Free downloads for readers

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  clairecordier · Member · Apr 15, 2013 at 1:04 pm

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  I would like to offer free downloads to content on my blog, how do I do this?

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

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  crplz · Member · Apr 15, 2013 at 1:22 pm

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  nice looking blog you’ve got, but can you please be more specific about what you need?

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  clairecordier · Member · Apr 15, 2013 at 8:37 pm

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  For example, if I wanted to offer a download to a picture like a desktop background – jpg format

  Hope this helps.

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  timethief · Member · Apr 15, 2013 at 8:39 pm

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  See here for accepted file types http://en.support.wordpress.com/accepted-filetypes/

  The following processes are outlined particularly for users who wish to upload a document and add its download link to a blog post or page. http://en.support.wordpress.com/uploading-documents/

  If you want to embed the document itself into a post, then you will have to use a third party application like Scribd or Google Docs.
  See here:
  http://en.support.wordpress.com/scribd/

  Embed from Google Docs

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  crplz · Member · Apr 16, 2013 at 6:43 am

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  WordPress Download Manager Plugin

  Can’t say I’ve understood your end goal here, but if you want to manage, track and control file downloads from your wordpress site, this is the plugin/functionality you’re looking for.

  If we’re talking about document embedding services you can use SlideShare as well, it’s better for your website’s SEO as far as I know.

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  raincoaster · Member · Apr 16, 2013 at 6:48 am

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  Uh, no. Plugins cannot be used at WordPress.com. And Slideshare has far less SEO than hosting the document yourself. Where are you getting your information? Fire your guru.

  Just upload the whatever-it-is, and put it in your blog as a Thumbnail or text “Download” or whatever with a link to the full size file.

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  crplz · Member · Apr 16, 2013 at 7:06 am

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  You’re right raincoaster, plugins don’t work here, i slipped reading the “.com” in two posts actually, had reached here from some search results. Phew!.. My bad, the guru’s safe :)

  Secondly about SlideShare being better for SEO, was just compared to Scribd or GDocs (mentioned by timethief). Of course, hosting your file yourself gives you much better control over SEO and hence a better result.

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  raincoaster · Member · Apr 16, 2013 at 7:13 am

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  ALL of the answers in this forum must relate only to WordPress.com, because this is the WordPress.com forum.

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  crplz · Member · Apr 16, 2013 at 7:39 am

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  Well, here’s something that can be of help:

  Accepted File Types

  Another thread discussing similar stuff

  This is key to make a functional link to the image/document downloadable.

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  clairecordier · Member · Apr 16, 2013 at 6:35 pm

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  Hi all, thank you so much for your help. With your suggestions I have managed to add a jpg file to a post along with a click here to download but it then takes you to another browser displaying the image rather than downloading to the users computer, I’m not sure if it is even possible to do this on wordpress.com so let me know if I’m trying to do something too advanced.

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  raincoaster · Member · Apr 17, 2013 at 12:59 am

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  It’s easy. You just need to add the instructions “Right click, save as to download.”

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  clairecordier · Member · Apr 18, 2013 at 7:41 am

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  I would prefer it if you didn’t have to right click to download, I just want it to download when you click on the image or a button that says download. Is this possible with wordpress.com or would it be a wordpress.org function?