Behind the Scenes of PodWP – WPCAST009

In this episode, we go into detail about the business model and mechanics of Doug’s business, PodWP/EfficientWP.

The Changelog

• David:
  • Set up demo using Ninja Demo (demo of Easy Pricing Tables)
  • Switched from Github to Bitbucket due to pricing structure

The Core

• PodWP is a niche WordPress hosting and design business
• Started hosting clients on multisite to simplify maintenance
• Why choose the podcast niche?
  • Experience: already built podcast websites, want to specialize
  • Opportunity: no competition, some podcasters don’t have sites
  • Serving a need: can make things a lot easier for podcasters
  • Lots of room for improvement on existing sites:
    • Design
    • Performance
    • Conversions – email list
    • Engagement – comments, contact form, voicemail
• Infrastructure:
  • WordPress multisite install
  • Client pros:
    • No maintenance or security to worry about
    • Premium themes and plugins included
    • Templates with a theme and certain plugins pre-configured
    • Fast and reliable infrastructure
    • Great value compared to buying:
      • Managed hosting
      • Maintenance contract
      • Premium themes and plugins
  • Client cons:
    • Can’t install their own themes and plugins
    • No email hosting, cPanel, etc.
• Risks of this business model:
  • Many podcasts fail before 10 episodes
  • Low barrier to entry for competitors
  • Unproven market
• Similar niche services based on multisite installs:
  • Low end: WordPress.com, Edublogs
  • High end: Restaurant Engine by Brian Casel, New Rainmaker

Tips & Tricks

• David: WPStream (in the repository)
  • Records everything that happens on your site
• Doug: RescueTime
  • Tracks productivity and time spent on various sites/applications