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WP Giveaways is one of the most comprehensive plugins for selecting a winner from your WordPress users. It makes it possible for you to select a random winner(s) from a pool of subscribers or any role you select. The plugin allows you to host multiple giveaways and each will have a unique shortcode that will display the date of the next scheduled draw. WP Giveaways features the following:
The handy thing about WP Giveaways is that it is totally automated. Once you schedule your giveaway, there is nothing else you have to do. The plugin utilizes WP Cron to schedule the draw and will automatically email the winner using the alert template that you create.
Give It Away Now is a relatively new plugin that is specifically for creating daily giveaways. Users can only enter once per day and the results are available in the admin settings page. Giveaways are created as a new content type with a featured image and the following fields: Why, About, Rules, Number of Prizes and End Date. This is how the new content type appears on the frontend:
The post will automatically indicate when the giveaway has closed and all published giveaways will appear in their own archive. The Give It Away Now plugin is useful if you are hosting giveaways that last only 24 hours.
Meetup Winner is a plugin that allows you to host a giveaway at your local meetup. It integrates with the Meetup.com API to select a random member of your Meetup who RSVPed to your event. You can then give away swag or prizes at the event.
The Meetup Winner plugin is very easy to use. Simply add your API key in the settings, add your shortcode with the event’s ID to a page, and the winner will be shown on the frontend of the page.
If you want to select a winner based on comments on a post, the Pick Giveaway Winner plugin will do the trick. Its configuration page is found under the Tools menu.
The plugin uses MySQL’s random function RAND() to randomly select the winners directly from the database. When selecting a winner, you have the option to disqualify entrants who have submitted multiple entries, allow multiple entries, or disqualify multiple entries and allow only one to count. Pick Giveaway Winner hasn’t been updated in awhile, but I tested it with WordPress 3.9 and had no issues.
The idea behind the Golden Ticket plugin is to incentive interaction on your WordPress site. Essentially, the golden ticket is like a prize the user has to hunt for in order to win the reward. You can create multiple golden tickets and hide them throughout your content using a simple [ goldenticket ] shortcode. The golden ticket will pop into view after triggered by an action, which you can define in the settings.
There are three available triggers for revealing the ticket:
The Golden Ticket plugin offers a nice way to identify readers who interact with your content and reward them accordingly. It’s not your traditional giveaway plugin, but it’s likley more accurate at rewarding those who are truly interested in your content, instead of randomly selecting from visitors who are only interested in the prize.
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 06 May 2014 22:25:10 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:15;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:67:"WPTavern: New wptheory Service Launches WordPress Websites in a Day";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=22402";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:178:"http://wptavern.com/new-wptheory-service-launches-wordpress-websites-in-a-day?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-wptheory-service-launches-wordpress-websites-in-a-day";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5606:"Adam Clark, founder of Bottlerocket Creative, just launched a new WordPress service that churns out a website in one day.
That’s right, a complete website in a single day, for $999.
This new project is called wptheory and the service claims to be be able to customize and launch a WordPress theme in a scheduled workday beginning with an 8 a.m. discussion and culminating in a 6 p.m. launch party. The service includes brand matching, content migration and setup (up to 10 pages worth) and plugin installation to make a client’s site look and feel just like the demo of the theme they have chosen. Hosting setup is also included in the flat rate.
Clark, who has long been providing custom WordPress development services for clients, is aiming to get website creation down to a science with his new venture. He’s hoping that packaging the services as products will be a successful business model.
“I’ve always wanted to productize my development services, but could never figure out a good way to do it,” he said. “The idea came from a friend of mine, Andrew Ramos, who has a productized design service called Appe Diem, where he designs your iPhone app in a day.” Clark brainstormed with him about a developer equivalent to that kind of service and landed upon the WordPress theme customization idea.
“I felt like I could provide a lot of value to customers by offering a service that customized their theme, uploaded all their content and launched the site in a single day.”
Clark is launching wptheory alone but is open to adding a team if there is a demand for the service. He believes that this specific theme customization service is the first of its kind but isn’t sure whether it will take off. “Theme customization is a service that a lot of companies offer, but I haven’t seen anything exclusively devoted to this one service,” Clark said. “And definitely no one doing it in a single day.”
There’s no shortage of developers capable of customizing WordPress themes, but Clark is hoping that his new service will offer customers a tidy, branded package of WordPress convenience.
wptheory provides more than just theme customization. It’s an end-to-end website launching service that includes theme customization, content setup and hosting setup. It’s designed to take your mind off your website and let you focus on running your business. A customer shows up at 8 a.m. with their theme and they have a fully-functioning, customized website that is live on the internet by the end of the day. I don’t know anyone who is doing that. My hope is that customers will find a lot of value in the tailored service we offer.
Clark’s target market is people who don’t have a budget for a full custom design and development package and customers who are looking to get a site up fast.
“Maybe you have an idea for a product or service and you want a way to quickly validate the idea, but don’t want to spend a ton of cash or invest a lot of time in getting a site up,” he ventured in an example scenario. “There are a lot companies you could go to, but none that I think would provide wptheory’s level of quality and peace of mind.”
wptheory is aimed squarely at those who would be anxious at the prospect of creating their own websites. Clark summarizes his intentions with the new service:
Mostly, I want to provide a lot of peace of mind. Launching a website is a complicated task for non-web-geeks. There are a lot of best practices to be aware of and I want to take all of that off your plate (even your hosting setup) and provide you with a beautiful, usable website before dinnertime.
It is important to note that wptheory’s basic package does not include custom development or structural changes to the chosen WordPress theme or plugins, although Clark does offer those services for an additional fee. The advantage for the developer in this kind of arrangement is that it clearly defines and limits the scope of the project. It also keeps the client interaction happening within one day and not spread out over many days’ worth of emails.
One challenge Clark may face is that this service depends heavily on the client already having all the content ready to launch a website in a day. Even the most well-prepared clients are often clueless as to what this will entail, especially those that fall within his targeted “non-web-geek” demographic.
For someone with a thriving WordPress development business, the venture isn’t all that much of a risk, given that it might as well be a natural extension of the services he already offers. But is there a market for websites launched in a day, just before dinnertime? Does wptheory have a viable business model?
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 06 May 2014 18:47:34 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Sarah Gooding";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:16;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:88:"WordPress.tv: Miro Veselý: Ako si zjednodušiť tvorbu webov a ako ich zmeniť na zisk?";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"http://wordpress.tv/?p=34574";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:100:"http://wordpress.tv/2014/05/06/miro-vesely-ako-si-zjednodusit-tvorbu-webov-a-ako-ich-zmenit-na-zisk/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:726:"One of the highlights of WordCamp Minneapolis 2014, was the panel discussion on commercial WordPress products. The panel was filled with successful business minds sharing their knowledge of running commercial WordPress products and services.
Each of the panelists shared their story on how they started their business. One thing they all have in common is they concentrated on one specific problem and hammered away at it until they had the best solution.
One of my favorite parts of the discussion was near the end when each individual shared the reality of owning and running a business. It’s not as simple as creating a product and then making money hand over fist. Managing benefits, taxes, out of state employees versus contractors, support, and accounting are all aspects of a business that need to be taken care of in addition to the product or service.
Watch the session and let us know in the comments if you learned anything you can apply to your own business.
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 06 May 2014 04:32:19 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:19;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:79:"WPTavern: Short Interview With John James Jacoby On The Progress Of bbPress 2.6";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=22416";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:202:"http://wptavern.com/short-interview-with-john-james-jacoby-on-the-progress-of-bbpress-2-6?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=short-interview-with-john-james-jacoby-on-the-progress-of-bbpress-2-6";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2962:"Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of conversing with a lot of smart people in the WordPress community. John James Jacoby is one of those people I can talk to for hours on end. Not only does he care about online communities and forums as much as I do, but he’s incredibly intelligent about it.
Every time he and I are at a WordCamp together, I always find time to talk to him. I share the feelings I had while being an active member on forums and how he’s helping to bring that experience to the masses through the bb’s (BuddyPress and bbPress).
In the following interview, Jacoby explains how BuddyPress was able to achieve dramatic increases in performance. We also discuss whether or not forums are dead. Hint, we don’t think so. Last but not least, he gives us an update on what’s in store for bbPress 2.6 and why it hasn’t been released yet.
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 06 May 2014 03:30:09 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:13:"Jeff Chandler";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:20;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:45:"WPTavern: Recap Of WordCamp North Canton 2014";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"http://wptavern.com/?p=22365";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:134:"http://wptavern.com/recap-of-wordcamp-north-canton-2014?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=recap-of-wordcamp-north-canton-2014";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:8142:"
Held within the Business and Entrepreneurial Center on the Stark State College campus, WordCamp North Canton 2014 was a repeat success. Sessions ranged from Plugins 101 to the Science Of Design. I only attended two sessions throughout the day as I spent the majority of my time networking. The sessions I participated in only had about 10-12 attendees but that didn’t faze the speaker as they still delivered a great presentation.
When I interviewed one of the primary organizers of the event Joe Rozsa, he said the event was difficult to put together despite it being the second event he’s organized. A large amount of ticket sales near the time of the event added complexity but the team was able to overcome the challenge and maintain a smooth running WordCamp.
In the following interview, Rosza tells me how he was able to secure the venue on a college campus and the challenges he faced while organizing the event. He also gives some great advice to first time WordCamp organizers.