I’ve gone over a few different wordpress themes that you can use to set up your own crowdfunding platform.
In this post, I’m going to break down how you can use the IgnitionDeck wordpress plugin to set up a brand new crowdfunding website, like Kickstarter or Indiegogo!
You must have WordPress installed to be able to install IgnitionDeck. If you haven’t already installed wordpress, I highly recommend looking into BlueHost hosting, which is what my website uses.
How IgnitionDeck Works
First of all, IgnitionDeck is a crowdfunding plugin that can work with any of the themes available for WordPress. The company also provides a free crowdfunding framework, Theme 500.
The plugin comes with a lot of the functionality that will make up the bedrock of any crowdfunding platform, including:
- Flexible and fixed funding options for creators. Creators can either decide to keep what they raise or do an all-or-nothing campaign.
- Statistics to show campaigner’s how they’re doing. It tracks payments and backers.
- Campaigners have the ability to create reward tiers.
- Stretch goal functionality.
- Flexible campaign dates.
- MailChimp, Stripe, Paypal, SendGrid, and more integrations.
The company also provides a bunch of themes that you can use to set up your own crowdfunding platform. For example, the Stellar theme, which I’ve included below.
Visitors to your website can then decide to create a project or browse ongoing or past projects on your platform. They can sort by oldest, amount raised, days left, or goal amount.
I think it’s a nice looking theme. However, if you’re looking for something different, they also have a lot of other themes to choose from. I’ll highlight a two more below.
A lot of the readers that email me are looking for more of a professional solution than a standard WordPress theme. They’ve saved up some starting capital and want to invest it wisely in high-quality technology.
If you’re looking for more high-end options, you could also look into the IgnitionDeck Enterprise Solution for a WhiteLabel platform.
This is the options that you want if you’re trying to create a Kickstarter clone and allow front-end project submission.
It’s a tad bit more expensive, but you’ll have greater control over the platform. Users will be able to submit projects. You’ll be able to charge flat or percentage-based fees. Lastly, backers and creators will be able to create profiles which show off their site activity.
What do you do after it’s up and running?
I’ve written two extensive articles on the journey that you’re about to embark on. The first talks about how to go about getting campaigners to start using your website. READ THIS. It’s really the only thing that matters in the long run.
The other article that I wrote details more of the technology that goes into starting a crowdfunding site, along with some tips that I have for marketing it effectively.
No matter what anyone else tells you, you’re building a marketplace of buyers and sellers. These are campaign creators and backers. This is hard!
This means that you’re going to have to go after the supply side and the demand side.
Most entrepreneurs that I’ve met think that the tech side is the hardest. It’s not. The hardest is getting repeat users. The most difficult part is standing out from the crowd.
Don’t just create a Kickstarter or Indiegogo clone. Think about how you’re going to differentiate yourself from the competition. What unique selling point do you have?
In addition, you’re going to have to determine whether or not the niche that you’re going after is large enough to actually support the business in the longterm.
My advice for starting a new startup
All too often, I see founders trying to discover a new behavior that never existed before. I think it’s smarter to observe the behaviors that are already taking place in the world. Then, figure out how you can bring them online.
Charitable giving has always existed. It’s only recently that it was brought to the web, with the massive success of websites like GoFundMe. That’s why I wrote an Amazon ebook about the different ways to crowdfund personal expenses, whether it’s a wedding, education costs, or a memorial fund.
While there is a lot of hype out there, I highlighted in my recent YouTube video why personal crowdfunding actually works. I’ll include it below.
To give you another example, real estate investing has always existed. It’s only recently that it was brought to the web, with Real Estate Crowdfunding websites that are growing like rapid fire. I also wrote an Amazon ebook on this topic.
Again, this is a mainstream behavior that is simply being replicated on the web. If you’ve never heard of real estate crowdfunding, I put together another YouTube video to explain this topic.
My question to you is what type of giving, investing, or financial behavior is currently happening in the physical world that has yet to penetrate into the online world?
This is where the opportunity lies.
Rather than trying to force people to engage in some kind of behavior that they’ve never considered before, watch what they’re doing already.
Also, play close attention to the shifts in consumer attention. If more and more people tend to engage on social networks like SnapChat or Instagram, how will that affect the way that they discover news about their friends? Will they be more likely to give money through an iPhone/Android app or an online crowdfunding website?
I don’t know the answers to all of these questions, but I think they’re important to explore if you’re seriously trying to grow a crowdfunding platform into the next big thing.
You have to be different. There’s no question about that.
Finally, I’d like to mention that I’m an affiliate for IgnitionDeck and other WordPress plugin/theme providers. I use WordPress for almost all of my websites.
