How to add downloadable files to my site (such as eBooks)

[alisonf1972]

Hi all

I really don't know where I should be asking this, but someone mentioned I needed to know about PHP to do this, so here I am

Basically, I would like for my web site visitors to be able to download eBooks directly from my site AFTER they have paid for them, rather than me having to emai once I have received payment notification, so this raises two issues:
1. How to I enable my customers to download .pdf and .exe's direct from my site?
2. How do I protect my downloads to ensure payment has been received BEFORE the customer downloads them?

Thanks in advance

Ali

[Webforumz Staff]

You don't necessarily need to know about PHP to do this, but you certainly need some sort of server side language like perl, php, asp, jsp, etc.

Unfortunately this isn't the sort of thing you can just pick up! Nor is it something easy to do. I would suggest you contact a web developer or web development studio and find out how much it would cost for this sort of thing to be created - that is assuming that you can afford it. Learning the necessary code in order to do this would not be easy.

In terms of enabling visitors to download PDFs and EXEs, simply link to them... it is that simple!

To ensure that payment has been received, the most common way to do this is to use a serial number of some kind or instead an account area where users can download things they have purchased.

You can store files in locations not accessible to web users, and use a script to enable the user to access that file once they have paid.

Of course the issue of payment is still a problem - There are many online services designed to allow users to pay for goods on other sites, but you're after a bespoke solution as far as I can see...

[alisonf1972]

Thanks for the quick reply Karl, you're a sweeite
I don't have money to invest in web design and that kinda thing so I guess I'll carry on emailing my eBooks for now (and give myself a crash course in what to do next lol)

Thanks again

Ali