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Making Money Online
30. Jun, 2009 by Adii Rockstar in New Themes
Making Money Online
I deliberately decided that the title of the post should be “Making Money Online”, purely because it’s still such a buzz-word for everyone looking to profit from an online venture. So the thing with our latest theme – Feature Pitch – is that it was designed to do just that: make you some money.
One of the things that probably frustrates me most – online & off – is that the salesperson doesn’t seem to get the recognition that he / she did in the years gone by. So whilst marketers (probably) have seriously devalued the skills and expertise of top salespeople, we still believe that selling yourself / your company / products / services is an art. With Feature Pitch we have thus tried to add a simple, yet effective tool to increase your conversions online.
If you have a look at the homepage, you’ll see that the design is reminiscent of a layout trend that have been made popular by Mac OSX applications in particular. The header includes a nicely emphasized feature block to introduce your product / service, whilst the rest of the homepage contains smaller bits of information that will continue to enhance the supposed awesomeness of whatever you are selling.
The inner pages are uncomplicated in both design & function, and they were crafted with ease-of-use in mind. Once you have sold the reader on your product / service (on the homepage already), the rest of the website should read easily and the reader should jump into a purchasing process with a smile on his / her face.
We believe that Feature Pitch accomplishes all of that.
So if you have been using an out-of-date design, that just hasn’t been converting your leads into sales; we seriously recommend you give Feature Pitch a try. We don’t really believe in those “30 days money back guaranteed” deals, but we almost believe in Feature Pitch that much, to actually consider offering you something like that… 
UPDATE: We have updated / fixed the little usability bug for the comment form on Feature Pitch, which was reported in your comments below.
53 Responses to “Making Money Online”
30 June 2009 at 8:35 am #
Woo themes your themes getting bad day after day
After the awesome fresh news and wootube u make very ugly themes
Man look how elegant themes look
can u do thing more good than him of course no
Impress me and make some thing beautiful
Publish for fair
Regards
30 June 2009 at 9:32 am #
Ahmed, we do appreciate feedback on our designs, but when you don’t give us any constructive critisism, it isn’t very helpful.
I designed both Fresh News and WooTube, and think this theme is just as good a theme as those, although it is meant for a completely different purpose.
I also believe our themes are getting better and better “day after day”, as we have received great feedback from our users, and remember that we also sit on stats on what themes are popular, and nothing points to newer themes being worse than old…
30 June 2009 at 10:01 am #
Sorry Magnus I have to agree with Ahmed on this one and TBH this one should of been a freebie no scratch that, shouldn’t have been released.
Yes it has the new wonderful woothemes framework and great support etc, and having used many woothemes I feel that is what makes you stand out from other theme sites eg.. themeforest.
This theme just looks very basic, it looks like one i would find in a huge collection of freebie themes and skim past it.
“you’ll see that the design is reminiscent of a layout trend that have been made popular by Mac OSX applications in particular” unfortunately it doesn’t
Each to there own and yes you know what sells, but this one wont be featuring any of my pitches.
Sorry Adii – love your work (almost always)
30 June 2009 at 4:21 pm #
Hi magnus – i loved the idea round wootubes, but I need some serious help with colour, positioning etc
Shawn jooste is helping – but do we turn to you guys fro the refining ?
Bob
30 June 2009 at 4:27 pm #
Yep, we can most definitely help. The support forum is a great place to start (Shawn’s got an account), otherwise drop us a mail and we can figure something out.
30 June 2009 at 10:21 am #
To each his own.
It’s funny how for every person that loves a new theme we release, we get another one that doesn’t like it. So our ability to release themes that supercede subjective opinions and design preferences is what makes us good at what we do!
30 June 2009 at 10:35 am #
“Sorry Magnus I have to agree with Ahmed” – wooah did i really say that… having re-read Ahmed’s comment again I would have to say absolutely Not.
My comment was strictly based on this theme release not being up to Adii’s usual high standard. You guys certainly do not make ugly themes, and to compare you to that vastly inferior bunch was a major insult. Sorry Adii / Woothemes i walk away in shame.
30 June 2009 at 10:56 am #
Hehe, no hard feelings.
With regards to this not being my best work… I’m sure that if 50 different people looked at every design I’ve ever created, all of them would pick different designs as being the “best”. Design is just too subjective in that regard.
Plus, Feature Pitch is purposefully under-designed and I’m really excited about seeing some incredible user modifications of this theme.
30 June 2009 at 11:30 am #
Constructive feedback would’ve been better instead of putting some designers down. Theme may look plain and simple but it’s done for a purpose. If you add all fancy images and whistles to every theme then there wouldn’t any unique theme that would stand out. Like the post says, this theme will be used to sell a product so you would want the theme to have simple layout and faster loading time.
30 June 2009 at 9:18 am #
why this theme price 50 $
30 June 2009 at 9:29 am #
Where is the price $50? It’s $70 on the details page…
30 June 2009 at 9:43 am #
Love this theme, especially in the “Dark” style. This theme would have been perfect for several of my clients’ projects in the past couple of months. Looking forward to using this theme for the next theme where a client needs to feature a product!
Great job again, you guys. Nailed it.
(And the price is a no-brainer.)
30 June 2009 at 10:26 am #
Cheers Shawn. It’s always great to not just have to read negative comments when we release a theme. Whilst we’re a bunch of thick-skinned designers, it still makes you think twice when people criticize a design; so when other designers back you up, you know you can’t be too far from right!
30 June 2009 at 10:17 am #
Woo… some people can be harsh. If Ahmed doesn’t care for the design well then he doesn’t have to buy it. No need to voice his opinion to the world if it will discourage potential customers.
Personally, I think the theme looks great! My only criticism are the comment fields. While they look nice and symmetrical, I don’t think they are very intuitive. I read blogs daily and even I would have to think about which field is for name, email, or website.
With all that said… Great work and keep the themes coming!
30 June 2009 at 10:22 am #
Thanks for the backup.
And we’re actually aware of the issue with the comment fields and they’ll receive a nice jQuery upgrade soon to make them more usable!
30 June 2009 at 10:30 am #
Cool! Can’t wait to see what you all come up with.
30 June 2009 at 10:35 am #
Ahmed is out of line here. I don’t see the point of voicing such harsh criticism with no constructive comments to back it up.
No need to make this a freebie, or charge less for it. The theme rocks, just like the rest of the Woo catalog. Last time I checked, having a “clean” and user-friendly design is never a bad thing.
Keep up the great work Adii, and don’t sweat the haters.
30 June 2009 at 10:47 am #
Hi,
Ilove woo themes this why i check the site every day not every day but every hour
thats why im saying my opinion in the new theme honestly
This theme not the one we looking for or pay for it .
ithemesdotnet
yes idont care about the design but care about woo themes this awesome project
What make me say my opinion
some people can be harsh.
Why because im saying my opnion about the new theme im saying harsh
Please make poll for this theme lets see the result
Regards
30 June 2009 at 10:59 am #
Don’t get me wrong at all; we love the fact that our users love us enough to be honest and interact with us.
But, Brian is right in saying that comments that don’t include constructive feedback are less valuable. A poll would mean nothing either. Ultimately if we continue to sell themes, then that’s the measure of whether a theme should’ve been released or not.
Also realize that not even individual sales of Feature Pitch would prove the theme to be successful, as we have a club and their signups can’t be related to any specific, individual theme.
30 June 2009 at 10:44 am #
Personally, I think it’s quite nice. I already forwarded the URL on to a prospective client.
Each to their own, beauty is in the eye of the beholder etc.
I think Ahmed needs to first go and look at his own site and how he hasn’t even managed to pull of an “installed theme” customisation, let alone design and code his own. Don’t take it to heart guys… there are just people in the world like him.
30 June 2009 at 10:50 am #
Rose idont have to be Apro designer to say my opnion in the theme
ilike my site and blog design in it
30 June 2009 at 10:52 am #
sorry ross miss spelling
Sorry Woo themes
I wrote because i care
30 June 2009 at 10:52 am #
Hey, everyone is entitled to their opinion.
I think it is a fantastic product/services site. The actual site design would not distract from the product being advertised/displayed. That said, the site design is clean, crisp and well laid out. Great for easy to find/read product info.
I think some people will only see it’s true potential in a real world scenario.
30 June 2009 at 11:01 am #
Yep, I’m most definitely keen to see what our users will do with the theme. I really think this is just a semi-coloured canvas and that as soon as there’s an amazing user-modified version of Feature Pitch in the real world, the critics will realize that the design ain’t half bad…
30 June 2009 at 10:53 am #
Oh, and well done again on another winner guys!
30 June 2009 at 10:57 am #
I love the layout, but I have a major problem with 2 things. I don’t like the top navigation, and I think it looks HUGE, bulky and unprofessional. Also, every color scheme but the first one is ugly.
I think some “softer” gradients would look much better, and more “blended” colors. I don’t like the color with black gradient look.
Anyway to have a ” alternate” navigation function?
I don’t mean to sound harsh, but I really am just stating my opinion, and I didn’t want to sugar coat it. But saying that, with a few minor tweeks, this theme could be the bomb.
30 June 2009 at 11:02 am #
Thanks for the feedback.
Colour schemes are quite easy to add and this is most definitely something we’ll look to add to Feature Pitch in the coming weeks.
With regards to the navigation… I’d love to hear what you had in mind in terms on an alternative.
30 June 2009 at 11:02 am #
My god in heaven! The theme might not be to everyones liking but there’s saying it’s not your cup of tea and there’s being just plain rude!
Ahmed; If you act like this in the real world then I can’t see you having many friends.
I can’t say I feel it’s WooThemes’ strongest release but I appreciate it’s purpose and think it carries it off very well none the less.
Keep doing what you’re doing, Adii.
30 June 2009 at 11:04 am #
Thanks for the support Dan.
And yeah, the theme does carry a niche purpose and it’s our club members who really benefit from releases like this, as they now have 36 themes to choose from for their next project. So having a massive variety of different themes – instead of the standard, cookie-cutter options – is a massive plus! IMO anyway…
30 June 2009 at 11:10 am #
Hi dan
iact this with the friend i care about not with any one
1 July 2009 at 2:54 am #
I have no idea what that means…
30 June 2009 at 11:10 am #
Thanks for articulating what I was thinking…
30 June 2009 at 11:12 am #
Dan is right! Constructive criticism is one thing but you shouldn’t be rude. Personally, I’m amazed at how Adii and his team create new themes constantly that provide a unique touch and service different people. Keep up the great work!
30 June 2009 at 11:33 am #
Tim,
I agree completely. I already purchased the theme. Thanks Adii, and crew, for the design and the excellent communication and support.
30 June 2009 at 11:57 am #
“It does feel awesome when your fans rally behind you and drown out the criticism from the haters…” Was the Twitter post that brought me here.
This is, indeed, a weird thread. 1 part English-as-a-second-language, 9 parts tense ego interactions. “Ahmed” – broken English aside – tried to give worthwhile input to a company he clearly feels strong affection for (and failed)… He visits the site hourly & it upset that early design greatness is not coming through in later work… right or wrong, phrased badly or phrased horribly. He didn’t do a good job at presenting criticism. He also clearly doesn’t speak English well enough to be nuanced… enough to roughly communicate ideas but surely not enough to control tone. No, he was not tactful.
So this is the “Hater” that fans are rallying against?
“Man look how elegant themes look
can u do thing more good than him of course no
Impress me and make some thing beautiful
Publish for fair”
–Says Ahmed… meaning what exactly? “can u do thing more good than him of course no” (??) Yeah, that is some pretty devastating bashing. Can you afford enough psychotherapy to get over it? LOL. (I’m ribbing you. Sarcasm not snark. I like your product & respect you. OK? Just talkin’ ’bout designers taking criticism. I’m a designer & ego-detachment anything but easy.)
IDK… I mostly see ego combat going on here. Some fan telling “Ahmed” that – since he is not a pro- programmer or designer he is not qualified to criticize. Some other fan bashing him personally, mocking him as a friendless loser because of his critique-fail. One comment from a principal (“Whilst we’re a bunch of thick-skinned designers…”) that seems dubious at best, judging from this ego clashing & the “in your face haters!” Tweet. Frankly, I’m surprised that seasoned, experienced pros would make any kind of deal about such criticism. I appreciate that it sucks to get bashed on, feels good to get stood up for — but it is more impressive to see seasoned professionals taking criticism like seasoned professionals & not celebrating the crashing egos.
My 23 cents. Do with them what you will.
Matthew
30 June 2009 at 12:10 pm #
23 cents, huh?
First up, on my “hater” comment. I think it’s fair to say that using the word “hater” in this regard is a generalization and stereotype for people that criticize one’s work. Maybe it’s only I / we that use that word, but I seemed to think it was more widely used.
So it may seem harsh, but the word (within my intended context) is not intended to be interpreted as harshly at all. In fact, I never took offense from Ahmed and I have no beef about his comment.
As for my “thick-skinned” comment… It was meant to be tongue-in-cheek and only means that every designer needs quite a bit of self-belief to stand tough against subjective feedback.
30 June 2009 at 12:15 pm #
Bottom line people…
You ARE allowed to criticize, as long as it is constructive, and not just designer bashing. DON’T be afraid to voice your opinion. If everyone always said “Wow. Awesome work, you guys are SO good.” Then WooThemes would never be able to grow and evolve.
Also, remember… this is NOT a free service. The WooThemes workers and owners are getting paid very well for providing quality themes, and awesome customer service. So if you have a qualm, complain. If someone served your steak to you raw at a steakhouse, would you just eat it that way? Or would you tell them how you wanted it cooked and give it back for them to cook it properly?
Adii: Here are a couple of navigation styles I think would look awesome on this theme…
http://365daysofastronomy.org/
http://www.studio7designs.com/portfolio/
http://invoicemachine.com/home (similar but cleaner)
30 June 2009 at 1:04 pm #
Thanks for that. Whilst it’s obviously difficult to change the design itself at this stage, we’re definitely going to have a look at those examples tomorrow when we’re back at the office!
30 June 2009 at 12:16 pm #
Ahmed is entitled to his opinion, but without any constructive feedback we have no clue at what he is looking for?
Making every theme look like Busy Bee or WooTube is not considered constructive feedback
Let’s give ahmed a rest and focus on the theme instead, ok?
30 June 2009 at 12:55 pm #
This theme is a copy, check out: http://invoicemachine.com/home
Why?
30 June 2009 at 1:02 pm #
I’m 100% aware of the InvoiceMachine design. Magnus first showed it to me a few days after I had first showed the rest of the WooTeam the mockups to Feature Pitch.
So irrespective whether you believe me or not, the InvoiceMachine is a great design and if Feature Pitch helps any of our users achieve similar awesomeness, I’d be happy.
30 June 2009 at 2:30 pm #
Why does it say 4 for 1 Opening Special on the image at the top of the theme page when you aren’t running the special?
30 June 2009 at 2:49 pm #
Oops… We haven’t gotten around to changing the banner yet. Sorry for the confusion!
30 June 2009 at 4:34 pm #
I changed that yesterday… just refresh your cache
1 July 2009 at 3:39 am #
Hi Guys, I think there is one thing that would really help. Where you leave a blog comment it doesn’t state in the 3 boxes above where you leave your comment what they are for. My site visitors are new to computers and they will not know they need to enter their name, email and website.
Can you please add that feature — just like you have on this blog here so I knew prior to commenting that I needed to leave my own Name (required) Email (required, will not be published) and Website (optional).
Then this is perfect (for me at least)… thankyou.
Tyler.
1 July 2009 at 4:04 am #
Already working on that and the new version should be available later today…
1 July 2009 at 4:44 am #
Great – thanks Adii
1 July 2009 at 8:19 pm #
The InvoiceMachine.com design is most awesome! Is there a way I could use their same color scheme with some tweaking of Feature Pitch?
What about using ShareThis? Can this be added easily?
What if I have several products to promote? Is there a way to replicate the look of the front page for each product?
Thanks for a great sales solution!
1 July 2009 at 11:36 pm #
I think Feature Pitch’s “Dark” colour scheme is quite similar to InvoiceMachine’s; so you can use that as a basis and just tweak it further.
And and yes, ShareThis should seamlessly integrate via the WP plugin that is available for that.
Lastly, you can replicate the front-page for further pages, but you’d need duplicate it into a page template and then tweak the code. It’s pretty complex and I’d suggest you ask on of our Affiliated Woo Workers to help out with that.
11 July 2009 at 5:00 pm #
What is the SEO integration like on this theme?
13 July 2009 at 11:58 am #
I think the SEO is pretty good. We’re definitely no SEO experts and we definitely don’t believe that SEO is the be-all and end-all. That said, the theme is coded using basic SEO practices.
11 July 2009 at 5:10 pm #
What is the idea behind the 2 main title tabs beside the main product image: “open the box” and “more info first” Wouldn’t both links lead to the same product information page? How would these be different?
13 July 2009 at 11:57 am #
Well, I think having the two buttons just makes things a little more flexible… So if you wanted to link to two different pages, you could…
Note however that it is not necessary to have both of them in there; and this is easily managed from our theme options backend.