Choosing, Creating & Marketing Digital Products to Sell

Creating and selling digital products is a great way to boost your business' profitability. As more people spend time online, they are continually looking for content which both interests and helps them to solve a problem. Your digital product could be the solution to their problem, and one they'll be willing to pay for.

From smartphone apps through to eBooks and videos, there are endless possibilities available for you to create and sell digital products from your website. Today we're going to list some of the most popular digital products and then walk you through the process of choosing and creating digital products to sell through your website.

Popular Digital Products to Sell

Digital products are intangible things that are downloadable and are delivered electronically to the customer. Digital products can be sold online or in a physical store. They are easily modified and updated, take up no physical storage space, are cost effective and require no inventory management, provide a higher profit margin and can be provided to the target audience at any time. Here's our list of the most popular digital products:

Courses - whether you are teaching SEO, how to grow a successful vegetable garden or how to use Pinterest, online courses can take many digital forms; PDF, video, membership, online forums.
Videos - while access to videos can be sold as part of a package, such as a course, you can also make and sell custom videos upon request, or editable videos for businesses to use.
Stock photos - a talent with photography will give you the material needed to sell stock photos online.
Digital artwork - if you've got the talent or know someone who does, designing and selling printable digital artwork files can be lucrative.
Machine embroidery designs - one of our customers Kreative Kiwi digitises and then sells her own machine embroidery designs through her Website World website.
Sewing & knitting patterns - or you could design and then sell sewing or knitting patterns via a PDF download.
eBooks - one of the most well-known digital products, eBooks remain popular, especially if formatted for reading on a device.
Music - indie musicians can create and then sell their own albums online. Or instead, what about creating stock music people could use on Facebook or YouTube?
Templates & diaries - printable and/or editable templates and diaries remain in hot demand. Shopping lists, calendars, to-do lists; the options are endless.
Recipes - selling digital recipes or even cookbooks gives customers the convenience of having a recipe at their fingertips, rather than needing to search online for it.
Apps - with an app available for pretty much anything, this is one digital product that will be around for years.
Graphics - social media graphics, website banners, pre-made logos and fonts are just some ideas of graphics to sell via your own website.
Colouring in files - design and sell either editable or printable colouring in files using designs from your industry.
Virtual fieldtrips - during the pandemic, many businesses pivoted to provide virtual visits to attractions and this remains a popular option with buyers and sellers.
Puzzles & games - if you can create a crossword, word find or even an online game, you can sell them again and again to customers.

Choosing Your Business' Digital Products

The types of digital products listed above may have sparked some ideas regarding what you will create and sell. But like with all products, before you start anything, do your due diligence first. This includes:

identifying the specific niche for your product - nail down the exact niche you want to sell your product for. Like with a physical product, a digital one still needs to solve a problem for the customer.
researching the product niche - spend time finding out who your competition will be, what they sell and how customers respond to their products. Ask your target audience what type of digital content they would pay for and why.
brainstorm product ideas - you've seen what's happening in and what people think about digital products in your niche. Now is the time for you to take on board these observations and opinions to create a list of possibilities for your business. Remember that a product needs to solve a customer's pain point in order for them to purchase it.
test your preferred product idea - there will be one idea which reaches out to you and still seems viable after your research. Write out your ideas more fully for this product and then once again, take it to your target audience for feedback.

Tips On Creating Digital Products

You've confirmed the digital product you will be selling, making now the time you need to start creating it. While you do though, there are a few things you should be doing which will help you sell it. For instance, you need to be spending time building up your newsletter subscription list so you can promote your upcoming product. Secondly, create great free content on your site so potential customers can see the value of your content - a bit of you try before you buy.

Here are our tips on making digital and downloadable products to sell from your website:

appearances matter - just like with physical products, how your digital product is presented is important. The problem is though, it's digital, not physical. This means product photos are out. Instead you'll need to rely upon a mock up of what the product contains (templates, photos etc), a cover, people using the product and lots of custom designed graphics.
DIY or outsourcing - making the product yourself is going to be the cheapest option. If you can, use the skills you already have, and if necessary, learn how to do the ones you need by don't have. Outsourcing what you can't do, or don't have time to do is also an option.
test and test again - ask friends, colleagues and your target audience to test out your product and give feedback upon it.
revise and test again - take the feedback you received to once again edit your product and make it perfect.

Selling Your Digital Products Online

If you are thinking about making and selling a digital product online, consider using NZ's best digital product selling platform: Website World. Our eCommerce website platform is ideal for selling and promoting digital products, and you can grab yourself a free 30 day extendable trial too. With affordable monthly hosting and an NZ based support team, we're here to help you make your online business a success.