Websites using Opensharecount

Okay, let s break down OpenShareCount, looking at its overview, revenue (or potential revenue model), alternatives, pricing, and customer care. Since OpenShareCount is no longer actively maintained, some information is based on its historical operation and publicly available data.

Overview of OpenShareCount

• Purpose: OpenShareCount was a free, open-source PHP script designed to retrieve share counts (i.e., the number of times a URL was shared) from various social media platforms. It was intended to be an easy way for website owners to display social proof on their sites, encouraging more sharing and engagement.
• Functionality: It worked by making API calls to social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc., and aggregating the share counts into a single number. The script then provided this number to the website where it was installed.
• Key Features (Historically):
  • Multiple Social Networks: Supported fetching share counts from several popular platforms.
  • Open Source: Free to use, modify, and distribute. This was a significant advantage.
  • Easy Integration: Designed for relatively simple integration into existing websites.
  • Customizable: Allowed some level of customization to match the website s design.

Revenue (or Potential Revenue Model)

• No Direct Revenue: As an open-source and free project, OpenShareCount did not have a direct revenue model. The original developer didn t charge for its use.
• Potential Indirect Revenue (If it were a business):
  • Donations: The developer could have accepted donations from users who found the script valuable.
  • Premium Support/Customization: A premium version with dedicated support, advanced features, or custom development could have been offered for a fee.
  • API/Hosting Service: Instead of providing just the script, a hosted service that handled the API calls and data aggregation could have been offered as a paid service. (Similar to some of the alternatives below).

Alternatives

Given that OpenShareCount is no longer actively maintained, it s essential to consider alternatives. Here are some options, categorized for clarity:

• Social Sharing Plugins (WordPress & Other Platforms): Many social sharing plugins for platforms like WordPress include share count functionality (although many are having issues with that). Examples:
  • Shared Counts (WordPress): A plugin focused on displaying share counts, but its reliability depends on the social network APIs.
  • Social Warfare (WordPress): A premium plugin with more advanced features, including share counts (but also facing API challenges).
  • AddToAny (WordPress, Other Platforms): A popular, free plugin with extensive social network support, but share counts can be limited.
  • Other Social Sharing Plugins: Many other options exist (e.g., Jetpack Social, Monarch), but share count accuracy should be verified.
• Dedicated Share Count APIs/Services:
  • SharedCount API (sharedcount.com): A paid service that focuses specifically on providing accurate share counts from various social networks. This is likely the closest alternative in terms of functionality.
  • BuzzSumo: While primarily a content analysis tool, BuzzSumo includes share count data.
  • Ahrefs: A comprehensive SEO tool that also provides share count metrics as part of its content analysis features.
• Custom Development:
  • Roll Your Own: You could develop your own script to fetch share counts directly from social network APIs. However, this requires significant programming knowledge and ongoing maintenance to adapt to API changes.
• DIY/Manual Process:
  • Manual Check: Check manually each social media for your url count and display it manually.

Pricing

• OpenShareCount: Free (but no longer maintained).
• Shared Counts (WordPress): Free, but relies on third-party APIs, so accuracy may vary.
• Social Warfare (WordPress): Premium, with pricing based on the number of sites.
• AddToAny (WordPress, Other Platforms): Free.
• SharedCount API: Paid, with pricing tiers based on the number of API calls.
• BuzzSumo: Paid, with pricing tiers based on usage.
• Ahrefs: Part of a larger SEO tool suite; pricing is based on subscription level.

Customer Care Details

• OpenShareCount: No official customer care. As an open-source project, support was typically community-based (forums, GitHub issues). Since it s no longer maintained, community support is also likely limited.
• Alternatives:
  • WordPress Plugins: Support is generally provided through the WordPress plugin directory, the plugin developer s website, or forums.
  • Paid APIs/Services: Paid services like SharedCount API, BuzzSumo, and Ahrefs offer dedicated customer support channels (email, chat, phone, documentation). The level of support generally correlates with the pricing tier.

Important Considerations When Choosing an Alternative:

• API Changes: Social network APIs change frequently, which can break share count functionality. This is a major challenge for all solutions. Consider this before moving forward.
• Accuracy: Share counts are notoriously unreliable due to API limitations.
• Privacy: Some users are concerned about the privacy implications of tracking social shares.
• Performance: Fetching share counts can impact website performance. Caching mechanisms are often used to mitigate this.
• Maintenance: If you choose a DIY approach or rely on a less-supported plugin, be prepared to handle ongoing maintenance.

In summary: OpenShareCount was a valuable tool in its time, but its lack of maintenance makes it unsuitable for modern use. Alternatives range from WordPress plugins to dedicated API services, each with its own trade-offs in terms of cost, accuracy, features, and maintenance requirements. Consider your budget, technical expertise, and the importance of accurate share counts when making your decision. Because of recent API changes on the most popular social media services, share counts may not be as reliable as they have been in the past.