WP Product Talk

In this episode of WP Product Talk, co-hosts Matt Cromwell and Katie Keith dive deep into the complexities of refunds and renewals within the WordPress product space. The conversation is kick-started by a tweet from Katie about a surprising surge in renewal payment refunds at Barn2, which was initially perplexing. It turns out, the issue stemmed from a simple yet impactful error: an email malfunction that failed to notify customers about upcoming renewals. This discovery led to a broader discussion on customer communication, the importance of preemptive outreach, and the implications of such oversights on business operations. The dialogue between Matt and Katie reveal an insightful exploration of the nuanced customer experiences that WordPress product owners face, particularly around automatic renewals and the challenges of email deliverability. They shared diverse perspectives from the WordPress community that responded to Katie’s tweet, emphasizing the varying reasons behind refund requests, from simple forgetfulness about a service's auto-renewal setup to more complex issues like the impact of Google's SEO updates on WordPress products. Furthermore, the conversation delved into strategies for reducing refunds and improving renewal rates, including the significance of continual product development and engagement with customers. Katie highlighted a personal anecdote about an analysis they conducted at Barn2, which underscored the importance of understanding time-based cohorts and their renewal behaviors. The discussion concluded with actionable insights for WordPress product businesses, emphasizing the value of customer feedback during the refund process and how it can inform product improvements and marketing strategies.

Are you a developer wondering how many features you should include in your Freemium plugin before giving away the farm? In this episode, we dive deep into the world of Freemium plugins and discuss the delicate balance between offering value to users and enticing them to upgrade to a paid version. Joining us for this insightful discussion is Freemium expert, Daniel Iser. With years of experience in the industry, Daniel has successfully navigated the challenges of creating and monetizing Freemium plugins. Tune in to hear his expert advice on finding the sweet spot between free features and premium offerings, and learn how to maximize your plugin's potential for success.

Are you struggling to find the perfect product market fit for your business? In this episode, we dive deep into the strategies and techniques that can help you identify and target the right audience for your products or services. Whether you're a startup looking to scale or an established company looking to pivot, this episode will provide you with valuable insights to help you succeed in today's competitive market. Joining us for this episode is founder of WP Engine, Jason Cohen. Jason has founded two unicorns: hypergrowth companies with over $1 billion valuations. Do you want to rapidly scale your product, reaching a million active installs or more? Jason has worked with a variety of companies across different industries and has a proven track record of turning struggling products into successful ventures. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from his expertise and take your business to the next level.

Are you a WordPress plugin developer looking to take your work to the next level? In this episode, we dive into the importance of following WordPress Coding Standards when creating plugins. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting out, understanding and implementing these standards can make a huge difference in the performance and compatibility of your plugins. Joining us for this insightful discussion is renowned WordPress developer and coding standards expert, Joost de Valk. With years of experience in the industry, Joost has a wealth of knowledge to share on why adhering to WordPress Coding Standards is crucial for the success of your plugins. Tune in to hear their expert advice, practical tips, and real-world examples that will help you elevate your plugin development skills.

Are you ready to take your WordPress product business to the next level? In this episode of WP Product Talk, we dive into the topic of scaling your WordPress product business. Whether you're just starting out or looking to grow your existing business, this episode is packed with valuable insights and strategies to help you succeed in the competitive world of WordPress products. Join special guest, Thomas Fanchin from Weglot, as he shared how Weglot scaled it's business to over 60K Active Installs and a 45Million Euro investment round. You won't want to miss hearing their valuable advice and tips on how to grow your own business and achieve your goals.

In this week's WP Product Talk, we're excited to have Stephanie Hudson, co-founder and agency coach at FocusWP and author of The Sizzle AI email newsletter. Stephanie brings her extensive experience in web development, brand creation, and business coaching to our discussion. She will share her insights on balancing passion with practicality in WordPress business and the strategic importance of knowing what to keep in-house versus what to outsource. Joining the conversation are our co-hosts, Matt Cromwell and Katie Keith. Matt, with his deep understanding of WordPress products, and Katie, known for her expertise in running a successful WordPress product business, will add their perspectives to this enlightening discussion. Together, we'll explore the nuances of running a WordPress business efficiently and the impact of outsourcing on growth and sustainability. Special Offer from FocusWP FocusWP removes stress and frees up your time by providing reliable white label WordPress backups and maintenance. Our Focus On Demand service goes a step farther by providing the screened and vetted team of developers you need to scale your web design or digital marketing business. Serve more clients, expand your offerings, and grow your bottom line with a development subscription.

We're joined by Kathy Zant! She's a website security expert, a WordPress community expert, and a motivating colleague, speaker, and friend to many in the WordPress community. She'll share with us how she's helped grow and foster thriving communities around WordPress products. Kathy, with her rich background including pivotal roles at KadenceWP and Wordfence, brings a wealth of experience in nurturing and growing vibrant online communities around tech products. Co-hosts Matt Cromwell and Katie Keith will delve into the nuances of community building with Kathy, exploring how a strong community can be a game-changer in the success of a WordPress product. Whether you're just starting out or looking to expand your existing community, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways.

Tammie is an experienced product creator who’s worked directly on the Gutenberg project. With so many changes coming to the WordPress admin and frontend components, designing for WordPress is more and more vital. Tune in to get real tips and insight on this complex subject. Our convo with Tammie delved into several key areas relevant to WordPress product developers. Here are some insights from the discussion: Adaptability and Flexibility: It's so important to build products that are adaptable and flexible to meet future changes in WordPress, such as updates in core functionalities and user expectations. Understanding Core Developments: Product developers need to stay informed about changes in WordPress core to anticipate and react to changes that could affect their products. Experimentation and Testing: We really encourage product owners to experiment with new WordPress features and test them thoroughly to understand how they might impact or enhance your product. Collaboration and Community Engagement: Engaging with the WordPress community and collaborating with other developers is crucial to enhance your product roadmaps and stay informed about best practices and emerging trends. User-Centric Design: Always design your WordPress products with your target audience in mind to ensure that new features align with user needs and improve usability. Best Advice At the end of every show we share our "best advice". Here's a quick summary of today's episode: Iterate and Experiment: Continuously iterate and try new things. The focus should be on experimentation and not getting stuck on perfection. Engage and Collaborate: Building relationships and collaborating within the community can provide new insights and strengthen product development. Understand and Act on User Needs: It's crucial to deeply understand what your users need and how these needs might evolve with changes in WordPress and technology in general. Plan for Flexibility: Given the fast-paced nature of WordPress development, plan for flexibility in product design to accommodate future changes without extensive overhauls.

In June 2025, enforcement begins for the European Accessibility Act - landmark legislation that requires websites to be accessible for people with disabilities. This law will have global implications, much like GDPR did for privacy. If your WordPress plugins or themes are inaccessible, you could be fined or lose customers as website owners stop using your products. Are your products ready for the European Accessibility Act? Find out if this law applies to you and how to make your plugins and themes compliant in this episode of WP Product Talk with hosts Amber Hinds and Zack Katz, joined by special guest Rian Rietveld.

Adam is co-founder at Cirrus Influence. He believes that growing your influence in WordPress requires a mix of free and low-cost earned media public relations tactics to augment your other marketing efforts.