Digital Libraries (also referred to as Digital Bookshelves) are growing in popularity as a way to sell ebooks, online periodicals or digitally publish information on a regular schedule.
In the Digital Library model, store owners don't sell the periodicals directly to the customer. Instead, the customer purchases a subscription to the Library service. The subscription provides the customer with access to a members-only Library which is stocked with a growing, revolving inventory of ebooks, articles, forms and other periodicals they can download and enjoy.
More and more clients have been asking what's the best way to set this up using their Modular Merchant shopping cart software. The answer: There's actually two ways that this could be done. The method that is best for you depends on your business model. Fortunately, it's actually pretty simple to set up and maintain both approaches!
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Method 1: Using Digital Products
In this method, customers purchase a "Digital Library" product. Then, new digital content is added to the product by an Admin on a regular basis. Those who have purchased the product have access all of its content (both old an new) in the store's password-protected Download Area. |
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Method 2: Using Subscription Products
This method uses the store's built-in "Subscriber Only" product option to record the links to the Digital Library's downloads, along with any other desired content. Those who have purchased the product can log in to their Customer Account Area in the storefront to access all of the "subscriber-only" content assigned to the product. |
Using either of the methods above will allow a means to create an ongoing library of files and information that the customers in your store can subscribe to.
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