How to Start a Subscription Business with WordPress in Three Simple Steps

If you already run a website on WordPress.com, you’re familiar with the feeling of relief that comes from a platform that’s easy to work with and reliably does what you need it to do.

WordPress.com offers all the tools you need to build a digital presence without getting into the nitty-gritty of programming or advanced web development. You can sell digital products or physical ones. You can create a membership-based site and sell access to premium content. You can accept tips from fans or give patrons an online preview of your real-life art gallery. If you have a dream, you can almost certainly make it a reality.  

So it’s probably no surprise that WordPress.com is a great choice if you want to start a subscription business!

The benefits of subscriptions

From early 2012 through late 2020, the Subscription Economy Index experienced 437 percent growth. That’s more than triple what other popular indexes experienced. You probably noticed it yourself — everything from entertainment to toilet paper became available as a subscription. It’s predictable and convenient for consumers and they love it. A lot. 

How much? Almost 80 percent of adults across the globe subscribe to at least one service. Yet, according to Statista, only 14 percent of eCommerce businesses across North America and Europe offered subscription products in 2021.

But subscriptions aren’t just convenient for consumers. They provide more consistent revenue for companies, which makes growth easier while reducing stress for the owners. So if you can offer a subscription, you probably should. 

Subscriptions are a great option because:

• You’ll create an extra loyal customer base. For the most part, people subscribe to something because they intend to use it for a prolonged period of time. This means, once someone subscribes, you can earn more revenue from them than if you just convinced them to make a single purchase. More revenue per customer is great. But you also have the chance to become an ongoing, essential part of their life and turn them into a superfan. And superfans become advocates that will spread the news to friends and family. This is the stuff store owners dream of. 
• You’ll enjoy a more predictable cash flow. If you have 100 people willing to pay $10 for a monthly subscription, that’s $1,000 you know is coming your way every month. There will be some drop off, but that too can be fairly predictable. Business owners have to be brave and make bold decisions. Sometimes it’s scary. But predictable revenue makes it just a little easier to invest in the tools and people to go to the next level.
• You can create a better experience for your customers. Let’s say that you sell something people need every month — cat food, light bulbs, or their favorite snacks. By offering them the ability to subscribe and automatically get essentials delivered to their door each month (or week, or quarter) you’re providing them an extra reason to shop with you. They don’t have to remember to order before they run out and you get a leg up on your competitors.

How to start a subscription business with WordPress

Now that you know why you should start a subscription business on WordPress, it’s time to learn how. 

1. Start with the basics

First, you need a platform.

WordPress.com is a great option, especially if you’re already using it to share content and engage with your target audience. You’re in complete control of how your subscriptions and other products are presented, and you own everything you create.

Follow these steps to offer subscriptions on WordPress.com:

• Ensure you have a plugin-enabled plan. You can upgrade to one of these plans from an existing Personal or plugin-enabled plan at any time.
• Install WooCommerce. You can do this quickly and easily by following the WooCommerce setup wizard. WooCommerce is the super robust eCommerce platform for WordPress designed to help you sell physical or digital products, set up shipping and payment methods, and run subscriptions.
• Install WooCommerce Subscriptions. This extension lets you offer options for weekly, monthly, and annual subscriptions. You can manage free trials, offer variable options to meet unique customer needs, and manage complex payment and subscription structures.

Scratch Pet Food, a subscription site built with WordPress and WooCommerce

2. Choose a payment gateway that accepts recurring charges

A payment gateway enables you to securely accept payments online and transfer the money you collect into your bank account.

While there are a variety of options you can choose from, WooCommerce Payments is a top choice for new store owners. You can start for free, as there aren’t any setup or monthly fees involved. You do pay a per-transaction fee that’s typically calculated as a percent of the transaction amount. The exact percentage depends on what country you’re in, and WooCommerce Payments is available in more than 15 countries, including the United States.

With WooCommerce Payments, you gain the ability to monitor and manage transactions directly within WordPress (no more logging in and out of extra accounts), accept Apple Pay and other popular digital wallets, instantly transfer money into your bank account, and earn revenue from subscriptions.

If you already take payments through another gateway or prefer to use a different service, there are plenty of options. WooCommerce offers more than 80 payments-related extensions, including PayPal and Stripe. But before you choose, make sure the gateway supports recurring payments.

3. Create subscription products

Now that many of the administrative details are handled, you get to dig into the fun part of setting up your subscription business with WordPress: creating the products.

You have tons of choices. You could sell subscription boxes of products or create recurring options for individual items that people buy on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. Offer basics like cleaning supplies and bath products or sell more unique things like craft materials and clothing.

Or you can create digital subscriptions. Sell software licenses that renew each year, access to premium audio or text-based content, or specialty downloads that are dropped into people’s email inbox once a month.

You can also grant subscription access to ongoing services that make it more convenient for people to manage payments. You might charge monthly for lawn care services or create a quarterly subscription for pest control. Forum or community memberships, mentorship programs, and consulting services all work on subscription models, too.

The WooCommerce Subscriptions Store Manager Guide provides step-by-step guidance for creating subscription products.

PHLearn, a digital subscription and membership built with WordPress and WooCommerce

4. Decide on shipping methods

If you opt to sell physical products, you’ll need to decide on and set up shipping methods. Here are a few things you’ll need to consider:

• Where products and shipping will be handled. Are you going to do it yourself or outsource to a fulfillment company? Each option has pros and cons. If you handle it yourself, you’ll need room for inventory, time to pack and ship boxes, and access to a local carrier. Outsourcing decreases your time and space needs, but increases expenses while reducing your ability to control quality.
• Shipping carriers. Options include USPS, FedEx, UPS, and DHL. Availability depends on your location, and the best choice depends on what you’re shipping, whether you’re shipping domestic or international, how big and heavy your packages are, and how quickly you want items to reach customers.
• Pricing. Research shipping costs, including supplies, so you know how much you’ll pay on average to ship each subscription box or package. Then you can decide how to charge for shipping. You could build the cost of shipping into the subscription or charge separately. The latter might be a good choice if you’re offering variable shipping options, such as expedited or standard.

Create revenue you can rely upon

Whether you run a vineyard, own a lawn care company, or sell physical products your customers love, chances are you can benefit from subscriptions. Think about what you offer that shoppers might be willing to pay for regularly, and create subscription models to match. Looking for more help? Check out the ultimate guide to running a subscriptions business.