Clear as Mud: Customers vs. Clients – What’s the Difference?

Ever since I started my WordPress agency, this topic has perplexed me: What’s the difference between a customer and a client regarding an agency’s ability to license vendor solutions?

While the distinction between customers and clients is easier to understand in some ecosystems, it is still not definitive. Things are even more muddy in the WordPress ecosystem.

Correcting the distinction is essential, especially in the WordPress ecosystem, as it can dictate what an agency can and cannot do regarding providing licenses (not disclosing them) to customers/clients.

I cover a real-world interaction with a well-known WordPress company, outlining my self-governing principles and the benefits I see for the vendor should they allow their licenses to be “distributed” with one of my products.

The reality is customers/clients can and do get the same software for free, whether from GPL websites, from people who resell license keys, or from other methods.

I’d rather provide legitimate copies of the software where I can. Again, we’re not talking about just passing out licenses—”You get a license, and hey, you get a license.” We’re talking about licenses rolled up into a product that happens to be a fully built, custom website with a higher price point and strict rules that eliminate the risk of increasing the support burden on vendors.