Just as Word is the reference for word processing for the general public, WordPress is becoming the reference for website creation. The comparison between the two software programs ends there. In short, it can be said that they are really not from the same century… Word is based on a traditional proprietary model, whereas WordPress is free software. The learning curve is therefore totally different: generally, Word is learned on a cracked version (Word is expensive), whereas WordPress is downloaded and updated for free. You “suffer” Word, its functioning and its flaws, while you “adapt” WordPress to your needs.
Then, similarly, you learn Word through manuals or paid training, while you will easily find excellent free resources within the immense community to train yourself on WordPress, answer your questions, and progress.
A growing global market of active users!
And this is where we find “The opportunities” announced in the title, in this immense community of active users, who exchange, document themselves, experiment, and rely on WordPress for their own business. Whether you are a site designer like me, or the owner of a tourist property, an online store, or a freelancer… WordPress has become an indispensable tool for existing and lasting on the web. And even if the software is free, these are all users who do not hesitate to invest, for example by buying paid themes (see the dynamism of shops like Themeforest…) and who will not hesitate to acquire other services. And here the potential for clients is dizzying… the market is gigantic and opportunities are numerous. It is up to you to create the activity that meets a need, whether in the creation of themes, plugins, services… Emilie Lebrun, from the site wp-pro, has listed 11 businesses around WordPress:
http://www.wp-pro.fr/11-idees-de-business-autour-de-wordpress/
I also invite you to read the article from eleganthemes (in English) with 7 business ideas:
http://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/tips-tricks/business-opportunities-in-the-growing-wordpress-economy
Yes, from home, you can create your business, whether you are in Paris or in Africa, internet access is enough. For my part, I live in a small village of 300 inhabitants, and many of us are in this situation, because we are absolutely not isolated as long as we have taken the trouble to both offer a relevant service and get involved in the community.
A product and a winning strategy
In France, there is an interesting example of a new business that illustrates this new phenomenon well: the plugin “wp-rocket”. Without going into technical details, it is a service that accelerates a website by caching content. Google, in the complexity of its algorithm, takes into account the loading speed of a site and informs a site owner of this parameter through the PageSpeed Tools service (and thus creates a need). To accelerate their WordPress site, “wp-rocket” developed an easy-to-use paid plugin. Besides the effectiveness of this product, the entire team’s approach is remarkable and, above all, they do not hesitate to share their entire adventure very transparently. Jonathan Buttigieg, the co-founder, spoke at a conference during the last WordCamp and I really invite you to consult his video (available soon) of his talk:
Living off an extension? The example of WP Rocket
https://2016.paris.wordcamp.org/session/vivre-dune-extension-lexemple-de-wp-rocket-3/
And here is an example of an article posted on their blog to communicate about their situation:
http://blog.wp-rocket.me/3-reasons-why-you-shouldnt-offer-lifetime-licences-transparency-report-8-augustseptember-2015/
It is a very Anglo-Saxon approach, but in the current context, it is the winning and ambitious strategy for success: draw inspiration from methods that work, offer a high-performance product, listen to users, be present in the community, invest, hire, have fun, release new services… Given their results, it is a paying strategy and as Jonathan said in conclusion, we all hope it is an example that will encourage others to start.
Dare you?
