How to Sell Digital Downloads – Detailed Guide for Noobs

Do you have digital products that you want to sell? Maybe you’re an artist who wants to sell digital prints of your work or a musician who wants to sell digital albums.

Whatever the case may be, selling digital downloads is a great way to make money online. In this easy-to-understand guide, we’ll teach you how to sell digital downloads in no time!

What Is a Digital Download?

A digital download is a product that can be downloaded and consumed digitally. This includes anything from an e-book to a digital album or movie. These can be delivered via email or made available for download on a website.

In order for digital downloads to be sellable products, they need to be in a format that can be downloaded and used on a computer or other digital device.

Why Sell Digital Downloads?

There are a few reasons why selling digital downloads might be a good idea for you:

• Digital downloads are easy to make and can be sold at a higher price.
• There is no shipping or handling involved.
• It’s a great way to reach a global audience.
• You can choose to sell them on your own website or through another platform.

Selling Digital Downloads

The process is often easy and all you need to get started is a product to sell and internet connection.

Step #1 — Create a Product

The first step is to create a product. This could be an album, a book, a movie, or anything else that you want to sell.

Step #2 — Make the Product Digital

Once you have your product, you need to create a digital file of it. You can do this by scanning it, taking a picture of it, or converting it to a digital format.

Step #3 — Create a Sales Page

The next step is to create a sales page for your product. This will include all the information that potential buyers need to know, such as the price, what the product includes, and how to download it.

Step #4 — Promote Your Product

The last step is to promote your product! You can do this by creating social media posts, creating a Facebook page for your shop or product, writing blog posts, or even advertising on other websites.

Finding the Best Platform to Sell Digital Downloads

If you don’t want to sell digital downloads on your own website, you can do so through a third-party platform. Finding the right one to sell your digital products may seem like a tedious task, but there are a few online spaces that you can use.

Etsy

Etsy is a popular website for selling handmade goods, but you can also sell digital products there. Selling digital downloads on Etsy is easy, and they have a wide audience of potential buyers. All you need to do is set up your shop, name your price, and start selling.

Amazon

Amazon is another popular platform for selling digital products, with a market share of 40%. You can list them on your profile and reach a large number of people interested in buying those products.

Setting up a seller account is free, just keep in mind that Amazon takes a commission on each sale.

DeviantArt

DeviantArt is a website for artists to share their work. However, you can also sell digital downloads of your art there, and it’s a great way to reach a community of people who appreciate art and would be interested in buying yours.

Bandcamp

Bandcamp is a website that is specifically for selling music. It’s a great platform for musicians to sell their work, especially if they’re just starting out. Setting up an account is free, and the platform takes a 10% revenue share of the artist’s sales.

Unlike platforms such as Spotify or Apple Music, Bandcamp pays artists the highest royalties.

Shopify

Shopify is a platform with hundreds of thousands of merchants, and you can use it to create an online store. You can sell digital and physical products, and they offer a wide range of templates for your online shop. Setting up an account is free, and they take a commission on each sale.

Best Digital Products to Sell

Now that you know how to sell digital downloads, it’s important to understand what products are most popular for selling online.

Let’s take a look at some of the best categories.

E-books

E-books are a great product to sell because they’re relatively easy to make if you are talented, and they can be sold at a higher price than a physical book. You can even self-publish them for free through Amazon Kindle’s program.

Digital Art

Digital art is an excellent product to sell because there are no printing costs involved. You can sell your artwork on websites like DeviantArt and Shopify. But also, some of the top selling digital downloads on Etsy are actual logos, labels, gift cars, and other printable art pieces.

Digital Albums

Digital albums can be sold on platforms like Bandcamp and Etsy. They’re a great way for musicians to reach a wider audience and make money from their work.

Movies

Movies are a good choice because they can be downloaded and watched instantly. However, they are not easy to make, and it’s important to check if the format the movie file is in is suitable for digital distribution.

Apps

If you’re a developer, you can launch and sell your apps on platforms like the App Store and Google Play. It’s a great way to make money from your work and reach a global audience.

Creating an app can be a long process full of trial and error, but it can pay off quite well.

How to Create Digital Downloads to Sell?

Of course, before you can sell digital downloads, you have to create them first. Here are some ways to do it.

E-books

If you’re selling an e-book, you need to create a PDF file of it. Many e-book readers also support MOBI and EPUB formats. You can do this by using a program like Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Word, or you can use one of many online converters.

Digital Albums

If you’re considering selling a digital album, you’ll need to create MP files for all of the tracks. You can do this by using any DAW software, such as Audacity or GarageBand.

Videos and Movies

For a video or any movie to be ready for sale, it must first be converted into an appropriate file. You can ensure this by using a program like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro.

Apps

As mentioned, apps are among the most profitable digital products. In fact, it’s projected that there will be 184 downloadable apps by 2024, and selling an app is easy once development and testing are done.

All you need to do is create a file for it in the appropriate format. For iOS apps, this is an IPA file and for Android apps, it holds an APK extension.

Digital Art

If you’re selling digital art, you’ll also need to create a file of it in an appropriate format. For images, this is usually a JPEG or PNG. For vector art, this is usually SVG, EPS or AI file.

You can create digital art by using programs like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator and appropriate tools such as drawing tablets.

Best Way to Sell Digital Downloads

Once your digital product is created, you’re now ready to sell it. But there are some best practices to keep in mind to make it work.

See some of our tips right here.

Price Your Products Correctly

Make sure to price your products correctly by taking into account the time it took to create them, the cost of materials, and the target audience.

If your file is difficult to create, you can set a higher price. The good thing about digital downloads is the fact that you don’t need to print or ship anything, so you can save on that while not overcharging your customers.

Create a Professional Website

If you want to sell digital products on your own, creating a professional website is essential. It will help you build trust with your customers and make sales.

Websites can be created using the best website builders for ecommerce like Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace. You can also hire a web developer to create a custom website for you.

Use High-quality Images

When selling digital downloads, it’s important to use high-quality images. This will help your products stand out and make them more attractive to potential buyers.

You can use free stock photos or hire a professional photographer to take high-quality photos of your products.

Using Social Media

You can use social media to promote your digital products and reach a wider audience. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are great for this.

You can also use social media to create a relationship with your customers and build trust. This is important because people are more likely to buy from brands that they know and trust.

Conclusion

Selling digital products is a great way to make money from your work. It’s important to price your products correctly, use high-quality images, and promote them on social media.

By following these tips, you’ll be able to increase your digital sales in no time.