Selling tangible goods online is an excellent way to make money. However, it’s not the only option you have. As the world continues to move toward an electronically-driven environment, you can also sell digital products to earn an income. The trick is deciding what you can offer your customers.
If you’re interested in e-commerce, selling digital products can be incredibly lucrative and rewarding. Typically, they are easy to distribute, and there are often fewer expenses to deal with than traditional products.
In this post, we’ll start by discussing some of the benefits of selling digital products on your WordPress website. Then we’ll explore 10 options to help you get started. Let’s jump in!
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Why Sell Digital Products on Your WordPress Site
When thinking about starting a WooCommerce online store, most people assume that you need a physical product to tell. While this is certainly an option, it’s not a requirement.
There are many advantages to selling digital products on your WordPress website. For starters, there are often lower costs associated with non-physical versus physical items.
Moreover, the process of selling digital products online is often less time-consuming and complex. For example, you can create a video or a piece of graphic art without spending any money on it, then sell it based on the time and skill that it took to create.
Typically, you won’t need to worry about taxes and shipping costs, nor would you have to factor in order fulfillment or distribution centers. This all helps streamline and automate the e-commerce aspect of your business.
Another major advantage of selling digital products is that you usually only have to create the product once. Then you can sell and distribute it to as many customers as possible. This can help you save time and simultaneously maximize your profits.
Related: 16 Ways to Start Monetizing Your Website
10 Digital Products You Can Sell on Your WordPress Site
Now that we understand a little more about why selling digital products on your website is a good idea, it’s time to explore some of your options. Below are 10 digital goods to consider.
1. Online Courses
One of the most popular and effective ways to make money online is to sell online courses. You can create a training or educational program for any skill or subject you want to teach.
Moreover, there are platforms you can use to create your online course content and lesson plans. So whether you’re a traditional educator or a professional looking to sell premium content to clients, you have many different e-learning tools to choose from.
For example, WordPress users can use a plugin like LearnDash or LifterLMS.
You can also use third-party platforms to sell your online course, such as Skillshare or Udemy. However, we recommend trying to sell directly through your website whenever possible. This can help you project a more professional and authoritative image.
2. Templates
Another digital product you might consider selling is templates. This can be especially helpful if you have basic graphic design or digital art skills.
There are many different types of templates that you can create. Some of the most common ones include:
- Resumes and proposals
- Business reports and presentations
- Brochures and flyers
- Social media graphics
Again, you can create your products once, then sell them to a wide audience. Plus, you don’t need much to get started other than the software or online tool needed to create the template. This could be a word processor such as Microsoft Word or something more graphic-driven such as Adobe Photoshop. You may also want to use an online tool like Canva, which helps you create all sorts of graphics and templates with a user-friendly drag-and-drop builder.
Related: 14 Awesome Website Templates You Can Use
3. E-books
E-books have long been one of the most lucrative ways to earn money online. They were among the first digital goods to hit the e-commerce market and continue to be popular even today.
This digital product may require a bit more work than others. It might take you a few months to write your book. You may also need to hire an editor and proofreader. However, once your book is ready, you can make it available on your site and start earning a passive income.
There are also other places where you can distribute your e-books. For example, you could use a larger online marketplace like Amazon to reach a wider audience and boost your profits.
4. Memberships and Subscriptions
With membership services, you can sell recurring access to information and events in your industry, such as educational material, training programs, webinars, and more. In addition, you can offer premium access to your website content, either as a one-time or recurring fee.
Starting a subscription site works essentially the same way. You can use a plugin such as MemberPress to make this as easy as possible.
This approach lets you launch your membership website and focus on giving value to your subscribers. You can put a paywall in front of exclusive content and charge signup fees for access to your members-only area.
Related: How to Create and Host Your First Webinar
5. Professional Services
Another option is to sell professional services through your website. Technically, this isn’t a digital product. However, professional services can be an effective way to make money online.
It’s also extremely flexible. For example, this service could include consulting, web design and development, content writing, and much more.
Of course, your ability to sell professional services will depend on your skills, knowledge, and background. However, if you have an area of expertise, you can likely find an audience willing to pay for your knowledge or craft.
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6. Audio
Audio is another broad category of digital assets that you might consider exploring. Many people are willing to pay for a wide range of audio files, from podcasts to music.
Some additional examples include:
- Audiobooks
- Language lessons
- Sound effects
- Relaxing meditations
- Lectures
Depending on the type of audio you’re creating, you can use many different platforms to host and share your files. For example, in addition to your WordPress website, you can use a website such as SoundCloud to allow users to stream your content.
To help motivate customers to purchase your audio, it’s smart to offer a brief sample for free. That way, they can test the sound before deciding whether it’s something they’re interested in buying.
7. Photography
If you’re passionate about photography, selling your own images can be another excellent way to earn money online. With so many businesses moving their operations online, there’s always a steady need for high-quality photos to use in marketing campaigns and websites.
There are several stock photography sites where you can publish and sell your photos, including Shutterstock and Pexels. However, you can also sell them directly from your WordPress site. For instance, you can use a WordPress plugin like NextGEN Gallery to display and sell your photos.
With this approach, you’ll have more control over your pricing and costs. For example, you won’t have to sign up for a membership, which some stock photo sites require you to do.
To help drive traffic to your site, you can also promote your photography business on other visual-heavy platforms, such as Instagram. This can help you spread awareness about your photos being for sale and, ultimately, increase your profits.
Related: How to Start a Photography Blog (In 4 Steps)
8. Software
If you work in development and are code-savvy, one of the best ways you could make money through your WordPress website is by creating and selling your own software. Of course, this won’t be the easiest or quickest digital product to produce. However, it can be among the most lucrative.
You also have a couple of options for how to price your software. For example, you could sell it as a one-time fee for an unlimited license or as an ongoing subscription. This can help you maintain a recurring income while keeping costs manageable for your customers.
9. Apps
If you’re not interested in developing a software program, you could consider creating and selling a web-based application instead. Mobile apps have become incredibly popular, and there are many different kinds of tools and features that consumers are willing to pay for.
As with software programs, you can also take a couple different approaches to your app pricing. For example, you could charge a small, premium price. Alternatively, you could create a “freemium” app.
With the latter, your customers will be able to download and use some basic functionality of the app for free. However, to unlock the full suite of features and digital content, they’ll need to upgrade to a paid version.
Similar to apps, you could also develop and sell plugins. You can submit your plugins through the official WordPress Plugin Directory.
If it’s not accepted, you have the option of selling it directly from your WordPress site. This is recommended if you plan to offer a freemium plugin and give users a place to learn more about the plugin’s functionality and features.
This is another incredibly versatile area. As more businesses move entirely online, there’s a growing need for management tools and niche-specific apps. You could create a WordPress plugin that helps fill a gap in the market.
Related: The Beginner’s Guide to WordPress Plugins
10. Graphic Art
Many businesses and professionals don’t know how to create their own graphics or brand assets. Therefore, if you’re skilled or experienced with graphic design, you could sell graphic art and creative bundles from your WordPress site.
There are many different fields where your work could be useful. For example, you can sell art used on clothing, such as t-shirts and hats.
Alternatively, you could work with web design agencies to help create art used on client websites. Other popular ideas include logos, icon packages, stencils, overlays, and backgrounds.
If you’re a digital artist, another route you can take is to sell printables. Similar to templates, your customers could enjoy the convenience of having the product immediately available as an easy digital download after they complete their purchase. Plus, you can create the work of art once and continuously sell it to your audience.
Related: Web Design Mistakes That Could Be Scaring Away Your Visitors
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a practical way to earn money online, it’s smart to consider selling digital products on your WordPress site. However, one of the most challenging aspects is determining what to offer your audience. The answer will largely be based on your skills and experience.
In this post, we looked at 10 lucrative options for your online store. They include online courses, templates, e-books, and memberships. You can also sell professional services, audio and video, and software and apps.
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