# Free storefront plan — Gumroad (and free alternatives)

## Goal
Add a **trusted third-party checkout** path without ads. Your main store stays:

https://website-factory.srv1500693.hstgr.cloud/

Gumroad Free is a **lead + trust layer**, not a replacement for the full catalog.

## Why Gumroad free tier helps first sale

| Benefit | Detail |
|---------|--------|
| Trust | Buyers know Gumroad |
| Free start | No monthly fee on free tier (Gumroad takes % on sales) |
| Shareable | One product link for DMs / Reddit / Telegram |
| Email capture | Buyers land in Gumroad ecosystem |

**Tradeoff:** fees on each sale; less control than your FastAPI cart.

## Fastest Gumroad setup (30–60 min)

1. Create account: https://gumroad.com  
2. Create **3 products** (or 1 product with variants):

### Product 1 — Basic One-Page Website Template Package — $500
**Description (paste):**
```
Get a professional one-page business website template package from Website Factory.

What you get:
• Choice of template from our 100 live demos
• Mobile-responsive modern design
• Customized with your business name, contact info, and services copy
• Delivery timeline: ~1 week after content received

Preview templates free:
https://website-factory.srv1500693.hstgr.cloud/templates

After purchase: email websitesfactory@agentmail.to with your chosen demo URL + logo/photos.
```

**URL field / content:** deliver a PDF “Getting Started” that links to catalog + intake form.

### Product 2 — Intermediate (up to 5 pages) — $1,500
```
Multi-page informational website package (up to 5 pages).
Ideal for restaurants, clinics, professional services, local brands.

Includes structure for Home + Services + About + Contact (+1).
Live demos: https://website-factory.srv1500693.hstgr.cloud/templates
Pricing details: https://website-factory.srv1500693.hstgr.cloud/pricing
```

### Product 3 — Premium (DB + features) — $2,500
```
Premium website package with database/transactional scope (booking, accounts, payments integration planning).

Start with a live demo match, then we scope features before build.
Catalog: https://website-factory.srv1500693.hstgr.cloud/
```

3. Cover images: screenshot 3 best demos (restaurant, corporate, trades)  
4. Turn on **Pay What You Want**? **No** — keep fixed prices  
5. Share Gumroad link in Telegram pin + email signature  

## Getting Started PDF (create in Google Docs → export)

Title: **Website Factory — After You Buy**

1. Pick a demo from the catalog  
2. Reply with: business name, phone, email, address, 3 services, logo, 3–6 photos  
3. We confirm tier + timeline  
4. Delivery + revision round  

Host PDF on Gumroad as the instant download; service fulfillment is manual (honest for first sales).

## Free alternatives (if Gumroad is slow)

| Platform | Notes |
|----------|-------|
| **Payhip** free | Similar digital products |
| **Stripe Payment Link** | Fastest if Stripe is ready — one link per tier |
| **Your own checkout** | Already live on sales site — push this hardest |
| **Ko-fi shop** | Lower trust for $500+ |

## Recommendation for first sale THIS WEEK

1. **Primary CTA everywhere:** your sales site checkout (already built)  
2. **Secondary:** one Gumroad Basic $500 product for people who distrust unknown domains  
3. **DM script:** “Prefer Gumroad or direct checkout?”  

Direct checkout URL:
https://website-factory.srv1500693.hstgr.cloud/templates

## Stripe Payment Links (even freer/faster if account exists)

Create 3 Payment Links in Stripe Dashboard:

- WF Basic $500  
- WF Intermediate $1500  
- WF Premium $2500  

Put them on Telegram pin under “Pay securely”.

## Checklist

- [ ] Gumroad account verified  
- [ ] Basic $500 product live  
- [ ] PDF intake guide attached  
- [ ] Link added to Telegram pin post  
- [ ] Link added to email signature  
- [ ] Test purchase $0 or small test if available