone who is thinking about an acquisition (or sale) and alleviate some of those fears.