Today is a big day. Ten years ago, I created the very first version of Coupon Affiliates, an affiliate plugin for WooCommerce.
What started as a simple, custom feature for a single client has grown into something much bigger than I imagined at the time.
I wanted to take a moment to look back and share how it all began, and the lessons I’ve learned over the years.
A Simple Request
It all started with one of my website maintenance clients, and one simple need. They wanted to track their WooCommerce coupon usage.
I built a small custom feature for them, and decided to release it as a free plugin on wordpress.org with the name “WooCommerce coupon usage”.
I didn’t have any grand plans for it at the time. I just thought it might be useful to a few other people.
However, soon after, several users started reaching out with feature requests. Some of them even offered to pay for new features, which led to the creation of the PRO version. This was a game-changer. It showed me there was real interest and a need for a more powerful solution.
One feature request at a time, I kept building, improving, and adding to the plugin. It was a slow and steady process, but each new addition made the plugin more valuable.
One of the most significant feature requests however was the ability to give affiliate users the ability to track their own referral coupon usage and statistics.
This was a significant update for the plugin, with the name also being changed from “WooCommerce Coupon Usage” to “Coupon Affiliates”.
From a Side Project to Main Project
Over the past decade, Coupon Affiliates has evolved from a small, custom feature into a full-fledged affiliate program solution for WooCommerce stores.
It’s now used by thousands of businesses all over the world, proving how a simple idea with continuous improvement can become a success.
This growth has been transformative for me personally, too. What started as a side project has become my main focus and, I’m proud to say, my biggest source of income.
It’s a reminder that sometimes your biggest personal successes can come from the smallest beginnings, and in most cases does not happen overnight.
Lessons I’ve Learned
Looking back on this journey, there are a few things that stand out.
- Start small and listen to your users. The whole thing started with one small feature for one customer. It was the requests from other users that really guided the way and showed me what to build next. If I had tried to build a huge, all-in-one product from the beginning, it may not have worked as well.
- The community is everything. The feedback, bug reports, and kind words from users are what matter the most. Engaging with them with feature requests and support has easily been the best source of ideas and motivation.
- Prioritise support. Providing fast, friendly and effective support to customers helps build trust and loyalty. Responding quickly and honestly to users questions and issues shows that you care about their success. It can even help with positive reviews too.
- Don’t be afraid of the “boring” stuff. Developing a WordPress plugin isn’t always going to be fun. There is the support tickets, the documentation, the marketing, and other administrative tasks to take care of that can sometimes be tedious. Finding the right tools to use (like Freemius) can help make these tasks much easier.
- Stay true to your vision. Even as the plugin has grown, I’ve always tried to stick the core idea of “making it easy for stores to run a powerful affiliate program” whilst still providing frequent updates and useful features that customers want.
Thanks to the community
None of this would have been possible without the support of a few key groups.
First, a huge shoutout to Freemius for their amazing support since day one. They’ve made it so much easier to manage and grow the business side of things, letting me focus on what I do best.
Also a shoutout to the WordPress community and its contributors. Without all the excellent work put into building a better WordPress for the future, thousands of developers like myself wouldn’t be where they are today.
And finally, thank you to every single person who has supported the plugin over the years. Your feedback, suggestions, and kind words have been invaluable. You’ve helped shape Coupon Affiliates into what it is today, and I’m so grateful for that.
Here’s to another 10 years!
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