The Complete Guide to Selling Webflow Templates

Marketplaces today have a growing demand for sleek, scalable, user-friendly, and visually appealing websites. That's where Webflow shines. It became the go-to platform for designers looking to bring creative ideas to life without coding. And this is also why selling Webflow templates can be quite profitable.

But for that, it’s crucial to have a sound strategic approach. For instance, you must identify your target audience and build a strong online presence to reach them. You can then focus on offering unique customization options that help with SEO, providing top-notch customer service, and, of course, marketing yourself.

Through our definitive guide to selling Webflow templates, we’ll walk you through all these essential steps in greater detail to help you make the most out of your projects in 2024.

Is It Worth Selling Webflow Templates in 2024?

Let’s begin by answering the question that brought you here in the first place: is it still worthwhile to make selling Webflow templates a passive income stream?

The short answer is yes. If you’re looking to start a profitable side hustle by creating Webflow templates, this is the year to get that underway. 

This is because the need for top-notch templates is still growing as more and more professionals and business owners are leaning towards a simpler, more effective solution for building their websites. 

And despite the increasing competition, there’s always room for uniqueness and quality that can set you apart. So, why not just give it a shot?

Besides, if you look around Webflow’s ongoing growth and community engagements, you’ll see that a large portion of its audience seeks out premium templates regularly. 

You’ll find dozens of posts like this one on Reddit alone, where business owners look for new premium templates every day. So, if you see the potential and are ready to commit to hard work, now is the right time. 

How Much Can You Make Selling Webflow Templates?

There’s no way to tell exactly how much you can make from selling Webflow templates. Although Webflow itself sets the price of every template, some designers might make a few hundred, while others may end up with thousands. 

It all depends on what you sell, how you sell, and how much commission they bring in. However, you can still get an estimate for yourself through Webflow’s updated commission framework. They’re now paying a flat 80% on every template sale. 

But what exactly that 80% brings you depends on the category your templates fall into. Have a look at the table below that shows Webflow’s fixed payment categories. 

Note: Template prices are set by Webflow, so you cannot set your own.

Now, let’s do some math to work out your potential earnings. Suppose you create a template that sells for $79. With Webflow's 80% commission, you earn $63.20 per sale. So, if you can sell 50 units of your template, that gets you $3160 in revenue.

How to Apply to Become a Professional Webflow Template Designer?

If you’re ready to join as a Webflow template designer, you can apply directly through Webflow’s official application website. 

All you need to do is fill out the given form and submit it along with three of your websites developed with Webflow. The technical guys in Webflow will then assess your portfolio before deciding to take you in as a designer. 

Now, although the application process is straightforward, getting accepted is a different story. You must accept that you may not get the green light on the first try and be ready for several attempts. 

Most importantly, you must meet several template requirements set by Webflow.

Webflow Template Requirements

The submission guidelines and template requirements set by Webflow are quite strict, and there’s no denying it. 

For example, they’ll flag your template in the Quality Assurance process if it falls short on fewer than five requirements. And if it fails on five or more, they’ll reject it instantly. 

And that means it won’t be counted within your monthly submissions either. So, you’ll have to ensure it meets each requirement before submitting again.

Here are a few specific requirements you should be mindful of:

• Stick to Title Case for class names (Such as Collection List Wrapper).
• Avoid custom code, except for font smoothing in project settings, index code on Licensing and Changelog pages, and SVGs (with proper instructions).
• Ensure all images, icons, and fonts are resale-approved by the copyright holder.
• Limit combo classes to a maximum of two.
• Don't forget to include "Powered by Webflow" in the footer.

You can check the full list of additional template requirements here. 

The Quality Assurance Process

Once you submit your template, Webflow’s team will run an extensive quality assurance process. They’ll inspect every detail of your work to check whether it aligns with their standards. 

From responsiveness to cross-browser compatibility or descriptions to tags, they analyze just about everything. If anything falls short, they’ll first ask you to make the necessary adjustments. Then, depending on what you do, your work either gets approved or rejected.

Also, even if they approve your templates for sale, they’ll remove them if they don’t get at least five monthly sales. That’s how strict Webflow is with quality. 

Where to Sell Webflow Templates?

As of now, Webflow only allows selling templates on its own Template Marketplace. This means you can’t sell your templates on any third-party platform unless they are integrated into Webflow’s official ecosystem. Flowbase is a good example of that. 

However, Webflow doesn’t stop you from showcasing your templates on any platform. But you must adhere to Webflow's guidelines about showcasing. In other words, you can display your templates to attract customers, but direct purchases must be done through the Webflow Marketplace.

Creating High-quality Webflow Templates

Crafting high-selling Webflow templates requires a good understanding of the design basics as well as technical skills. While creating something appealing is a great starting point, you should also focus on making it practical, adaptable, and user-friendly.

Besides, if you can identify the industry you’d like to work on and find the gaps in the market, things will become a lot easier for your game plan. And as for the template design, here’s a simple checklist you can follow.

User-Centric Design

To create a practical, user-centric design, there’s no better way than to be in the customer’s shoes. Think about how you’d like things to be and make them as intuitive and easy to navigate as possible. 

Responsive, Compatible Layouts

It’s quite a no-brainer. People who buy your template will definitely want it to work on every device and screen layout.

Customization Flexibility

Give your users as much flexibility in modifying things as possible. After all, everyone wants their site to suit their branding persona and content needs.

Thorough Testing

Always run thorough tests on your templates from every possible angle and look for potential glitches and technical issues. The more ease you can offer your customer, the better. 

Documentation

Never neglect the importance of providing clear, step-by-step guidance for users. They should be able to understand how to use and customize the template without any challenges.

Custom Feature Integration

Consider adding custom features such as dynamic sliders, unique hover effects, or integrated analytics to stand out. 

Marketing and Selling Strategies for Your Webflow Templates

Successfully selling your templates isn't just about creating them. After all, you can’t expect your audience to find your templates without reaching them out first. This is why you must have a marketing plan ready as well. Here are a few things you should consider:

Build Your Brand and Showcase

Showcasing your templates in action on a personal portfolio website makes them more valuable. You can highlight reviews, share case studies, and illustrate how others have used the template to their advantage. 

Leverage Social Media

You can also use platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Dribble, or Reddit to showcase your template design skills with previews. If your content is engaging enough, it can highlight the special qualities of your job.

Join Design Communities

Engaging with fellow designers by joining communities on Reddit, Webflow forums, or Discord servers can get you lots of feedback, the nature of user demands, and newer ideas. You can use them to improve your own work.

Establish Your Unique Selling Proposition

Always focus on pinpointing the distinctive features your templates have to offer that set them apart from others in the marketplace. It could be the unique design, customizability, or specific functionality tailored for particular business needs. 

Content Marketing

You can create a site to write blog posts about valuable insights into your templates to attract your audience. With proper keyword research and SEO, you can drive lots of targeted traffic and turn them into potential buyers through your writing.

Run E-Mail Campaigns and Ads

Undoubtedly, Paid email campaigns and display ads can take your template marketing to newer heights. If you can create targeted campaigns with compelling offers, it can massively help convert your targeted leads into paid customers. 

Offer Exclusive Deals and Discounts

A clever way to convert hesitant buyers is to offer them special discounts or a time-sensitive deal. For example, you can try offering your email subscribers exclusive deals to boost loyalty and even repeat business through word-of-mouth referrals.

Seek Partnerships and Affiliations

Partnering with influencers, industry bloggers, or related businesses can give your templates a massive exposure boost. 

You can also set up an affiliate marketing model to make others help you sell your templates in exchange for a commission. It’s a far more effective strategy since it offers a win-win situation for all parties. 

Enhancing Customer Experience and Support

As mentioned, the Webflow marketplace is getting more and more competitive each day. So, delivering an outstanding customer experience is key to remaining in that competition. Here’s what you can do to provide top-notch customer service to keep buyers returning:

Provide Documentation and Instructions

Clear and comprehensive documentation always helps customers get wind of their purchases, whether physical items or digital. And you can apply this to your Webflow templates as well. Try to provide:

• Installation process
• Customization options
• Integration with other Webflow features
• Troubleshooting common issues

Also, when creating these documentations, don't forget to use clear, concise language, easy navigation options, and visuals where necessary. 

Support Channels And Response Time

Offering multiple support channels such as email, live chat, or a ticketing system shows your commitment to your customers. Setting expectations and building trust also becomes easier if you highlight a predictable response time. Here’s an example:

Incorporate User Feedback

If you’re really committed to your customers, you should also consider showcasing it. And that can be done by listening to their feedback and adopting it into your product. You can do this by:

• Regularly surveying users
• Keeping an open line for suggestions
• Making changes based on customer insights

Wrapping Up

And there you have it, your definitive guide to selling Webflow templates in 2024. Hopefully, it answered every query you had about setting up a successful template business. 

Since you’re putting so much work into your designs, you want to ensure they are well-received and lead to repeat business. Also, crafting an excellent user experience doesn’t stop at the point of sale - it’s an ongoing commitment.

Remember, the more value you provide, the more likely you’ll attract and retain customers. If you can complement your excellent products with fantastic after-sale service, it will surely give your customers every reason to come back.