Easy Digital Downloads | The Blog Pros

June 3, 2024

How to Show Product Recommendations in WordPress (7 Easy Ways)

Do you want to show product recommendations in WordPress?

Displaying product recommendations can encourage users to make additional purchases, boosting your sales and revenue. It can also improve user engagement by convincing visitors to stay longer on your site.

In this article, we will show you how to easily show product recommendations in WordPress, step by step.

Why Show Product Recommendations in WordPress?

If you have an online store, then showing product recommendations on the cart or checkout page can increase the average order value on your site.

By suggesting relevant products, you can help customers discover items they might be interested in, leading to a more satisfying shopping experience.

For instance, if a customer purchases a hat in your clothing store, you can recommend sunglasses because both these options protect from the sun and are often bought together.

You can show these recommendations as a slide-in cart, order bump, upsell, or cross-sell products, and even send automated emails to users upon purchase to gain traction.

Having said that, let’s take a look at how to easily show product recommendations in WordPress.

For this tutorial, we will be using multiple methods, so you can use the links below to jump to the one of your choice:

Method 1: Show Product Recommendations on the Products Page
Method 2: Show Product Recommendations on the Cart Page
Method 3: Show Product Recommendations as a Sliding Cart
Method 4: Show Product Recommendations as Order Bumps
Method 5: Offer Post-Purchase Recommendations With Emails
Method 6: Show Product Recommendations in Popups
Method 7: Display Product Recommendations in Easy Digital Downloads
Bonus: Properly Set Up eCommerce Tracking In WordPress

Method 1: Show Product Recommendations on the Products Page

If you want to show relevant recommendations on the products page, then this method is for you.

You can easily do this using the default upsell feature in WooCommerce, so you won’t need any other plugin for this method.

Upsells basically means recommending a more premium version of the product the user is purchasing. However, you can also add other relevant products in this section.

First, you must visit the Products » Add New page from the WordPress dashboard to create a new product. You can also edit an existing one if you want.

Once you have added the details, scroll down to the ‘Product Data’ section and switch to the ‘Linked Products’ tab from the left column.

Here, you can add different products to your WooCommerce store in the ‘Upsell’ section. To do this, just enter the name of the product, and you will be shown the search results from which you can choose a product to add.

After that, scroll back to the top and click the ‘Publish’ button to store your settings and make your product live.

Now, visit your WooCommerce store to view the upsell products under the ‘You may also like’ section.

For more details, see our tutorial on how to upsell products in WooCommerce.

Method 2: Show Product Recommendations on the Cart Page

If you want to display product recommendations on the cart page just as the customer is moving to the checkout, then this is the method to use.

WooCommerce offers the default cross-sell option that allows you to show relevant and complementary products without using any plugin.

First, open the product of your choice in the WooCommerce editor and scroll down to the ‘Product Data’ section.

Here, switch to the ‘Linked Products’ tab where you can add relevant products to be displayed on the carts page in the ‘Cross-sells’ section.

Once you are done, just click the ‘Publish’ or ‘Update’ button at the top to store your settings.

Now, visit your store and add a product in the cart to head over to the Cart page. Here, you will notice that the product recommendations are displayed in the ‘You may be interested in…’ section.

Cross sell product recommendations preview

Method 3: Show Product Recommendations as a Sliding Cart

You can use this method if you want to show product recommendations in a sliding cart.

FunnelKit is a popular WooCommerce plugin that lets you add a sliding cart to your store and also show relevant recommendations within this cart to encourage users to make more purchases.

First, you need to install and activate the Sliding WooCommerce Cart by FunnelKit plugin. For details, see our tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, head to the FunnelKit » Cart page and toggle the ‘Enable Cart’ switch to ‘On.’

After that, you can select the sliding cart visibility, icon position, coupon field, summary, and checkout settings from the section below. For more details on this, see our tutorial on how to easily add a sliding cart in WooCommerce.

Once satisfied, you must switch to the ‘Upsells’ column from the left and toggle the ‘Enable Cart Upsells’ switch to ‘On.’

Note: Keep in mind that you will need the pro version of the plugin to unlock the upsells feature.

How to add upsells and cross-sells to WooCommerce

This will open new settings on the page from where you can configure the display layout for product recommendations. You will be able to see a preview for each layout style on the right corner of the screen.

After that, you must select if you want to show cross-sell or upsell products as recommendations. You can also choose the ‘Both’ option.

Then, you can add a heading to be displayed at the top of product recommendations and choose the number of recommendations to be displayed.

Configure upsell and cross sell settings

Once that is done, scroll down to the ‘Upsells and Cross-Sells’ section to view the list of all the products on your online store.

From here, expand a product’s tab and click the ‘Add Upsell’ or ‘Add Cross Sell’ button to add recommendations.

Remember that upsell products are like the premium version of the product that the customer has added to the cart, while cross-sell products are the ones that are related to the product the user is purchasing.

FunnelKit's advanced conversion features

Upon clicking on one of the buttons, a popup will open on the screen from where you can search and add the product that you want to be displayed in the recommendations.

You can follow the same process for all the products on your online store.

Adding a linked product on your online store

Once you are done, just click the ‘Save’ button at the top to store your settings.

You can now visit your WooCommerce to view the sliding cart with product recommendations.

An example of a cross-sell promotion, created using FunnelKit Funnel Builder

Method 4: Show Product Recommendations as Order Bumps

Use this method to display relevant product recommendations as an order bump, which is a technique used on the checkout page to show relevant products to customers at a lower price point.

This can often convince them to buy it right before finishing the checkout process.

To create order bumps, you will need to install and activate the Funnelkit Builder. For details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Note: FunnelKit Builder has a free plan, but you will need the pro version to unlock the order bumps feature.

Upon activation, visit the FunnelKit » Settings page from the admin sidebar and switch to the ‘License’ tab in the left column.

Then, enter your license key and click the ‘Activate’ and ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings. You can get this information from your account on the FunnelKit website.

Next, you will need to create a checkout page on your WooCommerce store using FunnelKit. For more information on this, see our tutorial on how to customize your WooCommerce checkout page.

Once that is done, go to the FunnelKit » Store Checkout page from the WordPress dashboard and click the ‘Add Order Bump’ button.

Clicking the Add Order Bump button on FunnelKit

This will open a popup where you must add a name for the order bump that you are creating and click the ‘Add’ button.

The plugin will now add the order bump to your checkout funnel. Here, click the ‘Edit’ button to start the process.

Clicking the Edit button on an order bump in FunnelKit

This will take you to a new screen where you must click the ‘Add Product’ button to open a popup.

Here, just type and add the products that you think will complement the buyers’ purchase and then click the ‘Add Product’ button.

Adding products to a FunnelKit order bump

Next, you can select a discount type for the products that you chose from the dropdown menu and can even offer more than one quantity for each item to customers.

Once you have done that, just click the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.

Configuring the product offer's discount type in FunnelKit

Then, scroll down to the ‘Order Bump Settings’ section, where you can select the order bump’s behavior and display position during checkout.

For instance, if you select the ‘Add Order Bumps to Cart Items’ option as the bump behavior, then customers will be suggested these products to add as an extra purchase.

However, when choosing ‘Replace Order Bumps with a Cart Item (used for upgrades)’, you give customers the option to replace their purchase by upgrading to a higher-end version of the product.

After that, switch to the ‘Design’ tab from the top. Here, you can configure how the order bump offer will look to customers.

You can add a title and description and change the text colors, background color, toggle color, border, font size, price display, and box padding and width. Once you are satisfied, just click the ‘Save’ button to store your settings.

Clicking Choose Skin in the FunnelKit Order Bump Design tab

Now, it is time for you to switch to the ‘Rules’ tab, where you have to click the ‘Add Rules’ button.

This will display some new settings on the screen that you can use to display the order bump for specific products. The rules can be based on the cart, customer, geography, or date and time.

For example, if you want to display the order bump on the checkout for a specific product, then you must choose the ‘Customer Product Purchased’ option from the dropdown menu on the right.

After that, just add the product name in the text field on the right and click the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.

An example of the order bump trigger rules in FunnelKit using the AND button

Now, visit your WooCommerce to view the order bump on the checkout page of a specific product.

If you want to know more about trigger rules for order bumps, then you can see our beginner’s guide on how to create an order bump in WooCommerce.

What FunnelKit's order bump looks like in checkout

Method 5: Offer Post-Purchase Recommendations With Emails

If you want to send a post-purchase recommendation email to customers, then this method is for you. For this, you will need FunnelKit Automations, which is a powerful automation plugin.

You can create a workflow with it that will automatically send a recommendation email to users sometime after their purchase.

First, you need to install and activate the FunnelKit Automations plugin. For instructions, see our tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Note: You can sign up for the FunnelKit free plan to do this.

Upon activation, visit the FunnelKit Automations » Automations page from the WordPress dashboard and click the ‘Create Automation’ button.

This will take you to the ‘Add Automations’ page, where you will see a list of premade templates offered by the plugin.

From here, switch to the ‘WooCommerce’ tab and select the ‘Post Purchase Sequence’ template.

Doing that will open a preview of the automated workflow in a new tab from where you must click the ‘Import Recipe’ button.

This will open a new prompt. Here, add the name for the workflow that you are making and click the ‘Create’ button.

The FunnelKit Automation editor will now be launched on the screen. You can start by clicking on the ‘Order Created’ tab. This is the trigger that will start the workflow.

A popup will appear on your screen, where you will have to select the order status. For instance, if you select the ‘Processing’ option, then the email will be sent to users after they place their order.

However, when choosing the ‘Completed’ option, customers will receive an email after they get the order at their address. Just configure these settings and click the ‘Save’ button.

Once you do that, click the ‘Delay’ tab.

This will open the prompt on the screen where you can choose how long after the purchase the email should be sent to users. For example, you can choose 1 hour from the dropdown menu.

After that, click the ‘Save’ button to store your settings.

Next, click the ‘Action’ tab in the editor to open its settings in the popup. Here, you can start by configuring the subject line of the email.

Then, click the ‘Merge Tags’ option at the top.

On doing that, a popup will open up where you have to switch to the ‘Orders’ tab.

Next, scroll down to the ‘Order Cross Sells’ option and click the copy button next to it.

Click the Copy button next to the Cross Sells option

The prompt will now automatically close, and you can scroll down to the text builder in the ‘Action’ popup.

Here, you can change the email content according to your liking and add the cross-sells tag. Now, users will see a list of relevant products that you added for the purchased product using WooCommerce or FunnelKit.

Once you are done, just click the ‘Save and Close’ button.

Add the merge tag in the text editor and click the 'Save' button

You can now view your automated workflow again to see if you want to make any changes.

After that, toggle the ‘Inactive’ switch at the top to ‘Active’.

Now, your customers will receive an email with product recommendations exactly an hour after purchase.

Method 6: Show Product Recommendations in Popups

If you want to show product recommendations in popups, then this method is for you.

For this, you will need OptinMonster, which is the best lead generation and conversion optimization tool on the market. It allows you to create popups, gamified spin the wheels, banners, and floating bars using its premade templates and visual editor.

It also has exit intent technology that lets you display product popups to users just as they are planning to leave your store.

To create a product recommendation popup, you will need to create an account on the OptinMonster website.

Once you do that, open your WordPress dashboard and install the free OptinMonster plugin, which will connect your website with the tool.

Upon activation, the OptinMonster setup wizard will open up, where you must click the ‘Connect Your Existing Account’ button. You can then follow the onscreen instructions to complete the process.

Next, visit the OptinMonster » Settings page and click the ‘Auto Generate Keys + Connect WooCommerce’ button.

If you don’t do this, then campaigns created with OptinMonster won’t be shown in your store.

Auto generate keys and connect WooCommerce

Once that is done, head over to the OptinMonster » Templates page from the WordPress dashboard and select ‘ Popup’ as the campaign type.

Next, click the ‘Use Template’ button for a template that you want to use. For this tutorial, we have used the ‘Product Recommendations’ template.

This will open a prompt where you can add a name for the campaign that you are creating.

Once you do that, OptinMonster’s drag and drop builder will be launched on the screen. Here, you can use different blocks to add an image, details, and CTA for a product. For more instructions, see our tutorial on how to create a WooCommerce popup to increase sales.

Then, click the ‘Product Details’ button in the popup preview to open its settings in the left column. You can now add the URL for the product’s page in the ‘Redirect URL’ field.

Now, switch to the ‘Display Rules’ tab from the top. Here, you will be setting conditions for the product recommendation popup appearance.

To do this, open the ‘Time on Page’ dropdown menu and choose the ‘Page Targeting’ option.

This will allow you to show your popup to users on a specific product’s page, letting you cross-sell or upsell the product.

Upon choosing this option, select ‘contains’ from the dropdown menu in the middle and then add the URL of the product page where you want to display the specific recommendation popup.

You can also choose the ‘Exit Intent’ option to display the popup as the user is about to leave your store.

If you want, you can change the feature’s intensity to show it to more customers.

Finally, switch to the ‘Publish’ tab from the top.

Here, click the ‘Publish’ button to make your popup live. Then, click the ‘Save’ button to store your settings.

You can now visit your online store to view the product recommendations popup in action.

If you selected a specific page for the popup, then you must head to that page to view the results.

Method 7: Display Product Recommendations in Easy Digital Downloads

If you sell digital downloads on your online store, then the above methods may not be suitable for you.

In that case, you can use Easy Digital Downloads, which is the best plugin for selling digital goods, to show product recommendations.

First, you need to install and activate Easy Digital Downloads. For details, see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Note: EDD has a free plan, but you will need the pro version to unlock the Cross-sell and Upsell add-on.

Upon activation, visit the Downloads » Settings page from the WordPress admin sidebar to enter your license key. You can get information from under your account on the EDD website.

Then, click the ‘Activate’ button.

Add a license key for your easy digital downloads plugin

Once you have done that, you must set up your store to start selling products. For instructions, see our beginner’s guide on how to sell digital downloads in WordPress.

Next, head over to the Downloads » Extensions page and locate the ‘EDD Cross-sell and Upsell’ addon, and click the ‘Install’ button under it.

Once the addon is installed, it will automatically show an activated toggle like this:

Activate the EDD Cross-sell Upsell addon

Now, it’s time for you to visit the Downloads » Settings page and switch to the ‘Extensions’ tab.

From here, you can configure the heading for upsell and cross-sell products. Remember that the upsell products are like a premium version of the product the user is purchasing, while cross-sell products are the ones that are related to the purchased products.

You can add your headings according to your liking and also adjust the number of product recommendations to be shown from the dropdown menus.

After that, just click the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.

Add headings for cross sell and upsell sections

Now, open the digital product where you want to add product recommendations.

Once the block editor appears, simply scroll down to the ‘Cross-sell and Upsell’ section, where you can add custom headings for each section.

If you don’t add a heading, then the default headings you configured will be added to the page.

After that, select the upsell product recommendations from the dropdown menu. You can follow the same process for cross-sell products as well.

Once you are done, just click the ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ button to store your settings.

Now open the product page on the website front-end, and you will see that the upsell product will be recommended on the product page.

On the other hand, the cross-sell products will be recommended to users when they are on the checkout page.

This is how the cross-sell products looked on our demo website.

Cross-sell product recommendation preview

Bonus: Properly Set Up eCommerce Tracking In WordPress

Once you have added product recommendations, it is time for you to set tracking for your online store to find your top-selling products, see which campaigns perform the best, and understand how people find and use your website.

This will help you find what kind of products customers are likely to buy along with others in your store. For example, you may notice that anyone who is buying sunscreen is also purchasing a hat.

With this information, you can show relevant product recommendations to customers and boost your conversions.

To do this, you will need MonsterInsights, which is the best Google Analytics solution on the market.

Upon plugin activation, simply connect your website with Google Analytics. For details, see our tutorial on how to install Google Analytics in WordPress.

Then, head over to the Insights » Addons page from the WordPress dashboard and install the eCommerce addon.

Now visit the Insights » Settings page and switch to the ‘eCommerce’ tab. Here, you must toggle the ‘Use Enhanced eCommerce’ switch to ‘On.’

Once you do that, MonsterInsights will start recording analytics and find the data you need, including conversion rate, transactions, revenue, average order value, and top products.

For details, see our tutorial on how to properly set up eCommerce tracking in WordPress.

We hope this article helped you learn how to show product recommendations in WordPress. You may also like to see our beginner’s guide on how to pass payment processing fees to customers in WordPress and our top picks for the best email marketing services to grow your email list.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Show Product Recommendations in WordPress (7 Easy Ways) first appeared on WPBeginner.

May 15, 2024

How to Sell Fonts Online with WordPress (Step by Step)

Are you looking for a way to sell fonts online using WordPress?

Fonts play a crucial role in graphic designing, branding, website building, and other creative tasks. Selling fonts is a great way to make money online, as you can create your own website and target different niches.

In this article, we will show you how to sell fonts online with WordPress.

Why Sell Fonts Online with WordPress?

There is a growing need for fonts, as graphic designers, bloggers, marketers, and business owners of all sizes need a font for their websites. This presents a huge potential opportunity for font designers, as you can easily sell typefaces online to make money.

While it can be a competitive industry, you can find gaps and target a specific niche. For example, you can sell fonts to designers who create logos or target creative artists who create digital art.

Selling online fonts also requires little investment compared to other businesses. To get started, you need only a web hosting platform, a domain name, and an eCommerce platform. For more details, please see how much it costs to build a website.

Plus, you don’t have to worry about storage or restocking with digital products like fonts compared to physical goods.

Now, there are many third-party websites where you can sell your fonts. However, you don’t get complete control over your digital products, and you’d have to share a percentage of your sales with the particular platform.

That’s why it’s better to create your own website to sell digital products, including fonts. You get complete control over your products and the flexibility to sell them however you want. Plus, you don’t have to split the money with anyone.

Which Platforms Should You Use to Sell Fonts Online?

When it comes to selling fonts, you’ll need an eCommerce platform. It will allow you to set up an online shop with a shopping cart, easily upload different fonts, add multiple payment options, and create different pages for your store.

Now, it’s important to select the right platform because moving to another platform in the future can be complicated and take a lot of time and effort.

Some platforms are better suited for physical products, while others are great for selling digital products.

We recommend using WordPress + Easy Digital Downloads.

Is Easy Digital Downloads the right digital eCommerce platform for you?

WordPress is the best website builder in the market, and it powers over 43% of websites on the internet. On the other hand, Easy Digital Downloads is the best eCommerce plugin for WordPress for selling digital products like fonts.

Do note that there are 2 types of WordPress software. First, there is WordPress.com, which is a blog hosting platform. Then there is WordPress.org, which is also known as self-hosted WordPress.

To sell fonts online, you will need the WordPress.org platform because it gives you full control over your site.

For more details, please see our guide on the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

That said, let’s see how you can easily sell fonts online with WordPress.

Step 1: Setting Up a WordPress Website

To start selling fonts online, you’ll first need a domain name, web hosting, and an SSL certificate.

A domain name is the website address that people will enter on the internet to visit your site. You can think of it as an address to your house but for the internet, like wpbeginner.com.

Web hosting is a place where your website lives online. It’s where all your website files, fonts, and other information are stored. To help you out, we’ve selected the best WordPress hosting services that you can purchase.

One of our top recommended hosting providers is SiteGround. It offers managed WordPress hosting for Easy Digital Downloads (EDD). It comes with a free SSL certificate, EDD pre-installed, all the optimization features, and you get a huge 80% off.

→ Click here to Claim this Exclusive SiteGround offer ←

For more details, you can see our guide on how to make a WordPress website.

Step 2: Setting Up Easy Digital Downloads in WordPress

Next, you’ll need to install Easy Digital Downloads on your WordPress website.

If you opted for SiteGround’s EDD hosting, then Easy Digital Downloads will come preinstalled.

However, if you’re using another WordPress hosting service, then you’ll need to install and activate the Easy Digital Downloads plugin. For more details, please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Do note that for this tutorial, we will use the Easy Digital Downloads Pro version because it offers more features, payment gateways, and extensions. However, you can use the Easy Digital Downloads Lite version to get started for free.

Upon activation, you can go to the Downloads » Settings page from your WordPress admin panel. From here, you’ll need to enter the license key under the General tab. You will find the license key in the Easy Digital Downloads account area.

Next, you’ll need to scroll down and enter your business information. For instance, you can choose a business name, business type, address, and more.

You can also select the business country and region from the dropdown menu. This will help determine where your business is located and allow EDD to fill different fields automatically.

Adding a business location to your online digital store

Once you’re done, click the ‘Save Changes’ button.

Step 3: Adding a Payment Method to Sell Fonts

Next, you’ll need to set up payment methods to accept payments from customers who buy fonts.

By default, Easy Digital Downloads include Stripe, PayPal, and credit cards as payment options.

Simply switch to the ‘Payments’ tab and then the ‘General’ tab in the Downloads settings.

Adding payment gateways to your WordPress website

After that, you can check the box next to each payment gateway you want to use on your website.

If you select multiple payment options, then you’ll have to set the default gateway. Simply click the ‘Default Gateway’ dropdown menu and choose the method that will appear default.

Adding a Stripe gateway to your WordPress blog or website

We recommend using Stripe, as it lets you accept credit card payments, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. This makes it a versatile payment option for users.

Next, you’ll need to configure each payment option you selected for selling fonts online. Do note that the process may vary for each service.

For example, we will select Stripe for this tutorial.

Simply click the ‘Stripe’ tab under the Payments settings. From here, click the ‘Connect with Stripe’ button.

Connecting the Stripe payment gateway to WordPress

After that, you can follow the onscreen instructions in the setup wizard to connect your Stripe account with Easy Digital Downloads.

Now, you’ll need to repeat these steps for other payment gateways you added to your digital store.

Lastly, you can switch to the ‘General’ tab and then select ‘Currency.’ Here, Easy Digital Downloads lets you select the default currency for your store.

How to change the currency settings in your online music store

Once you’re done, simply click the ‘Save Changes’ button.

Step 4: Adding Fonts as Digital Products

Now that you’ve set up a WordPress site and configured Easy Digital Downloads, the next step is to add your custom fonts to the store.

To create a digital product, you can head to Downloads from your WordPress dashboard and then click the ‘Add New’ button.

Next, you’ll need to enter the name of your font. This will appear at the top of the product page, so you’d typically want to use the font name.

Under that, you can also add a brief description of the custom font. Here, you can list out the details of your font, like specification, size, style, weights, variations, and more.

After that, you can scroll down to the ‘Download Details’ section.

Here, you’ll see options to set the price for a single product, bundle, or service. Then, under ‘Pricing Options,’ simply enter the price for your custom font.

If you’d like to price different variations of fonts differently, then you can also enable the ‘Enable variable pricing’ option.

Next, you can head to the ‘Download Files’ section. From here, you’ll need to enter a name for your file and then upload the font zip file.

If you have multiple files, then simply click the ‘Add New File’ button and upload different variations of the font.

The final step is adding a product image for your website. You can click the ‘Set Download Image’ option from the settings panel on the right and upload an image.

We recommend using a picture of the font as the download image. This way, a user will know what the font will look like before purchasing.

When you’re happy with all the settings, you can click the ‘Publish’ button at the top.

You can now repeat this step to add more fonts to your WordPress website and sell them online.

Step 5: Customize Your Font Download Emails

Easy Digital Downloads sends default emails to customers who purchase your fonts online.

However, the default email is plain and lacks branding or a logo.

The default Easy Digital Downloads purchase receipt

You can customize these emails in Easy Digital Downloads by adding your own brand name or logo. This helps make your emails stand out and shows a professional touch.

To customize emails, you’ll need to go to Downloads » Settings from the WordPress dashboard and then click on the ‘Emails’ tab.

How to customize the purchase confirmation email on your online store

Here, you can upload a logo by clicking the ‘Attach File’ button.

There are also options to edit the ‘from’ name and email address.

If you scroll down, then Easy Digital Downloads also gives an option to enable WP Mail SMTP.

It is the best SMTP plugin for WordPress that helps email deliverability and prevents your emails from landing in the spam folder or not reaching the customer’s inbox.

To learn more, please see our guide on how to fix the WordPress not sending email issue.

When you are done, simply click the ‘Save Changes’ button.

Next, you can switch to the ‘Purchase Receipts’ tab.

Here, you can edit the purchase email subject, heading, and the text of the email.

Don’t forget to save your changes when you are done.

You can also send a test email to see your changes and ensure everything is working correctly. Simply click the ‘Send Test Email’ button, and EDD will send a message to your admin email address.

Sending a test email from your online music store

Step 6: Promote Your Online Font Store

Now that your digital store is ready to sell fonts, you’ll need to promote it to drive traffic and sales.

There are different ways you can start promoting your store. This can include creating a sales page where you list different fonts and adding the page to your website navigation menu. You can also display different fonts on the homepage to improve their visibility and get conversions.

Other than that, creating a WordPress blog can help drive to your website. You can write about different fonts and cover extensive topics, like when to use them or share your own experience.

Easy Digital Downloads also lets you create a purchase button, which you can add anywhere on your site. It is similar to a buy now button, where users can purchase fonts with a click of a button.

Simply head to Downloads from your WordPress dashboard and edit one of the fonts.

Next, you’ll need to scroll down to the Purchase Shortcode section.

Go ahead and copy the shortcode.

You can now add the purchase shortcode to any page or post and allow users to buy the font.

Bonus: Use Plugins and Tools to Promote Your Digital Downloads Store

Besides that, there are lots of WordPress plugins you can use to help promote your online font store. Here are some of the top picks to help you sell digital products:

OptinMonster – It is the best conversion optimization software in the market. You can create multiple campaigns to grow your email list, convert visitors into customers, and reduce cart abandonment.
All in One SEO (AIOSEO) – It is the best SEO plugin for WordPress that helps optimize your site for search engines and get more traffic and sales.
MonsterInsights – You can use this plugin to set up Google Analytics in WordPress without editing code. It helps track user behavior on your site, shows where visitors are coming from, how your site is performing, and more. You can uncover amazing insights to grow your business and make data-driven decisions.
PushEngage – It is the best push notification software for WordPress. You can use it to send personalized web push notifications and let users know about new fonts, sales, discount coupons, and more.
RafflePress – You can use RafflePress to run viral giveaways. This helps build social followers, grow your email list, build brand recognition, and promote your fonts.

We hope this article helped you learn how to sell fonts online with WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to sell videos online with WordPress and the best live chat software for small businesses.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Sell Fonts Online with WordPress (Step by Step) first appeared on WPBeginner.

May 6, 2024

How to Create a One-Click Checkout in WordPress (5 Ways)

Are you looking to learn how to create a one-click checkout in WordPress?

Optimizing checkout for a smoother experience for customers is one of the highest priorities when running an eCommerce site. Specifically, adding a one-click checkout in WordPress helps users complete transactions faster, which makes them more likely to return.

In this article, you’ll learn how to create a one-click checkout in WordPress to boost conversions and increase sales.

Why Do You Need to Create a One-Click Checkout in WordPress?

Long checkout pages can drive away visitors who would be interested in making a purchase. Having to click through a list of checkout fields and fill out a lot of unnecessary or repetitive information makes the buying process drag on and on.

The longer the checkout process is, the higher the chance that customers will drop off at some point.

The average cart abandonment rate is 70.19%, and 22% of shoppers cited that a too-long or too-complicated checkout process was the reason for their abandonment.

That’s where the one-click checkout process comes in. It’s as simple as adding a buy-now button, so returning customers get to enjoy a streamlined checkout process.

A one-click checkout is an easy for customers to buy items online with just a click of a button without having to enter their shipping, billing, and payment details every time they make a purchase.

It’s similar to the auto-complete feature, except users don’t even have to fill out the fields since your website will automatically process the transaction without even going to the checkout page.

With just a single click, visitors can complete their purchase fast, which leads to higher conversion rates and reduced cart abandonment rates. Whether you have an online store, a service business, a membership site, or any other type of website, it’s a simple and easy way to increase sales.

That said, we’ll cover the five methods for adding a one-click checkout in WordPress:

Create a One-Click Checkout Using WPForms (Easy + Free Option)
Create a One-Click Checkout Using WP Simple Pay (Multiple Payment Methods)
Create a One-Click Checkout Using Easy Digital Downloads (Digital Products)
Create a One-Click Checkout Using FunnelKit (eCommerce Stores)
Create a One-Click Checkout Using WooCommerce (Free)

Method 1: Create a One-Click Checkout in WordPress Using WPForms (Easy + Free Option)

Using WPForms, you can easily create a one-click checkout process for buyers. WPForms is a form builder that allows you to easily build all types of forms without any code.

The drag-and-drop builder allows you to easily collect payments with Stripe payment functionality so that you can create payment forms, user registration forms, expense approval forms, and more. Also, with 1,700+ templates to choose from, you can practically find any form type, meaning you never have to start from scratch.

Note: The good news is that you can use WPForms Lite for this tutorial since we’ll only be using the Stripe integration, which is free. However, if you want more advanced features, then you’ll want to install the Pro version.

To begin, download and activate the WPForms plugin. For more details, check out our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, head over to the WPForms » Settings page from your WordPress admin dashboard. Then go to the Payments tab.

Under Stripe, you’ll need to hit the ‘Connect with Stripe’ button.

This redirects you to the Stripe connection wizard, where you’ll be able to connect to your existing account or create a new account.

Follow the steps in the Stripe connection wizard.

After completing the steps, you’ll be taken back to the WordPress dashboard.

You should see a green checkmark indicating that your Stripe account is now connected to WPForms.

Now, you can start accepting payments on your website and are now ready to create your checkout form.

Go to WPForms » Add New. From here, you can name your form, which will be helpful for reference later.

Then, pick a payment form template that suits your needs.

For the sake of this tutorial, we’ll be working off of the Stripe Payment Form template. Under the template, click on ‘Use Template.’

You’ll be taken in the drag-and-drop form editor, where you can easily customize the form to your needs.

Any time you want to add a field, just drag and drop it from the ‘Add Fields’ panel on the left to the right side. To edit the fields, click on the element, and you can make adjustments under ‘Field Options.’

one-click-checkout form drag and drop editor

For example, if you were to create a wholesale form, you can edit the multiple-choice field with radio buttons.

Then click on the element, and under ‘Field Options,’ you can add the different products.

You’ll need to activate Stripe Link, a one-click checkout solution that securely stores all the customer details and allows buyers to reuse them on your site. They use Level 1 PCI-compliant servers, which means that your customers’ data is encrypted and secure.

To activate the Stripe Link checkout option, head over to the Settings » Payments page in Stripe. Then, go to the Payment Methods tab.

From here, you’ll select the ‘WPForms LLC’ menu for Select Platform.

This connects all available payment methods from your Stripe account to WPForms.

Scroll down the page, and you will see the different payment methods and settings for WPForms.

Make sure that the Link option for express checkout is Active.

After that, go back to WordPress to finish creating your checkout form. Go to the Payments » Stripe tab.

Then turn on the ‘Enable one-time payments’ option so that Stripe is activated on your form.

Once you’re done with that, hit the ‘Save’ button.

Then click on ‘Embed.’

You should see a popup message appear. Here, you can choose to embed this form into an existing page or create a new page.

Assuming you already have a checkout page, we’ll hit the ‘Select Existing Page’ button.

The form should automatically be embedded into the page you choose.

From there, just hit the ‘Publish’ or ‘Update’ button up top.

Make sure to preview the checkout form and see if the payments are going through to your Stripe account.

Once activated, it’ll pre-fill their credit card details that are saved on Stripe.

Keep in mind that customers with Stripe accounts will be prompted to enter a one-time passcode authentication to use Link.

Method 2: Create a One-Click Checkout in WordPress Using WP Simple Pay (Multiple Payment Methods)

WP Simple Pay is another great option for accepting one-time and recurring payments on WordPress. This is the better choice if you want to offer a variety of payment methods for your one-click checkout process.

WP Simple Pay offers 13+ payment methods, including debit and credit payments, ACH debit, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Venmo, and more. Also, you can even provide customers with the option to ‘Buy Now Pay Later‘ with Klarna.

To get started, install and activate the WP Simple Pay plugin. Upon activation, you’ll be taken to the setup wizard, which will guide you on how to start accepting payments on your site.

Make sure to follow the steps all the way through.

You should be asked to connect your Stripe account as well. If you don’t have a Stripe account, you can create one.

After you’ve completed the setup wizard, you’ll be shown a success page that confirms that the setup is finished.

Next, go to the WP Simple Pay » Settings page. Under the Stripe Tab, make sure that the Stripe account is connected and that you’re in ‘Live Mode.’

Before you go into creating your payment form, you also need to ensure that Stripe Link is enabled.

To do that, go to the Settings » General tab. Then, under the Advanced tab, check the ‘New Payment Experience’ box.

From here, you’re ready to start customizing your checkout form.

Head over to WP Simple Pay » Add New, and you’ll be taken to a library of available templates.

You can choose any template that fits your needs, but we’ll be using the Payment Form template for this tutorial. Under the template name, select ‘Use Template.’

Next, you’ll be taken to a form builder. In the General tab, you can fill out the necessary information.

Give the form a Title and Description. You can also check the CAPTCHA and email verification options to prevent spam submissions.

From there, navigate to the Payment tab so you can start adjusting the pricing and currency options.

You can also set the pricing to a one-time or subscription option.

Below that, you can have a wide range of payment methods to choose from.

Click the checkboxes of the options you wish to accept.

In the Form Fields tab, you can add any fields you want by selecting them from the dropdown menu and clicking on ‘Add Field.’ You can also edit your existing fields.

To enable Stripe Link, expand the Email Address dropdown menu. Then, you’ll have to click on the checkbox under ‘Offer Saved Payment Methods.’

offer saved payment methods wp simple pay

Then, head over to your Stripe account. Go to the Settings » Payments page.

Under the Payment Methods tab, make sure to choose ‘WP Simple Pay’ from the ‘Select platform’ dropdown menu.

Select Platform in Stripe as WP Simple Pay

Then, go back to WordPress and finish customizing your payment form.

Once completed, go ahead and hit ‘Publish.’

publish one click checkout form in WP Simple Pay

Now, you can go to any page you want and add the newly created form.

Hit the ‘+’ icon and then add the WP Simple Pay block.

Then, choose the payment form you’ve just created, and it should appear on the page.

Click on the ‘Publish’ or ‘Update’ button at the top.’

Now, you’ve successfully created a one-click checkout experience with WP Simple Pay.

Make sure to preview the form to ensure it works.

Method 3: Create a One-Click Checkout in WordPress Using Easy Digital Downloads (Digital Products)

If you sell digital products, there’s no better plugin for creating a one-click checkout in WordPress than Easy Digital Downloads.

With over 50,000+ users, this plugin allows you to easily manage and sell digital products like eBooks, PDFs, audio, online courses, templates, and more.

To get started, you’ll need to install and activate Easy Digital Downloads. Upon activation, the plugin automatically creates a checkout and cart page for you.

That said, we can add a one-click checkout process by adding a buy now button with EDD. The buy now button automatically bypasses the add to cart and checkout process, sending the customer directly to payment.

For the sake of this tutorial, we’ll assume you already have a digital product created on EDD. But if you haven’t, you’ll want to read our beginner’s guide on how to sell digital downloads on WordPress.

First, go to the Downloads » Settings page in the WordPress admin panel.

Under the Payments » Stripe tab, you’ll want to click on ‘Connect with Stripe.’

You’ll be taken to the Stripe Connect Wizard.

Simply connect your existing Stripe account or create a new one.

Once connected, you’ll be directed back to WordPress.

You should see that Stripe is one of the payment options checked off in the General tab.

In addition, you’ll need to go to your Stripe account. Then head over to the Settings » Payments page.

Under the Payment Methods tab, make sure to choose the ‘Easy Digital Downloads’ option from the ‘Select platform’ dropdown menu.

By doing so, every time someone purchases your digital products, Stripe Link will be activated, and their credit card information will be auto-completed into the fields.

Next, go to the Downloads » Downloads page. Then, find a digital product to which you want to add the buy now button and click ‘Edit.’

Once you’re in the block editor, click on the black side panel widget at the top.

Scroll down in the panel until you reach Button Options. From there, select ‘Buy Now’ from the dropdown menu.

Then you’ll hit the ‘Publish’ or ‘Update’ button.

From here, you can preview your page, and you should see a ‘Checkout’ button at the bottom of your product page, which takes you straight to the checkout page. Then, you can enter your email, and Stripe will autofill your billing and payment details.

Method 4: Create a One-Click Checkout in WordPress Using FunnelKit (eCommerce Stores)

If you have an eCommerce store, FunnelKit Funnel Builder is the best choice for setting up your express checkout process.

This popular sales funnel builder allows you to easily create a high-converting sales funnel to boost your average order value, reduce cart abandonment rates, and capture more leads.

You can do everything from creating lead capture pages and order bumps to creating checkout forms and slide-in carts. Best of all, you won’t need to write any code.

For this method, you’ll already need to have your product pages set up for WooCommerce. If you have not set up your store yet, check out our complete step-by-step WooCommerce tutorial.

To get started, install and activate the FunnelKit Automation plugin. Upon activation, head over to FunnelKit » Cart. You’ll want to turn on the ‘Enable Cart’ option. Under the ‘Express Checkout’ tab, click on ‘Connect with Stripe.’

connect with stripe funnelkit automations

After that, you’ll be taken to the Stripe Connect Wizard.

Simply follow the steps to connect your Stripe account to FunnelKit or create a new account.

Once your Stripe account is connected to FunnelKit, you’ll be taken back to WordPress.

You’ll want to activate the ‘Credit Card (Stripe)’ option and then hit ‘Save and Continue.’

Next, you’ll be asked to set up a webhook so that you’re able to automatically process payments with a single click.

Click on ‘Setup Webhook Now.’

From here, you need to enable the express checkout option for Google Pay and Apple Pay.

Then, hit the ‘Confirm’ button.

You should see a confirmation message that says that the Stripe setup is successful.

Feel free to select the ‘Live’ mode if you’re ready to start accepting payments. Otherwise, you can choose the ‘Test’ option for now. Then click on ‘Save and Review Settings.’

Next, you’ll want to head back to FunnelKit » Cart. Then, under the Express Checkout tab, simply turn on the ‘Enable Express Checkout on Cart’ option.

Then, hit the ‘Save’ button to save changes.

Once that is enabled, you’re good to go.

Just go to a live product page to see it in action.

When a customer chooses the ‘Pay Now’ option, a window will pop up.

All of the payment details saved to their Google and Apple Pay accounts will automatically appear.

payment details one click checkout preview

Method 5: Create a One-Click Checkout in WordPress Using WooCommerce (Free)

If you want a free method to add the one-click checkout in your WooCommerce store, then you can download the Direct Checkout for WooCommerce plugin.

It’s a free plugin that adds a one-click buy button to your store.

Upon activation, go to the WooCommerce » Settings page. Then, navigate to Payments » Express Checkout.

From here, click the checkbox that says ‘Enable Express Checkout.’

The plugin offers a wide range of customizations. You can customize where you want the one-click checkout button to appear, as well as the color of the button and the text shown.

Now you’re all set.

Simply go to a product page or your storefront to see the one-click checkout button.

We hope this article helped you learn how to create a one-click checkout in WordPress. You may also want to see our list of the best WooCommerce plugins for your store and our ultimate guide on how to create an email newsletter the right way.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Create a One-Click Checkout in WordPress (5 Ways) first appeared on WPBeginner.

April 29, 2024

14 Best WordPress Membership Plugins (Compared) – 2024

Are you looking for the best WordPress membership plugin to build a website?

Choosing the right plugin is very important for your membership business because a better platform means more growth opportunities.

Luckily, we have made this super easy for you by testing the most popular membership plugins and inspecting different factors like ease of use, features, customization options, and pricing.

In this article, we will compare the 14 best WordPress membership plugins to let you easily create paid membership websites.

Best WordPress Membership Plugins (Compared)

Are you in a hurry? If so, then just take a quick look at our top picks to help you make a decision.

#	Plugin	Best For	Pricing
🥇	MemberPress	All-in-one solution for membership sites	$179.50/yr + Free
🥈	Thrive Apprentice	Building and selling courses online	$299/yr
🥉	Easy Digital Downloads	Selling digital products on a membership site	$99.50/yr + Free
4	MemberMouse	Coaching business	$199.50/yr
5	WishList Member	Creating members-only content	$149.50/yr

How We Tested And Reviewed WordPress Membership Plugins

There are plenty of WordPress membership plugins, but not all of them have the specific features that you may need for creating your membership site.

Some of them are good for selling subscriptions on a single level, while others offer more diverse membership levels and subscription management features.

To give you the best recommendations, we tested some popular membership plugins and paid attention to the following criteria:

Ease of Use: We have picked membership plugins that offer a beginner-friendly interface along with extensive documentation. We have also prioritized an easy onboarding process.
Different Use Cases: We have included plugins that can perform different functions on your site like selling digital products, creating members-only content, building courses, supporting payment gateways, creating an LMS, releasing drip content, and more.
Reliability: For this showcase, we have only included the membership plugins that we have tested ourselves. We also went through some customer reviews to find popular options.

Why Trust WPBeginner?

WPBeginner is a team of experts with 16+ years of experience in WordPress, hosting, SEO, online marketing, and more.

We have thoroughly reviewed and tested each plugin in this list on real websites to give you the best recommendation for all kinds of membership site use cases. For more information, you can see our editorial process.

Having said that, let’s see what you will need to start a WordPress membership site.

Video Tutorial

If you’d prefer written instructions, then just keep reading.

What Do You Need to Run a WordPress Membership Site?

Membership websites are resource-intensive, and choosing the wrong host can hurt your overall performance. That’s why the first thing you need to do is choose the best WordPress hosting that you can afford.

If you are on a budget, then you can start with Bluehost. Their Business Pro plan comes with an SSL certificate, which you need to securely collect payments, a dedicated IP, and a dedicated support line.

If budget is not an issue, and you want the best performance, then we recommend using a managed WordPress hosting provider like WP Engine.

If you don’t already have one, then you will also need to choose a domain name for your website. Here is our guide on how to pick the right domain name for your membership site.

Lastly, you will need to choose essential business plugins such as OptinMonster, which helps you capture leads and boost subscriptions.

Now that we have covered what you need to start a membership site in WordPress, let’s take a look at our top WordPress membership plugins.

1. MemberPress

MemberPress is the best WordPress membership plugin on the market that allows you to sell unlimited membership levels and subscriptions.

It is super easy to set up and can automatically add pricing, login, account, and thank you pages for your users. The plugin also lets you add drip content to your site and create a client portal to manage client resources online.

For more detailed instructions, you can see our tutorial on how to create a client portal in WordPress.

Creating restricted content in MemberPress

Other than that, MemberPress comes with powerful access control, allowing you to restrict access to any content, including posts, pages, custom post types, categories, tags, files, and more.

MemberPress can also act as a WordPress subscription plugin because it supports both recurring and one-time payments and it can offer monthly, yearly, or even lifetime memberships to your users. This also makes it easy to sell courses online.

Pros

You can use MemberPress to create a paid newsletter for your website.
It is the best content protection plugin because it allows you to restrict content based on membership level or user role.
The plugin can integrate with AWeber, Mailchimp, Uncanny Automator, and Constant Contact. It also integrates with Amazon Web Services, Blubrry for podcast hosting, and BuddyPress for building an online community.
MemberPress comes with built-in support for PayPal and Stripe payment gateways. The developer plan also adds Authorize.net support.
Some of its other powerful features include a built-in membership management dashboard, customizable coupon codes, email notifications, user registration forms, custom widgets and shortcodes, Rest API for developers, and more.

Cons

MemberPress’s free plan has limited features, and you will need to upgrade to the pro version to unlock more options.

It only supports the three most popular payment gateways. This could be a deal breaker for site owners who live in countries not supported by these payment methods.

Why we recommend MemberPress: MemberPress is the best WordPress membership plugin on the market. It allows unlimited membership levels, comes with a user-friendly interface, integrates with popular gateways, and also offers content restriction, making it a great all-in-one choice.

For more information, you can see our complete MemberPress review.

2. Thrive Apprentice

Thrive Apprentice is a popular all-in-one membership and online course builder plugin for WordPress. It comes with advanced features and easy access control settings.

It offers a built membership management dashboard where you can easily grant or revoke access to courses, content, or membership products for specific subscribers.

The Thrive Apprentice user-friendly course builder

The tool comes with a drag-and-drop builder, customizable certificates, and 55+ course templates that make it super easy to create, sell, and manage online courses.

When we were testing the plugin, we also found out that Thrive Apprentice can track student progress, offer one-time or recurring subscriptions, create landing pages, and build coupons and discount offers for different membership or subscription courses.

Pros

It has a school setup wizard that will guide you through the process of setting up the plugin.

It has powerful content-dripping features that let you unlock content at consistent intervals for students. You can also create multiple drip schedules for the same content.

You can show personalized content for different users to boost engagement and sales. For example, you can display a different course overview or login form for visitors and members.
You can integrate the plugin with other Thrive Themes tools like Thrive Leads, Thrive Automator, Thrive Optimize, and more.
Thrive Apprentice offers multiple language support, SEO optimization, email notification, and dynamic buttons.

Cons

The plugin does not have a free plan.

Thrive Apprentice only offers built-in support for Stripe payments.

Why we recommend Thrive Apprentice: Overall, Thrive Apprentice is a powerful WordPress subscription plugin that comes with a drag-and-drop builder and premade templates. We recommend it if you want to build and sell courses online.

For information, see our Thrive Apprentice review.

3. Easy Digital Downloads

Easy Digital Downloads is one of the top eCommerce plugins for selling digital products.

It allows you to restrict downloads based on membership levels, offer discounts for different memberships, and send email notifications to inform members about important updates or renewals.

Easy Digital Downloads is easy to use and gives you the ability to accept recurring payments. You can use the plugin to sell any type of digital product in WordPress, including eBooks, PDFs, audio files, videos, and more.

Pros

It comes with a built-in shopping cart system that allows your customers to purchase multiple downloads at once.

You can accept one-time payments or easily set up automatic recurring payments on any product, including daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, and annually.

With Easy Digital Downloads, you can accept credit card payments from Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other popular payment gateways like Braintree, with no additional monthly fees.
You can use the EDD Subscription addon to create membership plans with different access levels and the EDD Member Downloads extension to grant access to specific downloads based on membership level.
The plugin also offers built-in reports and analytics to track membership sales and activity.

Cons

While Easy Digital Downloads connects with some popular tools like AffiliateWP to create an affiliate program for your products, it lacks integrations with other popular services.
It has a free plan, but you will need to upgrade to the pro version to use it as a WordPress subscription or membership plugin.

Why we recommend Easy Digital Downloads: It is the best plugin for creating a membership site that sells digital products. It comes with a built-in shopping cart system, recurring payments, and a library of addons to grow your business.

For more details, you can see our Easy Digital Downloads review.

4. MemberMouse

MemberMouse is another powerful, flexible, and scalable WordPress membership plugin. It has many advanced features for protecting your content, selling products, creating courses, and maximizing revenue.

We were impressed by the plugin’s SmartTags, which allow you to display personalized content based on member attributes without using any code. This gives you complete control over how you protect and display content on your site.

Additionally, MemberMouse keeps track of important business metrics like lifetime customer value, retention and churn rates, member engagement, and more.

Pros

With MemberMouse, you can create upsells and cross-sells that your members can purchase in one click without re-entering their credit card information.

The tool lets you offer both free and paid memberships.

It can automatically handle overdue payments so you don’t have to worry about missing out on revenue.

The plugin lets you create and send push notifications to members or specific WordPress user roles based on actions like new members added, memberships canceled, payment received, and more.
It lets you create a dedicated space on your website that is only accessible to members and offer drip content.

Cons

MemberMouse offers limited design options.
It does not have a free plan.
It has limited integration options for payment gateways compared to other plugins on this list.

Why we recommend MemberMouse: It is a powerful WordPress membership plugin for businesses that are serious about growth. If you have a coaching business or a growing membership site, then MemberMouse is the perfect choice.

5. WishList Member

WishList Member is another flexible WordPress subscription plugin that comes with powerful features to protect members-only content.

It allows you to create unlimited membership levels and offer free, premium, or pay-per-post content on your WordPress blog.

WishList Member even allows you to schedule and release drip content over time, set up recurring subscriptions, and connect with popular email marketing services to build an email list.

Pros

It offers one-click content protection where you can click the ‘Protect’ button right in the WordPress editor to quickly set your content to members-only. It also has a Private Tags feature, which you can use to protect specific sections within the post.

WishList Member has a built-in course builder called CourseCure. It lets you easily build lessons, quizzes, and certificates.

It allows you to show ‘sneak peek’ snippets of your content to non-members and invite them to sign up to see what they’re missing.

You can accept payments from over 20 of the most popular payment gateways, including Stripe, PayPal, WooCommerce, 2CheckOut, Authorize.net, and more.

Cons

The plugin has a lot of features that can feel overwhelming for beginners.
It has no free plan.

Why we recommend WishList Member: If you want to create members-only content with powerful restrictive features, then WishList Member is a great choice.

It offers drip scheduling, page locks, integrations with a lot of payment gateways, and many advanced features to take your membership site to the next level.

To learn more, see our detailed WishList Member review.

6. AccessAlly

AccessAlly is an elegant and user-friendly membership plugin for creating and selling courses, group coaching, and memberships.

It allows you to create as many membership levels as you want and uses tag-based permission to control access. This makes it easy for members to upgrade or downgrade membership subscriptions on their own.

AccessAlly also comes with a user-friendly builder to create live or drip-fed online courses, detailed reporting and analytics, and a built-in affiliate program.

Pros

AccessAlly offers multiple content delivery options. You can choose from delayed, specific date and time, completion-based unlocking, cohort style, and all-access.
It comes with tons of conversion-focused features, including one-click upsells, order bumps, coupons, bulk course enrollment, abandoned cart follow-up, free trial offers, cross-selling members dashboard, and more.
You can boost engagement for your courses with gamification features like a flexible points system, badges, and leaderboards.
Seamlessly integrates with popular payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal to accept online payments.

Cons

It doesn’t offer many customization options to change the look of your membership site.
There’s no free plan.

Why we recommend AccessAlly: AccessAlly is a powerful plugin for building and scaling a coaching, teaching, or training membership website. It comes with all of the features you need to offer 1-1 or group coaching, including dripped content releases, live group cohorts, bulk course enrollment, and more.

7. LearnDash

Is LearnDash the right LMS plugin for your WordPress website?

LearnDash is a super flexible and extremely easy-to-use WordPress LMS plugin. It comes with advanced membership modules and tons of integrations to help you create members-only online courses.

LearnDash is quite easy to set up and adding content to it is even simpler. It also comes with advanced tools to easily organize your membership content into levels, groups, and more.

The tool also has a powerful drag-and-drop course builder, pre-designed templates, and completion certificates to help you build and sell courses online.

Pros

LearnDash allows you to easily hide any content and restrict it to different membership groups. It also lets you control when a student gets to access specific lessons.

It comes with a powerful drip content feature, allowing you to roll out content to users at regular intervals or upon completion of levels.

The plugin offers tools to create highly engaging membership sites with quizzes, user badges, course-specific forums, user profiles, and more.
It can track student progress, offer multiple pricing options, and optimize your courses for SEO.

LearnDash also has an amazing set of integrations and payment gateways. You can even connect it to MemberPress, WooCommerce, bbPress, Slack, and more.

Cons

If you are trying to build a membership website without selling courses, then some of LearnDash’s features may not be useful because it is not exclusively a WordPress membership plugin.
LearnDash has no free plan.

Why we recommend LearnDash: It is the perfect solution if you want to sell online courses on your paid membership website. Its extensive set of add-ons and integrations allows you to build a highly engaging platform. It’s also WordPress multisite compatible.

Check out our complete LearnDash review for more details.

8. Teachable

Teachable is an all-inclusive online course builder. It packs a membership website, LMS (learning management system), discussion forum, email marketing, and analytics all into one dashboard.

The tool offers a drag-and-drop builder, course templates, and certificates, and also lets you build quizzes and assessments for students. The students can then submit their work and receive feedback on the same platform.

During our testing, we were very impressed by the flexible drip content feature, which allows you to grant access to content based on a user’s progress or subscription level.

Pros

It is easy to set up and does not require any technical skills.
The software includes built-in tools to quickly create and upload videos, text, PDFs, and more.

It comes with detailed analytics and reports, offers fraud protection, and integrates with flexible payment types like Affirm and Klarna.

Teachable offers discussion forums, quizzes, contact forms, and other features to boost user engagement and build powerful online communities.

Cons

Teachable is not available as a WordPress plugin. Instead, you must integrate it into your WordPress site by adding links or a subdomain.

It includes everything, which makes it more expensive than other WordPress membership plugins.

Why we recommend Teachable: If you want to create a membership site that sells online courses and also has an LMS system, then you can opt for Teachable.

9. Restrict Content Pro

Restrict Content Pro is a robust WordPress membership plugin that helps you build a membership site and restrict content based on different criteria.

You can use the plugin to restrict content to registered users, membership levels, and access levels, as well as target individual pages, posts, custom post types, tags, or categories for restriction.

The plugin allows you to build unlimited membership stages, offer recurring subscriptions, add discount coupons, and create dedicated registration and login forms.

Pros

It lets you create drip content to be released over time.
Restrict Content Pro allows members to manage their subscription and access levels in the dashboard.
It lets you control content access based on individual progress and actions.
It offers reports and analytics, lets you build a referral program, and integrates with email marketing services.

Cons

Restrict Content Pro’s marketing features are not as strong as other tools on this list.
It has a free plan, but most of the features are locked in it. Plus, the free version also has the plugin branding, which can only be removed by upgrading to the pro plan.

Why we recommend Restrict Content Pro: The plugin is a great choice for building a membership website due to its amazing content restriction features, great access control, and seamless integration with WordPress.

10. SureMembers

SureMembers is another beginner-friendly plugin that can help you build a membership website.

It is easy to set up and can be used to create simple subscriptions or complex membership levels with access rules. You can use it to restrict any content on your website including pages, posts, categories, and tags.

SureMembers also allows drip scheduling and can integrate with email marketing services to help you build an email list.

Pros

It provides detailed analytics so you can track how your membership site is performing.
SureMembers lets you add a paywall, configure menu item visibility, and integrates with a lot of third-party tools like Beaver Builder, Twitter/X, Slack, and YouTube.
It offers amazing customer support and a knowledge base to you help build a website.

Cons

SureMembers does not offer a course builder or community forum features.
Its content dripping feature is not as complex as some of the other tools mentioned in the list.
This WordPress membership plugin does not have a free plan.

Why we recommend SureMembers: If you are just starting to build your membership site, then SureMembers is a great choice because it is super beginner-friendly.

11. aMember Pro

aMember Pro, a great WordPress subscription plugin

aMember Pro is membership software that helps you create and manage subscription-based websites.

It supports recurring and one-time payments, lets you create multiple membership levels, and can integrate with over 200 third-party apps like affiliate programs, email marketing services, and payment processors.

Additionally, aMember Pro can protect your content, including blog posts, videos, and courses, by only making them available to subscribers.

Pros

It supports about 100 payment systems, including Stripe, PayPal, CoinBase, ccBill, and more.
It is not a WordPress plugin but provides seamless integration with the platform.
aMember Pro is open source and has a user-friendly interface.
It lets you create a members-only area, manage your email list, and provide advanced reporting.

Cons

aMember Pro does not have great customer support and provides limited documentation for the software.
Installing, configuring, and maintaining aMember Pro requires some technical knowledge.

Why we recommend aMember Pro: If you have a small business site and are planning to sell subscriptions, then aMember Pro can be a great choice.

12. WooCommerce Memberships

WooCommerce Memberships is another WordPress subscription plugin that is specifically designed to integrate with your WooCommerce store.

It lets you convert your online store into a membership site and create exclusive content that is only accessible to paying members.

You can also show different content to various members based on their membership levels using this plugin. For details, you can see our tutorial on how to create a members-only WooCommerce store.

Pros

Upon integrating the plugin with WooCommerce, you can sell memberships as products.
You can offer free trials and manage user accounts from the dashboard.
WooCommerce Memberships allow you to create exclusive products that are visible and purchasable by members only.
The plugin allows you to give discounted pricing to members and create drip-specific products.

Cons

The plugin is not an ideal choice if you are not already using WooCommerce.
It does not offer a free plan.
It has integrations with a limited number of tools.

Why we recommend WooCommerce Memberships: If you already have a WooCommerce store and are planning to sell courses, subscriptions, or memberships, then this is the best plugin for you.

13. Paid Memberships Pro

Paid Memberships Pro is a popular WordPress subscription plugin that lets you create a membership and subscription-based website easily.

It lets you restrict default content and sets a message for users who attempt to access it. It even restricts custom post types and single pages to paying members only.

Paid Memberships Pro allows you to create personalized content and add drip content. While testing the plugin, we were also impressed that it lets you create a dictionary and profile for all the members on your website.

Pros

The plugin lets you build multi-tiered membership levels, set up offline communities, and connect with your subscribers over emails.
It can integrate with payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and Braintree. You can also set up one-time or recurring payments.
Paid Memberships Pro lets you create discount offers, view sales and revenue, build landing pages, and manage affiliate programs.

Cons

It has a free plan, but most features are locked in it.
The user interface and setup can be a bit overwhelming for beginners.
Unlike some other plugins on the list, it does not offer advanced reporting and analytics.

Why we recommend Paid Memberships Pro: Overall, the plugin has the basic features you need to build a membership or subscription-based site in just a few minutes.

14. Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member is a free WordPress plugin that lets you build online communities, sell subscriptions, and create membership programs.

It also lets you create visually appealing user profiles and enables you to add customer registration and login forms on the website front.

Plus, Ultimate Member has an account management feature where users can see their profile details, update account information, and change passwords directly.

Pros

You can use the plugin to create public or private directories with user listings based on specific criteria.
The plugin allows users to leave reviews and ratings for other members and track social activity on your website.
Ultimate Member can also integrate with WooCommerce, BuddyPress, and Mailchimp.

Cons

Integrating the plugin with other tools can sometimes lead to conflicts.
It lacks an advanced reporting feature.
The plugin does not have any customization options.

Why we recommend Ultimate Member: If you are on a budget and looking for a free solution, then Ultimate Member can be a great WordPress membership plugin for you.

Avoid: S2Member

Although we don’t recommend S2Member, we’re including it in this list because it’s a popular WordPress membership plugin with over 1.59 million downloads.

It lets you create multiple membership levels with different access controls. You can also customize the registration and login forms, add drip content, and password-protect various pages on your website.

The plugin provides a dedicated dashboard for members to manage their accounts, and also sends email notifications to inform them about any updates.

Pros

S2Member comes with customizable email templates, file download restrictions, protected audio/video streams, and multisite network support.
The plugin integrates with popular payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, ClickBank, and Authorize.net.

Cons

It’s very difficult for beginners to set up S2Member, especially advanced features like content dripping.
The plugin interface is not user-friendly and front-end elements like login and registration pages look outdated.
It has a free plan but most of the features are locked.

Why we don’t recommend S2Member: S2Member is outdated and not intuitive when compared to other membership plugins. We recommend using another membership plugin from this list because you’ll get a better user experience and more modern membership features.

However, if you run a video membership site and don’t care about a user-friendly interface, then S2Member could be a good option. It lets you restrict audio and video content based on membership levels.

Which Is the Best WordPress Membership Plugin?

In our expert opinion, MemberPress is the best WordPress membership plugin on the market. It has all the features that you need to create a membership site and sell online courses, along with great documentation and support to help you learn the membership software.

If you want a MemberPress alternative, then Thrive Apprentice is a great option. It’s a powerful and easy-to-use membership and online course builder plugin.

Alternatively, if you want to sell digital products on your membership website, then we recommend using Easy Digital Downloads. It comes with powerful features to create and sell digital downloads.

Similarly, if you want to sell subscriptions in your online WooCommerce store, then you can use WooCommerce Memberships.

Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress Membership Plugins

Having helped over 2 million WordPress users start their websites, we’ve answered a ton of questions over the years. Below are some of the answers to the most frequently asked questions about membership plugins.

What is the best membership plugin?

Our top 5 choices for the best membership plugin are:

MemberPress – Best WordPress membership plugin (overall).
Thrive Apprentice – Best membership plugin for selling online courses.
Easy Digital Downloads – Best membership plugin for selling digital products.
MemberMouse – Best membership plugin for creating a coaching membership site.
WooCommerce Memberships – Best membership plugin to sell subscriptions on your WooCommerce store.

No, this question is not a joke. We seriously get this question even after referring people to this guide.

What is the best free membership plugin for WordPress?

While there are free membership plugins available, such as Paid Memberships Pro and WP-Members, they often come with limited features and additional transaction fees.

But, with a premium WordPress membership plugin like MemberPress, you get all of the features you need to build a successful membership site. Plus, there are no hidden fees.

MemberPress also offers a 14-day free trial period so that you can test it out first.

How do I create a successful membership site?

Simply follow this tutorial on how to create a membership site with MemberPress for step-by-step instructions.

Best WordPress Guides for WordPress Membership Sites

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 14 Best WordPress Membership Plugins (Compared) – 2024 first appeared on WPBeginner.

April 18, 2024

How to Make $5000 of Passive Income Every Month in WordPress

Are you looking for a low-maintenance side gig to generate some extra income? Selling digital downloads might be the answer.

I’ve been personally selling digital downloads for over a decade. It’s a painless way to make money because you don’t have all the overhead of selling physical goods, and you can set up an online store with little effort using a free WordPress plugin.

Let me share my experiences with you and tell you how you can make $5000 of passive income per month selling digital downloads on WordPress.

Note: This is a guest post by Chris Klosowski, the president of Easy Digital Downloads, the best digital eCommerce plugin for WordPress. This is an expert column that we publish every Thursday, where we invite a WordPress expert to share their experiences with our readers.

How to Make $5K of Passive Income Every Month in WordPress

Why Digital Downloads Are a Great Way to Make Passive Income

You’ve heard the expression, ‘No pain, no gain.’ This means that achieving something worthwhile normally requires sacrifice and hard work.

But what if I told you that you can make money with your WordPress website while you sleep?

That’s passive income.

Passive income is money that you earn with little to no ongoing effort. Think of earning interest on your savings account or renting out a spare room.

Or selling digital downloads.

Compared with selling physical products, digital downloads are a breeze. There’s no need to keep track of inventory, no running out of stock, no need to hire storage space or workers to manage it, and no shipping and handling.

Like everything, it requires a little setup. You’ll have to create or obtain the files you want to sell. And you’ll need to set up a WordPress website and install an eCommerce plugin.

Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is one example of a plugin designed specifically for digital downloads. It lets you get started for free, and you can purchase extensions to add the features you need as you grow.

Once your online store is set up, you can continue to sell your digital product over and over again. So, the money you make will require very little ongoing effort.

You can even use automation to save time and effort and make the income truly passive.

How Much Passive Income Can You Earn With Digital Downloads?

The amount of money you can make by selling digital downloads varies a lot, depending on your skills, experience, and the type of digital products you are selling.

When starting out, it’s typical for beginners to make just a few hundred dollars a month in initial sales.

That being said, in time, it’s not uncommon for established sellers with a loyal audience to achieve $5,000 or more per month.

For example, Emily McDermott tells the story of how she made a promising $700 in her first month of selling attractive business documents. After just three months, she was making over $7,000 a month. Plus, she spends just a couple of hours a week working on her online store.

The potential doesn’t stop there. Top earners make tens of thousands of dollars each month. But this is rare and will take more effort.

This extra work may take it out of the ‘passive’ income category. But with that sort of revenue, you’ll probably want to spend more time working on your online store anyway.

A number of our Easy Digital Downloads customers have achieved this. For example, Set Sail Studios has made $236,000+ selling fonts, and Escape Room Geeks has made $390,000+ selling printable escape room kits.

Set Sail Studios Make Money Selling Unique Fonts

Are you interested in making this kind of passive income? Your first step is to decide on a digital product to sell.

The Best Types of Digital Products for Passive Income

The best digital products for creating passive income have a high perceived value but require little ongoing maintenance. They should generate a profit and line up with your business niche.

Potential customers will only buy your digital download if it solves a problem or meets a need. A unique product in a specific niche will help you stand out and attract an engaged audience.

To create passive income, you need to choose digital products that don’t require ongoing effort.

For example, software products like WordPress plugins and themes can be quite profitable, but they often require continuing development and support. That takes an ongoing investment in time, so they are not the best options for a side gig that makes passive income.

On the other hand, a simple software program or web application that solves a common problem may be perfect. The EDD Software Licensing add-on can be used to activate the buyer’s copy of the software without your direct involvement.

eBooks are another profitable option. If your blog contains a lot of useful information, then you can easily repurpose the content as an eBook. You could create multiple books by choosing blog posts on specific topics, such as your most engaging and popular posts in specific categories.

Editing or Duplicating Posts in MPL-Publisher

Alternatively, you may be able to repurpose the content as an online course and sell ongoing subscriptions to access the material. This offers more value than eBooks but also takes more time to set up. I will talk more about subscriptions later.

Perhaps you gained a lot of insights when you set up your business and are passionate about helping others do the same. You could sell an eBook about the key steps to creating a successful business or offer useful business documents and Excel templates.

Just make sure you choose a product you have expertise in. For example, Sam Parrett from Set Sail Studios creates and sells unique brush fonts, and this aligns well with his graphic design website.

Photographers could create a stock photo library, and designers could sell digital art products, printables, or Canva templates.

The types of digital products that can generate passive income are endless. For inspiration, you can read about the pros and cons of many categories in this post on the most popular digital products to sell on the EDD blog.

How to Reduce Your Workload With Automation

When making passive income, you’ll want to be as hands-off as possible. In my experience, the best way to do this is to use automation to work smarter, not harder.

Luckily, you can get your website to perform many routine tasks automatically using automation.

These include email marketing, social media, customer service, admin tasks, and more. It’s simply a matter of choosing the right automation tools and setting them up correctly.

If you are using Easy Digital Downloads, then the software will automatically email purchase receipts and order confirmations to your customers. You can even personalize your automated eCommerce emails, leading to increased customer engagement.

Using some extra tools, you can also automate your email marketing. This means that instead of writing emails manually one by one, you write them just once and set up triggers based on user activity to personalize the emails and send them automatically.

Personalized emails based on user activity are 320% more effective than generic emails.

You can set up the triggers using the FunnelKit Automations plugin for WordPress and send out the emails using a top email marketing service like Constant Contact.

Additionally, you can use automation to reduce cart abandonment. By offering incentives and reminding visitors about their forgotten purchases, you will be able to build customer loyalty and encourage future purchases that contribute to your passive income stream.

For example, OptinMonster‘s exit-intent technology will watch the user’s mouse to determine when they are about to leave your website. It can then automatically display a popup just in time, offering an incentive to complete the visitor’s purchase.

There are plenty of other automated workflows you can use while selling digital downloads. To learn about the best automation tools, see how to use eCommerce automation to save time and money.

Marketing Strategies to Boost Your Passive Income

I mentioned earlier that you can get started selling digital downloads by using the free version of Easy Digital Downloads. Let me introduce you to some paid marketing tools and add-ons that can help you make even more passive income.

In my last guest post, I talked about how order bumps are one of the best ways to encourage customers to spend more money on digital downloads. This is when you offer the buyer extra or upgraded products during checkout.

This is a great strategy when you are selling multiple digital products. You can automatically add order bumps with the EDD cross-sell and upsell add-on to boost your sales.

For example, if you sell music downloads and a customer purchases a song, you can offer them the option of purchasing the entire album while checking out. They may appreciate the suggestion and make the larger purchase.

Upselling Digital Products With an EDD Add-on

Alternatively, if you are selling your digital products through WooCommerce, then you can see this tutorial on how to create an order bump for WooCommerce.

Another strategy is to turn a one-off payment into ongoing income by offering subscriptions or recurring payments.

This is a good strategy when you are selling online training or access to cloud-based software. Subscriptions allow your customers to avoid a large initial bill and bring in ongoing revenue to your business.

Subscriptions are easy to set up with the EDD recurring payments add-on. And because it’s an automated system, you will get fewer late or missing payments.

I hope these tips help you make passive income from your WordPress website. You may also want to see these guides on the right way to create an email newsletter and the best AI chatbots for your website.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Make $5000 of Passive Income Every Month in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

March 8, 2024

9 Best Etsy Alternatives for Sellers (More Freedom + Less Fees)

Looking for the best Etsy alternatives to sell your products?

Etsy is arguably the most popular e-commerce platform to sell handmade goods. But with the rise of seller transaction fees and the influx of dropshippers and print-on-demand merchants hopping on board, competition has become stiffer than ever.

In this article, we’ll give you the best Etsy alternatives for sellers so you can tap into a less competitive space and enjoy lower fees.

Why Look For an Etsy Alternative?

Since 2005, Etsy has become a popular platform for crafters and collectors to sell their custom-made, handmade, or vintage items. You can sell everything from home goods, collectibles, furniture, clothing, holiday items, crafts, and more.

That said, sellers have started to notice an influx of mass-market products that aren’t handmade. But that’s only the start.

In 2022, Etsy has raised its seller transaction fees from 5% to 6.5%, causing more displeasure among sellers, as it only eats into the razor-thin profit margins. So much so that Etsy sellers actually went on strike because of it.

Beyond the hyper-competitive space and the rise in seller transaction fees, you might also want to control your own customer data. Relying on a third-party marketplace means you don’t fully control your business.

Etsy can only take your eCommerce store so far. You have limited customization options and restrictive store design. That said, other platforms allow you to customize your store theme, colors, call to action buttons and even add your own upsells and cross-sells.

Best of all, you own your customer data, so you can send them emails to you keep them in the loop about new products, product categories, store discounts, or other news.

1. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the best alternative for creators who are ready to leave Etsy and grow their businesses. Since WooCommerce is the best all-in-one commerce platform, migrating your shop from Etsy to WooCommerce is seamless.

With Etsy, you’re limited to making yourself stand out from competitors. If your store looks like everyone else’s, buyers will treat your items as a commodity. Unlike most seller marketplaces, WooCommerce offers a full suite of resources and tools to help make your online store more in line with your brand.

You’re able to choose which payment gateways to accept, create pop-up campaigns to get visitors to stay, optimize SEO for increased traffic, add one-click upsells, and much more.

Here’s an example of what a website built entirely from WooCoomerce. Notice how clean the design is and the buttons are strategically placed to make adding to cart easy.

Plus, WooCommerce keeps everything in one place. For example, if you’re a retail store, you probably already have a WordPress website (or at least you should). In that case, rather than juggling between different platforms to manage your business, you’re able to house everything right from your WordPress dashboard.

You can start a WordPress blog, edit your website content, and manage your orders from customers without switching windows. It’s less confusing, and you’ll have to pay for fewer subscriptions.

You may also want to check out our list of the best WooCommerce plugins for your store.

Pros:

WooCommerce is built right inside WordPress to keep everything in one place.
Lots of customization options to boost sales and create your own brand
Relatively easy to use

Cons:

It only offers helpdesk support options like live chat and email.

Why We Recommend Using WooCommerce: If you want to create an Etsy-like store with WordPress, WooCommerce is the way to go. When you choose WooCommerce, you get all the profits. That means Etsy isn’t going to take a cut and eat into your margins. There are all kinds of plugins in the Woo Marketplace, so you’re pretty much able to add any type of feature you’d like to your store.

2. Easy Digital Downloads

Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is the best Etsy alternative if you sell digital products like digital art, planners, Canva templates and other downloadable items.

Like WooCommerce, Easy Digital Download is a plugin that lives directly in the WordPress dashboard, so you wouldn’t need to bounce between multiple platforms. Everything is one place, which makes everything convenient.

Etsy has become popular for selling digital downloads. Graphic designers and other artists can easily sell their artwork without the incurring the costs of having to print, pack, and ship the items.

Easy Digital Downloads allows you to create and design your product pages. When customers make a purchase, they can automatically access their downloads directly from your site or through email.

For instance, here’s an example product page of a digital download products page using EDD.

The beauty of EDD is that you get to control the entire checkout experience. That means, you can allow users to create an account for faster checkouts, add flexible payment options like recurring payments or subscriptions, offer discount codes, and more.

Beyond that, EDD has a wide selection of extensions. For instance, you can connect the plugin to an email marketing service, so you can continually send them new offers from your store or send them reminders to reduce cart abandonment.

If you plan on using EDD, you may want to check out our ultimate guide on how to sell digital downloads on WordPress.

Pros:

It’s a great plugin for selling custom digital downloads
They provide lots of customization features so you control the entire buying experience
They make it easy for customers to receive the downloadable file.

Cons:

EDD is only good for digital download products, not physical goods.

Why We Recommend Using Easy Digital Downloads: We like EDD as the go-to product for selling downloadable items. With this plugin, users get immediate access to the product. Everything is in WordPress, so you don’t need to go to a separate e-commerce platform.

3. Shopify

Shopify is a popular e-commerce platform with over two million merchants selling in over 170 million countries. While Shopify isn’t our top choice, it’s still has a lot going for it.

The main benefit of Shopify is its plug-and-play type of user experience. Everything lives within the Shopify ecosystem. You can easily find hosting, domain names, payment gateway, website building, marketing tools, order tracking, and much more inside of the platform.

They also already have a built-in tool for adding discounts. You can create automatic triggers for discounts based on a certain product, link, or seasonal promotion without writing code. And you can set a percentage, fixed amount, or buy X, get Y type of discount as well.

If you’ve ever been on the Shopify app as a seller, you probably have heard the famous “cha-ching” noise. The seller dashboard comes with plenty of reporting and analytics. You can see your recent sales and compare them to a previous time period. Also, you can view other valuable metrics like your store’s average order value, compare how well your sales channels are performing, and monitor where your visitors are coming from.

Pros:

Shopify is a very easy-to-use platform.
It comes with its own eco-system of apps and built-in tools to manage your online store.
The platform integrates with marketing platforms, email services and other third-party apps.

Cons:

The total monthly price can be expensive. You also have to pay for tons of monthly subscriptions for apps, plugins, and fees.

Why We Recommend Using Shopify: It’s hard to go wrong with Shopify, since it’s such a trusted and well-known brand in the eCommerce industry. It’s an all-in-one platform that gives you all the marketing and selling tools you need to scale your online store to however big or small you’d like.

4. eBay

eBay is a great alternative to Etsy if you still want to sell your products on an eCommerce marketplace. While you don’t get to fully customize your storefront like with WooCommerce or Shopify, you do get to take advantage of their existing audience with over 134 million active buyers. The platform has a wide global reach, which only ranks second to Amazon.

The biggest selling point for eBay is its auction feature. If you’ve got one-of-a-kind items, sometimes you rather auction that item off. These are products that have a limited quantity, which further drives up demand. You can leverage the auctions to capture the highest bidder by using scarcity tactics like a countdown timer to draw our FOMO (fear of missing out).

With eBay, you also get protection for buyers and sellers, which helps prevent scams. They will help to mediate the situation between you and your buyer. The protection also can give buyers confidence to shop on eBay since they know they’re always backed by the protection policies.

Pros:

The auction feature can increase sales.
eBay has built-in SEO to help your listings get seen.
The platform is great for hard-to-value products, similar to Etsy.

Cons:

eBay has a clunky interface.
They also come with a lot of fees, like Etsy.

Why We Recommend Using eBay: eBay is a great alternative to Etsy especially for collectible or rate items. In comparison, Etsy is better for handmade goods. That said, eBay’s auction feature and built-in SEO is helpful for getting more eyeballs to your product and boosting revenue.

5. Wix

Wix is a website builder that primarily caters to beginners because of ease of use and drag-and-drop editor. It comes with over 900 beautifully designed templates spaning just about every business type imaginable from online stores, to bold portfolios.

The advantage of using Wix is that it’s built with performance in mind. One of the key factors for improving SEO is your website speed. Wix does a great job of insutring that all of their webpages load quickly due to their globally distributed CDN and data centers.

All Wix sites are optimized for core web vitals as well to maintain top-flight speeds. Plus, they include multi-cloud hosting services to avoid site crashes, so your customers never experince a disruption when trying to place an order.

Wix also easily connects to most online marketplaces including eBay, Amazon, Etsy, and others. Rather than sticking to one platform, you can leverage multichannel selling to reach new audiences and boost sales. Just create your Wix store and then seamless upload products directly from your site and track orders from the dashboard.

Pros:

Wix is very easy to use.
You can leverage multichannel selling due to marketplace integrations.
Wix offers catalog and inventory management to track and fulfill orders.

Cons:

Limited customizations compared to WooCommerce since it’s not built in WordPress.

Why We Recommend Using Wix: While Wix doesn’t compare to WordPress, it still is a good platform. Since it connects with online platforms, you can easily upload products from Wix to Etsy or Wix to eBay, making life a lot easier.

6. Amazon Handmade

Amazon Handmade is arguable the biggest direct competitor to Etsy and is a no-brainer when it comes to putting it on our list of alternatives. The beauty of Amazon Handmade is that you get to tap into the largest online retailer in the word boasting over 2.7 billion web visits per month. With such a massive potential reach, you would probably reach a larger global audience.

Amazon Handmade is an artisan-only section that is dedicated to selling crafted handmade products only. This is where you can sell personalized items rather than mass-producted products.

But the huge advantage is it’s lower seller fees. There’s no listing fees unlike Etsy, so you have the opportunity to profit more. In fact, 33% of Amazon Handmade sellers have profit margins above 20%.

Plus, you still get to leverage the FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) model. This is where you send your products in bulk to Amazon’s warehouses. From there, they handle all the shipping, packing and labeling, so you don’t have to. With two-day free shipping for Prime members, you ensure a great customer experience right off the bat.

Pros:

Amazon Handmade has lower seller fees.
You get to tap into a bigger audience.
You can leverage Amazon FBA, so you don’t have to worry about packing or shipping products on your own.

Cons:

There are some customizations, but they are still limited when compared to WooCommerce or Shopify.

Why We Recommend Using Amazon Handmade: Amazon Handmade is the easiest switch you can make if you’re unhappy with the Etsy platform. It’s a direct competitor and offers pretty much everything you get from Etsy except lower fees and a better fulfillment process.

7. Big Cartel

Big Cartel is an eCommerce platform designed on servicing creative and artisitc sellers. Powering over 83,000 online stories, Big Cartel is an affordable option with customizable capabilities.

The best part of Big Cartel is the ease of navigation. You don’t need lots of experience building websites to get started. They come with a variety of free templates, so you never have to start from scratch. The themes also suit many niches like artists, creatives, bloggers, photographers, and more.

What makes Big Cartel unique is that they also offer live classes aimed to help you set up the basics. That way you’re not left in the dark trying to figure it out on your own. An insturctor takes you through every step through a session recording, so you know how to set up everything. This includes everything from adding products and creating discounts to packaging your products.

Pros:

Big Cartel is specifically designed for creatives and artists, which might be great if you sell paintings or artwork.
It comes with a built-in reporting dashboard and Google Analytics integration.
They offer SSL security and other security controls to protect your site from hackers.

Cons:

They are limited in the type of apps and integrations available.

Why We Recommend Using Big Cartel: Big Cartel certainly the big-name platform you might expect. But if you don’t have desire to become a large e-commerce brand then setting up a simple shop with easy-to-use features might be the way to go. Big Cartel gives you basic tools that get the job done.

8. Redbubble

RedBubble is a great Etsy alternative if you are mostly focused on print on demand products. Handmade items is where you make the items yourself or done with manual labor. On the flip side, print on demand items are usually designs printed on items like t-shirts, mugs, socks, hats, and other product categories. They’re more on the mass-produced side, but still appeal to niche audiences.

If you fall under the print on demand category, then Red Bubble is an excellent choice. They have a wide product category with over 70 product types like wall art, gifts, clothing and more. The audience size isn’t anything to scoff at either with over 40 million monthly site visitors.

Redbubble works by uploading your original designs to the platform. Then they’re listed for sale based on the product category you choose. If you’re not keen on brand promotion or running ads, you can simple optimize your listings on Redbubble and watch the sales come rolling in.

Also, like Amazon Handmade, Redbubble automatically prints, packs, and ships all orders to customers directly. That means you don’t have to worry about the fulfillment side of things.

Pros:

Redbubble is perfect for print-on-demand sellers.
You don’t have to handle inventory management.
There’s a wide range of product catalogs to choose from.

Cons:

it’s not great for handmade items since it’s strictly a print-on-demand marketplace.

Why We Recommend Using Redbubble: If you wanted to sell custom t-shirts, mugs, or anything where you print designs on products, then Redbubble is the place to go. Just upload your design, optimize your listing, and voila! There’s not a whole lot of work to it. That said, you also have less control because there’s little marketing you can do on your end.

9. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a good alternative to Etsy because it’s a fully-hosted eCommerce website builder that is both suitable for beginners and advanced ussers. It packs a bunch of essential features fo a quick start and comes with high-performance functionality to scale your store up.

On the plus side, BigCommerce has a wide range of paid themes and it’s page builder makes it easy to design your store to your liking. It’s got plug-and-play widgets so you add social media profiles, testimonials, upsell buttons, countdown timers, etc.

One cool design feature is their swatches allowing users to hover over product images for instant zoomed-in views. This creates a better user experience, since you can instantly view products without landing on the product page.

Also, BigCommerce has comprehensive checkout features to help boost conversion rates. For example, you can create customer logins, add progress bars and even show all the available shipping methods. They even have a built-in abandoned cart recovery system, where you can send automatic emails to customers who exit your store without completing their purchases.

Pros:

Lots of robust features to personalize your online store.
There are lots of templates and design elements.
BigCommerce integrates with online marketplaces and social media platforms for multichannel selling.

Cons:

It comes with extra expenses since the best themes are paid and you’ll need to pay for addons as well.

Why We Recommend Using BigCommerce: BigCommerce is a useful alternative to Etsy. It’s similar to WooCommerce and Shopify in that you get full control over how your online store looks and you customize the entire buying experience. But it still doesn’t have as much apps and advanced SEO features as those two platforms have.

Frequently Asked Questions?

What’s the best alternative to Etsy?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer, but we like WooCommerce for selling physical goods and Easy Digital Downloads for digital products.

How do you sell art without Etsy?

Easy Digital Downloads allows you to sell custom printable arts. When a customer places an order, they’ll land on an order page where they can directly download the product. You can also send a copy of the file via email.

What is the best site to sell handmade items?

WooCommerce makes it easy to sell handmade items because you can create product pages. You can customize the design of your online store to match your brand. Plus, you can always connect it to other software to add more functionality like OptinMonster for adding pop-ups, SeedProd for thank you pages and FunnelKit for one-click upsells.

We hoped this article helped you discover the best Etsy alternative, so you can start selling your handmade and custom goods. You can also check out our list of Shopify Alternatives or our actionable tips to increase sales.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 9 Best Etsy Alternatives for Sellers (More Freedom + Less Fees) first appeared on WPBeginner.

March 7, 2024

14 Ways to Increase Average Order Value With WordPress

Are you looking for ways to encourage customers to spend more money in your online store? You should immediately start tracking the average order value (AOV) metric.

Focusing on AOV is an effective way to grow a business, especially if you are running an eCommerce store. While working closely with numerous online stores over the last decade, I have tested a ton of strategies to see what increases AOV and what doesn’t.

From this experience, I can show you 14 ways that are sure to increase average order value with WordPress to improve your bottom line.

Note: This is a guest post by Chris Klosowski, the president of Easy Digital Downloads, the best digital eCommerce plugin for WordPress. This is an expert column that we publish every other Thursday, where we invite a WordPress expert to share their experiences with our readers.

Ways to Increase Average Order Value With WordPress

What Is Average Order Value (AOV)?

Running an online store is all about meeting the needs of your customers while covering your costs and making a profit. Luckily, there are quite a few ways you can increase your bottom line.

For example, you can try to increase the amount of traffic coming to your website or encourage more of your visitors to make a purchase. This will increase the number of conversions or transactions in your store, leading to more revenue.

A different approach is to try to increase the amount of money you make from each individual transaction. This is known as ‘average order value’ or AOV and is the topic of this article.

AOV is all about how much your customers are spending per order. You can calculate it by dividing your total revenue by the number of orders you received.

Here’s the formula for calculating AOV:

AOV = Total Revenue / Number of Orders

For example, let’s say your online store generated a total revenue of $10,000 from 200 orders in a month. Your AOV would be:

AOV = $10,000 / 200 orders = $50 per order

Understanding and analyzing your AOV can help you gain valuable insights into your eCommerce business. You can then use these insights to make data-driven decisions that improve your profitability and overall success.

Overall, if you sell multiple digital products, then focusing on increasing your average order value can be an easy way to grow your business.

With that being said, to increase your store’s average order value, you simply need to give your customers a reason to spend more.

Let’s take a look at 14 ways you can increase average order value with WordPress.

1. Track the Average Order Value (AOV) Metric on Your Online Store

Your first step is to start tracking AOV on your WordPress website. You can use this data to learn which strategies are working and which aren’t.

My team makes this simple in Easy Digital Downloads by offering built-in reporting so that you don’t have to set up separate tracking software and analytics solutions. All you have to do is go to Downloads » Reports in your WordPress dashboard.

WooCommerce also lets you easily find AOV within their dashboard.

For eCommerce tracking, I highly recommend setting up eCommerce tracking using Google Analytics on your WordPress site.

2. Get Your Pricing Structure Right

Finding the right pricing structure for your products is crucial. It needs to cover your costs and let you make a profit while also offering fair prices that encourage customers to make a purchase.

There’s a lot to consider here. So, my team created a detailed guide on the Easy Digital Downloads blog that will help you structure your digital product pricing for success.

Optimizing your pricing structure may involve some experimentation. Sometimes, you might find that lowering your price raises your AOV because it makes it easier for your customers to purchase more products.

But you won’t know what is working if you don’t measure it. Tracking your store’s AOV metric is a great way to discover what is working and what isn’t.

3. Offer Product Bundles

When considering the pricing structure of your store, don’t limit your thinking to individual products. Bundling different combinations of products can help your customers feel they are getting extra value.

In my last expert column, I mentioned that product bundling makes it easier for customers to make a purchasing decision. Better still, it can encourage them to purchase more, increasing your average order value.

For example, one of our customers, SmashBalloon successfully uses bundling to encourage their customers to try their products in a bundle for a heavily discounted price.

Bundles offer your customers a bulk discount that typically costs 60-80% of the total value of those products. The right combinations of products will cater to the user’s tastes, needs, and budget.

For instance, you could bundle products that are often purchased together. A gaming store might bundle a console together with a game and controller, or you could bundle an eBook with its audiobook version.

Bundles can also encourage customers to purchase more products than they were planning. Someone who just wants to purchase a few stock photos of home offices may be tempted by an affordable ‘Home Office Bundle’.

4. Offer Payment Plans

Sometimes, your customers can only make a small purchase simply because they don’t have enough money to buy more right now.

’Buy Now Pay Later’ payment plans allow users to make the purchase now and pay for it over time. At the same time, your store will receive the full amount right away.

Currently, 35% of consumers use pay-later plans for most of their purchases.

Because they make it easier for your customers to make a purchase, these plans help improve conversions and your store’s AOV.

If you’re selling digital downloads, you can use payment options like Klarna and Afterpay to set up Buy Now Pay Later with Easy Digital Downloads. Alternatively, you could use the WP Simple Pay plugin to offer a pay-later payment option with other eCommerce solutions.

5. Make It Easy to Check Out

A lengthy or confusing checkout process can overwhelm customers, meaning they spend less time and effort on their purchases or even quit before completing the payment. An easy checkout process encourages customers to spend more.

Simplifying the process reduces the cognitive load on customers by reducing the amount of brainpower needed. It lets buyers focus on completing the purchase without feeling overwhelmed, which may lead to them adding more items to their cart.

You can reduce friction by offering multiple payment options in various currencies, allowing your customers to check out as guests without needing to create an account, and including clear instructions.

EDD includes these options on its fast-loading checkout page. You can choose an extension to add the payment methods you wish to use, including Stripe, PayPal, and many others.

The Easy Digital Downloads Checkout Form

You can also customize the checkout page in WooCommerce and other eCommerce plugins to optimize it for conversions and increased AOV.

6. Offer Upsells and Cross-Sells

In my experience, one of the most effective ways to encourage customers to spend more money when making a purchase is using order bumps. This is when you offer the buyer extra products or deals during checkout.

Industry reports estimate that order bumps contribute to 35% of Amazon’s total revenue. They do it well, and it pays off.

Take a look at a screenshot of how a WordPress theme company can upsell a related product.

The main types of order bumps are upsells and cross-sells. Here are some examples to help you see the difference:

In a paint shop, an upsell would be to encourage a customer to buy UV-resistant paint instead of normal paint. It costs more initially, but lasts much longer, offering better value and saving money in the long term.
A cross-sell would be to offer the customer other products they will need while painting their house. These might include paint brushes, rollers, drop sheets, paint trays, and more.

This is simply good customer service. You are making sure the customer purchases the product they actually need, and they have everything they require to do the job. They appreciate it.

It also helps you increase the visibility of products that aren’t purchased frequently. And because the customer spends more money on the order, it increases your AOV.

It’s easy to add order bumps to your online store using the Easy Digital Downloads cross-sell and upsell extension, which is available for paid members.

It lets you add other digital products to your product pages and checkout page. This can generate some impulse purchases, allowing you to boost the average order value.

This is also super easy to set up in WooCommerce stores with a plugin like FunnelKit. For more details, just see the WPBeginner guide on how to create an order bump for WooCommerce.

7. Promote Products With High Margins

While you are recommending products to your customers, it helps to showcase and promote items with higher profit margins.

Compared to your other products, high-margin products will generate more profit per unit sold.

By promoting them strategically, you can increase your overall profit even if the sales volume remains the same or even decreases slightly. This can lead to a higher AOV without requiring an increase in the number of orders.

If you have a digital product store, then you can use the EDD Recommended Products extension to prominently display your high-margin products on your downloads and checkout pages.

Amazon does something like this on its product pages by displaying ‘People who viewed this also viewed’ and ‘People who bought this also bought’ recommendations. These can encourage customers to purchase additional products they are interested in.

Amazon Recommends Products on Its Product Pages

Another approach is to bundle high-margin products with related lower-margin ones. This can incentivize customers to purchase the bundle and potentially increase their overall spending.

8. Offer Smart Coupons

Smart coupons are a great way to get more sales, keep your customers happy, and encourage brand loyalty. They can motivate your customers to add more items to their cart so that they qualify for a discount.

For example, you could encourage customers to spend more by offering a free gift or free shipping when their cart total reaches a certain amount.

Or you can create ‘buy one get one’ (BOGO) coupons to convince shoppers to add more items to their cart. Or when they buy a certain item, you can offer them a second item at a discounted price instead of free.

Offer Additional Products at a Reduced Rate to Encourage Buying

The EDD Discounts Pro extension lets you create advanced discounts that are automatically applied to the checkout screen based on specific conditions.

Alternatively, if you have a WooCommerce store, then you can create smart coupons with the Advanced Coupons plugin. It lets you create all kinds of coupons, rewards, and discounts to get more sales and grow your business.

9. Optimize the User Journey

I have already touched on improving the checkout experience in your online store, but there are plenty of other ways you can optimize the user journey to improve customer experience.

A smooth and positive customer journey fosters a sense of trust and satisfaction. This can encourage customers to spend more and return for future purchases.

FunnelKit, formerly WooFunnels, is a WordPress sales funnel builder that lets you optimize the path users take on your website to become customers. It lets you improve your checkout, offer one-click upsells, use beautiful page layouts, and much more.

Customers have a positive experience on a website that’s easy to navigate and find the products they need. This helps them feel more confident about their purchases and complete larger orders.

10. Use of the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) to Create Urgency

Creating a sense of urgency and excitement can encourage customers to purchase immediately to avoid missing out on a valuable opportunity. This is known as FOMO, or the fear of missing out, and is a well-known sales tactic.

When using FOMO strategies, you need to be genuine and transparent. If your customers sense that you are trying to manipulate them by creating a false sense of urgency, then you may lose their trust.

Urgency is typically created by running a limited-time holiday sale, such as on Black Friday. The customer needs to make a purchase before the sale is over to get the discount.

When running a limited-time discount, I recommend displaying a countdown timer to make sure customers act before the offer expires.

Scarcity is another way to create a sense of urgency. For example, you can inform customers when stock is low or offer exclusive limited edition products.

11. Use Social Proof to Earn Trust

New customers may be reluctant to spend much money in your online store. They simply don’t have a reason to trust you yet.

In fact, 92% of consumers are hesitant to make a purchase when there are no customer reviews available.

This is the power of social proof, where potential customers can be strongly influenced by the experiences of people who already made a purchase and had a good experience with your store.

This means that you can earn the trust of new customers by displaying product reviews and testimonials on your website from genuine customers. Once you gain the trust of new visitors, they will be much more confident about adding items to their carts.

EDD users can do this using the Reviews extension. This lets you enable customer reviews with star ratings on the products you choose.

Alternatively, you can use other leading WordPress social proof plugins like Smash Balloon Reviews Feed Pro and TrustPulse.

12. Create Loyalty Programs

Many of my customers successfully use loyalty programs to encourage shoppers to spend more. When you award extra points for orders over a certain amount, you can increase the average order value just as effectively as cross-selling and upselling.

Think of a Starbucks Rewards card. Every time you buy a drink, you are closer to a free coffee.

EDD offers several extensions that can help you create a loyalty program, such as the Purchase Rewards extension.

This lets you reward customers with a discount code after making a purchase. You can set a minimum purchase amount that will encourage them to add more to their cart.

On the other hand, WooCommerce users can easily create a loyalty program with the Advanced Coupons Loyalty Program plugin.

13. Recover Abandoned Carts

Most online stores have huge numbers of users leaving their sites from the checkout page. On average, a massive 69% of shoppers are abandoning their carts. Why not try to get some of them back and recover those lost sales?

These customers showed genuine interest in your products, which makes them valuable leads. Remind them of their abandoned cart and offer some incentives to complete the purchase. You might successfully convert them into paying customers, and this can contribute to your AOV.

You may be able to catch them just before they leave your site. OptinMonster’s exit-intent technology studies mouse movements to know when someone is about to leave your site, and shows a popup at that exact moment.

If an abandoning visitor has already left your site, then you can send them a push notification using PushEngage. Or you can send an automated email using EDD’s Recapture extension to regain their attention.

You can offer the customers an incentive to complete the purchase and present them with relevant upsell or cross-sell options, such as adding complementary products to their cart or offering a bundle discount. This is particularly effective if you use a personalized approach.

These targeted suggestions can encourage them to spend more, potentially increasing the overall order value.

For more details, you can see these guides on how to reduce cart abandonment in WordPress and how to send abandoned cart emails.

14. Test Multiple Strategies

Now that you’ve seen my list of ways to increase your store’s AOV, you can get to work and start testing multiple strategies.

But don’t try them all at once.

It’s better to make one change at a time and measure the effect it has on the value of your orders. This will let you see which approaches work and which don’t so that you can make data-driven decisions for your business.

Remember, increasing AOV is an ongoing process. By using a combination of these strategies and continuously monitoring and analyzing the results, you can effectively raise your average order value and boost the overall revenue in your online store.

I hope these tips help you grow your online business by increasing the average order value (AOV) in your store. You may also want to see these guides on how to create a landing page with WordPress or the best WordPress giveaway and contest plugins.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 14 Ways to Increase Average Order Value With WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

March 4, 2024

6 Best Inventory Management Plugins for WordPress (Compared)

Are you looking for the best inventory management plugins for WordPress?

If you have an online store, then using an inventory management plugin can streamline product tracking, automate tasks, and simplify order management. This can help boost conversions by improving customer experience in your store.

In this article, we will share with you our list of the best inventory management plugins for WordPress websites.

Why Use Inventory Management Plugins in WordPress?

Inventory management plugins can integrate with any eCommerce platform to enhance inventory control on your website.

Using an inventory management plugin on your online store can improve your workflow seamlessly and help in achieving more leads.

These plugins set reorder points, track inventory movement, and generate forecasts to maintain optimal stock levels. This reduces the risk of overstocking or overselling out-of-stock products.

They can also handle repetitive tasks like updating product availability, generating invoices, sending low-stock alerts, managing orders, tracking shipments, and processing returns.

Having said that, let’s take a look at our list of the best inventory management plugins for WordPress.

1. ATUM WooCommerce Inventory Management

ATUM WooCommerce Inventory Management and Stock Tracking

ATUM WooCommerce Inventory Management is the best WordPress inventory management plugin on the market.

It comes with a user-friendly interface and an intuitive stock central dashboard where you can see the overall stock levels, stock value, and metrics like best-selling products and low-stock items.

The plugin can seamlessly integrate with WooCommerce and automatically updates availability and stock levels on product pages.

It allows real-time inventory tracking, stock adjustments, data editing, user role management, batch, and serial number tracking, and so much more.

Pros

ATUM comes with features like purchase order management, multiple inventory management for the same product, interactive filters, and product search.
It offers visual indicators to help you identify products that are in stock, low on stock, or out of stock.
It displays inventory movement using graphs and charts which helps you avoid stockouts.
ATUM also lets you scan the barcode and export generated data.

Cons

ATUM WooCommerce Inventory Management plugin has a free plan but some of the features can only be unlocked once you switch to the pro version.

Why we recommend ATUM WooCommerce Inventory Management: We recommend using it because it is the best WordPress inventory management plugin on the market.

ATUM WooCommerce Inventory Management comes with a powerhouse of features that makes it super easy to manage your online store. If you have a WooCommerce store, then this is the perfect choice for you.

2. Easy Digital Downloads

Easy Digital Downloads can help you manage your inventory easily if you sell digital products online.

The plugin comes with a Purchase Limit extension that lets you control the number of times a product can be downloaded before its status changes to ‘Out of Stock.’

It allows you to set different purchase limits for various pricing plans and even lets you set a default purchase limit for all the products on your online store.

Pros

EDD allows you to manage different versions of your digital products and offer updates to customers.
It lets customers compare different products, view customer history, and send automatic emails with download links to users.
The plugin tracks sales and downloads, comes with a campaign tracker, and complete fraud protection.

Cons

If you sell physical products, then Easy Digital Downloads won’t be able to help you manage inventory.
It has no direct shipping integration because the plugin is built for selling digital goods like spreadsheets, music, ebooks, PDFs, and more.
Its free plan does not offer the purchase restriction extension.

Why we recommend Easy Digital Downloads: It is the perfect inventory management plugin for you if you sell digital products.

EDD lets you set purchase limits, offers advanced analytics and reports, manages and offers different product versions, and so much more.

For details, see our Easy Digital Downloads review.

3. Wholesale Suite

If you have a B2B online store, then Wholesale Suite is the ideal inventory management plugin for you.

The plugin offers real-time stock updates, set minimum quantity for specific products, allows wholesalers to reserve products beforehand, and tracks transfers.

Other than that, the suite comes with different plugins that let you add a wholesale order form, set custom prices for WooCommerce products, and build registration or login forms.

Pros

The plugin easily integrates with WooCommerce and creates wholesale accounts with role-based access control.
It can control the visibility of wholesale products based on user roles.
Wholesale Suite lets you manage your inventory catalog for wholesale buyers by including bulk pricing, pack sizes, and minimum order quantities.
It also generates reports on wholesale sales, customer behavior, and stock movement.

Cons

Wholesale Suite has a bit of a learning curve for beginners.
It has a free plan but most of the features are only available in the pro version.
If you have complex inventory needs, then the plugin may cause limitations for you regarding scalability.

Why we recommend Wholesale Suite: If you have a B2B WooCommerce store, then Wholesale Suite is a great choice for you. It comes with real-time stock updates, lets you set a minimum order quantity and tracks transfers. For more details, see our Wholesale Suite review.

4. WP Simple Pay

WP Simple Pay is the best WordPress Stripe plugin on the market. It allows you to accept online payments without needing to set up a shopping cart on your website.

The plugin comes with a Purchase Restriction addon that makes it super easy to avoid overselling out-of-stock products, making it a great inventory management plugin.

All you have to do is create a payment form and check the ‘Hide the payment form after a set number of payments’ option. Once you do that, add the value after which your payment form will no longer be active on your site.

Configure the purchase restrictions to prevent overselling with your payment form

Pros

WP Simple Pay comes with a user-friendly builder and premade templates, allows you to track stock levels manually, and updates product availability.
It allows you to set different purchase restrictions based on different pricing plans.
It can add payment methods like SEPA, Affirm, Klarna, AliPay, and more.
It allows you to restrict payments based on user roles.
It lets you set up recurring subscriptions for memberships, services, or donations, with options for daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly billing cycles.

Cons

WP Simple Pay has a free plan but the Purchase Restriction addon can only be unlocked in the pro plan.
The plugin is not an ideal choice if you have a WooCommerce store.
It lacks advanced features like inventory tracking or stock adjustments.

Why we recommend WP Simple Pay: If you have a membership site that accepts subscription payments or if you host workshops like cooking lessons, then you won’t have to set up an online store.

You can easily sell your classes or subscriptions and set inventory restrictions with WP Simple Pay’s payment form. You can easily control the number of users to whom you plan to sell your subscriptions or courses.

For more details, see our complete WP Simple Pay review.

5. Smart Manager

Smart Manager is an amazing inventory management plugin that lets you manage the stock levels for digital and physical products.

The plugin sets a minimum stock level value, sends low-stock alerts, and allows you to bulk edit multiple products, orders, posts, and pages. Other than that, Smart Manager also offers inline editing, product duplication, stock history of each product, and more.

Smart Manager can easily integrate with WooCommerce, EDD, and WPForms and is a great choice for online stores of all sizes.

Pros

The plugin lets you view and manage orders, change order statuses, and add notes.
It comes with advanced search, imports/exports products as CSV files, custom fields, and multi-site support.
With Smart Manager, you can schedule tasks repetitively like updating stock levels or exporting data.

Cons

The plugin has a steep learning curve.
It has limited customer support.
The plugin can affect your site’s speed and performance.

Why we recommend using Smart Manager: If you have an online store that sells physical and digital products, then Smart Manager is a great choice because it comes with inventory management features for all kinds of items. It can also integrate with WooCommerce and EDD at the same time.

6. WP Inventory Manager

WP Inventory Manager is a free WordPress plugin that allows inventory item creation, tracking, and categorization.

It comes with a search feature and allows you to display your whole inventory as a spreadsheet on the front end of your WordPress site.

Additionally, you can use WP Inventory Manager to edit product details, descriptions, prices, or images and can add custom fields to collect more data.

Pros

It has a drag-and-drop functionality and an intuitive dashboard.
The plugin allows multiple image uploads for inventory items and adds support documents like PDFs for the products.
WP Inventory Manager can assign inventory permissions to specific users and generate item barcodes.

Cons

WP Inventory Manager can integrate with WooCommerce but cannot act as an eCommerce platform itself.
The plugin can have compatibility issues with other plugins on your site.

Why we recommend WP Inventory Manager: If you have just started your online store and are on a tight budget, then WP Inventory Manager can be a great solution for you because it’s free.

Which is the Best Inventory Management Plugin for WordPress?

In our expert opinion, ATUM Inventory Management is the best WordPress inventory management plugin for WooCommerce stores.

It offers an intuitive stock central dashboard, allows real-time inventory tracking, and helps you understand inventory movement with graphs and charts.

However, if you have a membership site with a simple payment form, then you can use WP Simple Pay to implement purchase restrictions.

Similarly, if you have a B2B store, then Wholesale Suite is the better choice because most of its features are specifically designed for wholesalers.

But if you sell digital products, then Easy Digital Downloads is the best solution for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a list of some questions frequently asked by our readers:

Can WordPress be used for inventory management?

By default, WordPress itself does not come with inventory management features. However, you can use any of the available inventory management plugins to add this functionality to your website.

What is the difference between Shopify and WooCommerce inventory management?

Shopify has inventory management features like purchase order functionality, automatic inventory updates, and barcode scanning support. But you will need to buy apps to add these features.

WooCommerce, on the other hand, can send low-stock alerts, and bulk edits, change a product’s status to ‘Out of Stock’ automatically, and set a purchase limit for a product without requiring any additional plugin.

In this way, WooCommerce’s inventory management features are better than Shopify. For more details, you can see our comparison of Shopify vs WooCommerce.

Which inventory management plugin is best for a small online store?

The free plan of the ATUM WooCommerce Inventory plugin can work wonderfully for a small online store that doesn’t have a large inventory.

However, if your store sells digital products, then you can use Smart Manager as most of its features will be free.

Related Guides To Inventory Management

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The post 6 Best Inventory Management Plugins for WordPress (Compared) first appeared on WPBeginner.

February 13, 2024

Is WordPress Good for eCommerce? (Pros and Cons)

Are you wondering if WordPress is good for eCommerce and what the pros and cons are?

WordPress is the most popular website builder platform and is the most recommended platform to start an eCommerce business.

In this article, we’ll explore if WordPress is good for eCommerce and what the pros and cons of using it are.

Why Use WordPress for E-commerce?

WordPress is the world’s most popular website builder, powering more than 43.1% of all websites on the internet. A large number of these websites are eCommerce stores.

The massive popularity of WordPress makes it the most recommended eCommerce platform to start your business.

Some of the most compelling reasons for using WordPress for eCommerce are:

Freedom – You own your eCommerce store, and no third party controls how you run it.
Massive community – Using WordPress, you become part of a huge online community of business owners running their businesses on WordPress.
Wider Availability – WordPress supports more payment gateways than any other eCommerce platform. It also supports multilingual eCommerce stores in most currencies and locales.
Growth Hacking – Being the most popular solution, it has integrations for most marketing and growth hacking tools you may need. This makes it super easy for you to grow your eCommerce business over time.

For more details, look at our complete WordPress review for more in-depth coverage of its advantages and disadvantages.

What are The Pros and Cons of Using WordPress for E-commerce?

Like every business decision, you would want to consider the pros and cons of using WordPress as your eCommerce platform.

Let’s look at some of the most important pros and cons of using WordPress for your eCommerce business.

Pros of Using WordPress for Ecommerce:

1. WordPress is Free

WordPress software is available for free. You can download, customize, and use it anywhere you want.

You’ll still need to pay for eCommerce hosting, domain name, and add-ons. For more on this topic, see our explainer on why is WordPress free, what the costs are, and what’s the actual catch.

2. Zero Transaction Fees

Unlike most other eCommerce platforms, WordPress does not charge you for transactions. The only fees you pay for transactions are to your payment service provider (Stripe, PayPal, etc.) and your bank.

3. You Control The Costs

With WordPress, you control the costs. You can choose your hosting service, premium add-ons, and marketing tools.

With this freedom, you save a ton of start-up money, which you can then invest in growing your business and making more sales. For more details, see our article on the cost of building an eCommerce website.

4. Thousands of Plugins

WordPress has over 59,000 free plugins. Think of plugins as apps for your eCommerce website. You can install one when you need a certain feature, like adding a contact form or customizing the shopping cart experience, among others.

With so much choice, you can add almost any feature to your eCommerce store with just a few clicks. Look at our expert pick of the best eCommerce plugins for WordPress for some inspiration.

5. Countless Payment Gateways

WordPress supports all popular payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, and more. It also supports lesser-known payment services and countless regional payment service providers.

Accepting payments online with WordPress is easier than any other eCommerce platform on the market.

6. Thousands of Themes and Styles

WordPress comes with thousands of themes (design templates). You can customize your eCommerce website’s design to your liking with ease.

Plus, it comes with drag-and-drop page builders like SeedProd and Thrive Architect. These tools let you easily design product landing pages, shop pages, and more.

7. Unlimited Products and Sales

You can add as many products to your website as you want and make as many sales as you can. Unlike many other eCommerce platforms, WordPress doesn’t restrict you to a set number of products or sales.

8. You Own and Control Your Website

Many online eCommerce platforms have terms and conditions that allow them to shut down your eCommerce website at any time, with or without a reason. They can hold your data and any unprocessed transactions.

With WordPress, you own and control your website. Even if, in rare circumstances, a hosting company terminates your account, you can easily use a backup to transfer your website to a different hosting company. You own all your data, transactions, and payments.

Cons of Using WordPress for Ecommerce

Now, so far, we have covered the advantages of using WordPress and they are plentiful.

However, WordPress has its disadvantages as well, and it is best to keep them in mind.

1. Comes with a Slight Learning Curve

WordPress comes with a slight learning curve. Like any new software you use for your business, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with WordPress and how it works.

Luckily, WPBeginner got you covered. We have free step-by-step WordPress video tutorials made specifically for WordPress beginners. These courses will get you up to speed much more quickly.

Most beginners who start a WordPress business quickly graduate to advanced-level users with some hands-on practice.

2. You Manage The Software Updates and Backups

Like any software or app, WordPress regularly releases updates. As the website owner, you are responsible for installing these updates to keep your website secure and access the latest features.

It is just as easy to install updates in WordPress as on your phone or computer. You’ll get a notification about a new version, and then you just click a button to install it.

Similarly, you are also responsible for keeping backups of your website. This allows you to easily move your website, secure your data, or restore it in case of a hosting failure.

Luckily, there are excellent backup plugins for WordPress, like the Duplicator Pro. Once properly set up, it will automatically make regular backups and store them on the cloud.

It will also help you restore your website with just a few clicks or move it to a different hosting company if needed.

3. Scalability May Increase Costs

We recommend all new businesses start with a low-cost hosting plan from companies like Bluehost and Hostinger.

Unlike other eCommerce platforms, this flexibility helps you save a ton of money when starting your business.

However, as your business grows, your website will need more server resources. You’ll need to upgrade to a managed hosting service like SiteGround or WP Engine.

This will increase your costs. However, the upside is that your business will now be able to afford these extra costs, and it will still be cheaper than other eCommerce service providers.

4. You Are Responsible for Security

Like updates and backups, you are responsible for keeping your website secure.

Now, this may sound a bit tricky, but luckily, many WordPress hosting companies also take excellent measures to protect sites hosted on their servers from malicious attacks.

Additionally, you can install free Cloudflare CDN to protect your website or use a WordPress security plugin like Sucuri.

Both, Cloudflare and Sucuri provide a website firewall that blocks malicious traffic even before it reaches your website.

What Kind of Ecommerce Solutions Available in WordPress?

When comparing eCommerce platforms, you’ll notice some of them are good for selling specific types of products and not so great with others.

For instance, Shopify is great for selling physical products that require shipping but not for selling online courses.

In comparison, WordPress is the only eCommerce platform that is equally great for selling all types of products and services using its powerful add-ons.

Here are some of the top eCommerce solutions you can use with WordPress, depending on your business.

WooCommerce – Available as a free WordPress plugin, WooCommerce is the world’s #1 eCommerce platform. It allows you to create any type of online store and can be used to sell physical goods as well as digital products.
MemberPress – A powerful eCommerce solution that helps you sell subscription based products like online courses, premium content, pay-per-view website, memberships for communities, and more.
Easy Digital Downloads – Made specifically for selling digital products like software, ebooks, music, digital art, and more.
WP Simple Pay – Selling a handful of products or services? WP Simple Pay makes it easy to accept online payments without using a shopping cart plugin on your website.
WP Forms Payments – Allows you to accept online payments by creating your own custom payment forms. Perfect for selling individual products, services, online bookings, and more.

How Does WordPress Compare to Other Ecommerce Platforms?

WordPress compares neck and neck with all top eCommerce platforms and outperforms them in flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and broader availability.

What Does WordPress Do Better than Other Ecommerce Platforms?

WordPress is better at saving you costs when starting an eCommerce business. You can start with the bare minimum and only pay for tools/services you need.
WordPress doesn’t charge you for individual transactions. This makes it easy for you to create a sustainable business plan for growth in the long run.
It doesn’t limit the number of products or sales you can make. Many top eCommerce platforms will force you to upgrade your plan once you reach a certain threshold of products or sales.
You own all your website and its data and can move it to any other hosting platform or eCommerce solution when you need it.

For details, take a look at these comparisons with individual platforms.

How to Start an Ecommerce Business with WordPress?

To start your eCommerce business with WordPress, you’ll need to make a WordPress website.

There are two types of WordPress available.

First, there is WordPress.org, which is the WordPress software that we talked about in this article and what we recommend. Then, there is WordPress.com, which is a hosted website platform like Wix or Squarespace. For details, see our article on WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org.

To start with WordPress.org, you’ll need a hosting account and a domain name.

Normally, pricing for starter hosting plans starts at $7.99 per month (usually paid annually), and domain name costs around $16.99 per year.

Luckily, Bluehost has agreed to offer WPBeginner users a generous discount on hosting with a free domain name. Basically, you can get started for $2.75 per month.

→ Click Here to Claim This Exclusive Bluehost Offer ←

But as we mentioned earlier, using WordPress gives you plenty of choices. You can also start with Hostinger or any of these top WordPress hosting companies.

If you sign up with Bluehost, they will automatically install WordPress for you. All other hosting companies also offer a 1-click WordPress installer, which you can find under your hosting account.

Need more help? Follow our step-by-step WordPress installation tutorial for beginners.

We hope this article helped explain whether WordPress is good for eCommerce and its pros and cons. You may also want to see our guide on using automation to increase WooCommerce sales or see these actionable tips to grow your online business.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post Is WordPress Good for eCommerce? (Pros and Cons) first appeared on WPBeginner.

January 26, 2024

How to Sell Canva Templates in WordPress (Beginner’s Guide)

Are you curious about how to sell Canva templates in WordPress?

Many people are willing to pay for design templates to save them time. Canva templates are easy to design and sell, making them a highly profitable way to make money online without much effort on your part.

In this article, you’ll learn how to sell Canva templates in WordPress so you can start earning passive income.

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Why Sell Canva Templates?

Unlike Adobe Photoshop, Canva is an easy-to-use design tool that anybody can use to create professional-looking graphics. That means you don’t have to be an expert graphic designer to start selling Canva templates to other people.

Plus, Canva is free to use. But if you want access to 1 million+ premium photos, videos, fonts, and other advanced features, then you may want to consider Canva Pro, which only costs $14.99 per month or $9.99 billed annually.

So, why sell Canva templates?

Canva templates are wildly popular. Many individuals and businesses are turning to Canva creators to find inspiration and get things done faster. Here are some other benefits:

Passive income: You can generate passive income by creating a digital product once, and then it will continue to sell for years to come.
Scalability: Increase your earnings by simply adding more digital products to your WordPress site.
Minimal costs: All you have to pay for is the cost to build a website. Anything else, such as upgrading to a Canva subscription or using a WordPress eCommerce plugin, only helps to make selling easier.
Flexibility: Canva templates work in just about any niche. Want to create a fitness tracker or diet plan for others to follow? Or maybe you could design a social media template so businesses can easily create attractive visual content without starting from scratch.

While you could sell Canva templates on Etsy or Gumroad, those platforms take a percentage of your profits. Not only that, but you have little to no control over how your product page looks and how you can promote it.

Branding is everything, which is why we recommend selling Canva templates on WordPress. You get to create the rules and control the entire customer journey. Later on, we will show you exactly how to do this.

Canva Templates You Can Make and Sell

Before you start selling, the question remains: what type of Canva template should you make?

The good news is that there are endless possibilities for the types of Canva templates you can create. Here are some of the most popular options to help you get started:

Blog images and featured thumbnails
Social media graphics (thumbnails, post banners, stories, and so on)
Planners and calendars
Presentations and slide decks
Workbooks and worksheets
Menus, recipes, or event invitations
Resumes
Stickers
Holiday cards
Business cards, posters, brochures, or flyers
Contracts
Notion templates

The easiest way to decide what to sell is to think about your audience’s pain points. What kind of template could you sell where you make users’ lives easier by saving them time and frustration?

Then, go ahead and validate your idea by seeing if others are selling it. You can look at a marketplace like Gumroad to see if there are a lot of positive reviews.

Once you have made that decision, you are ready to start making and selling your Canva templates.

To get started, you’ll need a Canva account. Once you’ve signed up and created an account, you can go through the following steps.

Step 1: Setting Up Your WordPress Website

If you want to start selling Canva templates, you first need to set up your WordPress website.

That means you’ll need web hosting, a domain name, and an SSL certificate.

You can think of web hosting as renting space on the internet to store your website, which includes your files, images, and content. The domain name is the address for people to find your site and the SSL certificate encrypts the information that travels between a user’s browser and your website’s server to protect sensitive data.

To help you get started, you’ll want to choose the best WordPress hosting provider.

We tried all of them and recommend SiteGround as the best option for selling Canva templates because they offer managed WordPress hosting designed specifically for Easy Digital Downloads (EDD). This allows you to set up your website and online store in just minutes.

You’ll get up to 83% off when you purchase one of their plans along with EDD preinstalled, daily WordPress backups, a free SSL certification, daily backups, an email domain, and many other optimization tools out of the box.

→ Click here to Claim this Exclusive SiteGround offer ←

We will walk you through how to get your WordPress site set up by first signing up for hosting and getting your domain and SSL certificate.

Head over to the SiteGround website and choose between the three available plans.

Once you’ve decided on the plan that’s right for you, go ahead and click ‘Get Plan.’

From here, enter your desired domain name and then hit ‘Continue.’

Note: If you need help, then just check out our guide on how to choose the best domain name.

Next, you’ll be prompted to add your account information and purchase any addons, such as domain registration and privacy.

You’ll need to enter your payment details and complete the purchase to access your web hosting account.

After a few moments, you’ll receive an email with information on how to log in to your SiteGround account.

Follow the instructions and log in to your account. You’ll be taken to the dashboard. In the ‘Websites’ tab, you’ll need to click on the ‘Site Tools’ button next to your domain name.

You’ll be able to set up and access all of the important information about your site from here, such as email accounts and a file manager.

Go ahead and click on ‘Install & Manage WordPress’.

You’ll see the option to choose between WordPress or WordPress + WooCommerce.

Click ‘Select’ under WordPress.

Below that, you’ll see an Application Setup form appear.

Just fill in the login details you’d like for your WordPress site. You’ll need to create a username and password and enter the email you’d like to connect the WordPress site to.

Finally, click ‘Install’ and you’ll be taken to the WordPress dashboard, where you’ll find that Easy Digital Downloads is pre-installed.

Step 2: Creating Your Canva Template to Sell

Now, you need to go to Canva and log in to your account. Starting on the Canva homepage, you must head over to the ‘Templates’ tab in the left panel.

Then, you can browse through any category and pick a template that suits your needs.

For the sake of this tutorial, we will use an Instagram Post template, which can be found under All templates » Instagram Posts.

Then click on any template. By choosing a pre-built template from Canva, you don’t have to figure out the correct image sizes (especially important for social media) and create the design from scratch.

A pop-up window will appear. Go ahead and click on ‘Customize this template.’

You’ll be taken to Canva’s drag-and-drop editor. From here, you have the creative freedom to pretty much customize your template however you want.

On the left side, you can add elements and text, upload your own images, and all types of other features. Canva even has AI features that will generate written text or images based on the description you give them.

In the editor itself, you just need to click on any element you want to customize. Then, you’ll see a wide range of options, like changing the font and colors, duplicating the element, deleting it, and so on.

If you are selling templates, then it’s best to create multiple pages in Canva. Many creators and businesses who sell Canva templates like to package them as a bundle, allowing them to charge higher prices for them.

So, rather than selling one Instagram post template, you can make a dozen Instagram posts, all with the same layout. Or even better, you could sell an entire social media post bundle, giving customers many templates for every use case available.

Just click on the ‘+ Add page’ button in the editor. Under Design » Templates in the left panel, you’ll also see related templates, which are super helpful if you are going to sell a bundle.

Keep in mind that you can even upload images, videos, and audio to your template.

For example, here’s an Instagram Story template with all of the cuts, text, and music already included. That way, customers can use this template out of the box, and they only need to customize the video and text.

When you’ve finished customizing your template, you are ready to export it.

Go ahead and hit the ‘Share’ button in the top right corner. Here, you can choose the file type and size of your template. Finally, hit the ‘Download’ button once you are done.

You may also want to check out our list of tools to create better images, especially if you are uploading images to Canva.

Now that you have made your Canva template, you are ready to upload it to WordPress and start selling.

Step 3: Installing and Activating Easy Digital Downloads

You now need to install and activate the Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) plugin. It is the best eCommerce WordPress plugin that allows you to easily sell digital products on your website, including Canva templates.

The good news is that you can use the free version of Easy Digital Downloads to get started. That being said, if you want to increase your conversions and maximize your revenue, then you may want to consider the paid version.

The Pro version gives access to advanced features, such as more payment gateways, email marketing service provider integrations, recommended products, recurring payments, add-to-cart pop-ups, multi-currency add-ons, and more.

If you bought a SiteGround hosting plan using our link earlier in the tutorial, then EDD will already be installed on your website. Otherwise, you can follow our guide on how to install a plugin in WordPress.

Once activated, you’ll be taken to a setup wizard so that the plugin can personalize the experience for you. It will guide you through each screen, and you just need to fill out the information as best as you can.

Step 4: Setting Up Easy Digital Downloads

Once you’ve completed the setup wizard, you’ll need to configure your online store location.

You may be wondering why you should add your location when you are not selling physical products. That’s because EDD uses the customer’s country, state, and province to autofill their details when making a purchase. This, in turn, will be used to calculate the sales tax.

Simply head over to Downloads » Settings. From there, make sure you are in the ‘Store’ tab, which is under ‘General.’

Scroll to the bottom of the page and complete all the fields related to your business address. You will also need to select the country you live in from the ‘Business Country’ dropdown menu.

Once you’ve set your store location, just hit the ‘Save Changes’ button.

Step 5: Connecting Your Payment Gateway

After that, you’ll need to set up your payment gateway so you can easily accept payments on your website.

Head over to the ‘Payments’ tab, and then click on the ‘General’ tab. From here, you can check all of the boxes next to the payment methods you are willing to accept.

The free plan of EDD comes with Stripe, PayPal, and Amazon right out of the box. That means your customers can use most major credit cards along with their Payment or Amazon account to complete their purchase.

But with the Easy Digital Download addons, you can also use Authorize.net, Braintree, and others.

To configure each payment gateway, you need to click on the gear icon.

Let’s take a quick look at how to do this with Stripe.

You’ll be taken to a new screen where you can connect to your existing Stripe account.

Hit the ‘Connect with Stripe’ button.

Next up, you will need to log in to your Stripe account, and you will be given all the Stripe accounts connected to your email address. Pick the Stripe account you want to connect Easy Digital Downloads to.

When customers send you money, it will go directly to this account, and if refunds are requested, then this is the account Stripe will withdraw from.

Go ahead and click the ‘Connect’ button. If you don’t have a Stripe account already, just select the ‘Create a new account’ button.

Once your Stripe account is connected, you will be taken back to WordPress.

Next to ‘Connection Status,’ you should see that your Stripe account is connected.

If you want to allow customers to make payments through their PayPal accounts, then you will need to follow the same steps as Stripe but go to the PayPal tab instead.

Step 6: Adding Your Template as a Download

Now, you are ready to upload your Canva template to WordPress.

Head over to the Downloads » Downloads tab in the admin area.

Then, click ‘Add New.’

Start by giving your Canva template a name to tell visitors what it is. Make sure to include a main keyword along with anything that would make the title stand out.

Then, write out your product description. This is where you can let your marketing copy shine. You should tell readers what to expect from your template and why they should download it in the first place.

Under ‘Download Details’ (which is located below the content editor), you have a few options to pick from. For the ‘Product Type Options, you can choose from a few menu items including:

Single Product
Bundle
Service

For Pricing Options, you can enter the price for your item. You can also add variable pricing.

Let’s say you are selling a social media template bundle. You can check the ‘Enable variable pricing’ box if you want to sell separate templates individually, such as Instagram templates, YouTube thumbnail templates, and so on.

Below that, you will enter your ‘File Name’ and upload your ‘File URL.’ You can enter the file URL link or click the link icon to upload the file from your computer.

If there are special instructions to download the file, be sure to write them in the ‘Download Instructions’ file.

For example, if you are selling a bundle, then you may put them into a zip file. Therefore, it may be helpful to add a note telling users how to unzip the file.

In the right panel, you have plenty of options you can configure.

‘Download Image’ is where you can upload a thumbnail of the Canva template to help entice visitors to buy it.

Under ‘Refund Status,’ you can decide whether you want the product to be refundable or non-refundable. Also, enter the number of days that customers have to request a refund.

Below that, you can choose between an ‘Add to Cart’ button or a ‘Buy Now’ button.

If you have the Pro plan, you can even add product reviews on the page.

This helps to provide social proof and build trust with your customers.

Once you are done, you can preview what it looks like.

This is how our example Canva template download looks.

Finally, simply hit the ‘Publish’ button in the top right corner of the screen.

This will make the download live on your website.

Testing That Your Download Works

You’ll now want to go through the entire checkout process to make sure that customers can actually download the product.

To see if it works, go to the Downloads » Settings page.

You’ll need to enable the ‘Test Mode’ so that you can see if visitors can complete the checkout process.

Also, make sure that the payment gateway and all the desired payment method icons are checked.

Then, hit ‘Save Changes.’

When you add the template to the cart, you should see a summary of the order.

You’ll need to enter your billing and payment info to complete the purchase.

Once you’ve made the test purchase, you’ll arrive at the confirmation page.

You’ll find the details of the purchase along with a link to download the zip file of the Canva template.

Every time you receive an order, it will show up on the Downloads » Orders page.

You will also receive a sales notification through email.

Just make sure to turn off test mode once you are done.

Step 7: Promoting Your Canva Templates

Easy Digital Downloads publishes each Canva template as a new page. That means you’ll have to drive traffic to these pages.

There are many ways you can let readers know about your new Canva template on your site.

For instance, you can display an announcement bar at the top of your site or add links to your template pages in your navigation menu.

Another way is to simply add your Canva templates to a blog post or page.

Easy Digital Downloads makes it easy to embed your digital product into any page. Simply edit your Canva template, and then in the right-hand sidebar, copy the ‘Purchase Shortcode.’

You can now embed this shortcode into different places on your website. For more in-depth instructions on how to add shortcodes to a page or post, check out our tutorial on how to use shortcodes in WordPress.

Beyond that, here are a few more ideas to promote your Canva template:

Write similar blog topics that relate to your Canva template. At the end of the article, you can add a call to action promoting your Canva templates.
You can use OptinMonster to create coupon popups that give a discount code for your Canva templates in exchange for the user’s email address.
Add notifications of sales you’ve made with TrustPulse, which is the best social proof plugin for WordPress.

That’s it! You now know how to sell Canva templates on your WordPress website. As a result, you can turn your ideas into a source of passive income.

Bonus: Tips to Make More Online Sales

If you want to maximize your revenue, then we recommend also adding cross-sells and upsells to your website. This allows you to sell more products, whether they are more Canva templates or more expensive services you offer.

For example, if you sell Instagram templates, then you may offer a done-for-you service where you help businesses manage or grow their social media accounts. In this case, the template was a good entry point to get users to trust your expertise before they are ready to buy more expensive items.

You could also do this by using the EDD Cross-sell and Upsell addon, which is available for paid members.

When you add this extension to your plugin, it will allow you to add other digital products to the product page and checkout page. This can generate some impulse purchases, allowing you to boost the average order value.

Here’s what it looks like in practice.

Or you can even create an entire sales funnel to get more conversions. For example, with OptinMonster, you’ll be able to show promotional popups with discount coupons, limited-time sales, and more.

For more details about how to do this, check out our guide on how to create highly converting sales funnels in WordPress.

We hope this article helped you learn how to sell Canva templates in WordPress. You may also want to see our expert list of proven ways to make money online blogging with WordPress and our low-cost and easy online business ideas that make money.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Sell Canva Templates in WordPress (Beginner’s Guide) first appeared on WPBeginner.

December 28, 2023

5 Lessons I Learned by Selling Digital Downloads for 10+ Years

Digital eCommerce is my passion, and it has changed my way of life.

I started offering digital downloads on my own almost over a decade ago.

As the President of Easy Digital Downloads, I also help thousands of successful individuals and businesses achieve their dreams by selling digital downloads, like ebooks, software, documents, and more from their websites.

From my experience of selling digital downloads and helping people do so, here are 5 important lessons I believe every newbie seller needs to know.

Note: This is a guest post by Chris Klosowski, the president of Easy Digital Downloads, the best digital eCommerce plugin for WordPress. This is an expert column that we publish every other Thursday, where we invite a WordPress expert to share their experiences with our readers.

Lessons I learned by selling digital downloads

Why Sell Digital Downloads for Passive Income?

While there are several different ways to make a passive income online, creating and selling digital downloads is possibly the best way to make a decent income with minimal effort.

You Don’t Need a Lot of Traffic to Succeed

You could make money by displaying advertising, but there are compromises. With ads, you’ll need a lot of traffic to make a decent income. Driving a lot of traffic can be time-consuming and tedious. With affiliate marketing, on the other hand, you don’t have control over the product’s quality.

By selling digital products, you get full control over what you sell. To succeed, you don’t necessarily need a lot of traffic. You just need to attract the right audience who is interested in your offering.

For instance, one of our customers, Sam Parrett from SetSailStudios.com, monetizes his website by creating and selling niche-specific products — downloadable fonts, which perfectly aligns with his passion as a graphic designer.

Unlike people who monetize their websites with ads, he doesn’t have to worry about choosing a broader niche that he’s not familiar with and publishing content in that niche to attract a higher traffic volume.

In his case, it’s easier for him to produce and sell digital downloads in a niche he’s familiar with than monetizing his site with ads in a broader niche.

Create Once and Sell Forever

Selling digital products also has an advantage over physical products.

You will never run out of stock because you can repeatedly sell a digital product forever. That means you don’t need to worry about keeping inventory and ordering or creating more stock.

You also won’t need to pay for storage or spend time packing and shipping products to customers. Anyone from around the world can easily purchase and download a digital product. That means you can sell from the comfort of your home and with little to no investment.

1. Choose a Digital Product Based on Your Expertise

Selling digital downloads is all about the product, and your first job is to decide on which products you will sell. There are plenty of popular digital products to choose from.

eBooks are the most popular digital product people choose to monetize. However, you could choose to sell music, videos, eBooks, or audiobooks based on your expertise.

If you need inspiration, here are examples from our customers who sell different types of digital products:

EscapeRoomGeeks.com: They create and sell printable Escape Room Kits for various age groups. Customers purchase a kit (or bundle of kits), download the printable assets, assemble the challenges and then a group of kids can try and solve them.
BrushGalaxy.com: Brush Galaxy is a marketplace where you can buy and sell custom brushes for Procreate (the leading digital illustration app for iPads)
MrsMactivity.co.uk: They sell membership access to thousands of creative, curriculum-aligned primary education resources.

When deciding on a product, make sure to choose the one based on your expertise and the product format you’re comfortable with.

2. Make Sure Your Product Solves a Problem

You’ll need to create a product that solves a real problem. At the end of the day, potential customers will only visit your website if it solves their problem.

Ask yourself the following questions: Why would someone buy your product? What problem are you looking to solve?

I’ve found that to answer these questions, it helps to write out a mission statement.

The statement should describe the specific problem (or problems) you are trying to solve.

You can write these as benefits on your website.

This will give you a built-in customer base and make sure you meet your customer’s expectations during the post-purchase process.

3. Understand Who Your Customers Are

The next question to answer is, ‘Who are you selling to?’ I recommend spending some time thinking clearly about this and writing actual answers down on paper.

You should create a detailed description of your typical customer. Have a clear picture of what they look like in your mind.

Thinking about this customer at each stage will help you stay on track. Do this when considering new features, writing your website copy, and fixing bugs.

Here’s an example from one of our customers, Mrs Mactivity Resources, where they make money from selling online resources for Early Years educators. The ‘who’ is stated clearly on the website so that teachers can easily see whether the resources will meet their needs.

Clearly Identify Who Your Product Is For

4. Choose the Right Platform to Sell

There are plenty of platforms where you can easily sell digital products.

You can either sell the products on a third-party marketplace or create your own online store. Switching to a different platform in the future can be hectic, so perform due diligence before picking a platform.

Sell on a Third-Party Marketplace

Third-party marketplaces do make sign-up easy and have a low initial cost. However, you’ll end up paying high transaction fees of up to 30% for every product you sell.

You also don’t own your own data; you just rent it. Your product listings, customer information, and purchase data are all stored on someone else’s server. Migrating to a different platform later can be extremely difficult, if not impossible.

You Could Create Your Own Online Store

Your other option is to create your own digital download store using WordPress, the most popular platform for building websites and online stores.

With a digital eCommerce platform like Easy Digital Downloads, you will pay absolutely nothing for transaction fees, monthly fees, or listing fees.

Besides that, you will own your own data. The license keys are all in your WordPress database. The purchase data and customer information are in your database. So, if you want to shift to a new website, then you can just migrate your own data over.

Here’s how you can create your own digital downloads store step-by-step.

5. Choose an Optimal Price to Maximize Your Revenue

When it comes to pricing your products, there are three helpful principles to keep in mind.

Make It Easier for Your Customer to Make a Decision

The first key to your product offering is making it easy for the customer to make a decision. This comes in handy, especially if you’re selling a lot of products. In that case, it can become difficult for the potential customer to understand which product they need to solve their problem.

A lot of our client’s stores solve this with bundling. They group some products together that are similar or help achieve a specific goal. This means customers don’t need to pick and choose which product they want. Instead, they just pay one flat fee and get all of them.

Bundles are probably the easiest way to reduce choice paralysis. They also help you create a good pricing page because you can just list your bundles instead of having to cover all of your individual products.

They can also help reduce your refund rates. Without a bundle, a customer might choose Product A when they really need Product B. This usually results in a request for a refund. With a bundle, they get both solutions and can choose the one that works for them.

Don’t Race to the Bottom With Pricing

Racing to the bottom on price can hurt your growth.

You may have a competitor who sells thousands of PDF documents and printables for $1.25. You might be tempted to see that as the price point you should be at.

Unfortunately, such a strategy will undercut your growth, too.

In fact, businesses often cover all their costs in their pricing, including the costs for web hosting, a domain name, a software license, an email marketing service, and more.

But it’s also important to know that there are other additional costs, also known as soft costs, for running a business, such as customer support. If you are not charging enough for your product, then the first customer support ticket may eat up any profits you made on the initial purchase.

So you need to pay attention to your soft costs and understand that those are profit eaters. Make sure you build these into your pricing.

Experiment With Pricing

It’s OK to experiment with pricing. You can try raising or lowering prices a little bit to find the point where you are optimizing conversions.

If your product is solving a problem, then conversions won’t be hard to come by. But you need to find the price point where you are actually profitable, and experimenting may help.

That’s it!

I hope these practical tips can help you get a head start in selling digital downloads. You may also want to see guides on how to sell videos online or the best WordPress plugins to grow business websites.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 5 Lessons I Learned by Selling Digital Downloads for 10+ Years first appeared on WPBeginner.

June 8, 2023

How to Add Free Trial Subscriptions in WordPress (4 Methods)

Do you want to add free trial subscriptions in WordPress?

Subscriptions are a great way to get consistent, recurring revenue for your business. However, it can be difficult to convince people to sign up for long-term subscriptions.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to get more signups by adding free trial subscriptions to your WordPress website.

Why Add Free Trial Subscriptions in WordPress?

By adding subscriptions to your website, you’ll have a more consistent cash flow, fewer payment errors, and fewer payment delays. However, customers often want to try before they buy, especially if you’re selling longer-term or more expensive subscriptions.

With that being said, it’s a good idea to offer free trials for all your subscriptions. For example, you might give customers a free month’s trial of your subscription box service or create a free one-week pass for your online yoga classes.

If customers enjoy the free trial, then they might pay for a premium subscription. Even if shoppers don’t sign up straight away, you can still use their contact information to do lead generation. For example, you might send them exclusive coupon codes or target them with web push notifications.

With that being said, let’s see how you can add free trial subscriptions in WordPress. Simply use the quick link below to jump straight to the method you want to use.

Method 1: Easy Digital Downloads (Free Trial For Software and Digital Products)
Method 2. MemberPress (Free Trial For Memberships or Courses)
Method 3. WooCommerce Subscriptions (Free Trial For Physical Products)
Method 4. WP Simple Pay (Free Trial For Custom Services)

Method 1: Easy Digital Downloads (Free Trial For Software and Digital Products)

Do you want to offer a free trial subscription for digital products? Maybe you’re planning to sell subscriptions for online courses, a stock photography website, a digital music store, or something else.

The easiest way to offer free trial subscriptions for digital products is by using Easy Digital Downloads. This plugin lets you easily sell ebooks, PDF files, audio files, videos, and any other type of digital product.

Even better, if you’re a SiteGround customer then the Easy Digital Downloads plugin comes pre-installed, so you can start selling subscriptions and digital products straight away.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to create a free trial for an all-access pass. This pass will look just like any other digital product on your online store.

An example of an all access pass created using Easy Digital Downloads

After signing up for the free trial, customers will be able to view, access, and download different products on your online store.

Customers can simply click on a link inside their account, to see all the products that are included in their free pass.

An example of an unlimited pass created using Easy Digital Downloads

To stop customers from abusing their trial, you can set daily download limits, limit the free pass to specific product categories, and more.

With all that in mind, we’ll be using three extensions to create a user-friendly ‘all access’ free trial. You’ll need to buy the Extended or higher license for Easy Digital Downloads in order to download these three extensions.

For step-by-step instructions on how to set up Easy Digital Downloads, please see our guide on how to sell digital downloads on WordPress.

Install Easy Digital Downloads Extensions

After setting up Easy Digital Downloads, it’s time to install the extensions by going to Downloads » Extensions.

Installing Easy Digital Downloads extensions

On this screen, find the All Access, Free Downloads, and Recurring Payments extensions.

For each extension, click on the ‘Install’ button.

Installing Easy Digital Downloads addons

Create a Free Trial Subscription in WordPress

With that done, you’re ready to create a free all access trial. To get started, head over to Downloads » Downloads in the WordPress dashboard.

On this screen, click ‘Add New.’

Adding a new digital download using WordPress

You can now type in a name for the subscription.

This will be visible to customers, so it’s a good idea to use something descriptive.

After that, scroll to the ‘Download Options’ section. Under ‘Pricing Options,’ type in 0.

Next, check the box next to the following option: ‘Enable free trial for subscriptions.’

Enabling a free trial in Easy Digital Downloads

Now, it’s time to turn this subscription into a free all-access pass that customers can use across your entire online store.

To do this, simply scroll to the ‘All Access’ section and check the following option: Convert this product into an “All Access” pass.

Creating an all access pass for an online store

Limit the Trial to Specific Product Categories (Optional)

By default, the free trial gives customers access to all your products. However, you can restrict the free trial to specific product categories. For example, if you create and sell ebooks then you might include some books in the free trial, and keep others for paid subscribers.

To restrict the free trial to specific categories, simply click on the ‘x’ next to ‘All Products.’

Limiting a free trial to specific product categories

After that, you can click on the ‘Type to search categories’ dropdown and start typing in the category you want to include in the free trial.

When the right category appears, click to select it.

Creating a free trial subscription for specific product categories

Set a Time Limit

With that done, you can choose whether to make the free trial permanent or to set a time limit.

If you’ve restricted the free trial to specific product categories, then it may make sense to choose ‘Never Expires.’ For example, if you sell digital art and graphics then you might allow customers to download as many watermarked images as they want, forever. However, they’ll need to buy a subscription in order to remove the watermark.

Just be aware that Easy Digital Downloads also allows you to set a download limit. This means you can use ‘Never Expires’ while also limiting how many items the customer can download.

To create a never-ending free trial, open the ‘All Access Duration’ dropdown menu and choose ‘Never Expires.’

Another option is to set a time limit. This works particularly well for digital products that take a while to get through or for products the customer will want to access over and over again.

For example, if you create and sell online courses then you could offer a two-day free trial, so customers will need to buy a subscription to finish their training.

To set a time limit, open the ‘All Access Duration’ dropdown and choose from years, months, weeks, or days. You can then type a number into the field that appears.

Changing the duration of an all access pass in WordPress

Add a Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly Download Limit

You can also type in a Download Limit. This can protect your site from customers who might try to abuse the free trial. For example, if you sell Excel or Google Spreadsheets in WordPress, then you might set a download limit so customers can’t download your entire product catalog while on a free trial.

By default, Easy Digital Downloads has a download limit of 0, which means the customer can download as many products as they want. To change this, type a number into the ‘Download Limit’ field.

You can then make this limit per day, week, month, or per year using the dropdown that appears.

Adding a download limit for your free trial

Adding Variable Pricing to Your Free Trial (Optional)

Are you using variable pricing on your online marketplace? Then you may want to include specific price variations in the free trial.

For example, if you’ve created Standard and Deluxe price variations, then you may want to include Standard in the free trial, while keeping the Deluxe version for paying users only.

Creating variable pricing using Easy Digital Downloads

If you’ve enabled variable pricing, then Easy Digital Downloads includes all variations in its free trial by default.

To change this, find ‘Total Price Variations’ and type in how many variations you want to include in the free trial. Depending on the number you use, you’ll see a list of the different variations on your online store.

Simply check the box next to each variation you want to include in the free trial.

Customizing the Purchase Confirmation Page and Email

When a customer downloads a product using their free trial pass, Easy Digital Downloads will show them a Purchase Confirmation page.

An example of a purchase confirmation screen on an online store

It will also send a confirmation message to their email address.

By default, both the Purchase Confirmation page and email contain the following link: Click here to use your All Access Pass. This takes the customer to a page where they can download their free products.

To change the link text, type into the ‘Receipts: All Access Link Message’ box.

How to customize a purchase receipt using Easy Digital Downloads

You can also change the page where Easy Digital Downloads will send customers when they want to download their free products.

To do this, simply create a new page in WordPress and then add the following shortcode:

[downloads all_access_customer_downloads_only="yes"]

This will show all the products the customer can download while on a free trial. You can then add other content, such as text, images, a contact form, or anything else you want to include.

How to offer a free trial subscription using WordPress

For more information on how to place the shortcode, please see our guide on how to add a shortcode in WordPress.

After publishing the page, simply add its URL to the ‘Receipts: Link URL’ field.

Customizing the purchase receipts link for a digital download

When you’re happy with how the free trial is set up, click on the ‘Publish’ button.

Create a Premium Subscription

With that done, you may want to create a premium ‘all access’ subscription. When their free trial expires, customers can upgrade to this subscription and continue enjoying your content.

To create a premium subscription go to Downloads » Add New.

You can then type in a name for the subscription and set the price, by typing into the ‘Pricing Options’ field.

Adding pricing options to a digital product in WordPress

You can also make this a recurring subscription, add an optional sign-up fee, and more using the settings under ‘Download Prices.’

With that done, scroll to the ‘All Access’ section. At this point, you can turn the subscription into an all-access pass, add a download limit, and more by following the same process described above.

When you’re happy with how the premium all-access subscription is set up, don’t forget to click on ‘Publish’ to make it live.

Remove the Checkout for Free Trial Users

After creating the free trial subscription, you’ll want to get as many signups as possible. With that being said, it’s a good idea to allow customers to start the free trial without going through the checkout screen.

Easy Digital Downloads can hide the checkout screen when a customer is claiming a free product, including your free trial subscription.

To do this, simply go to Downloads » Settings, and then select the ‘Marketing’ tab. Next, click on ‘Free Downloads’ to hide the checkout.

After that, you can use ‘Button Label’ to specify the text you’ll show when products are available for free download.

By default, this is ‘Download Now.’

How to customize the all access download pass

You can replace this with your own custom messaging.

Simply go ahead and type into the ‘Button Label’ field.

Customizing the free download and free trial subscription CTA

There are more settings that can help you do lead generation like a pro. For example, you can collect the person’s name and email address, even when they’re signing up for a free trial or downloading a free product. However, we recommend keeping things simple, as this will often get you the most signups.

When you’re happy with the changes you’ve made, click on ‘Save Changes.’ Now, if you visit the free trial product page, you’ll see the new button text in action.

How to add a free trial subscription to a website

Create Expiration Reminder Emails

Free trials can generate leads, but the goal is to convert those people into paying customers.

With that in mind, you may want to email people when their free trial is about to expire. This will encourage them to buy a premium subscription, so they can continue accessing your digital content.

Easy Digital Downloads integrates with all the best email marketing services. However, you can also create reminder emails using the Recurring Payments extension you installed earlier.

To use this extension, go to Download » Settings. Then, select the ‘Emails’ tab followed by the ‘Recurring Payments’ link.

How to set up recurring payments for online subscriptions

On this screen, check the box next to ‘Send Expiration Reminders.’

After that, select ‘Add Expiration Reminder.’

How to create an expiration reminder for an online subscription

This takes you to a screen where you can type in an email subject and a message.

To make the email more personal, it’s a good idea to use template tags. Easy Digital Downloads will replace these tags with real values such as the customer’s name, the expiration date, and the name of their subscription.

You can see all the available template tags underneath the small text editor.

Create personalized emails using template tags

Just be aware that Easy Digital Downloads will send the message to all customers, and not just the people on your free trial.

When you’re happy with the information you’ve typed in, click on Add Reminder Notice.

How to add a reminder notice using Easy Digital Downloads

Now, Easy Digital Downloads should notify customers when their subscription is about to expire. However, sometimes your WordPress hosting server may not be properly configured or email providers such as Gmail might use filters that wrongly flag your emails as spam.

To get more conversions, your emails need to arrive in the customer’s inbox and not in the spam folder. For that reason, we recommend using a WordPress SMTP plugin and provider to improve your email deliverability

WP Mail SMTP is the best WordPress SMTP plugin on the market. It allows you to connect your WordPress site with a mailer service. This means your expiration reminder and other messages will always arrive safely in the customer’s inbox.

Method 2. MemberPress (Free Trial For Memberships or Courses)

A membership website allows users to pay for premium content, online courses, features, and access to a community. However, these members-only features are usually hidden behind a paywall in WordPress, so visitors can’t see what the membership includes.

With that in mind, you may want to offer visitors a free trial so they can try before they buy. The easiest way to do this is by using MemberPress.

MemberPress is an all-in-one membership plugin that allows you to accept payments, add unlimited membership levels, create gated content, restrict access based on different membership levels, and much more. It also lets you create as many free trials as you want, including different trials for different membership levels.

First, you’ll need to install and activate the plugin. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

You can now add payment methods, create members-only content, design a pricing page, and more. For step-by-step instructions, please see our ultimate guide to creating a WordPress membership site.

Once your site is set up, you’re ready to create a membership plan with a free trial.

Create a New Membership Level

To get started, head over to MemberPress » Memberships in the WordPress dashboard. Here, click on the ‘Add New’ button.

Adding a new membership subscription to WordPress

You can now type in a title for the membership plan, add an optional description, upload a featured image, and more.

For more information, please see our ultimate guide to creating a WordPress membership site.

Adding a membership level to a website using MemberPress

With that done, you can set the price by typing into the ‘Price’ box.

This is how much members will pay once the free trial expires.

Creating a paid membership subscription using MemberPress

You can only create a free trial for recurring memberships. However, if you want to charge members a one-time fee then there’s a workaround, which we’ll be covering shortly.

With that being said, open the ‘Billing Type’ dropdown and choose ‘Recurring.’

How to create a recurring membership using WordPress

Next, you need to set the billing interval for the recurring payment. This is how often your members will be charged once the free trial expires.

Simply open the ‘Interval’ dropdown and choose an option from the list, such as monthly or yearly billing.

How to set a billing interval for a membership subscription

Want to use a different interval? Then select ‘Custom’ instead.

You’ll now see some new controls where you can set a custom interval.

Setting a custom billing interval for your membership site

Create a Free Trial Membership Subscription

With that done, check the box next to ‘Free Trial.’

You can now specify how many days the free trial will last, by typing into the ‘Trial Duration’ field. For example, if you want to offer a one-month trial then you would type in ‘30.’

Changing the duration of a free membership trial

After that, you’ll need to type in the ‘Trial Amount,’ which is the total cost of the subscription trial period before tax. You’ll typically want to type ‘0’ into this box.

Finally, you can choose whether to limit customers to one free trial by checking or unchecking the ‘Allow Only One Free Trial’ box. If you check this box, then customers who cancel their subscription and then re-subscribe won’t get another free trial.

You’ll typically want to leave the box checked, so customers can’t abuse the free trial. However, if you only offer a very short trial then you may want to allow customers to have multiple free trials.

Choose whether to allow multiple free trials per member

Just be aware that coupons will override this setting, so it’s still possible to offer multiple free trials to the same customer.

Create a Lifetime Membership (Optional)

As already mentioned, you can only offer a free trial for recurring memberships. However, it is possible to create a trial for lifetime memberships, by changing a few MemberPress settings.

To do this, check the ‘Limit Payment Cycles’ box and set the ‘Max # of Payments’ to 1.

Limiting the payment cycles using MemberPress

After that, open the ‘Access After Last Cycle’ dropdown and select ‘Lifetime Access.’

Now, once the trial expires customers will need to pay a one-time fee for lifetime membership.

Publish the Free Trial Membership Subscription

With that done, you can make any other changes to the membership level.

When you’re happy with how the membership is set up, it’s time to make it live by clicking on the ‘Publish’ button.

Publishing a membership level with a free trial

To see how the membership looks to potential customers, go to MemberPress » Memberships. On this screen, you’ll see the membership level you just created.

Here, just hover your mouse over the membership level and click on the ‘View’ link.

Previewing a membership level in WordPress

WordPress will now show the membership signup form in a new tab.

Do you want to add a free trial to more membership levels? Then simply follow the same process described above.

Once you’ve added a free trial to your membership site, you’ll want to encourage visitors to sign up for the free trial. This might mean mentioning the free trial in your email newsletter, creating popups using a WordPress popup plugin, promoting it on social media, and more.

Method 3. WooCommerce Subscriptions (Free Trial For Physical Products)

If you want to sell digital products online, then we recommend using Easy Digital Downloads. However, if you want to sell physical products, then WooCommerce is the world’s most popular eCommerce platform.

By default, WooCommerce doesn’t allow you to offer free trial subscriptions. However, it’s easy to add this missing feature using WooCommerce Subscriptions.

This plugin adds a new ‘simple subscription’ product type to your WooCommerce store. You can add this product type to any existing item, or create new subscription products. For example, you might let shoppers try a product before they buy it, or maybe you will send them a sample subscription box from your online boutique shop.

When a customer visits a subscription product, they’ll see a ‘Sign up now’ button instead of the standard ‘Add to cart’ call to action button.

The WooCommerce checkout page will also show some information about the subscription.

This includes the length of your free trial.

An example of a free trial subscription on a WooCommerce store

Customers can manage all their subscriptions by logging into their WooCommerce account, and then visiting the new ‘My Subscriptions’ section.

Here, they can see when the subscription started, how much it costs, the subscription status, and more. The customer can also cancel, reactivate, and renew their subscriptions directly from this page, without having to contact you directly.

In this way, a customer who is enjoying a free trial can quickly and easily upgrade to a premium subscription.

In this guide, we’re going to assume you’ve already set up a WooCommerce store. If you haven’t, then you may want to check out our complete guide to WooCommerce made simple.

After that, you’ll need to install and activate the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

As soon as the plugin is active, you’re ready to add free trial subscriptions to WooCommerce. Simply go to Products » Add New.

You can now create this product in exactly the same way you create any WooCommerce product. For example, you can type in the product’s title, add a description, or create a WooCommerce product gallery.

After entering all this information, scroll to the ‘Product Data’ box.

Here, open the dropdown menu and choose ‘Simple subscription.’

This adds some new settings that you can use to create a subscription and add a free trial.

To start, type in the ‘Subscription price.’

Then, use the dropdown menus to choose how long the subscription will last. In the following image, the subscription will cost $20 per month once the free trial expires.

You can now choose whether the subscription will last forever, or expire after a set amount of time. Just be aware that the expiration length doesn’t include the free trial. This means that if the subscription expires in 1 month and you offer a one-month free trial, then the subscription will last for 2 months.

Another option is to give the customer lifetime access. To do this, open the ‘Expire After’ dropdown and choose ‘Never expire.’

Setting an expiration date for a WooCommerce subscription

Next, you may want to add a sign-up fee.

Just be aware that WooCommerce will charge this fee no matter whether the customer is buying a subscription or signing up for a free trial. With that in mind, we don’t recommend adding a sign-up fee to products that have a free trial subscription.

With that done, you can specify how long the free trial will last by opening the dropdown that shows ‘days’ by default, and then choosing an option from the list.

After that, just type in how many days, weeks, months, or years the free trial should last. Note that the free trial can’t last longer than 90 days, 52 weeks, 24 months, or 5 years.

You can now make any other changes to the product. When you’re happy with how the product and subscription are set up, either click on ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ to make the trial live.

You can now create free trial subscriptions for other products, by following the same process described above.

Once you’ve added one or more subscriptions to your WooCommerce website, you’ll want to get as many signups as possible. With that in mind, you should allow visitors to use their preferred payment method.

By adding the free Stripe Payment Gateway for WooCommerce plugin to your website, you can collect payments through Visa, MasterCard, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and more.

Simply install the plugin and the onboarding wizard will guide you through the process of adding more payment methods and enabling express checkout.

The Stripe Payment Gateway for WooCommerce plugin

Method 4. WP Simple Pay (Free Trial For Custom Services)

Many freelancers, consultants, trainers, and other business owners sell their services as a subscription. For example, if you run a yoga studio then you might offer a one month free trial of your personalized training program.

The best way to offer a free trial for custom services is by using WP Simple Pay. It’s the best Stripe payment plugin for WordPress and lets you accept payments, manage invoices, and offer free trials without having to set up a shopping cart, or add products to an online store.

Note: There is a free version of WP Simple Pay that allows you to accept credit cards, Apple Pay, iDEAL, and other payment methods. However, in this guide we’ll be using the premium plugin as it allows you to offer free trials.

Set Up the WP Simple Pay Plugin

First, you’ll need to install and activate the WP Simple Pay plugin. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, the plugin will automatically launch the setup wizard. Go ahead and click the ‘Let’s Get Started’ button.

After that, you’ll need to enter the license key. You can find this information under your account on the WP Simple Pay website.

With that done, click the ‘Activate and Continue’ button.

Connect WordPress to Your Stripe Account

In the next step, you’ll need to connect your Stripe account to WP Simple Pay. Stripe is a popular payment gateway, and it’s the easiest way to accept credit card payments in WordPress, so it’s a great way to sell custom services online.

To get started, simply click the ‘Connect with Stripe’ button. You can then either log into your Stripe account, or create a new account if you haven’t already registered with Stripe.

Connecting your WordPress website to Stripe

After connecting WP Simple Pay with Stripe, the setup wizard will ask you to configure its emails. You can choose whether to receive emails for payment receipts, upcoming invoices, and payment notifications.

You’ll also need to enter the email address where WP Simple Pay will send the messages.

Simply click the ‘Save and Continue’ button when you’re done.

Create a Subscription Form With a Free Trial

Now, you’re ready to create a subscription form that offers a free trial. Go ahead and click on the ‘Create a Payment Form’ button.

WP Simple Pay comes with a ton of ready-made templates that you can use to create ‘buy now pay later’ payment plans, get donations, accept Google Pay in WordPress, and more.

To offer a free trial, hover over the ‘Recurring Services with Trial Period Form’ template. When it appears, click on the ‘Use Template’ button.

The WP Simple Pay's subscription and free trial template

This will take you to the payment form editor.

To start, you can rename the form and type in an optional description. By default, the description is ‘Try our service free for 30 days,’ but you can change this to anything you want.

Adding a title and description to a subscription form

By default, WP Simple Pay will create an on-site payment form. However, you may want to show a payment button instead. When the visitor clicks the button, they’ll see the payment form in a popup.

To create a popup, check the box next to ‘Open in an overlay modal’ box.

Another option is to host the payment form on Stripe’s site, by opening the ‘Type’ dropdown.

Here, select ‘Off-site Stripe Checkout form.’

Hosting a subscription and payment form on the Stripe website

When a customer buys a subscription, WP Simple Pay will redirect them to its built-in Payment Success Page. If you want to send visitors to a different page, then select either ‘Specific Page’ or ‘Redirect URL.’

You can then either type in the URL or select the page you want to use instead. For example, you might send subscribers to a custom thank you page, or a page where they can manage their free trial.

Changing the payment success page in WordPress

Add a Price to Your Subscription Form

When you’re ready, select the Payment tab.

Here you can set the payment mode to either live or testing. Testing mode allows you to complete the purchasing process without getting charged, so it’s perfect for testing new subscriptions on your website.

Creating a subscription form in testing mode

If you do select ‘Test Mode,’ then remember to come back to this page and change the mode to ‘Live’ when you’re finished testing.

Next, you can set the price of your subscription and the currency using the ‘Amount’ settings.

Adding a price to a subscription form with a free trial

With that done, you can choose how often WP Simple Pay should charge subscribers.

Simply open the ‘Billing Period’ dropdown and choose day, week, month, or year. Then, type a number into the field next to the dropdown menu.

By default, WP Simple Pay offers customers a 30 day free trial.

If you want to make the free trial longer or shorter, then simply type a number into the ‘Free Trial’ field.

Sometimes, you may want to charge subscribers a set up fee. For example, if you’re a life coach then this extra fee may cover the time and effort required to add new clients to your admin system.

To charge an additional fee, simply type an amount into the ‘Setup Fee’ field.

With that done, scroll to the ‘Payment Methods’ section.

Here, you can check the box next to any additional payment methods you want to offer, such as Klarna payments or ACH payments.

By offering visitors a choice of payment methods, you may be able to get more subscribers. However, try not to offer too many options, as this can become confusing.

Depending on the payment methods you select, you may see a ‘Configure’ link. In this case, click on ‘Configure’ and then follow the onscreen instructions to set up the payment gateway or method.

Adding more payment methods to WP Simple Pay

Customize the WP Simple Pay Subscription Form

With that done, you’re ready to build the subscription form.

Simply click on ‘Form Fields’ to open WP Simple Pay’s form builder.

Customizing the WP Simple Pay subscription template

The template already collects some basic information about the customer, such as their email address and credit card information.

The following image shows how the default form will look on WordPress.

An example of a subscription form, created using WP Simple Pay

To customize any of the default fields, simply click select it.

The section will expand to show all the settings you can customize, such as changing the field’s label or adding some placeholder text.

You can also remove fields from the subscription form.

Simply click to expand the field, and then select ‘Remove.’

Deleting fields from a subscription form

Do you need to collect more information from your new subscribers? For example, you might need their tax ID or phone number.

Just click on the ‘Form Fields’ dropdown and then choose a field from the list. After that, click on ‘Add Field.’

Adding WP Simple Pay fields to a subscription form

Finally, you can change the order the fields appear in your form using drag and drop.

As you’re customizing the form, you can click on ‘Preview’ to see how it will look on your blog or website.

When you’re happy with the form, click ‘Publish’ to store your settings.

Add the Subscription Form to Your WordPress Website

Now, you’re ready to add the form to your WordPress blog using either a block or shortcode.

The easiest method is to use a block, so open the page or post where you want to show the subscription form.

Then, click on the plus (+) sign and type in ‘WP Simple Pay.’

Adding a block using the page or post editor

When the right block appears, click to add it to the page or post.

With that done, open the dropdown menu in the WP Simple Pay block, and choose the form you want to display.

Adding a WP Simple Pay form to your website using blocks

When you’re finished, click on either ‘Update’ or ‘Publish.’

Now, if you visit your website you’ll see the subscription form live.

Another option is to add the subscription form using shortcode. To get the shortcode, head over to WP Simple Pay » Payment Forms in the WordPress dashboard.

Here, just find the subscription form and click on its ‘Copy Shortcode’ button.

Adding a subscription form to your website using shortcode

Now you just need to paste the shortcode into any page, post, or widget-ready area. For step-by-step instructions on how to place the shortcode, please see our guide on how to add a shortcode in WordPress.

We hope this article helped you learn how to add free trial subscriptions in WordPress. You may also want to check out our guide on how to run a giveaway / contest in WordPress, and the best live chat software for small businesses.

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The post How to Add Free Trial Subscriptions in WordPress (4 Methods) first appeared on WPBeginner.

May 15, 2023

How to Create a Digital Product Marketplace in WordPress

Do you want to create a digital product marketplace in WordPress?

A digital marketplace is a website where other people can sell their photos, artwork, music, ebooks, spreadsheets, online courses, or other digital downloads. Luckily, WordPress makes it easy to create a secure online marketplace for multiple vendors.

In this article, we will show you how to easily create a digital product marketplace using WordPress without hiring a developer.

How to Create a Digital Product Marketplace in WordPress

What Platform Should You Use for Your Digital Product Marketplace?

A digital product marketplace is a website where users can sign up to sell ebooks, images, videos, and other downloadable content.

If you want to create a digital marketplace, you will first need to choose your eCommerce platform. Some platforms are better suited for selling physical goods than digital ones.

Plus, some don’t have the features you need for a multi-vendor marketplace. Moving to a different platform in the future can be hard and time-consuming.

That means you want to be sure you are choosing a solution with features that protect your digital downloads, including proper licensing and subscriptions.

We recommend using WordPress + Easy Digital Downloads.

WordPress is the best website builder on the market, used by over 43% of all websites on the internet.

Now, it’s important to know that there are two types of WordPress software, and you don’t want to choose the wrong one.

First, there is WordPress.com, which is a blog hosting platform. Then, there is WordPress.org, which is also known as self-hosted WordPress. For a detailed comparison, you can see our guide on the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

You need to use the self-hosted WordPress.org platform because it gives you full control over your website. It provides complete freedom to sell any type of digital product by using a plugin like Easy Digital Downloads.

Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is the best WordPress eCommerce plugin for selling digital products, and it has all the features you need to set up a multi-vendor marketplace.

In fact, we use this plugin ourselves to sell many of our premium WordPress plugins, which are downloadable files restricted to members only. Easy Digital Downloads also comes with license keys built-in.

If you just want an online store where you can sell digital products yourself, then please see our guide on how to sell digital downloads on WordPress.

However, in this article, we will show you how to set up a multi-vendor marketplace where other people can sell digital goods on your WordPress website.

That being said, let’s look at how to easily set up your WordPress digital marketplace site with Easy Digital Downloads.

Step 1: Setting Up Your WordPress Website

To start selling digital downloads with WordPress, you will need a domain name, web hosting, and an SSL certificate.

A domain name is your website’s address on the internet. This is what visitors will type into their browsers to reach your website, such as ‘wpbeginner.com’.
Web hosting is a service that will store your website files and digital downloads. To help you out, we have hand-picked some of the best WordPress hosting that you can buy.
An SSL certificate is needed to create a secure connection between your website and users so that you can accept online payments.

One of our top recommended hosting providers, SiteGround, offers managed WordPress hosting for Easy Digital Downloads. It comes with a free SSL certificate, EDD preinstalled, and optimization features. Plus, you get a huge 73% off!

Basically, you can create and run your website for less than $5 per month.

→ Click here to Claim this Exclusive SiteGround offer ←

Let’s walk through how to purchase your domain, web hosting, and SSL certificate.

Go ahead and open the SiteGround website in a new tab so that you can follow along. The first thing you need to do is click on the ‘Get Plan’ button.

After that, SiteGround will ask you to enter a domain name for your website. If you don’t already have a name in mind, then you can see our guide on how to choose the best domain name.

Lastly, you will need to add your account information.

You will also be able to purchase some optional extras. You can always add these at a later date if you need them. If you are unsure, then we recommend skipping this step.

After entering your payment details, SiteGround will send you an email with instructions on how to log in to your hosting account. This is a web hosting control panel where you can manage your new website.

Simply log in to your SiteGround account, and you will see that SiteGround has already installed WordPress for you. It has also preinstalled Easy Digital Downloads.

You can then click on the ‘WordPress Admin’ button. This will take you to your WordPress site’s dashboard.

If, for some reason, you don’t want to use SiteGround, then you can also install WordPress on other hosting companies like Bluehost, Hostinger, and WP Engine by following a similar process.

Step 2: Creating an Online Store With Easy Digital Downloads

By default, WordPress doesn’t include eCommerce functionality out of the box, so you will need a plugin to sell digital downloads.

Plugins for WordPress sites are like apps for your phone. They add all kinds of different features and functionality to your website.

We will be using the Easy Digital Downloads plugin to add the multi-vendor eCommerce features we need.

If you claimed our SiteGround EDD Hosting deal in the previous step, then Easy Digital Downloads is already installed on your website. You can move on to the ‘Entering Your Business and Location Information’ section below.

But if you are using another hosting provider, then you first need to install and activate the Easy Digital Downloads plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Note: Although you can use the free Easy Digital Downloads plugin for selling digital products online, you will also need a Professional Pass or higher to turn your website into a digital product marketplace. Later in this tutorial, we will show you how to set this up.

Entering Your Business and Location Information

Upon activation, you need to visit the Downloads » Settings page in your WordPress admin area. This will start the Easy Digital Downloads setup wizard.

On the setup wizard’s first page, you will be asked to enter your business name and location.

You might wonder why your location is needed if you are not selling physical products. This is because when a customer makes a purchase, Easy Digital Downloads will use the country and state information to auto-fill some fields.

Also, your location may be used to calculate sales tax.

To add your location, open the ‘Business Country’ dropdown menu. You can now choose the country where your business is based.

Easy Digital Downloads Setup Select a Country

Next, find the ‘Business Region’ field. Here you can type the state or province where your store operates from.

Depending on your location, you may also want to customize the currency used on your website. By default, Easy Digital Downloads shows all of your prices in US dollars. It also places the dollar sign before the price, so five dollars is shown as ‘$5.’

To change the default currency settings, scroll down to the Currency section and open the ‘Currency’ dropdown. You can now choose a new currency.

Easy Digital Downloads Setup Select Currency

Just be aware that some payment gateways may not accept every currency. If you are not sure, then it’s a good idea to check the website for your chosen payment gateway. Most payment gateways have a list of the currencies that they support.

Once you are finished, you will need to click on the ‘Save & Continue’ button. This will bring you to the next page, where you can set up your payment methods.

Setting Up Your Payment Methods

If you want to sell digital products, then you will need a way to collect online payments.

Stripe is one of the top payment companies that does not require going through a long process to sign up for a merchant account. They allow anyone with a legitimate business to accept credit card payments online.

To quickly get started with Stripe, simply click on the ‘Connect with Stripe’ button.

Easy Digital Downloads Setup Connect With Stripe

This opens a setup wizard, which will help you connect your website to Stripe.

If you need, you can add more payment gateways later. Just take a look at the options on the Easy Digital Download extensions page, such as PayPal, Braintree, Authorize.net, and more.

When you are done, just click the ‘Save & Continue’ button at the bottom of the screen.

Configuring Your Receipts

Every time someone buys a digital download, Easy Digital Downloads will send them an email.

This email has a link that the customer can use to download the file they just purchased.

The Easy Digital Downloads purchase receipt email

You can configure that email by adding your own text and branding. Strong branding can make your business look more professional and inspire loyalty.

To add a logo to your emails, click on the ‘Attach File’ button and upload or choose an existing image from your WordPress media library.

Easy Digital Downloads Setup Configure Your Receipts

You can also add a ‘From Name.’ This name will be shown in the customer’s inbox. You will want to use something that immediately lets customers know who you are, such as your website’s name.

You will also need to add a ‘From Email.’ This email will act as the ‘from’ and ‘reply-to’ address. Since customers may reply to your messages, you will want to use a professional email address that you check frequently.

Once you are happy with your email branding, you might like to edit the content of the email receipt. Keep in mind that the default message will work well for most marketplaces.

Once you are happy with your changes, make sure to click the ‘Save & Continue’ button.

Selecting Conversion and Optimization Tools

The setup wizard will now offer to install some free tools to help boost conversions and optimize your digital store.

Easy Digital Downloads Setup Conversion and Optimization Tools

These tools include:

Auto Register is an Easy Digital Downloads extension that optimizes the checkout experience by automatically creating user accounts for new customers.
WP Mail SMTP is a plugin that ensures that your emails are delivered reliably to your customers and won’t get lost or end up in the spam folder.
MonsterInsights is the best analytics solution for WordPress that helps you see where your visitors are coming from and what they do on your website.
All in One SEO is the best SEO plugin for WordPress and can help you optimize your site for search engines to get more traffic and sales.

We recommend keeping all of the boxes checked. However, you can uncheck the boxes of any tools you don’t want to install.

You will also find a toggle button where you can help improve Easy Digital Downloads by sharing anonymous usage data with the developers. You can learn more in our guide on giving permission for WordPress plugins to collect data.

Easy Digital Downloads Setup Join the EDD Community

Once you have made your selections, just click the ‘Save & Continue’ button at the bottom of the page.

Adding Your First Product

You are now on the last page of the Easy Digital Downloads setup wizard. Here you can add your first product to your website.

Easy Digital Downloads Setup What Are You Going to Sell?

If you are ready to add a new product now, then you can enter its details into the form and then click the ‘Save & Continue button.

Otherwise, feel free to click the ‘Skip this step’ button to finish the Easy Digital Downloads setup wizard.

Congratulations, you have now completed the initial setup of your online store. The next step will be to turn it into a multi-vendor marketplace.

Step 3: Turning Your Online Store Into a Multi-Vendor Marketplace

Now that you have created an online store using Easy Digital Downloads, you will need to add extra features to turn it into a multi-vendor marketplace.

This includes allowing others to add digital products to your site, plus the ability to split the payments between your store and the vendor. If software will be sold on your site, then you will also need to manage license keys.

Purchasing a Professional Pass

To do all of these things, you will need to purchase a Professional Pass or higher and install the extensions you need. You can buy the pass from the Easy Digital Downloads website.

Once your purchase has been completed, you will be taken to a confirmation page that displays your license key.

You must copy this key so you can paste it into the Easy Digital Downloads plugin on your WordPress website.

Now, simply return to your website and navigate to the Downloads » Settings page in the WordPress admin area.

You must paste the key into the ‘Paste license key’ field. After that, you will need to click the ‘Verify License Key’ button.

On the next page, simply click the ‘Connect and Install Easy Digital Downloads (Pro)’ button to continue.

The plugin’s Pro features will be unlocked, and a’ Success’ message will be displayed.

Once you click the ‘OK’ button, you will be redirected back to the Easy Digital Downloads Settings page.

Now you are ready to configure the Pro extensions to allow multiple vendors to sell digital products on your website.

Configuring the Frontend Submissions Extension

The first Easy Digital Downloads extension you need to install is Frontend Submissions. This will allow multiple vendors to add their digital products to your site. It also lets you approve their products before they become available for sale.

Just navigate to Downloads » Extensions and search for Frontend Submissions.

Once you find it, simply click the ‘Install’ button. Once the extension is installed, it will be automatically activated.

Now you need to navigate back to the Downloads » Settings page and then click on the ‘FES’ tab that has been added. Here, you can configure the Frontend Submissions extension.

The terms’ vendor’ and ‘product’ will work for most digital product marketplaces. However, if you wish to use different terms, then you can type them into the first two fields on this page.

EDD Frontend Submissions Extension Settings

Next, you can scroll down to the Vendor Announcement field. This will be the message your vendors see when they log in to your site and land on the Vendor Dashboard page.

Simply type the message you wish them to see into the text box.

EDD Frontend Submissions Extension Vendor Announcement

Make sure you click the ‘Save Changes’ button at the bottom when you are finished.

Configuring the Commissions Extension

Next, you need to install a second Easy Digital Downloads extension. The Commissions extension will allow you to configure what percentage of each sale goes to the vendor and what percentage goes to your store.

You need to navigate to Downloads » Extensions and install the Commissions extension. Once the extension is installed, it will be automatically activated.

Now, you need to head back to the Downloads » Settings page and click on the Extensions tab. In the ‘Commissions Settings’ section, you will find options for the default percentage your vendors will be paid and more.

The first option is the ‘Default rate’ that your vendors will make from a sale. The default is 60%, but you can change this to any number you like.

The default settings for the other options will work for most digital marketplaces, so you only need to change them if you have a specific need.

Once you have finished setting up the extension, don’t forget to click the ‘Save Changes’ button at the bottom of the screen.

Tip: Make sure to add all the information potential vendors need to know to your website. Don’t forget to include the commission rate the vendors will be earning.

Optional: Configuring the Software Licensing Extension

If you are planning to allow users to sell license keys for software and other digital products in your marketplace, then you will also need the Software Licensing extension.

This can be installed from the Downloads » Extensions page.

Installing the Easy Digital Downloads Software Licensing Extension

You can set up this extension by going to Downloads » Settings » Extensions.

Then, open the the Software Licensing tab.

Configuring the Easy Digital Downloads Software Licensing Extension

The options you choose will depend on the needs of your marketplace and the types of downloads being sold.

You can learn more on the Software Licensing page of the Easy Digital Downloads website.

Step 4: Customizing Your Digital Product Marketplace Emails

Easy Digital Downloads includes default emails for when your users sign up to become a vendor, make a sale, and more.

While the default messages will work well for most marketplaces, you might like to customize them to match your style and branding.

To do this, you will need to navigate to the Download » Settings page and click on the ‘Emails’ tab. You will find links along the top for different types of emails, including emails for ‘Commission Notifications’ and ‘Frontend Submissions’.

When you click on the ‘Frontend Submissions’ link, you will see a list of emails.

These include ‘Vendor Application’, ‘New Product’, ‘Edited Product’, ‘Application Received’, and more.

You can customize each email by clicking on its title.

For example, if you click on ‘Vendor Application’, then you can customize the notification email you will receive whenever someone applies to become a vendor.

Customizing EDD Frontend Submissions Email

If you would rather check for new vendor applications manually, then you can select ‘Disabled’ from the Status dropdown.

Note: By default, all vendor applications are automatically approved, and the Vendor Application email will not be sent. You can change this setting by navigating to Downloads » Settings » FES » Permissions and unchecking the ‘Automatically Approve Vendors?’ box.

Alternatively, you might like the email to tell you more information about the person who is applying to become a vendor. You can do this by editing the ‘Email Body’ field.

To add personal information about the applicant, you must insert markers for their name, email address, site name, and more. Simply click the ‘Insert Marker’ button, and choose the tags from the popup.

Inserting Markers Into an EDD Email Template

Once you have finished customizing the email, don’t forget to click the ‘Save’ button to store your settings.

You can also customize the email your vendors will receive when they have made a sale by clicking on the ‘Commission Notifications’ link at the top of the page.

The email body is blank by default, meaning the vendor will receive the default notification email.

The default commission notification email looks like this.

If you wish to change the wording of the email, then simply type your content into the ‘Email Body’ field.

You can customize the email using the template tags listed at the bottom.

Make sure you click the ‘Save Changes’ button at the bottom of the screen to store any changes you have made.

Step 5: Selecting and Customizing Your WordPress Theme

A WordPress theme controls the appearance of your online marketplace site, including its layout, typography, color, and other design elements.

You might like to use the Vendd theme for your digital goods marketplace because it is designed for digital downloads. This free theme works together with Easy Digital Downloads to give you a lot of options and features for your online marketplace.

If you purchased SiteGround EDD hosting as we recommended earlier, then Vendd was installed and activated automatically when you installed WordPress.

Otherwise, you will need to install and customize the theme yourself. For more information, see our beginner’s guide on how to install a WordPress theme.

However, there are thousands of other WordPress themes available. For example, both the Astra theme and the Coaching Pro theme are fully compatible with EDD.

Another option is to create your own custom theme from scratch.

To create a custom theme, you will need SeedProd.

It is the best website builder plugin in the market and is used by over 1 million websites. You can use SeedProd to create beautiful layouts that are professionally designed and optimized for conversions and sales.

SeedProd also comes with lots of ready-made templates. These include designs that are perfect for promoting your digital downloads.

SeedProd ebook digital marketplace theme

For more details, check out our guide on how to create a custom WordPress theme (no coding needed).

Step 6: Adding the Vendor Dashboard Page to the Navigation Menu

When you installed the Frontend Submissions extension, a new page was created on your website called the Vendor Dashboard. This is an important page that you want vendors and potential vendors to find easily.

When the user has not signed in to your website, this page will display a registration page where they can apply to become a vendor on your website. It will also show a login form where your vendors can sign in.

Once a vendor has signed in, this page will be the dashboard where they can add new products, view their earnings and orders, and more.

You can make sure that the Vendor Dashboard is easy to find by adding the page to your navigation menu.

Head over to Appearance » Menus and make sure the right menu is selected at the top of the screen. After that, you should look for the ‘Vendor Dashboard’ page under Pages.

Adding the Vendor Dashboard to the Navigation Menu

Now all you need to do is click the ‘Add to Menu’ button, and the Vendor Dashboard will be added to the menu. You can drag the menu item up and down to place it where you want in the list.

If you can’t find Appearance » Menus in the admin sidebar, then you are probably using a block theme.

To learn how to add the Vendor Dashboard page to a block theme’s menu, see the ‘Adding Navigation Menus in Full Site Editor’ section of our beginner’s guide on how to add a navigation menu in WordPress.

We hope this tutorial helped you learn how to create a digital product marketplace in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to track website visitors on your WordPress site and our expert picks for the best WordPress popup plugins.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Create a Digital Product Marketplace in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

March 31, 2023

9 Best Front-End Posting Plugins for WordPress (2023)

Do you want to allow users to submit content and upload files on the front end?

Using a front-end posting plugin, you can allow people to upload different types of files without giving them access to the WordPress dashboard. They can submit documents, images, videos, PDFs, guest posts, and more.

In this article, we will show you the best front-end posting plugins for WordPress.

Why Use a Front-End Posting Plugin for WordPress?

By default, WordPress doesn’t allow users to upload or submit content on the front end.

This means if you want to accept guest posts from a user, or want them to upload files on your site, then you would have to give them access to the admin area of your website.

This can be a time-consuming process and a security risk, as unknown users could then view your WordPress dashboard.

That’s where a front-end posting plugin can help. It allows you to collect user-generated content and accept all types of files without editing code or giving anyone access to the admin area.

For example, you can allow guest post submissions, real estate listing submissions, create a multi-vendor marketplace, collect testimonials from users, and more.

That being said, let’s look at the best front-end posting plugins for WordPress.

1. WPForms

The WPForms form builder plugin and signature addon

WPForms is the best WordPress form builder plugin in the market used by over 5 million websites. It offers a drag-and-drop interface that you can use to create any type of form.

They have a post-submission addon that lets you collect user-generated content without creating an account. Your visitors can easily submit content on the front end. Plus, you can accept payments for a post submission, like property listings or business directories.

WPForms also gives you full control over which content to accept, and how you’d like to receive it. For example, you can map certain fields in your form to a new WordPress post such as Post Title, Content, and Featured Image.

You can also create a file upload form to collect user-generated content. It comes with a file upload form field that lets people submit guest posts, upload images, share presentations and documents, and more.

Besides that, WPForms offers other powerful features such as spam protection, conditional logic, form abandonment, online signatures, locking specific forms, tracking user journeys, and more.

WPForms also easily integrates with payment services like PayPal, email marketing tools like Constant Contact, and other third-party tools like Zapier, Google Sheets, and Uncanny Automator.

2. Formidable Forms

The Formidable Forms plugin and Signature addon

Formidable Forms is another powerful form builder plugin for WordPress that you can use to allow front-end posting.

It offers a user-submitted posts and pages feature that allows front-end publishing. Your visitors can create new posts using the plugin, and they don’t require admin access. This way, you can gather community content, guest posts, resources, databases, listings, and other user-generated content.

Formidable Forms also offers a file upload feature that lets users submit different files without the need to log in to the admin area.

When a user submits a file using the form, it is automatically stored in your WordPress media library. From here, you can easily browse, view, and filter different submissions.

With Formidable Forms, you can also create advanced forms, like mortgage calculators, payment forms, quote calculators, surveys, and more. The plugin offers a drag-and-drop form builder, pre-built templates, and powerful integrations.

3. Easy Digital Downloads

The Easy Digital Downloads WordPress plugin

Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is one of the best eCommerce plugins for WordPress. You can use it to sell digital products like ebooks, music, PDFs, spreadsheets, recipes, software, and more.

Easy Digital Downloads offers a frontend submissions extension that lets you create websites that work like Amazon, AirBnB, and eBay.

The EDD extension allows you to create a multi-vendor marketplace where users can register as vendors from the front end, and then they can use your site to upload and sell digital products.

Users can create new products, update existing products, access earning details, communicate with customers, and more from the front end.

Besides that, you can use Easy Digital Downloads to track and record vendor commissions, review new vendor registrations, and get email notifications when a vendor adds a new product.

The best part is that you get a drag-and-drop form builder to create forms for vendor registration, product submission, and vendor profiles.

On top of that, EDD also integrates with payment services like PayPal and Stripe. You can connect the plugin with email marketing tools and other third-party software.

4. MemberPress

MemberPress is the best membership plugin for WordPress that is super easy to use. You can create unlimited premium memberships and restrict access to pages, content, and files for subscribers only.

Using MemberPress, you can create a membership site to get user-generated content. For instance, you can set up members-only associations like Young Entrepreneur Council. This way, premium members submit guest posts for the site itself. In addition, they can get access to forum discussions, share other content, and more.

MemberPress offers a file upload option that you can show in the account area. This way, subscribers can share different content on your membership site.

The plugin also offers powerful content restrictions and access controls. You can lock premium forums and upload content for members only. Other than that, MemberPress easily integrates with different payment providers, email services, WordPress plugins, and third-party tools.

5. Thrive Ovation

Thrive Ovation is a popular testimonial plugin for WordPress. You can use the plugin to collect user-generated content in the form of testimonials.

Testimonials are incredibly powerful for driving sales and getting new users, and this plugin makes it super easy to gather reviews and feedback from existing customers.

It has an autopilot feature that automates the process of asking for feedback from customers.

Besides that, you can use Thrive Ovation to convert WordPress comments into testimonials with a single click. It also helps convert social media comments into testimonials for your website.

The plugin offers a testimonial library where you can easily manage user-submitted content, WordPress comments, and other imported feedback from your WordPress dashboard.

6. WordPress File Upload

WordPress File Upload is the next free front-end posting plugin on our list. It allows users to submit content from any page, post, or sidebar on your WordPress site.

You can simply use a shortcode to add a file upload form to your website or use the sidebar widget. The plugin also lets you manage the uploaded content from your WordPress dashboard. The uploaded files can be added to the media library or stored in an FTP location.

Besides that, you can set up file upload filters for multiple WordPress user roles, add file size limits, and control which file extensions users can upload.

WordPress File Upload also offers different customization options and lets you show an upload progress bar. However, if you’re looking for more options to edit your forms, then you can use other plugins on our list, like WPForms and Formidable Forms.

7. WP User Front-end

WP User Front-end is a flexible and beginner-friendly WordPress plugin for accepting front-end submissions.

The plugin comes with a drag-and-drop form builder and offers multiple customization options. You can place the form anywhere on your site to allow users to create a new post and submit guest posts, images, and other content.

It also lets users edit their profiles from the front end. This is great as you don’t have to give access to the main dashboard for users to set up a profile.

Besides that, you can use the WP User Front-end plugin to create subscriptions and membership packs. It lets you add pay-per-post, manage transactions, and easily receive payments.

8. User Submitted Posts

User Submitted Posts is a simple and free WordPress plugin that you can use to allow file upload on the front end of your website.

It is a great solution to accept guest posts, customer reviews, testimonials, images, and other user-generated content. The plugin offers basic form fields like name, email, URL, post title, content, post category, post images, and agree to terms.

You can display the front-end posting form anywhere on your site using a shortcode. The User Submitted Posts plugin also offers a login and registration form, so users can create a profile without requiring access to your site’s dashboard.

That said, the plugin doesn’t offer a lot of customization options, form templates, and features to control file upload compared to other plugins like WPForms.

9. AccessPress Anonymous Post

AccessPress Anonymous Post is another free WordPress plugin you can use to accept guest posts and allow front-end posting. It offers a responsive form that is easy to customize and place anywhere on your website.

Users can simply use the form to upload content, add a title, and enter tags, categories, URLs, images, and more. All the submitted content is stored in the WordPress database, and you can access it from your dashboard.

Besides that, you can also add a captcha for verification, receive emails when someone uploads a file, and make different form fields required.

Bonus: File Upload Types by WPForms

File Upload Types by WPForms is a free WordPress plugin that lets you accept different file extensions on your WordPress site. By default, WordPress only allows a handful of file types that users can upload to the media library.

If someone is submitting a post for the site on the front end, but uploads a file that has an extension not supported by WordPress, then they’ll see a ‘Sorry, this file type is not permitted for security reasons’ error message.

This is where the File Upload Types by WPForms plugin comes in handy. It allows users to post any type of file. For instance, you can accept file extensions like .zip, .xml, .ai, .csv, .svg, and more.

An important thing to note is that the plugin will let you accept additional file types, but it doesn’t have a feature to accept front-end posting. That’s where you’ll need another plugin like WPForms or any other on our list.

Which is the Best Front-End Posting Plugin for WordPress?

In our research, we found that WPForms is the best front-end posting plugin. It allows you to allow file upload and accept guest posts, images, quotes, and other user-generated content.

On top of that, you get over 600+ pre-built from templates, a drag-and-drop form builder, and lots of customization options to edit your form. You can add a file upload form field and display your form anywhere on the website.

Plus, its field-mapping feature makes drafting and editing on the front-end a breeze and is perfect for sites that have user-submitted content like real-estate listings or guest posts.

If you want to create complex and advanced forms like mortgage calculators, then you can use Formidable Forms. It also comes with a file upload feature and allows easy front-end posting.

On the other hand, you can use Easy Digital Downloads if you’re selling digital products. The plugin offers an upload file extension that allows users to submit documents, images, and other content on the front end. And their front-end submissions extension allows you to create a multi-vendor marketplace.

We hope this article helped you find the best front-end posting plugin for WordPress. You can also see our guide to the best WooCommerce plugins for your store and how to increase your blog traffic.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 9 Best Front-End Posting Plugins for WordPress (2023) first appeared on WPBeginner.

March 20, 2023

How to Sell Audiobooks Online (3 Simple & Easy Ways)

Do you want to sell audiobooks online?

By selling your books as downloadable audio files, you can make money without having to pay for shipping or printing. You can also sell the same audio file an unlimited number of times.

In this article, we will show you how to easily sell audiobooks online using WordPress.

Why Sell Audiobooks Online?

There are lots of ways to share your experiences or knowledge online. You can create an online course, record a webinar, or even start a podcast.

Another option is recording that information as an audiobook. This is a great way to collect everything you want to say into a single, downloadable file that’s easy to distribute and sell to other people.

Unlike traditional printed books, you don’t have to pay printing or shipping fees for your audiobooks. You also don’t have to worry about physical storage, supplies, or managing your inventory. All of this means lower costs and bigger profits, which makes audiobooks the perfect way to make money online with WordPress.

If you have an ebook, then there are plenty of services that can help you turn it into an audiobook including ACX. Every audiobook you make on ACX will be available on Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes, but it’s also a good idea to add the audiobook to your own website.

With that in mind, let’s see how you can sell audiobooks online. Simply use the quick links below to jump straight to the method you want to use.

Method 1. How to Sell Audiobooks With Easy Digital Downloads (Recommended)
Method 2. How to Sell Audiobook Memberships (Best for Recurring Revenue)
Method 3. How to Sell Audiobooks With WooCommerce (Best For Online Stores)

Method 1. How to Sell Audiobooks With Easy Digital Downloads (Recommended)

The easiest way to sell audiobooks online is by using Easy Digital Downloads. Easy Digital Downloads is one of the best eCommerce WordPress plugins, and it’s designed specifically to sell digital products.

How to sell an audiobook in WordPress using Easy Digital Downloads

Unlike general eCommerce plugins, Easy Digital Downloads has the specific features you need to promote, sell, and distribute digital products with ease. This means you don’t have to waste time and effort with unnecessary settings, such as configuring your store’s shipping.

Even better, if you’re using SiteGround then Easy Digital Downloads already comes pre-installed on their EDD plan, so you can start using it straight away.

If you’re using a different hosting provider, then you’ll need to install and activate the Easy Digital Downloads plugin. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, go to Downloads » Settings in the WordPress dashboard.

The Easy Digital Downloads plugin's settings

Even though you’re selling audiobooks, you’ll need to set your store’s location. This allows Easy Digital Downloads to auto-fill some fields in the order form, which will help improve the customer experience.

Easy Digital Downloads also uses your location to calculate sales tax.

To add your location, simply open the ‘Business Country’ dropdown menu. You can then choose where your business is based.

Setting the location for your audiobook store

Next, find the ‘Business Region’ field.

Here you can open the dropdown and choose the region where your store operates from.

Setting the region for your online audiobook store

After making these changes, go ahead and click on Save Changes to store your settings.

Next, you’ll need a way to accept credit card payments in WordPress by clicking on the ‘Payments’ tab. Then make sure the ‘General’ tab is selected.

In the Payment Gateways section, check the box next to each gateway that you want to add to your WordPress blog or website.

If you add more than one payment method, then you’ll need to choose a default gateway.

Adding multiple payment gateways to an online store

You can use any gateway you want, but Stripe can accept credit cards as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay. This is why we recommend using Stripe as the default payment gateway.

With that done, click on the ‘Save Changes’ button.

You’ll now see some new tabs where you can configure each payment method.

Configuring payment gateways including Stripe

Configuring the payment gateway will be slightly different depending on which gateway you’re using, but Easy Digital Downloads will walk you through the process.

Once you’ve set up at least one payment gateway, you’re ready to start uploading audiobooks to your WordPress website.

To create a digital product, select Downloads from the left-hand menu. Then, click on the ‘Add New’ button.

Adding a downloadable audiobook to your WordPress website

You can now type a name for the product into the ‘Enter download name here’ field. This will appear on the audiobook’s page, so you’ll want to use something that catches the visitor’s attention and accurately describes the book.

Next, type out the description that will appear on the ebook’s product page. You’ll want to give visitors all the information they need to decide whether this book is right for them.

Adding a title to a downloable audiobook

Many online stores use product categories and tags to help shoppers find what they’re looking for. If you’re selling lots of audiobooks, then these categories and tags help visitors find related audiobooks, which can get you more sales.

You can create new categories and tags in the Categories and Tags boxes.

Adding categories and tags to a downloadable ebook

For more information, see our step-by-step guide on how to add categories and tags for WordPress pages.

Next, you’ll want to set a price by scrolling to the Download Prices section. Here, type in how much visitors will pay to download the audiobook.

Adding prices to an audio book in WordPress

You’re now ready to upload the audio file that you want to sell. When it comes to audio, WordPress supports mp3, ogg, and wav. It also supports m4a, although this format may not work on all browsers.

Pro Tip: If you want to sell audiobooks in a file type that WordPress doesn’t support, then see our guide on how to allow additional file types in WordPress.

To add an audio file, simply scroll to the Download Files section.

How to upload a downloadable audiobook to WordPress

In the File Name field, type a name for the file that shoppers will get when they buy the audiobook. Then, simply click on ‘Upload a File.’

You can now choose any audio file from the WordPress media library, or you can upload a new audiobook from your computer.

Finally, you’ll need to add a product image, which will usually be your audiobook’s front cover. Simply scroll to the Download Image section and then click on the ‘Set Download Image’ link.

Adding a featured image to your audiobook

This launches the WordPress media library where you can choose an image or upload a new file from your computer.

When you’re happy with your digital download, click on the Publish button to make it live.

Easy Digital Downloads will now create the audiobook as a downloadable product, but visitors still need a way to access the product page.

This might mean adding the page to your website’s menu, creating a sales page where you advertise all your audiobooks, or even adding the book to a custom home page.

No matter what method you choose, you’ll need to know the audiobook’s URL.

To get this link, simply go to Downloads » Downloads. Then, find the audiobook you just created, and click on its ‘Edit’ link.

How to get a link to a downloadable audiobook product

You will then find the URL directly below the product title.

Now, you can link to this product page from any area of your website, simply by using its URL. To learn more, see our step-by-step guide on how to add a link in WordPress.

Easy Digital Downloads also creates a ‘Purchase’ button for this particular audiobook. Visitors can click this button to add the audiobook to their cart.

Adding an audiobook purchase button to an online store

You can add the button for this book to any page, post, or widget-ready area. This allows visitors to start the purchasing process without even Needing to visit the individual product’s page.

To get the audiobook’s shortcode, simply scroll to its Download Settings section. You can then copy the text in the ‘Purchase Shortcode’ field.

Adding an audiobook to your site using a product shortcode

For more information on placing the shortcode, please see our guide on how to add a shortcode in WordPress.

Every time someone buys an audiobook from your website, Easy Digital Downloads will send them an email and download link.

While this email has everything the customer needs to access their download, it’s a good idea to customize it. For example, we recommend adding your own logo and branding.

To customize the default email, simply go to Downloads » Settings. Then click on the ‘Emails’ tab.

Customizing the Easy Digital Download emails

When you’ve finished making changes, you may want to send a test email so you can see how the message will look to your customers.

To do this, simply click on the ‘Send Test Email’ button and Easy Digital Downloads will send an email to your admin email address.

Sending a test email for your downlodable audiobook

Have you clicked on the ‘Send Test Email’ button, but haven’t got a test email? If your site isn’t sending emails correctly, then customers won’t be able to download your audiobook.

With that in mind, you can follow our guide on how to fix the WordPress not sending email issue. You can use WP Mail SMTP to make sure the purchase confirmation emails arrive safely in the customer’s inbox.

When you’re happy with how the email looks, you can go ahead and click on the ‘Save Changes’ button.

This is all you need to start selling audiobooks online. However, Easy Digital Downloads has lots more advanced features that can help you sell audiobooks.

For more information on Easy Digital Downloads, please see our guide on how to sell digital downloads on WordPress.

Method 2. How to Sell Audiobook Memberships (Best for Recurring Revenue)

Another option is using your audiobooks to create recurring revenue streams.

For example, you might offer members unlimited monthly or annual access to all your audiobooks for a membership fee. In this way, you can get reliable recurring revenue over a longer period of time.

How to add an audiobook to your site using MemberPress

A membership site is also a great choice if you’re releasing your audiobooks as a series.

If you want to get recurring revenue, then MemberPress is the best WordPress membership plugin. It allows you to accept payments, create an unlimited number of membership levels, restrict access to audiobook pages based on membership subscription, and more.

First, you need to install and activate the MemberPress plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, go to the MemberPress » Settings page to configure the plugin settings.

To start, you’ll need to set up a payment gateway.

Out of the box, MemberPress supports PayPal (Standard, Express, and Pro), Stripe, and Authorize.net. You simply need to select the payment method you want to use and then type in the required credentials, such as your PayPal email address.

Adding a payment gateway to a membership site

You may want to add multiple methods, so members can use their preferred gateway. When that’s done, don’t forget to click on the Update Options button to save your settings.

With the setup out of the way, it’s time to create one or more membership levels. These are the subscriptions that visitors will buy to access your audiobooks, or other content.

MemberPress allows you to offer different content for different membership levels. For example, you might create Bronze, Silver, and Gold memberships and then give members access to different audiobooks.

To create the first membership plan, go to the MemberPress » Memberships page and then click on the ‘Add New’ button.

Adding a membership level to your audiobook website

On the next screen, you’ll need to provide a title for the membership plan and then add details in the post editor.

After that, you can set the pricing, billing type, interval, and expiration under the ‘Membership Terms’ section.

How to sell audiobooks online using MemberPress

Next, scroll to the Membership Options box below the editor.

Here, you can customize the plan permissions and membership options.

Adding a membership level to your WordPress blog or website

When you’re happy with how the plan is set up, go ahead and click on ‘Publish.’ To create more membership levels, simply repeat the same process described above.

Once you’ve created all the membership levels, it’s time to add some access rules. These allow you to restrict access to your audiobooks based on the user’s membership plan.

Just go to MemberPress » Rules and then click on the Add New button.

Adding a new rule to your WordPress membership site

Here, you can create all kinds of access rules, but you’ll typically start by selecting the audiobook that you want to restrict access to.

Under ‘Protected Content,’ open the dropdown menu and choose an option from the list. This might be the specific page where you embedded the audio file, content that has a particular tag, or any other option from the list.

Creating content restriction rules in WordPress

After that, open the ‘Access Conditions’ dropdown and choose ‘Membership.’

In the second dropdown menu, select the membership level people will need in order to access this content.

Creating subscriptions for your audiobooks

There are more settings that you can configure, but this is all you need to create a simple access rule.

When you’re happy with how the rule is set up, click on ‘Save Rule.’ To create more access rules, simply follow the same process described above.

Now that everything is set up, you’ll need to make sure visitors can buy memberships and log into their accounts. Thankfully, MemberPress comes with ready-made forms that you can add to your site.

We recommend adding the MemberPress login widget to a widget-ready area, so members can log in from any page.

Simply head over to Appearance » Widgets and add the ‘MemberPress login’ widget to the sidebar or similar section.

Adding a MemberPress login widget to WordPress

To learn more, please see our guide on how to add and use widgets in WordPress.

Don’t forget to click on the ‘Update’ button to save your widget settings.

There are a few different ways to add a signup page to your website, but MemberPress automatically creates a registration page for each membership level. This means you can simply add these pages to your main navigation menu.

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance » Menus. In the left-hand menu, simply click to expand the ‘Memberships’ section.

Adding membership subscriptions to your WordPress website

You’ll now see a list of all the different MemberPress levels.

To add a membership to the navigation menu, simply check the box next to it and then select ‘Add to menu.’

For step-by-step instructions, please see our guide on how to add a navigation menu.

When you’re happy with how the menu is set up, click on ‘Save Menu.’

At this point, you’ve created a website where visitors can buy audiobook subscriptions. However, MemberPress has lots more settings you can use to sell audiobooks, grow your brand, and get more members.

For more information about MemberPress, check out our ultimate guide to creating a WordPress membership site.

Method 3. How to Sell Audiobooks With WooCommerce (Best For Online Stores)

Easy Digital Downloads makes it easy to sell audiobooks on any WordPress blog or website, without you having to configure lots of unnecessary settings like shipping and handling.

However, if you’ve already created a WooCommerce store, then you can sell digital products like audiobooks using this popular eCommerce plugin.

How to sell an audiobook online using WooCommerce

Although it’s mostly used to sell physical products, you can add support for digital products by going to WooCommerce » Settings and then clicking on the ‘Products’ tab.

Here, click on the ‘Downloadable products’ link.

Creating downloadable WooCommerce products

You can now open the ‘File download method’ dropdown and choose an option from the list.

When you’re selling digital downloads, there is a risk that customers may share the direct link with other people. This allows people to download your audiobook without paying.

‘Force Downloads’ helps to protect your site from direct linking, so it’s the recommended method. However, just be aware that very large files may result in a timeout, especially if your server has limited resources.

If this happens, then you may need to change your WordPress hosting plan or select a different file download method.

You may also want to enable the checkbox next to ‘Allow using redirect mode (insecure) as a last resort.’ If WooCommerce encounters any problems, then this setting will deliver the audiobook via an unsecured redirect link rather than showing an error.

This is a much better customer experience.

WooCommerce's downloadable product settings

The second option is ‘X-Accel-Redirect/X-Sendfile,’ which serves the file directly to the customer. This protects the audiobook from unauthorized downloads without impacting your site’s performance.

However, this method requires you to install and enable the X-Accel-Redirect/X-Sendfile module on your server, so it’s not very beginner-friendly. Depending on your plan, you may also need to speak to your WooCommerce hosting provider.

The final option is ‘Redirect only,’ which uses a direct link to the file. This means your audiobook isn’t protected and anyone can access it using the URL. That said, we don’t recommend the ‘Redirect only’ method.

After selecting a download method, you can choose whether visitors must be logged into an account in order to download the audiobook.

Allowing guest checkout can get you more sales and downloads, but requiring users to register with your online store can help you do lead generation.

To make this decision, either enable or disable the ‘Downloads require login’ checkbox.

How to disable guest checkout for audiobooks in WooCommerce

By default, customers can download the audiobook while their order is processing.

If you want to wait until the order is complete, then uncheck the following box: ‘Grant access to downloadable products after payment.’

By default, WooCommerce will download the audiobook to the customer’s computer.

Most of the time this is the best customer experience, but you can set the file to open in a new tab instead. The customer can then decide whether they want to save the file.

There are some use cases where this may be the better option. For example, if you’re showing the customer a free sample, or your audiobooks are short enough to enjoy in one sitting.

In this case, you may want to check the box next to ‘Open downloadable files in the browser.’

How to set up downloadable files in WooCommerce

When you’re happy with the settings you’ve entered, click on ‘Save Changes.’

With that done, you’re ready to add the audiobook as a downloadable product by going to Products » Add New. Here, you can type in a title, add a description, upload a product image, and set the price as normal.

Creating a downloadable WooCommerce product

Then, scroll to ‘Product Data’ and check the box next to ‘Downloadable,’ which adds some new settings.

To start, click on ‘Add File.’

Adding a downloadable audiobook to a WooCommerce online store

You can now either choose the audiobook from your media library or upload a new file from your computer.

After that, type in a filename for the audiobook.

Adding a downloadable audiobook in WooCommerce

By default, customers can download the audiobook as many times as they want, for as long as they want.

If you want to limit the number of downloads per customer, then type a number into the ‘Download limit’ field.

Adding a download limit for your audiobook

If you want the download link to expire after a certain number of days has passed, then type a number into the ‘Download expiry’ field.

When you’re happy with how the audiobook is set up, click on the ‘Publish’ button. The audiobook will now appear as a downloadable product on your online store.

We hope this article helped you learn how to sell audiobooks online. You may also want to check out our expert pick of the best WordPress plugins to grow your site, and our comparison of the best email marketing services for small businesses.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Sell Audiobooks Online (3 Simple & Easy Ways) first appeared on WPBeginner.

March 16, 2023

How to Start a Video Blog (Vlog) And Make Money in 2023

Do you want to start a video blog and make money?

Vlogging is a powerful way to connect with people and build a personal brand. However, if you simply upload vlogs to third-party platforms like YouTube, then you may struggle to grow your audience, make money, and become a successful vlogger.

In this article, we will show you how you can start a vlog and make money.

How to start a video blog (vlog) and make money

Which Is the Best Website Builder for Your Video Blog?

There are many website builders that can help you create a vlog site, but we recommend using WordPress and a separate video hosting platform.

To learn more about why WordPress is such a good choice, please see our complete WordPress review with pros and cons.

There are two types of WordPress software: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. We recommend using WordPress.org, also called ‘self-hosted WordPress.’ This will give you full ownership and control of your site.

Using WordPress.org allows you to install third-party plugins and themes, including plenty that are designed specifically for vloggers.

Also, while you can upload videos to WordPress, it’s far better to use a separate video hosting platform such as YouTube or Vimeo.

Videos take up a lot of your hosting resources, which will slow down your website. Instead, we recommend uploading your vlogs to a separate hosting platform such as YouTube or Vimeo, which has all the server resources you need.

After uploading your vlogs to one of these sites, you can then embed your vlog in a WordPress page or post by simply copying and pasting a link. WordPress has built-in support for most major video hosting platforms.

If you really want to save time and impress your viewers, then you can use a plugin like Smash Balloon to create a video feed that will update automatically every time you post a new vlog.

An embedded YouTube feed, created using Smash Balloon

If you don’t already have a video hosting platform in mind, then don’t worry. Later in this guide, we’ll help you find the perfect platform for your vlogs.

Step 1. Setting Up Your Video Blog Website

To create a video vlog, you’ll need a domain name and web hosting.

Although the WordPress software is free, hosting and domain names are where the costs can really start to add up.

A domain name typically costs $14.99/year and hosting costs start from $7.99/month. This is a lot for hobby vloggers, new creators, or anyone who is working with a tighter budget.

Thankfully, Bluehost has agreed to offer our users over 60% off on web hosting and a free SSL certificate as part of this deal. This is absolutely essential if you plan to sell premium videos and make money from your vlogs. You will also get a free domain name when you sign up!

Simply click the link below to create a vlogging website for as little as $2.75 per month.

→ Click Here to Claim This Exclusive Bluehost Offer ←

Because you get a free domain when you sign up with Bluehost, you’ll need to be sure it’s the right fit for your video blog. For expert tips, check out our guide on how to choose the best domain name.

Once you’ve completed the purchase, you’ll get an email with instructions on how to log in to your web hosting control panel. This is your hosting account dashboard where you can manage your vlog, including setting up email notifications and asking for WordPress support if you need it.

It’s also where you’ll install the WordPress software, so let’s do that now.

Step 2. Install WordPress on Your Video Blog

When you sign up with Bluehost using our link, you’ll get access to a one-click WordPress installer. Simply log into your Bluehost account and click on ‘One Click Install.’

You can now follow the onscreen instructions to set up WordPress.

If you’re using a different WordPress website host like SiteGround, Hostinger, HostGator, or WP Engine, then you can see our complete guide on how to install WordPress for all the top hosting providers.

Once WordPress is set up, you’re ready to start customizing your vlog site.

Step 3. Select a Video Theme

WordPress themes are professionally designed templates that change how your vlog looks and acts.

There are lots of different premium and free WordPress business themes to choose from. You can generally categorize these as multipurpose WordPress themes, or niche industry themes. However, most WordPress themes are designed to show text.

Since we’re starting a vlog, we need a theme that’s designed specifically for videos.

Even if you’re using a separate video hosting platform, embedded videos still take time to load. With that in mind, it’s important to find a lightweight theme that won’t slow down your website. Wherever possible, we also recommend using a theme that has built-in lazy loading.

On top of that, vlogs often need special features such as parallax scrolling, lightbox popups, and fullscreen video backgrounds.

That’s a lot to keep in mind, so you may want to look at our expert pick of the best WordPress video themes.

Another option is to use a landing page builder plugin such as SeedProd. SeedProd is the best drag-and-drop WordPress page builder and comes with more than 180 templates.

This includes an entire section of ‘Webinar’ templates that are designed specifically to show videos on your WordPress website.

SeedProd's professionally-designed vlog templates

SeedProd also has a ready-made ‘Video’ block that you can drag and drop onto any page.

For more information, please see our guide on how to create a landing page with WordPress.

Once you’ve chosen a video theme, please see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress theme.

After installing a theme, you may want to customize it by going to Appearance » Customize in the WordPress dashboard. This will launch the theme customizer where you can fine-tune the theme settings and see your changes in the live preview.

Customizing a WordPress video blog theme

If you’re using one of the newer full-site editing themes, then you’ll need to go to Appearance » Editor instead.

Here, you can fine-tune the theme using blocks.

Customizing a WordPress vlogging theme using the FSE

Just remember that you can customize your theme at any point. You can even completely change your WordPress theme, if you realize it doesn’t quite meet your needs.

This means you don’t need to finalize your site design now. In fact, it may be easier to fine-tune your vlog once you’ve added some content.

Step 4. Create a Custom Homepage

WordPress comes with two content types called posts and pages.

You’ll typically use posts to create articles and blogs, while pages are static “one-off” types of content. For example, you might publish an about page, a privacy policy, or a custom archive page.

There are a few different ways to show videos in WordPress. However, since we’re creating a video vlog you’ll typically embed one or more videos in a blog post.

By default, the WordPress homepage shows your posts in reverse chronological order, so your latest vlog appears at the top of the homepage.

However, you may want to move this blog list to another page, and use a custom homepage instead. This custom homepage can introduce your vlog to visitors and let them know what you have to offer.

You might even create a YouTube gallery of all your best videos, which is a great way to catch a visitor’s attention and make them want to watch more of your content.

Smash Balloon allows you to create all kinds of galleries, including showing a specific YouTube playlist or favorites feed, a single video, or even your latest live stream.

Adding a YouTube vlog feed to your WordPress website

For step-by-step instructions on how to create an attention-grabbing homepage for your video blog, please see our guide on how to create a custom homepage in WordPress.

Once you’re happy with the design, it’s time to set it as your homepage. To do this, go to Settings » Reading in the WordPress dashboard.

How to set a custom homepage in WordPress

Here, scroll to ‘Your homepage settings’ and select ‘A static page.’

Next, open the ‘Homepage’ dropdown and choose the page that you want to use.

Changing the homepage on a WordPress video blog

After that, simply scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on ‘Save Changes.’ Now, if you visit your website you’ll see the new homepage in action.

With that done, make sure you create a separate blog page to display your vlogs.

Step 5. Set Up Your Video Hosting Platform

Before you can start adding videos to your WordPress website, you’ll need to upload them to a separate video hosting platform. In this way, you can show countless high-resolution videos on your website without affecting its performance.

For more on this topic, see our post on why you should never upload a video to WordPress.

There are lots of different video hosting platforms that you can use, but we recommend YouTube as it’s the most popular choice.

It’s free to create a YouTube account and you can upload as many videos as you want.

YouTube even has a Partners Program that you can join to make money from your videos. This program also offers more benefits like analytics, longer videos, and editing tools.

Since it’s such a popular platform, there are lots of great WordPress plugins for YouTube. For example, you can use plugins to quickly and easily embed a YouTube playlist in WordPress.

Adding a YouTube playlist to a vlog using Smash Balloon

If you don’t want to use YouTube, then there are many other popular platforms including Vidyard, Wistia, and SproutVideo. For a closer look at all the top video sites, please see our expert pick of the best video hosting sites for bloggers.

After choosing a platform, you’ll need to create an account and upload all the vlogs that you want to show on your WordPress website.

For instructions on how to do this, check out the online documentation for your chosen video hosting platform.

Step 6. Create Your First Vlog

To create your first vlog, simply go to Posts » Add New in your WordPress dashboard.

WordPress has a block-based editor that allows you to create beautiful content layouts for your vlogs. Here, you can add text, images, audio clips, and more.

For an in-depth look at the editor, please see our WordPress block editor tutorial.

The easiest way to add vlogs to WordPress is by using the built-in auto-embed feature. If you’re using one of the big video hosting platforms, then you can simply paste the video’s URL into the WordPress content editor, and WordPress will handle the rest.

Just head over to your chosen video hosting platform and find the vlog that you want to show on your WordPress blog. You can then simply copy the video’s URL.

After that, switch back to the WordPress dashboard and paste the URL in the content area. If you paste it into a standard Paragraph block, WordPress will automatically try to place it in the correct block, such as the YouTube block.

Even if you don’t see the platform-specific block, it will use the Embed block and display the video inside the content editor.

For more information, please see our detailed guide on how to easily embed videos in WordPress blog posts.

As you’re working on the vlog, you can see how it’ll look to visitors by clicking on ‘Preview.’

This will open the page in a new tab.

The WordPress post editor also has sections for Categories and Tags. You can use these to organize your vlogs so it’s easier for visitors to find interesting content. To learn more, please see our guide on how to add categories and tags in WordPress.

When you’re happy with how the vlog looks, go ahead and click on the ‘Publish’ button in the top-right corner of the screen.

To add more vlogs to your website, simply follow the same process described above.

Step 7. Add a Contact Form to Your Vlog

Some viewers might want to contact you directly. This may include affiliate marketers, sponsors, advertisers, and other brands who are looking to build relationships with creators, or other vloggers who want to collaborate.

These people could ring your phone number or send a message to your business email address, but we always recommend adding a contact form to your website.

This makes it easier for potential partners to contact you, so you don’t miss out on any opportunities to grow your brand and make money from your vlogs.

The easiest way to add a contact form to your WordPress website is by using the free WPForms plugin. WPForms comes with a built-in Simple Contact Form template that you can customize using the drag-and-drop editor.

Adding a contact form to a WordPress vlogging site

You can then add the form to any page, post, or widget-ready area using the ready-made WPForms block.

For detailed instructions, see our guide on how to create a contact form in WordPress.

Step 8. Help Visitors Find Interesting Vlogs

Once you’ve added some content to your vlog, it’s a good idea to add a navigation menu so visitors can find their way around the different videos.

Adding a navigation menu to a video blog (vlog)

The exact location of your menu will depend on your WordPress theme. Most themes have several options, so you can create multiple menus and then show them on different areas of your vlog.

Whether you create a single menu or multiple menus, it’s easy to add navigation to your vlog. For a complete guide, please see our post on how to add a navigation menu.

Adding a navigation menu to a WordPress vlog

Menus encourage people to explore your site, but sometimes visitors may want to search for a specific vlog. WordPress comes with a built-in search feature, but it’s quite basic and not very good at finding relevant content.

That’s why we recommend using SearchWP, which is the best search plugin for WordPress.

It is very easy to use and gives much more accurate search results. It allows visitors to search for a keyword in the post or page title, content, URL slug, categories, tags, taxonomies, WordPress excerpts, and even comments.

All of this can help visitors find interesting vlogs, fast.

How to improve WordPress search with SearchWP

For step-by-step instructions on SearchWP, please see our guide on how to improve WordPress search.

Step 9. Optimize Your Vlog for SEO

If you want to get more viewers, then you’ll need to optimize your vlog for SEO. This will help search engines understand your content and show it to people who are looking for videos just like yours.

WordPress SEO is a huge topic that can be confusing for new vloggers. With that in mind, we recommend using All in One SEO for WordPress (AIOSEO).

AIOSEO is the best WordPress SEO plugin on the market and has everything you need to get your vlogs onto the first page of Google, without having to learn any complicated SEO jargon.

AIOSEO comes with the easiest setup wizard that helps you choose the best SEO settings for your business. AIOSEO will even scan your vlogs and show an actionable checklist on how you can optimize that specific vlog.

An actionable checklist for improving SEO

Additionally, AIOSEO has a video sitemap feature that you can use to show search engines what’s the most important content to index.

To help you get started, please see our ultimate guide on how to set up All in One SEO for WordPress correctly.

Step 10. Notify Users About New Vlogs

Did you know that 70% of people who leave your site will never come back? Thankfully there are lots of ways to turn abandoning visitors into loyal viewers.

To start, it’s smart to create an email newsletter so people who enjoy your vlogs can subscribe. After that, you can email these subscribers every time you post a new vlog.

You can also keep them engaged with your brand by sending them fun surveys and polls, notifying them about any giveaways and contests you’re running, or even simply asking them for feedback on your latest vlog.

All of this can help you create a sense of community and build a stronger relationship with your viewers.

If you do build an email list, then you’ll want to make sure your messages arrive safely in the subscriber’s inbox and not in their spam folder. With that in mind, we recommend using an SMTP service provider to improve your email deliverability rates.

Another option is to use push notifications with software like PushEngage to send targeted, personalized messages to viewers after they leave your vlog.

Push notifications are short, clickable notifications that appear as a popup on the user’s desktop or mobile devices. Some of the biggest websites in the world use push notifications to keep users engaged, including Facebook.

These notifications go directly to the user’s web browser or mobile device so they have a high chance of getting the person’s attention, which makes them perfect for notifying viewers when you post a new vlog.

To learn more, see our guide on how to add web push notifications to WordPress.

Step 11. How to Make Money From Your Video Vlogs

Creating lots of quality, engaging vlogs takes a lot of time and effort, so you may want to make money from your videos.

If you’ve created a contact form, then potential sponsors and partners already have a way to contact you, which is a great start. However, there are lots more ways to make money online with WordPress.

Here are some of the best ways to make money from your vlog.

Google AdSense

There are many reasons why it’s smart to embed videos on your own website, rather than simply uploading them to platforms like YouTube.

One major benefit is that you can show Google AdSense ads next to your videos.

When you sign up for Google AdSense, Google acts as a middleman between you and the advertiser. Instead of you having to find the right partners for your vlog, Google allows advertisers to bid for keywords matching your content. This allows you to get the best possible rates for the ads on your vlogging website.

For more details, please see our article on how to properly add Google AdSense to your WordPress blog.

Affiliate marketing

Many vloggers make money by recommending products and services to their viewers. For example, many lifestyle vloggers film daily routine videos showing off their favorite skincare or fitness products.

By using affiliate links, you can earn money every time a viewer buys a product or service based on your recommendation.

For the best results, it’s a good idea to only recommend quality items that you already use and trust. If you encourage viewers to buy poor-quality or scammy products, then you’ll damage your band and almost certainly lose viewers.

There are plenty of affiliate marketing plugins and tools for WordPress that can help you make money by promoting affiliate products, but we highly recommend PrettyLinks or ThirstyAffiliates to all vloggers.

To get started, please see our step-by-step affiliate marketing guide for beginners.

Ask for Tips and Donations

If you build a strong, positive relationship with your viewers then they may want to support your work as a vlogger. This is particularly true if you’re a hobby vlogger or someone who is just starting out.

Although they’re mostly used by non-profits, some vloggers use donation forms so that viewers can support their work. These forms are often presented as ‘buy me a coffee’ or ‘buy me a beer.’

To learn more, please see our guide on how to create a donate form in WordPress.

Create a Membership Site

Most of the time, you’ll want your vlogs to be publicly available so you can get as many views as possible and build your audience.

However, some vloggers may want to create a video membership site in WordPress. This allows people to pay for different perks, such as early access to the latest vlogs, exclusive live streams, or premium members-only videos.

You can also offer perks that don’t involve videos, such as a members-only forum, blog posts, or the ability to chat with you directly on channels like Discord.

The easiest way to create a membership site is by using MemberPress. It is the best WordPress membership plugin on the market and allows you to accept payments, create unlimited subscription levels, restrict access to video pages based on levels, and more.

Creating video memberships with the MemberPress plugin

Sell Your Videos as Digital Downloads

Depending on the kind of vlogs you create, you may decide to sell some of your premium videos as digital downloads. For example, if you’re a health and fitness vlogger then you might create videos teaching your followers different exercise routines.

For some niches, this can be a way to monetize the audience you’ve built from your vlogs.

Easy Digital Downloads is the best platform to easily sell digital products. You can get started in minutes and accept credit card payments with Stripe, PayPal, Google Pay, and Apple Pay.

The Easy Digital Downloads WordPress eCommerce plugin

With Easy Digital Downloads, you have complete control over how you distribute your videos. You can allow customers to download files as many times as they want or restrict file downloads by time or attempt.

To start selling your premium videos, please see our complete guide on how to sell digital downloads on WordPress.

We hope this tutorial helped you learn how to start a video vlog and make money. You may also want to learn how to increase your blog traffic or check out our list of the best email marketing services.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Start a Video Blog (Vlog) And Make Money in 2023 first appeared on WPBeginner.

March 10, 2023

7 Best Multi Currency WordPress Plugins (Free + Paid)

Do you want users to easily change the currency on your WordPress website?

A multi-currency WordPress plugin lets you show different currencies on your website and automatically apply the exchange rate. This way, customers can switch their local currency when purchasing a product.

In this article, we’ll share the best multi-currency WordPress plugins that you can use on your site.

Why Use a Multi Currency WordPress Plugin?

A multi currency plugin allows you to offer multiple currencies on your WordPress website. Your customers can switch currencies from the US dollar to their native currency with a click of a button.

If you’re running an online store, then having a currency switcher plugin can come in handy.

You can reach a wider audience and target users from around the world. Customers from other countries can easily convert the product prices into their local currency without leaving your website.

It also improves the overall shopping experience for customers. The plugin removes any pricing confusion that people may have. As a result, you get to keep customers on your website and boost sales.

That said, let’s look at the best multi-currency plugins for WordPress.

1. Easy Digital Downloads

Easy Digital Downloads is the best eCommerce plugin for WordPress that lets you sell digital products like ebooks, digital art, music files, software, and more.

It offers multi-currency support and lets you show prices in different currencies. You can select from over 200 currencies and have complete control over the exchange rate.

There is an automatic option where the plugin will auto-update the exchange rate and convert the price from USD to the customer’s local currency. On the other hand, you can also manually set the exchange rate.

Besides that, Easy Digital Downloads lets you sell digital downloads with ease. It offers unlimited file downloads, full data reporting, a shopping cart, and more. It also easily integrates with payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal and third-party tools like AWeber, ConvertKit and Slack.

Pricing: Easy Digital Downloads is a premium plugin with prices starting from $99.50 per year.

2. YITH Multi Currency Switcher for WooCommerce

YITH Multi Currency Switcher for WooCommerce is the next multi-currency WordPress plugin on our list.

It is super easy to use and lets you add unlimited currencies to your WooCommerce store. You can show a currency switcher anywhere on your website and let customers choose their local currency.

Besides that, the plugin also automatically detects users’ geolocation and displays prices in their native currency. It integrates with APIs of the European Central Bank, Google Finance, and other providers to automatically update exchange rates.

You can also control the frequency of exchange rate updates. For example, the plugin can check it daily, twice daily, weekly, monthly, or every 15 days.

Other than that, you get options to customize the currency switcher, display different payment methods for specific countries, and more.

Pricing: YITH Multi Currency Switcher for WooCommerce is a premium plugin that will cost you $99.99 annually.

3. WP Simple Pay

WP Simple Pay is the best Stripe plugin for WordPress that lets you accept one-time or recurring payments on your website. The best part, you don’t have to set up a shopping cart to collect payments.

WP Simple Pay lets you select from 135+ different currencies supported by Stripe. It also lets you choose your site’s region’s default currency, format, and tax rate. This way, you can charge customers in their native currency and receive funds in your preferred currency.

With WP Simple Pay, you get a drag-and-drop payment form builder and over 10 different payment methods. For example, you can collect payments through credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, ACH direct debit, and more.

Pricing: WP Simple Pay prices start from $49.50 per year. There is also a free version you can use to get started.

4. CURCY – Multi Currency for WooCommerce

CURCY is a free WooCommerce multi currency plugin. It lets you accept payments in different currencies and helps customers to switch to their preferred currency.

The plugin is easy to use and set up. It automatically detects users’ location on your WooCommerce store and displays products in the native currency.

You can also allow the plugin to set the exchange rate automatically. However, there are different options for controlling the exchange rate. For example, you can manually set the rate, keep the product prices fixed in other currencies, and manage the exchange rate fee.

Pricing: CURCY is a free WordPress plugin.

5. WooCommerce Multi-Currency

WooCommerce Multi-Currency is a premium WooCommerce extension that allows you to show product prices in the customer’s country’s currency.

Like many other plugins on our list, you can choose between automatic or manual exchange rate settings. The plugin supports different exchange rate providers’ APIs, such as Open Exchange Rate, Abstract, Exchange Rate API, and more.

Using a shortcode, you can display the currency switcher anywhere on your WooCommerce store. It also has a sidebar widget and helps customers quickly convert prices into their local currency.

Pricing: WooCommerce Multi-Currency prices start from $99 per year.

6. Currency Switcher for WordPress

Currency Switcher for WordPress is another free and beginner-friendly plugin you can use to show different currencies on your website.

It works with Open Exchange Rate API and allows you to automatically convert the prices into different currencies depending on the exchange rate. There is also an option to manually control the exchange rate.

Currency Switcher for WordPress supports currency conversion for visitors from the United States, Australia, Europe, and India.

You can easily add the currency switcher to any page using shortcodes. Plus, the plugin easily integrates with WordPress page builders like Elementor and Beaver Builder.

Pricing: Currency Switcher for WordPress is free to use plugin.

7. Currency Converter Widget

Currency Converter Widget is a premium WooCommerce plugin that you can use on your store. The multi-currency plugin offers a dynamic widget that converts product prices in real-time.

It automatically grabs the latest exchange rate and applies it to the products. You can add and convert as many currencies as you want.

The best part is that the plugin saves the converted total at checkout. This way, you can see the prices customers saw on your WooCommerce store.

Pricing: Currency Converter Widget will cost you $49 per year.

Which is the Best Multi Currency WordPress Plugin?

Based on our research, the best WordPress multi-currency plugin are Easy Digital Downloads, YITH multi currency switcher for WooCommerce, and WP Simple Pay.

The choice of picking the best multi-currency plugin depends on the type of website you’re running.

For instance, if you’re selling digital products, then Easy Digital Downloads is the best choice. It is super easy to use and lets you select from over 200 different currencies. You get full control over the exchange rate and can add as many currencies as you want.

On the other hand, YITH Multi Currency Switcher for WooCommerce is the best multi-currency plugin to use if you have a WooCommerce store. It automatically detects the user’s location and converts product prices. Plus, you can choose from different providers to set the exchange rate.

Lastly, you can also use WP Simple Pay to collect online payments without setting up a shopping cart. It is the best Stripe plugin and supports over 135 currencies.

We hope this article helped you pick the best multi-currency WordPress plugin. You may also want to see our comparison of the best live chat software and best business phone services for small business.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 7 Best Multi Currency WordPress Plugins (Free + Paid) first appeared on WPBeginner.

March 3, 2023

15 Most Popular Digital Products You Can Sell Online in 2023

Are you looking for popular digital product ideas to sell online?

In today’s creator economy, there are many opportunities to make money online. You can sell items like music files, videos, blog posts, eBooks, software, apps, podcasts, premium content, and more.

In this article, we will share the most popular digital products that you can sell online.

Most popular digital products you can sell online

What are Digital Products?

A digital product is essentially anything that you can buy, download, and use on a device such as a computer or mobile phone. For example, ebooks, software, videos, music, online courses, and more can be digital products that you can purchase at an online store.

They are delivered to you electronically, usually through a direct download in your user dashboard or in an email with a download link inside. In general, you can easily access them anytime or anywhere.

Why Sell Digital Products Online?

Digital products have a lot of advantages compared to selling physical products.

First, you don’t have to worry about keeping inventory and meeting supply or demand requirements. Once you create a digital product, you can sell it again and again.

This also relieves you of any storage issues. Some physical products need to be kept at a warehouse and may require special storage conditions like refrigeration, which can be costly. On the other hand, you don’t have to worry about storing your digital products.

Besides that, you get to generate a passive income stream with digital goods and easily grow your sales. They also help reach a wider audience across the globe, as people from around the world can buy your digital products.

That said, let’s look at some of the most popular digital products you can sell online today.

1. eBooks

eBooks are a great digital product to have, and you can write about any topic you like. The best part, once you’ve created an ebook, you can simply market it and earn passive income.

Now, if you have a WordPress blog or write articles regularly on any other platform, then you can repurpose the content for your ebook.

For instance, your most popular guides would already have enough content to be converted into an ebook. Or you can combine several blog posts into an ebook about a particular topic.

Once you’re done with the writing part, you can then add the ebook to your WordPress site so people can download it.

You can follow our guide on how to create and sell ebooks in WordPress from start to finish.

2. Online Courses

The next most popular digital product you can sell is online courses. People are always looking to improve their skillset and learn new things.

You can use this opportunity to share your expertise and teach other people through a virtual classroom. For example, if you’re a fitness instructor, then you can create an online course and teach people different exercises.

The best part, you need very little investment and no technical knowledge to create online courses.

There are many tools in the market that can help you get started in no time. All you need is a domain name for your site, WordPress website hosting, and a learning management system (LMS) plugin.

LMS software like MemberPress or Thrive Apprentice makes it super easy to create interactive courses without editing code. Plus, you can manage students and course material, offer quizzes, and more.

You can learn more by following our guide on how to create and sell online courses in WordPress.

3. Premium Memberships

Just like ebooks and online courses, a membership website is another simple way of making money online. You can sell premium memberships with access to exclusive content and community features.

For example, you can lock specific guides, cheat sheets, interviews, videos, podcasts, newsletters, and other content behind premium memberships.

On the other hand, you can offer exclusive entry to different communities, like a forum, Slack channel, or Facebook group, through a membership site.

What’s great about memberships is that you don’t have to rely on advertising revenue. You can allow your website visitors to support your site and generate continuous income.

There are many membership plugins and tools you can use to get started. For instance, MemberPress lets you restrict access to content, integrate different payment services, create unlimited membership levels, allow drip content, and more.

To start selling memberships, you can see our step-by-step guide on creating a WordPress membership site.

4. Tutorials and Guides

You can also sell individual guides and tutorials as digital products. This is a great way to earn more money if you have long articles or multiple blog posts on a particular topic.

Simply turn your guides into a downloadable file like a PDF document. You can then charge a fee to visitors who are willing to purchase your content.

For example, let’s say you have a detailed guide on email marketing. You can turn that guide into a PDF file and sell it as a digital product.

There are many WordPress eCommerce platforms you can use to sell digital products. We recommend using Easy Digital Downloads because it is beginner friendly, offers a shopping cart, easily integrates with payment gateways, and more.

You can learn more by going through our guide on how to sell digital downloads on WordPress.

5. Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets are another type of digital product you can sell on your website and generate revenue. You can create all types of useful spreadsheets for your audience.

For example, let’s say you have expertise in search engine optimization (SEO). You can create a technical SEO checklist for beginners and offer that as a paid spreadsheet. Similarly, you can create checklists, templates, calculators, lists, and other types of spreadsheets.

The best part is that you don’t need any investment to create a spreadsheet. Plus, it helps offer evergreen content that can you use to generate leads and a passive income stream.

You can check out our guide on how to sell spreadsheets online for more details.

6. WordPress Plugins

You can also create WordPress plugins and sell them as digital products.

WordPress is open-source software, and it powers over 43% of the website on the internet. There are over 60,000 WordPress plugins that include free and paid options. This shows that there is a huge potential to create a plugin that generates revenue.

Usually, you need basic coding knowledge like PHP, CSS, HTML, and JavaScript to write a plugin. For more details, you can see our step-by-step guide on how to create a WordPress plugin.

You can also hire a developer to help you create a plugin. There are many WordPress developer job websites where you can post an opening and hire the right talent for a specific project.

If you’re willing to take on a DIY project, then you can also use a plugin called Pluginception. It lets you create a WordPress plugin from the WordPress dashboard. To learn more, please follow our guide on how to create a WordPress plugin using a plugin.

7. Software and Mobile Apps

Just like WordPress plugins, you can also create software and mobile apps. There are many SaaS (software as a service) products that you can create for any niche. It can be productivity software, workout apps, games, and more.

Usually, SaaS products have a recurring subscription. This means that you’ll need to generate income on a monthly or annual basis.

Since creating such software and apps requires specific skills, you might need to hire developers. This process can be expensive because you’ll need investment for creating software or purchasing an existing one ($15,000 and upwards).

As an alternative, you can convert your WordPress websites into mobile apps and monetize them. There are tools and plugins that can turn your site into an app. For example, let’s say you have a membership site. Converting it into an app will help you attract mobile users and sell it as a digital product.

On the other hand, you can also join affiliate programs and earn a commission on each sale. You can create a WordPress blog to review different software and apps and promote them as affiliates. Or you could create an online store using affiliates.

For more information, check out our ultimate guide to affiliate marketing for beginners.

8. Website Themes

Similarly, you can make WordPress themes and sell them online. Themes are necessary for every WordPress user, and often users look for themes that offer specific features and customization options.

There are many platforms where you can sell website themes. Some of these include Enavto, Themeforest, CodeCanyon, and Creative Market.

You can also list a free version of your theme on the WordPress.org theme directory. From here, you can encourage users to upgrade to a premium version to unlock more features.

We recommend selling the digital products on your own websites instead of a marketplace like Envato because they charge a large commission on every sale without much benefit.

You can use an eCommerce solution like Easy Digital Downloads to create your own digital store.

9. Digital Art and Graphics

If you’re a graphic designer or an artist, then you can create a variety of digital products and sell them online.

For example, you can create logos, design templates, original digital artwork, clip art, patterns, brushes, backgrounds, icons, fonts, shapes, and more.

Besides that, creating assets for different photo editing software like Adobe PhotoShop, Canva, Affinity Designer, and Affinity Photo can also help you make money online.

To get started, please follow our guide on how to sell digital art and graphics online.

10. Photographs

Another great digital product you can sell online is photography. Many people look for images that they can use for their WordPress websites and blogs.

There are different types of photos you can sell. Some of these include stock photos, event pictures, portraits, drone images, backgrounds, and more.

Now, you can sell your images to different stock photo sites, like Shutterstock, 500px, iStock Photo, Adobe Stock, and more. Each of these websites has a payment structure where they’ll share a percentage of direct sales or give you a royalty fee.

On the other hand, you can create your own photography website and sell your images there. This way, you don’t have to share the profits with another third party and have more control over your images.

To help you get started, check out some useful WordPress plugins for photographs.

11. Videos

Videos are the next digital products on our list that you can sell online.

For example, videos like drone footage, stock videos, online training, product reviews, video game reviews, and gameplay footage are some of the ideas you can use to create a video-based digital product.

One of the easiest ways of monetizing your videos is by creating a video membership site. This way, you don’t have to rely on ad revenue from other platforms and get recurring payments from users who pay to access your content.

12. Recipes

Are you a chef, a home cook, or a food blogger? If you do, then you can sell recipes as digital products.

The food industry is worth trillions of dollars and is very competitive. However, you can find a niche that your audience likes and share recipes to earn money.

For instance, you can start a food blog and offer premium recipes for subscribers. Or you could combine multiple recipes into an ebook and sell that as a digital product.

Plus, you can offer cooking courses and other premium content by creating a membership site. We recommend MemberPress for this sort of site, as it’s the best plugin for that on the market.

13. Podcasts

Podcasts are audio shows that users can subscribe to. They are generally made up of audio files that listeners can download or stream to listen to.

There are many topics you can create a podcast on. For example, if your topic is music, then you can narrow it down to a specific genre. Similarly, if you’re into sports, then you can create a podcast on football.

Another great way of selling podcasts is by inviting industry experts and serving it as a masterclass. You can charge a premium or only offer these podcasts to members to generate income.

Many podcasters rely on their communities supporting them, whether that’s through a service like Patreon or creating their own membership site.

For more details, you can follow our guide on how to start a podcast and make it successful.

14. Professional Services and Coaching

You can also sell your expertise as a digital product and help other businesses.

For example, if you’re a copywriter, graphic designer, social media expert, developer, fitness coach, legal professional, translator, SEO expert, offer technical support through live chat, or any type of consultant, then you can offer your services to others for a fee.

Now, you can sign up for different freelancing websites like Upwork, or create your own site. From here, simply market your expertise on social media platforms and build a following to get more projects and clients.

15. Research and Data

Do you conduct industry-wide surveys, polls, and research? If yes, then you can create digital products and sell the research data.

Many businesses are looking for insights into their industry. They want to better understand their audience and find out what they like or don’t like.

You can carry out research on popular topics, collaborate with companies, or simply run a survey to gather data. After that, you can create a report, add it to your website, and sell it to consumers.

If you have a membership website, then you can also offer research and data to subscribers.

For examples, see some of our research articles we offer for free here at WPBeginner:

Bonus: Plugins and Tools to Market Your Digital Products

Now that you know some of the most popular digital products to sell online, you’ll also need to market them to your customers.

Here’s a list of WordPress plugins and tools that you can use to promote your product and boost conversions:

OptinMonster – It is the best lead generation and popup plugin for WordPress. You can create different campaigns and use smart targeting rules to promote digital products and increase conversions.
WPForms – This is the best WordPress form plugin. You can use it to create an order form, payment form, and more.
All in One SEO (AIOSEO) – The plugin helps you optimize your website for search engines. This way, you get to improve search engine rankings, attract more organic visitors to your site, and boost sales of your digital products.
MonsterInsights – It is the best Google Analytics plugin for WordPress. Using the plugin, you can track your digital products performance, which files get the most downloads, uncover the most popular products, and track eCommerce revenue without editing code.
PushEngage – This is a push notification software for WordPress and allows you to send personalized web notifications to customers about new products, promotions, sales, etc.
WP Simple Pay – You can collect online payments on your website using this plugin. The best part, you don’t have to set up a shopping cart to sell digital products while using WP Simple Pay.

We hope this article helped you find the most popular digital products to sell online. You may also want to see our guide on low-cost and easy online business ideas that make money and the best email marketing tools to promote your digital products.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 15 Most Popular Digital Products You Can Sell Online in 2023 first appeared on WPBeginner.