Online Tools To Make More Money From Digital Products

I’m not super tech savvy but have managed so far to find the right tools without too many hiccups. The web is full of useful information about how to do things, you just need to look in the right spots. That can be really time consuming! So, on that note, I thought it might be helpful to give you details of the sites, programmes and resources I used to create, develop and sell my products so you too can start to make more money from digital products. Following these simple tips will see you make a flying start and generating passive income in no time at all!

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Make More Money From Digital Products

Website and Hosting

To sell a digital product, you need somewhere to sell it from. My website and blog is the basis of my business and I used WordPress with our very own Passive Platform theme. However, I still highly recommend WordPress, whatever theme you go for, hosted by Site Ground. It’s simple and easy to use, even for a technophobe like me! Lots of bloggers use Bluehost for their hosting packages, but I heard poor reviews of their customer service. I have to say, their customer service has been second to none and the patient guys on the other end of the telephone and online chat are amazing with my stupidity! *blush*

In order to sell effectively, sending customers to a general website or blog can be a bit of a flop. The simple reason is people can become distracted by the other items around the page and site. (Because your website is so awesome, who wouldn’t be distracted!) Now if your website is an eCommerce platform anyway (or online shop to you and me!) that isn’t always a bad thing and you’d have to weigh up the pros and cons of distracting people from their initial aim; which was to buy a specific product.

Wherever they have come from, whether it be a google search, a social media advert or directly to your webpage, they are there for that one product. As a blogger, I do want people to read my stuff, of course I do, but if they have come to buy a product, I want to direct traffic to that first.

To do that is simple, developing a landing page that has no distractions and only two visible options; buy the product or go elsewhere. The content should be to the point and provide dedicated product information, images and testimonials. There should be a clear “buy now” button and process, in addition to an alternative, “visit my website” style option. This ensures that your visitor understands that this page really is about the product they came for. Then show them how awesome you are and other products that may be of interest, after they’ve checked out!

Send Owl

Before the Passive Platform was a thing, I used the SendOwl platform to sell and deliver my digital products as it’s super easy to use and the navigation could not be simpler. Everything you could possibly need to be an eCommerce entrepreneur is there:

Upload your product in one easy step
Set the pricing, currency, payment method and delivery options (email responses and such)
Personalise the entire process so your buyer really gets to know you and your brand (trust!)
Collect email information to build your email list
Create your own affiliate programme to get another marketing aspect covered!
Issue free orders at the click of a button
Add a product image for all digital products
Set sales limits, download attempts and more
Change the product with a simple click of a button, so if you make an update it’s easy to change. You can also send an email out to all existing customers who have purchased the product so they get the updated version too!

Get paid instantly and get email notifications when someone buys your products (it’s very exciting and expect many happy dances!)

I’ve also heard loads of good things about PayHip, but haven’t tried it myself. (If you’re looking for other platforms to sell from, have a nosey at this blog for memberships and this one for courses.

3. Lulu.com

I used Lulu.com to create an official ePub version of my first book, and a number since then. It’s completely free and I loved the process, although a little techy in some places. Because of this platform my books are available on loads of amazing eBook retail sites including:

Alternatively, you can sell direct with any one of these platforms. I liked using lulu.com as it was simple to use (after a little playing around to get the hang of it) and you can also publish it as a print on demand paperback if you like! The options are pretty broad for ePub products. It enables you to make the choices of where, when and how much to sell your products for, in addition to gathering payments for you too!

PayPal

Having a PayPal account is essential for shopping online these days. I’ve had one for donkey’s years but, up until 12 months ago, there was much more going out of it than ever came in! Now, I receive payments from both Send Owl and Lulu as passive income. The platform is easy to use and the customer service is usually pretty swift if you have any issues. It’s a brilliant way of managing your business pennies and it’s free to set up and use for spending! They take a bit of commission from monies coming in, but hey, it’s money you wouldn’t have had in the first place right? Profit!

Canva

Not only is Canva an awesome tool for graphic design, period! It’s also a little bit addictive! I love having a good play around and creating new graphics to promote my content and products. That just makes marketing sense! I signed up for Canva for business to make the process even smoother and have my branding to hand instantly, but the free version is very effective too. I used Canva to:

Create the eBook itself including some of the content, the cover and back page
Design headers for Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages
Make beautiful, eye catching images for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Design Facebook adverts
Create stunning Pinterest graphics to Pin my sales page and promote!

So, if the fear of self-publishing or creating a digital product is still gripping you, shrug it off. The process is simple and cost effective. Putting yourself out there digitally is not as costly in time or cash anymore. It’s really fun too! And who knows, you could be the next J K Rowling or Mark Zuckerberg! Every entrepreneur has to start somewhere.