5 Best Platforms To Sell Digital Products For Beginners

Summary

This video breaks down the top platforms for selling digital products, discussing the pros and cons of each. It compares options like Shopify, Hostinger, Gumroad, Stand Store, Podia, and warns against using Etsy. Shopify offers the most customization but can be expensive, while Hostinger is more affordable but limited in features. Gumroad and Stand Store are recommended for new sellers, while Podia is best for selling courses. The video emphasizes the importance of having a custom domain and controlling your business through your own website for long-term sustainability.

Takeaways

• 💰 The choice of platform to sell digital products can significantly impact earnings, potentially differing by thousands of dollars.
• 🏪 Shopify is recommended for those seeking maximum control, fewer fees, strong branding, and a professional look for their digital products.
• 🌐 Hostinger is suggested for budget-conscious sellers who want a website without high costs, starting at just $3.99 per month.
• 🚫 Avoid platforms that limit scalability and earning potential for long-term sustainable businesses.
• 🛍️ Custom domains are crucial for professionalism and can boost visibility and sales, with .store domains being particularly beneficial for e-commerce.
• 📈 Gumroad is user-friendly for both buyers and sellers, suitable for those not concerned about extensive branding or customization.
• 💬 St store is ideal for creators and influencers looking to sell products easily through social media platforms.
• 📦 Podia is an all-in-one platform for selling various types of digital products and is particularly strong for courses and memberships.
• 📉 Etsy is advised against due to its fees, risk of shop closures without notice, and competitive pricing pressures that can devalue products.
• 🔗 Marketing is key to selling digital products, and using the right platform can facilitate effective marketing strategies.

Q & A

What are the two platforms recommended for hosting your digital products if you want maximum control and branding?

The two recommended platforms for maximum control, branding, and scalability are Shopify and Hostinger. Shopify is great for its extensive features and customization options, while Hostinger offers a more affordable option with fewer customization capabilities.

What are the main benefits of using Shopify for selling digital products?

Shopify provides extensive customization options, a drag-and-drop interface, strong SEO and analytics features, and the ability to scale easily. It is ideal for sellers looking to build a highly professional e-commerce presence and may eventually want to expand into physical product sales.

What are the drawbacks of using Shopify for digital products?

Shopify can be pricey, starting at $39 per month. Additionally, to sell digital products, a separate app may be required, which adds to the cost. This makes it less ideal for those on a tight budget or just starting out.

How does Hostinger compare to Shopify in terms of features and cost?

Hostinger is significantly more affordable, starting at $3.99 per month, and includes features like a free email and domain. However, it is less customizable and cannot handle complex digital products like zip files, limiting its functionality compared to Shopify.

What type of sellers would benefit the most from using Hostinger?

Hostinger is best suited for budget-conscious sellers who want a custom website with basic e-commerce functionalities and who do not need complex product options. It's a good fit for beginners looking to build an online presence affordably.

What are the main advantages and disadvantages of using Gumroad?

Gumroad is simple to use, requires no upfront costs, and supports various digital product types. It also has built-in content protection features. However, it charges a flat 10% transaction fee, has minimal customization options, and may not be suitable for long-term branding needs.

Who should consider using Stand Store as their platform for digital products?

Stand Store is ideal for content creators and influencers who focus on social media and want a user-friendly platform to sell simple digital products or services, such as coaching or memberships. It's also suitable for beginners looking for a low-maintenance option to get started.

What makes Podia a good choice for selling digital products?

Podia is an all-in-one platform that supports memberships, courses, and various other digital products. It offers features like custom domains, direct messaging with customers, and no transaction fees. It's designed for sellers looking to build a digital product business or 'empire' and want to offer diverse product types.

What are some of the cons associated with Podia?

Podia's pricing can be inconsistent, with changes in features and fees over time. It also has limited customization options compared to Shopify and can be inconvenient for non-course products due to the need for customer account creation.

Why is Etsy considered a risky platform for selling digital products?

Etsy has multiple fees, lacks custom branding options, and is known for shutting down stores without notice, risking income loss for sellers. Additionally, Etsy’s focus on lower prices can lead to a 'race to the bottom,' making it hard for new sellers to compete and build a sustainable business.

Outlines

00:00

💡 Choosing the Best Platform for Your Digital Products

This paragraph discusses the importance of selecting the right platform for selling digital products. It emphasizes how the choice can impact profitability, scalability, and control. The speaker introduces Shopify as a top recommendation for serious sellers due to its robust features like SEO, analytics, and customization. However, it mentions cons such as high fees and the need for additional apps, making Shopify ideal for those aiming for large-scale operations. The next alternative platform, Hostinger, offers lower costs and fewer fees, but lacks some of the advanced features and customization options of Shopify.

05:00

🌐 Benefits of Using a .Store Domain

This section focuses on the importance of having a custom domain for professional branding. It promotes .store domains as a specialized option for online stores, stating they help boost visibility on Google and increase click-through rates. The speaker highlights celebrities using .store domains and offers a promotional deal for purchasing one. While it emphasizes the value of having your own domain, it also introduces third-party platforms like Gumroad for those who prefer not to create a website.

10:01

⚖️ Evaluating Third-Party Platforms Like Gumroad and Stand Store

Here, the speaker provides an overview of third-party platforms like Gumroad and Stand Store for sellers who prefer not to build their own websites. Gumroad is praised for its simplicity, lack of upfront costs, and ability to handle multiple types of digital products, but criticized for high fees and limited customization. Stand Store is recommended for social media creators due to its user-friendly interface and automated delivery, but it has limitations in terms of customization and professional branding. These platforms are suitable for new sellers or influencers looking for quick, easy setup.

15:03

🏗️ Podia: A Versatile Platform for Digital Product Empires

This paragraph introduces Podia, an all-in-one platform ideal for those looking to build a large digital product business. The speaker appreciates its support for multiple product types, including courses, memberships, and consultations, as well as its lack of transaction fees and customization options. However, Podia’s frequent pricing changes and limited customization compared to Shopify are noted as drawbacks. It is best for sellers focused on courses and memberships, with the speaker expressing personal experience using the platform.

🚫 Why You Should Avoid Etsy for Digital Products

The speaker strongly advises against using Etsy for selling digital products, sharing personal negative experiences with the platform. Despite making significant sales, their shop was shut down without explanation, and attempts to resolve the issue were ignored. Other cons include multiple fees, lack of custom branding, and Etsy's tendency to promote more established sellers over newcomers. The speaker argues that while Etsy can be useful for some, the risk of losing an entire business outweighs the benefits, especially given the platform's low pricing competition and limited control over branding.

🎯 Marketing Your Digital Products

The final paragraph provides a segue into the next step after listing digital products: marketing. The speaker mentions they have created separate videos on marketing strategies, linking these resources for viewers. This brief mention encourages sellers to not only focus on the platforms for selling but also on how to drive traffic and increase sales through effective marketing techniques.

Keywords

💡Digital products

Digital products refer to any items or content sold online that are delivered digitally, such as ebooks, templates, or courses. In the video, the speaker focuses on platforms that help creators sell digital products effectively, explaining how different platforms cater to this market by offering features such as no transaction fees, customization, and e-commerce tools.

💡Shopify

Shopify is an e-commerce platform widely used for selling both digital and physical products. It offers extensive customization options, powerful back-end tools like analytics, SEO, and upsell features. However, it is noted for being more expensive compared to other platforms, making it ideal for sellers who aim to scale their business to a higher revenue level.

💡Hostinger

Hostinger is a more budget-friendly platform compared to Shopify, starting at $3.99 per month. While it offers e-commerce tools and AI-powered website builders, it has limitations, such as reduced customization and restrictions on the types of digital products you can sell (e.g., no zip file sales). Hostinger is positioned for those who want an affordable solution with essential features.

💡Custom domain

A custom domain is a unique web address that helps businesses build their brand identity online, making them appear more professional. The video emphasizes that a custom domain, especially a .store domain, can increase visibility and attract more customers, making it a crucial factor for those who want to create a sustainable digital product business.

💡Gumroad

Gumroad is a simple third-party platform for creators to sell digital products without the need for a custom website. While it is easy to use and has no upfront fees, it charges a flat 10% fee on sales and offers minimal customization. The platform is ideal for new sellers looking for a low-maintenance way to start selling digital products quickly.

💡Stand Store

Stand Store is a platform designed for social media creators and influencers to sell digital products like coaching services, courses, and memberships. The video highlights its ease of use and strong user familiarity, making it ideal for creators focused on promoting products through social media platforms. However, it lacks customization and doesn't support complex digital products.

💡Podia

Podia is an all-in-one platform for selling digital products, including courses, memberships, and consultations. It offers features like custom domains, email lists, and no transaction fees, making it ideal for those building a 'digital product empire.' The speaker mentions its pros but warns about pricing changes and limited customization, which could be a downside for some users.

💡Etsy

Etsy is an online marketplace where sellers can offer both physical and digital products. In the video, Etsy is presented as a platform to avoid for digital product sellers due to high fees, lack of custom branding, and frequent shop closures without explanation. While the speaker acknowledges Etsy's initial success, they ultimately warn against relying on it for long-term business.

💡Content protection

Content protection refers to measures taken by platforms to ensure that creators' intellectual property is safeguarded. The speaker mentions that Gumroad offers content protection measures to prevent unauthorized use or piracy of digital products, which is a critical feature for creators selling digital goods online.

💡Scalability

Scalability refers to the potential for a business to grow in size and revenue without encountering major obstacles. In the video, the speaker suggests that platforms like Shopify, which offer robust tools and features, are better suited for sellers who aim to scale their digital product business to significant revenue levels, while platforms with lower fees may limit growth potential.

Highlights

Selling digital products on the right platform can be the difference between making $0 and $10,000.

Shopify is the most feature-rich platform with robust back-end features such as SEO, analytics, and upselling.

Shopify is ideal for sellers who are serious and looking to scale their business to $10,000+ per month.

Hostinger offers a more affordable alternative to Shopify with plans starting at $3.99/month.

Hostinger includes features like an AI website builder and does not charge transaction fees, but has limited customization options.

Gumroad is simple and has no upfront cost, making it a great option for new sellers, though it charges a 10% transaction fee.

Stand Store is best for creators and influencers offering digital products or coaching services, with built-in features for easy digital product delivery.

Podia is an all-in-one platform ideal for selling courses, memberships, and consultations with no transaction fees.

Podia allows for custom domains and supports various digital product types, but its fees and features may change frequently.

Etsy, though a popular marketplace, has many cons, including unpredictable shop shutdowns and multiple fees.

Etsy promotes established sellers, leaving new sellers to bring in their own traffic to make initial sales.

Using your own website gives you full control over branding, pricing, and customer connections.

Custom domains like .store domains are recommended for online stores, offering more visibility and potential discounts.

Digital product sellers should consider long-term sustainability, avoiding platforms with high fees and low scalability.

For digital product businesses, platforms like Shopify and Podia are best for scaling, while Etsy is more suited for short-term or risk-taking sellers.

Transcripts

where you sell your digital product

could be the difference between you

making $0 and $10,000 in your digital

product business to help you make the

best decision I'll be breaking down the

top platforms for digital product

sellers I'll go over the pros and cons

of each platform and I'll give them a

rating based on these things right here

so you can choose what's best for you

according to your own needs at the end

I'll tell you which one you should

probably avoid if you want to build a

long-term sustainable business to be

honest the people who don't use these

next two platforms are going to struggle

more because they're going to make less

money and have less scalability so if

you want Max Control less fees more

branding more professionalism I suggest

you host your digital products on your

own website and these are the two that I

recommend the first one that I'm going

to recommend is Shopify now Shopify is

the OG in the e-commerce game it's going

to give you the most features not only

for just how your store looks but also

the back end like with SEO with

analytics with all your tracking and

your upsells and stuff this is like the

e-commerce giant Shopify has a lot of

Pros for example it's super drag and

drop so you usually don't have to do a

lot of coding or anything if you don't

want to Shopify is also going to have

the most customization options that

means that you know if you're someone

who's very particular you wanted to look

exactly how you wanted to look if you

will have like a luxury brand you want

it to look the most luxury well you have

the most customization option options

out of everything on this list and

Shopify is good because if you ever want

to venture into like selling physical

products or selling anything related to

e-commerce you already have your branded

site and it's very easy to make that

pivot even though this is industry

standard there are definitely cons for

example Shopify definitely can get

pricey plans do start at $39 per month

and if you're just getting started that

can be a lot also I find that Shopify

has a lot of things that you have to add

for example you have to add a separate

app in order to sell digital products

and I believe that's another fee that

you have to pay even if it's like $10 a

month or something it's still another

fee and like that can get really

annoying when the fees add up for that

reason Shopify is best for sellers who

are very serious and who know they want

to scale this to like you know 10 20

$30,000 a month or Beyond if you love

all of that about Shopify but you don't

like all those High fees then I would

recommend this next platform which is

hosting

now hostinger has e-commerce options it

has website options it has all of that

but it is a lot more affordable with

their plans starting at just $3.99 per

month like Shopify you're going to have

control over your branding your

customization and hostinger even has

like AI website builder tools so that

you're not spending so much time on the

setup as you would with something like

Shopify with hostinger you also don't

need any external apps or anything to

sell digital products you can just

literally like sign up and start listing

your digital products they also don't

have any transaction fees and you get a

free email and a free domain like those

options are really good to me but with

that affordable price you are going to

get some cons the main cons is that it

is not as pretty and as customizable as

something like Shopify so if you're very

particular on the look you might feel a

bit limited with hosting her at least

that's how I felt and one thing I

definitely don't like about hostinger is

that although you can sell digital

products they do limit some of the types

of digital products that you can sell so

for example you cannot sell zip files

zip files are just files that have a lot

of other different files inside of them

so say I want to sell an ebook some

templates and some trackers I put them

all into one file and I sell it as a zip

file you can't do that with hostinger

hostinger you can only upload one file

per product and I find that really

annoying

if you're just selling an ebook or

something like that's fine if you're

just selling one file that's fine but if

you have like a package of files that

you want to send to people it's really

annoying that you can only do one file

per product with those pros and cons

hostinger is best for people who are

budget conscious they want their own

website they know how important it is

but they don't want to spend a lot of

money on it then hostinger is definitely

for you whether you choose Shopify

hostinger or any of the other ones on

this list having a custom domain is

going to be so important because that is

what what makes you look very very

professional for your custom domain

there are a lot of different options you

can go with but I recommend going with a

DOT store domain this is because a do

store domain is made specifically for

online stores and actually help you sell

more for example in a 12-month study do

store domains were shown to get two

times more visibility on Google and 87%

more people chose to click on them

people like Mr be Shakira and even

Rihanna have do store domains because

they really are that good it makes sense

for an e-commerce business and do store

domains also get really good discounts

that other domains wouldn't get for

example on Elevate do store you get

$2,500 worth of discounts on business

tools compared to other domains they

only get $1600 worth of discounts dot

store domains are super affordable so I

got you guys a special deal you can get

your dot store domain for just 99 Cents

for your first year all you need to do

is click the link in my description and

enter code energy at checkout thanks so

much to do store domains for sponsoring

this video for people who are like I

don't want to set up my website I don't

want to do all that I just want to use a

thirdparty platform well I have some

options for you guys too don't worry

even though I recommend selling on your

own website because you do have more

control like these third party platforms

you know could decide that they don't

want you on on their platform anymore

right that's just a risk that you're

taking it is beneficial because you

don't have to be a designer or do any of

that you just upload your products and

keep it pushing first one I'll recommend

is gum road now Gum Road is really good

both as a buyer and as a seller this is

great great for people who they just

want to list it somewhere they don't

care about branding they don't care

about personal lasers they don't really

care about any of that the pros of

gumroad is that it's super simple to

upload literally a baby could probably

upload something to gumroad and you can

sell a bunch of different things so you

can sell videos you could sell audios

you could even have a membership and an

email list so even though it is a third-

party platform like you get so many

features that sometimes it feels like

you have your own website and you can

even connect a custom domain I believe

too so it's like you know it's pretty

good with gumroad you're not having any

upfront cost or any monthly fees so this

is a way that you can get started with

your digital product business without

spending a lot of money gumroad also

does have a built-in Marketplace similar

to places like Etsy or Amazon um but I

wouldn't really rely on that too much

because it's not that popular but at

least it's there and you know you can

get organic traffic if you wanted to a

lot of people ask like what about

copyright how do I know that my content

is safe well gumro does offer a lot of

content protection measures to protect

creators even though there's all that

good there's always cons one of the

biggest cons for me is that gumroad is

very pricey in its fees so it's going to

take a 10% flat fee it doesn't have any

other fees and it doesn't have like a

paid program that you can join to get

rid of that fee so you're always going

to have to be giving away 10% of your

income also there's like very little if

any customization so what you get with

gumroad that that's what your customer

sees and there's not much that you can

do about it gumroad is best for new

sellers who just want something low

maintenance and they want something very

quick easy and they don't want to pay

any money for it for people who know

that they're going to be marketing on

social media then St store could be an

option for you this is because stor is

specifically created for creators and

influencers to be able to get products

out there in a very easy and

userfriendly way the pros of St store is

that because it's built for creators you

can offer a variety of different

services so you can offer digital

products you can offer coaching Services

I believe you can even offer memberships

as well with st store it's going to be

one of the best like Linkin bios for

your social media I'm telling you I've

used it I bought from St store and it's

so intuitive and so easy and customers

are very familiar with St store as well

because it's literally everywhere I also

like sand store because of its automated

delivery with selling digital products

sometimes you do have problems with

customers actually receiving the order

and stuff like that but stor is very

very good at giving the things to the

customers without any hassles so that's

going to help you keep your business

very efficient like Gum Road St store

does have the con that there is limited

customization what you see is what you

get with stand store you can't even sell

complex digital products there it's for

very very simple things you can sell

courses um but I don't think that that

their course platform is that good so

paying $29.99 a month month like the

value doesn't really match what you're

paying in that sense and with stor you

can't even have a custom domain so you

always have to have like St stor SL

whatever I don't really think that's

cool for building a long-term business

but there's people who make so much

money on stand stor because it's very

easy customers know it and like it's

just yeah really simple for social media

if you know that you want to be a

Creator and you want to sell digital

products related to you know your

content creation and stuff then stand

store is a really good option for people

who just want to get up and running it

might be good to validate your idea on

something like stand store or gumroad or

whatever and then once you're like

actually ready to have your own website

you can also do that another platform

that's kind of like a cross between a

third-party platform and something like

Shopify is podia poda is actually the

software that I've used for years to

sell my digital products and I like it

because it's an Allin one platform so

you can have your membership you can

have your email list you can sell

courses you you can sell consultations

you can sell all types of digital

products like it really is for people

who like want a digital product Empire

you can have your custom domain you can

customize the website how you want it

there are no transaction fees either so

you get to keep more of your money and

you can sell as many digital products as

you want to sell so yeah it's really

good platform I do like it they do have

good support and you do have a lot of

options for example you can message

directly with people who have bought

your digital products in case they need

help like this is good for me because I

sell a course and so yeah they have a

lot of features that I do like but they

also have some that I don't like that

need to be mentioned before you go ahead

and choose this option one is that their

monthly fee is $39 a month well they do

have cheaper plans $0 a month $9 a month

and their cheap plans used to be really

good you could sell like as many things

as you want the transaction fees weren't

that high like it was super good but

with pod they change a lot of things

regarding the pricing and they change it

in my opinion frequently so even though

today you sign up and you're paying $30

a month and you're getting X Y and Z

features in two months they can change

it and be like okay wait those features

are actually not going to be there

anymore you need to upgrade to get those

features that's what happened to me

recently and it really made me want to

switch um but I think like they were

able to work with me and give me those

old features back so I was like okay

fine I'm not angry but I do find that

annoying because if I'm going to have a

digital product platform I don't want

the fees to keep changing and the

features to keep changing also with

podia it really is for courses you can

sell other digital products but I found

that um it's a bit inconvenient because

like you have to sign up you have to

create an account I want something where

like they just enter their email you

send them the product they don't have to

create a password and all that stuff

that's it's annoying because like if I

see the that I have to do all of that

I'm just not going to buy it right so

that could mean Less sales for me it's

really for people I think it's best for

people who are selling courses or video

products also with podia you do have

limited customization compared to

something like Shopify but you have more

customization compared something like St

store or gumroad so it's like a middle

ground overall podia is best for people

who want to sell courses or memberships

it's really a Powerhouse for that and

it's going to do it better than any of

the other ones on this list now I did

say I'd tell you which one I would

definitely definitely avoid and I think

you guys already know what I'm going to

say if you've been watching my channel

it is Etsy now I hate Etsy really I sold

on Etsy that's where I got my start

selling my ebooks um for $20 or

something like this and I made a lot of

sales there but with Etsy they have a

lot of different fees they have like I

think two or three different fees that

you have to pay as well as Etsy is

Infamous for shutting down shops without

giving any reason so after making about

$20,000 on Etsy they decided to shut

down my shop and they didn't give me any

way to get it back I would email them

over and over and I wouldn't hear

anything back I tried for literally 2

years to get my shot back and nothing

was ever done and so I lost my source of

income overnight also with Etsy I know

there is an inbuilt Marketplace but with

a lot of new sellers etsy's not going to

promote OTE most of new sellers they're

going to promote people who are like

tried and true on the platform and so

with Etsy you still do have to bring in

a lot of your own traffic and get those

you know at least first 10 15 sales

yourself before Etsy really starts

pushing you and so in my opinion if I

already have to bring in my own traffic

in the beginning I'd rather just keep

bringing in my traffic be able to sell

at a higher price because with Etsy

everybody's on a race to the bottom on

Etsy everybody's trying to sell other

things as cheap as possible that's

really the name of the game and so you

as a seller are kind of especially as a

new one are forced to have your prices a

bit lower unless you're selling to your

own people so for that reason I'd rather

have my own website be able to charge

the prices that I want to charge be able

to keep more money and not wake up with

the fear that my store is just going to

be gone and I don't have any way to get

it back Etsy is really great if you're

willing to take the risk but I

personally after trying twice am no

longer willing to take that risk also

with Etsy there is no custom branding so

you are just one seller in the midst of

others and a lot of people are just

going to be shopping around they don't

have any connection to your store

specifically and so you don't have a way

to build like a very legit professional

business if you're just in the local

marketplace right with these other

platforms you're able to have your own

storefront there's nobody else that your

customer can look at and compare to

prices or anything it's just a lot more

professional having your digital

products listed is one thing but

marketing them is another thing so I

made some marketing videos I'm going to

link them on the screen and in the

description and I will see you guys in

my marketing videos