Sell your downloads: 4 download managers compared


PayPal is great when you’re selling goods online.

You just open an account, and start using their buttons and shopping cart, and ship your items.

But what if you’re offering downloadable goods? Then you need a system that manages how buyers copy your file to their computer. A download manager is part of this process.

The download manager gives your buyer the means to download your product easily, while keeping out people who haven’t paid for your item. PayPal by itself can’t do that.

Even if your time or computer skills are limited, setting up a download manager isn’t as scary as it sounds. Here are 4 options I just researched for a client. While Payloadz and 1Automationwiz are the most popular I know, I’m most eager to try Softseller. The pricing is cost-effective; you get to host your own materials (I like that control) and the online demo shows beyond doubt how easy, easy, easy it’s going to feel to your customers.

Note: I have not personally implemented any of these yet.

Without further ado:

4 Download Managers to use with PayPal:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1Automationwiz $99/mo for Digital Delivery Sofware module, part of their Pro Package
 Create and upload your product to their server; buyer gets download links that are viable for 24 hours Pro: easy to use and setup; no technical expertise needed; includes autoresponders, shopping cart, other payment gateways
 Con: File size limit is 4MB; monthly fee

easybe

$68 to buy the software

You control the whole system: the download manager runs on your server, you store the files.

Transaction fees go to Paypal, which is Easybe’s payment processor

Pro: You store your own items on your server; no additional monthly charge; all file formats supported

Con: you need technical skill to install and configure the PHP script, or have someone install it for you

Payloadz

Free at starter level

15% transaction fee; free acct gives you 1GB storage, transaction limit of $100; next level up is $15/mo, for 10 GB storage and $250 transaction limit

Pro: easy to manage store your items on their server and pay a transaction fee

Con: cost of transaction fee on top of PayPal’s transaction fee; transaction limits forces a price cap on your products

Softseller

$0.25 per transaction, prepaid in blocks of $12.50

You store your own files on your server; orders go through their server for security

works with any file type;

Pro: First 5 orders free; works with affiliates

No additional monthly fees

very cost-effective;

Con: if you have a lot of transactions, you have to prepay more fees.

Popularity: 3% [?]

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June 17th, 2008
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Reader Comments

Comment Number:
1
Written by:
Rob Boshaw
Posted on:
July 28, 2008 at 12:59 pm

After eBay banned the sale of digital downloads, I was forced to put our business on hold and develop a new website to sell our printable day planners.

SoftSeller looks like it will fit the bill nicely.

Thanks a million!

Comment Number:
2
Written by:
admin
Posted on:
July 28, 2008 at 1:51 pm

Rob –
Thanks for the comment. Tell us how it goes with Softseller. I’m starting up with it now. I’ll post results here.

Joanne

Comment Number:
3
Written by:
Rob Boshaw
Posted on:
September 6, 2008 at 9:02 am

I’ve got our new site up and running at http://www.itisamatteroftime.com , but alas, we have yet to make a sale… Folks are usually looking to refill their planners in November / December.

When I was programming the PayPal buttons on SoftSeller’s site, I looked long and hard at the code to make sure all the i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed. The tests worked out fine, but I’m going to check with PayPal to make sure.

*******************

Aha! Thanks for the heads-up. I’ve just checked my PayPal profile and made the changes.

Go to PayPal –> Login –> My Account –> Profile –> Website Payment Preferences
Select Auto Return to “On”
Enter the URL: http://softseller.com/cgi-bin/odbic.exe/ss/odb/SSReturn.odb
It looks like that should do it. Let me know how it turns out for you.

Did you read SoftSeller’s FAQ page? It looks like you may find your answers there.

All the best,

Rob

Comment Number:
4
Written by:
Rob Boshaw
Posted on:
September 7, 2008 at 10:46 pm

Hi Joanne,

I just wanted to let you know we sold our first printable planner refill pages today from our website, and the SoftSeller delivery happened smoothly. Here’s the feedback from the purchaser:

“Hi Rob,
The whole process was pretty effortless! You’ve made it simple for the consumer. Thanks! The planner pages look great!”

Comment Number:
5
Written by:
Joanne Masterson
Posted on:
September 8, 2008 at 10:58 am

To fill you all in –
I have yet to make a successful test sale with Softseller.

Here is my test: I use a private — real — PayPal account to buy a downloadable product, using buttons provided by the SoftSeller wizard. I pay using the balance of this real PayPal account. SoftSeller returns the error:

[Softseller]Cannot Immediately Process This Order
The necessary order information was not returned from PayPal to this page.
Possible reason: The “Auto Return” option is not set to “On”
in the PayPal account (“Website Payment Preferences” profile page).

Yes, you guessed it — “Auto Return” is already set to to ON in PayPal, as directed in SoftSeller’s FAQ. Whether “Auto Return” is ON or OFF in the seller’s PayPal profile doesn’t matter — SoftSeller still fails to deliver my product.

To give SoftSeller their due, they did agree to look into the problem. However, this was after they admitted knowing about the problem, not knowing the solution, and continuing to sell the product anyway with the issue unresolved (!!!))

Here’s verbatim from the first reply from support staff;
There have been a few merchants that have had that problem before, but
I’m afraid I don’t know what causes it.

I advised them to join PayPal’s Developer’s forum to work it out. (Yes, I had to tell them how to get started fixing their own product.)

I’ll give SoftSeller a few more days to sort things out.

Meanwhile, let’s see what unfolds.

Good luck to you, Rob and readers

– Joanne

Comment Number:
6
Written by:
admin
Posted on:
October 23, 2008 at 9:00 am

Okay,
It works!

After a few days of back-and-forth with the developer at SoftSeller, we have a working digital product seller at http://www.musicandgames4u.com/play-along.html

I can say this in SoftSeller’s favor: It should work. If it doesn’t, and you can muscle through their support, they will see you through.

Good luck everyone — Joanne

Comment Number:
7
Written by:
Louise Lacey
Posted on:
March 1, 2009 at 5:31 pm

I have been using Softseller for several years and they work fine. So I have another website and would like them to handle it, too. But there are two related problems:

My new computer goes off line “in order to save energy” when I am not using it, so what happens when a customer can’t get to my computer?

I wrote to them a week ago and they haven’t answered me!

Louise

Comment Number:
8
Written by:
admin
Posted on:
March 9, 2009 at 12:54 pm

Louise –
I’m wondering when you say “my computer” do you mean your personal computer? With Softseller, your downloads are stored on your web host. Your host should keep your site and server up all the time.

Your own personal computer should not be part of the customer equation this way.

Hope this helps
– Joanne

Comment Number:
9
Written by:
Lincoln32
Posted on:
April 19, 2010 at 5:25 pm

Instead of selling your downloads on a site that takes a cut, you could have your own site to sell downloadable files of any type. MadBeeTech at http://www.madbeetech.com includes a site builder that makes it fast and easy to set up your own site that includes support for fully automated digital download selling. Buyers end up at your PayPal page, so their money goes right into your PayPal account. No middleman! Works great for me…

Comment Number:
10
Written by:
Joanne Masterson
Posted on:
April 19, 2010 at 8:16 pm

Hey Lincoln32 — you are so right to point out ways to have your own site and eliminate the middle man from the download process. Many WordPress plugins help you with this — like eshop. I even use eshop on client websites to deliver their downloads, and take orders for traditional real goods too. Thanks for your comment.