How to sell digital products on Shopify

Shopify with SendOwl also enables creators and sellers of digital products to easily communicate with customers and track digital orders. Together, we make your buyers’ entire shopping experience simple, seamless, and secure so you can sell digital products with peace of mind. 



In this guide, we'll explore the ins and outs of selling online with Shopify — from setting up your account, populating and promoting the digital goods in your Shopify item library, and then analyzing your performance and optimizing your online sales. 



What are digital products — and why should you sell them?

Digital products encompass a wide range of items — like ebooks, music downloads, software licenses, online courses, downloadable prints, and a whole lot more. Basically, anything that can be stored and accessed online — and delivered through a digital download — falls under the category of digital products.



Digital products offer many advantages over physical products, including lower overhead costs, higher profit margins, and instant delivery via downloadable links to customers worldwide. By selling digital products online, you can tap into a global market and generate passive income streams without the costs and effort associated with physical products’ manufacturer-to-seller-to-consumer pipeline.



Moreover, you can create and sell your own digital products — without necessarily being an expert in graphic design or other fields to get started. Check out this post on understanding digital products to learn about different types of digital items — and how you can start creating and selling them right now. There are many popular options to choose from, so start with what interests you, and build from there.




Setting up your Shopify account



First, create your account on SendOwl

You’ll want to create your SendOwl account first, to ensure you have access to all the secure, easy-to-use features we offer. You can get started for free here! Next, add your products to your SendOwl item list by following this guide. 



Now, onto Shopify! 

To start selling your digital products on your Shopify online site, you need to have (or create) a Shopify account. If you don’t have one, visit the Shopify website, and follow the prompts to sign up for an account. Be sure to look at the different plans, and select the one that best suits the needs of your business. You’ll want to use a dedicated email address for your Shopify account, so that you can more easily identify business emails and notifications — and take timely action in response to any important messages. 



You can customize your store by choosing a theme and setting up payment methods through the "Payments" section. Configure your shipping settings, even if you're selling only digital products, to manage any geographical restrictions or other delivery details. Purchase or connect a domain under the "Domains" section, and set up essential store policies like refund and privacy policies under "Settings." Make sure you download the Shopify app to keep up to date on all notifications.



Adding digital products to your Shopify online store

The first thing you want to do after setting up your Shopify account is to connect it with your SendOwl account. Head to the settings page in your SendOwl account, and click the "Shopify settings'' link. Next, hit the ”Connect” button. Make sure to read the permissions that SendOwl requires to sync with your Shopify orders and securely deliver your digital content.Then, to link your SendOwl and Shopify products, head to your SendOwl dashboard and hit the “sell” button on one of your products. You’ll then see a list of ways to sell your item. Click on “Shopify,” and select the product you want to link. Now, when someone purchases the linked product from your Shopify checkout, SendOwl will safely deliver the digital file to your buyer.



Depending on the type of product, some formats generally work better than others. So make sure to do your research on different item types, so you can make sure your digital products are always in the best formats for their types.



How you name and price your digital products can have a significant impact on sales. It’s best to name your products using clear, concise descriptors that provide customers with the “at-a-glance” information they need to decide whether or not to buy.

To launch your store, remove password protection in the "Preferences" section, and make sure all customizations and product details are complete.



Customizing your Shopify storefront



Branding 

As you begin to build your Shopify Online store, you’ll want to check out other stores that sell similar products — and those with designs or layouts that you like. Select a theme on Shopify that aligns with your brand identity and enhances your storefront’s visual appeal to customers. Think about the kinds of online stores that you like to shop at, and try to create a similar experience for your own shoppers.



You’ll also want to incorporate your logo, color scheme, and other branding elements to personalize your Shopify storefront. You can customize all of these on your Shopify Online overview page. Make sure that all these elements are consistent across all your social accounts, too, so that your brand is easily recognizable to buyers.



Organizing 

Arrange your product listings in a logical order, and create navigation menus to help customers quickly find what they're looking for. As a shopper, you know you never want to shop a messy or unnavigable website when you’re trying to buy something. So to help make sure shoppers who visit your online store find what they want and complete a purchase, make it as easy as possible for them to do so!



Promoting your digital products on your Shopify store

Your online sales can be greatly boosted by promoting your products across social media. You can leverage social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, to promote your digital products and engage with your audience. Check out these articles on how to sell products on TikTok and how to sell products on Instagram for more tips on promoting and selling your digital products.



A great way to attract new buyers is to offer special promotions and discounts to incentivize them to visit and buy from your Shopify store. You can also partner with influencers or affiliates in your niche to reach a broader audience and increase sales through word-of-mouth marketing.



Keep in mind that you don’t need to show your face (if you don’t want to) to do any of this. Tons of “faceless marketing” accounts have been successful in selling their digital offerings. Great branding, messaging, and content are all you really need to promote your products and your Shopify Online store on social media.



You can also use your social media to provide customer support to your buyers by interacting with them through comments and messages. This kind of customer interaction can help you build trust with your buyers and spread the word about your amazing digital product store. 



Managing orders and fulfillment

Shopify’s analytics tools make it easy to keep track of your sales and revenue, so you can easily assess the performance of your digital products. Integrating your Shopify store with SendOwl allows you to seamlessly fulfill orders and promptly deliver digital products to customers via emailed digital download links. And remember to download the Shopify app, so you can always respond to your buyers. 



Build customer loyalty by being proactive in addressing customer inquiries and resolving any issues promptly.



Analyzing performance and making improvements

The key to scaling your business is to analyze sales data, so you can identify trends and patterns in your target audience’s behavior and product performance. These trends will help you identify what’s working and what isn’t in your digital product sales pipeline. You can then use the insights gained from sales data analysis to make informed decisions about product offerings, pricing strategies, and marketing tactics. The marketing tools on your SendOwl dashboard will make collecting this data easy! 



Continue to refine your approach based on these performance metrics — as well as customer feedback — to optimize sales and enhance customer satisfaction.



Integrate your Shopify account with SendOwl today!

Selling digital products on Shopify offers entrepreneurs a great opportunity to monetize their creative works and reach customers around the world. By following the step-by-step guide outlined above, you can set up a successful e-commerce business on Shopify — made extra easy by integrating with SendOwl — and take advantage of the many benefits of selling digital products online today.