5 Simple Steps How To Sell Digital Downloads On Etsy

Now is the time to take the plunge and start selling digital products on Etsy!

Digital downloads are one of the hottest items on Etsy right now, and there’s no shortage of buyers looking for new and unique products. 

Selling digital products on Etsy is a great way to make some extra money. And with over 35 million active buyers on the site, you’re sure to find an audience for your products.

I’ll tell you how to sell digital downloads on Etsy, from telling you the best digital product ideas to creating successful listings.

Let’s get started!

Key Takeaways

• Digital downloads are currently a hot commodity on Etsy, providing a lucrative opportunity for sellers.
• Utilizing Etsy for selling digital products could be a profitable side gig or potentially develop into a full-time business.
• The platform boasts over 35 million active buyers, ensuring a vast audience for your digital downloads.
• Success in selling digital products on Etsy involves choosing the right product and creating attractive listings to differentiate your offerings.
• Digital downloads include digital art and paperwork- make digital planners, journals, worksheets, and more, and earn thousands per month.

How To Sell Digital Downloads On Etsy

Etsy’s easy-to-use interface makes setting up and managing your shop easy.

You can upload your Etsy digital products in minutes and start making sales this week!

Here are the steps you need to take to help you start selling digital downloads on Etsy:

1. Choose Your Download Niche

Selling digital downloads starts with picking a niche, meaning your digital downloads will help a certain group of people.

Like worksheets and digital planners for teachers or parents looking to entertain their kids and organize their lives!

Before you sell digital downloads, it’s helpful to do market research using Etsy SEO. You can use it to look at what’s selling well and see if there’s a niche you can enter to sell digital downloads.

You can also use Etsy’s search bar to see which keywords are being entered the most and then look at the number of sales, reviews, and ratings for each shop.

Doing these will give you a good idea of which shops are doing well and which ones might need some improvement.

2. Create Your Digital Downloads

Once you’ve picked your niche, you must design and/or write your digital products.

If it’s an eBook, you need to use programs like Word or Jasper to write your story. If it’s printable planner sheets, you need to create your borders and boxes.

I have more dedicated tips for creating digital downloads below, but you essentially need to have a creative mind for designs or hire someone to make them for you.

3. Decide On Your Pricing

When pricing your digital download, there are a few key things you’ll need to consider:

• Cost of goods sold (COGS) – you’ll need to know how much it costs to make your product. COGS includes the cost of materials and labor and work you put into making them (or hiring someone to design things for you).
• Final look – you’ll need to know what the completed product will look like. Final designs will help you determine whether or not your prices are in line with what customers are expecting. More intricate designs mean higher prices and may deter some budget-friendly shoppers, but some simple or lackluster designs may not attract customers.

By factoring these in, you’ll be able to price your digital products in a way that is both fair and profitable.

You can sell digital downloads on Etsy for $5 or more as long as people are willing to pay for the product!

4. Create Your Etsy Shop

The first step to take when selling Etsy digital downloads is creating a shop so you can take it from a hobby to a money-making business.

It’s easy to do, and you can set up your shop in just a few minutes.

To get started, go to Etsy and click “Open Your Etsy Shop” at the top of the page. Then, you’ll need to create an account.

After that, you’ll be prompted to fill out basic information about your shop, including your location, currency, and payment methods.

Once you’ve completed that, you’re ready to start listing items for sale!  

5. Post Your Listings

Once you’ve created your Etsy shop, it’s time to list and sell digital downloads on Etsy.

Create item descriptions with keywords and photographs to start your Etsy listing.

Be sure to include all the relevant information about the product, such as the dimensions, file type, etc.

When creating your item descriptions, include keywords that potential buyers might use when searching for printables.

For example, if you sell planner inserts, some relevant keywords could be “planner,” “organization,” or “productivity.”

One way to write captivating product descriptions is by using a writing tool like Jasper to help write product descriptions for your listings.

How To Create Digital Downloads

Creating Etsy digital downloads can be a great way to share your creativity with the world. And, with some planning and the right tools, it can be easy to create digital products too!

Some tips for creating digital products to sell on Etsy that are sure to stand out are: 

Create A Digital Download With Canva

If you’re creating printables from scratch, Irecommend using a program like Canva, Microsoft Word, or Adobe Illustrator to create your Etsy printable.

With Canva, you can create digital downloads perfect for email marketing, social media, or even print projects. 

Canva is a great way to add some personality when creating digital downloads, and Canva Pro has changed how I create my digital downloads and makes them more clean and unique!

You can do many things with Canva Pro to make running your Etsy business easier. You can:

• Create project folders to help keep your designs organized
• Use Pro stock photos on your designs
• Set up your Brand board with your logo, colors, fonts, and more that you use in your designs
• Create a team to work on the designs for your digital product

Hire A Designer With Fiverr Or FlexJobs

There are many reasons shop owners consider hiring a designer on Fiverr or FlexJobs to design digital products for Etsy stores. 

For one, creating and selling digital prints can be a time-consuming process.

Hiring someone with Fiverr or FlexJobs to create digital products frees up your time so you can focus on other aspects of your business.

Also, hiring a professional may be worth it if you don’t feel confident in your design skills.

You’ll be able to find designers who specialize in creating the exact type of product you’re looking for and have the technical know-how and programs to get it done.

Best Selling Digital Downloads On Etsy

If you run an Etsy shop, it’s essential to know what digital products sell well. After all, you want to ensure you create digital downloads customers will want to buy!

Here are some of my favorite Etsy digital product ideas:

Worksheets

Worksheets are one of the most popular digital downloads on Etsy. They are a relatively easy craft item to create and a great way to earn extra income.

Best of all, you can create worksheets for many classes in different subjects- you’re not limited in product offerings!

Brittany was a teacher before we quit our jobs to run The Savvy Couple full-time, so I can tell you have important printable worksheets are for kids.

Not only that, but parents may need some worksheets to keep their kids busy in the car on a road trip or during the summer, so you have plenty of customers to market towards

Journals

Journals are one of the most popular digital downloads sold on the site. They are popular because they’re an excellent way for people to record their thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Many people use them as a creative outlet, and others use them to connect with their emotions.

Once you’ve created your journal, it’s easy to turn it into a digital file to send to printers, or you can even offer it as a printable PDF that buyers can print at home.

Digital Art

If you’re more interested in creating artwork, you can turn that into digital art that people cna download and enjoy.

Your designs can be anything you want, from digital watercolor scenes to realistic illustrations.

You can create them digitally with Canva, have them available in different sizes, and list them for sale.

Then people can pay you for your digital art, download it, and get it framed to hang up at home.

eBooks

Consider creating and selling eBooks if you’re looking for a popular item to sell in Etsy shops.

eBook sales have been on the rise in recent years, as more and more people are opting for digital downloads on Etsy instead of physical products.

And there’s no doubt that an eBook is an excellent fit for Etsy shops.

There’s no need to worry about inventory or shipping costs. Once you’ve created your eBook, you can offer it as a digital download in your Etsy shop.

You can get creative yourself and write kids’ books or anything else. I also get that you may want to write the eBook yourself, so check out ghostwriters to write it for you.

Budgets

Whether you just started selling digital downloads on Etsy or are looking for ways to add more products to your Etsy shop, a budget template is a creative way to make money.

Budget templates are becoming one of the best-selling digital downloads in our Etsy shop.

I think there are a few reasons these digital printables are doing so well on Etsy:

• First, people always look for ways to save money and get their finances in order.
• Second, they can easily customize budget templates to fit their specific needs.
• And finally, I think people appreciate the fact that they can download and print a budget template from the comfort of their own home.

Digital Planners

There’s something special about getting a new planner at the start of the year. It’s a clean slate, a new chance to get everything organized and in order and keep their life on track.

People love being able to see an overview of their month or year. They also love having digital files that let them print the pages as often as they need.

Customers also appreciate that they can change the editable template to fit their needs and customize a digital planner with their own personal style.

So you may want to create planner sheets for people to use daily or monthly to keep track of their lives.

You can create a few sheets or a whole fleshed-out planner- whatever you think customers need the most!

Tips For Selling Digital Downloads

With a little effort, you can work from home selling digital downloads and earn passive income for years to come.

Here are some tips to help make that happen!

Consider Opening More Online Stores

There are other online platforms that you can use to open more online stores to sell digital downloads. More stores can help you reach a larger audience and make more sales.

Shopify is one option that allows you to create a professional online store. It’s easy to use, and there are no transaction fees, so it’s an excellent option for small businesses to use to make money.

Another option is BigCommerce, which is similar to Shopify but offers more features and flexibility. It’s an excellent platform for businesses looking to scale their operations.

Shopify and BigCommerce offer free trials, so you can try them out before committing to a paid plan.

Take An Online Course

Plenty of resources are available to help you start selling digital downloads on Etsy. One option is to take an Etsy course on how to make a digital download.

Most of these courses will walk you through the process of setting up your shop and listing your first few items.

They also offer helpful tips for promoting your products and ensuring your shop thrives.

Another option is to watch the FREE workshop by Gold City Ventures, sharing the best seasonal products to capitalize on and start making money.

This eBook covers everything from creating your product listings to marketing your Etsy shop. It is a GREAT resource for new Etsy sellers.

Create Your Own Website

Creating your website is a great way to sell digital items. You’ll have complete control over the design and layout of your site, and you can choose how you want to sell the digital items you create.

You can sell directly from your website. Setting up a website is easy, and there are several platform options, like Bluehost, which we use to keep our blog in tip-top shape.

Once you’ve selected a platform and registered your domain name, you’ll need to identify a payment processor and set up your shopping cart. 

Once you’ve created your digital items, all you need to do is upload them to your website and start selling!

Bundle Your Digital Products & Try Some Sales

A great way to increase your sales is to offer bundled products. Bundles mean offering custom digital files that contain a collection of your bestsellers or a group of files that go together well.

For example, if you sell e-books, you could create a bundle of your most popular titles. Or, if you are selling digital art prints, you could create a bundle of coordinating files.

By bundling digital products, you’re giving your customers a great deal and making it easy for them to find everything they need in one place.

Similarly, don’t shy away from sales that could help motivate buyers.

Sales are a great way to increase traffic to your shop and boost your sales.

You can offer discounts on individual products, or you can offer a sitewide sale.

Use SEO To Get Your Page Ranking

One way to improve your chances of being found by potential customers on Etsy is to optimize your Etsy shop for SEO.

Using keywords throughout your shop’s title, tags, and descriptions can help Etsy’s algorithm understand what your shop sells and boost your ranking in search results. 

A third-party tool, such as eRank, can help you find the best keywords for your products so you can rank in Etsy SEO.

Once you’ve selected your keywords, use them throughout your shop’s title, tags, and descriptions.

Search Engine Optimization is also essential if you want your website to rank on Google and other search engines.

The best way to optimize your site is to make sure you use relevant keywords throughout your site.

An excellent way to do this is using a writing tool like Surfer SEO. Surfer SEO helps by suggesting the keywords that should be used in your blog posts and pages.

Join Social Media Platforms

Social media can be a great way to reach more potential customers and sell digital downloads on Etsy (and other stores!).

Each platform has its distinct user base, so choosing the ones that make the most sense for your business is important.

For example, if you’re selling eBooks, joining a book-focused platform like Goodreads can help you reach avid readers looking for new titles to enjoy.

Similarly, if you’re selling digital art, joining a platform like DeviantArt can help you connect with art enthusiasts worldwide.

No matter what type of digital products you’re selling, taking advantage of multiple social media platforms can help you reach a wider audience and sell digital products.

Etsy Ads

An effective way to boost your sales on Etsy is by running Etsy ads. Etsy ads allow you to target potential customers specifically interested in the best-selling digital products.

When you create an ad campaign, you can choose from various formats, including image ads, video ads, and carousel ads.

You can customize your ad campaigns to target specific locations, demographics, and interests. 

Encourage Customer Reviews & Feedback

As an Etsy seller, one of the best ways to get honest feedback about your products is to encourage customers to leave reviews.

Good reviews help boost your ranking in Etsy’s search results and give potential buyers confidence in your products.

In addition, reviews can help you identify areas where your digital downloads on Etsy could be improved. Of course, getting customers to leave reviews is not always easy.

One way to encourage customers to leave reviews is to offer a discount on their next purchase in exchange for a review.

You could also send a follow-up email a few days after the sale asking customers to leave a review.

FAQs

Why sell digital downloads on Etsy?

Digital downloads on Etsy provide passive income as they can be sold repeatedly without extra effort from the seller.

But this is not the only reason I’ve found to sell digital products on Etsy.

Some other reasons are:

1. Reach a new audience of buyers looking for digital downloads.
2. Sell your digital files in a safe and secure marketplace.
3. No need to create or manage a separate shopping cart or payment system.
4. Etsy takes care of the payment processing and order fulfillment for you.
5. With digital downloads like website templates and printable stickers the customer prints, you don’t have to go to the post office to mail the product.
6. Selling on Etsy is a great way for stay-at-home moms to make extra money.

How much can I make selling digital downloads?

The answer is: it depends! Some sellers make a few hundred dollars per month with this side hustle idea, while others make thousands.

It all depends on factors like the quality of your products, the price you charge, and how much marketing and promotion you do.

Our Etsy shop, TheSavvyCouple, offers products ranging from $3 – $47, including one digital download product or product bundles.

The money we’ve made with our shop has been possible because of the marketing strategies I’ve used to promote the shop.

It’s mainly using SEO when writing the descriptions and promoting our products across multiple platforms, like Facebook.

How do I choose a niche for digital downloads on Etsy?

Selling digital products on Etsy can be profitable, but finding a niche and a product that sells well takes work.

The important thing is to do your market research to find a product that works for you and that you are interested in making so you can start making Etsy passive income.

Many other digital products are popular right now in the Etsy shops and might work for you. Digital stickers and editable templates are popular niches.

Handmade business look for labels is also popular with small business owners.

I’ve been selling digital downloads on Etsy for a few years now, and I’ve learned much about what it takes to make sales on Etsy.

I’ve found that selling printables like a Family Budget Binder and putting them in a digital file that our customers can print themselves or send to a print shop has worked for us and increased our Etsy sales.

What other products could I sell as digital downloads?

One option is to sell templates, such as resume templates or social media templates.

These can be designed in Canva or another graphic design program and delivered as PDFs.

Another option is to sell printables, such as digital planners, calendars, or worksheets. These can be delivered as PDFs or images the buyer can print out.

Finally, another digital item you could sell is e-books. These can be delivered as PDFs or Kindle files. 

My Thoughts

Thanks for reading our How to Sell Digital Downloads on Etsy post! As you can see, Etsy is an excellent platform for selling digital downloads

You can start earning $1,000 per month with the right products. 

You can set up your Etsy account and start selling in minutes; there is no limit to the number of items you can sell and market using Etsy SEO.

It is also a great way to make passive income with a small business.

Once you have set up your account and added digital items, you can start promoting your Etsy shop and making sales without additional effort. 

If you are looking for an easy and effective way to start selling digital products, Etsy is the way to go.