Selling digital products online has become a popular way for businesses to expand their reach and increase revenue. With the rise of e-commerce platforms, it’s now easier than ever for entrepreneurs to sell digital products such as ebooks, courses, software, and other virtual goods directly to consumers.

However, with so many product options available, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. In this article, “How to Sell Digital Products Online,” we’ll explore the various types of digital products that you can sell and discuss the pros and cons of each option. Whether you’re a seasoned online seller or just starting out in the world of e-commerce, this article will provide valuable insights into how to select the best product option for your business.

What type of digital products can you sell?

Digital products are way simpler to sell than physical products because you don’t need logistics or a warehouse. But what downloadable products can you sell online?

1. Ebooks

EBooks are one of the fastest-growing digital products. When you have expertise in making and selling eBooks, you can write a helpful guide or an interesting story. There are many different skills and topics you can write about, like the fitness niche, cookbooks, DIYs crafts, money, self-improvement, or a fiction story.

No matter what kind of ebook you choose, you must ensure your writing is of high quality and without grammatical errors. Because when you don’t make a quality ebook, nobody wants to buy and read it.

What is also important is to plagiarize your ebook to mark it as your intellectual work. You can sell ebooks either on marketplaces like Clickbank Amazon or make your own website/shop to sell them.

2. Online courses

More and more people use the internet to learn new things, making online courses a good digital product you can sell. So if you have enough knowledge about a topic you are interested in and want to teach others, you could create an online course.

It takes time and money to build a course and successfully market it. But if you choose a niche where people are interested, you can make a living selling online courses.

Online courses need a hosting platform like Teachable or thinkific, or you could also build your own course website, which is way harder and more expensive.

3. Sell Art and Designs

When you are a creative person, you make art or designs that you can sell online. There are d many options where you can sell your designs, be it on an online marketplace, or do it as paid work. You can also offer different templates, 3d objects, logos, concept art anything that you can upload online.

There are many different marketplaces like Envato or artstation, or you could use other sites like designbyhumans or redbuble, etc. to print in on cloth and art prints. Of course, you can also build your own shop to sell your art and designs.

4. Images and videos

Maybe you love taking photos and filming videos and don’t know what to do with it. Then you can upload your photo and video on different stock platforms. Or make a website where you license your quality images and videos so other people and companies can use them for their projects. Also, make sure you watermark your work so it won’t get stolen when you share it online.

While stock sites like Shutterstock, istock or Getty images are very popular, you need to know that these platforms take between 20% -60% of your profit. It is why you may need to consider building your shop with a site like Visual society or SmugMug so you can get 100% of your profit.

5. Websites

Many companies want to build a website or need an infographic where you can help and sell the products. It can be a website template or making a new font or writing articles, everything that website owners may need.

For websites, you can also sell templates and plugins on Envato. While they also take a percentage, you can simultaneously offer the plugin template on your own company website.

6. Seling Software

Selling software online is the easiest solution. You can offer software, an app, WordPress plugins, or maybe a game anything that solves people’s problems and bring them enjoyment.

You can choose from many opportunities and marketplaces depending on what you create. For software, the best idea is probably to build your own website and sell it there. Apps you upload to google play and iTunes, and for games, you can use sites like Steam, epic games store, gog, etc.

How to sell digital products online?

If you decide what you want to sell and your product is ready, you need to know how you can actually sell it. Many people think you just upload your digital offer, and then someone will buy it.

But the problem is how can anyone purchase it when no one knows about it. And even if people find the digital good, you need to get their attention that they actually purchase it. To convert customers, you need to make sure to keep the following steps in mind.

Finding a position in the marketplace

Many eCommerce startups fail because of the lack of product/market fit. To not be a part of this, you need to ensure your digital products fit the market’s needs. People don’t buy products; they buy outcomes and feelings. For instance, “if I read this, I can become happier, or I make more money”.

To find your market find, you need to look at what niches are popular. It is also important that you research competing companies that sell this product or similar ones.

When you have done this, you need to position yourself to potential customers so they know you offer a product they need. You can do this by building a brand and having a clear brand message and goal in mind.

What also matters is to find the right customers; this is why you should know who your audience is and what persona your average may look like. Then you can get an idea of how your product benefits your potential customers.

Getting Traffic

When you have a product and know your audience, you need to get traffic to your offer. Depending on if you have your own shop/website, you can use SEO to gain traffic, but especially if you use a marketplace, it might be a good idea to use advertisements.

SEO can take a great amount of time, so you should consider using social media ads, working with influencers, or using other online channels. This will help you a lot to reach your targeted audience and to sell your digital products.

But it is also important to build your SEO traffic for your website while you use ads to gain organic traffic in the long run.

Using a Lead magnet

With a lead magnet, you offer something valuable in exchange for potential customer information. This can be anything an ebook, a guide, a free webinar, audio, or video. The goal is to get the lead magnet their email address.

It is important to give them a free offer that is thoughtful and targeted. This will leave them eager and wanting more of what you have. The more subscribers to your email list you get, the more potential customer you can attract.

Offer a Tripwire

Tripwires are offers with a lower price where you give your email list a discount or show them the “best deal.” You may think you would lose money if you do this, but it is more expensive to get new customers than retain them.

When you only think about your profit, you push potential customers to your competitors who are offering discounts and deals.

A tripwire should be sent after your lead magnet. The goal is to get a first lead with your free offer and then build a sales relationship through the tripwire. The result should be that you convert as many leads as possible into customers.

With the tripwire, you give a low ticket offer as a taster to your main product. It is also a good idea to have a one-click upsell of your core product after a new customer checkout.

Selling the core product

With the taste of your lead magnet and tripwire, your build trust with your subscriber now you give them something more. This is where your core product, that is your main offering, comes in.

It most likely is higher priced than your tripwire, but you don’t have to make much profit from it. Many competitors make this mistake trying to make a profit from their core offer. But it is better to ensure you acquire more customers.

Now you may wonder if you can make any huge profit at one point. Yes, the next step, you will find out why it is a good idea to sell your core product not too high priced.

Maximizing your customer’s lifetime value

Most companies are focused on the core offer, but smart and profitable businesses are building funnels to increase profit with value maximizers.

The goal is to get more sales of your product or immediately sell your second offer. You directly get a profit when you build a good customer relationship.

While there are one-click upsells and subscriptions/recurring billings, you can also cross-sell.

An upsell is the same product or a different related product to the offer that is bought. Upsell has a lower price than the main product. For instance, McDonald’s has the core product hamburger and then upsells fries and cokes.

With a cross-sell, you offer a different product that is related to your core product. If you are selling an ebook about SEO, you can cross-sell an online marketing ebook.

It can make more revenue than predictable monthly/yearly subscriptions. You can also use more than one type of product and find out what works best with your core product and sell it.

Automation to scale sales

You use marketing automation to drive your people through your sales funnel. The goal is to convert a lead into a customer and then into a repeat buyer.

With email automation, you can easily set up and send emails to your leads and customers. Start with your lead magnet, followed by a tripwire, your core, and cross & upsells.

But don’t make the mistake of only sending offers because you may lose them as email subscribers. Better bring them value with related topics and information about your brand.

Rember, without email automation, you leave out a lot of profit.

Conclusion

There are a lot of different opportunities you can sell online. You just need to choose the right platform to sell your digital products. Or build your own shop and get the most profit. Whatever you do, you should make sure to market your offers both with Ads and SEO and strategically invest to generate more income.

Of course, it takes time and resources to earn money with digital products, but it can be worth it.

Let me know in the comment section what digital product you want to sell.

FAQ

What are digital products?

Digital products are products that can be downloaded or accessed online. They can be in the form of documents, music, images, videos, software, courses, and more.

How do I sell digital products online?

You can sell digital products online by using a platform that allows you to create and sell your products. Some popular platforms include Shopify, WooCommerce, Gumroad, and Etsy.

What are some digital product ideas to sell?

Some profitable digital product ideas include ebooks, courses, printables, stock photos, website themes, and digital art.

How do I come up with digital product ideas for selling online?

You can come up with digital product ideas by brainstorming topics that you are knowledgeable in or interested in and then figuring out how you can create a digital product that people would be willing to buy.

Can I sell digital downloads and physical products on the same platform?

Yes, many platforms allow you to sell digital downloads and physical products, such as Shopify and WooCommerce.

What is the best platform to sell digital products?

The best platform to sell digital products depends on your specific needs and goals. Some popular options include Shopify, WooCommerce, and Gumroad.

Do I need a website to sell digital products?

No, you do not need a website to sell digital products. You can create and sell your products using platforms like Gumroad or Etsy.

How can I promote my digital products?

You can promote your digital products through social media, email marketing, and collaborations with bloggers or influencers. You can also consider paid advertising or optimizing your product listing with SEO.

How do I know if a digital product idea is profitable?

You can research your digital product idea by conducting market research and competitor analysis. Look for similar products and see how they are priced and marketed. You can also create a free plan or prototype to test its appeal before investing time and money into a full product launch.

What are the benefits of selling digital products online?

Selling digital products online allows you to reach a global audience, scale your business without physical inventory, and create passive income streams. It also gives you more flexibility in your pricing and product offerings.

What are some profitable digital product ideas to sell online?

Some profitable digital product ideas to sell online include e-books, online courses, digital templates, printables, stock photos, and music or audio files.

How do I choose a digital product to sell?

To choose a digital product to sell, consider your skills and expertise, research the market demand, and identify a problem your product solves. You can also survey your audience to find out what they need.

What are some tips for selling digital products on Shopify?

Some tips for selling digital products on Shopify include optimizing your product listings with keywords, creating a clear and user-friendly website design, offering free samples or previews, and promoting your products through social media and email marketing.

What is the best place to sell digital products online?

Some of the best places to sell digital products online include platforms like Etsy, Gumroad, and Payhip and self-hosted online stores using platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce.

How do I start selling digital products?

To start selling digital products, you need to create your product, set up a website or online store, choose a platform for selling your products, and market your products through various channels.

Can I sell physical products along with digital products?

Yes, you can sell physical products along with digital products through your online store. This can be a great way to offer more options to your customers and increase your product offerings.

What are some digital product types that are popular to sell?

Some popular digital products to sell include e-books, online courses, software, stock photos, music or sound files, templates, and printables.

How can I create and sell digital products?

To create and sell digital products, you need to brainstorm product ideas, create your product using tools like Canva or Adobe Creative Suite, set up your online store, and market your products through various channels.

How can I promote my digital products?

You can promote your digital products through social media, email marketing, paid advertising, and collaborations with other bloggers or businesses. You can also optimize your website for SEO to increase visibility in search engine results.

What platform should I use for selling digital products?

The best platform for selling digital products depends on your budget, the types of products you want to sell, and the features and customization options you need. Options include self-hosted online stores like Shopify or WooCommerce, or platforms like Gumroad or Payhip.