People build websites for countless reasons. Some want a space for personal expression and growth, while others focus exclusively on generating income. There’s also a wide area in the middle of this spectrum, full of websites that need to check several boxes: to educate, inspire, connect, and collect some money along the way.
Have you considered accepting payments on your site but weren’t sure how to go about it without distracting from your content? From a blogger’s tip jar to a nonprofit organization soliciting donations, the possibilities are endless. Here are three examples of websites using the Simple Payments button to great effect while staying true to their core mission.
Show visitors what your event is all about (and give them a chance to participate, if they want).
Getting a literary award off the ground takes time, skill, and stamina — which is why the Bath Novel Award for emerging writers, like other similar contests, charges entrants a reading fee using the Simple Payments button:
The site doesn’t bombard a casual visitor with insistent pleas to enter the contest — instead, the homepage focuses on general information and features an interview with the current award cycle’s judge, literary agent Felicity Blunt. For those interested in participating, though, the payment page is just one click away through the ENTRY link in the site’s navigation menu:
You leave the award’s site informed (it even includes a “How to Win a Novel Award” section) and even excited, but never harried.
Educate potential customers about your courses (and let them buy a gift certificate while they’re at it).
In Upstate New York, Play2Learn offers early-childhood family classes centered around games, music, and lots of movement — and their warm-yet-functional site design encourages a viewer to explore the options on offer:
The site includes all the information a parent might need before enrolling, from a calendar page to detailed descriptions of courses. It also lets friends and family show their love with a gift certificate:
The Contact Form / Simple Payments button combo ensures that the Play2Learn team knows who to forward the certificate to, and makes it possible for the gift-givers to choose their desired amount.
Showcare your beautiful creations (and sell them, too, if you’d like).
Ceramic artist Alison Palmer, based in rural Connecticut, produces striking animal-themed boxes, canisters, and sculptures, which are front and center on her gallery’s homepage.
The site encourages visitors to browse Alison’s work from past firings, check out future workshops, and find their way to the gallery. The menu also features — rather discreetly — a link to Alison’s online store, where you can see what’s available for sale and make a purchase:
The visitor’s experience remains pleasantly balanced: potter(y)heads can learn and find inspiration, while the impulse-buyers can claim a glossy clay octopus with the click of a button.
How to add a payment button
The Simple Payments feature is available on WordPress.com Premium and Business plans. To add a button, go to My Sites and click on Site Pages → Add or Blog Posts → Add (or open an existing page or post).
In your toolbar, click the ⌄ next to the ⊕ symbol, and then the Add Payment Button option. You’ll fill out the details for what you’re selling and add the email address for your PayPal account (where the money will be sent). Your readers can then send you a payment with a credit card, debit card, or PayPal account!
Upgrade to the WordPress.com Premium or Business plan to enjoy this feature — as well as advanced social media and customization options, unlimited access to all premium themes, and more.
Very interesting and informative. Lots to think about. Thank you. 🙂
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👌👌
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beautiful website and informative too..
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Interesting idea! I like the idea behind a “Bloggers Tip Jar”. The free site does not offer that though right? I would have to upgrade to business or Premium?
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That’s correct — the Simple Payments button is available in both the Premium and Business plans. For other site owners and bloggers, there’s another way to accept PayPal payments on your site: https://wordpress.com/support/paypal/
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Very interesting👍👍👍
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Intresting information. Keep posting stuff like this. Its always fun to know new things!
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Very helpful
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Well written and interesting to read. I enjoyed it very much!
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Oh wow this is helpful! I never these options existed
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Interesting picture keep it up dear
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I upgraded my website to the Premium so I could add the button to my blog but now I need to figure out how to get more traffic to my blog, got any advice? Any advice would be appreciated.
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We have many resources on growing your audience and getting more traffic! Just here on Discover, we published several posts related to this topic, including…
https://wordpress.com/discover-wordpress/2018/06/14/seo-tools/
https://wordpress.com/discover-wordpress/2018/07/26/five-ways-to-build-your-audience/
https://wordpress.com/discover-wordpress/2017/09/07/veteran-blogger-insights-traffic-community/
We also offer a (free) email course on branding and growth, which you can check out here:
https://wordpress.com/dailypost/blogging-university/branding-growth/
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Go explore others blog’s read and comment,like, second or first be a freendly to SEO this will help u alot;)
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These are some wonderful ideas
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Very interesting article. I enjoyed reading it and following your instructions! Now I have a payment button on my website too.
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Thanks for your opinion on this
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Very interesting.
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Can I add this to my personal account or does it have to be business. I would like to ask for donations but that may be weird.
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You can use the payment buttons for a range of situations — from selling a physical or digital product to giving readers a way to make a donation. Adding the buttons requires a Premium or Business plan, but they can be used for any purpose you see fit, from a more classic business goal to something more personal/informal.
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intersting post
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Great tips 👍🏽
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Important, helpful info. Thanks
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Very helpful and well written article.
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Very interesting to read and very much informative also…keep Posting stuff like this…very helpful
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Nice information
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✌✌this post is great
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Some very interesting information
Something to think about
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Thank you. Can someone self-publish on Amazon and WordPress at the same time?
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I’m not familiar enough with self-publishing options on Amazon, but as far as WordPress.com is concerned, you can publish anything you wish on your website (as long as it doesn’t violate our content policies), regardless of where else on you publish the same content.
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Thanks, Ben.
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More tips to learn,very interesting.
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Thank you for your ideas. Really interesting and useful for me. Appreciate it.
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Thanks for the article. I do need input on how to get more traffic into my blog and to strengthen its content. Thanks again!
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That’s so true. Online stores aren’t just digital stores. One should also consider the product as a medium to create trust and also do something to maintain a relationship with the customer.
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Great post. Full of information. Keep posting.
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Great tips
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This was very helpful. I already thought about adding a tip jar button to my site. Do you know if there’s a plugin for wordpress.org that does the job well?
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The WordPress.org plugin repository (https://wordpress.org/plugins/) lists several tip jar options, though I should also mention that the very same payment buttons mentioned in this post are available for any WordPress site with a Jetpack Premium or Professional plan.
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Thanks for the tips, ideas I haven’t thought of as a newcomer.
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Nice Very Informative TY
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Thank you for this. This is very useful for me. I believe all the others felt the same way too. Keep posting.
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Nice.interesting!
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