WordPress Developer Corey Maass Sells Social Link Pages Plugin to Alpha Particle’s Matthaus Klute
WordPress developer Corey Maass has recently sold his popular Social Link Pages plugin to Matthaus Klute, an independent WordPress consultant and developer with Alpha Particle. This acquisition highlights the growing trend of small plugins changing hands, as developers test new ideas and business models in a thriving marketplace.
The Story Behind Social Link Pages
In 2019, Maass created Social Link Pages after taking a course on marketing himself as a musician and DJ. As part of the course, he had to sign up for Linktr.ee, a popular “link in bio” landing page service. Instead of paying the monthly fee, Maass decided to build his own solution.
Initially, Maass developed the free version of Social Link Pages with basic features similar to other link-in-bio page builders. After some initial pushback from the Plugin Review team, who questioned the need for a “mini WordPress inside WordPress,” the plugin was approved for the WordPress directory.
Over time, Maass added new features based on user feedback and released a Pro version of the plugin. He also received inquiries from users interested in white-labeling the plugin for their own software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses. However, Maass eventually took a day job and stopped actively working on the plugin.
Revival and Marketing Efforts
After 18 months, Maass returned to the plugin and discovered that it had gained 1,000 active installs. Encouraged by this growth, he decided to make major updates and add new features. To market Social Link Pages, Maass listed it on AppSumo, a popular marketplace for lifetime deals.
While the plugin attracted attention from potential buyers, only a few of the lifetime licenses were claimed. This experience led Maass to realize that many people collect lifetime deals but never actually use them. Despite continued feature updates, Maass’s interest in the plugin began to wane as he saw new link-in-bio apps emerge.
Selling Social Link Pages
At the beginning of 2023, Maass listed Social Link Pages for sale at $5,000, based on the standard pricing of 12-18 months of revenue. However, he did not find a buyer as he lacked the charts and spreadsheets typically requested by potential buyers. Undeterred, Maass relisted the plugin in the summer at a reduced price of $3,000.
This time, he received immediate interest from several buyers who recognized the value of the plugin. After discussions with Matthaus Klute, who had previously purchased Maass’s Kanban for WordPress plugin, Maass knew he had found the right buyer. They met in person at WordCamp US in August 2023 to complete the asset transfer.
Matthaus Klute’s Plans for Social Link Pages
Klute, an experienced WordPress developer, was attracted to Social Link Pages due to its active user base and consistent recurring revenue. He saw the potential to focus on marketing the plugin instead of building it from scratch. Klute plans to explore new features for the plugin, including a digital business card functionality and enhanced compatibility with WooCommerce for e-commerce businesses.
The smooth transfer of the plugin was facilitated by Maass’s careful separation of accounts and services. Klute also appreciated Maass’s expertise and conducted in-depth codebase exploration sessions during their meeting at WordCamp US.
Conclusion
The sale of Social Link Pages from Corey Maass to Matthaus Klute highlights the dynamic nature of the WordPress plugin marketplace. Developers like Maass have the opportunity to test ideas and business models, while business owners can invest in these assets to expand their offerings. With Klute’s plans to enhance and market Social Link Pages, users can expect exciting updates and new features in the future.
