LESSON #54: Creating Payment Buttons and Thank-You Pages

By | December 9, 2009

In the previous lesson we looked at online payment solutions, so hopefully you’ve chosen at least one method for receiving payments.

Today we’re going to get into the nitty gritty details of exactly how to sell a downloadable product online and deliver it to your customer…

(Watch this video…)

Join my coaching club

Main points:

  • Simple payment button (best for single item) vs. Shopping cart (best for multiple items)

  • Shopping carts are not necessary for most simple infoproduct businesses. However, they are useful for multiple products, and for using in conjunction with a merchant account.

    Some online shopping cart solutions…

    PayPal shopping cart
    Infusionsoft – Integrated solution for marketers
    1Shoppingcart – Another popular integrated solution.
    OScommerce – free open source solution
    Cubecart – (the older version is free)
    WordPress e-commerce plugin

  • Create your thank-you page BEFORE you create your payment button.

  • Elements of a thank-you page:

    – Thank them for the purchase, affirm their choice.
    – Remind them of the charge on their credit card statement.
    – Provide contact/support information.
    – Educate them with instructions for downloading and using the product.
    – Give the download link… big and bold.
    – Advanced tip: Monetize your thank-you page with unadvertised bonuses (Not too many, 1 to 3 is usually ideal).

  • Delivering the product…

    – Zip files are usually ideal.
    – Try to keep zip files under 50MB each.

  • Some meta-tags to include in the head of your thank-you page HTML code:


  • Always test your download links.

  • See video for demo of making payment button…

    Three variations…
    -Paypal hosted button
    -Your own button
    -text link

    Split testing has shown it’s often best to use a payment button AND text link in your order area.

  • ClickBank is my preferred solution for selling digital products, mostly because if the popularity of its affiliate program.

    (See video for ClickBank demo)

  • Always test your payment links.

  • Ways to protect your download pages and files…

    1) Leave it unprotected but try to hide it. I often do this for products under $100, because it’s the quickest, and also results in less support requests.

    2) Make a password protected area using your hosting control panel. Email the username and password to your customers. Fairly easy, but may delay the product fulfillment.

    3) Use a membership site script. See lesson #32 for all the details.

    4) Use a specialized download protection script. I recommend DLGuard

    Action steps:

    1) Make a thank-you page
    2) Make a payment button and/or link

    In the next lesson, we’ll talk about upsells and how to create a “one time offer”.

    As always, you are welcome to post your questions and comments below.

    Have a great day!

  • 123 thoughts on “LESSON #54: Creating Payment Buttons and Thank-You Pages

    1. Jason James

      Eric,

      Ive been watching you videos for a while.. I’m kinda shocked you are giving away all this video training for free! There’s $2,000 home study courses out there with inferior content… I dont think the word overdeliver quite says what you are doing here. Amazing work.. you are a role model for the entire internet marketing community. Keep up the good work.. you are one of the very few newsletters I stay subscribed to. God bless!

      ~JJ

      Reply
    2. Luca Di Nicola

      Hey Eric,
      Best lesson yet. There are so may nuggets here that I’ll need to watch it at least a few more times. I love the way you say I’ll pause the video for a “few” minutes while I make these changes. One of my hurdles is editing html pages, I’ve gotten a lot better at it but I still stress a litlle when doing it. Thanks for the download hiding code – that will help.

      I’m not good with notepad so I use Microsoft Expression Web – it came with the used laptop I bought. I find it easier to find the areas to edit. I know that there are free html editors as well.

      I’m using paypal at the moment but want to look at some of your other suggestions. A membership site is in the plans but probably not for a year or so. Clickbank looks like a good fit for me at this time especially with the affiliate feature built in.

      I know I’ve asked before but please refresh my memory: is the price per product and does that allow you to have affiliates.

      Thanks again – loved this one

      Reply
    3. Robbo

      Hi Eric and Team,
      Great lesson again, thankyou.
      It is a 104 degrees here, in Queensland Australia. A runaway bushfire has just blasted past our town last night and we lost our power, coinciding with a closing ebay sale of ours.
      Well the power is back, and I have done well on ebay, real well, but best of all, it was so nice this morning to open my email and see a lesson from Eric.
      All the best for CHRISTmas everyone.
      regards Robbo

      Reply
    4. Eric Post author

      Thanks! Are you referring to Clickbank’s $50 activation fee? If so… it’s only once per account. And then you can sell up to 500 products from that account, but your affiliates will only be able to send traffic to one page (unless you do some scripting on your site and get affiliates to use it… this is why I usually use a separate CB account for each product). And yes anyone using Clickbank is able to have affiliates.

      Reply
    5. Avis

      Hi Eric

      Great video 🙂 I use paydotcom to manage affiliates, but I would like to use Clickbank, is there a way to use both Paydotcom and clickbank? If I am using Clickbank for my products do I need to paid $50 to list each product?

      Kind regards

      Avis

      Reply
    6. Eric Post author

      Yes you can definitely use both Paydotcom and clickbank. By the way, PayDotCom is a good alternative for those who are unable to use clickbank, or who have products that are not approved by clickbank.

      The way you would use both is by making a copy of your sales page, so you’ll have two idential sales pages… the only difference is the payment buttons (one will have clickbank, the other PDC). Within your clickbank account, you will specify for your “hoplink” to go to the Clickbank sales page, and in PDC you’ll specify the corresponding sales page as well.

      There is also a way to do it without making separate pages, but it requires some PHP coding. You would use a PHP code which determines whether a visitor arrives via a CB affiliate or PDC affiliate, and it will dynamically display the corresponding payment button. It will also “cookie” the visitor, so if they return later it will still show the correct payment button (and thus still give credit to the affiliate that made the referral). This method is mainly beneficial if you are worried about having 2 identical sales pages which can be a problem for SEO.

      The $50 fee is only one time per Clickbank account.

      Reply
    7. Michael J. Minh

      Overdeliver? Yes. An Aha! moment? Yes. Guilty? Yes-Missed a few. I’m going to have to wind back to catch up. The information is too important to miss with more and bigger stuff to come.
      Mike

      Reply
    8. Robert Barabash

      Best lesson of the bunch. Everyone has their own idea about selling, products etc, but how do you get it out on the net is a stumbling block. Have yet to find a site to explain all that needs to be explained about sub domains, php, Mysqyl etc. When you first start out as a newbie you can’t afford to have others do the work for you. You must do it yourself and learn how to do it so you can farm it out and talk tech language.

      Reply
    9. RAMESH.G

      Dear Eric, Thanks a lot again for all your $1000 valuable lessons.i saw your family pictures taken various places of the world.i wonder how can you manage 100 of websites, your own info products, reseller softwares,reseller books,yet sparing your time to read and answer all the queries.you are a unique and multi talented internet marketer i have ever seen till now .I like the way you communicate with people man .keep the Good job.All the best

      Reply
    10. Innocent:successprinciplesonline

      Thanks Eric, this is yet again a wonderful lesson.

      The meta tags for hiding download page that you gave is particularly helpful.

      I have only be using

      , I didn’t know the others until now that you gave them. I hope my download pages haven’t been exposed for illegal download without the other meta tags?

      Thanks for the great information.

      Reply
    11. Gary Pettit

      Awesome lesson Eric….I always wondered how I would create the download page. I thought it would be more complicated than it really is. I also appreciate all the alternatives with payment options you listed…I always learn about new items from you that I never new existed and always feel confident with your reccomendations. Just like Luca…I will diffently be reviewing this lesson more than once.

      Ps: BTW…I wanted tell you how awesome your Site Bot video was…diffently makes a huge difference for anyone with that product…keep the good work up Eric and Thanks!

      Gary

      😉

      Get 150 *Top Quality* NICHE Websites With Your Paypal ID On Each!

      http://Instant-Paysites.com

      Reply
    12. joanne

      is there a way to do an affiliate program with paypal. Example: have someone market an item for you. How do you track in paypal that the purchase came from them. Thanks. Love all of your information

      Reply
    13. Eric Post author

      The meta-tags alone won’t 100% protect your download pages, but they can help prevent them from being indexed. If you’re worried about the old ones being indexed, then you could just change the names of the pages. And if you’re worried that the old ones may have been cached, with the download links intact, then you would need to change the names of your download files as well.

      Reply
    14. Eric Post author

      Not directly in Paypal. However, PayDotCom serves the purpose of running an affiliate program and using Paypal. They take a small fee from each payment (similar to Clickbank), but it’s worth it if you’ve got affiliates sending traffic.

      Reply
    15. robert

      i have not yet come up with a product of my own.can i use this info to sell from tradebit or clickbank?

      Reply
    16. Gabriel

      Dear Eric,

      Thank you per your valued lesson. I need sell my book first in Spanish lenguage while I finish to translate the same to the English idiom.

      The strategy that I think in order to manage the two products are each one with his own domain name per separate order.

      It’s right? Can you make me a best suggestion?
      Thank you, I appreciate your help.

      Receive warm regards,
      With blessings,

      Gabriel

      Reply
    17. Eric Post author

      If the domain is readable in both English and Spanish, then you could use the same domain for both. But if the domain does not make sense in both languages, then yes it would be best to have two separate domains. Your visitors should know what your site is all about, just from the domain.

      Reply
    18. Best Man's Speech

      Eric

      I really wish I could figure out what product to create.

      The three main essentials of the traffic funnel (the one I like) is:
      A potential market (keywords with buying interest)
      A sales page telling the potential market why they need the product
      Finally, the product.

      Without anyone of these, it doesn’t work!!

      I know there are other ‘high tech’ funnels out there, but I like this one because its real simple…bit like me!

      Reply
    19. Eric Post author

      Well that’s not really a traffic funnel, it’s kind of a basic information product business model.

      Are you making money promoting best man speeches? If so, why not create your own product and make 100% profit on your own sales instead of 50% commissions? And then you can multiply your income by having affiliates promoting you instead of you promoting them.

      Reply
    20. Nicolas

      In a previous lesson, you mentioned that a long copy sales letter was very effective. Does this hold true for the Thank you page as well? I am wondering about this from the perspective of trying to monetize my thank-you page.

      Reply
    21. Randal Blanchette

      Eric,

      Not intentionally plugging another persons free site, but what is your take on the Thirty Day Challenge by Ed Dale?

      Best,

      Randy

      Reply
    22. EHarper

      Hello Eric, I don’t know how to get in touch with you. I bought some programs from you but cannot seem to understand on how they work.
      Can you email me and let me know how to get in touch with you? Thanks

      Reply
    23. pedro

      eric , can you please help me sort out my problem. i am remarking that you always deleite my posts, this says a lot about you.

      Reply
    24. William Wallace-Bruce

      Hi Eric, I want to ask that you help me with this one. I sent a support ticket at traffic Sage support desk since 17th November of last month and have since not had my problem solved. I sent them another mail after 7 days and have since not heard from them. My problem is that when I tried to sign up for their service, I realized that my country was not in the list of countries while filling their form. My country is Ghana. Any help? Will really appreciate your help. Thanks William.

      Reply
    25. andrew

      my dear you are unique, out of internet gurus i have seen you are something to write about. i think i am blessed comming across you, but please i realy need pimbed website from you then with good affiliate product in it. it has to be monitised. so how much will it cost me?

      Reply
    26. Lyudmila

      Hello, Mr. Eric. You send me your offers and new letters and suggest to look your educational video. Let to me to state my situation particularly. To me of 58 years, I Russian, live to Russia, Three years as have retired and I am engaged in painting. My health leaves much to be desired, I cannot long sit at a computer. Certainly I very much would like to sell my artworks, them at me are nearby 100, and I shall draw while hands hold a brush and a pencil that is while health allows. English I know a little as 5 and a half of years a vein and worked in emigration, in the USA. How you can help me particularly, if at me scanty pension which hardly suffices on livelihood and no more on enything. Whether I with your help can sell the pictures on auction on Ebay? I give you my word, promise, that I shall thank you as soon as will appear money from the first sold pictures. Yours faithfully Lyudmila.

      Reply
    27. Eric Post author

      Ebay can be a very good place to sell art, but it is VERY competitive. High prices are generally not paid unless you can carve out a niche and create a demand for your work by developing a following of faithful collectors.

      Here is an article I wrote about an artist who became quite successful selling her work on ebay, although she now sells it off of ebay:

      Inspiring Story of an Artist Who Found Her Place On the Internet

      Here are some Ebay resources:

      Silent Sales Machine

      Tom Barnes

      Salehoo Wholesale directory

      Reply
    28. Eric Post author

      That is strange that they haven’t replied. I would log into the helpdesk and make sure the ticket is open. It is possible that they tried replying but maybe there is an email issue. I do not think it matters what country you choose on their form, as long as you are able to sign up via the Paypal subscription.

      Reply
    29. Eric Post author

      I haven’t seen the material, so honestly I don’t have a take other than to say it’s a compelling product name, and I know that Ed is a very successful internet marketer. I’m not sure how realistic it is for most people to build a successful business in 30 days, but it is possible.

      Reply
    30. Eric Post author

      Long copy can be effective for a One Time Offer, which will be covered in the next lesson. But no I would not use long copy on the thank-you page itself. The key for the thank-you page is a very simple free offer that compels the customer to click the link and sign up for it.

      Reply
    31. Michaela

      Hi! Eric, this is the best ever video for me, you clarify a lot of issues as usual.
      Thanks a lot, all the best for you
      Michaela

      Reply
    32. Russ

      I appreciate your video instruction and would like to know how you would approach a new product opportunity step-by-step. I am interested in being an affiliate for your Trading Pro System so maybe you could focus on it. You obviously have a good converting sales page so would you use the exact sales page and run PPC as well as set up your own WordPress site and use some of the elements within the Sales Page as part of your site copy/images while adding your own content?
      It would be helpful to know how you approach an opportunity where its not your own product and how you use the various applications you have been teaching on in the process.
      Thanks

      Reply
    33. Eric Post author

      Sending PPC direct to sales pages as an affiliate is becoming increasingly difficult, but it’s worth trying in some cases if Google will let you get away with it. In most cases you need to send the PPC to your own site first, but that’s gotten more complicated too…

      While the affiliate “review blog” method is still effective, I think it’s a tactic that is losing effectiveness due to the proliferation of scammers, and both the FTC and Google cracking down on such practices.

      However, this actually makes things better for those of us who create REAL blogs (like this one) not designed solely to direct traffic to affiliate links.

      So if you want to go the short-term quick profit route (which is still a legitimate strategy) then you should do whatever gets traffic NOW, regardless of whether Google bans your site in the near future.

      But if you want to go the long-term route then my advice would be to create a real blog with content that draws a readership. List building is key, and so you want to capture your visitors onto an opt-in list as well. I will be covering this in-depth in the lessons.

      In terms of approaching various opportunities… my old approach was to find whatever seemed the most profitable, as long as it somewhat appealed to my audience. But now I place quality in higher regard than profitability. I frequently pass up the most popular affiliate promotions because (even though I would make a lot of money promoting them) I just don’t see the value in the products. Obviously the best ones are where the quality and the conversions are both good.

      All of the above complexities are things that I predicted several years ago… and that’s a big part of the reason why I decided to focus these lessons on creating your own product, rather than on being an affiliate. Don’t get me wrong… affiliate marketing is awesome (I make a lot of my income from it), but the game is constantly changing so it’s more difficult to learn and keep up with it.

      Reply
    34. Russ

      Thanks for your reply. Good information. I believe the industry I have been in for 35 years is really positioned as a great vertical market for internet marketing and presents some great opportunity to benefit a lot of people. Appreciate the opportunity to visit with you if you have an interest. I know the industry, just need someone like you to help me implement the strategies.

      Reply
    35. Nicoleen Warren

      Eric,

      Just something that came to mind… Maybe you’d like to inform everyone that, apart from inserting the meta tags for protection purposes in the header of the html file, as well as renaming this “download” html file, they should also rename their .pdf, audio- and video files. In other words, the download page (html file) is not the only thing they should protect.

      Attackers might be able to guess the name of their information product (i.e. the name of the .pdf file). Also, the first place an attacker would start to search for the file, is the (public) root folder on the server. So, it would be wise to either put the file in another folder, or to rename the file to something incomprehensible.

      Obviously, the path (for download) within the link on the download page, would have to be changed accordingly, so that it would reflect the file’s REAL (non-guessable) location.

      As an extra measure of precaution, they should block direct access to any .pdf files on their server by updating the URLs in the hotlink protection facility on their servers.

      PS> The video file for this lesson is called lesson54.swf But I won’t tell where it’s located 😉

      Have a great one !!

      Nicoleen

      Reply
    36. Suzanne Bradshaw

      Eric, I am finding you training to be extremely useful and helpful in setting up my site and other internet ideas.
      Good work and Thankyou for assisting people like me – an absolute ‘newbie’

      Have a great day

      Suzanne

      Reply
    37. Ronald G. Sellars.

      Dear Eric,Happy 31st Birthday.The Photo showing your wonderful family proves that your goals,vision and planning has paid off.Thanks for the very well written lessons clear concise speach & videos.Your not only a Guru you are “THE ONE”I waited for several of the lessons to be reserved in a file so that I could learn from each one continuously.Please dont take them away as I am only @ 16th.Sorry I am not learned enough to take up the wonderful cheap offer you made to us. I hope that I can pick it up after I reach lesson 54.I am a retired 69yr old & slow to learn all that you teach.Kind Regards,Ron.

      Reply
    38. Holly

      Hi Eric Thank you so much for all your help and encouragement. It is wonderful. I am trying to learn all of this as well as I need to spend more time with my family. I to have been a bit slow to learn this. I recently bought some of your products and I was wondering how to set up a download that has lots of large files in it like the trading Pro System as I am still not sure of what I am doing but I am very eager to learn! Also how do you make it all secure? Thank you heaps God Bless you and your family.

      Reply
    39. Sorin

      Hi Eric

      I have three questions or maybe four.
      If you use two sales pages what names you give to the sales pages to make distinctions between them? They usually are called index.html and it’s your website home page.
      If somebody type in your domain name directly it will land in one of the page and that means that that sale it’s yours only and affiliate loose their share?
      How much having two identical sales pages will affect you for SEO?
      Is that PHP coding complicated and hard to implement that will make you to choose taking the risk being affected for SEO or it’s easy but require some technical knowledge?

      Reply
    40. Dan Gillogly

      Thanks for all the great info Eric. Due to a sudden and serious illness I have had to abandon trading time for dollars. It is important I get this wonderful product up and monetized ASAP. I feel confident it will do what I need it to do for the sake of our entire family.

      I have gone with WP sites because they are easy to blog and update with fresh new content.

      My question — which folder do I upload the index.html to — Wp-admin? Wp-content? or do I just place it in the site’s root directory?

      Thanks for your help. And Happy 31st

      Reply

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    The maximum upload file size: 50 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop file here