I am thinking about starting a website where I offer joomla templates to visitors. My basic questions are: Is it a good way trying to make some money with a website where you offer templates? Is it worth the time for designing different templates and to manage a website for it? So yes: What would be the best way for doing this? For example with free templates and advertisements or only commercial templates or maybe combined? What would be the best way for keeping your visitors coming back to the website? Isn't it so when someone downloaded for example a free template you never see them again unless they need support or something? With which method and how many money do you think you could make with such a website with for example a total of 8 professional templates available in 4 different colours each? Is there maybe anyone here that has such a website and maybe would like to share it's experience?
I think that the best would be to offer free templates and earn money from ads as, as an avid joomla user, most others that I have talked to including me normally just download the free ones unless it is done on a subscription basis where you pay for a subscription to monthly new templates. Also the way of keeping users would be to make them have to sign up to a newsletter or something before being able to download the template.
i think you should make your templates free for download and promote your site well to get some visitors going in..
Yes, you better keep your templates free and you can monetize with Adsense meantime. Once you are popular, add some paid template and reduce the number of adspot on your site.
Thanks for the replies I appreciate it a lot I have another couple of questions, what is your opinion about free templates if: - you must have a (free) registered user account before being able to download and use them? - agreed to the terms of use and that would be to have a backlink at the begin page of your website or leave the link in the template unless you paid for it? - you are automatically subscribed to newsletters and the only way to disable this is to delete your user account or you have bought a template? And with no user account you do not owe the right anymore to use the provided free templates?
I think that the last part of the last point is a little too harsh...Also when people download free templates the first thing they tend to do is remove any links. Like I remember a template I really liked, but did not use because the distributor wanted me to keep a link on it to them. If your templates are good enough people will not mind having to register. And I know of plenty of highly successful websites that take this approach and also with the newsletter, most people don't mind if it contains quality content and offers for them (but avoid loading it with too many ads and affiliate links as it tends to put people off, keep that to your website where they are more accepted). And Abhiks suggestions seem very good too.