The 8 different digital products you can sell online are:
- Local lead generation websites
- Online courses and workshops
- E-books
- Printables
- Stock photos
- Newsletter subscriptions
- Mobile applications
- Memberships sites
Digital products are gaining popularity over physical products because of their accessibility. According to Sketchish, digital product transaction volume surged by almost 70% from 2023 to 2024. Statista backs this up by showing a 13.50% change in transaction value year over year. This means that consumers are purchasing more digital products in the 21st century.
A digital product is a service or product that is distributed electronically. You can access them online or offline through digital devices. These include smartphones, tablets, or computers. Some popular digital product ideas include merchandise designs, white-label products, and online subscriptions. Other sellers create bundles, such as website content packages and business branding kits.
FilterGrade is a well-known example of a digital product. It is an online marketplace for creators. Mike Moloney offers presets, video effects, social media management templates, and more. The website attracts over 450,000 monthly users and generates around $360,000 yearly.
Selling digital products is profitable. They have lower overhead costs since most businesses run their operations from home. They also don't have to keep physical inventory or spend money on shipping. MiTraining reveals that digital product creators earn around 70%-80% in profit margins. This can go over 80%-100% in some cases. Nathan Barry, founder of ConvertKit, achieved an 85% profit margin in 2012.
This Redditor revealed making $17,000 in June selling digital items. She used marketplaces like Etsy and StanStore.
Other Redditors recommend choosing a less saturated market. This way, you can introduce a sellable product that fulfills consumer needs. Other Reddit users say that saturated markets are better because of their demand. These include affiliate marketing products, business templates, or ad creatives.
While digital products can be profitable, it's still important to choose the right one. Trust me, I have been selling digital products since 2014. I know what business model works and what doesn't. That's why I'll talk about the different digital products that sell in 2024 and beyond. I'll also provide their profit potential, popular product examples, and the best tools to use.
1. Local Lead Generation Websites
Local lead generation websites are profitable digital products because of their high demand. Exploding Topics reveals that over 50% of businesses see lead generation as crucial. However, WPFunnels states that 61% of marketers find this business strategy challenging. That's why making high-quality local lead gen websites leads to higher monthly profits.
This business model entails finding local niches and creating websites for local services. You need to rank these sites organically on search engines using SEO. Once they're ranked, you generate free leads which you can sell to local business owners. These websites are the best digital products to sell because businesses need customers. But, most entrepreneurs lack digital expertise. That's why they buy leads regularly or find websites to rent.
Debbie is one of our students who earns around $400 per website build. She finds potential clients (businesses and organizations) in her local community. After identifying their needs and goals, she then makes a customized website. Clients choose this over expensive website-building agencies.
Popular Examples
- Grand Rapids Tree Service website
- Troy Limo & Party Bus Ultra website
- Bluelight Pool Resurfacing website
Profit Potential
Local lead gen websites are the most profitable digital products to sell online. Profit margins range from 80% to 95%. A single website generates around $500 to $2,000 of passive income monthly.
Best Platforms To Use
- My free content writing tool (content creation)
- Semrush (marketing insights, SEO, keyword research)
- Snapps (website building)
2. Online Courses and Workshops
Online courses and workshops are the most popular digital products to sell online. Mirasee states that the online learning industry has grown by 9x since 2000. Aspiring business owners choose this digital product because they can set prime rates. The more experienced and skilled you are, the higher their course prices can be. Plus, you can create an online program and resell it many times.
Many individuals seek personal and professional development. Online courses are convenient and more accessible for business people and busy learners. This digital product involves creating content for specific topics or skill sets. The course creator shares his/her knowledge and experience. This can come in various formats:
This Redditor shared how he and his friends earned $6 million within two years. They created courses about online stock trading. Their strategy centered on using different experts' courses and tweaking the content. They also partnered with other industry mentors and grew their course offerings.
Popular Examples
- Tony Robbins' Inner Circle Program (personal and business development)
- MoMA’s Massive Open Online Courses (art expressions)
- ProductLed Academy's Growth Certifications (SaaS business and products)
Profit Potential
Starter Story reveals that course creators earn around $0 to $50,000 monthly. Profit margins can reach up to 75%. Kajabi also shares that 40% of course creators earn six figures within two years.
Best Platforms To Use
- Kajabi (creating, marketing, and selling online courses)
- Coursera (course and learning management)
- Stripe (payment processing)
3. E-Books
E-books are growing in popularity as digital products. The 2024 European E-Commerce Report shows that Europe contributed 25% of global e-book sales in 2023. Similarly, Cognitive Market Research reveals an 8% e-book growth in the Asia Pacific. E-books have lower production costs and are easy to update. Potential customers like this digital product because it doesn't take up physical space. They can bring it anywhere and anytime through digital downloads. Plus, they often cost less than physical books.
Electronic books (e-books) are digital versions of written content. They are available in various formats, such as PDF, EPUB, and MOBI. Consumers can access them using their mobile devices. You can buy them from online marketplaces, digital libraries, author websites, and more.
A Reddit user earned around $271,792 in 2020 from selling his self-published e-books. He wrote puppy training content from first-hand interviews. His marketing strategy included publishing on 3 platforms and in 2 languages.
Popular Examples
- Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (over 600 million copies sold)
- A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin (around 90 million copies sold
- The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (around 100 million copies sold)
Profit Potential
According to Statista, the average revenue per user (ARPU) is $14.18. Profit margins range from 35% to 70%, depending on the platform used. You can earn more through e-book bundles and sales.
Best Platforms To Use
- Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) (self-publishing platform)
- Calibre (e-book formatting software)
- Adobe InDesign (layout and design)
4. Printables
The demand for printables has skyrocketed, with a compound annual growth rate of 25.3% from 2023 onwards (Straits Research). In fact, the U.S. is home to 75.8% of print-on-demand businesses globally (Dropshipping.com). Printables have a strong market appeal because of their uses. Customers can choose the content they want and print the templates many times. They can even sell the printed copies physically to their local communities.
Printables are digital goods that customers can purchase, download, and print. They can be used for business or personal purposes. The best way to maximize your printable products is to list them on various online platforms. Some print-on-demand digital product ideas include:
Anthony and Kenny found significant success selling printables on Printify. They reportedly made $200,000 in just a few weeks. They transitioned from dropshipping Chinese products to making original t-shirt designs. Anthony and Kenny eliminated almost 90% of their usual operations and costs.
Popular Examples
- PrioriDigitalStudio's Ultimate Annual Budget Tracker
- Prints2Paper's Modern Floral Art Print/Wall Decor
- Phenixdigital's All-in-One Digital Planner
Profit Potential
According to Print KK, new sellers earn around $10-$100 weekly. Established printable businesses make over $4,000 per month. However, this depends on the platform you use. Take Etsy, for example. Contimod states that Etsy sellers generate $2,900 yearly on average.
Best Platforms To Use
- Canva (graphic design)
- Etsy (marketplace for printables)
- SendOwl (automated digital delivery system)
5. Stock Photos
Stock photos are great digital products to sell online because of their versatility. Custom Market Insights reveals that there is a high demand in industries like advertising, media, and e-commerce. Businesses use ready-to-post images to complete their website setups. Some shops even use these photos when posting on their social media profiles. According to LocaliQ, 63% of brands have bumped up their digital marketing budgets. This means that businesses will need more stock photos in the coming years.
Stock photography is when you take photos and sell them online through licenses. These are free digital products to sell for profit. You only need a camera that takes high-quality photos. Creators and businesses use these images in any type of marketing campaign. The most popular themes for stock photos are food, travel, and business photography. They can be used in:
Quora user Mark Burban shares his secret to succeeding with stock photography. He says to take photos that clients want. It's not always about the pretty pictures. Mark also advises other photographers to leave a good chunk of space before the framing. This is because clients often add other elements or crop the photo.
Popular Examples
- Adobe Stock
- Getty Images
- Shutterstock
Profit Potential
You can earn around $.02 to $0.25 per photo on average, as per Phototutorial. This goes up to $99.50 for high-quality photos. According to Jamo Images, 18.8% of stock photographers make over $2,000 monthly.
Best Platforms To Use
- Adobe Lightroom (photo editing)
- Photo Mechanic (metadata automation)
- Google Drive (cloud storage)
6. Newsletter Subscriptions
Newsletter subscriptions are digital products that offer profit and a loyal customer base. The Data & Marketing Association states that the lifetime value of a single customer email address increases by 33% yearly. The more engaged your client base is, the higher your long-term profits will be. Newsletter subscriptions offer recurring income and lower overhead costs. You can also automate your processes using email marketing platforms. Plus, you can offer personalized digital content based on current trends and demands.
This digital product involves sending regular email communications on exclusive content. Subscribers usually pay monthly or yearly. You can schedule your newsletters on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Many individuals purchase subscriptions because they can get specialized content. The most common topics for newsletter campaigns include:
Virginia Sole-Smith is the creator of the Burnt Toast newsletter. She has grown her newsletter into a six-figure annual income generator. Virginia charges $5 per month or $50 per year for subscriptions. Burnt Toast has become so successful that it has replaced her freelance career. It's now her sole income source, along with her books.
Popular Examples
- NYT's The Morning (8 million paid subscribers)
- Forbes Daily (4 million subscribers)
- Daily Skimm (7 million subscribers)
Profit Potential
What If Group's report reveals a $44 ROI for every $1 spent on newsletters. The report also states that 71.1% of individuals will spend up to $10 monthly or $120 yearly on a newsletter.
Best Platforms To Use
- ActiveCampaign (email service and automation provider)
- Substack (subscription and payment management)
- Grammarly (content creation)
7. Mobile Applications
Mobile apps are becoming popular because of their multiple monetization options. These include in-app purchases, subscriptions, paid apps, ad revenue, and more. Many entrepreneurs choose this digital product because of its growing demand. Statista reveals that there were over 218 billion mobile application downloads in 2023. This shows the potential for newer apps to hit online stores.
Mobile applications are software programs that run on mobile devices. These are categorized into native, web, and hybrid apps. Some famous app stores are Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The most in-demand apps nowadays are:
Michael Patzer found success selling his mobile apps on Flippa. He sold his iOS app portfolio for $10,000 at an auction. This included four different apps, namely: Zen Habits, Alti, Life Hacks, and Ella. He has also sold 5 other apps on the Flippa platform.
Popular Examples
- TikTok
- CapCut
Profit Potential
According to Business of Apps, mobile app developers make around $80K-$150K yearly on average. However, your income depends on factors like app category and ranking. Nandbox reveals that mobile game apps generate $10-$200 daily on ads alone. Apps that rank in the top 200 make $80K per day on average.
Best Platforms To Use
- Xamarin (cross-platform app development)
- Firebase (marketing, testing, and analytics)
- Flippa and Sell My App (marketplaces for selling mobile apps)
8. Membership Sites
Membership sites are profitable digital products because of their scalability. Restrict Content Pro states that most of these websites have no cap on the members they accept. This leads to higher monthly recurring income. In fact, 45.2% of long-running membership sites generate a six-figure income yearly (Membership Geeks). 6.9% of these sites even reach seven figures. You also build a community around specific topics or problems to solve.
Membership sites are exclusive platforms that offer relevant content to specific subjects. Aspiring members pay a recurring or one-time fee for accessing this resource. These sites provide services like:
Liz Wilcox created a $9 membership site that focused on email marketing. She attracted members from industries like blogging, SaaS, and content creation. Liz gained 700 members in just three months. Now, she has over 4,500 active members and generates around $500,000 in revenue.
Popular Examples
- Patreon
- LinkedIn Premium
- Peloton
Profit Potential
Paid Memberships Pro says that established sites earn around $307,805. Startups make $200 to $500 monthly. Your potential income will depend on your niche, content value, and pricing strategy.
Best Platforms To Use
- Podia (creating and managing memberships)
- Facebook Groups (social media platform for managing groups)
- Vimeo (video hosting)
Why Sell Local Lead Generation Assets Over Other Digital Products
Selling local lead generation assets is more profitable and scalable than other digital products. This online business model offers fewer competitors because of its localized niches. Other digital products have very saturated markets. Yes, you can sell digital assets easily because of the low barrier to entry. However, you'll be competing with long-standing and well-known companies. They have a more established audience base.
Alternatively, local lead generation focuses on specific markets. This means that competition is less fierce. Plus, you'll provide something that all businesses need: customers. You can charge a monthly fee for renting out websites or a one-time fee per lead. This depends on your pricing strategy. Once you build a solid system, you can easily recreate it and scale by building more websites.
This business model entails making niche service sites for specific locations. Then, you rank these websites through organic marketing on search engines. Once you rank at the top of the search results, you generate unlimited leads. Sell these leads to local business owners and make around $500 to $2,000 per site. I have been generating passive income from local lead gen for over 10 years now. This model has helped me make time for more important things, like family.
