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We live in a time when people can run small businesses anywhere in the world. For some creators, selling digital products can provide extra income in addition to their main job. For others, it becomes a full-time business.
What these cases have in common is that they both leverage the undeniable benefits of selling digital products. And, the most appealing reasons are the high-profit margin and huge potential. Plus, they’re infinitely scalable!
So, if this is something you’d like to try, read on to learn more about how to create digital products. As a bonus, I’ve also included a list of digital products to sell.
What are digital products?
Digital products are electronic goods, content, or pieces of media that can be stored in a file, or sold and shared online. For example, eBooks, audio files, website templates, PDFs, etc. are all digital products.
Why sell digital products online?
Selling digital products is one of the easiest ways to earn passive income. You can literally make money while you sleep! You’re also never limited to how many products you can sell online.
Here are a few more reasons to sell digital products:
- Cost-effective business—you don’t have to financially invest in stock or product manufacturing.
- No logistical issues—no concerns about keeping inventory, packaging, or shipping saves time.
- Endless possibilities—you can always create new digital products for any market or audience.
Digital vs physical products
Not only is selling digital goods a great way to earn passive income, but it’s also a less challenging business model than selling physical ones.
Comparison of selling digital vs physical products:
- Online delivery—unlike physical products that run the risk of running out of stock, digital products can be sold infinitely.
- Budget-friendly—digital assets don’t come with shipping fees the way that physical products do.
- Higher profit—since there normally aren’t any recurring costs, you end up with more money in your pocket.
101 digital product ideas with examples
To help you pick a product to sell online, I’ve put together a list of 101 digital product examples from creators just like you. You can use this as a source of inspiration, or put your own unique spin on a product to sell. Regardless of what you’re selling, remember that the key is always to provide value to your audience.
Educational downloads
Educational downloads are digital products that teach your audience something valuable or give them information. Creators and influencers who sell educational content will usually cover a specific topic that they’re knowledgeable about.
So, if there’s something you’re really good at, why not create and sell an educational eBook, for example? In fact, according to Statista and Google Trends, eBooks are one of the top information products that people spend their money on.
Besides, eBooks are easily consumable, and a great way to bring in leads. For instance, you can distribute the eBook for free in exchange for website visitors’ emails. Plus, eBooks are great for building credibility!
1. Recipes or diet cookbooks
For instance, Sellfy creator Ashley Renee started writing and selling keto diet cookbooks after her food videos went viral on TikTok. The high demand for her recipes gave her the motivation to self-publish and, now, she’s able to finance her lifestyle as an entrepreneur.
2. Relocation guides
Then, there’s Amel Aitouche—another Sellfy creator who started selling Dubai relocation guides after her YouTube channel about the city grew exponentially. Amel has sold and continues to sell thousands of eBook copies to her fans.
3. Travel guides
Sellfy creators Mariana & Simao created their own Italy travel guides after traveling in the country and visiting the Amalfi coast. It is now available in their Sellfy store with the pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing option.
4. Business or apprenticeship guides
Marketing and fashion influencer Isobel Lorna started writing how-to guides on securing an apprenticeship or corporate position in a dream career after she went viral on TikTok. Now, she sells her informative guides to her TikTok audience of 629.3K followers.
More examples of educational downloads to sell:
5. Academic research
6. Language study materials
7. Meal prep plans
8. Nutrition plans
9. Skincare & beauty
10. Workout information
11. Repair manuals
12. Self-care guides
13. DIY instructions
14. Dictionaries & shortcuts
15. Educational videos
Art & music
If you’re an artist, your skillset will be in constant demand and most people will happily grab anything you have to offer. Moreover, design has become a heavily digitized and profitable industry—the sheer number of artists on Instagram just proves that.
16. Premade emotes & bit badges
Take Sellfy creator SilverLyons. This California-based digital artist offers premade emotes and bit badges—some for sale and some as freebies—for streamers on Twitch. If you love graphic design and gaming or streaming, why not sell something similar?
17. Sheet music
Do you have strong musical skills? Then you could sell sheet music, song files, or entire albums. For example, successful English guitarist Thomas McRocklin sells his albums on Sellfy instead of streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music where they’d have lower quality.
18. Procreate brushes
Are you good at creating Procreate brushes? Since the popularity of Procreate has skyrocketed during the past few years, there’s an increasing demand for unique brushes. This is a great way to earn some extra money.
19. Instagram or AR filters for social media apps
If you know how to create artistic AR filters, then this could be a fun way for you to earn passive income. For instance, Sellfy creator and digital artist Wonder Milk makes money from selling Instagram face filters to her fans and other IG users on her Sellfy store.
More examples of art & music products to sell:
20. iPhone screen app icons
21. Digital posters
22. Stock photos
23. Digital wallpapers
24. Business cards
25. Branding kits
26. Mockups
27. Clip art
28. Fonts
29. LUTs
30. Sound effects
31. Premade logos
32. Twitch screen overlays
33. YouTube banners
34. Illustrations
35. Text effects
36. Textures
Templates and tools
Templates and tools make everybody’s lives easier, especially the lives of entrepreneurs, influencers, and creators who have businesses to run. This is why templates and tools in every category and niche will always be in demand—all you have to do is pick one and start creating. The best part? They’re incredibly easy to make.
37. Lightroom presets
If you know how to create Lightroom presets, and you’ve received compliments on how cinematic your photos or videos look, then you could turn this into a profitable business. Take a look at the famous photographer and Sellfy creator Christian Mate Grab—he sells Lightroom presets to fans who love his photography work.
38. Beats, samples packs & drum kits
Do you have experience in music production, and know how to make a great beat? Then start selling beats or drum kits online! The film industry as well as TV shows are constantly on the lookout for fresh tunes to use in their projects. Who knows, maybe one of your tunes will end up on the next Netflix show?
39. Digital planners, illustrated journals & calendars
Not a musician or photographer? Then, how about selling digital planners? Digital planners come in all shapes and forms—from calendars to illustrated journals and notebooks. There are huge markets for these products and they’re in hot demand for anyone who wants to earn passive income.
40. Instagram post templates
You know what else is easy to create and isn’t time-consuming? Instagram feed templates! There’s a huge demand for aesthetic Instagram feeds. A lot of influencers want to create a consistent feed, but don’t know how to achieve that. So, if you know how to create templates on Canva, then you could easily create and sell Instagram templates.
More examples of templates & tools to sell:
41. Notion templates
42. Excel spreadsheets
43. Google spreadsheets
44. PowerPoint templates
45. Cheatsheets
46. Worksheets
47. Cover letters
48. Creative brief samples
49. Portfolio and résumé templates
50. Copywriting templates
51. WordPress themes
52. InDesign palettes
Entertainment products are engaging forms of content that capture your audience’s attention. These types of products can range from silly to serious—the key is to ensure that your audience is thoroughly entertained, inspired even.
53. Short films
Sellfy creators Nils and Kaspars made a short inline skating film in just 30 days. In the film, they take their viewers through a journey of spectacular locations in Thailand while highlighting their daily lives as athletes. Needless to say, their skating stunts definitely sparked interest among their audience. Their film is now available for purchase in their Sellfy shop.
More examples of entertainment products to sell:
54. Comedy and prank videos
55. Reaction videos
56. Product comparisons
57. Video games
58. Entertaining mobile apps
59. Exclusive vlogs
60. Behind-the-scenes footage
Online courses and tutorials
There are many ways to facilitate knowledge transfer online. One of them is choosing a course format (e.g. video, audio, etc.), and then creating exclusive content on a subject you know a lot about. It can be any type of course or tutorial that provides a solution to a problem or teaches your audience new skills.
61. Dance classes
For example, the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) sells ballet, modern theater, and classical Greek dance lessons in all kinds of formats like eBooks, DVDs, and CDs on their Sellfy store.
62. Graphic design tutorials
Then there’s Sellfy creator Noah Qehzy who sells graphic design tutorials. If you’re very good at graphic design, you could also teach others how to become as good as you and position yourself as an authority on the topic.
63. Fitness programs or tutorials
Even fitness programs can be sold as digital products. For instance, fitness instructor Ron Jones has successfully brought his personal training online by selling a 5-week program in his Sellfy shop. His $197 program provides gym as well as home workouts to beginners of all age groups.
More examples of online courses & tutorials to sell:
64. Setup tutorials
65. Music lessons
66. Astrology or spirituality courses
67. Cooking courses
68. Art tutorials
69. Business or entrepreneurship courses
70. DIY or handmade item tutorials
71. Language lessons
72. Video creation or filmmaking tutorials
73. Content creation tutorials
74. Sales copywriting workshops
75. Creative writing workshops
Online services
Online services can range from technical to creative, to anything in-between. For example, software is an ever-growing industry, so now would be the best time to consider this niche.
76. Web design services
If you’re into web design, you can turn that skill into a product. This could get you anywhere from $500 to $30,000 a month. There are nearly 2 billion websites online at the moment, and the number is growing by the second. With every page needing its own unique look, this is definitely a promising business.
77. Graphic design services
Alternatively, you can also sell graphic design services such as custom logo design, YouTube channel banners, or digital portraits. Graphic design services will always be in high demand.
78. Custom vocal track or ghost production
Did you know that there’s even a market for custom vocal track production? Take Sellfy creator Soundlabs who’s made it possible for people to order ghost production from their shop.
79. Copywriting services
Or, say, you have a background in copywriting, and a portfolio of previous works. You could use that to promote yourself as an authority and offer copywriting services online. There’s a growing need for creators who can think outside the box and come up with a clever copy.
More examples of online services to sell:
80. Religious or spiritual services
81. Financial consultations
82. Coaching & mentoring
83. Proofreading & editing
84. Career consultations
85. Tutoring & virtual assisting
86. Essay-writing services
87. Translation services
88. Website setup
89. Mobile app creation
90. Self-help or online therapy
91. Cover letter writing services
Are you a creator with many followers? Then, creating a membership site or selling subscription-based products is a great way to monetize your audience. Selling memberships or subscriptions will allow you to collect recurring revenue and build customer loyalty.
92. Subscription-based podcasts
If you’re great at public speaking and keeping an audience engaged, you could start doing subscription-based podcasts. We’re currently experiencing a podcast boom, so don’t miss out on an entirely new audience that prefers listening to podcasts.
93. Digital magazines
Take a look at Sellfy creator This French Life. This creator sells digital magazine subscriptions that cover everything you need to know about French culture or traveling and relocating to France.
94. Spirituality & astrology subscriptions
Another industry that has taken over the internet in recent years is the spiritual wellness industry. For instance, Sellfy creator Attune to the Moon offers seasonal subscription packages and recordings of live astrology lectures to members.
More examples of subscriptions and memberships to sell:
95. Digital newsletter subscriptions
96. Monthly fitness challenges
97. Weekly meal plans
98. Weekly motivational quotes
99. Meditation subscriptions
100. Yoga subscriptions
101. Software licensing & updates
How to sell digital products?
There are four steps to creating and selling a digital product: market research, validation of product ideas, launching a store, and promoting on social media. Let’s start with the first two.
1. Research and validate your product ideas
Deciding on the product can be the hardest part, but it doesn’t have to be. All it takes is some research and validation.
The easiest way to go about it is to analyze your competitors and check in with your fans. After all, your audience follows you for a reason—there must be something that they love about your brand; something that gives you an advantage over your competitors. My suggestion is to find out what that is, and then build your product around that.
For instance, when we look at the many success stories of Sellfy creators, there’s one thing that stands out:
Their fans were vocal about what types of products they were hoping to see from the creators, and the creators heard them.
2. Create an online store with Sellfy
Once you know what type of digital product you want to sell, it’s time to launch an online shop! What if I told you that you can sell online completely hassle-free with the easiest user interface ever? Because that’s exactly what Sellfy was created for. So, if you’re looking for an affordable eCommerce solution to sell products, I’ll show you how to build a fully functioning store in less than 5 minutes.
A Sellfy store will give you:
- Mobile-first design
- Full store customization
- Instant payouts
- Discount codes
- Advanced VAT & tax settings
- Multiple payment options
- Excellent customer support
And, what’s more, you can even sell physical products and print-on-demand merch alongside your digital goods and subscriptions!
Ready to open a store so you can sell online? Let’s get started:
- Choose a subscription plan (Starter, Business, or Premium) and set up an account with a valid email address, or start a free trial. Keep in mind that you can always upgrade and get access to additional features.
- Customize the look with the Store Customizer tool, or use one of Sellfy’s premade themes to get a beautiful design.
- Optional bonus: download Sellfy’s mobile app in the App Store or Google Play to keep track of your performance and receive notifications of new orders.
3. Add your digital products
After you’ve created an account with a verified email address, you can start uploading your products to the store. Sellfy has unlimited bandwidth and large file support, so you’ll never have to worry about storage.
Here’s how to add your products:
- Go to your dashboard’s Products section, choose Digital products, and click Add new product.
- Upload your digital products.
- Add relevant product images.
- Add some info in the Product description section so that potential customers know what they’re buying.
- Hit Save product and your digital items will appear live in your shop!
4. Share your store link on social media
Last, but not least—don’t forget to add your shop link to your social media profiles (Instagram bio, TikTok bio, Facebook Page, etc.). This is important because whenever a new follower finds your social media account, they’re likely to go to your bio section and see your link. So, having it up there at all times will encourage traffic to your online shop from both new and existing followers!
How to fight piracy of your digital products?
Fighting piracy is a big issue when it comes to selling digital files online. Theft can happen to almost anyone, so it’s very important to take the necessary steps to secure your products.
If you’re using Sellfy, I have good news for you—we do our best to fight off piracy! While we cannot guarantee 100% safety, we do have anti-piracy tools to ensure the safety of your digital products.
Protect your digital products with Sellfy
Not only does Sellfy host all of your products on a secure Amazon cloud server, but we also generate unique download links for each purchased item. Each customer gets only a maximum of five download attempts.
Moreover, you’ll be able to manually restrict or block product downloads. If you wish, Sellfy can even provide you with customer information such as IP addresses and download logs.
In addition, we also provide the following digital security measures:
- SSL encryption
- PDF file stamping
- GDPR compliance to protect customers’ data
- Highly secure payment gateway
Ready to start selling digital products online?
You’ve made it! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this guide as much as I’ve enjoyed putting all the ideas together for you. Now, with a list of digital products to sell online, you can take the leap and start your business venture! All it takes is a little market research and launching your store with Sellfy. So, whether you’re looking to create some extra income, or launch a full-fledged online business, you’ve come to the right place. Good luck!
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Wishing you all the best of 2022. See you next week.
Regards and Love
Shehzad Qureshi
Entrepreneur & Group CEO
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