Couple of questions regarding using Themeforest themes on my client’s websites. Looked through the FAQ and Licensing stuff but haven’t found an answer.
I’m a web designer/developer and am interested in offering some Themeforest themes to my prospective clients. I don’t want to send my clients to the theme’s page with purchase price and details. The websites I’ll be marketing to would have specific needs, and showing them the live preview with its existing content (and typically large slider image style homepages) wouldn’t be much better, in most cases. So…
What are my options when it comes to showing prospective clients themes?
Can I purchase a theme, build it on my server and change it around to suit my needs, show this build to prospective clients, and then if one decides to go forward with the project make an additional purchase of the theme?
If I did the above, could I install multiple themes on my website in this fashion and use it to show my clients their options?
Can I use theme screenshots (original or altered) on my website to show prospective clients some options, and then purchase the theme they like?
For example, with Monster Templates I can show the template thumbnails and previews on my own website without pricing information. This still doesn’t help with the latter need, which is adjusting the layout and content some, of course.
This last question is semi-related. As a designer I have some designs of my own, but if I decide to use them I may like to expedite the Wordpress integration process and use an existing theme to build upon (so I don’t have to code contact forms, shortcodes, menus, blogs, etc from scratch). Can I do this, and just re-purchase the theme I used as a “base” each time I use the Wordpress package on a client’s site?
Hope this makes sense. Just trying to sort out what my options are and could use some good advice. Thanks!
I don’t see why not. There’s nothing I read in the ThemeForest licensing that prohibits you from doing this. The rule of thumb is 1 theme per 1 client. You already get that.
For showing multiple themes look into installing a demo user using Wordpress in Network mode (formerly known as Wordpress MU). Something like demos.yoursite.com or yoursite.com/demos.
Is there a way to showcase the themes without buying them first?
I would love to have a way to show off all the ThemeForest themes to a user on my own website without having to purchase a license for every single one of them…
But I also don’t want them to come to ThemeForest and see all the pricing info, etc…
This is where I am at as well. I can only think of doing screenshots and stuff but I don’t know if that would be violating copyright. Probably would. I also use Studio press but have purchased all of their themes so I use thumbnails of those themes. Any answers?
There are ways to do this if you have the technical capability but it is not appropriate to do so and am pretty certain that they would heavily violate copyright, as would screengrabbing unless you clearly state it is not your own work. Besides is it not better to show them at least mock ups (obviously working version is not possible) with their content/branding?
Why not share a link to the developers site e.g. without the Themeforest banner? That would be the easiest way.
The only possible reason I can see that anyone (not aimed at anyone in particular) would want to show themes on their site with no affiliation or links to Themeforest or at very leas the developer site is if they were trying to hide the fact they were a template. This is unprofessional and dishonest, hence why it is not easy to do.
If for whatever reason you want to do this then you really will need to buy the file sin question. Hopefully that set sthe record straight and helps to explain the reasoning behind it.
If you want to show themes to potential clients before purchasing the theme, show them the live preview of the theme which you can find over here.
But i already know, you ( or anyone else ) don’t like to do that, because then clients will see it’s only 40 or 50 bucks. And you want to sell it for more, which is okay.
But, since there are really beautiful themes you can get for only these prices, why not buying a couple a themes in front? I mean most people who are doing business like that can easily afford it since they probably sell a site for 10 to 20 times the price at least. Choose some themes you like and think you can use someday. Set them up as a preview at your own server so you can show it to the clients.
Chapter Themes is absolutely right, as we suggested show them the live demo without the TF banner.
In reality you should be honest and tell clients that you are using a template. Even if they know it only costs $40 then you can still justify charging them to make custom modifications to suit their styling.
It will look a LOT worse if you hide the template as your own work and then the client finds out it is a template and costs $40.
It´s a good question. I think theme developers are realising the need to play down their branding, because after all this is a marketplace where we buy and sell. I think if you show customers a demo, you are basically taking away value, because you are telling them it is easy to put together. I would go the screenshot route and explain features to them. I´m sure a theme developer won´t mind you using a screenshot of their work if you end up buying it from them.
I don´t tell people they are themes, just as the supermarket doesn´t tell me the actual price they pay for a tin of beans. If anyone was to confront me, I would say ´you´re correct, but do you have several weeks to learn the knowledge to put one together successfully?´ Obviously you can´t go too over-board on the price, but that is a judgement you have to make.
I know this is a really old thread (2013 - wow almost a decade?!) but I’m looking for a more efficient way of sharing.
I offer template sites and bespoke designs depending on clients budget, so my clients are fully aware they’re not getting a bespoke design if their budget is $600, however some clients get confused when a template has, lets say, images of a carpenter when they are a decorator for example which makes it difficult to manage expectations.
I often change some of the images and text by using inspecting element and then just sharing screenshots of different template options instead, but a live demo is generally much better. I’m yet to find a good way of doing this.
