11+ Profitable Digital Products To Sell (+ How To Start)

How to Sell Digital Products Online as a Beginner

How lucky are we to live in the digital era, where everything is at our fingertips?

When I had to send a letter to my family across the globe, I’d be lucky to hear a response from them several times a year.

Nowadays, I can see and hear and talk with them in real-time. If it’s become this easy to connect with loved ones, it’s become easier to build an audience and start a business too. 

You can set one up within a day, and reach out to awesome people around the clock all over the world. And all without the fuss of a brick-and-mortar store. Or the traditional expense!

Learning how to sell digital products can be an incredibly fun (and lucrative) side hustle. Not just because it flexes your creative muscle. Once you have your digital product made, you can sell an unlimited number of them indefinitely. 

You don’t need technical expertise to start. And a lot of things that you could sell – you already know. It’s simply packaging what you already know. 

So if you’ve ever wondered about the following:

• What exactly is a digital product?
• How it is digital better than a physical product?
• What are the best digital products to sell?
• How do I get started selling digital products?

Then today’s article will help you with exactly that! =)

What are digital products exactly? 

A digital product is intangible and one where there is no physical presence.

They’re delivered electronically. Anything that can be sold, bought, and downloaded can be considered a digital product. 

You can pick up a book but you can’t flip the pages of a pdf or ebook. You can view a website via a computer but cannot pick it up in your hands. 

Digital products can be online courses, music, eBooks and guides, or even software. It’s meant to be something that can be sent via email or easily consumed online without the need to leave the house.  

You can turn digital products into physical products, too! Take a quick look around your house. The wall art and books can be printed through your computer from a digital file. The music playing in the background can come from an mp3. What can’t be touched can be made real for a whole different experience. 

Why start selling digital goods versus physical products? 

When you start to sell digital goods, the barriers to entry are minimal.

First and foremost, you won’t need to have a physical inventory or storage space. Goodbye, warehouse! Goodbye, storage unit and dusty basements!

Once you make your digital product the first time, you won’t need to keep ‘reproducing‘ that product. It can make “copies” of itself for sale on its own. That also includes immediate shipping timeframes since there’s no physical transportation needed either with them. 

All of this means you can get yourself set up fast and with low start-up costs compared to a more physical presence. 

What are some profitable digital product ideas you can start selling now? 

Before we start, it’s best to remember to be bigger than the temptation to make it all at once. Start with one. What you’ll learn is immense and be less overwhelming when you start that second product. But the items on the list are popular and well-selling.

1. Wall Art

For those with the artistic flare, produce digital art that can be printed by customers and into frames on their walls. A lot of people enjoy looking for that perfect canvas on their walls to decorate. A lot more of them don’t know how to create their own art.

2. Cookbooks & Recipes

For the creative chef and entrepreneurs!

Yes, you can get these free online nowadays but did you know cookbooks are amongst the best-selling of all time? That’s because people prefer paid cookbooks over free ones.

A good recipe can transport you to different cultures and eras, all from the comfort of your kitchen. Sharing family recipes or regional specialities fosters a sense of community and keeps culinary traditions alive. Why dine out when you can whip up restaurant-quality dishes at home? These guides offer both savings and the joy of creation.

3. Stickers

My favorite! An easy printable too!

But if you don’t want the process (and expense) of shipping actual stickers – there’s the concept of digital stickers. Essentially they are PNG images, transparent backgrounds, and no “sticky back.” Everything you imagine stickers to be – words, quotes, basic shapes, and fun cartoons – can be sold digitally. Notice how there are so many digital sticker options on WhatsApp now?

4. Birthday Cards & Invites

If you do a quick search on any digital marketplace for a birthday card – no doubt you’ll be welcomed with a lot of options. This is a good thing!

Everyone wants something personable but no one has the time! You would have the personal touch no one has – and a heartfelt touch is hard to replicate. They’re eco-friendly, and even if it’s digital it is no less sentimental. Tailored messages, photos, or even interactive elements make each card or invite unique, catering to individual tastes. A well-designed invite can set the mood for the party, building anticipation and excitement.

Time to spread joy, one card and invite at a time! 🎈🎂💌🌟

5. Journal Kits

There’s a wellness trend going around and that’s not going to die down soon. But like everything else, sometimes people just don’t know where to start. This is where journal kits and prompts come to the rescue.
– They help with what to write with guided reflection.
– It helps with keeping up as a daily habit.
– Easy to customize and expand

6. How-Tos

As it turns out, many people will pay for better quality and detailed instructions on something they care about. DIY is cool! People want to learn how to do things and teach themselves.

7. Music & Sheets

Ever thought about the magic that lies in those musical notes and rhythms? “Music and music sheets” aren’t just soulful tunes and scribbles on paper; they’re becoming the rockstars of the digital product world.

It’s a universal language that inspires.

From beginner-friendly pieces to advanced compositions, you can cater to all levels. Think themed collections like “Summer Vibes” or “Classical Legends”. Beyond just selling tracks or sheets, you can bundle them with tutorials, offer personalized compositions, or even create medleys. By digitizing and selling, you’re preserving and sharing your art with the world, ensuring it lives on and inspires others.

8. Planners & Trackers

Ever realized the magic woven into a well-structured planner or tracker? (It brings a little joy to my own personal chaotic life.) They’re not just pages with grids; “Planners and Trackers” are the unsung heroes of productivity. Here’s why they’re getting all the love:

It’s organized bliss – no more clutter in the mind or loose leaf sticky notes on the kitchen fridge.

Planners and trackers help declutter minds and schedules, making daily tasks a breeze.

From fitness trackers to wedding planners, there’s a specific tool for every need. Trackers help monitor progress, be it for a weight loss journey or a savings goal. Seeing progress boosts motivation! Speaking of Trackers…

9. Signage & Labels

Ever considered the power of a well-designed sign or label? It grabs better attention than just a black marker on cardboard.

First impressions matter! But not a lot of people know how to make a good first impression visually. This is where you come in!

Whether it’s a business sign or a product label, they’re often the first thing people notice.

A well-designed sign can make or break that initial impression. From safety signs in workplaces to fancy labels for homemade jams, the applications are vast and varied. There’s a market for every niche!

10. eBooks

Digital books are the new way to consume and digest information. Did you know in 2021, ebooks raked in over $1 Billion dollars in revenue in USA alone?

People are hungry for information and stories. You can chose to self-publish or team up with a traditional publisher. Work with a nice designer too for your book cover and away you go!

The most savvy folks are doing a whole series. Sell them in a bundle, create hype for the next sequel, and pair them up with another product. The next Harry Potter, perhaps?

11. Photography

With so many folks sharing content online daily, there’s always a buzz for fresh and unique snaps.

Sites like Fotalia and iStockphoto are on the lookout for cool pics from creators just like you.

But hey, if you’re feeling more indie, why not sell your masterpieces on your website? A lot of artsy photographers go this way to keep all those sweet profits to themselves.

Want to create some buzz around your shots? Share them on platforms like Flickr and Instagram. Not only do you keep all the rights to your pics, but you also get to show them off to potential buyers.

And remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all when selling photos. You can offer:

• Just the digital files
• Petite prints
• Grand canvases
• Fun stuff like mugs and tees with your shots

12. Courses

An online course is like an online classroom.

And believe me, anyone and everyone has something to teach. Your customers can learn via a module or curriculum you’ve designed – short, long, and however concise you’d like to make it.

Your customers can take it on their own time without too much stress.

And down the line, you can create other digital products to complement your course.

Where to sell digital products online? 

That’s the best part.

There are so many channels to choose from, and you don’t have to focus on just one. For example, you can build out your own website with a website builder and eCommerce functionality.

Then, while that gains traction and customers, you can consider selling it on third-party marketplaces, such as Etsy, Sellfy or Gumroad. 

Keep in mind that not every platform is good for every type of digital product.

More focused options exist, such as Amazon being the best location for eBooks and digital art, and more graphical items are best sold on Etsy.

Thinkific is best for those who want to produce their own courses and sell their expertise. Then you’ll also have to consider the price point when selling on marketplaces. Additionally, they have their own fees, but since you’re already selling a digital product, the margins should be quite high.

With that said, do some research into these types of fees, and see what your competitors look like. 

Share your Store with the World

Keep in mind that there are some promotional efforts to gain the right type of traffic to get your items out there in the world.

It’s not just simply building a digital product, building out a website and then you’re done.

You also cannot just rely on a marketplace either in the beginning. Share your creations on social media channels that you want to start building up with your digital products.

You’ll need to get out there and start building a network and connections so a consistent traffic flow is coming to your site. People will want to be able to resonate with you and the product itself, meaning that you will also have to put yourself out there!

In the end

Whether you’re going to construct a new business from the ground up or are hoping to expand your existing business, digital products will have that faster global reach due to the delivery method.

Once you understand these components, you’ll be able to start monetizing from your different levels of creativity and expertise and, ultimately, share a passion of yours with others.

This can be quite a rewarding field that, when done right, can easily lead to passive income that will continue to pay you out as long as you’re generating those digital sales. 

Collect that paycheque from the beach!