YITH’s 2023: A lot of work is happening behind the scenes to prepare us for the future that lies ahead  

2023 was a year of consolidation: following the acquisition by Newfold in 2022, the last few months were crucial in getting to know the teams of all the “satellite” companies (Bluehost, Yoast, etc.) and identifying which projects to focus on.  

Many customers and partners had expressed their fear that having a large company like Newfold behind us could distort YITH, diverting it from its own priorities. 

In the past year, we have proven that these fears were unfounded: the management of YITH is still in the hands of the same people who witnessed its inception and made it what it is today; the quality of our plugins and technical support has not been compromised and remains our top priority; we are still the company that treats employees like family and customers like friends. 

It has been an exciting year, full of motivation and eagerness to take action. And this has driven us to accomplish many things, and to lay the groundwork for the projects we will launch in the coming months. Have we piqued your curiosity? 

You just have to keep reading, then… 

Our plugins, the top ones available online for WooCommerce  

Last year, we developed a new framework to freshen up the plugin configuration panel and integrated it into our 20 best-selling plugins. Additionally, we updated 9 plugins by adding new features and enhancing both the design and performance. For example, this applies to Waitlist, Gift Cards, and Color & Label. On Dynamic Pricing and Discounts, in addition to integrating the new framework, we have added a rule to create last-minute offers to be displayed on the Cart and Checkout pages, an option that is highly requested by our customers.  

We have sent nearly 1,400 updates in total: a tremendous team effort that ensures our plugins remain the best WooCommerce plugins available online year after year.  

When it comes to free plugins, our Wishlist continues to dominate for the fourth consecutive year. With nearly a million active installations, it is indeed the most widely used wishlist plugin for WooCommerce. For this 2024, we have planned a massive plugin redesign and the addition of many features. Maintaining such a leadership position is not easy, and we must continue to earn the trust of the countless users who utilize our Wishlist in their shops! 

To date, nearly two and a half million people use our plugins. It’s an achievement that we proudly and joyfully celebrate. Thank you for your trust! 

Record-breaking 2023: a company that continues to grow 

2023, just like 2022, is proving to be a year of records for us. We achieved our all-time highest daily sales during the Halloween promotion (to celebrate, we brought cake and sparkling wine to both the Italy and Spain offices!). Additionally, the Black Friday sales allowed us to achieve our highest monthly sales record, with a 9% increase in revecenue compared to the previous year.  

Another significant growth for our company is in our YouTube channels, where we post videos demonstrating the step-by-step configuration of our plugins.

The video tutorials – more than 500, available in three languages: English, Italian, and Spanish – have enhanced our support service and have been essential in minimizing refund requests due to difficulties or errors in plugin configuration. 56% of our plugin buyers watch our video tutorials to understand how to replicate our demo settings, which is why we dedicate a lot of time to planning and creating the videos.  

This year, YITH has once again been actively involved in various community events. We eagerly participated in WordCamp Europe in Athens and made stops at numerous WordCamps in Spain (Torrelodones, Chiclana, Pontevedra – where we paid tribute to the late José Luis with a “special” t-shirt – Madrid, and Valencia). In Italy, we attended the WordCamp events in Turin and Verona. These gatherings provide us with the opportunity to engage with partners and clients, gather feedback, and strengthen our bond with the team. They are enriching experiences both professionally and personally.  

The YITH team: unwavering support for growing together 

Our team is what makes YITH a GREAT company. Bonding, respect, and unconditional support make a difference, especially when each of us has our own battles. We find ourselves in a post-pandemic society, and it’s not easy: there are moments when tiredness, fear, and anger take over, making it difficult to be proactive at work when personal life tries to bring you down. Last year, we managed to turn every problem into an opportunity for dialogue and discussion. We emerged stronger and more united each time.  

We have people scattered in different parts of the world, but we have learned that physical distance doesn’t matter and that every excuse (Halloween, Christmas, team members’ birthdays, etc.) is a good reason to celebrate together and foster healthy camaraderie. We have learned that it is important to tell those who work alongside us that they are valuable to the company, that we consider them exceptional, because kind gestures and words make a difference at the end of the day. 

We welcomed two new team members, Vanesa (a developer who recently became a mother to little Luca) and Elena, who works in customer care and has represented YITH at some events held in Spain. Additionally, we organized an epic Team Building event filled with activities, friendly competition, laughter, and delicious food. 

Coming together in our “company retreats” is always a great joy and allows us to work with more motivation and empathy. 

Fascinating facts about Nando, the CEO of YITH 

Once again, we dedicate a special space this year to Nando, the person who has made YITH the company it is today. An avid reader (22 books, one of which has been read and reread 10 times this year!) with a passion for running and wellness, who celebrated 50 years this year, half a century of life. And for him, time seems to be going in reverse, as he has never seemed so young and fit 😊 

YITH customers: growing every year 

YITH’s customer base is constantly growing, attracting people from all around the globe. In 2023, our website received 21.4 million Google views, and a staggering 1.5 million visits from 158 countries. 

Once again this year, the top 3 countries where we have recorded the highest sales are the United States in first place, Italy in second place, and the United Kingdom in third. 

Customer Service and Technical Support: Why Making a Difference is Our Priority 

The customer service and technical support task force had a busy year: we resolved nearly 25,000 tickets (with 42% of the tickets being resolved from the first response!) and answered 18,000 chats. 

We are always there for our customers, and as a result, our customer satisfaction rate remains at a solid 98%. On TrustPilot, we proudly hold a rating of 4.7/5, which we have achieved thanks to over 1800 positive reviews!  

We are grateful to our customers who year after year place their trust in us and motivate us with their feedback. And of course, we extend our heartfelt thanks to our dedicated team, without whom this achievement would not be possible.  

2023 Timeline: What Happened and When 

As per tradition, we include a timeline of the most significant events of the just-concluded year in the article. YITH has successfully completed many projects, and a part of the team has actively collaborated with Bluehost in designing the Wonder theme and WonderCart plugin, which are essential tools in Bluehost’s e-commerce plan for their customers. In 2024, we will face new challenges, but we are filled with enthusiasm and confident that together we can achieve any goal! 

And what about the future? We will definitely continue to update our plugins – the first on the list being AJAX Search, which will become one of the best search plugins for WooCommerce available online in version 2.0 – and we plan to integrate the new framework into many other plugins. 

We will also enhance some of our most popular free plugins (such as Compare and Quick View) and, drumroll please… soon we will enter the Shopify marketplace with our Booking & Appointments app! 

We have nothing left but to wish you a Happy New Year and thank you for being with us in 2023 and for accompanying us in this fantastic year that has just begun!