Jukebox is a podcast dedicated to all things WordPress, covering topics such as the people, events, plugins, blocks, themes, and WooCommerce innovations and trends in selling online.
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Today, we have James Kemp on the podcast. James is the Core Product Lead for WooCommerce. After working with WooCommerce and running a plugin shop for 10 years, he joined the team at the end of 2023 to help shape the future of e-commerce.
James talks about his journey with WordPress and WooCommerce and explains his role at Automattic, where he’s tasked with connecting the community’s feedback to the developments in WooCommerce, ensuring the platform continually evolves and improves.
He discusses innovations within WooCommerce, the challenges of balancing the needs of small and large-scale stores, and how the team navigates an environment filled with competitors and opportunities.
He also shares his insights into the trends shaping e-commerce, such as the seamless integration of newer technologies and consumer buying habits.
If you’re interested in understanding the breadth of WooCommerce’s impact on e-commerce or are curious about the direction of online shopping, this episode is for you.
If you’re interested in finding out more, you can find all the links in the show notes by heading to wptavern.com/podcast, where you’ll find all the other episodes as well.
And so, without further delay, I bring you James Kemp.
I’m joined on the podcast by James Kemp. Hello, James.
[00:02:50] James Kemp: Hello, how are you? [00:02:51] Nathan Wrigley: Yeah, good. Nice to speak to you. James is on the podcast today to talk all things WooCommerce. He’s a very credible person to talk about WooCommerce, as he’s the Core Product Lead for WooCommerce at Automattic.However, when I say that title, James, I don’t really know what it means. Can you enlighten us and also share some biographical information about your history with WordPress and other relevant details?
[00:03:17] James Kemp: Of course. Yeah, I started using WordPress in 2009 and began building with WooCommerce in 2011. I worked with customers, building websites for those who needed them, and eventually built up a collection of plugins, which I sold on a premium basis through IconicWP, a WooCommerce plugin shop with 14 or 15 premium plugins.I sold IconicWP in 2021 to Liquid Web, Stellar, and stayed there for a couple of years before reaching out to the CEO of WooCommerce to explore potential opportunities. I joined WooCommerce as a product manager and eventually became the Core Product Lead, focusing on the overall vision of the product and connecting community feedback to developments.
[00:06:12] Nathan Wrigley: So, is there just one Core Product Lead, or are there multiple? [00:06:18] James Kemp: Correct, there’s only one Core Product Lead. [00:06:18] Nathan Wrigley: That’s really interesting. You have a high-level view of the entire project and are open to suggestions, innovations, and improvements. Can you tell me how you gather intelligence about what needs to be done? [00:08:18] James Kemp: There are many ways. I love talking to people who use WooCommerce, primarily through X (formerly Twitter). I also engage with the community on the WooCommerce community Slack and participate in external channels within our internal Slack. We’re working on being more transparent about what we’re working on, and I appreciate feedback from people on X. [00:10:18] Nathan Wrigley: I’ve often wondered how people in senior positions get information from the community. Do you think there’s a risk of the inside baseball of WordPress being hard to penetrate for those who don’t closely follow it? [00:10:41] James Kemp: Yeah, I think that’s a valid concern. Many WooCommerce users may not be part of the WordPress community or engage with the WordPress Slack or GitHub. X (formerly Twitter) has been a helpful platform for me to connect with users and gather feedback. [00:11:24] James Kemp: In terms of WooCommerce’s market share, 37% of e-commerce sites are powered by WooCommerce. We have 3.6 million live installations, over 1,000 official marketplace extensions, and update these numbers every month on our newsroom page. [00:12:41] Nathan Wrigley: Over the past five years, has WooCommerce’s market share stagnated, grown, or declined? [00:12:54] James Kemp: I would expect it’s grown. We recently updated our market share from 35% to 37%, indicating definite growth. [00:13:16] Nathan Wrigley: What’s driving this growth? Is it the nature of e-commerce in general, or something specific to WooCommerce? [00:13:27] James Kemp: I think the growth is driven by the nature of e-commerce in general, with more people buying online and the internet becoming more accessible. [00:14:23] James Kemp: The trend towards online shopping is likely to continue, with people becoming more comfortable buying online and the convenience of being able to shop from anywhere. [00:15:12] Nathan Wrigley: Does the advent of AI and the ability to add third-party functionality to WooCommerce undermine the longevity of the free, open-source WooCommerce project? [00:15:25] James Kemp: I don’t think so. I think AI assists WooCommerce by allowing users to tailor the platform to their needs without requiring technical knowledge. [00:16:15] James Kemp: WooCommerce’s flexibility and customizability are major strengths, but also present challenges in terms of ensuring backwards compatibility and supporting a wide range of users and environments. [00:17:24] Nathan Wrigley: Does the team have to manage trade-offs between features and functionality for different types of users, such as small stores versus enterprise-level users? [00:17:36] James Kemp: Yes, we do have to balance the needs of different types of users. We’re working on a project called “More in Core” to build out the base product and provide more features and functionality for the majority of users. [00:19:37] James Kemp: WooCommerce spans a wide range of users, from small stores to enterprise-level users. Our focus is primarily on the higher-revenue, higher-traffic e-commerce stores, but we also support smaller users and try to make the platform as good as possible for them. [00:20:52] Nathan Wrigley: Do you have to consider the potential impact of changes or new features on different types of users and environments? [00:21:04] James Kemp: Yes, we do consider the potential impact of changes on different users and environments. We try to balance the needs of different types of users and ensure that our changes and new features are beneficial to the majority of users. [00:22:28] Nathan Wrigley: How does WooCommerce compete with other e-commerce platforms, such as Shopify, which have a more restricted but also more streamlined and user-friendly experience? [00:22:43] James Kemp: WooCommerce offers flexibility and customizability, which can be both a strength and a challenge. We’re working on making the base product more user-friendly and providing more features and functionality out of the box, while also supporting a wide range of third-party extensions and plugins. [00:24:59] Nathan Wrigley: Have there been any changes within Automattic that have impacted the WooCommerce team or the development of the platform? [00:25:11] James Kemp: I wouldn’t say there’s been a significant impact on the WooCommerce team. We’ve always been focused on building a free product while also being a business, and that hasn’t changed. [00:26:27] Nathan Wrigley: WooCommerce recently underwent a rebranding effort. Can you tell me more about the reasoning behind this and what changes were made? [00:26:41] James Kemp: The rebranding was done to modernize the WooCommerce brand and make it more competitive with other e-commerce platforms. The new branding is more modern and allows us to better communicate our value proposition and connect with our target audience. [00:28:04] Nathan Wrigley: Do you think the rebranding was also a response to the rise of SaaS e-commerce platforms like Shopify and the need to compete with their more professional and modern branding? [00:28:20] James Kemp: Yes, I think the rebranding was partly a response to the rise of SaaS e-commerce platforms and the need to compete with their more professional and modern branding. [00:30:25] Nathan Wrigley: Are there any SaaS e-commerce platforms or features that keep you up at night, in terms of competition or innovation? [00:30:40] James Kemp: I don’t think there’s any one platform or feature that keeps me up at night. We’re focused on understanding our users’ needs and providing the best possible experience for them, while also keeping an eye on the competition and industry trends. [00:32:31] Nathan Wrigley: Can you tell me about any interesting trends or innovations you’ve seen in e-commerce recently? [00:32:43] James Kemp: One trend that’s caught my attention is the rise of platforms offering their own e-commerce solutions, such as TikTok Commerce. I also think there will be an evolution in how quickly and easily people can make purchases online, with features like one-click buying and seamless checkout experiences. [00:34:14] Nathan Wrigley: Are there any other interesting things happening around the periphery of e-commerce that you think our audience might not be aware of? [00:34:26] James Kemp: I think there will be innovations around augmented reality and virtual try-on, allowing customers to better experience products before making a purchase. I also expect to see more seamless payment experiences, like those offered by mobile wallets, become more prevalent in e-commerce. [00:38:08] James Kemp: If you have any questions or ideas, you can reach me on most social media platforms as @jamesckemp. My DMs are open, and I’m happy to hear from you. [00:38:21] Nathan Wrigley: Well, thank you very much, James Kemp, for taking the time to chat with me today. It’s been a pleasure. [00:38:25] James Kemp: Thank you very much.Source Link
