You want to make money online, but starting from scratch feels pretty daunting. Many online businesses indeed require a decent upfront investment, or specialized skills. 

But not digital products. Minimal investment or learning is required, and they’re a perfect way to make passive income.  

The best time to start selling digital products was last year. The second best time is now; this article will show you how to do it. While digital products are pretty easy to create, there’s a difference between creating them and actually making money.

You need to know how to effectively market your product, as well as how to craft an attractive and compelling sales pitch and use the right tools to maximize your profits.

In this article, I’ll explain the keys to successfully selling digital products online, from understanding your market to building effective sales.

So let’s dive in!

What digital products can I sell?

best digital products to sell

Fair question. But it would take me forever to answer, because when it comes to digital ‘products’, there’s a market for pretty much, well, everything. 

You can find hundreds of digital products for sale online, from popular, widely used products like digital planners to more niche products such as sound bites or community templates. 

But what you probably wanted to ask was “Which digital products can make me the most money?”, and if that’s your goal (which, duh), then you’ll want to look at the categories with the highest selling potential/widespread popularity:

Check out how much you can make selling digital products.

Why should I sell digital products?

Besides the fact that it’s the easiest way to start making money online, there’s a bunch of upsides to digital vs. physical products.

Here are a few of the reasons why you should sell digital products:

Ability to create passive income

passive income

Possibly one of the best things about digital products is the ‘create it once, sell it forever’ philosophy.

Once you’ve created a product you’re happy with and have it listed online, there’s no limit to the amount of sales you can make on autopilot (especially with the right marketing strategy). 

Reach a global audience

Digital products allow you to reach people worldwide, regardless of location. This flexibility allows you to tap into an entirely new customer base(s), something that isn’t always so easy with physical products.

Low cost and no inventory

I would even venture to say that there are no upfront costs for most digital products. Pretty much every required skill can be learned for free online.

Another appealing aspect of selling digital products is that they are low-cost and require no inventory. All you have to do is create the product and upload it to your online store.

Check out how easy it is to create digital products.

Create something based around your own skills and interests

digital product types

Designers, writers, coders, coaches, musicians, photographers – most creatives have the skill sets to build a digital product that aligns with their interests, making the whole process more enjoyable and sustainable.

Here are the best digital products to sell (and how to make them).

Choose your sales platform

Like I mentioned earlier, digital products are pretty straightforward to create. All you need is a good idea and the ability to make the product with software. And when it comes to selling, that’s pretty simple too.

Pick a platform that makes it easy to upload products, share your storefront via custom links, and allows you to keep most of your income. Check out this list of the best places to sell digital products.

Psst: When you refer customers to your whop via direct link, you only pay 3% on each sale. 

Creating and selling digital products

Alright, alright, we’ve covered the ‘why’. It’s time to break down how to sell digital products online. I promised in the beginning that I’d break down the secrets to successfully selling digital products online, because there’s nothing more off putting than the idea of putting in the time to create something only to have nobody buy it. I get it. But with the right approach, you won’t have to worry about that. 

There’s a formula to selling, and this is how it goes:

Know the market and your target audience

Okay, the first step in selling digital products online is spending the time to understand the current market for your specific product, as well as your target audience. This isn’t a five minute scrambled brainstorm, either. The more specific, the better.

Begin by identifying the types of digital products you are interested in creating, their demand, which online platforms they sell best on, and what buyers seek from these products. 

From there, you can refine your idea. For example, you might have decided to create and sell a digital meal planner – awesome! However, through your research, you may notice certain trends, such as meal planners for vegetarians or meal planners for women. Say you’re a woman with a background in nutrition, this helps you refine your idea to a digital meal planner for women in your age range. 

Now, you’ve got a working product idea. 

Create a quality product

digital downloads

Common mistake: focusing too much on promotion and not enough on product. Yes, marketing is important to reach the right people and make sales. But at the end of the day, this will only backfire if you haven’t put time and effort into creating a quality product. 

Before you know it negative reviews will be left, you’ll lose followers, and you’ll have refund requests coming in.

Your digital product should stand out from the crowd and provide a unique solution that others cannot. And beyond the content itself, the product should also be well-designed, accessible, and aesthetic. 

If your product requires additional help to reach higher quality, you can consider outsourcing some work to a freelancer.

Consider the right price point

Look, I’m going to shoot straight from the hip here. A high price point will turn consumers away from your store unless your digital product is something groundbreaking – I’m talking, never been seen. Especially when you’re just starting selling online, you want to price your products in a way that can bring in, not scare them away. 

Sure, having customer and store reviews can help new customers feel comfortable spending more on your product. But the bottom line is that when you start out, consumers won’t know or trust your brand enough to shell out the extra cash.

Consult similar listings and research the unique features other sellers offer. This way, you can determine a price point your audience will feel comfortable paying.

For more info, check out these pricing strategies used by the experts.

Build an online community

community

You can’t just yell into the void and hope for the best (sorry); you’ll need an audience to sell to. 

Sure, there are buyers browsing marketplaces all the time, but the chances of your product getting lost among the other thousands of listings are pretty high, so I wouldn’t rely on these buyers alone for sales. 

So, how do you find an audience? 

You build a community. Create a group on social media, heck, even just build up your own profile and create content around your digital products and how they can help people. Or, create a community where you can share free resources and market your digital products. With Whop, you can build your free community inside your own whop - the same place where you sell your products, seamlessly creating a lead generation funnel. 

Imagine that you're selling fitness trackers. With Whop, you can use the Files app to add your planners, the Chat app to allow your customers to communicate, and the Forums app to share information with your community of fitness enthusiasts. Then, when you're ready to launch your next product, you can easily promote it within your existing community.

If you're building an online community from scratch, check out this guide for some tips and tricks.

Work on your sales pitch

marketing funnel

Most shoppers are savvy enough to do their research before buying. I.e, they’re looking at your listing, and your competitors’, too. So your sales pitch is pretty important.

After all, half of sales is the art of convincing. 

Your listing should obviously include an in-depth product description that hits on pain points, resolutions, and results – but that’s not all. It’s also a good idea to include customer testimonials. 

“But I haven’t had any customers ye–” Let me stop you there. Send a friend or family member your product and have them give you their honest feedback. There’s your first testimonial. 

You’re also going to need a call to action. This is the last element of your listing that helps encourage customers to purchase. Make it good. 

Offer benefits

Benefits like discount codes and bundles can attract more customers and encourage them to buy your product. Plus, it’s more likely customers receiving benefits will return. 

Offering a discount code to existing customers can be a great way to show appreciation and encourage them to continue to purchase your products. By using benefits as part of an overall sales strategy, you can create a sense of urgency for a limited time. 

Track your success

The thing is, you don’t know where you’re headed if you haven’t been tracking your journey. 

Success isn’t simply making a sale, it’s having the awareness and knowledge of how you made that sale, and how you can continue to make more in the future. Tracking your success includes monitoring the performance of your campaigns, the number of sales you make, and the customer feedback you receive. 

Notice when your sales peak and trough, and what you did differently at those times. 

This sort of information can help you refine your marketing process and optimize future campaigns for better results.

Check out all the SaaS metrics your business should track in this guide.

Prepare to scale before it happens 

Great news! As digital products become increasingly popular, the demand for them is increasing, so you need to be prepared to scale up quickly as a store selling these products. 

So, how on earth do you plan to scale a digital business?

  • Create a detailed outline of the products you offer now, want to offer in the future, and the products which align most with your customer demographic
  • Create a timeline for scaling your business to anticipate customer demand
  • Know the cost of hardware, software, and additional resources for your digital products
  • Figure out the best platform to sell for your product (we’ll get into this below)

Your digital product is ready to hit the market, but where should you sell it? 

whop

Truth is, every online marketplace has its own pros and cons – but still, some are arguably better than others, especially for digital products. 

And make no mistake – finding the right online marketplace for your store is a major factor in how many units you’ll be able to sell. Some marketplaces are just downright off putting, some have astronomical fees, and certain marketplaces are popular with certain demographics. 

Because of the difference in features, fees, and functionality between marketplaces, it’s essential to research your options and choose the one that best fits your needs. 

It can be a bit overwhelming trying to remember every little detail about each marketplace as you do your research. 

Focus on the following tips to find the right online marketplace for your digital products:

Look at the fees (closely)

One of the most, if not the most crucial factor to consider when choosing an online marketplace is the fee structure. 

Different marketplaces have different fee structures, which can add up quickly if you’re not careful. While you may see one fee listed clearly on the home page, there are often other, associated fees on each sale. 

For example: on Etsy, sellers have to pay a fee to set up their store, fees for each listing, transaction fees on each sale, and advertising fees. For new sellers, this can be too costly when getting their business off the ground.

Whop is ideal for sellers of digital products who want low seller fees and a platform to market to millions of customers.

Check out the platform’s features

whop apps

Another thing you’ll want to consider closely is the marketplace’s features. 

While the core function of marketplaces is standard across the board, different selling platforms may offer different features, such as how they pay out their sellers. 

It’s also worth looking into the time and effort it takes to set up a storefront, managing your digital inventory, create product pages, and so on.

With Whop you can use native Whop apps to add all the features you want directly to your whop (aka your online hub). Whop apps are free to add, and there are new apps being added every week - meaning new features for you and your business!

Consider the payment options

Customers want to be able to check out quickly and securely, access their purchases, and move on with their day. 

When selling online, make sure customers can pay quickly and securely. Different platforms offer different payment options, so be sure to research the payment options available on each platform before deciding, and make sure the platform is well-known and trusted, with features to protect both buyer and seller from scams. 

Look at the seller support features

Selling digital products is easy, don’t get me wrong. But you’ll likely have questions or need help from time to time. 

Well, not all marketplaces are created equal in this aspect. Some have ways to get help instantly via live chat or phone, while others require you to reach out to customer service via tickets (which are slowly responded to via email). 

Ensure that the marketplace you select offers different levels of seller support. 

And yes, Whop offers instant support to all sellers, 24/7.

Read reviews

Just like you did for that new iPhone, read some reviews. You want to feel confident and justified in your decision, and reviews can be a great way to understand how other sellers feel about particular marketplaces. 

Before you choose an online marketplace, read reviews from other sellers to get an idea of their experiences with the platform. I like to go to unbiased forums like Reddit.

Sell your digital products with Whop

whop seller

So, now I have a question for you. Which digital product are you going to create first?

As you can see, it’s actually really simple to make money online when you know the secrets of the most successful sellers. And digital products are the best place to start this journey - no overheads, no risk, no upfront investment. Just vibes. 

But like I said, choosing the right sales platform is gonna be crucial. When it comes to digital products, though, certain platforms are just, well, built for that. Like Whop.

Created by sellers, for sellers, Whop is the perfect place for you to reach your target audience and maximize profits.

Simple, easy to use, and backed by a team of supportive experts to ensure your business ventures are smooth sailing, baby. Simply create your whop, add the products you want to sell, and start making money!

From courses to ebooks, coaching to private communities, and (literally) everything in between, you can sell it on Whop. So what are you waiting for?

Start making money from digital products today by selling them with Whop.

Create your whop