Ahh, plugins. The fanny packs, flip-shades, and zip-off shorts of the modern website. With plugins, website owners can have their fancy calendar feature, and a fast load time, too.
Thanks to these nifty little extentables, WordPress websites can run multiple separate programs without heavy coding to slow down the site—features like photo galleries, contact forms, slideshows, and more. Plugins can be purely fun or extremely functional—like Yoast, our favorite SEO plugin.
What Are Plugins?
Think of plugins as apps for your website. A developer sees a need and develops software to fill it. When they’ve completed their code, they’ll send it out to the marketplace. Website owners searching for that functionality can choose to add the plugin to their site at any time.
Just like apps, however you may not realize right away that there is a fee associated, or a subscription required. Don’t worry, TechArk is here to help!
What are Plugin Licensing Fees?
Commercial plugins require payment, and often some mildly involved setup. They typically require annual renewal, so be sure to research them and pick one with all the features you need, in a price range with which you’re comfortable paying yearly.
When working with an Agency (like TechArk) or a developer, be sure to ask who foots that yearly bill. While it may be tempting to accept the other party’s offer to cover the licensing and annual fees, this may wind up causing problems down the road. 
A developer, agency, or other entity may possess an “unlimited” developer’s license. While this is very cost-effective for them, it can be very impractical for the website/business owner.
What happens to your plugin if …
- You can’t reach the freelance developer a few years from now?
- You can’t find your old point of contact at the agency?
- All your assets are under someone else’s name?
You’ll likely lose your plugin(s), possibly your domain name, and worst-case-scenario: your entire website. Many clients in need of websites opt for the easy-sounding option, the one where they save money … until they realize they have to buy back their own assets, again.
Skip the hassle and headaches.
Call a pro that won’t put you in such a compromising position. At TechArk we take great pains to explain the details to our clients, so you truly understand the cost, the why, and most importantly, the value.
Ultimately, it’s up to you. We’ll work with you to find a solution for your unique situation. You’ve worked hard to start, manage, and grow your company, and we want to help, not hinder. Your company, website, and plugins are yours. We want to keep it that way.
Call TechArk when you’re ready for the Real Deal, transparency included.
Much like fanny packs, flip-shades, and zip-off shorts, Plugins allow you do more, with less.
