Securing the download section

[sugarrae]

Ok, so you have a nifty e-book and someone goes to clickbank and purchases it... clickbank leads the purchaser to your thank you page. Do you post the url to download the pdf right there (which assumingly would allow the person to pass along the url to friends, etc and download for free) - is there a better way to handle this (sending via email, expiration of download page).... how do you get your e-books to paying customers without leaving yourself wide open to theft?

[WAHumor]

Darn good question, Rae!

Shortly after I released my ebook, My wife did a search for WAHumor to show her family I actually DID something (nice, huh??) and discovered a site set up to give my ebook away to all comers!

I was thrilled, of course.

I changed the ebook's file name so that the honest customers could still download, but not those scurvy pirates!! Arrrrrrgh...

[Bina Omar]

[healyourself]

What do you do if you are using Pay Pal and the Thank You page is part of your own website?

[dgridley]

One way to stop the sharing of ebooks and other digital products (and coincidentally cut down on someone seeking a refund, then continuing to use the product anyway) is to use a service like Clicklocker.com or a product like PiracyPlug. What Clicklocker (and PiracyPlug) does is allow you to "lock" your digital product and require the purchaser to register at your site to receive the unlocking code. One the product has been activated with the unlocking code, it can then be "tracked" online as it will "call home". If you notice multiple IP's using the same unlocked product code, you can re-lock the product with a single click rendering it useless. You can de-activate products you've issued a refund for as well!

[Bonnie Lowe]

All good ideas.

But there's another aspect you might want to consider. LET PEOPLE "STEAL" YOUR STUFF.

Use your ebook to (1) promote your site; (2) get people to sign up to your list; (3) sell more of your products; (4) sell affiliate products.

Why settle for the few bucks for the price of the ebook, when you can get so much more if your ebook is intrinsically designed to market every aspect of your site/business?

Your most valuable commodity is not your product, or even the money people pay for that product -- it's your customers. Whether they become your customers through buying your ebook honestly at full price, or by "borrowing" the ebook from someone else -- the end result is that you have MORE customers who will give you far greater long-term benefits than the one-time buyer.

Think long-term growth vs. short-term profits.

[dgridley]

[affiliates]

I haven't used them - - but know they've been around for a few years. I had an account update email recently which prompted me to revisit.

I'm considering selling an ebook and wondered if this would be a good way to go or stick to ClickBank?

[CorpRebel]