What are digital merchandise?
When you have the itch to enter enterprise for your self, however don’t have a particular product already in thoughts, you may be questioning how one can be part of the ranks of profitable on-line enterprise house owners.
One possibility is to promote digital merchandise.
They provide the chance to construct a complete enterprise with out the necessity to consider stock, warehouse house, and transport prices.
Digital merchandise provide a strong, passive earnings alternative as a result of you possibly can, relying on the product, create one thing as soon as and promote it time and again with out producing extra stock, dealing with order achievement, or persevering with to spend on product updates and upkeep. It’s a perfect enterprise if you would like an efficient technique to generate a web based earnings with as few factors of friction as potential.
Sound like an incredible alternative?
If you happen to construct on an ecommerce platform like WooCommerce, you’ll profit from built-in digital product gross sales performance. You’ll additionally get limitless customizability and full possession over your on-line presence. That’s why thousands and thousands of shops world wide belief Woo.
At present, we’ll stroll you thru the various kinds of digital merchandise you possibly can promote, how to decide on those that greatest align together with your creativity and enterprise targets, and the best way to create and promote your digital merchandise on-line.
A digital product is an intangible good accessed by way of an digital gadget — issues like ebooks, on-line programs, songs, video games, paintings, and software program.
After a buyer purchases a digital merchandise, a enterprise delivers the digital product in a downloadable format by way of e mail or one other technique. For instance, a online game add-on would possibly seem inside the sport. Or the password to a digital membership library would possibly seem on the post-purchase “thanks” web page.
New enterprise house owners can determine to promote digital items alone, or ultimately combine in bodily merchandise to enhance their digital property. And current bodily companies can probably discover a means so as to add a couple of worthwhile digital merchandise to their lineup to extend their attain and income potential.
Now we’ll look into the varied kinds of digital merchandise you possibly can promote on-line and the very best methods to current and monetize them. You’ll be able to provide one-off digital downloads, give your prospects the choice to buy bundled digital merchandise at a reduction, promote digital memberships and month-to-month or yearly subscription choices for recurring income, and extra.
On-line programs
Keep in mind when sitting in a bodily classroom was your solely possibility? At present, lifelong pursuits and new abilities are discovered wherever you’ve gotten an web connection.
You’ll be able to create programs and earn money from sharing your ardour, and also you don’t must be a world-renowned scholar, faculty professor, or perhaps a licensed trainer — all you want is recognizable expertise and a need to share it.
So, what distinctive ability do you’ve gotten? What’s one thing you’re deeply keen about that you just’d like to share with others? Flip your expertise right into a digital enterprise and host weekly or month-to-month stay courses or webinars.
Don’t really feel comfy on digicam or just don’t need to current stay? Think about providing a pre-made on-line course the place you possibly can share your information by way of downloadable texts and pre-recorded movies.
Construct your web site with WordPress and WooCommerce and use the Sensei Professional extension to create and handle your individual on-line course.
You’ll have the ability to promote paid programs as a product instantly by way of your web site and even create memberships and subscriptions for recurring income. You’ll additionally profit from video course templates, quizzes to check and grade pupil progress, stipulations for college students to entry superior content material, flashcard picture hotspot performance, and extra.
Need to be taught extra about promoting on-line programs? See the best way to arrange Sensei LMS in our information: How you can Promote On-line Programs.
Podcasts and ebooks
Like on-line programs, podcasts and ebooks may help you monetize your information. Greater than 76 million individuals in the US listened to podcasts in 2024 — a determine that’s elevated by over 27 million since 2020 and will attain practically 114 million by 2029.
And it’s the identical story for ebooks — with digital readership income extending previous $50 billion yearly.
Authors can use the built-in digital merchandise providing for WooCommerce to promote their books on-line. Podcasters also can use WooCommerce with integrations like Audio Participant for WooCommerce and WooCommerce Memberships. These let creators promote particular person, premium media recordsdata or provide memberships for unique podcast content material.
Memberships and subscriptions
Among the best issues about on-line programs, podcasts, ebooks, and lots of different digital merchandise, is the flexibility for enterprise house owners to promote them on a recurring foundation. This offers extra regular, predictable earnings and might really permit for a really hands-off method to enterprise administration.
Your prospects can join membership or subscription for so long as they need to hold entry and your main job (beside advertising and marketing) is to create the content material within the first place or proceed to drip out new content material every week or month to maintain individuals subscribed so long as potential.
Digital merchandise for real-world memberships
Digital merchandise can be tremendous helpful for managing golf equipment which have in-person occasions and conferences. The Kansas Metropolis Parrot Head Membership, for instance, hosts charitable and social occasions every month for its roughly 200 members. Annual memberships, and renewals, together with tickets for particular occasions are managed by way of their web site.
WooCommerce as soon as once more shines on this space with two key extensions: WooCommerce memberships and Woo subscriptions. Collectively, they work to create a membership possibility with recurring billing capabilities.
WooCommerce Memberships means that you can present managed entry to gated areas in your web site with libraries of unique content material, entry to unique communication channels, and reductions for different merchandise obtainable in your web site.
Woo Subscriptions means that you can cost recurring funds for auto-shipped merchandise at common intervals — nevertheless it additionally unlocks the recurring billing possibility for memberships so you possibly can cost prospects a set charge every month (or different acceptable interval). It additionally permits for members to handle their subscription and pause or cancel on their very own.
The most effective Patreon different
If you happen to like the thought of offering a membership choice to followers or making a neighborhood of supporters who get rewarded for supporting your artistic work, you will have thought of Patreon or YouTube channel memberships.
The issue with these platforms is that you just’re restricted in design and product choices (having to adapt to their setups for delivering and publishing content material) and are beholden to their phrases of service.
As an alternative, take a look at WooCommerce because the greatest Patreon different. You’ll be able to present memberships with recurring billing and gated content material, however have full possession of the platform you construct and might customise it in any means.
Digital paintings and printable downloads
Artists have a stunning alternative to create digital merchandise. And their on-line gives don’t should battle with their bodily work.
You’ll be able to promote graphic designs to inventory picture websites for different creators and entrepreneurs to make use of of their work. You’ll be able to promote artwork designed to be pc or cellphone backgrounds. You’ll be able to promote digital recordsdata of paintings for purchasers to print on canvas, copy for college worksheets, or use in virtually any means possible.
Flip watercolor artwork into cellphone wallpaper. Provide printable downloads of your digital artwork as greeting playing cards. Create posters that your prospects can print themselves and body nevertheless they’d like. The choices are actually solely restricted by customers’ imaginations.
For instance, let’s say that you just promote an illustration of a faculty soccer stadium. Whilst you can definitely provide it in prints that you just bodily ship to prospects, you may additionally provide it as a printable, digital obtain.
Soccer followers might print it from their house pc, and even add it to a service like Shutterfly to professionally print it on all the things from mugs and wine glasses to notebooks, laptop computer sleeves, and magnets.
You should use WooCommerce to show and promote all of this stuff and even provide one thing extra distinctive like non-fungible tokens (NFTs), full with a Certificates of Authenticity, by including the Verisart extension.
Licensed digital property
Creators typically like to increase or modify one other artist’s thought. It offers inspiration — a leaping off level — to create one thing new. And graphic designers working for artistic businesses, advertisers, or different organizations discover it advantageous to make use of premade property the place potential to work extra effectively as a substitute of making all the things from scratch.
Think about offering digital property for different creators to license and use in their very own works. Except you solely provide unique licenses, your one-time creation might be licensed time and again for years — resulting in constant income lengthy after you really did any work.
Listed below are some examples of licensable digital merchandise:
Whilst you can license these property from your individual WooCommerce web site with an extension like License Supervisor for WooCommerce, you also needs to take into account providing them by way of a market that has a built-in visitors supply of individuals seeking to buy licenses. These sorts of marketplaces embrace:
- Canva
- iStock
- Adobe Inventory
- Unsplash
- Getty
- Envato Parts
- Shutterstock
These platforms provide publicity, however cost a fee for every sale in change. Many inventory picture websites, like Unsplash and Pexels, provide a mixture of choices for customers, together with royalty-free pictures or premium pictures. Customers can obtain and use royalty-free pictures with no charge (some attribution necessities and utilization restrictions apply), whereas premium pictures have variable pricing relying on how the picture can be used.
Commissioned works as licensed digital merchandise
You’re not restricted to licensing pre-created works. When you have creative expertise with a observe document of efficiency, you possibly can promote commissioned initiatives in virtually any kind possible. Document a voiceover, write and document customized music, create a graphic design based mostly on a written request. These sorts of artistic providers are bought on a regular basis on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr.
Music, video, and audio
If you happen to’re an expert singer or musician, even if you happen to identical to writing and recording music in your spare time, you possibly can promote full songs for obtain or provide snippets for purchasers to make use of as ringtones. With Audio Participant for WooCommerce, prospects can hearken to your songs or ringtone snippets earlier than they purchase.
Paid newsletters
you probably have expertise, information, and expertise — in virtually any area of interest possible — you’ve gotten experience to share with an viewers. It’s possible you’ll share this on a weblog to generate natural visitors, and that’s nice. However you also needs to take into account offering unique entry to premium content material. You are able to do this by way of a membership providing, however one other fashionable possibility is to create a paid e-newsletter.
When you’ve demonstrated your experience and constructed a following, you possibly can write a e-newsletter at constant intervals (like weekly) and cost for entry. And this doesn’t should be instructional — anybody with a following (for any purpose) can drip content material to followers in change for a charge.
Be taught extra about the best way to create a paid e-newsletter by way of a web site and platform that you just totally personal and management.
Software program licensing
Don’t neglect that software program is a digital product! Construct out your app thought, create a plugin for WordPress, or develop a SaaS program. These sorts of issues are often a fairly large endeavor, however they’re nonetheless digital merchandise with numerous potential to generate income.
WooCommerce is the best platform for doing enterprise on-line. A significant a part of that? The library of extensions obtainable for on-line retailer house owners to shortly add performance to their web site. Certified builders can contribute their extension to {the marketplace}. Be taught extra right here.
Digital present playing cards
Digital present playing cards are an effective way so as to add a handy product choice to your retailer. So even if you happen to do promote bodily merchandise, add a web based present card possibility for one more income alternative with out having to cope with extra stock, SKUs, and achievement complications.
In case your retailer runs on WooCommerce, you’ve gotten entry to a nice extension that may make this complete course of a snap.
Digital providers
Do you provide consulting or different providers? You’ll be able to ship these nearly and let prospects schedule their session or appointment with WooCommerce Bookings.
Now that we’ve reviewed some kinds of digital merchandise, let’s check out some actual shops which can be promoting digitally on-line, all with WooCommerce.
French At present
French in the present day gives all kinds of educational materials to assist individuals discover ways to communicate French the best way it’s actually utilized in every day life. They provide audiobooks based mostly on a wide range of expertise ranges and area of interest topics (like verb drills), a month-to-month audio journal subscription, customized Skype French classes, and even studying apps.
CLS by BARBRI
This on-line retailer gives on-line training for people searching for a profession within the authorized subject. College students can select from a wide range of programs and seek for the correct match based mostly on the varsity they’re attending, their location, their subject of focus, and extra. In addition they have a bookstore the place guests should purchase the digital textbooks wanted for his or her programs.
Every course is obtainable solely on-line, and college students can work by way of the topics on their very own time. Along with extra conventional cost strategies, CLS by BARBRI permits prospects to pay month-to-month (or in a set variety of installments) to make issues simpler.
Cosmos Journal
Cosmos is a print science journal that’s delivered quarterly to devoted subscribers. Their objective is to make science accessible to everybody, no matter their expertise and information stage. They usually do that by way of high-quality pictures, top-knotch writing, and clear explanations.
Along with their print journal, additionally they have a web based digital version that’s up to date every day, together with digital variations of all of their again points. Lastly, they’ve a membership obtainable that features entry to the digital model of the journal, together with unique options. This is a wonderful instance of how print and digital can exist facet by facet.
FilterGrade
FilterGrade is a web based market that provides an enormous library of digital property for creators — Lightroom presets, picture overlays, Photoshop actions, and extra. Every product is offered in a couple of completely different license varieties, with completely different pricing for every.
TipoType
TipoType gives a catalog stuffed with high-quality fonts that prospects can use for his or her digital and print creations. Every font is offered in a wide range of kinds and has a number of license varieties relying on the client’s use case.
In addition they provide customized providers, resembling customized font licensing, distinctive font variations, and prolonged language protection.
HousingWire
HousingWire is a digital library of data particularly for the true property trade. There are particular person and group licenses obtainable, and prospects can select between a month-to-month or yearly subscription. There are additionally enterprise plans for bigger companies.
A HousingWire membership offers entry to actual property information, market information, housing analysis, unique in-person occasions, and a e-newsletter only for subscribers.
The Candy Setup
The Candy Setup has greater than 60,000 digital subscribers to their web site, which gives paid programs, critiques, and articles round productiveness. Accessible programs cowl all the things from time administration and productiveness to taking advantage of particular software program.
The Focus Membership Membership gives entry to the entire instruments and programs obtainable on their web site, together with a digital neighborhood and month-to-month workplace hours.
There are a selection of locations you possibly can promote digital merchandise on-line. Let’s discover a couple of choices, beginning with the one that gives probably the most freedom, management, and adaptability.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a robust ecommerce device constructed particularly for WordPress. It gives completely all the things it’s essential promote digital merchandise, together with product listings, checkout and cart performance, cost gateways, and digital obtain help — all without spending a dime!
If you happen to do need extra performance, you possibly can select from an enormous library of extensions that present instruments for software program licenses, subscriptions, memberships, and extra.
Listed below are only a few of the explanations that WooCommerce stands out from the opposite choices on this listing:
- It harnesses the ability of WordPress. WordPress is the preferred web site platform obtainable, and WooCommerce is a plugin constructed by Automattic, the group behind WordPress.com. Once you use WooCommerce, you profit from all the nice options of WordPress, just like the drag-and-drop block editor, highly effective content material creation instruments, and unbelievable flexibility.
- You could have full management and possession. With WooCommerce, you’ve gotten full management over the appear and feel of your web site and merchandise. You’re not beholden to any design or measurement restrictions, and nobody can take your merchandise down. This isn’t the case with different platforms.
- There are not any exclusivity agreements. Some third-party platforms let you promote your digital merchandise on their web site — and solely their web site. This isn’t true with WooCommerce. Promote merchandise by yourself retailer and on different platforms, if you happen to’d like.
- You retain extra of your hard-earned cash. WooCommerce doesn’t cost any itemizing charges or take a proportion of your gross sales.
- It’s endlessly versatile. You’ll be able to promote something you need, design your on-line retailer nevertheless you need, and use extensions to create nearly any kind of performance.
- You’ll be able to promote a wide range of product varieties facet by facet. Promote digital downloads subsequent to on-line programs. Provide digital consultations alongside software program licenses and even bodily merchandise. The sky’s the restrict.
- There’s highly effective help and a neighborhood of like-minded entrepreneurs. WordPress and WooCommerce are surrounded by a passionate neighborhood made up of different retailer house owners identical to you. Join with them by way of on-line boards, Slack channels, Fb teams, and in-person meetups.
WooCommerce is, by far, one of the simplest ways to promote your digital merchandise on-line. Need to be taught extra? See the way it compares to different choices like Etsy and Patreon.
Inventory websites
If you happen to create digital property like inventory pictures, illustrations, or movies, there are some good choices for promoting on third-party marketplaces. These embrace:
There are some advantages to these kind of marketplaces. For instance, you achieve entry to a bigger, built-in viewers that’s trying to find what you must provide.
However take the time to completely perceive what’s concerned with every platform. Some have exclusivity agreements, whereas others don’t. Some have increased charges than others. Some let you set your individual costs, whereas others set them for you. And remember that rivals’ merchandise can be proven proper alongside your individual.
If you wish to profit from the built-in viewers of third-party marketplaces whereas nonetheless constructing your individual retailer, you definitely can with WooCommerce. So long as the marketplaces don’t have exclusivity agreements, you possibly can listing your digital property there, together with your individual retailer.
Etsy
Etsy is a superb platform for small on-line enterprise house owners, particularly creatives, who may gain advantage from a built-in viewers of patrons. Sellers can listing each bodily and digital merchandise of their store. Nonetheless, as with something, there are each positives and negatives.
Listed below are a few of the advantages of Etsy:
- A inbuilt viewers. Your work is exhibited to a built-in viewers that already has a variety of belief within the platform.
- Constructed-in promotional alternatives. Your merchandise are advisable to others who bought related objects.
- Promoting instruments. You’ll be able to harness highly effective promoting instruments to succeed in a brand new viewers.
Listed below are a few of the draw back of Etsy:
- Etsy costs to your listings and/or store. Whilst you can host as many merchandise as you need, Etsy costs a $0.20 charge for every itemizing. If you happen to improve your account from Primary to Etsy Plus, you possibly can listing as much as 15 merchandise with out the itemizing charge. Nonetheless, Etsy retains 6.5% of every sale, which might actually eat into your income.
- Product varieties are quite simple. You gained’t have a lot flexibility relating to the kinds of merchandise you promote. For instance, it’s not potential to promote on-line programs.
- You don’t personal your storefront. On the finish of the day, your merchandise and enterprise are on the mercy of a bigger market.
And bear in mind, you can even promote on Etsy alongside your WooCommerce retailer. The Etsy Integration for WooCommerce extension syncs itemizing data between each shops, so all the things is at all times updated.
Patreon
Patreon is a web site for creatives, influencers, and others to supply subscription-style perks to followers and followers, or Patrons. The positioning enables you to arrange membership tiers with different entry. You’ll be able to even create a free tier with content material that’s accessible to anybody signed up to your updates.
Patreon was as soon as the go-to place — particularly for creatives simply beginning to construct a reputation for themselves — that married artistic people with individuals who need to help artistic endeavors.
However in the previous few years, creators have misplaced what made Patreon so nice to start with: management over what they will and might’t submit. The lack of management and Patreon’s seemingly exorbitant charges have made this once-great creator platform simply one other channel that doesn’t have creator pursuits at coronary heart.
WooCommerce is the greatest Patreon different, and extra creators are turning to it daily.
Professionals of Patreon:
- There are pre-built profile templates. If you happen to don’t have a novel imaginative and prescient for presenting your self as a creator, it is a bonus of Patreon as you possibly can merely fill out the data and launch a web page about as shortly as filling out a brand new web page profile for a platform like Fb or LinkedIn.
- Familiarity with potential followers. Your followers have most likely heard of Patreon and will really feel extra comfy becoming a member of by way of this type of pre-built platform. That stated, most influencers have constructed sufficient belief with their followers that this can be a non-issue.
- Cheap to get began. You’ll be able to rise up and operating shortly and with very minimal prices.
Cons of Patreon:
- There are pre-built profile templates. Patreon owns and hosts all of their very own code, so that you’re not ready so as to add customized performance and design components it’s your decision as a creator. Your pages will, kind of, like everybody else’s.
- Excessive charges. You’re going to be giving a excessive proportion of your earnings to Patreon as a “thanks” for his or her service. These charges will observe you ceaselessly.
- You’re beholden to another person. Be sure you learn and abide by Patreon’s phrases and situations very fastidiously. A unsuitable transfer — and even the notion of or false report of a unsuitable transfer — and also you’re earnings stream might be down for some time (or ceaselessly).
So that you’ve determined to construct your digital basis utilizing WordPress and WooCommerce, proper? Sensible choice!
WooCommerce gives seemingly limitless extensions that may assist you construct a worthwhile enterprise, like:
- Sensei Professional for creating and managing a web based studying program.
- Memberships for subscriber-based websites and companies.
- Subscriptions for recurring cost capabilities to entry premium content material (which you’ll be able to mix with memberships to exchange your Patreon account!).
- Digital downloads for promoting any normal digital file as a product (native WooCommerce performance).
- Digital present playing cards so as to add a digital product to any current bodily or digital group.
- WooCommerce Bookings to promote digital buyer periods and appointments.
- Mailchimp for easy e mail and SMS campaigns and superior automation and segmentation instruments as you develop.
And each enterprise proprietor additionally must be fascinated with advertising and marketing. Fortunately, WooCommerce has that greater than totally lined with a plethora of advertising and marketing extensions. A few of the prime choices embrace:
Irrespective of the place you’re in your on-line digital merchandise enterprise, producing ongoing gross sales is at all times essential. Listed below are a couple of suggestions to remember:
Provide nice digital merchandise
This one virtually goes with out saying, however the important thing to any profitable enterprise is providing prospects bodily and digital services that enrich and add worth.
Your on-line digital merchandise ought to by some means make your prospects’ lives higher.
You’ll at all times compete with different creators and with content material that’s freely obtainable on the internet, so create one thing that individuals have by no means seen and gained’t discover elsewhere.
Tease a purchase order by giving one thing without spending a dime
It doesn’t matter how a lot your on-line digital product sells for — making a free model is often a powerful technique to display worth and in the end make a sale. Watermark paintings and permit downloads so individuals can strive them out within the software they want. Present a restricted model of your paid e-newsletter so individuals can grasp the potential worth of the paid model.
No matter it’s — one of many largest limitations to gross sales of digital property is demonstrating worth. Make it straightforward for potential prospects to get a digital style and your checking account will thanks.
Construct an affiliate internet marketing program round your on-line digital merchandise
Associates, influencers, model ambassadors — completely different variations with the identical finish consequence: these people get your title and digital objects in entrance of individuals you may not in any other case attain.
And way more importantly than merely increasing your attain, these influencers can communicate to a highly-targeted viewers with a private suggestion the viewers trusts. In different phrases, the worth potential right here is sky excessive.
What’s the very best platform to promote digital merchandise?
WooCommerce is the very best platform for promoting digital merchandise. Open-source and constructed on WordPress, enterprise house owners have full possession of their creation with freedom to increase, customise, and construct with out limits.
Plus, a powerful neighborhood of contributors means a library of pre-built customizations and performance enhancements that may be added on with only a few clicks. You too can customized code something wanted.
WooCommerce is probably the most widely-used ecommerce platform on the earth for a purpose, and it’s your best option to promote digital merchandise.
What digital merchandise promote the very best on-line?
A few of the top-selling on-line digital merchandise are:
- On-line studying programs
- eBooks
- Music, graphics, and artwork
- Inventory pictures, video, and graphics
- Memberships
- Digital apps, productiveness instruments, and different software program
- Companies {and professional} consultations
How can I promote digital merchandise on-line?
All you want is WordPress and WooCommerce! The mixture offers all of the performance essential to design a good looking web site, listing your digital merchandise, appeal to and market to prospects, and watch your gross sales develop. Try our WooCommerce Buyer Tales to see how different companies (even celebrities!) use WooCommerce to promote their digital merchandise on-line.
What are the advantages of promoting digital merchandise on-line?
Digital merchandise provide the chance to construct a complete enterprise with out the everyday concerns like stock, warehouse house, and transport prices. Plus, even digital merchandise that require updates, like software program packages and on-line programs, can nonetheless function a strong residual earnings supply.
Vanessa has spent her profession writing useful issues for individuals throughout the tech house. Outdoors of labor, she enjoys coaching for triathlon, rotating by way of hobbies, and exploring new locations each city and pure. She has two fluffy cats, maintains a couple of succulents, and has far too many books on her TBR shelf.