How to Create & Sell Digital Products

“Create it once. Sell it forever. Repeat as needed.”

Digital products are the online entrepreneur’s version of a vending machine:

✅ You stock it once.

✅ People grab what they need.

✅ You get paid while you sleep.

(And hopefully, you’re not the one stuck restocking the Snickers.)

Whether it's an eBook, a Notion planner, a Canva template, a social media kit, or even a checklist that solves a specific problem — digital products are the definition of scalable, automated income.

And here’s the beautiful part: if you’ve got knowledge or skills, you can create one this week and start selling it next.

Let’s walk through how to turn your ideas into digital gold — and the tools you’ll need to make it real.

A digital product is anything someone can download or access digitally — no physical stuff, no shipping, no overhead. Just value-packed content that helps someone do something better, faster, or easier.

Popular types of digital products:

• 📚 eBooks and guides

• 🧾 Templates (resumes, planners, lead magnets)

• 📒 Notion dashboards or kits

• 🖼 Canva templates

• 🎧 Audio files or meditation packs

• 🖥 Spreadsheets, calculators, or swipe files

• 🎓 Mini-courses or workbooks

If you can solve a problem or save someone time, you can sell it.

• ✔ Scalable – Create once, sell 1 or 1,000 copies — same effort

• ✔ No inventory – No shipping, packaging, or warehouse needed

• ✔ Low startup cost – Often $0 tools to begin

• ✔ Great add-on – Pair them with affiliate offers, courses, or coaching

• ✔ Passive income potential – Build it, automate it, let your funnel do the work

Here’s the digital toolkit that’ll turn your ideas into downloadable cash machines.

Bonus: Use this free Lead Magnet Bot to brainstorm product ideas with built-in demand!

You’ll need a way to store and automatically deliver your digital goods.

• Gumroad – Great for beginners, easy digital delivery

• Payhip – Clean, simple storefront with EU VAT built-in

• Etsy – Surprisingly good for digital downloads, especially planners/templates

• Systeme.io – Sell digital products and deliver them automatically via funnel and email

You need more than a “Buy Now” button — you need a persuasive digital salesperson.

• Systeme.io – All-in-one sales page + email automation + delivery

• ThriveCart – Great if you want to offer bump offers, upsells, or

• bundles

• Podia – Clean sales pages, courses, and product bundles

Once it’s built, it's time to get it in front of the right eyeballs.

• Pinterest – Killer for digital downloads and templates

• Instagram / TikTok – Show off your product in action

• ConvertKit or MailerLite – Build your email list and upsell future products

• Facebook Groups / Communities – Test and promote your product in real conversations

Feeling stuck on what to create? Try:

• Creative Market – See what’s selling in digital design

• Etsy – Search your niche + “template” or “planner”

• Gumroad Discover – Trending digital downloads

• AnswerThePublic or Google Trends – Find what people are searching for

Here’s your Smart Start roadmap for launching your first digital product.

Step 1: Choose a Problem to Solve

What does your audience struggle with? What can you help them do faster, better, easier? Think about what you’ve figured out that others want a shortcut for.

Step 2: Pick a Product Format

Can it be a guide? A template? A checklist? A toolkit? Make it actionable and useful — people pay for solutions, not fluff.

Step 3: Create It

Use Canva, Notion, Docs, or Sheets. Make it beautiful but not complicated. Think MVP: Minimum Viable Product.

Step 4: Set Up a Sales Funnel

Use Systeme.io to build a simple funnel:

• ✔Lead magnet (optional)

• ✔Sales page

• ✔Checkout

• ✔Thank-you page

• ✔Delivery via email

Step 5: Launch Soft

Post about it. Share behind-the-scenes content. Offer it to your list or followers at a special price to get your first sales and testimonials.

Step 6: Automate & Promote

Once proven, set up Facebook or Pinterest ads, content automations, or list-building funnels. Bundle it with affiliate offers for extra cash flow.

No inventory. No shipping. No fulfillment mess.

Just you, your ideas, and a downloadable product that helps someone get unstuck.

This is the perfect Smart Start for creators, service providers, or side-hustlers who want scalable income and full control over their product.

Whether you're solving problems, sharing systems, or designing helpful templates — your first digital product could be one of the smartest business decisions you make.

Head over to the Smart Start Tools Section for digital product templates, planning worksheets, and video tutorials to help you get it built, launched, and making sales fast.