How ThemeSelection Used EDD to Break Free from Marketplace Constraints

In today’s digital marketplace, success often comes with hidden constraints.

ThemeSelection‘s journey from a marketplace-dependent vendor to an independent digital powerhouse demonstrates how the right tools and strategy can transform an eCommerce business.

Through their implementation of Easy Digital Downloads, ThemeSelection has achieved remarkable results.

Scale of Growth

• 163,000+ active users
• 196,000+ total sales
• $856,000+ lifetime net earnings
• 50+ successful products launched
• 6 years of sustainable independent operations
• $5,000-$6,000 savings per month

This case study explores how ThemeSelection successfully leveraged Easy Digital Downloads to break free from marketplace limitations and achieve complete autonomy in a thriving independent store.

ThemeSelection: Before the Transformation

As a Power Elite Author on ThemeForest, ThemeSelection had built a strong reputation for creating premium, fully coded Admin Templates and UI Kits. Their products helped developers worldwide streamline their development process and enhance productivity.

However, their success within the digital marketplace ecosystem came with increasing challenges.

Marketplace Saturation

• Increasing competition drives prices down.
• Marketing costs rose steadily.
• Profit margins became increasingly compressed.
• Product differentiation grew more difficult.

Brand Restrictions

• Limited ability to build direct customer relationships.
• No opportunity to establish a unique brand identity.
• Restricted marketing and communication options.
• Dependency on digital marketplace reputation systems.

Technical Limitations

• Inflexible licensing options.
• Restricted feature implementation.
• Limited ability to offer free and premium versions.
• Finite product update and delivery systems.

Constrained by these marketplace limitations, ThemeSelection sought a new solution. They wanted an alternative to selling on ThemeForest and other digital marketplaces.

The answer was to sell their products independently with WordPress.

“Before discovering Easy Digital Downloads, the process of building our own digital store seemed incredibly complex. We needed a platform that could handle free and pro product offerings, support different licensing models, and accept payments through multiple gateways. EDD turned out to be the perfect solution for us.”

— ThemeSelection Founder Ajay Patel.

The Solution: Switching to EDD

ThemeSelection’s move to Easy Digital Downloads represented more than a simple platform change—it was a complete business transformation.

They developed a comprehensive rollout strategy that addressed every aspect of their digital product business.

Strategic Platform Development

ThemeSelection approached its platform development with careful consideration of both immediate needs and future scalability.

Core Infrastructure Implementation

• Created a custom WordPress theme to reflect brand identity and enhance the user experience.
• Implemented EDD core plugin with carefully planned product organization and customer flow.
• Developed custom features to support their unique business requirements.
• Established direct customer communication channels.

Comprehensive Addon Integration

EDD Addons	Impact
Sales and Marketing Cross-Sells + Upsells Discount Codes Free Downloads	✓ Strategic product recommendations. ✓ Targeted promotions. ✓ Boost sales and increase average order value. ✓ Generate leads with free products.
Payment Processing PayPal Commerce Stripe Pro Invoices	✓ Offer flexible payments globally. ✓ Automated invoicing system & professional documentation. ✓ Streamlined refund and transaction management.
Product Management Git Download Updater Software Licensing Version Control	✓ Automated product updates directly from dev workflows. ✓ Flexible licensing options & automated renewal processes. ✓ Version control and update delivery system.
Customer Engagement Reviews User History	✓ Review system for building social proof. ✓ Tracking for personalized customer support.
Store Enhancement Widgets Pack Ecommerce Analytics	✓ Detailed analytics for data-driven decision-making.

Transformative Results

Over the past six years, the impact of ThemeSelection’s transition from a restrictive third-party marketplace to an EDD-powered solution has been transformative across all business metrics — quantitative and qualitative.

By not having to pay marketplace fees, ThemeSelection saves approximately 30-40% of their earnings.

That money was reinvested into their own store and a new platform, creating a more sustainable revenue stream.

Plus, running their own store eliminates the issue of earning saturation, which is common on marketplaces. This autonomy has helped them avoid unhealthy competition.

Instead, they can focus on growth and long-term success without limitations.

💰 Growth & Success By the Numbers

• 163,119 total users
• $5,000-$6,000 savings per month
• 50+ products launched and managed
• 196,810+ total sales
• $856,687+ in lifetime net earnings

📈 Customer Relationship Management

• Direct communication with users led to better product development.
• Ability to provide personalized support and build lasting relationships.
• Valuable customer insights through direct feedback and usage data.

🖌 Brand Development

• Established unique market positioning.
• Built strong brand recognition independent of marketplaces.
• Created consistent brand experience across all touchpoints.
• Eliminated earning saturation common on marketplaces.

⚙️ Operational Efficiency

• Streamlined product release and update processes.
• Automated key business functions.
• Reduced administrative overhead.

“The more effort put into building an attractive store and marketing, the higher the potential for increased revenue,” explained Patel. “By moving away from marketplaces and building our own platform with Easy Digital Downloads, we’ve established a direct connection with our customers, improved our margins, and grew our brand.”

Strategic Steps to Success

ThemeSelection’s success in moving away from a digital marketplace toward an independent online store wasn’t just about the technology—it was about strategic implementation and vision.

Platform customization excellence. Rather than settling for out-of-the-box solutions, ThemeSelection leveraged its development expertise to:

• Create a unique shopping experience aligned with customer needs.
• Implement custom features for their specific market.
• Design intuitive user interfaces for both free and premium products.
• Build efficient workflows for their team.

Strategic add-on implementation. Their methodical approach to building functionality included:

• Careful evaluation of each add-on’s ROI.
• Phased implementation to ensure smooth integration.
• Custom development as needed to bridge functionality gaps.
• Regular review and optimization of installed features.

Customer-centric infrastructure. Every decision was made with the customer journey in mind:

• Simplified purchase and download processes.
• Clear licensing and usage terms.
• Automated update delivery.
• Integrated support systems.

“The ability to control our sales process, offer flexible licensing, and provide a seamless customer experience has had a transformative impact on our business. We’ve built something that truly serves our customers while growing our brand.

Looking back, our only regret is not creating our own digital store with Easy Digital Downloads a few years earlier.”

ThemeSelection CEO Ajay Patel

Best Practices & Implementation Tips

ThemeSelection’s experience offers valuable insights to anyone trying to escape digital marketplace fees and limitations.

Patel encourages users to start with the core EDD plugin. Then gradually incorporate add-ons that most align with your business needs.

He explains that EDD extensions become essential for streamlining processes, especially when you start scaling with many products.

A modular approach to the EDD addon ecosystem offers flexibility to customize your store without overwhelming your team.

Patel also recommends using opportunities to customize Easy Digital Downloads to best fit your brand. For instance, this could include using custom themes or extending plugin functionality.

“EDD has been the backbone of our digital store, enabling us to achieve our goals and grow our business significantly,” Patel said. “We’re proud to be part of the EDD community and highly recommend it to anyone looking to sell digital products with ease and flexibility.”

Start Your Own Digital Success Story

ThemeSelection’s journey from digital marketplace dependency to independent e-commerce success demonstrates the transformative potential of Easy Digital Downloads.

Their experience shows that with the right platform, strategy, and execution, creators can ditch restrictive marketplaces and build a more profitable and sustainable business.

Ready to start your own independent and successful journey? Download Easy Digital Downloads and build your online product store in no time.

You can visit ThemeSelection.com to explore their premium bootstrap admin templates, SaaS boilerplates, and UI kits. Connect with CEO Ajay Patel on LinkedIn or X for industry insights and updates.

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