I’ve seen so many people get excited about digital products after watching those “make money online” videos, everything looks easy, just pick a product, upload it, start selling. Then reality hits; too many tools, too many platforms, too many niches and too many ways to do things.

Most people quit right there, I know because I’ve been there too and that’s why I’m writing this guide.

A simple breakdown of how this actually works in real life, based on what I’m doing myself right now.

But first things first..........

What is a digital Product and how to make one ?

Well, to put it simply, a digital product is pretty much like a physical product (like those shoes you're wearing), except it's on the internet, meaning its use is only on digital devices.

Now that we got that out of the way, some famous digital products can be: software, plugins, extensions, eBooks, courses, 1-on-1 training, or something as simple as a PNG file.

Now that you know what a digital product is, how do you make it?

It's simple, you reverse engineer the file type or format. If it's software, you code it using a programming language. If it's an eBook, you write it using Microsoft Word (duh). It's okay, this is the full guide.

Ok, so I know what a digital product is and how to create it, but what do I create and how can I find people interested in it in the first place?

Now, we are getting to the fun part...

1- Start with a problem not a product

It sounds simple right? No and yes.

Yes, it's simple. No, it's not that simple.

What I mean is, find something relatable, something that has an audience. It does not have to be a problem, but if it is and there is no solution, then boom, that is your niche product.

If you don't know what the term niche is, or you want to know how to pick your niche, I wrote a whole article about it. Feel free to read it HERE.

Pro tip: If you want to find problems people already have, keep your eyes open in places where your target audience already hangs out.

2- Choosing the right platform

This is very important, choose carefully, because we will be driving traffic from these platforms directly to our products using either targeted ads or evergreen organic content.

What you should know is, there are two types of platforms:

• The one we will use as a homebase (shop/storefront) for our product.
• The one we will use for advertising (content/traffic).

The way you choose the second one depends on your product.

For example:

A digital product that targets middle-aged men or women can perform very well on Facebook compared to TikTok or Instagram (use common sense).

Now the first one (our Homebase). This one is tricky because there are many platforms out there that would drain all your hard work with fees and currency conversion. Here are a few honorable mentions that I personally have tried.

Gumroad:

Probably the most popular platform out there. Easy to set up, easy to use, and honestly, I made money with it. The problem? The fees. At first, you don't really notice them. Then you start making sales and suddenly you realize Gumroad is making money too... a lot of it.

Lemon Squeezy:

Not bad at all. Clean platform and good features. But personally, it always felt more geared towards software and SaaS products than the average creator selling ebooks, templates, guides, or digital downloads.

Shopify:

I tried Shopify and quickly realized it wasn't for me. Yes, it's powerful. Yes, you can build a beautiful store. But by the time you pay for the monthly subscription, apps, themes, and other extras, things start adding up very quickly. Great for a full business. Not so great when you're just trying to sell a few digital products.

Payhip:

This is the one I personally recommend, Why?

Because it does exactly what most creators need without all the extra headaches. You can upload your product, set a price, create discount codes, collect emails, and start selling in a very short amount of time. No complicated setup. No expensive monthly plans hanging over your head.

Most importantly, the platform lets you keep more of the money you worked hard to earn.

That's the reason I still use it today.

I am actually affiliated with them, so if you sign up using my link below, it won't cost you anything extra, but it would help me earn a few bucks for a cup of coffee.

3- Building a simple funnel

I feel like almost every guru out there never tells you about this part.

It's the part where you need to work smart to convert regular visitors into potential buyers, even if they don't have buying intent.

Now you ask, how can we do that?

Simple, it goes like this:

Content → Free Value → Email → Product

Here’s how it works:

1. You post content
2. You offer free sample first ( urge people to sign up for more )
3. You collect emails
4. You follow up with more free things
5. Then you introduce your product

5- Getting traffic and conversions

Besides the strategy mentioned above, you will also need lots and lots of helpful content around your product. You can always run ads to skip this part, but I always urge people to start organically and then scale with ads only when the product is already selling.

Again, if you have read through this carefully, you would have chosen the right social media platform for your product.

As for content, you can use recordings of your product in action, teasers, testimonials, general tips, and more. The idea is to mix, test, and experiment until you find a format that works for you. Then it's just upward from there.

6- Feedback loop

See, things will never be perfect, will never go as planned, and that is okay. In fact, every person out there started with a half-baked idea, including myself. It is only through feedback that we create better products.

Just don't be an ass and think it's the audience that doesn't know how to use your product. Take every piece of feedback to heart and deliver on the next update.

Feedback can also be things such as where people clicked, email open rates, comments, replies, and so on.

7- Keep it simple

If you want to start today, do this:

1. Pick one real problem
2. Create one simple product
3. Upload it to Payhip
4. Create a free resource
5. Start posting content

If your ready to Build a brand that attracts opportunities, builds trust, and helps your business grow online.

For more Branding, Marketing, Motion and Storytelling, you already in the right place

Written by: Saiid of @saiiddesigns