It has been many years of constant Rife theme presence. Both Free version and the Premium one received great opinions. Primarily focused on photography, our theme become multipurpose since it’s fully compatible with the Elementor ecosystem. Now it’s the time for changes. Price changes, and some more.
Change #1
Now is the time we want to grow some.
This is generic. This change is caused by the mere fact that Apollo13Themes has now changed management.
For many years, it was Daniel and Wojtek (known as Air.) – these two put a lot of effort to build the brand.
Now it’s Michael. Also from Poland, also a well seasoned WordPress developer. The goal is to respect and keep what has been done so far, plus build more.
Change #2
Obvious things are … obvious. Price changes.
Prices are going up everywhere, and to be honest – the fact that we didn’t change our pricing for years might suggest that the project is slowly dying. And it’s not, it’s quite far from this. So price changes are unavoidable.
We will not give any discounts for subscription renewal either. The sole reasoning behind the renewal discount is to …. naaaahhhh. Let’s ask ChatGPT:
Arguments for:
Renewal discounts are often offered by businesses for several reasons:
- Customer retention: Offering a discount incentivizes existing customers to renew their subscription or service, thereby increasing customer retention rates. It’s a way for companies to reward loyalty and encourage customers to stay with them rather than switching to a competitor.
- Reduced acquisition costs: Acquiring new customers can be more costly than retaining existing ones. Renewal discounts can help reduce the need for extensive marketing and sales efforts to attract new customers, as satisfied existing customers are more likely to renew their subscriptions or services.
- Revenue predictability: Securing renewals from existing customers provides a more predictable revenue stream for businesses. Offering discounts can help ensure a higher renewal rate, which contributes to a stable revenue flow over time.
- Competitive advantage: In competitive markets, offering renewal discounts can differentiate a company from its competitors and attract customers who are looking for value-added benefits. It’s a strategy to stay ahead in the market by providing additional incentives to customers.
- Relationship building: By offering discounts to existing customers, companies can strengthen their relationship with them. It shows that the company values their continued business and is willing to provide incentives to maintain the relationship.
Overall, renewal discounts serve as a win-win strategy for both businesses and customers, fostering loyalty, reducing churn, and ensuring a steady revenue stream.
Arguments against:
Certainly, while renewal discounts can be effective in certain situations, there are also some criticisms and potential drawbacks to consider:
- Margin erosion: Offering discounts to existing customers can eat into the profit margins of a business. If the discount is too steep, it may not offset the revenue gained from renewals, leading to lower overall profitability.
- Perceived value decrease: Continuously offering renewal discounts may devalue the product or service in the eyes of customers. They may come to expect discounts every time they renew, which can erode the perceived value of the offering.
- Customer segmentation: Offering renewal discounts indiscriminately to all customers may not be the most strategic approach. Different customers have different levels of loyalty and willingness to pay. Providing discounts to customers who would have renewed anyway can be seen as unnecessary revenue loss.
- Customer resentment: Some customers may feel resentful if they see new customers receiving better deals or promotions than they do. This can lead to dissatisfaction and potentially churn if customers feel they are not being fairly treated.
- Long-term sustainability: Relying too heavily on renewal discounts to retain customers may not be sustainable in the long run. It’s essential for businesses to focus on providing value and building strong customer relationships beyond just offering discounts.
- Brand image: Offering frequent discounts may undermine the brand image of the company, especially if it positions itself as a premium or high-value provider. It could send mixed messages about the quality or exclusivity of the product or service.
While renewal discounts can be a useful tool in customer retention strategies, businesses should carefully consider the potential downsides and ensure that discounts are implemented thoughtfully to avoid negative consequences.
As you can see there’s no answer; there is only a decision. And the decision has been made.
IMPORTANT
!!! The change will not affect our current clients !!!
Change #3
New plans. New services.
Unlimited plan – no more.
If you like our theme, and want to use it as a tool for your clients – we can have an agreement and provide you with a discount code. But no more unlimited installations for two hundred bucks.
No more 30 days Moneyback Guarantee.
We have demos where you can check how website operates.
We have the documentation, which is really good one.
We have a support forum where clients can get help.
And to be honest, this 30 days Moneyback Guarantee has been exploited several times by – gently speaking – creative users. Still – the refund will be possible if any demo or any documentation’s paragraph is misleading. Each refund case will be examined separately.
On top of this, we will bring back a Monthly plan, so you can get familiar with our theme at a lower cost. That’s why we added premium support to this plan – to help you get your website running asap.
The second plan we’re going to add is a Full Service plan. And this is something.
This plan will contain everything that you technically need to run a website:
- Webserver, complete solution for your website, with a webmailer, mail account, backups, caching mechanism, malware scanner, staging environment, CDN and more
- Rife Pro license
- Initial installation – it’s not only a pure WordPress, we install Rife, import a demo of your choice, and populate it with content you choose. You will get an agent that will guide you and help you finish your website asap. We estimate that 5 working hours is sufficient to start a simple website.
- Premium plugins – this is Elementor Pro and Crocoblock package.
- Technical maintenance – everyday drill, checklist on our side to make sure your website will not become a zombie.
- Domain – if you wish – we can handle this for you as well.
- and some more…
So technically speaking – a person who gets a Full Service plan becomes our client with all the bells and whistles.
The detailed description of this plan can be found here.
Summary
Starting from April 1st, 2024
- Price changes – it’s going up
- No more renewal discounts
- No more Unlimited
- No more 30 day refund guarantee
- Two extra plans: Full Service and Monthly
These changes are necessary, and we’re fully aware that they will spoil a day for some folks. If you respect the work that has been done – you will understand.
Before the new prices are introduced, we will publish a detailed description of Full Service plan. Stay tuned!
All the best!!!