Today you will learn not only what the best digital products to sell are, you will also learn how to create and sell them!
What if you could create a product once and sell it an infinite amount of times? Well without sounding too cliche, this is exactly what a digital product is!
Creating and selling digital products has become a great way of leveraging the reach of the internet to make an income for yourself.
What Are Digital Products?
Essentially a digital product is an intangible item that can be delivered or downloaded.
Examples of digital products are; Ebooks, Courses, Digital Art, and Music.
Why Sell Digital Products?
The reason why digital products are so appealing is that once the product is made, it can be purchased an unlimited amount of times.
Whereas with a physical product, you would need to manufacture it time and time again. On top of that, you need to factor in shipping the product to the customer.
This makes selling digital products so much more cost-effective as you do not need to worry about shipping. The product can be downloaded as soon as the payment has been made.
Selling digital products is a great way of earning passive income, as you can simply make money whilst you sleep!
Although be mindful that digital products won’t sell themselves, you will need some form of marketing to make sure people discover them. (We will talk about this later)
16 Most Profitable Digital Products To Sell Online
- Ebook
The digital form of the paper book has gained enormous popularity over the last decade and the demand doesn’t seem to be stopping.
Did you know Ebooks make up more than a quarter of all book sales?
You may be thinking that I’m talking about the standard novel, but Ebooks come in all manner of forms.
They can be a recipe book, DIY guide, finance book, basically anything that is in physical book form can be an Ebook.
Creating your Ebook has never been easier. Platforms such as Canva and Adobe have beautiful ready-made templates.
Selling them is also a breeze, you can use Kindle Direct Publishing or Apple Books. Both are well-established and have a large customer base.
Fun Fact: The first Ebook created was the US Declaration of Independence.
On July 4th 1971 Micheal Stern Hart decided to transcribe the document into a computer and made it available to users of the computer network at the University of Illinois.
- Online Courses
One of the most popular digital products to sell right now has to be the Online Course.
If you’re looking to learn some new skills or need education on a particular topic, then you can probably find an Online Course on it.
Current categories that are popular right now;
- Marketing
- Graphic Design
- Languages
- Creative Writing
- SEO
- Coding
Here are a few platforms that you can sell an Online Course on, Udemy, Teachable and Skillshare.
These are marketplaces for courses. The benefit of a marketplace is that people come to these well-known websites because they know that the courses have been vetted and the information is high quality. For this reason, these platforms will take a cut of your creativity.
On another note, you can sell your Online Course on your platform (Website, Social Media etc). This way you can keep all of the money.
For this method, you will need to use a selling platform and sales funnels such as ThriveKart, Payhip and Gumroad.
- Printables
Are you a creative person? Well, printables might just be the best digital product for you to create and sell!
Printables come in all manner of forms, such as calendars, fitness plans, meal plans, pregnancy journals and even colouring pages.
Graphic design tools such as Canva and Adobe Illustrator make creating printables easy.
There are many templates that you can take inspiration from. Note that I have underlined “inspiration”, never simply copy or download a print and try to sell it. This can land you in some serious hot water 🙁
A very popular place to sell printables is Etsy. To start selling on Etsy you will need to set up your own Etsy Shop. The steps on the website are very easy to follow.
- Stock Photos
If your hobby or job is photography, then why not list your photos on a stock photo website like Shutterstock?
Bloggers, businesses, website designers, and marketers, just to name a few, all use stock photos. Beautiful crisp images draw the reader/viewer in and make you want to carry on watching/reading whatever is in front of you.
The commission you receive from your photos can be quite small, but if you’re consistently adding photos, the amount you earn can add up.
The photos that sell the best are landscapes and modern work environments. Stunning landscapes inspire a feeling of wanderlust, people want to break free from their everyday lives and beautiful places make you want to be there.
Modern work environments are just as popular. Now more than ever people are working from home and in co-working spaces. Great imagery that can set these scenes is in high demand.
- Wallpapers
We all get the default wallpapers for our smart devices, but did you know you can create your own?
Motivational quote wallpapers are particularly popular right now. As are repetitive pattern wallpapers.
Here are 3 popular platforms you can use to create your own:
- Canva
- PhotoDirector 365
- Fotor
Selling digital wallpapers is best done through Etsy. Although you could sell them on your website or social media page.
- Paid Newsletters
Did you know you can have high-quality exclusive content/information delivered to you in digital form?
That’s right, many celebrities, podcasters, journalists, and freelancers have paid newsletters sharing expertise and exclusive content.
It’s a great way to earn extra recurring income if you’re already offering content/information for free.
The sweet spot for newsletters is around $11 a month. This can really mount up over time.
The unique element of the paid newsletter is the scalability, you only have to write each newsletter once, but you can send it to an unlimited number of subscribers.
“What could I offer, you ask?”
Well, if you’re already creating content and have an audience, here are some ideas of what you could offer:
- Early access to your content
- A “How to” guide
- Private blog posts
- Personalized advice/coaching
- Case studies
Whatever you decide to send in your newsletter, make sure it’s better than what you’re providing for free!
ConvertKit, Mailerlite and Mailchimp are popular platforms to create and send your newsletter.
Bonus Tip: Using someone’s first name within your newsletter is a great way to make it feel more personal. All the platforms above provide this feature, make sure you use it!
- Membership Website
A membership website gives members exclusive access to content and resources in exchange for a monthly or yearly subscription fee.
Membership websites come in all shapes and sizes. Some offer cheap discounted flights, others offer exclusive gym classes and some help businesses achieve more.
The great thing is that although Netflix is one of the biggest subscription services, anybody can create one.
If you have particular knowledge on a particular topic or niche. You can use WordPress, Kajabi or Memberpress to make your membership.
The most successful membership websites have a great sense of community, have live video calls, make members at every level feel valued and continually add new content.
Membership sites can be hugely scalable digital products as over time when you gain lots of subscribers, yet you’re doing the same amount of work week.
This has to be one of the best digital products to sell.
- Digital Art
Do you have an artistic flare? Well, creating and selling digital art might be the best digital product for you to sell.
Digital Art comes in many different forms, from digital graphics, printable wall art and posters, to repetitive pattern art like wallpaper, wrapping paper and fabric.
The most popular design tools to create your digital art have to be Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and Procreate.
The biggest marketplace for you to sell your digital art has to be Etsy.
- Downloadable Guides
Are you an expert in your field? Or do you have the know-how to get a certain task done?
Well, you could create a downloadable guide for something you’re a dab hand at!
A great guide consists of step-by-step instructions on your method to complete the desired outcome. Bullet points or numbering help lay out the step. Use pictures to help show how each step should look. Then finally show examples of ideal outcomes.
Examples of downloadable guides:
- How to Start a Blog
- How to bake a Victoria sponge
- How to be more Productive
- How to Hang a Picture
If you’re passionate about helping people get from A to B, then this is one of the best digital products to sell.
All over the internet people are trying to figure out how to get something done. You could provide the answers for them!
- Photo Presets
Simply put, photo presents are unique custom filters that transform the most bland dull photo into a beautiful radiant photo.
Take Instagram for example, have you ever wondered how creators take such breathtaking photos that light up their grid? Presets.
A preset can be used before and after a photo is taken. It speeds up workflow, creates consistency and gives a professional feel to your photos.
The most common preset software is Adobe Lightroom.
- Digital Templates
The beauty of having a template is that it takes the time and stress out of creating something from scratch.
Having a ready-made outline of what you’re trying to create is super helpful, it gives you a head start on what can be a time-consuming process.
There are many different digital templates that you can create;
- Email templates
- Sales pages
- Presentation templates
- Ebook layouts
- Privacy policy pages
- Blog post templates
Check out Canva, they have amazing templates ready for you to customize.
- Fonts
Brands are constantly trying to stand out from the crowd and having a custom font is a great way to do that.
It’s said that a custom font is as important as a brand’s logo. It differentiates you from your competitors and you’ll be remembered by customers for being unique.
Fontstruct and Adobe Illustrator are the most popular tools for making your own font.
When making your own fonts bear in mind that certain industries have different fonts. For example, a tech company’s font is going to look different from a nursery/daycare font.
Font.com, MyFonts, Creative Market or Envato Elements are the most established marketplaces to sell your fonts and companies are looking for fonts made by people just like you!
- Spreadsheets
This has to be one of the easiest digital products to create and sell.
Spreadsheets are used for a wide range of purposes. A few examples are:
- Budgeting
- Meal Plans
- Content Calendars
They give you a clear view of what you’re tracking and some can do calculations from the numbers you input into your spreadsheet. This can be handy if you’re counting calories or using a budget spreadsheet.
You can simply create your own by using Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel.
You can sell your spreadsheet through your website or social media account or you can sell through a marketplace. The biggest marketplace to sell spreadsheets has to be Etsy.
- Coaching
Whilst this may be the least passive digital product on this list, it’s still a great way to make money online.
If you have an area of expertise, then you should consider coaching others on a 1-1 basis or a 1-to-many basis.
With the likes of Zoom, Google Meet and Skype you can easily connect with your clients and help with their desired transformation.
Top Tip: A great way to find clients is to serve them with free informational content first. This way you’re building trust and likeability.
Top Top Tip: Then give them a digital download for free, like a guide or ebook. Make sure you capture their email.
Then you can tell them about the coaching you provide through email!
- Podcast
Are you a good talker? Well, creating a podcast might just be the best digital product for you to make money from.
“How exactly do you make money through a podcast you ask?”
Through selling advertisement spots on your podcast. Yes, depending on your niche, companies will pay you to mention them during your podcast.
You could also put your podcast behind a paywall. I would recommend starting it for free and possibly charging at a later date when you’ve built up an audience of regular listeners.
Starting a podcast is inexpensive too. All you’ll need is a microphone, editing software and hosting.
The two biggest places to submit your podcast are Apple podcast (iTunes) and Spotify.
If you’re looking for a fun and collaborative way to make money, then this is one of the best digital products to sell.
- Services
Now, this isn’t exactly a passive way of making money. You’re actively taking on client work with selling your services.
Nevertheless, depending on your skills, you could make digital products for other people to sell.
If you’re great with words then you should consider making Ebooks for people and charge by the word.
You may be great at design, so maybe you could create logos for a start up’s.
There are people right now that need your services!
The most popular freelance marketplace to find client work is Fiver and Upwork.
How To Start Selling Digital Products
- Decide What To Sell
Deciding what digital product to create and sell can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.
First, you’ll need to think of your skills and experiences and how they can help you to make a digital product.
You may have even made a digital product before in your day-to-day life, like a spreadsheet or a guide to help a colleague.
Once you have a rough idea of the product you want to make. Look at the common problems/pain points the product already has and see how you can improve what’s existing with your digital product.
This will give you an edge over your competition as you will be going beyond what is already on the market.
- Research Your Market And Validate Your Product
Now, no matter how good you think your product idea is, you’ll need to do some research to validate your thinking and give yourself the green light to start creating it.
This part of the process is particularly important as we don’t want to be wasting time creating a product when there is no demand for it.
Two free tools you should use to validate your selection are Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends.
Check what words or phrases people are using to search for your product. Also, look at how much traffic each phrase and word is getting.
From the results, you’ll want to see enough competition that indicates a market exists, but not an enormous amount of traffic as your product is unlikely to get seen.
Your next step is to see what is already on the market and spy on your competition! Check what is working for them and what their best sellers are.
A goldmine is in the reviews of existing products. Check them to see how customers feel and if any of the comments can give you hints on how to improve what is already on the market.
- Decide Where You’ll Sell Your Product
You have two main options when it comes to where you’re going to sell your digital product.
A marketplace or your own website/online store.
Marketplace
The advantage of selling on a marketplace is that they’re established leaders, have a customer base and are trusted.
These sites also make it super easy to start selling with them, it takes minutes.
Here is a list of each marketplace and what products you can sell on each of them:
Etsy – Digital Art, Printables, Wallpaper, Spreadsheets, Photo Presets
Amazon – Ebooks
Canva – Photos
Envato Elements – Fonts, Printables, Stock Photos
Udemy – Courses
Skillshare – Courses
Teachable – Courses
Website/Online Store
This option gives you more control of the selling process.
Whilst marketplaces are great at having a customer base… they charge you for that privilege. This usually comes as a percentage of each sale or a fee for each product listed.
Having your own store means you don’t need to worry about giving away such a large chunk of your profits.
Another great advantage is that you’re not competing directly with competitors. With a marketplace a product from the same niche is likely to be next to yours.
- Marketing Your Digital Product
Having a great digital product is important, but if nobody knows about it, they won’t buy it. Here are the best ways to market your digital product.
- Help, Trust, Sell.
Firstly you need to start by helping your potential customers with free valuable solutions.
Consider creating valuable content like blog posts, tutorials or videos. Make sure these are solving the reader’s problems. This is how we build trust.
Once you have solved a problem and built trust, your customer will come to you when they’re ready to buy.
- Leverage Social Media
Having a presence on social media will greatly increase your chance of selling your digital product.
Billions of people use social media! You can use it to reach your target audience and create a community where you can market your digital product.
Get involved in the comments and interact with your community! This will help with building connections and they will be more likely to buy from you.
- Email Marketing
Did you know some people are seeing returns of $30+ for every $1 spent?
Email marketing has come a long way. You can now send beautiful personalized emails to potential customers promoting your product.
A great way to get people excited about your digital product is to get them to join a waiting list before your product is released. This will provoke anticipation and will give you a higher chance of making a sale.
Try not to send too many emails to your customers though as this becomes annoying and they will simply unsubscribe.
F.A.Q’s
Is selling digital products profitable?
Selling digital products can be highly profitable. If you validate your product and use the correct marketing techniques you can make some serious money.
What is the highest-selling digital product on Etsy?
Printable wall art and planners are the highest-selling digital products on Etsy.
Adobe Illustrator and Canva are great tools to make both of these digital products.
Conclusion
Now is the time for you to pick your favourite digital product and start selling!
The better you get at creating and selling, the more passive the process becomes.
Making money from selling digital products can give you the financial comfort you deserve.
I hope I have given you the kickstart you need to begin.
Let me know in the comments below what digits product you’ve chosen and how to market it!
4 Responses
Thanks Nathan. Great read!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it Mimi!