How to Sell Digital Products, Courses, and eBooks on Shopify: Our App Recommendations

Updated on  
How to Sell Digital Products, Courses, and eBooks on Shopify: Our App Recommendations

If you're chronically online like we are, you can't get too far in your daily scroll before finding someone who claims to be able to make 5 figures a day selling something they whipped up on Canva in a few minutes. Everyone seems to be selling you the "silver" bullet as to making a quick buck online. This article is going to provide you an alternative if you are more of a creator in it for the long haul, and you want to invest your time and energy into a platform that also build your own brand. Unlike selling on Etsy where your own product page is fighting with hundreds of your competitors in cross sells.

Whether you’re an artist, coach, influencer, digital creator, or just someone with a killer idea, Shopify might be your BFF for turning the work you've created into your own digital ecosystem. Plus, unlike other platforms, Shoopify allows you to keep your audience engaged with you, and have your visitors feed back into your revenue streams and advertising too.

We’re breaking down everything you need to know about selling digital products on Shopify—from choosing what to sell get it up and running and make your first sales. Let’s do this. 

Why Shopify Is Perfect for Selling Digital Products 

Before we get into the juicy stuff, let’s talk about why Shopify is the platform for selling digital products. Here’s the deal: 

  1. User-Friendly AF: Even if your tech skills max out at turning on Netflix, Shopify makes it ridiculously easy to set up a store. 
  2. Automation Heaven: Shopify automatically delivers digital files to customers. No more emailing PDFs at 2 a.m. like a stressed-out zombie. 
  3. Customizable: From funky fonts to sleek themes, you can make your store look as extra or minimal as you want. 
  4. Scalable: Whether you’re selling one eBook or selling 100 ebooks a minute like the next Kylie Jenner lip kits, Shopify grows with you at any size. 

Our Recommended Apps that Power your Store to sell any kind of digital product or service

We know there's a lot of rumours out there that Shopify is only for physical priducts like clothing, makeup, and the like. But we've worked with dozens of creators across the globe from course creators, to cookbook authors and travel bloggers, who want to monetize their brains and share with their audience in a way they can control.

Here's just a few ways you can leverage the Shopify platform:

1. eBooks 

From a 1-page PDF to a hundred plus page cookbook. If your audience wants to read and consume it now, why wait months to print and put it in store? Package it into an eBook and slap a price tag on it. Think guides, how-tos, or even spicy fiction. You can deliver the good instantly with apps like SkyPilot. They instantly send customers their purchase right in checkout confirmation, and follow up emails, and save it to their customer profile. Plus your files are secure behind a login, have download limits and other security features to limit piracy of your goods.

TL;DR: Our recommendation is to use SkyPilot

SkyPilot app on Shopify allows you to deliver eBooks or any digital download to your customer securely

 

2. Online Courses, Classes, and Teaching Portals

Transform your knowledge into a full-fledged course. While you can choose to host your video and learning content externally with platforms like Thinkific and Teachable (which integrate seamlessly with Shopify btw!) you can also have your course integrated directly into your website experience, so that your customers and audience never have to leave your digital home. We love apps like Tevello which are super low cost way to have an online course and community hub right in your customer account area. At Arq, We use Tevello for things like:

  1. New Client onboarding - general get to know the studio process
  2. Project Intake and Overviews - how the process works and what to expect
  3. Simplified Project Dashboards - To-dos and videos to watch and give feedback
  4. Course Material - lesson plans and modules like a traditional course
  5. Career Onboarding - teaching new team members how to faciliate a project from start to finish

TL;DR: Our recommendation is to use Tevello.

Tevello offers a way to host any type of content you can imagines like courses, video, PDF and communities right in your own Shopify store

3. Printable Designs or Print on Demand

Planners, calendars, wall art—the Pinterest crowd lives for this stuff. Sell PDFs or templates they can print at home. Instead of sending them to Etsy, where (let's face it) they're more likely to click on your competitors stuff that just so conveniently gets placed on the same page as your products, instead you can create full customized landing pages or product pages showcasing your own work. Plus you can even offer more high-touch ways of customer service, curate your own reviews, and provide instant chat and more to answer questions. Check out an app like Printful where you can upload your incredible artwork and build your own catalogue of printed goods to your online store. PLUS you don't need to order or keep stock of anything meaning you have a super low-risk business.

TL;DR: Our recommendation is to use Printful.

Printful app offers custom graphic print on demand catalogue to your online store without keeping stock

4. Software or Apps 

Whether it’s a niche productivity app or custom website templates, software is a digital goldmine. And no one wants to wrestle with Stripe not sending order confirmations, and the complexity of figuring out how to provide license keys. The app we recommend, License Keys & Codes - DPL or invest a bit more in an app like FileMonk - takes care of all these headaches for you.

TL;DR: Our recommendation is to use FileMonk.

Digital keys for software, games, and app lisences through Shopify

5. Stock Photos or Videos 

Are you a shutterbug, or have an in-demand unique style of stock that you want your followers to be able to grab? Sell packs of stock photos or B-roll clips for creators, portfolio stock, or even patreon-like exclusive content for your most engaged fans. Just set up a subscription service to allow your audience to opt-into a low per-month rate and you have a list of people to allow access to different parts of your site, or send them emails and messages when their content is ready. We love free apps like Shopify Subscriptions, or Appstle Memberships, or Simplee Memberships to manage the fees, and any of the apps we already mentioned above to faciliate the delivery of your content. You can also have those subscribers added to a members only part of your site with an app like Appstle Memberships to create a portal and even further provide an exclusive access to your brands experience.

TL;DR: Our recommendation is to use Appstle Memberships.

Appstle Membership options for Shopify digital and exclusive content

6. Music, Photo, Video, and Audio Files 

From beats for producers to meditation tracks for yogis, audio files are another booming category.  You can even sell add-ons for popular editing apps like Capcut, Photoshop or more. 

Apps we recommend: Appstle Memberships, FileMonk, My Digital Product, SkyPilot. Shopify Search and Discover or Boost AI, with some custom theme coding done to help gate your content and provide proper filtering and recommendations.

TL;DR: Our recommendation is to use a combination of apps and some custom theme coding.

ECom Lovins' new app My Digital Product

7. Memberships and Subscriptions 

Offer exclusive content like newsletters, workout plans, or VIP access to your brain (a.k.a. coaching sessions). Any of the recommended apps we listed above would help you create an online store that does just that, without the cost of making a phone app for hundreds of thousands.

Apps we recommend: Appstle Memberships, with some custom theme coding done to help gate your content and provide proper filtering and recommendations.

TL;DR: Our recommendation is to use Appstle Memberships.

Appstle memberships offer gated content to keep everything on your platform in 1 place

Tips for Selling Digital Products Like a Boss 

1. Bundle Up 

Pair complementary products together (e.g., an eBook + a printable workbook) for a value-packed offer. Use Shopify Bundles for a seamless way to create a custom price, and have all products delivered as you have set in your flows or create new workflows, enrollments and more.

2. Offer Freebies 

Everyone loves free stuff. Use a freebie (like a sample chapter or a mini-course) to build your email list. Create a coupon code in Shopify easily (no app required), or use an app like GB: Gift with Purchase if it's tied to an offer, or even just deliver your digital product in an email using Shopify Email and Shopify Flow.

3. Leverage Reviews 

Social proof is everything. Ask your customers to leave glowing reviews and showcase them on your site. We recommend Okendo which we love and recommend. Okendo is one of the only review platforms recommended by Shopify and has deep integration with the Shopify Platform. A less expensive good alternative would be Judge.me but is really only built for Physical products mostly.

4. Optimize for SEO 

Sprinkle keywords throughout your product descriptions, blog posts, and metadata. Hello, search traffic! Shopify Search and Discover is one of our most installed native and free extension apps for Shopify which helps with searchability in your own store and can help with the metadata of your products as well as analytics. Tapita: SEO optimizer & speed is a great cross-functional app that will give you insights into what needs to be adressed and integration to make those changes to Shopify right in the app without leaving Shopify. 

5. Use Upsells and Cross-Sells 

Encourage customers to buy more with upsell offers (e.g., “Add this for just $10”) and cross-sells (“You might also like this”). While your theme should ideally have this built in to your store and be compatible with native shopify feature extensions like Shopify Search and Discover it may also be a matter of a more plug-and-play plugin. We love ReBuy as a more advanced option for all parts of your store experience like your cart, and more. 

Conclusion 

Selling digital products on Shopify isn’t just a dream; it’s a game-changer. Whether you’re a seasoned creator or just starting out, Shopify gives you the tools to share your brilliance with the world. So, what are you waiting for? Set up your store, start selling, and watch your digital empire grow. 

Oh, and if you need help designing your Shopify store, hit us up at ARQ Design Studio. We have a few tailor-made services that can help you get launch ready in as little as a few days (like our 2-day Shopify Spruce Up Package) or weeks for a more bespoke branded experience with all your needed app integrations like our Shopify Accelerator service. 

FAQs

1. What are the best digital products to sell on Shopify?
Some popular options include eBooks, online courses, printable designs, software, stock photos, music, and subscription services.
2. How do I deliver digital products to customers on Shopify?
Use apps like Shopify Digital Downloads or Sky Pilot to automate file delivery.
3. Can I sell memberships on Shopify?
Yes! Use apps like Tevello (one of our favorites), Bold Memberships, and lots more to choose from on the App Store to offer subscription-based products or services.
4. How do I protect my digital products from piracy?
Include watermarks, license agreements, and consider DRM (digital rights management) tools to safeguard your content.
5. Why should I choose ARQ Design Studio for my Shopify store?
At ARQ Design Studio, we specialize in creating custom Shopify stores that are not only functional but also visually stunning. Let us help you stand out in the digital marketplace. Book a consultation today!

Arq Design Studio, we specialize in creating stunning, functional Shopify sites tailored to your business. Ready to make the leap? Let’s chat

We believe Shopify can be easily set up for Service and Digital Product brands to leverage the platform; it’s app marketplace. From seamless booking to automated follow-ups, it’s everything you need to run your biz with confidence. If you want to learn how Shopify can be used for your unique business, without making your eyes cross, we would be happy to chat in a free 30 min consult about what that could look like for your brand to move to Shopify. 

Book a Free Clarity Call Now

Published on  Updated on