How to Make Money with WordPress

Build & Sell WordPress Themes, Blocks, and Template Kits

The most traditional yet still lucrative model: creating themes and plugins. But today’s opportunity is broader. Full Site Editing (FSE) and Gutenberg blocks have opened space for micro-themes, patterns, and Elementor template kits that serve niche industries. For example, a “Lawyer Starter Kit” or “Yoga Studio Template Pack.”

Pair Astra Pro with Elementor PRO to speed development. Market them as one-time purchases or bundle them under a membership subscription for recurring income. You can sell directly on your site, on marketplaces, or even inside niche Facebook communities where demand is strong.

• Revenue model: $39–$79 per kit or $199 annual all-access membership
• Passive twist: once built, sales and renewals roll in with minimal updates

Instead of selling time by the hour, package your expertise into repeatable services. This makes pricing transparent and fulfillment scalable. Popular examples:

• Speed Optimization Package — install WP Rocket, compress images with Smush PRO, configure CDN, deliver Core Web Vitals report.
• Security Hardening — malware removal with Wordfence, backups with UpdraftPlus Premium, 2FA setup.
• SEO Starter Kit — structured setup using Yoast SEO Premium, XML sitemaps, schema markup, indexables.

Charge $199–$599 per package. Upsell clients into ongoing support or monthly care plans (see below).

Care plans are the holy grail of recurring revenue. Clients pay a monthly fee for updates, backups, uptime monitoring, security scans, and small edits. You set tiers like $49, $99, and $199/month depending on response times and extras.

Why it works: most site owners don’t want the hassle of keeping plugins updated or monitoring performance. Bundle plugins like Duplicator, W3TC, and Solid Security, and you have a turnkey service with strong margins.

General platforms like Fiverr or Upwork are crowded. A niche marketplace lets you control supply and demand. For example, a “WordPress Developers for Nonprofits” job board or “WooCommerce CRO Specialists.” Monetize via paid listings, featured ads, or recruiter subscriptions.

Plugins exist to spin up job boards quickly, and your competitive edge is focus. With a specific audience, you cut noise and build trust faster.

Directories may sound old-school, but local and niche directories still thrive if they add value. Think “Best Coffee Shops in Brooklyn” or “Top SEO Tools Directory.” Charge businesses for premium listings, verification, or featured placements. Build it with plugins like Web Directory, Directory Pro, or Simple Link Directory Pro.

Leverage your expertise to create a membership site or community. Monetization options include:

• Courses (video, text, or cohort-based)
• Premium communities (forums, Slack/Discord, BuddyBoss integration)
• Exclusive content libraries (templates, toolkits, Q&A sessions)

Use YITH Membership for access control. Add WooCommerce Subscriptions for recurring billing. Creative twist: run a paid newsletter with members-only archives, combining email + WordPress content.

Another passive play: build authority sites around specific niches (e.g., “best WordPress SEO tools” or “local restaurant marketing”). Publish in-depth reviews and tutorials, optimized with Yoast SEO Premium, then monetize with affiliate links, display ads, or sponsored placements.

Done right, this is “programmatic SEO”: scaling content that brings passive traffic for years. Pair it with caching from WP Rocket for speed and better rankings.

Big plugins like WooCommerce dominate, but there’s growing demand for tiny, purpose-built plugins that solve one pain point. Examples:

• Delay third-party JS to improve INP
• Auto-generate podcast schema markup
• Simple cookie consent with GDPR settings

Sell at $29–$59/site or bundle under a yearly subscription. Low support overhead, high margins. Creative spin: turn one plugin into a hosted micro-SaaS with recurring billing.

If you already manage client sites, bundle hosting into your care plans. Use reseller or VPS hosting, brand it under your business, and combine it with updates/security/performance. Clients prefer one invoice, and you pocket margin on both hosting and service.

• AI-Powered Content Packs: Sell pre-built AI prompts, templates, or AI-generated starter sites for niches.
• WordPress + Newsletter Hybrid: Paid Substack-style model, but controlled fully in WP.
• Digital Product Libraries: Stock photos, icons, or vector packs sold as membership downloads.
• Careers + Courses Combo: A directory that also sells related training or certifications.

WordPress is flexible enough to combine multiple models into one ecosystem. Start small, test demand, and layer monetization over time.

1. Pick one model (themes, care plan, directory, etc.)
2. Spin up a site with Astra + Elementor PRO
3. Install essentials: WP Rocket, Smush PRO, Yoast SEO Premium, UpdraftPlus
4. Add a simple landing page with pricing and one CTA
5. Market with 1–2 high-value content posts optimized for keywords
6. Collect emails, test conversion, then iterate

Focus on recurring revenue streams. WordPress offers endless monetization options—what matters is execution and consistency.