Paypal buttons and WordPress

A cursory reading of WordPress' explanation of how to add a Paypal button to my new Wordpress blog leaves me wondering if I should do it at all.

I am trying to find a way for people to click-to-pay for a downloadable PDF for a series of eBooks I'm writing this summer. WordPress' own documentation states that adding a Paypal button on the blog is not very easy (they use the word "frustrating". Even Chris does not use Paypal buttons on his site (and they are kind of ugly).

What do you think? Should I simply provide a link that sends people off to Paypal, where they have to insert my email address when sending money? Or should I uglify my site and add a Paypal button anyways at the bottom of a page where people can order my eBooks?

blogs paypal websites buttons ugly wordpress

asked Jul 05 '10 at 16:38

VideoNurse
1.3k●24●40●48

3 Answers:

oldest newest most voted

Paypal made it so you can customize the button with your own image https://www.paypal.com/ca/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=J6wA-DTv-m2b4ikx1RA8DPApMCujb7E-VPDlUZoIxnHWRCQqs5aJJgLBToG&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f22d2300ef60a6759516e590e949da361e9502e138eefdd27

answered Jul 05 '10 at 19:28

blackbird307
3.7k●52●65●105

So sorry, but when I click on the link you pasted above, all I get are two words:

Fatal Error

(I guess that's better than fatal attraction! But perhaps, not too helpful for my question).

I did find another link put out by a WordPress person: http://www.wordpressmax.com/plugins/adsense-deluxe

But it does say that this can be a frustrating process.

My bigger question: do Paypal buttons all over a blog tend to "uglify" an otherwise elegant blog? Or should I simply place a more elegant link to Paypal Iwithout the button), and let people request the purchase this way?

(Jul 06 '10 at 01:33) VideoNurse

I've got to say, I don't quite understand what is so frustrating about it. All you have to do is set up a button via PayPal, and paste a block of code into one of the templates of your blog, such as the footer or sidebar.

If you're worried about PayPal buttons making your blog look ugly, you can use your own graphic while setting up the button on PayPal. In fact, you can just have a text link that takes the buyer to checkout. It should take like 5-10 minutes to set up.

answered Jul 06 '10 at 02:51

mynamesash
76●3

I finally got an answer from a web designer. Yes, with Wordpress in particular, there is something in the code that you have to fix before you are able to place a Paypal button on a wordpress site. The problem is fixed. Wish Wordpress would tell us this kind of stuff upfront.

(Jul 28 '10 at 15:10) VideoNurse

What I've been learning to pay attention to is not so much what I like, but what the consumer/client likes and finds less offensive on a website that isn't retail oriented. If this were an online store website, the expectation would be to make buying easy (click to purchase, or place in a shopping cart and check out at the end). But it's not. It's largely service oriented, in the health care industry, with only a few things available to purchase.

I think I'm learning towards keeping the lines clean as long as the consumer can find the text link as easily as a big ol' button. I'll be doing some testing soon. Thanks for your input.

answered Jul 07 '10 at 13:46

VideoNurse
1.3k●24●40●48

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