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Top 10 Selling StudioPress Themes – December

Jessica Commins — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:16:55 +0000

The holidays were a very happy time for StudioPress affiliates.

Sales for StudioPress themes stayed strong through the end of the year, letting us pay our top affiliate $6,235.65 in commissions last month, just for promoting Genesis and our themes.

(are you a StudioPress affiliate yet?)

To make our “most popular Genesis Framework child themes” posts more interesting, this month we’re going to start listing our Top 10 best selling themes instead of only our Top 5.

In December 2011, the top 10 selling StudioPress child themes were:

10. Driskill

Separating the best from the rest is the Driskill theme by Bill Erickson, StudioPress’ first responsive design. Clean and contemporary, it’s no surprise this is used for both personal and professional sites of all kinds.

9. Minimum

Sometimes less really is more. The popularity of StudioPress’ Minimum theme proves that solid content with great navigation can be all you need.

8. Modern Blogger

A strong seller since its introduction to the Genesis Child Theme Marketplace in September, Lindsey Riel’s Modern Blogger theme marries comfortable design with modern sensibilities.

7. Associate

When your company’s image is on the line, you need to be sure you’re putting your best foot forward. The Associate theme empowers you to do just that.

6. Generate

If this theme had another day or two to sell, it would have likely made the Top 5. Released last month to rave reviews, Generate is the theme to use if you’re serious about growing your email list.

5. Magazine

When you have a ton of content and need a sleek way to organize it on your site, the Magazine theme is an excellent choice. With lots of customization options and easy navigation, your content is free to steal the spotlight.

4. Lifestyle

The Lifestyle theme never ceases to amaze me. People are using this flexible theme for every kind of site imaginable, and considering the number of design options provided, Lifestyle isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

3. Enterprise

The Enterprise theme offers a professional frame for corporate-style sites, giving you the approachability you desire and the trustworthy image you require.

2. News

Savvy publishers know that the key to content-heavy sites is simple, yet stunning, navigation. The News theme offers that and more for publishers of every type of media.

1. AgentPress

Boasting 5 color styles, smart homepage designs, IDX integration and simplified posting options for listings, AgentPress continues to lead the StudioPress theme charge. Check out the AgentPress showcase to see how smart real estate professionals are letting Genesis work for them.

Were these the themes you expected? Have a favorite you think should be in the Top 10 for January?

Sound off in the comments!

Download the Genesis Guide for Absolute Beginners (Free PDF)

Brian Gardner — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:18:43 +0000

The team here at StudioPress has put together a basic guide for you on how to navigate Genesis (as well as a good bit of WordPress), and get your site going right out of the box.

Whether you’re just starting out with the Genesis Framework for WordPress, or you’ve been enjoying its power and flexibility for a while, this download should prove very helpful.

The guide is packed with 44 pages of useful and specific instructions on getting started with Genesis, including:

Ever wonder what a functions file is? … Check page 6
Need a quick tutorial on getting those widgets going? … Head over to page 26
Wondering what the heck all those SEO settings mean? … Find out on page 19
Want to install Genesis from inside WordPress? … We’ve got you covered on page 8

This is also a living document, so be sure to check back often for updates and improvements as Genesis itself evolves with the future web.

Click here to download The Genesis Guide for Absolute Beginners (PDF) 1.4 MB

WordPress 3.3 Has (finally) Arrived!

Brian Gardner — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:03:11 +0000

As many of you know, WordPress 3.3 was officially released. We wanted to let you know that we’ve updated the StudioPress site and all of the Genesis child theme demo sites — and all is well.

This is our way of saying “Go for it, you should safely be able to update to WordPress 3.3!”

What’s New in WordPress 3.3

Experienced users will appreciate the new drag-and-drop uploader, hover menus for the navigation, the new toolbar, improved co-editing support, and the new Tumblr importer. They’ve also been thinking a ton about what the WordPress experience is like for new users.

Version 3.3 has significant improvements there with pointer tips for new features, a friendly welcome message for first-time users, and revamped help tabs throughout the interface. They’ve improved the dashboard experience on the iPad and other tablets with better touch support.

There is a ton of candy for developers as well. I’d recommend starting your exploration with the new editor API, new jQuery version, better ways to hook into the help screens, more performant post-slug-only permalinks, and of course the entire list of improvements on the Codex and in Trac.

Updating WordPress for Genesis Users

The development team here at StudioPress is always working with the bleeding version of WordPress. As a result, we can confidently say that there aren’t any known issues with WordPress 3.3 and Genesis 1.7.1.

We cannot promise that all of your plugins are compatible, so make sure you check those for compatibility before updating.

Now that WordPress 3.3 has been released, we’ll be working hard over the next week or two to prepare Genesis 1.8 for release. Until then, Happy Updating!

Top 5 Selling StudioPress Themes – November

Jessica Commins — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:08:41 +0000

November was an exciting month for StudioPress affiliates. Sales for StudioPress themes skyrocketed during our Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale, with more new themes sold than any other month this year.

Our top affiliate made $7,788.15 in commissions last month, just for promoting the Genesis framework and our themes. (are you a StudioPress affiliate yet?)

While I can’t tell you what the affiliate sold, I can tell you the 5 most popular Genesis Framework child themes currently available on StudioPress… They are:

5. Magazine

The Magazine theme underwent a major code update at the beginning of September and sales have remained strong ever since. Updated to include 7 color styles, the Genesis Slider plugin and loads of customization options, Magazine’s able to handle as much content as you can create.

4. Enterprise

When you need a website that means business, the Enterprise theme stands ready to deliver. As you can see from the Enterprise Showcase, the professional frame this corporate-style theme provides can work for a variety of uses.

3. Lifestyle

The Lifestyle theme continues to win the hearts of Genesis users worldwide. With 10 friendly color styles and widgets that frame everything from text to fine photography, it’s no surprise that the Lifestyle Showcase is loaded with gorgeous sites that cover the spectrum of website owners.

2. News

Savvy publishers know that the key to content-heavy sites is simple, yet stunning, navigation. The News theme offers that and more. Prepared to support everything from in-depth articles to eye-popping video, News is what you use when you want your visitors to keep coming back for more.

1. AgentPress

Boasting 5 color styles, new homepage options, IDX integration and simplified posting options for listings, AgentPress was this month’s #1 selling theme by a solid margin. Check out the Showcase to see how smart real estate professionals are letting Genesis work for them.

Marketplace Mention:

Driskill jumped to the front of the Genesis Child Theme Marketplace pack this month and nearly clenched a Top 5 spot. Elle came in a close second for the Marketplace.

So… Were these the themes you expected? Have a favorite that should be in the Top 5?

Tell us what you think in the comments!

The 25% Off Cyber Monday Sale for StudioPress

Brian Gardner — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:21:56 +0000

Have you been wanting to buy the Pro Plus All-Theme Package? Have you been looking for a new design for your WordPress site? Do you want to save some serious holiday cash?

Woot, Now’s Your Chance to Save!

Using the code THANKS at checkout (don’t forget that), you can save 25% off of anything you’d like here at StudioPress. And now that we’re making every theme mobile-responsive, forum-friendly, and e-commerce-ready, you’ll get those benefits when they arrive thanks to our unlimited upgrade policy.

Get the Genesis Framework for only $45.
Pick up a Genesis child theme design for less than $20.
Snag a Genesis / design combo and save close to $20 (or more).
Wipe our entire shop clean by getting our Pro Pack All-Theme Package. Get Genesis plus all 43 current designs, plus every design we make in the future, and save over $74 off the regular price (and over $875 off the retail price of just the existing 43 designs)!

This deal ends promptly at 5:00 pm Pacific time on Monday, November 28, 2011.

So if you love to get a deal, now’s the time to get it. Just don’t forget the promo code THANKS, because that’s how the deal happens at checkout. But you got that, right?

Start Shopping for Themes Now!

But Wait, There’s More!

We’ve just released version 1.2 of our Premise landing page software for WordPress, and it includes lots of cool new features and refinements. Coolest of all is the introduction of an innovative 8th landing page type — the social sharing page.

Learn How to Get Premise Ultimate for only $95!

3 (More) Reasons to be Thankful for StudioPress

Brian Gardner — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:10:35 +0000

A few days ago I shared a link that shed some insight into the direction that we are heading here at StudioPress. There are 3 things that we’re very excited to share, so watch the video:

1. Responsive/Mobile

As we’ve already announced, StudioPress themes will be updated for responsive design which will make them mobile-friendly. Devices such as the iPhone, iPad, Android and others will be optimized for a better viewing experience without disrupting the integrity of the design you have on your site.

2. bbPress integration

With the release of the bbPress 2.0, we’ve decided that it was important to provide styling for our themes which visually allow seamless integration with our themes. Now that bbPress is using custom post types to build forum functionality, this integration has never been easier.

Click to see sample bbPress integration

3. WooCommerce integration

It’s no secret that there’s a growing number of sites that wish to incorporate a storefront. We’ve worked with the WooThemes development team to ensure integration with the WooCommerce plugin. Soon you will be able to transform your WordPress website into an online store.

Click to see sample WooCommerce integration

Schedule of Theme Updates

I’m sure the next thing you want to know is when these awesome features are going to be integrated, right? We’re hoping to include all of these features into the upcoming Agency theme update and from there we’ll be doing one theme at a time.

Special Announcement

As Thanksgiving draws near, be sure to stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog post here as it’ll be packed full of more reasons to be thankful!

Responsive Design for Genesis Child Themes

Brian Gardner — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:18:05 +0000

With the exponential increase of mobile device and tablet users, the concept of responsive web design is becoming more relevant to what we do here at StudioPress. While there are some plugins that exist which make a theme “mobile”, we decided to take matters into our own hands.

While I was in San Francisco this summer for WordCamp, I had the pleasure of attending a session called Responsive Web Design given by Sara Cannon. (Follow her at @saracannon.)

There’s no denying the longterm effects that mobile devices will have on web design. Sara happens to think so as well:

Your site is about your content. With mobile devices, iPads, phones, gaming consoles, etc: people can access your content many different ways and formats. How can we maintain some control over the display of our content and keep our brand consistent? How can we try to provide the best user experience on any platform?

Moving Towards Responsive Design

That being said, we will be moving towards a responsive design approach with Genesis and our child themes. When Genesis 1.8 is released, the default parent theme will already have it. If you want to check it out, you can visit the Sample theme demo to see how it looks on mobile devices as well as reduced screen resolutions.

If you’re looking for immediate gratification, you can check out the Driskill theme developed by Bill Erickson – which is the first responsive theme made available on the Marketplace.

Over the course of time, we’ll be updating our existing themes to take advantage of this feature. With the release of our new themes, we’ll also be incorporating responsive design into them. You can see a sample of how the updated Agency theme will look with responsive design.

Sample Shots from the iPhone

Sample Shots from the iPad

Managed WordPress Hosting (Genesis Users Only)

Brian Gardner — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:56:01 +0000

I am very pleased to announce our launch of Synthesis – managed WordPress hosting exclusively for our StudioPress customers.

With a user base of more than 58,000 people, we’re frequently asked for recommendations on high quality web hosting. Since we took the hosting for Copyblogger Media in-house earlier this year, we can’t really recommend something we don’t use.

So we’re offering you the exact hosting services that we use for our own high-traffic sites.

Here Are 3 Reasons Why You Should Choose Synthesis

Performance
Serious online publishers require impeccable uptime, incredibly fast page load times, and the ability to withstand any traffic onslaught that comes along.
Security
Hackers, malware, and other malicious nastiness are facts of doing business online. We protect your sites smartly, effectively, and without sacrificing performance.
Expertise
We run mission critical websites that power our businesses. If you’re marketing and publishing online, so do you. We treat your sites like they’re our own.

Here’s a more detailed explanation of why you should choose Synthesis.

Why We Built Synthesis

Struggling to keep your site up during traffic success is a distraction from the real business of any company, plain and simple.

The Internet is littered with sites that are hacked, sites that get taken down from a major link, sites that crumbled from a single tweet. Clearly, this is sad … and yet completely avoidable.

We began optimizing a custom hosting stack which allowed further enhancements of performance and security to our own sites that were otherwise not possible. And we’re getting incredible results.

If you want to read more, check out the backstory on Synthesis and why we decided to offer it only to Genesis users.

Special Introductory Offer

Anyway, we’ve got a site with all the details for you to check out. And we’ve also got a special introductory offer.

Simply use the code GENESIS at checkout, and you’ll save 20% — forever — off the price of your hosting account with us.

This initial deal is good until October 28, 2011, so you’ve got time to check everything out and make sure we’re a good fit for you.

But head over there now to take a look – we’re not for everyone, but we’re just right for Genesis users who have websites that can’t afford to crash or get hacked.

Click here to get started with Synthesis Managed WordPress Hosting.

Top 5 Selling StudioPress Themes – September

Jessica Commins — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:03:25 +0000

Our StudioPress Affiliates frequently ask which child themes they should promote to grow their monthly commissions.

While mass appeal doesn’t necessarily reflect your customers’ preferences, knowing which designs appeal to the most people can help you better target them, whatever their unique desires and needs may be.

So, to help you track what’s popular at StudioPress, we’re going to be sharing our monthly best seller reports… Starting right now.

September was an amazing month at StudioPress, with the addition of the new Marketplace. Two of the Marketplace themes were close to clenching a top spot, it hurt to not include them (so I did).

Here are the top 5 most popular Genesis Framework themes available on StudioPress…

5. Associate

A steady seller since its introduction in late July, the Associate theme has been working hard to earn attention. Associate incorporates the slick Genesis Slider plugin, 4 color styles and a number of other customization options to provide a clean and professional web presence.

4. Magazine

The Magazine theme underwent a major code update and was released at the beginning of September, driving renewed interest in this high-powered theme. Updated to now include 7 color styles, 6 layout options, the Genesis Slider plugin and loads of customization options, this theme’s definitely ready to take on as much content as you can offer.

3. AgentPress

Relaunched this month with 5 color styles, new homepage options, IDX integration and simplified posting options for listings, AgentPress continues to hold strong as the WordPress community’s leading theme for real estate professionals. Check out the AgentPress showcase to see how smart real estate professionals are putting Genesis to work.

2. Enterprise

As Copyblogger Media’s Affiliate Manager, I look at websites all day long and I had a feeling we’d see the Enterprise theme on this list – I just didn’t expect it to be the #2 theme for September! It’s being put to use for more than just business sites, as you can see from the Enterprise showcase, proving it’s definitely not a theme to underestimate.

And, coming in at number one…

1. Lifestyle

The top selling theme this month just so happens to be one of Brian Gardner’s favorites, the Lifestyle theme. Lifestyle was the first to utilize Google Web Fonts, and has 10 color styles. Check out the gorgeous sites in the Lifestyle showcase, ranging from fitness leaders to mom bloggers.

Honorable Mention

Modern Blogger was only a few sales shy of clinching a Top 5 spot this month, having jumped ahead of Elle as the month’s best-selling Marketplace theme with a surge of interest during the final week. We can’t wait to see what happens with these next month…

So there you have it!

Are you surprised by any of these? Have a prediction for October?

Sound off in the comments!

StudioPress Welcomes Josh Byers to the Family

Brian Gardner — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:05:14 +0000

On behalf of Copyblogger Media, I am very excited to announce that we’ve officially added Josh Byers to team here at StudioPress. Josh has been around our community for many years, and I’m thrilled to announce that we’ve hired him.

You might recognize Josh from our Genesis Developers page, as he was highly recommended by us for his work at Red Letters Studio. In his portfolio is a blog that he designed for Hollywood actress Rachel McAdams called Green is Sexy.

He’s also the designer behind the Going Green theme, as well as our upcoming Mission theme, and a free child theme called 24K that should be released very soon.

Theme Development and Special Projects

One of the reasons I’m personally excited about Josh being a part of the team is that he will work alongside me over here at StudioPress in a number of capacities. These include child theme development, blog posting, tutorial writing and other projects that he’s more than qualified for.

As Chief Product Officer of Copyblogger Media, my responsibilities are to oversee the development of not only Genesis and our child themes, but also Scribe SEO, Premise Landing Pages and a few other things we’re currently working on. It’s hard to manage all of our lines of business as well as have my hands in a lot of the work behind that goes on behind the scenes.

In other words, Josh has been hired to alleviate me from some of the things I’ve been knee-deep in over the past year. All in all, this is a huge win for Copyblogger Media – and especially for the StudioPress family and Genesis development community.