Notice (2019-Feb) : The WCCWPPI will permanently cease functioning on 01-March-2019. (See this formal announcement.) … Notice (2017-Mar) : We have begun the deprecation process for the WatchCount.com WordPress Plugin (WCCWPPI). This means that at some point in the future, this plugin will completely cease functioning. In the meantime, we're offering limited support for the plugin, and it may continue working in the near-term. For long-term use, we recommend you explore/consider other eBay-themed WordPress plugins. … A little more information may be found on our news/announcements page.
|
What is the WatchCount.com WordPress Plugin?
The WatchCount.com WordPress Plugin (WCCWPPI) is a free plugin that allows you to display Most Popular eBay items and auctions in real-time, directly on your blog. You can also display eBay items from any particular seller.
Most Popular/Watched Items displayed have been voted on, at eBay, by both shoppers and sellers via their "Watch This Item" clicks and ranked accordingly – displayed items reflect an actual, cumulative interest by registered eBay users!
Your blog's visitors can click through to these compelling items listed live on eBay.
What eBay items does it display?
You can select keyword phrases and eBay categories as the basis of the displayed items, just as is done here on WatchCount.com. Even better, you can specify your keywords globally (for your entire blog), directly within your posts as you type them, automatically via the post tags that WordPress already requests of you in each post – or allow your readers to enter their own terms in the embedded search box. At your discretion, the plugin will display in your blog's sidebar (a 'WordPress Widget') and/or within individual blog posts.
Who might want to use the WCCWPPI?
As you may know, eBay is an expansive marketplace flaunting just about every commodity from iPods to used Levis, to real estate, to bubble wrap. If it's being sold (legally) anywhere, it's likely also represented on eBay.
Given the above, niche bloggers may like to showcase interesting products – items that actual eBay users have voted as most popular – to their readership, knowing that eBay is an easy place to locate appealing items in almost any category. By specifying just a few keywords or post tags, continuously updated, in-demand items can be displayed to your audience.
eBay sellers who blog might also enjoy the ability to showcase their products, whether tacitly in their blog's sidebar, or more overtly – embedded within posts. The WCCWPPI can also display any specific eBay item, good for directing readers' attention to a new eBay listing. Moreover, if you're a fan of the famed eBay Daily Deals for any of the 4 supported eBay country-sites, you can opt to display those as well (primary Daily Deals only).
If you have an ePN (eBay Partner Network) account and a blog on your own domain, you can potentially generate affiliate commissions when your visitors click through to eBay then make purchases.
What other features does the WCCWPPI have?
In addition to the features and services presented above, the WCCWPPI includes some other handy things:
- embedded search box for visitor-selected search words: have the plugin display refresh itself with updated results, or send the visitor right to eBay
- strong international eBay country-site support
- plugin displays with localized language (selected by blogger)
- a selection of backgrounds/skins to choose from, or choose any background color instead
- skip keywords and display the Most Watched items across an entire eBay site
- display a customizable informational message within the plugin display to help your readers
- comprehensive configuration screen, including live preview
- text customization options
- for seller's items, eBay Stores/Shops inventory is also included
- no programming/scripting experience needed; setup done via standard WP plugin installation steps (as shown below)
- eBay items appear seamlessly within your blog pages (no Javascript or Flash), contributing to the SEO value of your website
Sounds cool! How do I get it?
You can download the free WCCWPPI right now, install it into your blog, and be up and running in less than 2 minutes! Just follow these easy steps below:
Quick Start Instructions
| 1 |
Make sure you (and your server) meet these minimum requirements:
- WordPress 2.8.x or higher (WP 2.5/2.6/2.7 may be ok too)
- PHP version 5.2.x or higher (but not 6.x)
- for sidebar widget use: your WP theme must offer widget capability (many/most themes do) with at least 240 pixels in width available
- the WCCWPPI is intended for use on the public internet and may not work on intranets or private networks
|
| 2 |
Download the WatchCount.com WordPress Plugin (WCCWPPI) and install it into your blog, using either of the 2 standard WordPress installation methods below. [Current Plugin Version: 1.1.7]
|
Right From Within Your Blog (easier) |
| 1 |
In your blog's Dashboard/Admin pages, find the 'Install Plugins' page (often within Plugins -> Add New). |
| 2 |
In the 'Search' box, enter WatchCount.com then click the Search Plugins button. |
| 3 |
Our plugin will appear in the search results. Click the Install Now link/button, then confirm. Voila! |
|
|
Manual Download -> Upload |
| 1 |
Download the WCC WP Plugin .zip file. |
| 2 |
In your blog's Dashboard/Admin pages, find the 'Install Plugins' page (often within Plugins -> Add New). |
| 3 |
Click the Upload link, then browse your computer for the .zip file you just downloaded. |
| 4 |
Click the Install Now button. Voila! |
|
|
| 3 |
Activate the WCCWPPI within your blog (on the 'Plugins' screen, or similar location).
An Activate Plugin link may already be visible, depending on the previous Installation step (click it!). Or, find the Activate link on your 'Plugins' screen.
|
| 4 |
Before you forget... Join our WCCWPPI Notification Alerts list so we can email you about critical updates. |
| 5 |
Find your WordPress Widgets page and drag the 'eBay Items' widget into the sidebar.
Depending on your WordPress version and theme, you can usually find this screen within the Dashboard/Admin pages by clicking Appearance -> Widgets.
|
| 6 |
Embed the WCCWPPI within your blog posts.
Simply include [eBay] (including the brackets) as you type your blog posts. You can get more specific by following these examples: [eBay keywords="free shipping"] or [eBay item="280392872827" cc="UK" skin="Blue"] . Have a look at our WCCWPPI Docs page for more details. |
| 7 |
Configure the WCCWPPI in your blog's Admin/Settings page.
This screen can usually be found within the Admin pages (maybe toward the bottom) by clicking Settings -> eBay Items.
|
| 8 |
Free support options are available in the left sidebar (of this page).
|
What else should I know about the WCCWPPI?
- In the mix when tabulating items by their Watch Count, eBay also contributes a few other minimum criteria to the ranking of displayed Most Watched/Popular items.
- Links to eBay within the WCCWPPI are usually affiliate links – either yours or ours. As such, depending on your country/locality, local laws or guidelines may (or may not) require or recommend that you disclose to your readership the presence of such links and the possibility that subsequent commissions could be generated.
- Our Privacy Policy discloses that non-personally-identifiable information (like IP addresses) is necessarily collected in the course of providing this service.
- By default, the WCCWPPI displays a tagline/backlink to WatchCount.com, but you can disable this on the Admin/Settings page. (If you had entered an ePN CampID on the Settings page, your ePN tracking links will display throughout the plugin 100% of the time if our backlink is enabled, or 80% of the time if you opt to suppress it.)
- The WCCWPPI is not owned, operated, or created by eBay Inc. or eBay Partner Network. (It is owned, operated, and created by WatchCount.com .) The WCCWPPI itself is licensed under GPL; details are included within the main plugin .php file and accompanying .txt file, both part of the downloaded .zip file.
Can I see some screenshots of the WCCWPPI?
You sure can. Below are some WCCWPPI examples, configured in a variety of different ways. There are other skins available too, and several bloggers prefer the option to use the WCCWPPI with no skin/background at all.
|
