WPTavern: 9seeds Acquires Web Savvy Marketing’s Genesis Theme Store
9seeds, a WordPress development agency launched in 2009, has acquired Web Savvy Marketing’s theme store for an undisclosed amount. Web Savvy Marketing launched its theme store in 2012 and currently has a library of 26 themes built on the Genesis Framework by StudioPress.
Web Savvy Marketing Theme Store
Chris Cree who helped launch and manage the theme store in 2012 departed from the company in 2016 and moved overseas to create a bible school. As the focus of Web Savvy Marketing shifted towards larger custom development projects and SEO, Rebbecca Gill, founder of Web Savvy Marketing, needed to find a way to maintain the theme store.
“I wanted Chris’ vision to live on and I wanted all my babies to continue to flourish and find their way to websites around the world,” Gill said. “I was at a crossroads and I didn’t know what to do.
“I needed to make sure the company had a solid long-term strategy, but I also needed to protect our loyal theme customers. Five years of sales meant we had a lot of existing buyers who needed ongoing support.”
Last year, Gill met Jon Brown, owner of 9seeds, and established a professional relationship.
“We have very similar views on business, friendships, and ethics,” Gill said. “I liked him right away and I knew I wanted to spend more personal and professional time with him.
“And as we grew closer, we started chatting about my struggles with the theme store and his long-term business goals. Before I knew it, he wanted to acquire the theme store and I wanted to give it to him.”
9seeds has built a number of custom sites for clients using the Genesis Framework. For those who wanted to leverage existing themes, the company has often referred clients to Web Savvy Marketing’s theme store.
“It took a bit more time of getting to know each other personally before I came to hold the same feelings that others had shared about her,” Brown said. “I felt deeply that this was a person I not only wanted to be friends with but wanted to be in business with. It became apparent to both of us that this was a perfect fit.”
The acquisition brings the themes in-house and expands 9seeds reach into the WordPress products market.
“It’s a win for 9seeds by giving us a springboard into a market we’ve long had our eye on accompanied by the best trail guide in the business showing us the path,” Brown said.
“It’s a win for WSM by freeing Rebecca and her team up to align with where her focus now is on larger custom site builds and SEO consulting.”
9seeds is providing support for existing customers and is working on a new theme. The support forums and theme store will migrate to the 9seeds domain later this year.
To learn more about Brown and his work with 9seeds, listen to episode 276 of WordPress Weekly.
Source: WordPress
