You know that age-old quote that says, “choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life?” It’s a good one, but I prefer the modernized version, “do what you love and the money will follow!” I am all about financial freedom and supporting my community (people just like you!) in doing that, while really and truly enjoying it!
The best way to do this is to take advantage of Etsy by creating a great online store to sell digital products. Selling these can help create the life of your dreams and forge substantial extra income — which you can enjoy as either a side hustle or a full-time job.
One of the hardest parts of starting your new business is deciding which digital product to sell! Well, good news for you, I am about to give you some of my best tricks and tips.
What People Are Searching For
I suggest starting by brainstorming a product you are looking for, that you would benefit from and make your life easier. It’s essential to reflect on the problems you face in your own life, as the chances are, others are looking for it too. This is how the mind of an entrepreneur works!
If you’re struggling to think of something beneficial, you can speak to your loved ones, friends and others in your life to see what would help them. The thing is, your product doesn’t have to need to be a huge, complicated, super creative product — oppositely, it can be quite simple. These conversations with yourself and others are essentially market research, which is very important when establishing a digital product.
More formal market research is key, too. Without doing formal market research, you can end up putting your precious energy and time into a digital product for it to possibly fail, due to oversaturation or not being niche enough. Market research is all about finding relevant data to determine what will be a success on Etsy and what a wider audience, outside just your friends and family, are looking for and willing to pay for.
Once you think of an idea, research what exists already on Etsy. You may strike a gold mine and be one of the first, if not the first, or you may discover that there is a big market, making it a supersaturated space. If that’s the case, I suggest trying something different so you keep things fresh and exciting. Etsy’s sellers’ data and reviews are 100% public which allows you to learn more about the product, including what customers like and don’t like.
To learn more about the ins and outs of doing market research, check out my blog: How To Do Market Research To Find A Profitable Product To Sell Online.
Passion Plays A Part
To stay motivated in your new business, you should feel excited and passionate about it. This passion will keep you focused, on track and determined when finding success. While digital products are a great way to start your first business, it’s not always straightforward and glamorous so you’ll need passion to keep you going.
Having a passion for what you’re working on will not only support you but will help you build a brand that speaks to your audience in a way that is authentic, humanistic and intriguing. Customers can sense when the seller is truly invested as their passion will shine through.
Determine Your Top Skills And Talents
Market research and passion are two keys to success, but nothing will be possible without channeling your top skills and using them to your advantage. You will want to spend significant time considering what you are good at and/ or what you have a background in.
Grab a pen and paper and jot down your thoughts to help you determine your skills with the following questions:
- What activities would I miss the most if I could no longer do them?
- What makes me laugh?
- What is one skill I could stand to strengthen?
- What is something that comes naturally to me?
- Do I like to be alone or around other people?
- What is my ideal work/life balance?
- How do I manage stress?
- What skills do people tell me I have?
- Where do I see myself a year from now?
- What is something that I want to learn?
- Am I data-driven or more creative?
- What is my personality like?
- What’s my dream career?
Spending time considering what your best skills help you to determine the all-important “sweet spot,” which is a combination of the three points we’ve discussed: what people want, your passion, and what skills you have. This “sweet spot” will be a fantastic digital product business that you will enjoy, love and also watch the money flow in. I discuss this in more detail in my free masterclass, How To Get Started Selling Digital Products.
Digital Product Suggestions To Get You Started
Are the ideas for your brilliant digital product flowing yet!? Creativity can strike at any moment. Below are a few suggestions to get you started!
Templates
Templates sell like hotcakes! To create a template digital product, you’ll create a customizable template and then sell it for people to enjoy and tailor it to their needs. Suggestions for templates include:
- Resumes
- Presentation or Slide decks
- E-book page layouts
- Checklists or worksheets
- Planners
- Media or Brand Kits
- Content Calendars
Digital Downloads
I’ve got to admit, digital downloads are my personal favorite product to sell as they are popular and easier to make. Digital products are a product that is downloaded and ready to go, such as:
- E-books
- Mockups
- Checklists
- Presets
- Digital art
For even more suggestions, check out my free guide that gives you 65 digital product ideas.
Conclusion
If you’re truly ready to transform your life with digital products, my biggest suggestion is to just start! Begin right now. Following my tips in this blog will help you get started on this new exciting journey and can be reinforced with my Digital Shop From Scratch course, which is perfect for anyone who has no idea what to sell and has never sold anything online before! Are you ready for your next endeavor?!
