Paywalls are a great way to keep your exclusive content private to paying users. If you have a WordPress website, then it’s easier than ever to install a strong, friendly paywall through the use of a plugin. Plugin paywalls are effective and simple to use. They encourage potential clients to pay for access to your limited materials, and allow existing members to quickly login to the restricted areas of your site or blog.
If you’re going to install a paywall to protect your premium content from the public, there are a few things to consider. You’ll want to install a plugin that’s compatible with all web browsers, easy for your members to use, and contains design elements that match your website’s theme and mood. Some paywalls are ready to go, out of the box. They have basic or general-looking design, are geared for specific payment methods, and work well on nearly any site. Other paywall plugins allow you more flexibility and customization. These three paywall plugins have been proven to add value and function to WordPress without distracting or difficult to use design features.
1. Pigeon
Pigeon is an easy to use plugin paywall for any WordPress website or blog. It allows you to accept credit cards for one-time or recurring payments. Pigeon is fully responsive and looks great on mobile devices, as well as desktops. This plugin allows for multiple subscription options and gives your users the choice in price and access level. This is great for sites with multiple levels of content, as well as multiple choices in plan durations. Use this option to offer staggered discounts on one month, three month or annual memberships up front, so that users don’t have to login and pay again every month.
Pigeon is PCI compliant because it uses SSL certified transaction pages to process your members’ payments, so it will work on any web hosting or registrar service that offers SSL installation. It keeps track of expired and invalid cards and can be setup to email users about any declined payments or soon-expiring payment methods. One unique thing about this plugin is that it allows users to buy subscriptions for others as gifts. This can really widen your market, and make your site or app more professional and user friendly.
2. Leaky
The Leaky paywall plugin is a popular option among WordPress site owners. It’s free to use and is scalable through plugin add-ons by the developer, Zeen101. This plugin paywall was designed for blogs, magazines and news websites, but will work on any site that has a premium content area. Leaky is metered and allows you to choose which content on your website or blog gets indexed by search engines or can be accessed by the public. You will need to have WordPress 3 or later and the ability to use PHP on your server, so check with your web hosting provider to ensure compatibility.
Leaky works with sites containing multiple subscription levels, so you can offer a variety of pricing and access. This includes a free option for users who can verify a valid email address, which can be great for lead generation. You can use Leaky on your Android Marketplace and Apple App Store products, as it is fully compliant with security, coding, and payment standards.
3. Cleeng
Cleeng is perhaps the most advanced WordPresspaywall plugin. It has established itself as a top plugin for any site with restricted premium content sections. Cleeng stands out from the other paywalls in that it’s focused on video streams and downloads, and even works with live or on-demand video and other media. This is a great choice for web 2.0 platforms that offer video tutorials, motivational videos and streaming news or media. Cleeng has been used by entertainers, media companies and even churches who want to accept payments or donations for access to live video streams.
Cleeng is cutting edge in paywall technology and offers live pay-per-view payment options to your members. This is great way to earn money from events like concerts or technical talks. Cleeng has extensive user analysis, allowing you to see who views your content, how much time they spend on your site, and where your traffic is coming from. You can also track payments and declined transactions to improve your marketing efforts. Cleeng has a watermarking feature which will allow you to track or prove instances of users sharing your content without permission.
Using one of these three excellent WordPresspaywall plugins will allow you to separate your premium content from your public posts. You will encourage more subscriptions and let your paying customers know that they are getting content worthy of distinction from that found for free on the web. Paywalls keep your content safe while allowing you to earn money and track or analyze access to your premium content.
