Learn how to Add E-book Downloads in WordPress

  • January 3, 2023
  • elkenz
  • 9 min read

Do you need to add e book downloads to your WordPress website?

WordPress makes it simple so that you can add your e book information in PDF format and make them out there for obtain. It’s also possible to promote ebooks or use them to get extra electronic mail subscribers.

On this article, we’ll present you methods to add e book downloads in WordPress in addition to methods to take advantage of out of your ebooks.

How to add ebook downloads in WordPress

We’ll cowl a number of completely different strategies, so merely click on the hyperlinks beneath to leap to the part you want:

Methodology 1. Direct E-book Downloads in WordPress Posts

With this technique, you may provide your e book as a free obtain utilizing the WordPress File block. This block may even show your e book’s content material instantly within the WordPress put up or web page. 

First you should edit the put up or web page the place you need to add your e book obtain. You’ll be able to then discover the spot the place you need to show your e book, and click on on the + icon so as to add a brand new block.

Within the popup that seems, sort File to seek out the proper block.

add file block and click on media library

When you click on on the File block, it’s going to add the block to your web page.

Within the File block, click on on the Media Library button, and a popup will seem.

upload file to the media library

Now you can choose your e book file, or drag and drop the file to add it.

By default, the File block shows your e book’s contents in a small PDF viewer.

It additionally has controls that guests can use to scroll by means of your e book, obtain the file, and even print your e book.

WordPress' embedded PDF viewer

Generally, it’s possible you’ll not need to show a preview. For instance, your e book could span plenty of pages or have photographs that you really want guests to see fullscreen. 

Should you don’t need to embrace a preview, then you’ll find the PDF settings in the proper sidebar of the content material editor. You’ll be able to then click on to broaden this part, and switch off the ‘Present inline embed’ slider. 

Customizing the WordPress File block

WordPress will now take away the preview, and show solely a Obtain button and a hyperlink. 

Guests can obtain this file to their native pc by clicking on the blue Obtain button, or open this e book in a brand new tab, by clicking on the hyperlink.

Should you choose, you may take away the Obtain button. To take away it, first click on on the ‘Obtain button settings’ part within the WordPress sidebar.

You’ll be able to then click on on the ‘Present obtain button’ slider to show this setting off.

The 'Download button settings'

With out the obtain button, guests can nonetheless obtain the file manually, however they must launch your e book in a brand new tab first to seek out the obtain choice.

As you’re making modifications to your File block, you may see the way it will seem to guests by clicking on the Preview button on the high of the display. 

When you’re completely happy together with your File block, it’s possible you’ll need to add extra blocks. For instance, you would possibly write some supporting textual content or add a call-to-action button to encourage guests to obtain your e book.

How to create an ebook marketing page

Once you’re prepared, don’t overlook to make your modifications dwell by clicking on the Replace or Publish button on the high of the display. 

That’s it! You’ve got now efficiently added your e book obtain right into a WordPress put up. Now you can go to your web site to see it in motion. 

Notice: Need your guests to have the ability to seek for your e book’s contents in your web site? WordPress doesn’t do that by default, so we wrote a information on methods to add PDF indexing and search in WordPress.

Methodology 2. Use E-book Downloads to Get Extra Subscribers

Importing your e book utilizing the File block is a simple option to provide nice content material without cost.

Nevertheless, when you’re utilizing your e book to develop your electronic mail listing or seize leads, then you definitely’ll need to be certain that your guests can’t entry the e book till they share their electronic mail handle.

To set that up, you’ll want OptinMonster. It’s the very best lead technology plugin for WordPress.

Utilizing this plugin, you may create high-converting choose in kinds with out hiring a developer. We apply it to WPBeginner and have elevated our conversions by over 600% with this plugin alone.

OptinMonster additionally comes with plenty of ready-made templates that you should use to create high-converting popups.

OptinMonster's template library

You need to use these popups to ask guests to carry out an motion earlier than sending them to the e book obtain. This advertising and marketing approach is typically known as providing lead magnets.

Principally, you provide free bonus content material to your guests in return for a small motion like signing as much as your mailing listing.

An ebook popup, created using OptinMonster

It’s a win win for each events. You get a brand new lead or subscriber, and your customers get a free e book.

For detailed directions, see our step-by-step information on methods to add content material upgrades in WordPress.

Methodology 3. Promote E-book Downloads in WordPress Utilizing Simple Digital Downloads

There are many other ways to earn cash out of your WordPress web site. One choice is to promote digital merchandise, corresponding to ebooks.

To promote ebooks, you’ll want a plugin.

We advocate Simple Digital Downloads, top-of-the-line eCommerce WordPress plugins. This newbie pleasant plugin makes it tremendous simple to promote any sort of digital product together with ebooks.

First, you’ll want to put in and activate the Simple Digital Downloads plugin. You’ll be able to observe our tutorial on methods to set up a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, the primary activity is including your e book as a brand new product. To get began, head over to Downloads » Add New

On this web page, sort a reputation in your e book into the ‘Enter obtain title right here’ discipline. This can often be the e book’s title, however it may be something that you really want. 

Adding a download to Easy Digital Downloads

Subsequent, sort an outline in your e book into the primary part of the put up editor. This might be a gross sales pitch that you just’ve written to advertise your e book, otherwise you would possibly use the e book’s blurb or abstract.

To assist guests uncover your e book, it’s possible you’ll need to create some classes and tags. You’ll be able to add this data within the Obtain Classes and Obtain Tags sections.

Creating categories and drafts in Easy Digital Downloads

After that, scroll right down to the Obtain Costs part.

Right here you may set a value in your e book.

How to add ebooks in WordPress

Simple Digital Downloads additionally helps variable pricing. You would possibly use variable pricing to promote different merchandise alongside your e book. For instance, you possibly can give prospects the choice to economize by preordering your subsequent e book on the similar time.

If you wish to provide variable pricing, then choose the ‘Allow variable pricing’ checkbox. This provides a brand new part the place you may set your completely different costs.

Creating variable pricing for an ebook in WordPress

Subsequent, you should add your downloadable file. That is the e book that your prospects will buy.

To do that, scroll to the Obtain Recordsdata part.

Easy Digital Download's download file settings

Within the File Title discipline, sort a reputation in your downloadable file. You’ll be able to then click on on Add a file.

This can launch the WordPress media library the place you may add or choose a e book.

The ultimate step is including an attention-grabbing product picture. This will help catch the customer’s consideration, and encourage them to purchase your e book.

For ebooks, you’ll usually need to use the e book’s entrance cowl as your product picture. You’ll be able to simply create a professional-looking cowl utilizing net design software program corresponding to Canva.

So as to add a product picture, scroll to the Obtain Picture part.

Adding a product image for your ebook in WordPress

You’ll be able to then click on on the ‘Set Obtain Picture’ hyperlink. This launches the WordPress media library.

After selecting a picture, there are some extra settings that you could be need to discover. Nevertheless, that is all you should do with a purpose to create a downloadable e book.

To see how your e book will seem in your web site, you may click on on the Preview button. Once you’re able to publish your product, merely click on on the Publish button.

By default, Simple Digital Downloads publishes your e book as a brand new web page. Your objective is to drive site visitors to this webpage.

This would possibly imply including this product web page to your web site’s menu. You may also hyperlink to it from completely different areas of your web site, corresponding to a weblog put up or announcement bar.

To do that, you’ll have to know the product web page’s URL. You’ll discover this data simply beneath the product’s title.

The download link for an Easy Digital Downloads product

Another choice is including the product’s Buy Shortcode to a web page, put up, or widget.

This code creates a Buy button. 

A Purchase Shortcode for a downloadable ebook in WordPress

Every time a customer clicks on this button, it’ll add the e book to their buying cart.

The Buy button will then change to a Checkout button.

The Easy Digital Downloads checkout button

Clicking on this button will take the patron to the Simple Digital Obtain checkout web page. This makes the Buy Shortcode a good way to encourage gross sales from any space of your web site.

So as to add a Buy button to any web page, put up, or widget, scroll to the e book’s Obtain Settings part. You’ll be able to then copy the Buy Shortcode.

How to add ebook downloads in WordPress, using Easy Digital Downloads

For extra particulars on methods to place the shortcode, you may see our information on methods to add a shortcode in WordPress.

We hope this text helped you discover ways to add e book downloads in WordPress. You may additionally need to see our listing of 9 greatest PDF plugins for WordPress, and methods to create a touchdown web page with WordPress.

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