A New Future for IgnitionDeck

If we had to describe the next major release of IgnitionDeck with a single word, that word would be transformative.

Our latest iteration of IgnitionDeck not only represents a whole new set of features, re-designs, and upgrades, it also represents a paradigm shift in the way we, as a company, think about crowdfunding and eCommerce, especially within the scope of the WordPress environment.

The state of WordPress eCommerce

When we released IgnitionDeck Commerce (IDC), we did so knowing that there are already a variety of wonderful WordPress eCommerce solutions. Our intention was and is not to compete with them, but to meet the needs of an underserved market within that segment, namely that of people like us, trying to sell software and other digital offerings.

That said, the reality is that WordPress commerce is harder than it should be. There are a hundred possible solutions fighting for space on the same websites, with few of them working well together, let alone integrating in a way that enables the elegance offered by other eCommerce platforms and marketplaces.

The State of WordPress Crowdfunding

WordPress crowdfunding, while still young, is facing similar struggles. There are too many half-baked solutions, and of the handful of viable offerings, IgnitionDeck is the only one that is being developed full-time.

Beyond that, while self-hosted crowdfunding works great for those with an audience at their disposal, it lacks the discovery mechanisms necessary to help the others get discovered. This is not an unsolvable problem, but it’s one that many project and platform creators fail to acknowledge until it’s too late.

Bridging the Gap from Crowdfunding to Commerce

For makers, artists, and entrepreneurs, launching a crowdfunding campaign and successfully meeting the project goal is only half of the battle. They still have to deliver rewards, produce the product, deliver it, and once that is all completed, transform their crowdfunding business into a full-time eCommerce operation, sometimes accepting pre-orders in between the crowdfunding and commerce phase.

To achieve this now requires starting on one platform (Kickstarter, Indiegogo, IgnitionDeck), and then trying to build a new commerce platform, all while trying to integrate with sideshows like BackerKit and Shopify, export customer data into the new platform, and somehow find a way to maintain the cash flow required to run the business.

If reading this is exhausting, imagine trying to execute it!

This is Why We Do It

Tackling these problems is no easy feat, but if we’re to be honest, it’s the hard problems that keep us going, excited to wake up in the morning and get to work.

We’ve taken the first step by announcing our acquisition of the Astoundify Crowdfunding plugin, the Fundify theme, and CrowdPress. Bringing these products into our lineup will allow us to offer a more consistent WordPress crowdfunding experience while also expanding our theme and product offerings, which will prove to be a win-win for customers of both products.

The second step is to develop partnerships with like-minded companies, a cause we’re heavily invested in. This is made evident by our partnership with WooThemes, a talented group that understands the needs of consumers and developers alike, and will continue to manifest as we reveal additional collaborations down the road.

The last step is no doubt the most important. As thrilling as they may be, acquisitions and partnerships are useless without a product that does not directly address the problems at hand. Fortunately, product is and always has been our primary focus, and it’s why we’re here today with some exciting news.

Introducing the New IgnitionDeck

The original IgnitionDeck plugin has served us well, but it’s become clear to us that it was time for a change.

Simplify

To start, we will be deprecating the built-in commerce module, email integrations, and form settings (Legacy IgnitionDeck) that ship with the base IgnitionDeck product. These features are redundant, and caused significant confusion between our various product offerings, also complicating setup, installation, and troubleshooting.

IgnitionDeck, in its current form, will now be known as IgnitionDeck Crowdfunding (IDCF), and will now be just one part of the IgnitionDeck product suite.

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Expand

In its place, we have released the new IgnitionDeck, a free framework that makes it incredibly easy to start using IgnitionDeck Crowdfunding and Theme 500. This plugin, available on the WordPress repository, serves as a one-stop shop for all IgnitionDeck products, including plugins, themes, and extensions.

In the very near future, it will also be responsible for ensuring that your products are always up to date, and that your licenses can be easily saved, managed, and renewed.

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Iterate

This is the part you’ve been waiting for, and the reason we’ve written this post today.

The most exciting part about the new IgnitionDeck is that it will allow you to choose between four WordPress eCommerce platforms:

• Legacy IgnitionDeck
• IgnitionDeck Commerce
• WooCommerce
• Easy Digital Downloads

That’s right. You can now use IgnitionDeck to crowdfund with WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads.

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Evolve

But we’re not done yet. We’re also introducing a new lightbox level selection that improves several flaws and bugs within our checkout process while simultaneously making it more elegant than ever before.

It’s hard to believe that such a simple enhancement can make such big impact on a crowdfunding campaign, but it can, and does do exactly that.

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We’d love to go on for ages about how much work we’ve put into this release, and how much we think you’ll love it, but that would only serve to keep you on the page and away from the product.

Instead, we want to show you how you can use the new IgnitionDeck right away:

We hope you enjoy using it as much as we enjoyed building it.