So, I’ve written an e-book I’d like to sell on a website. I need a website that has a couple of pages talking about the e-book, a “contact me” page and the usual stuff. I can do that.
What I really need, though, is to create a “Buy Me” link. It must take them to a page where they can enter their credit card info. (I don’t have a facility to accept credit cards, so I’d like PayPal or somebody like that to accept for me). Then, once they’ve paid, it should allow them to download the e-book.
I could spend a couple hours trying to figure out how to program that kind of stuff (which I don’t mind doing, as I like learning and I have some time). But if it’s too hard, I should probably just pay someone to do it. Any suggestions on the best way to go with this?
Anyways, if you do wish to teach yourself I suggest you check out HTMLgoodies.com or read his book HTMK Goodies. It has everything you need to know about web development.
There are lots and lots of web hosting services that have this kind of “shopping cart” services. This part is very hard because you need to interface with the credit card database and perform various operations. I recommend you to use one of these hosting services.
Actually, PayPal will handle all of your selling needs, including a shopping cart if you want. My own website uses PayPal as my store. Check out their site for more info.
Yes, Paypal does all that for you. They give you some HTML code to include on your page once you’ve filled in their form. You then have a button on your page that leads to Paypal’s server where the transactions take place.
The problem that I’m presented with is that it’s not like an online purchase of a hard good. It’s not like they pay and then I collect the information and ship the product. After they’ve paid, it needs to lead them to a page where they can download the e-book (which of course must be inaccessable unless you’ve been through the payment process). I think it sounds like way too hard for me to pull off. I’m going to find a pro to do it, I think.
Paypal does have a service that automatically emails your customer an id and password after they’ve paid. The password allows them to access a page of your choice, i.e. the page to download your e-book. A complete walkthrough can be found here.
Some people may disagree with me on this but if you are not familiar with web design but Network Solutions has the ability to set up an easy domain and website for less than $9 a month. Granted you have to pay their annual fee but they have prepackaged (if you will) web designs.
My step-brother owns a marketing company and while he contracts me for basic sites (not ones with heavy databases and the like) he did set up a nice site on his own using Network Solutions.
It’s worth looking into and if you plan on creating more e-books you may want to have your own domain anyway.
I know there might be better solutions but it’s one to look at. It looks like it “might” be up your alley so save you the cost of a professional designer and with PayPal, well, it’s cool.
There are cheaper web hosts and I don’t know those that offer canned designs as I design from the ground up. But it might save you a few $ and you can always change as your needs change.
Not the most popular…Oh and Yahoo also offers similiar programs, I think.
Sorry my sentences are so incoherant. I spent nine hours with my best friend’s 22 month toddler, day #2. I am used to hearing no, hep (help,) ginky (binky,) ganky (blanky,) mwilk, etc…
There’s only so much a childless woman can take in a day and not feel like she’s been around a Teletubbie for an entire day.
Um, no. I have been using Paypal over two years. The buyer never pays anything to send money. Paypal collects a single fee from the person collecting the money, and presumably pays the credit card companies from that fee.
Look for a free WYSIWYG program that you can download, unless you really want to learn what you’re doing as you go, then all you need is a basic html editor.
And I also recommend Paypal, you just fill out the info, they create the coding, and you C&P it onto your page.
You can ask your bank for a merchant account & accept credit cards online. Yahoo has a shopping cart thing too. Paypal takes some money when you get it & sometimes takes some when you take it out, depending on how you want to take it out You’d also have to get a business account with them if you use them a lot–I don’t know if that rule changed but they asked me to get one.
There are different ways of arranging this. The bottom line is that you need to be able to offer a credit card facility to potential customers – or you risk losing a whopping 9 out of 10 possible sales. The World Wide Web means exactly what it says – you’re looking at global business. Credit cards allow people to buy immediately, no matter where they live. "
Word of advice re: PayPal - any reasonably tech savvy person with a modicum of HTML knowledge can go and set his own prices for your product if you use the PayPal’s default “button builder.”
This isn’t much of an issue for small companies that a) sell material goods and, b) are small enough that the person who sees the invoice is the same person who does the shipping, but if you automate your shipping (in your case, downloading), don’t be surprised if you see people buying your product for cents on the dollar.
There are products out there that specialize in automating (presumably in a good you-don’t-get-ripped-off kind of way) the selilng of electronic goods. I’m researching this stuff for my boss right now, so I can get you some links later today. Otherwise google for “unique download code” or something like that and some products’ll turn up.