14 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
14 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

How do you protect your pdfs and membership area

by TheWebGuy
11 replies
Hi Warriors!

So I use clickbank for a few smaller products I created ...and I use to just link to an open page where customers could download the pdfs after their purchase.

However, my products contain several .pdfs and we regularly update them. We do this to provide more value and to prevent immediate returns (b/c the customers appreciate the updates)...

However, I noticed a lot of people out there just linking people to my download page so I began setting up my members area using DAP (which is great). However, I think it may be more than what I need and it's eating up too much of my time setting this up and maintaining it.

I wanted to use a membership script like that to help prevent people from stealing my stuff ...and so I could regularly update the member's area....but it's just adding more work.

Do you guys have any other ideas on simple ways to protect your .pdfs/member's area and also provide regular updates to prevent returns?

Thanks a lot! I'd really appreciate your advice.
#area #membership #pdfs #protect
  • Profile picture of the author Deji
    You can't just create a download page to your product with links to download your product. Why? Because anyone that knows what he is doing will be able to get your product for free that way. All such a person needs to know is your URL or the name of your product. Clickbank does not offer download protection for your products. Therefore you have to do this yourself. There are many providers that offer this service. I recommend you use E-junkie Shopping Cart for selling downloads & tangible goods (not an affiliate link). It costs just $5 per month and also provides secure and expiring download links. Others include UploadnSell, Paydotcom, Payloadz and Ebookbay.
    Signature
    Paypal Limited? Get The Definitive Guide To Unlocking Your Paypal Account
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5690269].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Flores
    If you are using wordpress, I would use the s2member plugin. The basic version is free, and it has the functionality of protecting pages and/or downloadable content (requiring membership) that you are looking for. In order to utilize it, you need Filezilla or something to put the files up on the site in the special protected content section the plugin offers. They show you how to do this I am no tech guy, and I was able to navigate it.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5691186].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author fpdeziner
    I would suggest you to use WPMemberChamp. Its fast, easy and not more costly...
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5719119].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Protecting the download page isn't the same as protecting the PDF.

      One of the things that matter with a PDF is whether people can freely circulate it to others, including uploading it to black hat and torrent sites.

      An easy way to prevent (or at least strongly discourage and effectively very nearly prevent) that from happening is to use e-Junkie as the distribution-method for PDF's. It's terribly cheap to use, and you can elect to have the recipient's name and transaction details stamped automatically on each page of his copy of the PDF before he gets access to it.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5719625].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        An easy way to prevent (or at least strongly discourage and effectively very nearly prevent) that from happening is to use e-Junkie as the distribution-method for PDF's. It's terribly cheap to use, and you can elect to have the recipient's name and transaction details stamped automatically on each page of his copy of the PDF before he gets access to it.
        This is definitely one of the best solutions Ive heard of in terms of protecting content.

        Only questions is though...

        What to do once you've found its been freely distributed. Because of course, you'll know exactly who the culprit is.

        Concrete shoes?
        Signature

        BS free SEO services, training and advice - SEO Point

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5719654].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
          Banned
          Originally Posted by John Romaine View Post

          This is definitely one of the best solutions Ive heard of in terms of protecting content.
          Only questions is though...
          What to do once you've found its been freely distributed. Because of course, you'll know exactly who the culprit is.
          Concrete shoes?
          Yes indeed ... well, as my lawyer says: "It's time to bang in a summons and see what effect it has, unless of course you'd rather just send Luigi and the boys round to re-educate these people ..."
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5727047].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author AppsFromHome
    I have spent way to much time trying to safeguard content only to find it all over the web anyway....I'd at least like to know the analytics and download numbers!

    I like to keep content easily accessible to the people who have invested in it without jumping through hoops with registrations and logins, but this still won't prevent distribution.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5727118].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Dawn Wise
    Lots of Clickbank marketers use DLGuard to protect their products. I also like the idea of printing some of the customers personal information on a PDF.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5727974].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Carlton Johnson
    I used to use E-junkie a lot about 2 years ago and never had any problems with them but I tried them again recently, and I tested a transaction with them by making a payment to myself for a product through a different paypal addresss and it took them a few hours to authorize it so if I was the customer I would have been pissed because they should have been redirected straight to the download page.

    by the sounds of it, because others still seem to love them, it might have been something I was doing wrong.

    You have been given some great advice about what do to to protect your pdf's and membership area.

    All I want to add is that with things like pdf's you should assume that they will be stolen and distributed. I know that is not what you want to hear, but what I mean is that you should plan for the worst and therefore make sure you have your website address and other methods of branding all over it so that people might come to you anyway.

    Another thing I have seen that might work well is that someone put in one of their pdf's that if they didn't get the pdf from "thisismywebsite.com" then it has been stolen and passed on to them illegally. Then they said to contact them and make them aware of where they got it from because a reward may be offer.

    I liked that approach also.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5728063].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
      Originally Posted by StreetBacon View Post

      WPMemberChamp. Easy, fast and not too expensive for what you can do with it.
      or even WP filelock. Depends on how complicated your membership site is.
      Signature

      "May I have ten thousand marbles, please?"

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[5728157].message }}

Trending Topics