![\"Image](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/car-wash-1.png\")
See how your journey compares, and whether you’re taking advantage of all of the tools at your disposal as a WordPress services reseller, here at WPMU DEV.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll be showing how Bob:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Gets Started With Client Billing<\/a><\/li>\n
- Easily Sets Up a Site From a Premade Template<\/a><\/li>\n
- Implements Plugins From The Hub<\/a><\/li>\n
- Moves a Site From a Temp URL to Domain<\/a><\/li>\n
- Sets Up Subscription-Based Billing<\/a><\/li>\n
- Monitors That\u2019s Awash Carwash and Reporting<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Of course, every client, site, and situation will be different. This is a very streamlined example with Bob, where we\u2019ll assume all goes well without back-and-forth client feedback, tweaks, and more. For the sake of a brief presentation, we\u2019ll keep Bob\u2019s demo fairly simple and cover the basics.<\/p>\n
To join in on the fun, if you\u2019re not a WPMU DEV member, give us a try, risk-free<\/a>. You\u2019ll be able to follow along with Bob and check out hosting reselling for yourself!<\/p>\n
<\/a>The Journey Begins\u2026<\/h2>\n
Meet Bob.<\/p>\n
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/bob-1.png\")
\u201cHi!\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Bob runs a WordPress development agency. Just recently, he added hosting reselling<\/a> to his services with the help of WPMU DEV.<\/p>\n
One afternoon, as Bob was working on some business online, he heard a \u201cding\u201d and noticed an email had arrived from Stephanie. Stephanie just opened up a new carwash, called That\u2019s Awash Carwash, and she wants a new website.<\/p>\n
Bob scrolls through the brief Stephanie provided. Some of the vital details include:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Hosting<\/li>\n
- Visuals (supplied by the client)<\/li>\n
- Checkout Form for Monthly Carwash Membership<\/li>\n
- Monthly Reports and Maintenance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Perfect. Knowing what the client wants, Bob puts together a quote and sends it to Stephanie. A day later, another email comes in. The quote\u2019s been approved, and Stephanie is eager to have Bob create the That\u2019s Awash Carwash website!<\/p>\n
Now, it\u2019s time for Bob to roll up his sleeves and get to work.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Get Started With Client Billing<\/h2>\n
Bob gets started by adding Stephanie as a client in Client Billing<\/a>. Client Billing is a full-scale automated, and free billing system for WPMU DEV members and clients. It takes just a few moments to get her added (see how easy it is here<\/a>).<\/p>\n
Once she’s in the system, he sets up an invoice to collect an initial payment for his services.<\/p>\n
Obviously, every designer has their own payment methods. Bob decided to charge $1200 for the full development of this site. He wants a payment of $800 to get the project started, and the other $400 once completed.<\/p>\n
Then, when it’s all set up, he’ll be using Client Billing to put Stephanie on a website maintenance\/hosting program that will bill her automatically each month (which we’ll get into later).<\/p>\n
To get Stephanie her bill, he does it all through The Hub<\/a> under Client Billing<\/strong>. It can be accessed directly from a site, The Hub overview, or the Client Billing tab. Then, Bob just clicks Bill Client<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
![\"Where](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/bill-client.png\")
Bob can send a bill in a few clicks from here.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n When it comes to creating the invoice, it’s completely white-labeled, so Bob adds his own branding, information, and also a little memo about what this bill is for. His branding is saved for future use with other clients, too.<\/p>\n
![\"Post](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/invoice.jpg\")
This has all the essentials, like cost, description, and that it’s due.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n When he’s all set, it’s sent off to Stephanie’s inbox.<\/p>\n
Not too long after, Bob gets an email notification that Stephanie has paid the bill (boy, that was quick!). She did it all online because he enabled her access to her bill<\/a>, which makes it convenient and easy to pay and get paid.<\/p>\n
This paid bill is also reflected in Client Billing where it’s highlighted green and marked PAID.<\/p>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/paid-invoice.png\")
The paid invoice reflects the date, amount, and more detailed information about the payment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n For further detailed information on how to set up invoices, add clients, and more, check out this article<\/a>.<\/p>\n
With money in the bank, he’s ready to get into the nitty-gritty of creating the site.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Easily Set Up A Site With a Premade Template<\/h2>\n
As a WPMU DEV member on the Premium plan, Bob has instant one-click access where he can easily set up and configure dedicated, fully optimized, white-label managed WordPress hosting accounts for all of his clients (with automated domain name registrations<\/a>) — all from his own Hub!<\/p>\n
So, with Stephanie’s WordPress site creation, Bob determines what type of design and site would be best for a carwash business after doing a little research.<\/p>\n
He then considers his options. Bob can create one from scratch<\/strong>, clone an existing site<\/strong>, or use a premade template<\/strong>. All of this is done from The Hub<\/a>.<\/p>\n
After careful consideration, he browses through WPMU DEV\u2019s Premade Templates <\/strong>(which can be found under My Sites>Site Template>WPMU DEV Templates<\/strong>), and decides the Business<\/strong> page builder is the way to go.<\/p>\n
![\"Where](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/premade-business-template.png\")
This page builder is sleek and perfect for business.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n It\u2019s all set up, and he can implement some of the images the client provided quickly and easily. Plus, its layout is straightforward and perfect for Stephanie\u2019s carwash business. Score!<\/p>\n
So now Bob needs to create a new hosted site and start building from the foundation that this page builder provides.<\/p>\n
He clicks on the plus sign to Create a Site<\/strong> and picks the Clone<\/strong> option to implement the business layout.<\/p>\n
![\"Where](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/clone.png\")
The Clone option makes it simple as ever to get a new site started.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Going through the process will create a temporary site URL<\/strong>. To see how to set up a cloned site in detail, be sure to check out this article<\/a>.<\/p>\n
At this point, Bob can set up a staging environment<\/a> if he\u2019d like or use the temp URL. Setting up a staging environment is beneficial if there\u2019s no previous site or domain.<\/p>\n
Considering he’s using a premade template, he\u2019ll knock this one out rather quickly, so he is opting for just the temp URL and doesn\u2019t feel a need for staging.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Add In Client\u2019s Branding<\/h3>\n
Bob\u2019s going to go ahead and replace the premade images in the template with the clients\u2019, along with adding necessary information. It doesn\u2019t take long before the new site starts to come together!<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a look at the homepage\u2026<\/p>\n
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/website.png\")
I want to visit That\u2019s Awash Carwash already!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Once he has all of this implemented, he\u2019s ready to tweak and use some of the Pro plugins<\/a> that come included with every WPMU DEV membership.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Implement Plugins From The Hub<\/h2>\n
When you create a new site with a premade template, all necessary plugins are already installed and activated for you. There\u2019s nothing else that Bob needs to do to get the essentials.<\/p>\n
He can view all of them from The Hub in the Plugins<\/strong> area.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/preinstalled-plugins.png\")
All of these plugins are already installed and activated.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Of course, there will be some adjustments to be made here. Also, all of the other Pro plugins can be activated for free at any time from The Hub (e.g. Branda<\/a>, Hustle<\/a>, etc.).<\/p>\n
For now, Bob has decided to create a Forminator<\/a> subscription form for carwashes. That\u2019s easy to do with the Forminator Stripe Subscription Add-On<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
![\"Where](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/forminator-stripe-subscription-add-on.png\")
It\u2019s easy as ever to get subscriptions set up and implemented.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n It doesn\u2019t take much effort for Bob to get this feature implemented so that customers can subscribe to Stephanie\u2019s monthly carwash service.<\/p>\n
He includes fields for customers\u2019 name, address, phone number, and more. Plus, a customer can subscribe to the monthly subscription service by entering their credit card information.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/carwash-subscription.png\")
A subscription form is a cinch to create.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n If Stephanie wants any changes, Bob can always implement coupons & discounts<\/a>, e-signatures<\/a>, and more with Forminator.<\/p>\n
Learn more about how easy it is to include Forminator subscriptions in this article<\/a>.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Other Plugins\u2026<\/h3>\n
Bob also connects Beehive Pro<\/a> with Google for analytics, implements Defender Pro\u2019s<\/a> security recommendations, and runs a quick setup for SEO with SmartCrawl Pro<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Also, he can start setting up emails<\/strong> for That\u2019s Awash Carwash (each account hosted with WPMU DEV gets ten free email accounts \u2013 and more are available). Find out how to create email accounts and learn more about it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Just a Short Time Later\u2026<\/h3>\n
Before he knew it, Bob had the web design in a good place. \u201cI think she\u2019ll like it,\u201d he says, as he sips his coffee.<\/p>\n
He sent the temp URL to his client for feedback.<\/p>\n
Stephanie gets back with a thumbs-up. That\u2019s always a good sign.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Move a Site From a Temp URL to Domain<\/h2>\n
Bob goes ahead and moves the site from a temp URL to its actual domain.<\/p>\n
All of this is done from the site>Hosting>Domains<\/strong>. It\u2019s just a matter of adding a domain, updating the DNS, and a few more steps to make your custom domain primary.<\/p>\n
![\"Where](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/dns.png\")
It\u2019s easy as ever to get a temp domain to your custom domain \u2013 and make it live!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n When a site is ready to go live, Bob is in business. It\u2019s easy to do thanks to this checklist<\/a> in WPMU DEV\u2019s documentation. Plus, if he has any difficulties, he can always chat with support 24\/7.<\/p>\n
He gives Stephanie all of her company\u2019s new email account information and a link to the live URL, so she can start marketing it immediately.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Nicely Done!<\/h3>\n
He\u2019s pretty happy about how quick and easy the process of setting up a carwash website was. It made him want to visit Stephanie\u2019s carwash himself and wash his car, so after finishing his coffee, he did.<\/p>\n
![\"Car](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/car-wash.png\")
Bob is eagerly awaiting his clean car.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Now that all is up and running, it\u2019s time to\u2026<\/p>\n
<\/a>Set Up Subscription-Based Billing<\/h2>\n
To make things easy for his client, he\u2019s going to put her on a subscription-based billing system<\/strong>. This will cover her monthly hosting, service, and maintenance.<\/p>\n
Like the initial invoice, all of these features can be run from Client Billing<\/a>.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/billing.png\")
This overview of Bob\u2019s client, Stephanie, shows what\u2019s been paid, her contact information, and a lot of other detailed information.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Bob\u2019s charging $75 per month for site maintenance and $15 a month for hosting. This gives him a monthly recurring revenue (MRR) of $90.<\/p>\n
He has all of these set up as subscriptions, so it\u2019s automatically billed every month.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/monthly-services.png\")
The two subscriptions that Stephanie has for That\u2019s Awash Carwash.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n To set up subscriptions in Client Billing, all Bob had to do was set up a new service and apply it to Stephanie. Stephanie will get the option to pay her bill in her client portal<\/a>, or she can mail a check, and Bob can manually mark it as paid once it\u2019s received.<\/p>\n
Bob also sends her the final balance invoice of $400 for the completion of her site development.<\/p>\n
If he had any issues with Stephanie paying (she seems cool, so I doubt it), one of the steps Bob can take is password protection<\/a>, so the client can’t log in until paid. Also, he’ll get notifications of any past due invoices, if they were to occur.<\/p>\n
To learn how Bob set up subscriptions, produced invoices, and more, check out our article on how to become a hosting reseller<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Now that Bob\u2019s getting paid, the service is all set up, and all looks good, it\u2019s essential for him to\u2026<\/p>\n
<\/a>Monitor That\u2019s Awash Carwash and Reporting<\/h2>\n
As mentioned, one of the services Bob is doing for his client is site maintenance, which includes monitoring the site to ensure that it\u2019s always up and running.<\/p>\n
Luckily, in The Hub, that\u2019s as simple as ever with The Hub\u2019s Overview.<\/strong> From here, he can monitor security, uptime, check for updates, clear cache, view storage, and tons more.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/overview.png\")
The Overview has Bob covered with detailed information about Stephanie\u2019s website.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n He can even get a glimpse of his income from Stephanie from the Client Billing area, which makes for a nice shortcut and glance of what’s come in (instead of going to the actual Client Billing section).<\/p>\n
![\"Client](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/client-billing-area.png\")
As you can see, his MRR from Stephanie is $90.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Plus, Bob can schedule white labeled reports<\/a> to send to Stephanie about analytics, security, performance, and more \u2013 giving her peace of mind that all is well with her site. Stephanie requested this in the brief, so it\u2019s great that it\u2019s so easy to implement.<\/p>\n
![\"Example](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/report.png\")
Bob putting together a white-labeled report for That\u2019s Awash Carwash.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Once finished, a copy of the report will be emailed to Stephanie, where she can review all of the details and sleep well knowing that her site is maintained.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Job Well Done!<\/h2>\n
Bob can pat himself on the back. The site is great, it\u2019s maintained well, and he has a great client relationship with Stephanie. Her carwash business is booming and a ton of sales for her carwash subscription service are coming from her website.<\/p>\n
Bob did so great, he noticed a 5-star review on Yelp! from Stephanie!<\/p>\n
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/bob-review.png\")
Bob\u2019s pretty happy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Over time, his good reviews started piling up, and Bob\u2019s WordPress business took-off. He was easily able to manage hundreds of clients from The Hub, and all of his site management tools (plugins, reports, etc.) were at his disposal (for free!).<\/p>\n
Sell Your WordPress Services Under One Roof<\/h2>\n
So, how do your WordPress agency or services compare when it comes to getting from A (a client contacts you) to Z (site management and billing)?<\/p>\n
Hopefully, you saw how efficiently Bob’s journey all came together to create an awesome WordPress site for Stephanie’s carwash that got him a 5-star review.<\/p>\n
To recap, here’s what he did to run a profitable “one-stop” WordPress services business:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Hosting<\/strong>: He uses WPMU DEV’s fully dedicated, white-labeled, fast, and supported hosting accounts for clients.<\/li>\n
- Client Billing<\/strong>: WPMU DEV members have free access to white-labeled billing that creates invoices, subscription payments, allows clients to pay online, and more, which Bob used for all of his financial management.<\/li>\n
- Site Creation Tools<\/strong>: He used templates, cloning, configs, and more for creating WordPress sites quickly and easily.<\/li>\n
- Support:<\/strong> When he needs help, he has 24\/7 expert support for any WordPress issues.<\/li>\n
- Talent and Skillset<\/strong>: This is where Bob shined, by offering professional WordPress services!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
We realize this was a basic example and that being a website developer does take time, knowledge, and dedication to nail any web design. However, with all that\u2019s included with a WPMU DEV membership, the process is simplified.<\/p>\n
Want to be like Bob? <\/strong><\/p>\n
Possibly, in this example, you picked up on some features that you may have not been aware of, or aren’t implementing. Or, maybe you totally relate to Bob and use the same WordPress management methods that this story covered!<\/p>\n
Either way, just know that we’re constantly improving. There’s much more ahead for client billing, The Hub, our plugins, and more — to help keep your WordPress business growing more efficiently than ever.<\/p>\n
- Client Billing<\/strong>: WPMU DEV members have free access to white-labeled billing that creates invoices, subscription payments, allows clients to pay online, and more, which Bob used for all of his financial management.<\/li>\n
- Hosting<\/strong>: He uses WPMU DEV’s fully dedicated, white-labeled, fast, and supported hosting accounts for clients.<\/li>\n
- Easily Sets Up a Site From a Premade Template<\/a><\/li>\n