Creating a Digital Product - Beginner's Guide
Have you always thought about creating a digital product but didn’t know how to get started? This beginner’s guide will take you through the process of designing your very own digital product from conception to sales.
As a graphic designer, having my own digital product business is a dream come true. There are a lot of benefits to being a digital product designer. First, I get to have complete creative freedom. I don’t have to take orders from a boss or clients, instead, I design things according to my vision. This gives me even greater satisfaction when customer tell me they love my products- it feels great knowing that I brought someone else joy through my creativity. Another benefit of being a digital product designer is that the sky is the limit! There’s no cap on how many products I can design.
For those who are wondering if you can make an income through digital product design, the answer is yes. Digital product design creates passive income which means I no longer have to put in hours of work every week just to have an income. This flexibility allows me to do things like travel and spend more time with my family. As a single mom, that means I don’t have to miss any more activities or parent-teacher meeting because of work again.
If this sounds like the kind of life you want to have, I’ll share with you how to get started so you can enjoy the benefits of being a digital product designer, too.
Step 1: Define your skills and passions
Maybe you’ve thought about creating a digital product before, but you weren’t sure what you should create or if it would be worth your effort (i.e. profitable). The best way to get started is to take an inventory of what kind of skills and talents you already have:
What tools or techniques do you love to work with?
What software or programs do you use to design, create, or doodle out your creations?
What kind of work do your clients most often request from you/what’s your expertise?
To set the wheels of digital product design in motion, you don’t have to necessarily take a course or learn new skills. You already have some experience, now it’s just a question of defining your strengths. Your current clients and audience are great keys to discovering this:
Use your social media engagements as a guide and track which social media post or blog post has the highest engagement/share/ interaction rate.
Use website analytics to discover which of your webpages or blogs have the highest visitor rate.
Validate your idea by polling your audience through your Facebook Group, Instagram stories or DMs to find out what they like best about your work and what they would like to see next.
Top tip: When formulating your digital product idea, keep in mind that people use digital products because they want to get a specific result that makes their lives easier, is simple to use and will enhance their success. If you can deliver on those points, your product will be a winner.
Step 2: Pick your digital product format
Okay, now that you’ve defined your skills, evaluated your social media engagements and asked your audience their opinion, it’s time to choose a format for your digital product.
Here’s a list of some format possibilities:
Editable Templates [social media templates, resume, e-card]
Printable Templates [planners, calendars, cards, posters, decoration]
Ebook, workbook or guide
Pre-recorded Course [video, audio]
Live Workshop/Class [30-60 minutes workshop]
Design elements [logo kit, mockup kit]
Top tip: For your first product, choose the format that you feel most comfortable with. There’s plenty of time to explore with formats once you gain some experience.
Step 3: Outline, create and design
Now that you know what format you’re going to use, it’s time to get organized. I’ve found that the best way to do that is by creating an outline first:
Create a brain dump list of everything you could teach or all the ideas you validated.
Choose the idea(s) that will lead to the simplest, fastest result.
Organize them in a flow that will make sense to the user.
Now it’s time to bring your ideas to life using the right tools and programs:
For workflows, guides, ebooks and printable templates: Adobe InDesign, Canva, Affinity Publisher, Apple Pages
For editable templates: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Affinity Publisher
For design element: Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer, Adobe Photoshop
Top tip: To extend the shelf life of your digital product, make sure your content is evergreen. That means that the idea you’re promoting doesn’t just reflect current trends that will seem dated a year or two from now. Evergreen means your content will be relevant to users for years to come, creating greater value for them and greater success for you.
Step 4: Create an Irresistible Offer
You’re a designer, but in order to sell your product, you’re going to need to learn how to market it, too. Hook your audience with an irresistible offer to bring in sales and make your product profitable.
Don’t worry if marketing isn’t your strong point. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Here are some amazingly simple, tried and true marketing techniques you can use to sell your digital product:
Offer it at a low price – people love a bargain
Special Bonus – free stuff is always welcome
Limited time offer – creates a sense of urgency, people won’t want to miss out
Step 5: Host, Sell, Share
If you’ve rocked all of the above steps, you’re ready to finalize your digital product offering by deciding which platform(s) you’ll use to host your product, how excited buyers will pay for it and how you’re going to share the news of your shiny new digital product with the world.
Host your digital product:
Websites: Squarespace, Wix, Sendowl
Market Places: Etsy, DesignCuts, CreativeMarket
Sell your digital product with these reliable and safe payment processors:
Share the news of your digital product through posts, photos and videos:
Your website
Top tip: Use all the channels possible to promote your digital product. You’ve worked hard, but it’s not time to rest just yet. A great promotional campaign through social media and websites can push your sales up so you can reap the profits you deserve.
Final thoughts!
Anyone can design and sell digital products. All you have to do is follow these simple steps and you’ll be able to generate passive income through your sales. If you have an idea you’ve been itching to try, don’t waste any more time doubting. Why not take the leap and create your dream? There’s nothing to lose and a lot of profits and success to gain.
Your Turn!
What’s stopping you from creating your first digital product?