That is what I think about free templates. Unless you are going to take that free template and then change it drastically yourself, then using a template that is distributed freely to hundreds and thousands of people, and then using it on your website/blog is like singing “Amazing Grace” to the tune of “Gilligan’s Island”. People will notice that the words are different, but the focus will be on the hilarity of mimicking a popular tune.
So here is my latest idea, and I’m still rolling it around in my head, but I wanted to write some of it down:
Everyone knows that non-exclusive WordPress themes are cheaper than custom made ones. The drawback is, everyone has it, and everyone recognizes it, and where it comes from. (I’m still amazed at how many blogs I run across that use Kubrick’s default theme.) So.. what if there was a site that developed “limited edition” themes. Like.. this theme only goes to the first 100 buyers, and it costs $. Then more elite themes that only go to the first 20 buyers, and it costs $$. Then every once in awhile, you slip in an exclusive theme that costs $$$. It is sold only once, and those only come, say.. once a month. It could even go up for auction.
The first challenge would be to draw in an audience. There would need to be an excitement about the cool new themes, and if you’re going to be one of the lucky few that gets to own it. This could be compared to baseball card collections or Woot. I think to kick start it, there should be plenty of basic, free themes. Then draw them in with more intricate designs. To make that part even more interesting, you could retire themes after a certain period of time.
Breaking off on that thought, what if instead of having individual pricing, the users simply subscribe. And as members, they can download certain themes, upgraded users get access to the upgraded themes. These themes are only available to a certain amount of downloads for a certain amount of time. Then, you could offer free trial memberships.
It would take some good planning, marketing, and programming, but I think it could gain popularity.
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