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Many websites are running out of business due to the increasing popularity of ad-blocking services. Considering the situation, it is important to note that users cannot be blamed for using ad blocking services. These services provide them with a better browsing experience while enjoying the amazing content produced by web publishers. It is relevant to say that some web publishers who had no other sources of income had crowded their websites with irritating advertisements. This gave more incentive to users to install ad-blocking extensions making many websites run out of business. Ad-blocking extensions and apps are freely available and easy to use. In such a scenario, something needs to be done for developers who are facing a constant decrease in earning.
An alternative to the ad-based revenue model is the subscription-based model. However, it has been extremely difficult to implement due to a wide range of issues related to online payments. Major issues with online payments have been in terms of scalability, security, and user anonymity. However, the introduction of blockchain solutions has changed the scenario on the internet.
Micropayments.io provides a very feasible solution to ensure profitability without being dependent on ads for revenue. The easy-to-use plugin allows you to limit access to portions of content on your website only to users willing to pay for it. You can use the plugin to protect your valuable article content, pictures, and videos and download links. The plugin is accompanied with a browser extension that helps your visitors to easily pay on your website.
A screen from the micropayment registrations wizard.
Installation instructions
Installing the plugin is extremely easy as well. Publishers can follow the following instructions to install and make use of the simple plugin:
- Upload the plugin files to the /wp-content/plugins/micropayment directory, or install the plugin through the WordPress plugins screen directly.
- Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress.
- Use the Settings->Micropayment screen to configure the plugin.
- Setup plugin via the configuration wizard.
- Create an account on Popcoin.ws to get your free API key.
- Mark the content you want to protect via the [micropay] [/micropay] shortcodes.
On the other hand, viewers can download the micropayments.io options from their browsers App Store.
Features
Micropayments.io comes with a lot of features that help you earn more out of your website. It introduces a concept of “metered-billing” allowing users to pay only for the content they want to see. This is the ultimate alternative to ads you were waiting for.
No subscriptions
The plugin lets its users free from the hassle of monthly subscriptions. Your users will have the convenience to pay only for the content they want to view. The payments are received only once and are specific to certain content only. This saves website users from paying large sums of money to websites in terms of monthly or yearly subscriptions. This solution does not prompt website users to pay for any content they might not be interested in.
Preview Specific Content
Developers making use of the plugin can show the paid content to their users before charging them. This allows your users to make better decisions while purchasing content they are interested in while generating a trust relationship between you and your users.
Make your content limited
This plugin is perhaps the easiest way to charge users for specific content. The plugin allows users to charge an amount as low as $0.01 for their content while having the liberty to set a custom price for the valuable content they produce. The content you choose to limit access to will only be accessible to your users once they have paid for it.
Simple to use
The plugin has been very thoughtfully designed to provide the best user experience to its users. The WordPress plugin is coupled with a simple browser extension for website users adding convenience to web publishers in selling their content. Using the plugin on your website requires following a very simple registration process. Users can register to the service by providing their emails. Using the Popcoin API along with this plugin allows developers to utilize user credits to provide them with the required content. The plugin makes use of shortcodes to allow publishers limit user access to specific content. Publishers can enclose the content they want to limit between the shortcodes provided. All this is easily possible by use of the simple UI designed for the plugin.
Screen design of the micropayment.io registrations screen
One Wallet for all websites
The browser extension for the service is an easy way for users to manage their payments across various websites. Users can pay for specific content on all websites that use the micropayment.io plugin to sell content. Moreover, users have the accessibility to top up their accounts using credit and debit cards. This can be done using a fairly simple user interface that helps you save time. The modern interface also allows users to access their payment history in order to keep track of all their past payments done through the micropayments.io wallet. When a user, decides to pay for certain content, the plugin also displays users with the store and product data passed to the application via the woo commerce plugin for WordPress.
Micropayment.io web extension
Our Verdict
Micropayment.io is surely an easy to use service that integrates seamlessly with its browser extension. The shortcodes provided by the plugin make it fairly easy for publishers to limit access to content on their websites. Meanwhile, viewers can easily pay for content they want to see by paying through the Micropayment.io browser extension. The plugin has made it possible for visitors to use a single wallet for payments on a number of websites. This saves visitors from the hassle of buying various subscriptions across different websites. This ease of use coupled with the convenience to pay only for your favorite content makes Micropaymet.io one of the best revenue solutions for WordPress developers decreasing their dependence on ad-based revenue.