The top six websites and features that can be used to promote digital downloads online

Explore the best features to sell digital downloads on the internet. This guide covers what to discover and which are the top websites to sell digital downloads.

Top platforms for selling digital downloads that cater to different kinds of creators

When deciding where to sell your digital downloads , make sure you choose an application that is easy of entry with functionality, user-friendly, support for customers and marketing features, with minimal fees, and reasonable cost.

• Shopify and Etsy are designed specifically to sell physical goods but allow the sale of digital downloads as well. Their selling of digital goods might be less restrictive.
• Gumroad has a variety of features that are robust which allow users to market a wide range kinds of information without the need for recurring fee. But the catch is that they charge high transaction fees for each sale.
• Easy Digital Downloads is a WordPress plugin where you can sell products direct from your web site. Although it's available for use it's likely that you'll require other plugins and connections.
• It's simple to set up and permits you to sell all kinds of documents without any restrictions. There are advanced marketing features that are built into the platform and we provide excellent assistance and rapid as well, at least according to our customers have to say.

Before launching my first digital download I thought that the toughest task would be to turn my thoughts into something that would actually be appreciated by the people who purchased it.

We don't want that for you.

There are a variety of places you can offer digital downloads today, but choosing the right software to sell your goods is a matter of a timer.

Why would you want to market digital downloads?

Digital downloads comprise files that are sold through the internet. If you are a creator digital downloads are appealing as a part of your product lineup.

Here are some reasons why selling digital downloads may be beneficial to your company:

There is no need to fret about logistics for stock and delivery. If taking daily trips at the post office sound similar to your dream, then digital products can be the best option.

6 features to look for when deciding where to sell digital downloads via the internet

But some platforms kick the game up by allowing for advanced features, and it's important to decide the best platform for the type of product you're planning to develop in the present as well as later on.

Moving your belongings across platforms from one to another can be as enjoyable as a trip to the dentist. It is possible to avoid toothache when you choose a device that is easy to use yet also offers room for expansion.

For making your decision more simple There are a few things that you must look for

Accessibility:First and foremost, the platform that you use to market digital downloads must be easy to use to you as the creator.

Features:You're a multifaceted creator and you could want to sell different kinds of digital items later. Look out for platforms that don't restrict what kind of content that you upload.

Assistance lineIf you're on the same boat as over two-thirds of the users are, then you're expecting answers to any support issues within ten minutes of posing these questions. Selecting a company with great service can save the client from future frustration.

Fees for transactions:Transaction fees are a tiny percentage of every sale that the platform keeps. The typical amount is 1-10% of the total amount of the transaction. Certain platforms have listing fee and credit card processing fees and are likely to increase rapidly with every transaction.

Cost:Finally, we have to crunch the numbers. The truth is that less expensive may be not necessarily be more effective, as lower-cost platforms typically come with higher charges and hidden costs.

We now know the qualities to search for, let's look at some most popular options to see what they have in common.

As an example, the author Emily Conners uses her site to distribute free digital downloads as and also offer live classes or classes on demand, as well with one-on-one coaching services.

Most importantly, it's a free plan. You are able to build your website as well as run your community online and even make a sale of one download digital and one coaching program for free.

Are you interested in trying it yourself? Register your free account today.

Here are some benefits to employing :

The no-cost plan allows you to easily sell your first digital download without having to invest a huge initial investment.

You can sell all kinds of digital downloads that has unlimited file size.

Although we might think that this is a great idea, no software can be right for everybody. There are a few factors that might not make it your ideal choice.

The world is digital If you're trying to market your physical goods platforms like Shopify or Etsy might be the best fit.

Features

Easy to enter: 5 out five. The creator-facing dashboard is clear and simple to use. Because of our unique onboarding process and step-by step instruction videos the product you are selling will be featured within minutes.

Function: 5 stars from 5. You can offer documents of almost every kind of format. There's also no restriction on the size of documents. You are free to bundle your product or offer them in exchange for other products, and set prices according to your preferences.

Support Rating: 5/5. Have you had a conversation with our help desk? If not, it's time to do so! Go to the chatbox near the bottom of this page and say hello. We offer the most efficient, quick, helpful, and friendly chat service in town.

Marketing 4.5 five stars. Our goal was to create an all-in-one solution for the needs of your company, and marketing features constitute a crucial piece of that part of that. It's possible to launch and sell products, distribute coupons, or even create an affiliate program right from the beginning.

I've taken about half of a % off since we don't use an online marketplace, though it's not a necessity for every business. We can aid you in creating your own brand of audience with our lead capture tools.

Charges for transactions: 4.5 out of 5. With , there aren't any transaction charges with paid plans. Customers who are on a free plan have to pay an 8percent transaction fee on sales of items.

The cost is kept low while beginning your business, however, it is always possible to improve and reduce the transaction fee as your business grows.

As with most platforms, there are payments processor fees not associated with . Stripe or PayPal charges a basic transaction cost of 2.9 percent and 30 centsper. In addition, we offer immediate author payments so you get cash fast.

Price: 's free plan includes a website, an online community, one digital download and a one-year coaching program. Plans with a paid price start at $39 and go up to $199 per month.

Do you want to know more about running your company online with an online platform such as ? Take part in the live demo, and test the application out.

Shopify

Shopify is an online retailer and is a well-known name in the realm of creators. Shopify has over 1.7 million companies that utilize Shopify to run their online store and founders on Shopify have made around 200 billion dollars of revenue.

Shopify is known most for its physical merchandise, however, it is additionally possible to market digital goods. Since it was first launched, Shopify has also added various international functions for e-commerce.

If you're a creator that would like to promote digital and physical products to customers across the globe, Shopify might be a good place to start.

This is a benefit of Shopify:

Shopify offers powerful tools to promote marketing, as well as integrations with social media sites.

Shopify is an in-house payment processor, Shopify Payments. It's simple to use and comes with each plan. This means that you do not have to join to other processors in the event that you decide not to.

It is possible to create stunning website designs. Storefronts are customizable and storefronts.

These are Shopify negatives of Shopify:

Shopify's primary focus is selling physical goods. You can get premium features that will not be needed if your organization offers only digital products.

If you are not using Shopify Payments, there are extra charges in addition to the month-long subscription cost.

The fee system, in general, is complicated.

Shopify has special offers

Accessibility: 3 out of 5. Since Shopify was originally designed to serve as a platform with the purpose of selling physical items you must take additional steps in order to provide digital downloads. There are videos on their site that guide customers through the process of uploading your merchandise with their Digital Downloads app, but this isn't the most user-friendly method.

Functionality 3/5 Functionality. Another occasion, Shopify loses points because many of its features are intended for the selling of physical goods.

To sell digital downloads the maximum size file you can sale is 5GB for each file. You can only sell only one variant of a product However, you can offer multiple versions like different image resolutions or ebook formats. It is necessary to utilize the ZIP file in order to integrate several files in the same product.

Support 3 stars out of 5. Shopify provides 24/7 chat support, 24/7 email help, and the support community where you can ask for help from others. Many online reviews that complain about delays in response from Support.

Marketing 5/5/5. Shopify is an absolute standout in the field of marketing. They provide a robust website builderthat lets create your own online shop and also build blog.

It is built-in to email marketing using eCommerce templates. Additionally, you are able to create coupons, gift cards and vouchers and also display genuine consumer reviews. The program also integrates with social media websites.

Transaction fees: 2.5 out of 5. The Shopify fee structure can be somewhat complicated. It's hard to know precisely what your transaction and the processing cost on credit cards is to make a purchase.

There are no transaction fees in the event of a transaction using Shopify Payments. Shopify Payments platform. However, if you're not using Shopify Payments, there's a cost to make use of another payment processor.

In addition, if you're using significant credit cards, you'll have to pay the company that issued your credit card an amount for every purchase. The percentages vary based on the kind of plan you select.

The basics of Shopify:

The processing cost for credit card transactionsis 2.9 percent + $0.30

Cost for transactions in case you do not use Shopify Payments 2.2%

Shopify:

The processing cost for credit card transactions: 2.6% + $0.30

Fee for transactions if you do not use Shopify Payments: 1%

Advanced Shopify:

Processing cost for credit card processing: 2.4% + $0.30

The cost for transactions when you do not use Shopify Payments: 0.5%

Price: $29 -- $299/month. Shopify offers three plans. You'll pay the monthly rate in addition to the charges shown below.

Etsy

Many thousands of customers use Etsy for exclusive and unique products. Etsy is known for its reputation to be the website to shop for custom antique, quirky, and vintage items created by individuals and small companies.

Etsy receives nearly 400 million people visiting their site each month that's an impressive amount of people looking at your items. They also have a robust marketplace where you can offer your products for sale and to be found by prospective buyers.

The positive side is:

Etsy is an established brand that can instill trust in customers.

On your shop's page you can divide your inventory into categories for more efficient organization and easier access.

Etsy has an intuitive seller dashboard where you can read reviews, send messages to customers, create coupons, as well as offer discounts.

It's an ideal platform to make money selling items such as artwork, vectors, templates, presets, fonts, and other inventive works.

The other side is:

Etsy is designed to allow sellers to sell physical items in addition to digital ones. Make sure to clearly state in your description that the merchandise is digital, to avoid confusion.

While being listed in the Etsy marketplace is a nice bonus, there's a lot of competition, and products from popular categories might become lost.

Etsy offers

Easy to use: 4 out of 5. Etsy has adapted to the changing marketplace. It is possible to create your store in just a few hours. the process of adding items is as easy as filling out a description of your item, uploading pictures and then uploading your items to the website by clicking the publish button.

Functionality 3.0/5. The platform offers Etsy it is possible to sell multiple file types but you are only able to upload 5 files to each product. With a maximum size of 20MB for each file it could be a problem for the creators of certain types.

Support 3.0 from five. On the one hand, Etsy has a great community of creators that users can post questions. Sellers are also able to get comprehensive assistance materials as well as a guide to sellers.

In contrast, Etsy support is only accessible via email. They currently have the ability to respond within 1-2 days that isn't ideal when you need to respond quickly.

Marketing 5 out of 5. Etsy has some interesting marketing options which sellers can avail. Although other platforms might allow sellers to sell in a market, none of them have the presence of Etsy.

There is a lot of competition, but it's feasible to attract serious customers to your website and your products. There are the tools of third party keyword research specially designed for Etsy positioning in the results of searches. Etsy has advertising options that are available to sellers.

Transaction charges 2.5. There are various charges you should be aware of in selling products on Etsy. In the beginning it is necessary to pay the $0.20 fee to list an product you sell in your shop. Each listing is active for a period of four months, or until it sells.

In the event that you are offering an item or service, you are responsible for the transaction fee of 5% plus a 3% + $0.25 charge for payment processing.

Price free -- 10 bucks per month. The process of creating the Etsy shop is free , however, it'll cost $0.20 to list a product along with extra transaction costs.

Simple Digital Downloads

It's specially designed to sell digital items, but it will require some lift to offer similar capabilities to others in this listing.

There is a benefit:

EDD is a great choice if you have an existing WordPress site and want to continue to integrate your items in the WordPress community.

This is also an excellent option for those who require greater customization. However, keep in mind that you'll require an excellent knowledge of programming and designing.

In the negative

For the capabilities you require to sell digital downloads it is necessary to take advantage of extensions as well as connections to other software.

Other extensions or integrations could come with their own cost and technical issues.

The Easy Digital Downloads includes many features

Easy to enter Simple to sign up. If you're comfortable using WordPress and have previously uploaded plugins in the past the procedure for setting up EDD is the same as usual. If you've never used WordPress it won't be the most efficient tool, as you'll have to learn two interfaces.

Functionality 3/5. With EDD it's possible to sell any file you can upload onto WordPress. The platform gives you a large option, but you must ensure you know your hosting bandwidth in case you are planning to offer big-scale goods.

We've already mentioned that EDD can be linked to third-party tools for more features. The system is extremely customizable, but managing multiple systems is difficult.

Essentially, it's best for any person who wants to create and operate your own business set-up. Building blocks can be useful however the main question is: do you want to do the construction?

Support: 2 5. EDD provides customer service via a ticket system, and there is no live chat. Priority support is only available on higher-level plans.

Another thing to consider is that, if you encounter issues with your integration, you might need assistance for your integration, too. It could lead to unpleasant exchanges.

Marketing: 2.5 out of 5. Out of the box, EDD offers coupons and discounts, as well as an excellent shopping cart function.

Through extensions, you can flesh out your marketing suite by including affiliates, email stars reviews of ratings for stars as also cross-selling as well as upselling, but some integrations only available to customers on more expensive upsell levels.

In the beginning, you'll have to create first a WordPress website. The domain is included as well as hosting costs. Additionally, you'll have to pay for all integrations that require premium pricing that you wish to take advantage of.

Cost is: $999/year for free. The basic EDD plugin is offered for no cost. If you'd like to add extra features, but you'll have to purchase them separately and upgrade to a more expensive plan for full features.

Gumroad

Gumroad is an online marketplace on which creators can sell digital downloads of all dimensions and forms. In the last decade Gumroad's creators have collectively earned more than $500 million in revenues via digital goods.

It's user-friendly and a popular alternative for designers. However, is it the ideal choice for you? Let's look at its pros and cons.

This is the place where Gumroad excels:

Gumroad will allow you to get started as well as you can sell almost any type of item you can think of, even physical products if you choose.

It's free for anyone to use. It's only charged transactions fees when you have an actual sale. This can be a fantastic option if you're still on the fence on selling digital goods and wish to test before you commit to using a premium instrument.

Creators can access Gumroad Discover which is a marketplace where prospective buyers can find your items.

Here are a few Gumroad pros and cons:

The possibilities for customizing aren't quite the same for products pages or checkout pages. It's hard to make an average sales page, and there's no website builder.

While it might be free to join however, it comes with high cost of transactions for each transaction. This is fine when you're beginning out, but when you get bigger, it could seriously decrease your earnings.

Gumroad features

Easy to use: 4 out of 5. Setting up products using Gumroad is easy and intuitive. You can publish your first product in just a matter of minutes, and you'll be able to begin selling.

The functionality: 4.5 out of 5. Gumroad is an excellent platform for selling products. Gumroad it is possible to sell digital files, physical products such as subscriptions, variants of the product rental and variations. You may also select the release date of your software, offer keys for licensing if you are selling software, and make subscriptions available.

When purchasing paid-for products There's a size limit of 16GB. If you're using free products, the maximum the size of files is 250MB. Each product can accommodate the maximum number of files you want.

Aid: 2.5 five out of 5. Gumroad provides a library of resources featuring helpful content and videos. The company has lost points due to no live chat as well as a contact number, therefore the most effective way to reach the company to discuss specific issues is via their contact email.

Marketing Four out of five. Marketing: 4 out of 5. Gumroad's affiliate program excels. If you're planning to implement affiliate marketing to promote your product, Gumroad lets you set the affiliate marketing system for you at no cost using their simple-to-use procedure.

Gumroad provides a range of integration options, so that you are able to join your marketing and email tools and Zapier with Gumroad.

Transaction fees: 2.5 out of 5. With transaction fees ranging between 9 percent and 2.9 percentages in this field in the overall market, Gumroad is the one that has the highest loss of points. The cost of transactions decreases as increases the quantity you sell however 9 percent remains high for the new creators. Additionally, you must pay an additional $0.30 cost for each sale.

Gumroad has weekly payouts as the amount you've reached is a $10 USD threshold.

Price is Free, plus charges. There's no recurring monthly price, but the transaction fees are dependent on the number of annual transactions.

What are the top things to consider when deciding the best place to market digital downloads

All creators are distinctive. That's why you should select the appropriate software to run your company.

With a reliable and secure digital download platform by your trusted partner, you'll have access better product selections and an abundance of income opportunities.

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