How to sell digital products, and deliver them safely.
Digital products cost nothing to make again and nothing to ship. Here's what sells, how to price it, how delivery should work and where to sell.
What digital products sell
- E-books and guides that teach one thing well.
- Templates: planners, resumes, spreadsheets, social posts.
- Presets and filters for photographers and video editors.
- Fonts, illustrations, icons and printables.
- Music, samples and sound effects.
The best sellers save the buyer time on something they'd otherwise do themselves.
How to price them
Price on the value to the buyer, not the cost to you: what would the time saved be worth? Bundles of related files sell well, and a lower-priced starter product brings buyers back for more.
How delivery should work
Files should be private until someone pays. Each buyer should get their own download link, in their order email and on their order page, with a limit on downloads so links can't be shared freely. Checkout needs only an email and a name: there's nothing to ship.
Where to sell digital products
Marketplaces bring buyers who are already looking, and take a share of every sale. Your own store keeps your buyers' emails and puts only your work on the page; many sellers use both. On Steward, digital products are delivered this way: private files, each buyer's own links, each good for ten downloads.
Questions
It depends on where you live. Check local rules, and note that some countries charge tax on digital sales based on where the buyer lives.
Say your policy clearly before purchase. Many sellers offer refunds only when a file is faulty.
Give each buyer their own links with a download limit. It won't stop every copy, but it stops a single link spreading.
Keep reading
- Digital downloadsSell downloads: nothing to ship, no stock to countSell e-books, presets, templates, fonts, music and printables. Files stay private, buyers get their own download links, and checkout asks only for an email and a name.
- GuideHow to start an online store, step by stepTen steps to start an online store: choose what to sell, price it, name the store, set up payments, policies and shipping, launch and get your first customers.
- AI store builderAn AI store builder that keeps working after launchDescribe what you sell in a paragraph. Steward's AI agents build the store: products, pages, brand, policies and a tested Stripe checkout. You approve every change.
- Print on demandYour merch, printed only when it sellsSell t-shirts, mugs and totes with your name or designs. Steward's agents make the designs, show them on products with a margin for each, and send every order to Printful.
