Hey there! Have you considered starting a subscription box business? As someone who‘s been building websites for over 15 years, I think it‘s a fantastic ecommerce model.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to create a subscription box service using WordPress…step-by-step.
Contents
What is a Subscription Box Service?
A subscription box service sends paying subscribers curated packages of goodies on a recurring basis. The contents are centered around a specific theme, hobby, or interest.
Some popular examples of today‘s top subscription boxes include:
- Birchbox: Sample sized beauty and skincare products.
- Blue Apron: Pre-portioned ingredients and recipes to cook gourmet meals at home.
- Book of the Month: New hardcover book releases across genres like romance and thriller.
- Sock Fancy: Fun, unique sock designs every month.
The subscription business model has exploded in recent years thanks to the many benefits it provides:
Benefits for Companies
- Predictable recurring revenue from auto-renewing subscribers
- Higher profit margins from curating subscription boxes with wholesale items
- Insight into customer preferences to inform merchandising
Benefits for Customers
- Convenience: Products come directly to their door
- Discovery: Trying new items matching their interests
- Cost savings: Access to discounted products
In fact, the subscription ecommerce market has grown over 100% year-over-year for the past 5 years. It is projected to reach $49 billion in global sales by 2025.
The time is definitely ripe to capitalize on this thriving business model.
Why Use WordPress for a Subscription Box Business
When it comes to choosing the right platform, I always recommend WordPress. Here‘s why it‘s ideal for subscription boxes:
- Free open-source software: No licensing fees or monthly charges
- Huge ecosystem: Over 55,000 plugins and thousands of themes available
- Scalable: Handles enterprise-level traffic and sales with caching plugins
- Secure: Implements best security practices out of the box
- Own your data: You retain full control and ownership of your site
- Easy to use: Intuitive dashboard and no coding skills required
WordPress powers over 43% of all websites on the internet. With the right plugins, you can leverage its flexibility and power for your subscription box business.
Let‘s look at how to set it up.
Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Subscription Box Service in WordPress
Here is the full process for creating your own subscription box service using WordPress:
1. Get Reliable WordPress Hosting and Domain
The first step is securing hosting and a domain name for your WordPress site.
I recommend going with managed WordPress hosting like Bluehost. Their servers are optimized for WordPress. Plus, you get free SSL certificate and a custom domain name.
Other good options include SiteGround and Kinsta who are WordPress experts. Avoid cheap shared hosts who aren‘t focused on WordPress.
Your domain name should contain your actual brand name if possible. This boosts credibility and recognition.
2. Install WordPress and Required Ecommerce Plugins
Once you have hosting, it‘s time to install WordPress and configure the key plugins you‘ll need:
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WooCommerce: The free WordPress ecommerce plugin. It lets you create products, take payments, track orders, and more.
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WooCommerce Subscriptions: An extension that adds subscription functionality to WooCommerce. This is what enables recurring payments.
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Subscription Box for WooCommerce: An add-on for curating customizable subscription boxes with product choices.
I have in-depth beginner‘s guides on how to properly install and configure each of these plugins. Following WordPress best practices from the start prevents issues down the road.
3. Create Your Subscription Box Products
With plugins installed, you can now create your actual subscription box products:
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Go to Products > Add New
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Enter product info like name, description, pricing etc.
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Under Product Data, choose "Box Product" to designate it as a subscription box.
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Go to the new Build a Box tab:
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Set box quantity and delivery frequency (monthly, etc)
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Pick products/categories subscribers can choose from
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Define default products for standard box
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Publish to make it live on your store.
Repeat these steps to create multiple subscription boxes like a monthly book box, quarterly wine box, or weekly coffee box.
Pro Tip: I recommend keeping box pricing and weight consistent for easier shipping calculations.
4. Display Your Subscription Boxes on the Website
Now it‘s time to showcase your boxes to prospective customers on the frontend.
Create some new page templates like "Our Subscription Boxes". Use the Build a Box block to display each one.
Configure each block with:
- Title and description
- Chosen subscription product
- Call-to-action button
This gives visitors an overview of your offerings. They can then build their own box with products/categories you allow.
5. Market Your Subscription Box
With the operations and website setup, marketing is crucial for getting new subscribers. Some effective tactics include:
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Email newsletters: Send promotional and educational emails to subscribers. Share unboxing sneak peeks, discounts, and company updates.
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Social media: Post lots of visual content especially unboxing videos which perform well.
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Influencers: Pay related bloggers or Instagram influencers to review your box.
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Retargeting ads: Remarket to site visitors across the web to re-engage them.
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SEO content: Create blog and landing pages optimized for keywords related to your niche. educational content works well for ranking.
The unboxing experience you craft is also hugely important. Packaging and presentation must delight subscribers month after month.
Get Started Creating Your Own Subscription Box with WordPress
I hope this guide provided an easy-to-follow path to launching your own subscription box on WordPress.
The platform truly empowers you to turn this fun business idea into reality without technical hurdles.
Focus on finding a niche, sourcing great products, and crafting engaging marketing campaigns. Do this and you‘ll be positioned for sustainable success in the world of subscription ecommerce.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help fellow entrepreneurs.
