16 minutes read

November 21, 2024

Published: January 22, 2024

Digital Products Ecommerce Online Business

Where to sell digital goods in 2024

Finding the right platform to sell digital goods can be overwhelming in 2024.

This post will provide clarity on the best places to sell digital products this year, so you can choose the right marketplace and find success.

We'll explore popular platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Gumroad, compare their features and fees, and review the types of digital goods selling best in 2024. You'll leave equipped to get your online store up and running on the ideal platform.

Introduction to Selling Digital Goods

Selling digital goods online is a growing market, offering opportunities for entrepreneurs and small businesses. In 2024, the digital goods market is projected to reach over $200 billion globally. Key areas driving this growth include:

Leveraging the Digital Marketplace

The digital goods market is expected to grow at an annual rate of over 15% through 2027
Digital products have high profit margins since there is no physical inventory or shipping costs
Online platforms like Etsy, Shopify, and WooCommerce make it easy to set up a digital goods store

Choosing the Right Platform for Your Digital Store

Popular ecommerce platforms for selling digital products include:

Etsy - Best for selling creative digital assets like graphics, templates, fonts, etc.
WooCommerce - Open source WordPress plugin. Flexible but requires more tech skills.
Shopify - Easy to set up but transaction fees are higher. More marketing features.

The Astonishing Benefits of Selling Digital Products

Key advantages of selling digital goods include:

Low overhead since no physical product inventory or shipping is needed
Global reach to sell products to customers around the world
Passive income potential from products that can sell 24/7
Easy scalability - you can sell thousands of copies of a digital product

Selling digital products online eliminates many of the hassles of traditional ecommerce. With the right platform and products, it can be an accessible way to generate online income.

What is the best product to sell in 2024?

Selling digital products online is a great business opportunity in 2024 for several reasons:

Low overhead. Digital products require very little upfront investment compared to physical products. You don't need warehouse space or inventory.
Easy to create. With tools like Marketsy.ai, anyone can create professional digital products very quickly, without technical skills.
High margins. Digital products have much higher profit margins because there are no production or shipping costs.
Scalable. A digital product can be sold to an unlimited number of customers with almost no additional costs.
Automatable. Many aspects of selling digital products can be automated, like deliveries, saving you time.

Some of the most popular and profitable digital products to sell right now are:

Online courses and tutorials
Stock photos, graphics, templates
eBooks, audiobooks, and PDF guides
Software, plugins, apps, and website themes
Memberships, subscription services, and access to gated content

The key is finding a niche with strong demand that aligns with your interests and abilities. With Marketsy's AI, you can test ideas and have a full online store up and running in minutes.

Focus on solving problems for a specific audience. Provide value and outstanding customer service. With the right digital product, you can build a thriving online business.

Where is the best place to sell digital products?

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT THE BEST PLATFORMS TO SELL DIGITAL PRODUCTS AND DOWNLOADS:

Sellfy. Best platform for beginners looking to sell downloads. Sellfy makes it easy to upload your digital files, set prices, and start selling. They have features like analytics, marketing tools, and secure file delivery built-in.
Podia. Best platform for selling online courses, memberships, and downloads. Podia offers course creation tools, membership management, marketing features, and more. Great for info products.
Shopify. The top ecommerce platform. Shopify powers over 1 million online stores. You can sell physical and digital products easily.
Gumroad. Simple way to sell all types of digital products directly to customers. Gumroad handles delivery and payments.
EasyDigitalDownloads. WordPress plugin to sell downloads. Lots of extensions available. Integrates with WordPress sites.
Thinkific. All-in-one platform to create, market and sell online courses. Build your course, customize pages, analyze student data, and more.
E-junkie. Long-time player in selling downloads. Offer secure delivery, analytics, affiliate tools, and more. Integrate into any website.
Teachable. Focused specifically on selling online courses. But they have all the tools you need to create, market, and sell your training.

The best platform depends on your specific needs. But any of these options make it easy to get started selling digital products online. Focus on finding a tool that fits your product type, business model, and technical abilities.

What is the highest selling digital products?

According to industry reports, the top 10 highest selling digital products are:

Templates

Templates for documents, presentations, planners, social media posts, and more remain top-sellers. Their customizable nature makes them versatile for many needs.

Software and Apps

From productivity apps to games and more, software is hugely popular. The ability to instantly download programs makes this a booming market.

Educational Downloads

Whether it's online courses, ebooks, tutorials or more, people love convenient access to knowledge. This covers diverse topics for all ages.

Digital Art

From clipart to photography, illustrations and more - digital art offers creative assets. This art can be used for websites, presentations, documents and other projects.

Digital Audio and Images

Music, sound effects, stock photos, graphics and the like are common digital goods. These artistic works and media are widely used and shared online.

eBooks

Digital books, reports and guides make information easily accessible. eBooks dominate the publishing landscape today across every genre and subject.

Web Assets

Website themes, plugins, fonts, icons and more have become hot digital commodities. They help build, customize and enhance online platforms.

Subscriptions

Netflix pioneered subscriptions for digital access. This model now powers everything from software to content libraries.

Can you really make money selling digital products?

Selling digital products can be an extremely lucrative business model. Here's why:

Low overhead costs: You don't need a physical storefront, manufacturing equipment, warehouses, etc. All you need is a computer and internet access to create and sell digital goods. This makes profit margins much higher.
Passive income potential: Once a digital product is created, it can generate sales 24/7 with little ongoing work. This allows you to make money while you sleep.
Global reach: Digital products can be sold to anyone, anywhere with an internet connection. This significantly expands your potential customer base.
Easy to duplicate: Digital files can be duplicated endlessly at little to no cost. So if a product sells well, it takes no extra effort or expense to sell more copies.
Variety of products: From ebooks, courses, templates, graphics, music, apps, and more, there's an endless array of digital products you can create and monetize online.

The key is finding a niche and digital product idea that serves a specific audience need. Do your research, validate demand, create a quality product, and market it strategically. With the right execution, selling digital products can certainly generate a healthy income stream. Many internet entrepreneurs have built full-time businesses and achieved financial freedom this way.

So in short - yes, you really can make good money selling digital products in 2024 and beyond! The low barriers to entry and high upside make it an attractive online business model worth pursuing.

The Definitive List of Digital Products You Can Sell

Selling digital products online is a lucrative business model that allows entrepreneurs to monetize their knowledge, content, and services. Here are some of the most popular categories of digital goods that can be sold online:

Digital Downloads: A Lucrative Category

Digital downloads like eBooks, PDF guides, templates, graphics, photos, music files, and more offer high profit margins because they can be created once and sold an unlimited number of times. Some popular digital downloads include:

Informational products like eBooks, courses, and tutorials
Creative assets like graphic design templates, icon packs, photography, and illustration files
Audio files like music tracks, podcast episodes, and meditation recordings
Software and scripts like WordPress plugins, web templates, and code snippets

The low overhead and distribution costs make digital downloads a lucrative product category for online businesses.

Monetizing Knowledge with Online Courses and Memberships

Online courses allow entrepreneurs to package their knowledge and expertise into a structured learning program. Courses can be delivered through membership sites, learning management systems like Teachable and Thinkific, or platforms like Udemy.

Some examples include:

Video tutorials and online classes
Premium membership sites with drip content
Paid communities focused on a niche topic
Coaching and consulting services

Courses and memberships allow creators to build recurring revenue while making an impact sharing their knowledge.

Software and Web Apps: The SaaS Market

The software-as-a-service (SaaS) market continues to expand rapidly. Some examples of digital SaaS products that can be monetized include:

Web apps and plugins
Mobile apps
WordPress themes and plugins
JavaScript scripts and code snippets
Productivity tools and project management apps

With a subscription model, SaaS products can become the foundation for an extremely profitable online business once traction is achieved.

Selling Services Online: A Growing Trend

Many entrepreneurs are selling online services like freelance work, consulting, and done-for-you services. Some examples include:

Content creation services
Graphic design and video editing
Technical services like web development and SEO optimization
Business consulting for marketing, accounting, HR, etc.

Digital delivery allows online services to scale, tapping into the growing remote services economy.

The opportunities to build a digital product business are endless if you identify a hungry market and provide real value. Focus on solving problems for a well-defined audience to find success selling online.

How to Create Digital Products That Sell

Creating digital products that sell requires careful planning and execution across four key areas:

Ideation and Market Research

Identify audience needs and pain points through market research
Validate product ideas to ensure market demand
Conduct competitor analysis to find gaps and opportunities
Use tools like Google Trends to assess search volume and interest over time

Crafting Your Digital Product

Focus on solving a specific audience problem or need
Make sure the product delivers exceptional value
Create clear, benefit-driven marketing copy
Optimize branding to appeal to your target customer
Offer multiple purchase options to increase conversion

How to Price Your Digital Products Effectively

Price based on the value you provide customers
Analyze competitor pricing for context
Consider production costs and desired profit margin
Test different prices to find the revenue-maximizing sweet spot
Offer tiered pricing for different product variations

Choosing the Right Payment Processing Solutions

Stripe and PayPal allow fast, secure credit card payments
Gumroad specializes in selling digital files
MemberPress for membership sites and online courses
Lean on platform native payments like the iOS App Store

Focus on nailing product-market fit, crafting an outstanding customer experience, pricing strategically, and making payments seamless. This framework sets you up for digital product success.

Guide to Starting Your Ecommerce Business

Starting an online ecommerce business to sell digital products can seem daunting, but breaking it down into actionable steps makes the process more manageable. Here is a practical guide to get your digital goods store up and running:

Selecting an Ecommerce Platform: Shopify vs WooCommerce vs Magento

When choosing an ecommerce platform, three popular options to consider are:

Shopify: User-friendly and quick to set up, but transaction fees apply. Best for beginners.
WooCommerce: Free WordPress plugin. Gives flexibility and control, but requires more technical skill.
Magento: Robust capabilities for larger stores. However, complex and costlier.

Evaluate your budget, technical abilities, and business needs when deciding on a platform. Shopify is simplest, WooCommerce is most customizable, Magento has enterprise-level features.

Designing Your WordPress Ecommerce Store

If using WordPress and WooCommerce, optimize the buyer experience by:

Choosing an easy-to-navigate ecommerce theme
Organizing products into clear categories and tags
Highlighting best-selling items on the homepage
Enabling one-page checkout for faster purchases
Showcasing security and payment icons to build trust

Keep site design clean and focus on product images and descriptions. Remove distractions to guide visitors towards checkout.

Listing Your Digital Products for Sale

To add digital downloads like ebooks, courses, templates and more:

Upload files to store media library
Fill out product details like name, description, pricing
Add relevant images, videos, screenshots
Enable immediate, automated delivery options

Make sure products meet quality standards. Provide previews and clear specifications so customers know what they are buying.

Integrating Payment Gateways for Smooth Transactions

To safely accept online payments, connect payment processors like:

PayPal for quick checkout and fraud protection
Stripe for credit card payments with lower fees
Authorize.Net for subscription management and recurring billing

Offer multiple payment methods tailored to your products. Streamline checkout with saved payment options.

With the foundations covered, start small and expand your digital goods store over time. Offer excellent customer service as you grow your new ecommerce business.

Marketing an Ecommerce Site for Maximum Reach

Strategies for promoting and selling digital goods online can seem overwhelming, but breaking it down into core concepts makes it more manageable. Here are some key methods for marketing an ecommerce site selling digital goods:

Content Marketing: Creating Value to Attract Customers

Blog regularly with tips, how-tos, behind-the-scenes info
Create videos demonstrating product features and benefits
Offer free samples or limited trials to showcase value
Guest post on industry blogs to gain exposure
Curate and share useful third-party content

The goal is to establish expertise and build trust. By creating valuable content, you attract potential customers already interested in your offerings.

Leveraging Paid Advertising for Immediate Traffic

Target interest-based audiences on Facebook and Instagram
Show ads to searchers on Google Shopping and Search
Retarget site visitors with display ads across the web
A/B test ad creative and landing pages
Track conversions to optimize spend

Paid ads put your product in front of motivated buyers when they're searching for solutions. Used strategically, you can drive qualified traffic and sales.

Affiliate Marketing: Harnessing the Power of Partnerships

Recruit influencers and industry experts as affiliates
Offer competitive commissions and tracking software
Provide creatives, promo codes, text links and banners
Build relationships with regular check-ins
Incentivize ongoing promotions

Affiliates allow you to leverage existing audiences. By partnering with relevant influencers, you expand your reach tremendously.

Email Marketing: Building Relationships with MailChimp, AWeber, and More

Offer lead magnets in exchange for emails
Send targeted broadcasts when new products launch
Set up automations to onboard subscribers
Promote sales, deals, and special offers
Collect feedback and survey customers

Email is

Overcoming the Challenges of Digital Sales

Selling digital products comes with unique challenges not faced with physical goods. However, with the right strategies and tools, these hurdles can be overcome.

How to Protect Digital Products from Piracy

Protecting digital files from unauthorized distribution is critical. Here are some tips:

Use digital rights management (DRM) to control access and restrict copying/sharing. Solutions like MemberPress allow setting view limits.
Watermark files with unique user data to trace leaks.
Limit file downloads and access timeframes. Automatically revoke access rights after periods of inactivity.
Encrypt files and require keys/passwords to view content.
Implement strict redistribution policies and include disclaimers in product listings.

Automating Fulfilment with Digital Planning Templates

Automation is key for smooth digital fulfilment. Solutions like automated email sequences via MailChimp and reusable templates help.

Create templates for purchase confirmations, download links, support messages
Automate post-purchase emails to deliver files or license keys
Standardize order processing with templates for licensing agreements, invoices

This eliminates manual work and human errors while providing excellent customer experience.

Reducing Refund Requests Through Clear Communication

Clear descriptions and disclaimers prevent misunderstandings and refund requests.

Showcase products with images/demos to set expectations
List exact file formats, sizes, compatibility
State licensing terms, allowed usage
Highlight known defects/limitations
Offer free previews of some course content

Establishing Credibility with Branding Elements and Testimonials

Quality branding and social proof build trust in digital products.

Showcase certifications like PCI compliance
Collect video testimonials and positive reviews
Share business registration documents
Highlight security features like SSL encryption

This reassures customers that you are a legitimate business providing value.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways for Selling Digital Goods in 2024

Selling digital goods can be a great way to generate income online in 2024. Here are some key takeaways:

Recapping the Essential Strategies for Digital Sales Success

Use platforms like Marketsy.ai to easily create an online store
Focus on creating valuable digital products that solve customer problems
Market your products effectively on social media and via email lists
Offer excellent customer support and service
Continuously test and optimize your sales process

Next Steps: Launching Your Digital Goods Business

If you're inspired to start selling digital products online, here are some recommended next steps:

Sign up for Marketsy.ai to instantly build your online store
Brainstorm digital product ideas that leverage your skills and knowledge
Set up your branding, website design, payment processing
Create high-quality digital goods to upload to your store
Start marketing to your target audience via social media and email

The key is to provide real value to customers with your digital products. By combining an easy-to-use platform like Marketsy.ai with some effort on branding, marketing, and customer service you can launch a successful online business selling digital goods.