To sell digital products, pick one specific problem for one specific audience, build a small product that solves it, list it on a marketplace or your own store, and promote it where that audience already spends time. Digital products such as templates, ebooks, courses and presets have no stock or shipping costs, so you can start small and improve as you learn. This guide walks through what sells, where to sell, how to price and how to find your first customers.
Types of digital products that sell
| Product type | Examples | Effort to create | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Templates | Resumes, social media posts, spreadsheets, Notion or Canva templates | Low to medium | Designers, organisers, specialists |
| Printables | Planners, worksheets, wall art | Low | Designers, teachers |
| Ebooks and guides | Short how-to guides on one problem | Medium | Writers and experts |
| Online courses | Video lessons with exercises | High | Experts who can teach |
| Software and code | Plugins, scripts, starter kits | High | Developers |
| Creative assets | Presets, fonts, icons, stock photos, music | Medium | Photographers, designers, musicians |
Step 1: Choose one problem and one audience
Products that try to help everyone rarely sell. Start from a narrow problem you understand, such as a weekly meal planner for busy parents, an invoice template for freelancers or a starter kit for a framework you use. A good test: can you describe the buyer in one sentence, and do people already ask questions about this problem online?
Step 2: Validate before you build
- Search marketplaces for similar products. Some competition is a good sign, because it shows people buy.
- Read reviews of those products for complaints you could fix.
- Share a free sample or a simple outline with your audience and see who asks for more.
Step 3: Build a small first version
Your first product should take days or weeks, not months. A 10-page guide or a set of five templates is enough to learn whether people buy. Only use fonts, images and code that you have the right to resell, and check the licence terms of any tool you build with.
Step 4: Choose where to sell
- Marketplaces such as Etsy, Creative Market or theme and plugin marketplaces bring existing buyers but take a share of each sale and have more competition. See our guide to selling on Etsy.
- Creator platforms such as Gumroad or Payhip handle checkout and delivery for you, but you bring the traffic.
- Your own website gives you the most control and the best margins, but needs the most setup.
- Ebook stores such as Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing suit written guides. Read our Kindle publishing guide.
Check that the platform can pay out to your country before you choose it. Payout options differ widely between platforms and regions.
Step 5: Price it
Look at what similar products cost and position yours by the problem it solves, not by the hours it took. A low introductory price can help you collect your first reviews, but raise it once you have proof that people find it useful. Bundles, such as three related templates together, can increase the value of each sale.
Step 6: Get your first customers
- Show the product in use. Short videos or images of the template filled in, or the guide’s key tip, perform better than a plain announcement.
- Share where your buyers already are, such as Pinterest for printables and templates, or professional communities for business tools.
- Start an email list, even a small one. People who signed up because they share the problem are your most likely buyers.
- Ask early buyers for feedback and a short review, then improve the product.
If you are a designer, our guide to side hustles for graphic designers covers template packs in more detail, and developers can read about starter kits and plugins in side hustles for developers.
Mistakes to avoid
- Spending months on a large product before anyone has shown interest.
- Reselling private label rights (PLR) content without changes, which is common and hard to sell.
- Using fonts, images or code you are not licensed to redistribute.
- Expecting a marketplace listing to sell without any promotion.
- Choosing a platform that cannot pay out to your country.
Not sure whether digital products are the right side hustle for you? The free Side Hustle Finder compares options against your time, budget and skills.
Frequently asked questions
What digital products sell best for beginners?
Templates and printables are the easiest to start with, because they are quick to make and easy for buyers to understand. Ebooks and courses take longer but can earn more per sale.
Do I need my own website to sell digital products?
No. Marketplaces and creator platforms handle checkout and delivery. A website becomes useful once you have products and want more control and better margins.
How long does it take to make the first sale?
It varies from days to months depending on demand and promotion. Many products never sell, which is why validating the idea first matters. Treat any timeline as an estimate.
Can I sell digital products made with AI tools?
Often yes, but marketplaces have their own rules about disclosure and quality, and buyers expect original value. Check each platform’s policy and the AI tool’s terms before selling.
This article is general information, not financial or legal advice.
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