14 Tools for Creating and Selling Digital Products (Expert Pick)

14 Tools for Creating and Selling Digital Products (Expert Pick)

Creating and promoting digital merchandise is an effective way to earn passive revenue and share your experience with a worldwide viewers. However you’ll want the correct instruments to make it occur. In any other case, you may waste money and time on sophisticated techniques that don’t ship outcomes.

At WPBeginner, we’ve been creating digital merchandise for over a decade, and we’ve had a number of success utilizing Straightforward Digital Downloads to promote our plugins and software program. That being mentioned, we all know that different companies may need totally different wants for their very own on-line shops.

Since a number of you’ve gotten requested about what the perfect instruments are, we’ve provide you with this information that can assist you select.

We’ll share our high picks for making and promoting every little thing from eBooks to on-line programs. These are instruments we’ve examined ourselves, and we even use a few of them in our personal enterprise.

Tools for Creating and Selling Digital ProductsTools for Creating and Selling Digital Products
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3 Should-Have Instruments for Creating and Promoting Digital Merchandise

No time to learn? Listed here are our high 3 picks of the perfect platforms to make and promote digital merchandise on-line:

🥇1st Place

Beacon logoBeacon logo
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Beacon

Greatest for: Creating lead magnets

Pricing: Free to $99/mo

Key options: Drag-and-drop editor, templates, weblog content material import

Learn extra

🥈2nd Place

Easy Digital DownloadsEasy Digital Downloads
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Straightforward Digital Downloads

Greatest for: Promoting digital downloads

Pricing: Free to $349.65/yr

Key options: Limitless downloads, licensing, reductions

Learn extra

🥉 third Place

MemberPress logoMemberPress logo
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MemberPress

Greatest for: Membership websites and programs

Pricing: $179.50 to $399.50/yr

Key options: Information safety, drip content material, programs

Learn extra

How We Examined the Greatest Instruments to Promote Digital Merchandise

We take our suggestions critically, and our testing course of displays that.

Firstly, among the instruments we’ve beneficial are ones we use day by day in our personal enterprise.

For instance, we’ve been utilizing Straightforward Digital Downloads for years to promote our WP plugins. This hands-on expertise offers us confidence in recommending this device, as we all know its strengths and limitations firsthand.

You additionally may discover that we’ve featured a few of these instruments in our different product assessment articles. That’s as a result of we’ve discovered them persistently dependable and efficient.

For different instruments, our expertise comes from utilizing them for particular tutorials or initiatives. By means of this course of, we’ve found their strengths for specific functions.

We’ve additionally examined in style choices to see in the event that they stay as much as their claims. Our course of concerned checking the device’s options, testing it to see if it really works as promised, and evaluating its worth for cash. We’ve additionally assessed how simple the device is to make use of, particularly for novices.

Lastly, we’ve paid shut consideration to buyer evaluations, like those from WPBeginner Resolution Heart. We all know that typically we’d miss sure contexts or use instances, so these evaluations assist complement our perspective. They’ve given us insights into how the instruments carry out in actual life.

With that in thoughts, let’s take a look at our listing of instruments to create and promote digital merchandise. We’ve divided this text into two sections, and you’ll skip to your most popular part utilizing the short hyperlinks beneath:

Why Belief WPBeginner?

We’ve been serving to folks with WP and on-line companies for over 16 years. Our staff doesn’t simply examine these instruments – we use them day by day. Our purpose is that can assist you discover the perfect resolution on your wants, not simply promote merchandise. That’s why we take a look at every product totally on our personal web sites to grasp what actually works.

Need to know extra? Take a look at our detailed editorial course of.

Greatest Instruments to Create Digital Merchandise

Whether or not you’re seeking to generate passive revenue or discover new digital merchandise to promote on-line, these instruments will help you create varied sorts of digital merchandise effectively and professionally.

We’ve chosen a variety of digital content material creation instruments, together with some free choices, that can assist you develop your digital product enterprise.

1. Beacon (Lead Magnets)

beaconbeacon
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Beacon is a freemium lead magnet device that we use ourselves to create varied forms of content material for e-mail advertising and marketing campaigns. With its simple drag-and-drop interface, you possibly can create digital merchandise like eBooks, workbooks, checklists, and even video lookbooks.

What we like about Beacon is its simplicity. After signing up for a free account, you’ll undergo an easy onboarding wizard. By answering just a few questions on your objectives, you possibly can shortly choose a template and begin customizing it within the drag-and-drop editor.

Select the ebook option in Beacon dashboardSelect the ebook option in Beacon dashboard
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Beacon is designed to be as simple to make use of as doable, making it accessible even when you’re new to creating lead magnets. Whether or not you’re a seasoned marketer or simply beginning out, you’ll discover the method intuitive and easy.

Nevertheless, it’s price noting that some customers may discover the templates a bit primary and never as trendy as they’d like.

Beacon's interfaceBeacon's interface
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Moreover, throughout our testing, we often encountered points when attempting to delete sure pre-existing parts in templates. Hold this in thoughts when customizing your lead magnets.

Professionals of Beacon:

  • Straightforward setup and use for fast lead magnet creation
  • Means to import weblog content material straight into lead magnets
  • Dozens of templates from varied trade classes and seasons
  • A number of embedding choices like inline kinds, horizontal bars, and content material upgrades

Cons of Beacon:

  • Templates could seem primary or much less trendy in comparison with some options
  • Some problem in deleting pre-existing parts in templates

Pricing: Beacon gives a free plan that features 1 lead magnet per 30 days, 100 leads, 1 person account, 1,000 month-to-month pageviews, and 500MB file storage. Paid plans vary from $19 to $99 per 30 days, with larger tiers permitting for extra lead magnets and extra options.

Why we selected Beacon: We picked Beacon as a result of it’s very easy to make use of for making lead magnets, which has helped us with our personal e-mail advertising and marketing. It’s easy, versatile, and has a free possibility, making it nice for every kind of companies, even when you can’t customise designs an excessive amount of.

2. Canva (Newbie-Pleasant Graphic Visuals)

CanvaCanva
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Canva is a well-liked freemium device for graphic design that works nicely as a digital merchandise maker. We’ve discovered Canva notably helpful for creating eye-catching social media posts and professional-looking eBooks. Many different folks have additionally used Canva to create customized templates and promote them to fellow customers.

In comparison with Beacon, Canva’s designs are usually extra trendy and different. It gives a variety of design choices, together with social media posts, shows, paperwork, resumes, print merchandise, web sites, and movies.

Web design ideas made with Canva AI image generatorWeb design ideas made with Canva AI image generator
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Apart from a drag-and-drop editor, the platform supplies pre-made colour palettes, font units, design parts, and extra. You can even draw by yourself designs.

That being mentioned, Canva can typically be gradual to make use of, particularly when working with extra advanced designs. And when you use Canva on cell or pill, you may need to be much more affected person with its efficiency.

Professionals of Canva:

  • Straightforward to make use of whereas nonetheless producing skilled designs
  • Large design library with over 1 million templates, 1000 design sorts, and three million inventory images
  • Highly effective premium options like AI instruments and staff collaboration options
  • Video modifying characteristic can also be accessible for creating video merchandise like on-line programs

Cons of Canva:

  • Will be gradual to make use of at occasions, particularly with extra advanced designs
  • We seen the cell app generally is a bit laggy in comparison with the desktop model

Pricing: Canva gives a free plan with 5GB of cloud storage. Paid plans vary from $15 to $30 per 30 days, providing extra storage, premium inventory images/movies, AI instruments, and staff administration options. A 30-day free trial is out there for paid plans.

Why we selected Canva: Canva’s ease of use and professional-quality designs make it good for creating all kinds of digital merchandise to promote. For a lot of companies, it’s develop into an irreplaceable device for fast, high-quality graphic design.

3. Google Workspace (Digital Assets)

Google Workspace landing pageGoogle Workspace landing page
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Google Workspace might not be probably the most design-friendly device in comparison with specialised platforms. That mentioned, its widespread use makes it extremely accessible. We use it throughout our companies to enhance effectivity and communication, however the Workspace suite can be used to create digital merchandise.

Many individuals already use these merchandise of their day by day lives or work, however they won’t know the way to maximize their potential. That is the place you possibly can step in and supply ready-to-use templates that improve their Google Workspace expertise.

Plus, with the current integration of Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, utilizing the platform for digital product creation has develop into even simpler. We’re an enormous fan of it ourselves right here at WPBeginner to hurry up our workflow and communication.

We’ve seen quite a few success tales with this method. As an example, Luke Scarpino on TikTok shared a Google Sheets template for environment friendly journey packing. His video went viral, and he now sells a professional packing template, showcasing the potential for monetizing these digital sources.

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Luke Scarpino's travel packing spreadsheet on TikTokLuke Scarpino's travel packing spreadsheet on TikTok
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Professionals of Google Workspace:

  • Free to get began
  • Gemini integration helps with AI content material creation
  • Accessible and acquainted to a large viewers who already use these merchandise
  • Straightforward collaboration options for staff initiatives

Cons of Google Workspace:

  • Might not be probably the most versatile for advanced designs
  • Restricted customization choices in comparison with specialised design instruments

Pricing: Google Workspace is free for primary use. For extra options like customized domains, superior safety, and extra storage, costs vary from $3.60 to $ 18 per person per 30 days.

Why we selected Google Workspace: Its huge person base supplies a prepared market on your digital merchandise. With the Gemini AI integration, it’s a super platform for creators to promote templates and sources regardless of some design limitations.

4. Adobe Illustrator (Logos/Digital Illustrations)

Adobe Illustrator landing pageAdobe Illustrator landing page
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If you happen to’re seeking to create and promote licensed digital artwork, Adobe Illustrator is a robust device to think about.

Now we have used it prior to now to create featured photographs and different graphics for our weblog posts. It’s a well-liked vector graphics software program utilized by professionals to create digital illustrations.

Whereas Adobe merchandise are identified for his or her larger worth level, they’re typically seen as a worthwhile funding, and we really feel the identical means. There’s a studying curve, however as soon as mastered, Illustrator gives nice perks.

For one, designs made with Illustrator are extremely scalable. That is nice for creating logos, customized fonts, and different digital illustrations with revenue potential. Moreover, the designs you create in Illustrator are appropriate for skilled printing, which opens up extra monetization alternatives.

Professionals of Adobe Illustrator:

  • Creates scalable designs, good for logos and illustrations
  • Business-standard, lending skilled credibility to your work
  • Versatile for varied initiatives: internet graphics, cell apps, infographics, prints, logos
  • Integrates nicely with different Adobe merchandise for skilled work

Cons of Adobe Illustrator:

  • Will be overwhelming for novices
  • Expensive subscription mannequin
  • Requires a robust laptop for optimum efficiency

Pricing: Adobe Illustrator prices $22.99 per 30 days. Alternatively, you will get the Adobe Inventive Cloud suite, which incorporates 20+ Adobe apps, for $59.99 per 30 days. A 7-day free trial is out there.

Why we selected Adobe Illustrator: Adobe Illustrator’s versatility makes it a superb selection for artists seeking to create and promote high-quality digital artwork, regardless of its steeper studying curve and price.

5. MPL-Writer (WP eBook/Audiobook Creator)

MPL-Publisher landing pageMPL-Publisher landing page
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MPL-Writer is a WP plugin that helps you flip a number of weblog posts into an eBook or audiobook you possibly can promote. It makes creating and promoting digital content material out of your WP web site simpler.

We downloaded and totally examined this plugin to take a look at all its options. And our favourite factor in regards to the plugin is how nicely MPL-Writer works with WP.

As soon as put in, you possibly can simply add your e book particulars, make a canopy, alter the design, and select which posts to incorporate.

Filtering Posts in MPL-PublisherFiltering Posts in MPL-Publisher
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The method is fairly simple, which is why we talked about it in our information on making eBooks in WP. We additionally preferred having the ability to edit the content material to make it match higher in an eBook format and save the e book as a MOBI, PDF, or audiobook file.

Nevertheless, MPL-Writer’s templates aren’t as fancy as these in Beacon or Canva. If you wish to make huge adjustments to how your eBook seems, you may have to know some customized CSS.

Professionals of MPL-Writer:

  • Works nicely with WP and simply imports posts
  • Gives a number of eBook obtain codecs like ePub, audiobook, and PDF
  • Enables you to edit publish content material within the plugin for higher eBooks

Cons of MPL-Writer:

  • Gives fewer template choices than another instruments and will require CSS data for superior customization
  • E book cowl editor solely accessible within the paid model

Pricing: MPL-Writer has a free model with 50 chapters per e book and a couple of e book designs. The premium model prices $49 per web site and consists of no adverts, limitless books, and a e book cowl maker.

Why we selected MPL-Writer: This plugin is nice for turning WP weblog posts into sellable eBooks or audiobooks. It’s user-friendly and gives varied export choices, making it a sensible choice for WP customers who need to promote digital content material.

6. Audacity (Music and Audio Merchandise)

Audacity landing pageAudacity landing page
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Do you’ve gotten a knack for sound and revel in working with audio? In that case, you should use Audacity as a digital merchandise maker, turning your expertise into cash by creating varied audio items.

Audacity is a free audio modifying and recording app that works on Home windows, Mac, and Linux computer systems. Whereas music manufacturing is an apparent selection, you don’t have to be musically gifted to learn from this device.

You can even make audiobooks, report guided meditations, seize nature sounds for stress-free tracks, create podcast intros, and even design sound results for video games or movies.

That mentioned, we’ve to confess that utilizing Audacity wasn’t all the time simple as a result of its structure seems a bit old school. Nevertheless, for the reason that software program is open-source, we found numerous useful YouTube tutorials and an enormous group of customers prepared to help.

Professionals of Audacity:

  • Free and open-source
  • Has a useful group of customers
  • Comes with built-in results and works with audio.com sources
  • Works on several types of computer systems

Cons of Audacity:

  • The interface seems outdated
  • Not the perfect for multitrack music recording and modifying

Pricing: Audacity is totally free to make use of, without having to purchase a license.

Why we selected Audacity: Although it seems a bit previous, Audacity is a robust, free device for making many sorts of audio merchandise. Its open-source nature, supportive group, and suppleness make it an incredible selection for novices in digital audio creation.

7. Adobe Photoshop (Picture Modifying)

Adobe Photoshop landing pageAdobe Photoshop landing page
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In contrast to Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop focuses extra on modifying images and making graphics that don’t have to be as simply resized. Now we have used it extensively throughout our enterprise to create and edit engaging and professional-looking photographs.

With Photoshop, you possibly can edit images to promote as inventory photographs, create mockups for varied merchandise, design customized brushes or photograph presets, and even make digital planners or bullet journals. The software program’s flexibility makes it nice for creating many alternative digital merchandise.

We all know that Photoshop could be exhausting to be taught, particularly in comparison with less complicated instruments like Canva. However when you get used to it, you are able to do a lot extra. It’s costly, however it may be price it when you’re severe about making professional-quality digital merchandise.

Professionals of Adobe Photoshop:

  • Good for creating many forms of visible digital merchandise
  • Works with many file sorts like JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, and PDF
  • A lot of tutorials and programs can be found that can assist you be taught Adobe Photoshop
  • Many brushes and filters on-line you possibly can obtain to spice up creativity

Cons of Adobe Photoshop:

  • It’s costly, and a few further instruments like brushes/filters price extra
  • Takes time to learn to use it nicely
  • Wants a robust laptop to run easily

Pricing: Adobe Photoshop prices $22.99 per 30 days. Or, you will get the Adobe Inventive Cloud package deal, which incorporates over 20 Adobe apps, for $59.99 per 30 days.

Why we selected Adobe Photoshop: Although it’s not simple to be taught, Photoshop is extremely versatile and highly effective for high-quality digital product creation. Its big selection of options and the way nicely it really works with different Adobe merchandise make it an incredible selection for severe digital creators.

8. Create Block Template (WP Block Themes)

Create Block Theme plugin bannerCreate Block Theme plugin banner
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WP block themes are gaining popularity, however there aren’t as a lot of them as basic themes or themes made with web page builders. This implies you’ve gotten an opportunity to create and promote your personal block themes.

The excellent news is you should use the free Create Block Template plugin to make your themes. We’ve used it to vary our block themes and make customized designs. It’s additionally nice for making baby block themes.

From our expertise, it’s a better solution to create block themes, even when you’ve by no means finished it earlier than. You possibly can design your theme proper in WP, which makes it much less scary when you’re new to customized theme improvement.

Saving a child block theme's changes using the Create Block Theme pluginSaving a child block theme's changes using the Create Block Theme plugin
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Nevertheless, remember that this plugin solely works for block themes. Proper now, not as many individuals use block themes, so your market is perhaps small. However as extra folks begin utilizing the total web site editor in WP, block themes will possible develop into extra in style.

Professionals of Create Block Template:

  • Works nicely with the total web site editor
  • Straightforward to make use of and helps you design themes visually
  • Enables you to make new themes based mostly on themes you’re already utilizing
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Cons of Create Block Template:

  • You possibly can solely use it to make block themes, not different sorts

Pricing: Create Block Template is free to make use of.

Why we selected Create Block Template: This plugin makes it doable for extra folks to create themes, even when they don’t know the way to code. As block themes develop into extra frequent, Create Block Template is an effective way for WP customers to begin promoting their very own themes.

9. Divi (WP Themes Made With Divi)

Divi landing pageDivi landing page
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If you happen to’ve been utilizing WP for some time, you in all probability learn about Divi. It’s a well-liked device for constructing pages and themes, and we rank it third in our theme builder assessment.

However do you know you can even make and promote Divi baby themes and layouts on their artistic market?

Divi is broadly used, which suggests there are many individuals who may need to purchase your themes or layouts. We’ve additionally discovered the platform to be very easy for novices to make use of, because of its drag-and-drop design, customizable elements, and dynamic content material options.

Have a look at DiviFlash for instance. It’s a Divi plugin that’s been featured on HubSpot.

DiviFlash landing pageDiviFlash landing page
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You would create one thing like this, too!

One factor to bear in mind is that every little thing you undergo the Divi market is checked by the Elegant Themes staff. This helps guarantee high quality however may also decelerate how shortly your merchandise or updates are that can be purchased.

Professionals of Divi:

  • Straightforward to be taught, so you may make layouts or baby themes shortly
  • You get 70% of every sale you make on the Divi Market
  • A lot of potential clients as a result of Divi is so in style

Cons of Divi:

  • The assessment course of can decelerate your product releases and updates
  • You must hold updating your merchandise to work with the most recent model of Divi

Pricing: Yearly plans price from $89 to $277 per 12 months, with a 30-day money-back assure. You can even pay as soon as for lifetime entry, which prices $249 to $297.

Why we selected Divi: Divi offers you an incredible likelihood to promote to numerous WP customers who need customized themes and layouts. It’s simple to make use of and has an enormous market, making it an incredible place for creators to design and promote digital merchandise that might develop into very fashionable.

10. Camtasia (Video Digital Merchandise)

Camtasia landing pageCamtasia landing page
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If you happen to’re comfy being on digital camera, you is perhaps good at creating video digital merchandise like on-line programs. Camtasia is a superb device for this type of work. It ranks second in our listing of video modifying software program.

We suggest Camtasia over different instruments as a result of it has a built-in display recording characteristic. This implies you possibly can simply seize what’s occurring in your laptop display whilst you’re instructing. It even information audio and mouse actions, which is de facto useful for step-by-step tutorials.

Camtasia isn’t only for recording. You can even edit your movies utilizing its many options like filters, transitions, on-screen textual content, animations, sound results, and even royalty-free video clips. So, even when you don’t need to be on digital camera, you possibly can nonetheless use Camtasia to create movies constructed from different clips.

General, Camtasia has labored nicely for us to date. Nevertheless, some customers have reported that it doesn’t all the time run easily on Mac computer systems.

Professionals of Camtasia:

  • All-in-one resolution: display recording, audio recording, and mouse recording
  • A lot of modifying sources: 30 filters, 150 transitions, limitless royalty-free music
  • AI detection for filler phrases like ‘um’ and ‘uh’
  • Simpler to make use of in comparison with different platforms like Adobe Premiere Professional

Cons of Camtasia:

  • Some customers report efficiency points on Mac

Pricing: Camtasia prices between $134.91 and $375.25 per 12 months. You possibly can strive it at no cost for 7 days.

Why we selected Camtasia: Its mixture of easy-to-use display recording and complete modifying instruments makes it ideally suited for producing and promoting high-quality movies, even for these new to video creation.

Greatest Platforms to Promote Digital Merchandise

Now that you just’ve created your digital merchandise, the following step is discovering the correct place to promote and market your digital merchandise. The platforms we’re about to debate will help you develop your small business and optimize your gross sales course of.

You could discover we don’t embrace digital product marketplaces on our listing. That’s due to some long-term issues with utilizing them, which is defined very nicely on this professional quote:

Third-party marketplaces do make sign-up simple and have a low preliminary price. Nevertheless, you’ll find yourself paying excessive transaction charges of as much as 30% for each product you promote. You additionally don’t personal your personal information; you simply lease it.

Your product listings, buyer data, and buy information are all saved on another person’s server. Migrating to a unique platform later could be extraordinarily troublesome, if not unattainable.

Chris KlosowskiChris KlosowskiChris Klosowski, Straightforward Digital Downloads founder

1. Straightforward Digital Downloads (Digital Merchandise Solely)

The Easy Digital Downloads eCommerce and digital marketplace pluginThe Easy Digital Downloads eCommerce and digital marketplace plugin
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Straightforward Digital Downloads (EDD) is the device we use to promote our premium WP plugins and digital downloads. Through the years, it’s confirmed to be a dependable resolution that has helped develop our enterprise and 1000’s of others.

For extra particulars, see our full Straightforward Digital Downloads assessment.

As an example, EscapeRoomGeeks makes use of EDD to promote printable Escape Room Kits, whereas SetSailStudios sells downloadable fonts by this platform.

Set Sail Studios Make Money Selling Unique FontsSet Sail Studios Make Money Selling Unique Fonts
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We love EDD as a result of it makes it so easy to arrange a web based retailer for digital merchandise. The onboarding wizard guides you thru the setup course of step-by-step, so it’s exhausting to get misplaced.

One other nice characteristic is its automation capabilities. These streamline our workflows by gathering recurring subscription funds, providing content material upgrades, and managing renewals. This protects us a number of effort and time in managing our digital merchandise.

Setting up recurring payments using a digital eCommerce pluginSetting up recurring payments using a digital eCommerce plugin
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The one draw back we are able to consider is that EDD doesn’t enable bodily merchandise. Nevertheless, this deal with digital merchandise means its options are optimized for promoting downloads.

Professionals of Straightforward Digital Downloads:

  • Straightforward setup with guided onboarding
  • Mechanically creates eCommerce pages like checkout and receipt
  • Limitless file downloads with no bandwidth fees
  • Highly effective software program licensing assist
  • Versatile low cost choices
  • You possibly can add a free trial to your merchandise

Cons of Straightforward Digital Downloads:

  • Restricted to digital merchandise solely, which isn’t ideally suited when you plan to develop into bodily merchandise

Pricing: There’s a free model accessible with primary options like Stripe, PayPal, Apple/Google Pay integration, purchasing cart, and primary eCommerce reporting.

Paid plans vary from $89.55 to $349.65 per 12 months for extra superior options, fee choices, and limitless merchandise. To get the perfect deal out of your buy, you should use our Straightforward Digital Downloads coupon code and declare a 50% low cost.

Why we selected Straightforward Digital Downloads: As longtime customers, we are able to vouch for EDD’s reliability and effectiveness in promoting digital merchandise. Its user-friendly setup and highly effective options make it a superb selection for anybody seeking to begin their digital obtain enterprise.

We additionally suggest utilizing SiteGround’s EDD Internet hosting to ensure your web site is on-line always.

2. MemberPress (Memberships/On-line Programs)

MemberPressMemberPress
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MemberPress stands out as a best choice for creating subscription-based content material or on-line programs. We’ve personally used this plugin for our WPBeginner video membership web site, which has considerably helped us develop our e-mail listing.

For extra data, see our MemberPress assessment.

MemberPress makes organising a membership web site simple. It routinely creates important pages for pricing, login, account, and a thanks message on your customers. This protects you time and ensures knowledgeable setup from the beginning.

What we love about MemberPress probably the most is its membership-specific options. It gives drip content material, a shopper portal, group memberships, and add-ons for particular forms of companies like on-line teaching. This fashion, you don’t want to put in one other plugin to construct your membership enterprise.

Restricting content based on membership levelRestricting content based on membership level
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With MemberPress, you possibly can simply prohibit entry to particular content material based mostly on membership tiers, particular person members, or a mixture of each. This implies you possibly can create tailor-made experiences for various membership ranges, making certain your premium content material stays unique.

One critique we’ve for MemberPress is it doesn’t have any free model. That being mentioned, it’s a worthy funding, particularly contemplating every little thing you’re getting in only one platform.

Professionals of MemberPress:

  • Versatile content material safety guidelines for varied situations
  • Optimized for memberships with options like drip content material (releasing classes over time) and subscription billing
  • Straightforward setup course of with computerized web page creation for a membership web site
  • Helps limitless membership ranges
  • Appropriate with main fee gateways, together with PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.web
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Cons of MemberPress:

  • No free model accessible

Pricing: MemberPress gives annual plans ranging from $179.50 and going as much as $399.50 per 12 months. The fundamental plan permits utilization on one web site and consists of limitless members, limitless programs, and no transaction charges. A 14-day money-back assure is out there.

Additionally, be happy to make use of our MemberPress coupon code to save lots of as much as 50% off of your plan.

Why we selected MemberPress: It’s a superb all-in-one resolution for anybody severe about making a membership or on-line course platform. Our expertise with the plugin has proven us that it might probably deal with even advanced membership constructions with ease.

Different: Not a fan of MemberPress for on-line programs? Take a look at Thrive Apprentice, one other highly effective platform.

3. WooCommerce (Bodily + Digital Merchandise)

WooCommerceWooCommerce
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WooCommerce is the preferred WP eCommerce plugin and is utilized by tens of millions of on-line shops. We’ve used it ourselves and may see why it’s so broadly cherished.

First off, WooCommerce is free. You can begin promoting instantly with out spending a dime, utilizing fee choices like financial institution switch, money on supply, and PayPal.

We additionally like the way it creates necessary retailer pages for you, resembling checkout and product pages, which saves you hours of labor.

eCommerce reports, in the WordPress dashboardeCommerce reports, in the WordPress dashboard
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One other wonderful thing about WooCommerce is how versatile it’s. There are tons of WooCommerce extensions you possibly can add to make your retailer do extra. This implies you solely pay for further options you really want.

Our private favourite is FunnelKit, which is a plugin that helps increase gross sales by optimizing your checkout, including order bumps, and extra.

One draw back is that there are such a lot of WooCommerce extensions that it might probably really feel a bit overwhelming at first. Plus, there is no such thing as a direct assist. That being mentioned, the WooCommerce group could be very giant, so it’s simple to search out sources to assist along with your points.

Professionals of WooCommerce:

  • Free and simple to arrange
  • Works for each digital and bodily merchandise (nice when you promote ebooks and printed books, for instance)
  • A lot of free and paid extensions to enhance your retailer and gross sales
  • Constructed-in analytics to trace how your retailer is doing

Cons of WooCommerce:

  • The large variety of extensions could be complicated
  • No official assist staff (however the group could be very useful)

Pricing: WooCommerce itself is free, however plugins can price wherever from $1 to $299 per 12 months.

Why we selected WooCommerce: We love how WooCommerce can deal with each digital and bodily merchandise and you can customise it with plugins to suit precisely what you want. It’s free to begin with, and there’s an enormous group that can assist you out.

If you happen to’re focused on utilizing WoCoomerce, we suggest utilizing the Bluehost WooCommerce internet hosting to get your on-line retailer up and operating.

You will discover out extra in regards to the platform in our WooCommerce assessment.

4. WP Easy Pay (Single-Product On-line Retailer)

WP Simple PayWP Simple Pay
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WP Easy Pay is a superb selection for these seeking to promote a single services or products with out the complexity of a full eCommerce platform. We’ve discovered it to be one of the simple Stripe fee plugins, making it good for small companies simply beginning out.

For extra particulars, see our WP Easy Pay assessment.

In our expertise, Stripe’s ease of use for each retailers and clients is unparalleled. The setup for companies shouldn’t be as prolonged as different platforms, as long as your entity is professional. Plus, your clients could make funds straight in your web site while not having their very own Stripe account.

We’ve examined quite a few Stripe plugins, and this one stands out for its simplicity. You solely want to attach your web site to Stripe and create a fee type, and that’s it. The 70+ type templates masking varied enterprise sorts prevent time and guarantee your fee type seems skilled.

Adding custom fields to a payment formAdding custom fields to a payment form
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The drag-and-drop type builder additionally allows you to customise the fee type utilizing its built-in discipline choices. This fashion, the shape could be tailor-made to completely match your fee type wants.

Sadly, Stripe shouldn’t be accessible in all international locations. So, when you want another, you may want to have a look at one other fee type like WPForms.

Professionals of WP Easy Pay:

  • Free model accessible
  • No transaction charges, which retains extra money in your pocket
  • Straightforward setup and customization with type templates and drag-and-drop builder
  • Accepts 14+ fee strategies, together with Apple Pay and Google Pay
  • Automated tax calculation setup for correct pricing

Cons of WP Easy Pay:

  • Some international locations could not be capable of use Stripe

Pricing: WP Easy Pay gives a free model for primary wants. Paid plans begin from $49.50 and go as much as $299.50 per 12 months. Probably the most reasonably priced plan permits utilization on one web site, with limitless fee kinds/transactions and no transaction or month-to-month charges.

You can even use our WP Easy Pay coupon code to get 50% off of your first buy.

Why we selected WP Easy Pay: We picked WP Easy Pay as a result of it makes it extremely simple to arrange Stripe funds on WP. It’s easy to make use of, extremely customizable, and has good options like computerized tax calculation.

What Are the Greatest Platforms for Creating and Promoting Digital Merchandise?

On this listing, we’ve reviewed a number of totally different platforms for digital product creation, however the perfect one is determined by your wants.

If you wish to make free guides or eBooks to get extra e-mail subscribers, Beacon is our high decide. We use it ourselves and actually like how simple it’s.

You possibly can shortly make eBooks, workbooks, and checklists with none design abilities. It’s nice for novices and execs alike, with a free plan and low cost paid choices when you want extra options.

Subsequent, we suggest Straightforward Digital Downloads for anybody beginning to promote digital merchandise. We’ve used it for years to promote our WP plugins, and it really works very well.

EDD makes it easy to arrange your retailer, automate gross sales, and supply reductions. Simply bear in mind, it’s just for digital gadgets, not bodily ones.

If you wish to create a membership web site or promote on-line programs, go along with MemberPress. We used it for our WPBeginner video classes, and it helped us get extra e-mail subscribers. It has every little thing you want, like drip content material and methods to handle totally different membership ranges.

Creating and Promoting Digital Merchandise FAQs

Now that we’ve gone by our listing of the perfect instruments for creating and promoting digital merchandise on-line, let’s reply some incessantly requested questions:

Which is the simplest digital product to create and promote?

eBooks, printables, and templates are in style forms of digital merchandise that novices can create and promote shortly. These digital product concepts require minimal technical abilities and could be made utilizing instruments like Beacon, Canva, or Google Docs.

Simply ensure to create these merchandise based mostly in your current data or abilities. For extra inspiration, take a look at our listing of the preferred digital merchandise you possibly can promote on-line.

How and the place do I create digital merchandise as a newbie?

As a newbie, you can begin creating digital merchandise utilizing free or low-cost instruments like Beacon, Canva, or Google Docs. Select a product kind that aligns along with your abilities, and use platforms like Straightforward Digital Downloads to begin promoting digital merchandise on-line.

Can you actually make cash promoting digital merchandise?

Sure, you possibly can positively make cash promoting digital merchandise. In truth, our founder, Syed Balkhi, is a superb instance of this, as he’s been efficiently promoting digital merchandise like freemium WP plugins for years. 

The secret’s to create high-quality merchandise that clear up actual issues on your viewers. For extra insights, take a look at this text on key classes realized by Chris Klosowski (Straightforward Digital Downloads founder) after promoting digital downloads for over a decade.

Extra Knowledgeable Tricks to Begin a Digital Product Enterprise

If you happen to’re on the lookout for extra recommendations on beginning a digital product enterprise, you may additionally be focused on these articles:

We hope this text has helped you uncover the perfect instruments for creating and promoting digital merchandise. You may additionally need to take a look at our professional picks of the perfect WP jQuery plugins and our listing of wonderful WP web site examples you must take a look at.

If you happen to preferred this text, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WP video tutorials. You can even discover us on Twitter and Fb.

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