How do make a one-time download?

by ishboo

Posted: 14 years ago 7 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

Hi Warriors,

I need some help...

The answer to this question should be relatively easy if you know a little bit about the technical side of this business. So here it goes...

How do I create a download link that once clicked, cannot be clicked or downloaded again by the same person.

OR...

How do I make it so someone may print a coupon from my website (this is a for a local business that I'm doing internet marketing for so the other alternatives won't do) but then cannot technically print it again from my website?

I want them to click the "print now" button and be directed to a different web page automatically.

Any help would be greatly appreciated...I searched all of Google looking for some sort of answer to no avail.

With great thanks,

-Anthony

#download #make #onetime

Rob Thayer 14 years ago

You could do it by checking the user's IP address and storing it in a database once the link has been clicked on, but the problem there is that their IP address may not be static and could be shared among many different users (auto-assigned IPs on DSL connections, for example).

If these people are accessing your site with a username/password, then it would just be a matter of storing a "downloaded" status in a database. Once the file has been downloaded, the status is set. You would query the database to check the status before attempting to display the link; if the status is set, no linkie.

You could also use cookies, but if the user clears out his cookies he'll get the link again.

Or you could get tricky and have them enter a mailing address and mail them the coupon. If the address has been used (store them in a database), they're denied -- "one per household". Of course this can be costly and makes work, but on the flipside the restaurant gets a nice mailing list of their customers that they can market to later.

I'm sure there are a lot of other ways to do it, and probably some simple thing I forgot, but this is a start.
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- ishboo 14 years ago
  
  Thanks a ton for the reply.
  
  But since I'm not a techie...is there any way you could tell me HOW to do it?
  
  I want it to be like the setup rapidfire.com has for their free fial downloads. How do they do that?
  
  -Anthony
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  Steve Diamond 14 years ago
  
  Hi, Anthony.
  
  Rob's ideas are good, but as you saw they're not that simple to implement if you're not a programmer.
  
  There are software packages you could use for this purpose. DLGuard ($127) comes to mind. But it's kind of overkill for what you're asking. On the other hand, by the time you pay someone to write a script to do what you want, you may as well have bought DLGuard. And you'd be able to use it for other useful things as well.
  
  As for printing a coupon, you can keep someone from getting to the coupon page more than once using a script, just as you can keep them from downloading a file more than once using a script. But when they're on the coupon page there's no way you can prevent them from printing a hundred copies if they want. Well, no way without building a licensing server and a rather complex piece of desktop software. Thousands of dollars for that solution.
  
  Sorry I don't have better news.
  
  Steve
  
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mywebwork 14 years ago

Hi Anthony

A service you may want to consider is e-Junkie:

E-junkie Shopping Cart for selling downloads & tangible goods

They will allow you to create one-time (or limited time) downloads, they host the files for you and they automate the entire process, including e-mails and PayPal integration. And they are very inexpensive as well.

Before you sign up with them query Google for a coupon, you can usually get one for a few months free if you do a little searching.

Hope this helps

Bill
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Steve Wells

14 years ago

Originally Posted by ishboo

This:

"Digital Download Delivery Software"

is what I use for my digital downloads, it cost me about $50.00. I can control HOW many downloads a person gets, I also store my files on box.net and link them to this software.

So basically someone goes on my site and purchases from my digital download software PayPal button. This then after they pay sends them to another link ect... I have control over HOW many times they can download, 1, 3, 20, ect....

Steve

Thanks
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rosetrees 14 years ago

A forum member was offering this a few days ago. (Not aff link - not a recommendation as I haven't tried it)
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zoomsixx 11 years ago

Anything new that can be integrated with Wordpress easily? Sorry to bump a 4 y/o thread but this came up on a Google search.
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How do make a one-time download?

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