Yesterday I participated in my first video interview, hosted by Dave Yankowiak (@daveyank) of Anywhereman.com. It’s a fairly short conversation talking about freelancing, and my latest theme release, WP Bids.
I have to admit, it was pretty awkward to watch myself speak on video. I was a little bit nervous, but I think I hid it well and it just resulted in me rambling on a bit. Maybe that’s a good thing for an interview.
Big thank you to Dave for having the interview. I first found Dave after watching his interview on Mixergy.com. I highly recommend you follow his blog, Anywhereman, where he posts awesome tips and thoughts (both text and videos) about freelancing, working from home, and being your own boss. Also check out his web development/WordPress work at Lift Development.
I’m calling it a “WordPress App”. It’s partly a WordPress theme, partly a WordPress plugin, and the whole concept is intended for one use and one use only:
Creating (awesome) Project Proposals Using WordPress.
Technically, WP Bids functions as a theme for WordPress. You install it just as you would any other WP theme. And what it delivers is a well-crafted design template for presenting project proposals to prospective clients.
But it’s also got a few functional enhancements which may inch it into the realm of being a WordPress plugin. For starters, it builds on the new Custom Post Type functionality in WordPress 3.0 to create proposals. It also has some very unique features like the ability to use one proposal as a template for new ones, a sortable list of proposals, and custom meta fields built into the edit proposal screen.
Put it all together, and you have a specialized WordPress App. For all the nitty-gritty details about WP Bids, check out the newly launched product site: WPBids.com.
Since the launch of ThemeJam nearly six months ago, I’ve been very hesitant to put on sales. Sure, I participated in a contest or two, but never really put on an all-out sales event.
This holiday weekend is a rare deviation from that policy. Today is the last day of the 4th of July 50% Off sale. Believe me when I say, this kind of discount will not come around often, so if you’ve been on the fence about grabbing a theme, now’s the time.
Some Thoughts on Sales
It seems that in the world of premium WordPress themes companies (and many other businesses for that matter), there are generally three schools of thought when it comes to holding sales:
If you’ve been following my tweets for the past few weeks, you know I’ve been preparing to release a new product, called “WP Bids“. Today I’d like to tell you about what it is, and what’s in store…
WP Bids is a special theme for WordPress, which allows you to create awesome web-based project proposals using the platform we know and love (WordPress).
Who is it for?
It’s perfect for freelancers, design agencies, and other contractors who aquire clients by presenting high-impact proposals, which serve to clearly and professionally outline the project scope, time estimate, price quote, and other relavant info.
It’s especially useful for web designers, because it gives you the ability to tweak and customize your proposals the same way you’d tweak any other WordPress theme. It’s a self-hosted solution, giving you full control over every detail.
Redefining how we use WordPress
The idea is to use WordPress, not as a public blog available for the world to see, but as a dedicated proposal platform, which you selectively grant access to potential clients. Let me explain…
Some of you may have noticed I’ve been doing more guest blogging as of late. If you’re a new reader, there’s a good chance you found me through the link in my byline on one of those articles.
Today I’d like to write about the importance of guest blogging, and how it has impacted my freelance business.
Traffic: Quality, not Quantity
The first obvious impact of having a guest article published on a large blog is an increase in traffic back to your site and an increase in RSS and Twitter followers. The day I had my first article on Mashable published, I gained 100+ quality Twitter followers, had a huge traffic spike on all three of my websites, sold a few extra themes than usual, and significantly raised my online profile. But it’s not just about the numbers. The quality of those new followers is the real benefit.
Readers who are engaged enough to read your guest article, then click through your byline, and follow your feed (that’s 3-4 actions) are highly interested in your content. Much more-so than random google searchers or clicks from sites like Digg and other social bookmarking sites. There’s a good chance these readers are here to stay, spread your content, and potentially hire you or purchase your products.
