How to create free eBook download system with download counter and analytics for your blog or website?

As a blogger or a webmaster, there are quite good amount of chances that you want to make files available for download. It can be eBook, PDF, a word file (doc or docx), a presentation, etc. But especially to give your readers "free ebook download" opportunity.

It is not a big task for bloggers who have access to professional blogging/CMS platforms like WordPress. But not for users who publish with Google Blogger. Even if you are using WordPress self-hosted, you can apply this method to cut down your bandwidth usage.

Share link to get download link

Free eBook Download System

Upload your file/eBook to any cloud storage of your choice (it must support public downloading). Lets say dropbox.

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Self Publish Books online with Pothi.com

1. Upload your eBook to dropbox.
2. Click on Share link button.
3. On the next page, a download link is available as a download button.
4. Right click on the download button and copy the link.

Referral Sources

Download Counter and Analytics

The next thing needed is a counter, that counts the number of times the link was clicked. With that, it will be even better if you can track from where the file was downloaded, from where the users came, how many eBook downloads occurred, from which operating system and from which browser. To do so-

1. Go to goo.gl, a URL shortener by Google.
2. Sign in using your Google Account credentials.
3. Place the download link copied in step 4 (previous section).
4. Click on shorten URL button.
5. Now, you have your shortened URL which will be saved in your goo.gl account.
6. Place this shortened URL on your blogs homepage or anywhere else like twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, etc.

Author's Bio: Shubhashish Shukla (follow him) is the person behind Sector Techno (twitter, facebook), a technology blog. An always learning web developer.