In my previous post, I talked about how digital product sales are on the rise and specifically what digital products generally sell fast. This time, we will talk about these nine essential steps that we can consider when building an online shop since it is primarily how we reach a larger customer base as sellers nowadays. Also, creating a solid online presence helps strengthen your brand and credibility which in turn expands your audience reach and the opportunity to translate it into more sales.
At this point, you may be in a different stage from where I am, a newbie digital product seller. Imagine this scenario: You are a small business owner and you have been selling locally, to neighbors, to your social media followers, but you are now thinking of going beyond your comfort zone. Making your product more accessible to more people is now your next goal. But with the fast-paced world of technology, you just did not find the time to keep up or it just did not pique your interest at any other time in the past before now. Sound familiar? Or you may be new to this concept altogether but you have the perfect product in mind for you and the skills to build sellable digital products. Now, you feel like it is time to build your online shop to make it easier for potential customers globally to find you and your product. Either way, read on to find out if this short read is worth recommending to your friends.
If you are one of those who are eager to get a share of that pie like I am, I’m going to share with you some tips that I am also working on and hoping to achieve. There is no point in keeping these to myself, tbh. Knowledge and ideas are meant to be shared if we know they can help someone else out there. This is a huge market that is only getting bigger by the day and we can all grow from this.
You see, the good thing about most digital products (and what drew me to it in the first place) is that market saturation is the least of your worries since you are selling globally. And if it is, so what? Be unique and you will find your own market, your own followers —this is better explained below coz that sounded quite vague, even to me. So, let’s get on with it.
Setting Up Shop: Essential Steps to Consider
To build an online shop to sell digital products successfully, there are several essential steps you can consider. To make things simpler, I have linked my sources for this article at the bottom so you will have a chance to check them out for yourself as well.
Identify your digital product niche: Picking the right niche is crucial for the success of your online shop (Source1). Focus on a specific area or target market that aligns with your expertise and interests. For example, if you are good at sketching, you can offer sketched portraits which are perfect personalized gift items as your primary digital product.
Research your target audience: Understand the needs and preferences of your potential customers. Conduct market research to identify their demands and create digital products that cater to those needs (Source 2). Say, you have a garden and you wish to share your gardening tips - your target audience will most likely be stay-at-home and work-at-home individuals who can benefit from having a garden at home. Your product could range from gardening courses or tutorials, e-books, and gardening products such as personalized planters and garden decor that you happen to be skilled at making.
Create high-quality content: Ensure that your digital products are of top-notch quality. This need not even be said. Creating and selling digital products is a labor of love. Whether it's an ebook, an artwork, handmade crafts, software, or a course, invest time and effort in producing valuable content that meets the expectations of your customers (Source 2).
Choose the right platform: Select an e-commerce platform that specializes in selling digital products. Look for features such as secure file hosting, automated delivery, and customizable product options (Source 3). Popular e-commerce platforms right now are Amazon, e-Bay, Shopify, Etsy, Aliexpress, Shopee, olx, and many many more.
Set up an online store: Build your online store using the chosen e-commerce platform. Customize the design, layout, and branding of your shop to create a unique and visually appealing storefront (Source 3).
Implement secure payment gateways: Ensure that your online shop has secure payment gateways to protect customer information and facilitate smooth transactions. Popular options include PayPal, Stripe, and Square (Source 4).
Automate product delivery: Set up an automated system to deliver digital products to customers upon purchase. This can include sending download links via email or directing customers to a secure download page (Source 5).
Drive traffic to your shop: Implement marketing strategies to attract potential customers to your online shop. This can include content marketing, social media promotion, email marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO) (Source 4).
Provide excellent customer support: Offer responsive and reliable customer support to address any inquiries or issues that may arise. This can build trust and encourage customers to make repeat purchases (Source 1).
As you go along, continually monitor and analyze the performance of your online shop and make necessary adjustments to improve its success. You can make a few tweaks to your marketing strategy and adapt to changes once in a while. Keep on with the strategies that work, of course, but improve and develop them gradually if you feel that you have to and if your data shows you need to.
Moreover, understand that I am also learning as I am putting this out. But if you have any questions, ask away. I will try to answer them if I can or direct you to websites that have been my go-to for similar questions. If you have questions that I haven’t even thunk of, okay kidding— thought of, then that would be even sweeter because that means more input for me, too. I love ideas and I would love to hear them from you.
Sources:
Source: Web.com - How to Sell Digital Products in 2023: A Comprehensive Guide
Source: Placeit - Mastering How to Sell Digital Products: A Comprehensive Guide
Source: Oberlo - How to Sell Digital Products Online (+25 Profitable Ideas)
Source: Hostinger - E-Commerce Essentials: Building an Online Store That Sells
Source: One.com - How to sell digital products online: complete guide (2023)
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