Selling digital products is one of the simplest ways to earn from what you already know, and you don’t need to be a “guru”. If you can teach, explain, organize information, or guide someone through a process, you’re already halfway there.

People are constantly searching for solutions, skills, and step-by-step guides. That’s why digital products like ebooks, online courses, templates, memberships, communities, and tutorials continue to grow. They solve pressing problems, and they scale.

You don’t need to be perfect to get started. You just need to know something well enough to help someone who’s a few steps behind you. Most successful digital products start that way.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to create a digital product, package it in a way that makes sense to your audience, and sell it without overthinking the process.

Let’s dig in.

What are Digital Products?

Digital products are items you can buy, download, or access online without needing anything shipped to you. They’re intangible, but they deliver value, whether that’s knowledge, entertainment, guidance, or a tool that makes life easier.

When most people think of digital products, they picture video games or streaming platforms. But the digital product space is much bigger than that and far more accessible to everyday creators.

If you have knowledge, a skill, or a creative process that helps people do something faster, easier, or better, you can turn it into a digital product. Think:

• Ebooks
• Online courses
• Step-by-step tutorials
• Templates and planners
• Membership communities
• How-to guides
  

If you’re still deciding what to create, start with something simple and practical. Here are the 10 best digital products to sell online. They’re beginner-friendly and always in demand.

Why Sell Digital Products Over Physical Products?

Digital products aren’t limited by shipping, location, or time. Once created, they can be sold repeatedly to anyone, anywhere, without needing to restock or produce more units.

Here are the biggest advantages:

1. High-Profit Margins

You only create the product once. After that, you can sell it over and over again without manufacturing, packaging, or shipping costs. Most of your revenue becomes profit.

2. Low Upfront Investment

You don’t need a large budget to get started. Many digital products can be created using skills and knowledge you already have. And online selling platforms like Selar are far more affordable than renting a physical store.

If you’re new to selling online, here are some easy ways to make money selling digital products online, even without tech skills.

3. No Inventory or Shipping

There’s nothing to store, manage, or deliver physically. Once your product is uploaded, customers can access it instantly.

4. Flexible Business Model

Digital products allow you to experiment and scale. You can offer:

• Free products to grow your email list
• Paid courses and ebooks
• Membership communities
• Templates, guides, or licensed resources

You get to choose what fits your audience and your time.

5. More Profit Over Time

Because you’re not producing more units, your profit margin improves as sales grow. The more you sell, the more you earn without increasing your workload.

6. Online Learning Is Growing

More people are learning, working, and building online. The demand for helpful, clear, and practical knowledge continues to rise, especially through courses and ebooks.

And if you want a simple roadmap to start earning, learn how to earn a side income selling digital products in Nigeria.

Don’t know which digital product to sell? Read this Online Course vs Ebook Which Should I Launch?

Disadvantages of Selling Digital Products

Selling digital products offers plenty of benefits, but it’s not without challenges. Here are a few to be aware of:

1. Risk of Piracy and Theft

Because digital products are stored and shared online, some people may try to copy or redistribute them without credit. This is especially common with ebooks and downloadable files.

The good news is that Selar provides built-in protection against IP theft, so your products are harder to steal or illegally share. Need additional protection? Here are 4 surefire ways to prevent your ebook from being stolen.

2. Competition With Free Content

There’s a lot of free content online. This means your product must offer something deeper, clearer, faster, easier, or better organised than what someone could find for free. A strong niche, unique angle, or personal experience story can help your product stand out.

How to Choose the Right Digital Product to Sell? 

Now that you have options, the next step is deciding which product fits you best. Use these questions to guide your choice:

• What am I genuinely skilled at?
• What can I explain or teach with confidence?
• Do I have the time to create and refine this product?
• Why would someone pay for this instead of choosing something free?
• Who exactly is my audience?
• Where will I host or sell this product?
• How will I market it and reach buyers?

For more guidance, read this full breakdown on the 10 Best Digital Products to Sell Online

How to Create a Digital Product that Sells

It’s easy to decide you want to sell a digital product. The real work is creating something people will pay for and recommend to others. Here’s a simple workflow to help you build a product that’s valuable, clear, and high-quality:

• Start With One Clear Idea

What problem are you helping someone solve? Keep it focused; you don’t need to start big. Popular formats include ebooks, online courses, templates, and membership communities.

• Choose the Right Tools

You’ll need tools to create and sell your product. Selar makes it easy to host, sell, and deliver digital products.

If you’re considering writing an ebook, here’s a guide on how to create an ebook that sells. Online courses are a strong option too, especially if you teach better through video.

• Create the Product

This is your build phase. Work in small, steady sessions instead of trying to finish everything at once. Start with an outline, then create your draft, refine it, and finalise. The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is clarity and progress.

• Get Feedback Before Launch

Share your draft or early version with a small group. Ask: Is anything confusing? What would make this easier to use?

• Pre-Launch to Build Anticipation

Tell your audience something new is coming. Pre-launch by teasing benefits and sharing progress. With Selar, you can collect payments before the product is fully finished, which helps validate demand.

• Be Smart about the Price

Your pricing should reflect value, not fear. Before you finalise your price, read this guide on how to price your digital products so you don’t undercharge. 

• Soft Release

Share the first version with a small audience and collect real-world feedback.

• Refine Based on Feedback

Adjust what needs clarity, structure, or simplification. Small tweaks can significantly increase customer satisfaction

• Full Launch + Marketing

Now you go live and promote your product through:

• Giveaways
• Affiliates
• Collabs
• Paid ads
• Email lists
• Social media

If you want a deeper breakdown of what works today, check out how to market a digital product in 9 ways (2025 ultimate guide).

How to Sell Digital Products Online

Great digital products don’t sell themselves. The difference between a product that sits in your store and one that consistently earns income is strategy. If you’re new to selling online, start small, build consistently, then scale gradually.

Here are seven clear steps to help you make your first sales and grow from there:

1. Validate Market Fit

Your product must solve a clear, specific problem your audience cares about. People don’t buy information; they buy results, clarity, and transformation. A simple way to find market fit:

• Look for products already selling well in a growing niche.
• Study what’s missing, unclear, or hard to implement in those offers.
• Then fill that gap.

Your message is just as important as the product: state the benefit clearly, don’t exaggerate, and avoid buzzwords. Storytelling helps your product stand out. Here’s how to use storytelling to sell your digital products.

2. Create an online store

You need a central place where customers can view and buy your product. Selar is the easiest and most reliable way to sell digital products. It requires no tech skills, setup is free, and it takes just a few minutes.

Selar allows you:

• Use a custom domain for your brand
• Manage customer relationships from one dashboard
• Set up product upsells and cross-sells to increase revenue at checkout
• Sell in multiple currencies (NGN, USD, GHS, ZAR, KES, TZS, GBP)
• Create custom high-converting landing pages
• Run your own affiliate program to expand your reach

If you want to expand your reach later, here’s how to increase digital product sales with affiliate marketing.

Ready to sell digital products? See how to create an online store on Selar. 

3. Drive Traffic to Your Store

Once your offer and store are ready, you need attention. Begin with:

• SEO + Content Marketing for long-term traffic
• Social Media Content for short-term attention)

To improve organic visibility, here are 7 SEO strategies to increase sales of your digital product. Other traffic channels to layer in:

• Social media ads
• Influencer marketing
• Email marketing
• YouTube or TikTok content
• Community groups

Build traffic from multiple directions, not just one.

4. Offer Free Value First

People buy from those they trust. Give value before asking for a purchase. You can:

• Build a Telegram, Discord, or Facebook community
• Share short educational content consistently
• Offer a free resource to grow your email list

Here’s how to Create a Valuable Free Resource to Grow Your Online Business

5. Use Discounts to Convert Leads

Once you’ve built interest and collected leads, offer a limited-time discount to encourage first purchases.  This isn’t about “losing” money but acquiring customers you can sell to again.

At checkout, use upsells and cross-sells to increase order value. 

6. Introduce Your Main Product

After warming your audience with free value and small offers, present your core product. This is where trust converts to sales volume.If you’re just starting out and want a beginner roadmap, here’s how to make your first $1,000 selling digital products.

Struggling with sales? See How To Market A Product In 6 Easy Ways

7. Maximize Customer Lifetime Value

The most profitable creators don’t just sell once; they sell again, and again, and again. Use:

• Upsells (upgrade to a higher-value version of the product)
• Cross-sells (recommend a related product)
• Subscriptions + Memberships (recurring income)

Once you’ve built retention, the next step is scale, and with that, you can build a 6-figure online business with digital products. 

Automate the process

Automation helps you sell consistently without posting every day. Use email sequences, scheduled content and personalized recommendations

With AI becoming smarter, automation can now tailor the experience to each customer. 

Where to Sell Digital Products Online

When choosing a platform to sell digital products, focus on two things:

1. Payment Convenience: Can your audience pay easily in their local currency?
2. Product Delivery: Will customers receive immediate access without stress?

If a platform handles both well, it’s a good fit. Here are some of the most popular platforms to sell digital products online: Selar, Gumroad, Amazon, and Kajabi. If you’re exploring more options or just want to experiment before committing, here are the 10 best platforms to sell digital products online for free, perfect for testing and learning what works before scaling. 

Selling ebooks? See the 10 Best Places To Sell eBooks Online For Free In Nigeria

FAQs on How to Sell Digital Products Online

Start Selling Your Digital Products Online

Selling digital products doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right product, a platform that supports you, and a clear marketing strategy, you can start earning consistently online.

Once your product is ready, set it up on Selar, a platform built specifically for creators selling digital products. From hosting and delivery to payments and upsells, everything is handled in one place so you can focus on serving your audience.

There are many platforms out there, but if you want something simple, reliable, and designed for digital creators —especially in Africa —Selar is a solid place to start.