4 Key Steps to Selling Digital Products Online

Digital products have revolutionized the way people do business in today’s world. With the ability to run small businesses from anywhere in the world, selling digital products has become a popular way for creators to generate extra income or even start a full-time business. In this comprehensive blog, we will explore the steps to start selling digital products and provide you with 101 product ideas to inspire your own creations.

How to Sell Digital Products

Selling digital products involves four key steps: market research, product idea validation, launching an online store, and promoting on social media. Let’s dive into each step in detail.

1. Research and Validate Your Product Ideas

Deciding on the right product to sell can be a challenging task. However, by conducting thorough market research and validating your product ideas, you can increase your chances of success. Start by analyzing your competition and understanding what sets you apart from them. Consider the unique aspects of your brand that resonate with your audience and build your product around those strengths.

Listening to your audience is crucial in this process. Pay attention to what your followers are saying and identify their needs and desires. You can directly ask your followers what types of products they would like to see from you and then deliver on those requests.

For example, Emma Chieppor, an educational influencer, discovered a product idea when her TikTok followers expressed interest in Excel shortcut guides. She capitalized on her expertise in Excel and started successfully creating and selling these guides to her audience.

2. Create an Online Store with Sellfy

Once you have determined your product ideas, it’s time to launch your online store. Sellfy provides an easy and hassle-free platform for selling digital products. Here’s how you can get started:

1. Choose a subscription plan (Starter, Business, or Premium) and set up an account with a valid email address or start a free trial.
2. Customize the look of your store using the Store Customizer tool or choose from Sellfy’s premade themes.
3. Add your digital products to the store by uploading the files, adding relevant product images, and providing product descriptions.
4. Save your product and your digital items will appear live in your shop.

Sellfy offers mobile-first design, full store customization, instant payouts, discount codes, advanced VAT & tax settings, multiple payment options, excellent customer support, and the ability to sell physical products and print-on-demand merch alongside your digital goods and subscriptions.

3. Promote to Your Audience

Promoting your products to your audience is essential for driving sales. Start by adding your shop link to your social media profiles so that new followers can easily find your online store. Additionally, think from the perspective of a fan and create content that would appeal to them. Show how your product can benefit them rather than simply telling them to buy it.

For example, award-winning textile designer Linda Skuja built her Instagram strategy around celebrating her customers. She created appreciation posts, celebrated milestones, and shared user-generated content featuring her products. By doing so, she generated more engagement and increased brand awareness.

Utilize social media platforms to their full potential by creating compelling content, engaging with your audience, and leveraging influencers and collaborations to reach a wider audience.

4. Fight Piracy of Your Digital Products

Protecting your digital products from piracy is crucial for maintaining your revenue and intellectual property rights. While no method can guarantee 100% safety, Sellfy provides anti-piracy tools to help secure your products. These include hosting your products on secure Amazon cloud servers, generating unique download links for each purchase, limiting download attempts, and providing customer information for tracking purposes. Sellfy also ensures SSL encryption, PDF file stamping, GDPR compliance, and a highly secure payment gateway.

Why Sell Digital Products Online

Selling digital products online offers numerous advantages and opportunities for creators. Here are some reasons why you should consider selling digital products:

1. Cost-effective business: Selling digital products eliminates the need for financial investments in stock or product manufacturing.

2. No logistical issues: With digital products, there are no concerns about inventory management, packaging, or shipping, saving you time and effort.

3. Endless possibilities: You can always create new digital products for any market or audience, providing you with endless opportunities for growth.

4. Increased engagement and web traffic: Selling digital products generates buzz around your business, driving traffic to your online store and increasing engagement with your audience.

5. Sense of community and belonging: Customers who purchase your digital products feel a stronger connection to your brand, fostering a sense of community and loyalty.

6. Better social media exposure: Launching digital products increases brand awareness and recognition, leading to improved social media exposure.

7. Support from fans: Customers are often eager to support their favorite creators by purchasing their products, providing you with a new source of revenue.

8. Passive income generation: Selling digital products allows you to earn passive income, making money even while you sleep.

Digital Products vs. Physical Products

While physical products have their place in the market, selling digital products offers several advantages over their physical counterparts. Here’s a comparison between the two:

Digital Products

• Online delivery: Digital products can be sold infinitely without worrying about stock running out.
• Budget-friendly: Digital products don’t require shipping fees like physical products.
• Higher profit margin: With no recurring costs, you retain more profit from each sale.
• Unlimited scalability: There are no limitations on the number of digital products you can sell.
• Easier to create and modify: Digital products can be created and modified with ease, allowing for quick updates and improvements.
• Reduced environmental impact: Selling digital products eliminates the need for physical production, reducing waste and environmental impact.

Physical Products

• Tangible experience: Physical products provide a tactile experience that digital products cannot replicate.
• Brand visibility: Physical products can serve as a form of advertising, showcasing your brand to a wider audience.
• Potential for wider reach: Physical products can be sold in brick-and-mortar stores, reaching customers who may not be online.
• Limited scalability: Physical products require inventory management and production, limiting your ability to scale quickly.
• Higher upfront costs: Physical products often require investment in manufacturing, inventory, and shipping.

Both digital and physical products have their pros and cons, but selling digital products offers more flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.

101 Digital Product Ideas

To help you choose a digital product to sell online, we have compiled a list of 101 product ideas. You can use these ideas as inspiration or put your own unique spin on them. Remember, the key to success is providing value to your audience. Here are some digital product categories and examples:

Educational Downloads

1. Recipes or diet cookbooks: Share your culinary expertise with digital recipe books or specialized diet cookbooks.
2. Relocation guides: Create guides for people moving to specific locations to help them navigate the process.
3. Travel guides: Provide detailed travel guides for specific destinations, offering insider tips and recommendations.
4. Business or apprenticeship guides: Share your knowledge and experience to help others secure apprenticeships or corporate positions.
5. Academic research: Compile and sell academic research papers or resources for students.
6. Language study materials: Create language learning resources such as vocabulary lists, grammar guides, and pronunciation lessons.
7. Meal prep plans: Offer meal prep plans and recipes for individuals looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
8. Nutrition plans: Develop nutrition plans tailored to specific dietary needs or goals.
9. Skincare & beauty: Share skincare routines, beauty tips, or DIY beauty product recipes.
10. Workout information: Create workout guides, exercise routines, or fitness challenges.
11. Repair manuals: Develop repair manuals for various products or equipment.
12. Self-care guides: Offer self-care guides that focus on mental health, stress relief, and personal development.
13. DIY instructions: Provide step-by-step instructions for DIY projects or home renovations.
14. Dictionaries & shortcuts: Compile dictionaries or cheat sheets for specialized fields or industries.
15. Educational videos: Create video courses or tutorials on a specific subject.

Art & Music

1. Premade emotes & bit badges: Design and sell premade emotes and bit badges for streamers on platforms like Twitch.
2. Sheet music: Sell sheet music for various instruments or genres.
3. Procreate brushes: Create and sell digital brushes for Procreate, a popular digital art app.
4. Instagram or AR filters for social media apps: Develop and sell custom Instagram or augmented reality (AR) filters.
5. iPhone screen app icons: Design and sell custom app icons for iOS devices.
6. Digital posters: Create and sell digital posters featuring various themes or designs.
7. Stock photos: Offer a collection of high-quality stock photos for commercial or personal use.
8. Digital wallpapers: Design and sell digital wallpapers for desktops, smartphones, or tablets.
9. Business cards: Create customizable business card templates for individuals or businesses.
10. Branding kits: Develop branding kits that include logos, color palettes, and other design elements.
11. Mockups: Provide mockup templates for displaying designs or products in realistic settings.
12. Clip art: Create collections of digital clip art for personal or commercial use.
13. Fonts: Design and sell unique fonts for digital or print use.
14. LUTs: Offer color grading presets or LUTs (Look-Up Tables) for video editing.
15. Sound effects: Create and sell sound effects for use in videos, games, or animations.
16. Premade logos: Design and sell premade logos for businesses or individuals.
17. Twitch screen overlays: Develop overlays and graphics for streamers on Twitch.
18. YouTube banners: Create custom banners for YouTube channels.
19. Illustrations: Offer digital illustrations for use in books, websites, or marketing materials.
20. Text effects: Design and sell text effects or typography templates.
21. Textures: Provide high-quality texture packs for use in design projects.

Templates and Tools

1. Lightroom presets: Create and sell presets for Adobe Lightroom to enhance photos.
2. Beats, sample packs & drum kits: Produce and sell beats, sample packs, or drum kits for music producers.
3. Digital planners, illustrated journals & calendars: Design and sell digital planners, journals, or calendars for organization and productivity.
4. Instagram post templates: Develop templates for Instagram posts to help users create visually appealing content.

Entertainment Products

1. Short films: Create and sell short films, showcasing your storytelling and filmmaking skills.
2. Comedy and prank videos: Produce and sell comedy sketches or prank videos.
3. Reaction videos: Create reaction videos to popular media, offering unique perspectives and entertainment.
4. Product comparisons: Develop videos or guides comparing different products, helping consumers make informed decisions.
5. Video games: Design and sell digital video games or game assets.
6. Entertaining mobile apps: Create fun and interactive mobile apps for entertainment purposes.
7. Exclusive vlogs: Offer exclusive vlogs or behind-the-scenes content to subscribers.
8. Behind-the-scenes footage: Provide behind-the-scenes footage of creative projects or events.

Online Courses and Tutorials

1. Dance classes: Teach dance classes or choreography tutorials through video courses.
2. Graphic design tutorials: Share your graphic design knowledge through video tutorials or courses.
3. Fitness programs or tutorials: Develop fitness programs or tutorials for different fitness levels and goals.

Online Services

1. Web design services: Offer web design services to clients, creating custom websites for their businesses.
2. Graphic design services: Provide graphic design services, creating custom designs for clients’ branding needs.
3. Custom vocal track or ghost production: Offer custom vocal tracks or ghost production services for musicians.
4. Copywriting services: Provide copywriting services, crafting persuasive and engaging written content.
5. Religious or spiritual services: Offer online religious or spiritual services such as counseling or coaching.
6. Financial consultations: Provide financial consultations or advisory services.
7. Coaching & mentoring: Offer coaching or mentoring services in a specific field or industry.
8. Proofreading & editing: Provide proofreading and editing services for written content.
9. Career consultations: Offer career consultations to help individuals with job searches, resume writing, and interview preparation.
10. Tutoring & virtual assisting: Provide online tutoring services or virtual assistance to students or businesses.
11. Essay-writing services: Offer custom essay-writing services for students.
12. Translation services: Provide translation services for documents or websites.
13. Website setup: Help individuals or businesses set up their websites, including domain registration and hosting.
14. Mobile app creation: Develop custom mobile apps for individuals or businesses.
15. Self-help or online therapy: Offer self-help resources or online therapy sessions for mental health and personal growth.
16. Cover letter writing services: Provide cover letter writing services for job seekers.

Subscriptions and Membership Sites

1. Subscription-based podcasts: Create exclusive podcast content available only to subscribers.
2. Digital magazines: Publish digital magazines on specific topics or interests.
3. Spirituality & astrology subscriptions: Offer subscriptions for astrology or spiritual content, providing exclusive access to horoscopes and readings.

These are just a few examples of the wide range of digital products you can create and sell. The key is to find a niche that resonates with your audience and provide valuable content or solutions to their needs.

Conclusion

Selling digital products online offers creators an opportunity to generate passive income and build a thriving business. By conducting market research, validating product ideas, launching an online store, and promoting on social media, you can start your journey to success. Remember to protect your digital products from piracy using Sellfy’s anti-piracy tools and provide value to your audience through educational, artistic, entertaining, or service-based digital products. With the right strategies and a dedication to your craft, you can create a profitable digital product business. So why wait? Start selling your digital products online today with Sellfy!

Comprehensive blog on digital products