If you’re looking to sell digital goods and products online, the good news is you have a lot of options. A digital product is any kind of digital media or file that can be downloaded and used on a computer, tablet, smartphone, or other digital device.
Whether you’re selling eBooks, online courses, software, or something else entirely, there’s bound to be a platform that specializes in helping you find customers and make sales.
TL;DR: Where to Sell Downloadable Products Online
These days, there is an almost unlimited number of platforms where you can sell digital products. To narrow the field a bit, here are a few options to get you started:
- Etsy
- WordPress (with a plugin like WooCommerce)
- Shopee
- Amazon
- Shopify
- eBay
- Squarespace
- Aliexpress
- Clickbank
- Daraz
- Ecwid
- Fiverr
- PayPal
Where to Sell My Digital Products in 2024
Digital products have dramatically increased in popularity and variety, so selling them can be a profitable side hustle. However, you can only start earning a profit if you can connect with clients who want to buy your products.
Use this list as a guide to getting started and finding the right platform to sell your unique digital products.
Etsy
When it comes to selling products online, it’s hard to beat Etsy for its ease of user experience and impressively large customer base.
With over $2.3 billion in sales recorded on its platform in 2021, Etsy is the most obvious choice for selling a wide range of digital products, from downloadable stationary and prints to sewing patterns, templates, and more.
How to Sell Digital Products on Etsy
Selling digital products on Etsy is pretty much exactly the same as selling physical products.
To get started, you’ll first need to create a seller account. This is totally free, although Etsy does take a 6.5% transaction fee from every purchase you make.
Once you’ve set up your shop (i.e., your account), you can start listing products. Most Etsy merchants sell their digital products as instant downloads, making the product more attractive to potential customers (hey, no one likes to wait!).
This means you’ll upload the file for each product when you create your store, making it available instantly to customers.
However, Etsy also allows you to sell digital products as “made to order,” meaning you’ll create and send the file to customers after they’ve paid. This is primarily useful for customized digital orders such as prints.
Although you don’t need any extra technical know-how to sell digital products on Etsy, having a working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator or another design program is useful.
Visit Etsy.com here, or check out my list of the best alternatives to Etsy.
WordPress
Across the globe, WordPress is the most popular open-source software for building a website. It’s so popular, in fact, that more than 43.3% of all the websites on the internet use WordPress as their infrastructure. How crazy is that?
WordPress’s popularity is largely due to its simplicity and flexibility: its ability to form the infrastructure for pretty much any type of website – including eCommerce sites.
How to Sell Digital Products on WordPress
To sell any products on a WordPress site (digital or otherwise), you need to install a plugin.
Plugins are essentially extra lines of code that enable your WordPress site to perform a wide variety of different functions. Luckily, WordPress offers a variety of plugins that will give your site eCommerce functionality.
Once you have your WordPress website set up, you’ll need to:
- Download the plugin you’ve chosen for eCommerce optimization (I’ll talk about one of the most popular eCommerce plugins for WordPress below).
- Set up your payment processor.
- Create a WordPress download form and customize your settings.
- Add your digital download links.
- Set your download form to go live on your site.
As you can see, selling digital products on a WordPress site is a bit more complicated than simply making an account on Etsy or another merchant platform.
However, there are definite pros to selling your products on your own website, including keeping a larger percentage of your profit and giving your business a more professional image.
WooCommerce
If you want to sell digital products on a WordPress-powered site, one of the best plugins for the job is WooCommerce.
WooCommerce is an open-source eCommerce plugin for WordPress that allows you to easily convert any WordPress site into an online store for either digital or physical products.
How to Sell Digital Products on WooCommerce
Once you’ve installed WooCommerce as a plugin for your WordPress site, you can follow the instructions to start setting up your store and listing your products.
Although selling digital products is largely the same as selling physical products on WooCommerce, there are a few important settings that you’ll have to pay attention to:
- Change your product data settings to “downloadable.” This will avoid any unnecessary shipping charges or tax classes being applied to your product sales.
- Select the right schema. For downloadable products, WooCommerce lets you choose between three product schemas: “standard product,” “application/software,” and “music.” Choosing the right one will change how the product appears when clients click on the link or perform a Google search, making it more visually appealing (and more likely to land sales).
- Be sure to add screenshots, video clips, or other attractive visuals. Making it visually clear to your clients exactly what they’re purchasing is a major way to boost sales.
And that’s it! WooCommerce is a flexible and user-friendly tool, and with a little time and attention to detail, you’ll have a high-quality store up and running to market your digital products, and at a very affordable cost.
Visit WooCommerce here, or check out my list of the best alternatives to WooCommerce.
Shopee
Created in Singapore in 2015, Shopee has quickly grown into Southeast Asia’s most popular online shopping platform.
However, its scope is not limited just to that geography, and the company boasts that it “offers a seamless, fun, and reliable shopping experience” to users in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and more.
How to Sell Digital Products on Shopee
Like eBay, Shopee lets both businesses and individual sellers sell on its platform. You simply have to make an account, and you can quickly and easily start selling your digital products.
Shopee has a few requirements for digital products, which include:
- Providing a clear and honest product description
- Providing simple, straightforward instructions for how customers can redeem their purchase
- Providing clearly-stated terms and conditions, including your return/refund policy.
It’s also worth noting that certain types of digital products are not allowed to be sold on Shopee, including digital subscriptions and products that are only redeemable through apps.
As with any digital marketplace, be sure to read and understand the platform’s terms and conditions before you start selling.
Although it’s free to set up a store, Shopee charges a 2% transaction fee (plus VAT) for every purchase made through its payment platform.
Amazon
Founded in 1994 as a small online book retailer, Amazon has absolutely skyrocketed to become the single largest online retailer in the world. Its success has turned it into a household name, with an almost unbelievable 66.4 million American households having an Amazon Prime account as of 2019.
The insane success of Amazon has also catapulted its founder, Jeff Bezos, into his status as the richest man in the world.
You can buy or sell pretty much anything you can think of on Amazon – including, of course, digital products.
How to Sell Digital Products on Amazon
Like many online marketplaces, Amazon allows both established businesses and individuals to sell products on its site.
From digital educational resources and wedding invitation templates to software and music, if you can create it, you can sell it on Amazon. Some of the best-selling digital products on Amazon include music, software, and digital courses.
Amazon also offers a program to self-publish and market your eBook in their popular Kindle store, which is a great opportunity for all aspiring authors out there.
Amazon’s impressive infrastructure does pretty much all of the work for you, so all you have to do is create a seller account. Amazon lets you choose between an Individual Plan (where you pay Amazon a percentage of each sale) or a Professional Plan (where you pay Amazon a flat fee every month).
Once you’ve selected your plan, all that’s left to do is write your product descriptions, upload some attractive images or mockups of your product, and start selling!
Shopify
Shopify is an eCommerce website builder that lets you create and customize an online store, manage products and inventory from multiple points of sale, and more.
How to Sell Digital Products on Shopify
First, you’ll need to sign up for a Shopify account, choose a template, and create your store.
Once you’ve designed the eCommerce shop of your dreams, you’re ready to start uploading your products.
To sell digital products specifically, you’ll need to download and install an app that enables downloads from your site (this allows your customers to access the product once they’ve paid for it).
Additionally, make sure that you uncheck the “shipping” option in the product settings to avoid any unnecessary costs being applied to your digital products.
And that’s it! Shopify makes it simple and straightforward to sell your digital products online at an affordable cost.
Visit the Shopify website, or check out my review of Shopify here and the best alternatives to Shopify here.
eBay
Founded in 1995, eBay is the OG of selling physical products on the internet – but did you know that you can also sell digital products on eBay?
How to Sell Digital Products on eBay
There are a few steps to selling digital products on eBay:
- First, you’ll need to upload your digital file to a file hosting site such as Filesonic or MediaFire.
- Then, go to eBay and click on “Sell.”
- Log in using your user ID and password (or create an account if you haven’t already).
- Go to “Browse Categories” and click on “Everything Else.”
- Select “Information Products,” then “Other.” Note: This step is very important since eBay only allows digital products to be listed in the “Other” category and will remove your product if you try to list it under a different category.
- Add the relevant information about your product. Make sure you choose “brand new” for the product’s condition.
- Add the format and genre, and don’t forget to click “Save” when you’re finished.
- Upload any relevant pictures of your digital product.
- Above the item description box, select “Standard.” Then enter a detailed product description.
- Select “Fixed Price” (since you very likely won’t be allowing customers to bid on your item), and enter your Buy It Now price.
- Select “PayPal” as your method of receiving payment, and then make sure to check the “Require Immediate Payment” box.
- Finally, go to the Shipping Details section and click “Free Shipping.”
And that’s it! The process is a bit more detail-oriented than other options on my list, but eBay is nevertheless a great place to sell digital products.
Squarespace
Squarespace is a DIY, no-code website builder tool that lets you create the site of your dreams with its impressive library of templates and easy, drag-and-drop editor tool.
How to Sell Digital Products on Squarespace
First and foremost, if you haven’t already set up your Squarespace eCommerce site, then you’ll need to choose a template and a payment plan (you’ll need to choose either a Business or Commerce plan if you want to sell products from your site) and build your site.
Once you have your site up and running, you can use it to sell digital products such as eBooks, audio files, and other digital downloads.
When you list a new product, select “Digital Download” as the product type.
Then simply enter the product details, add any relevant images, and upload the file. Add tags and categories to organize the product, and hit “save.”
And that’s it – Squarespace makes selling any kind of product a breeze.
Note: Squarespace limits all digital product file sizes to 300MB. Selling subscriptions is not allowed.
Visit the Squarespace website, or check out my review of Squarespace here and the best alternatives to Squarespace here.
Instagram & Facebook Marketplace
If you spend any time on these two popular social media platforms, chances are you’ve already seen ads for accounts selling products such as clothing, merchandise, and home goods on Instagram Marketplace.
But did you know that Instagram is also a great digital products marketplace?
How to Sell Digital Products on Instagram & Facebook
To sell any products on the social media powerhouse Instagram (digital or otherwise), you’ll need to link your account to a business Facebook Page to set up your shop.
Once you have your shop set up on Facebook, go to the Settings button in the top right corner (the three horizontal dots) and choose “Manage Shop.” Then click on the “Items” tab, followed by “Add Items.”
Then simply follow the steps for uploading a new product/product information (Facebook makes this relatively straightforward). Make sure you have a digital link to your product ready to upload, as well as a product image.
Once you’ve uploaded your data source, you’re ready to format your shop however you like and let Instagram and Facebook do the rest of the work of connecting your products to your customer base.
ClickBank
ClickBank is an innovative eCommerce platform and affiliate marketplace that is growing in popularity.
As they explain on their website, sellers market their products on the ClickBank Marketplace as a means to connect with customers at a much lower cost than managing their own eCommerce business.
How to Sell Digital Products on ClickBank
Sellers on ClickBank can use the platform to sell both digital and physical products.
If you’re selling on ClickBank for the first time, the setup will take you longer than it will once you’ve already established your shop.
- Set up an account with ClickBank.
- Follow the directions to set up your Sales page. Be sure to include the price of your product and a money-back guarantee, as well as the product item number (“1” if it’s your first product).
- Replace the word VENDOR with your ClickBank username.
- Customize your “thank you for your purchase” page, and include the download link to your product.
- Now, go back to your account page and select “Account Settings.” Navigate through to “My Products” and “Add Product.” Then fill in the relevant product information.
- Perform a test purchase to make sure that everything is running smoothly.
Once everything is finished, you’ll have to wait for ClickBank to approve or deny your product. This shouldn’t take longer than 24 hours and is only necessary for your first sale.
One of the great benefits of using ClickBank is that you can also create an affiliate link program for your product. However, ClickBank takes a $2.50 transaction charge out of every purchase, so be sure to factor that in when you’re pricing your products.
Daraz
Daraz is a fast-growing eCommerce platform based in Pakistan and used by millions of customers from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
How to Sell Digital Products on Daraz
Daraz makes it easy to sell both physical and digital products. Simply register for an account by filling out the sign-in form, then either download Daraz’s seller app or log in to the website.
Once you’ve opened an account, you can start listing products in your store.
As with most eCommerce platforms, you’ll need to make sure your digital product’s file is ready to be uploaded and that you have at least one product image to accompany the listing.
Adjust the settings to reflect that there’s no shipping cost, and that’s it!
Ecwid
Ecwid is an eCommerce platform that helps you quickly and easily build the eCommerce store of your dreams.
How to Sell Digital Products on Ecwid
You can either use Ecwid to build a simple, one-page eCommerce site or integrate it seamlessly into any pre-existing site to turn it into an online shop.
Either way, selling digital products on Ecwid is exactly the same as selling physical products: you simply enter your product information and price, adjust the settings, and let Ecwid do the rest of the work for you.
In addition to its ease of use, Ecwid’s “forever free” plan also makes it an attractive option to anyone looking to dip a toe into the eCommerce world and see how it goes before committing.
Fiverr
First founded in Tel Aviv in 2010, Fiverr has grown into one of the most popular freelance marketplaces.
Although the site is primarily used for buying and selling freelance services (such as tutoring, web development, graphic design, and more), it is also possible to sell digital products on Fiverr.
How to Sell Digital Products on Fiverr
To sell digital products on Fiverr, you’ll need to first make an account as a freelancer and use it for advertising your goods.
In other words, where other freelancers might include information about their credentials, prior projects, or other relevant experience, you’ll include information about your product(s).
This marketing strategy can work with any digital product. However, due to the nature of project-based work that customers on Fiverr are generally looking for, it works best with customizable products such as prints.
Visit Fiverr.com, or check out my list of the best alternatives to Fiverr here.
PayPal
PayPal is one of the most popular and trusted online payment systems, allowing people all around the globe to effortlessly send and receive money.
If you want your eCommerce site to be able to securely process payments from customers, PayPal is certainly an option worth looking into.
How to Sell Digital Products with PayPal
Regardless of what type of product you’re selling, PayPal can be added to almost any website to turn it into an eCommerce site.
Here’s how to add PayPal to your site:
- Upload your digital product file to your website or online store.
- Log in to your PayPal account (you’ll have to sign up for a merchant plan first) and click on “Merchant Services.”
- Select the “Buy Now Buttons” link. This will take you to a page where you can enter the relevant information about your product, such as the name and price, as well as the currency you want to work with.
- Next to the “Buy Now” button, you should see another button – click on that, then select “Add More Options.”
- Copy/paste the page URL where you will sell your product into the “Successful Payment URL” box.
- Then click “Create Button Now.” Your “buy now” button will be generated as an HTML code.
- Copy this code and insert it into the sales page of your website (this is particularly easy if you’re using a no-code website builder like Wix or Squarespace).
If this seems a bit confusing, don’t worry – once you sign up for a seller account, PayPal will walk you step-by-step through the process.
FAQs
Summary: How to Sell Digital Products Online in 2024
With the popularity of digital products increasing every year, there’s never been a better time to get in on the action and start selling your own digital products online.
From eBooks and digital prints to online courses and music, there are an impressive array of digital products you could be selling.
Use this list as a jumping-off point to get started, and with a little time and effort, you could start seeing some impressive profits from your online side hustle.
If you don’t want to sell on a third-party platform, and instead you want to start your own online store then here are the best free e-commerce site builders.
References
- Etsy sales statistics – https://www.statista.com/statistics/409371/etsy-annual-revenue/.
- Etsy – https://www.etsy.com/search?q=digital+products&explicit=1&ship_to=ZZ
- WordPress – https://wordpress.com/
- WooCommerce – https://woocommerce.com/
- Shopee – https://shopee.com/
- Amazon Prime statistics – https://www.statista.com/statistics/861060/total-number-of-households-amazon-prime-subscription-usa/
- 22+ Ecommerce Statistics & Online Shopping Facts For 2020
