# Creating a online digital download website



## gsilbers (Jan 21, 2016)

I'd like to see what options there out there to setup a shop. It would be for art work or synth patches.
I used wordpress before and I made my website with wordpress with a developer.

but I was wondering if there was another alternatives that are cost effective on the hosting and developing side? squarespace maybe?


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## C.R. Rivera (Jan 21, 2016)

Have a look at Wix.com, and depending on how much space you need, you can get a low cost website.
Homestead.com also was good very early on, but I got grandfathered years ago on the free site.

Cheers

Carlos


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## geoffreyvernon (Jan 21, 2016)

Wordpress and Woo-commerce is a great way to do things! I have my website set up with a Wordpress.org installation and woo-commerce. It allows me to sell digital downloads of the scores I've done, so I'm guessing it would work perfect for what you're wanting to do!


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## d.healey (Jan 21, 2016)

Yep wordpress and woocommerce - or if you're not so tech savvy or don't want to deal with EU VAT wordpress and gumroad.


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## SpeakPianissimoAndCarry.. (Jan 21, 2016)

This is the future for non-tech people to design and maintain their own website. The editor is browser based. You can drag photos right from Photoshop onto the web page in the browser. Drag 5 files of different types at the same time into the browser, then resize, drag them around until it looks the way you want. Watch the video on this page.

https://www.pagecloud.com/


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## mc_deli (Jan 21, 2016)

SpeakPianissimoAndCarry.. said:


> This is the future for non-tech people to design and maintain their own website. The editor is browser based. You can drag photos right from Photoshop onto the web page in the browser. Drag 5 files of different types at the same time into the browser, then resize, drag them around until it looks the way you want. Watch the video on this page.
> 
> https://www.pagecloud.com/


24 a month to part of what looks like a beta?


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## SpeakPianissimoAndCarry.. (Jan 21, 2016)

mc_deli said:


> 24 a month to part of what looks like a beta?



Yeah, that's why I said "future". They will have competition soon and the price will drop. It does not help @gsilbers now, I just think the tech is cool.


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## mc_deli (Jan 21, 2016)

<off topic> it might be cool but they are probably burning through 250k a month and the current stock swipe might see them bottom out before you can type #nocashforuseracquisition


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## Arnel007 (Jan 21, 2016)

Take a look on those sites if you want a complete panorama and choices. You can see comparisons, pros and cons, price and more info of each site and help you to decide, depending on your needs.

http://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/ecommerce-website-builder/
http://superbwebsitebuilders.com/

Blessings!


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## Guffy (Jan 21, 2016)

If you purchase a good wordpress template, you sometimes get the option to edit the website almost like you would with a browser-based one (VisualComposer).

What about wordpress + fastspring?


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## SpeakPianissimoAndCarry.. (Jan 21, 2016)

mc_deli said:


> <off topic> it might be cool but they are probably burning through 250k a month and the current stock swipe might see them bottom out before you can type #nocashforuseracquisition



<way off topic> Good point Mick (one mick to another). For that you get a 50% off coupon for a McGluck burger. ☺


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## bupper (Jan 22, 2016)

Wordpress is really the only way to got without spending a lot. Wix etc always look very unprofessional to me


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## gsilbers (Jan 22, 2016)

thanks guys.

so how much are you guys paying to make a wordpress page with woocomerce?
or are you guys making it yourself?


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## d.healey (Jan 22, 2016)

gsilbers said:


> thanks guys.
> 
> so how much are you guys paying to make a wordpress page with woocomerce?
> or are you guys making yourself?



I used a woothemes template and a bunch of plugins, some free, some premium. I probably spent around £300. I have separate web hosting and keep most of my media on Amazon S3


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## gsilbers (Jan 22, 2016)

that's cool.
I think I might go the same way.

I also saw uKit.com. not sure if it does file download shop. anyone tried it?


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## d.healey (Jan 22, 2016)

gsilbers said:


> that's cool.
> I think I might go the same way.


Let me know if you want some plugin recommendations for certain tasks


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## gsilbers (Jan 22, 2016)

that'd be great!
im checking out the woocommerce plugins. maybe use a digital downloads WP theme.
having it made is raging from $800 to $4000. so ill have to learn... or learn.


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## d.healey (Jan 22, 2016)

gsilbers said:


> that'd be great!
> im checking out the woocommerce plugins. maybe use a digital downloads WP theme.
> having it made is raging from $800 to $4000. so ill have to learn... or learn.


It's quite easy, I spent about week putting mine together having never used wordpress before (although I have an extensive web dev background). I'm using the storefront theme with some add ons


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## gsilbers (Feb 16, 2016)

how about services like shopify.com or squarespace.com?


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## sig-ex (Feb 16, 2016)

Also consider at Zoho options. www.zoho.com/sites

They have cheaper services and are generous on bandwidth and storage. You'll most likely end up using zoho for custom domain email anyway since gmail for business is no longer free.


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## jblongz (Aug 14, 2022)

Wordpress with the EasyDitigalDownloads or WooCommerce plug-ins are the best cost effective way to run a download store. Your next best option is Shopify. 

I’ve tried all but preferred to work on a custom version using DJango CMS…which cost more time/money. 

Start with Wordpress while considering something custom and get a script done to migrate the database and content. Unless you experience security issues, you’ll likely be comfortable with said plugins. 

You only need to pay the first year of premium subscription for WooCommerce or EasyDigitalDownloads extentions like stripe pro, Amazon S3, product listing customizations, etc (they are relevant to your usecase). After that they’ll still work but not get updates or support.


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## Jdiggity1 (Aug 14, 2022)

Shopify is gaining traction these days and more stores appear to be jumping across to it from Wordpress.
Otherwise, Wordpress + Woocommerce is probably still the dominant one (and my default combo).


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## pulsedownloader (Aug 14, 2022)

The Most Popular eCommerce Store Platforms for Selling Sample Libraries & Plugins - Pulse Downloader


So you've created a sample library, sample pack or plugin and now you want to sell it, but where do you start? The first steps in creating your online store can seem daunting - what platform should you use, how much will it cost, what is the best platform, what functionality will you need etc.?




pulsedownloader.com


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## PeterKorcek (Aug 14, 2022)

Jdiggity1 said:


> Shopify is gaining traction these days and more stores appear to be jumping across to it from Wordpress.
> Otherwise, Wordpress + Woocommerce is probably still the dominant one (and my default combo).


That is my combo as well (for selling digital content) - had EDD before, but the customisation and extensions are more prevalent in WC, and I have several websites.


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## timprebble (Aug 14, 2022)

Wordpress + Woocommerce for me too. If choosing a theme make sure it is actively developed and maintained.

While researching, its worth exploring any current/reference sites that you like the functionality of via tools like BuiltWith - then you can see what platform, theme, plugins etc are being used






BuiltWith Technology Lookup


Web technology information profiler tool. Find out what a website is built with.




builtwith.com


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## Thomas Costantino (Aug 14, 2022)

Darren Wilson has a phenomenal YouTube channel on Wordpress. You can learn a ton. He also analyzed many web builders and explains why Wordpress remains the best, even for beginners. His content could easily be formed into a $5,000 course. Take advantage of it.

If you choose Wordpress, your hosting company is the first decision you need to make! Do not start building a site without one. Your hosting company will handle access to log into Wordpress. Steer clear of GoDaddy and BlueHost. NameHero is a great option. Look at Wilson’s video on hosting.

The plus side to learning Wordpress and Woo Commerce is that there’s a plethora of plugs and advanced templates for flexibility and expansion. Other options will box you in. The down side is that there’s no in house customer service, so you have to resort to forums or savy programmers for help. Fortunately ( if you use a well known template from a credible designer ) there will be plenty of community support. I highly recommend dishing out $30 - 100 for a sharp template. Just search for the top Wordpress template marketplaces. As some mentioned above, most templates now have a massive amount of customization without editing any code.

Slider Revolution is the best tool ever created. You can visually design most of the site with it.

Good luck.


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## [email protected] (Aug 14, 2022)

limen said:


> Thanks for the info. Maybe someone can also share some newer sources.


It depends a bit on how much work you want to do, on web design, and on the ongoing administration of the business side of the shop. The web design part is fairly easy nowadays, with plenty of do-it-yourself options requiring minimal if any coding and such like. This is especially the case if you don't need to integrate your shop fully into your website.

If you want the minimum of on-going shop administration you could check out Fast Spring. They manage everything: downloading, payments and (importantly) taxes. You simply connect your bank account, and they make payments into it. You don't need a separate payments provider, and they provide an online shop that can be customised to match your website design. You can also embed store elements into your website.

Given the difficulty of marketing and getting sales you need to consider the possibility that you might not get many sales, at least for a while. Fast Spring has a free option, where you can set up your shop, and they only charge you if you get sales. With this option you pay somewhere around 10%, as far as I can tell (they're a bit coy about giving out this information). If you start getting lots of sales, and you think this will be ongoing, you can upgrade to a paid plan where you pay a set amount per month, plus a reduced percentage on sales.

Fast Spring has a few limitations, which might not be relevant in your case. They only do digital products, not physical items. Their default option requires that people buying products download them in seven days, however, for about US$1.50 they can get a one-year download period on an order.

Depending on how much time you want to spend on admin and additional options they also have a variety of third-party integrations.


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## PeterKorcek (Aug 15, 2022)

Thomas Costantino said:


> Darren Wilson has a phenomenal YouTube channel on Wordpress. You can learn a ton. He also analyzed many web builders and explains why Wordpress remains the best, even for beginners. His content could easily be formed into a $5,000 course. Take advantage of it.
> 
> If you choose Wordpress, your hosting company is the first decision you need to make! Do not start building a site without one. Your hosting company will handle access to log into Wordpress. Steer clear of GoDaddy and BlueHost. NameHero is a great option. Look at Wilson’s video on hosting.
> 
> The plus side to learning Wordpress and Woo Commerce is that there’s a plethora of plugs and advanced templates for flexibility and expansion. Other options will box you in. The down side is that there’s no in house customer service, so you have to resort to forums or savy programmers for help. Fortunately ( if you use a well known template from a credible designer ) there will be plenty of community support. I highly recommend dishing out $30 - 100 for a sharp template. Just search for the top Wordpress template marketplaces. As some mentioned above, most templates now have a massive amount of customization without editing any code.


For Wordpress themes, I highly recommend Kadence and GeneratePress that have Site library with ready made nice templates. For hosting I use Kinsta (more on the expensive side unfortunately, but it works great and I manage several demanding sites). The real benefit of Wordpress is the extensibility and customisation. I have another site in Wix, but going to migrate to Wordpress, because the editing and final result are subpar and there are big limitations compared to high-quality themes and some work on Wordpress side. To me, Wordpress lets me breathe and things like Wix cause me tachycardia when I have to do something in there.


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## d.healey (Aug 25, 2022)

grabien said:


> Which one is easier to use for a technical dummy : Wix or Word Press?


It depends on the dummy. Start with Wordpress, if it's no good for you try Wix.


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## [email protected] (Aug 25, 2022)

grabien said:


> Which one is easier to use for a technical dummy : Wix or Word Press?


Another possibility is Jimdo. They have a fairly simple drag and drop option that might suit a beginner, and probably the best free options I've come across. Their selection of templates is a bit limited compared to Wordpress and Wix.

However, there is one important thing to be aware of before you visit their site: they have two completely different platforms, Dolphin and Creator. Their default is Dolphin (though they seem to have dropped that terminology now). It is an auto-create process where you input your preferences and it will automatically create a site for you. I prefer Creator, but you might struggle to find a reference to it on their site, as they are trying to channel everyone to their auto option.

The link to the Creator option is https://www.jimdo.com/creator/. You can set up a free site (or many), with quite generous features, which can give you the chance to experiment and see if it is what you want. If it doesn't suit you can just delete it. (NB. If you set up a free 'Dolphin' site you can't delete it yourself but would have to contact their support department.)

EDIT: I just checked the Jimdo site and found they have changed it to make it a bit more confusing. When on the Creator page the links at the top take you to information for Dolphin. For example, to find the Pricing Options for Creator you would have to go to: https://www.jimdo.com/pricing/creator/. To be honest I'm starting to have second thoughts about recommending Jimdo. Not because of the quality of the sites but because if you're a beginner it might just get too confusing trying to follow their website when trying to find out what you're doing. Anyway, good luck.


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