How to Create Digital Products and Sell Them Well in 2025

Have you ever browsed Instagram and seen a beautiful calendar or template for sale, and thought: "I could do that too"? Want to grasp how to start a digital product business with confidence even with zero followers and no design experience? Our 'How to Create a Digital Product’ Guide is packed with action-driven insights from digital creators who have gone from zero to their first sale. 

Creating and selling digital products is a time-proven path to scalable income. Whether you're a solo entrepreneur, a startup founder, or a designer looking to monetize your skills, digital products offer an unmatched opportunity to build once and sell infinitely. 

From eBooks and online courses to SaaS tools and templates, the digital marketplace is booming in 2025 and beyond. 

You may know how to play it smart, but here’s the catch: the bar for success is higher than ever. 

You’re not just up against competition: you’re up against short attention spans, shifting algorithms, and customers who expect a seamless experience.  

This means you are now competing with every distraction that could keep someone from giving you their attention:

Today, we’ll walk you through the entire product design process from idea validation to launch strategy, so you can stand out in a crowded market and start generating consistent revenue. 

Before we jump into how to make a digital product from scratch, let’s browse through search intent of aspiring solopreneurs, digital product creators, and SaaS startups seeking beginner-friendly, practical guidance on how to create and start selling digital products online with confidence.

How do I make my own digital product?

To create your own digital product: 

1. Start by identifying a specific problem you can solve for a target audience
2. Validate your idea through research or a simple proof of concept
3. Choose your appropriate format, e.g., eBook, app, course, or software
4. Develop the product using appropriate tools
5. Test it with real users for feedback. 
6. Set up a sales channel, like your website or a digital marketplace
7. Launch your digital product with a clear marketing plan
8. Keep improving your product based on user input.

What is the easiest digital product to create?

The easiest digital product to create is a PDF-based product: an eBook, checklist, or worksheet. These products require minimal technical skills, can be made using free tools like Google Docs or Canva, and don’t involve coding or complex design. They're especially popular for creators, coaches, and educators who want to share expertise quickly and start selling online with low upfront investment.

What are examples of high-demand digital items?

High-demand digital items include: 

• Online courses
• Design templates
• Digital subscriptions
• eBooks
• Mobile apps
• Printable planners
• Software tools (SaaS) 
• Stock photos.

Digital products solve specific problems, offer convenience to entrepreneurs, students, and small businesses looking for fast, scalable solutions.

Can I sell digital products without a website?

Yes, you can sell digital products without a website by using platforms like Etsy, Gumroad, Ko-fi, or Sellfy, which handle hosting, payments, and delivery for you. You can also market and sell through social media, email newsletters, or online marketplaces, making it easy to start without building your own site.

How to create a digital product that will sell?

To create a digital product that will sell: 

1. Start by identifying a specific problem faced by your target audience.
2. Validate the demand through keyword research, surveys, or pre-orders.
3. Design a simple, high-value solution: an eBook, template, or software tool.
4. Focus on great design, a compelling value proposition, and a strong marketing strategy to attract and convert buyers.

Step 1: Find people’s problem to solve

You may have spent months writing a 200-page "The Ultimate Guide to Fitness" eBook. You put it up for Amazon KDP sale, but nobody gives a damn. Why? 

The pain point is too wide. 

At Eleken, we often encounter digital product starters claiming: "I'll make a digital product about my favourite hobby" or "I'll make a digital product that I think is cool." This is a sure way to end up with a product that nobody wants.

You should always start your digital product by thinking about someone’s problem. 42% of new businesses fail because they make something that no one needs.

As Eleken’s founder puts it: 

‍“Start with the problem. Not your idea. The problem. No one cares about your clever features if they don’t sell anything.” 

Here are more of Ilya’s thoughts on the topic:

Instead of daydreaming with your assumptions, start listening to people’s needs: 

• What problems do they face? 
• What frustrates them, consumes their time, or keeps them awake at night? 

Your product is not a problem. The real challenge to create a digital product is designing an end-to-end customer experience that will set your product apart.

Forget about features. The deeper you dig, the more you realize the entire customer journey. And that's exactly what great customer experience design solves.

Sell digital products not eBooks

Who is it meant for? A weightlifter? A senior? A parent who stays at home? A general guide doesn't talk to anybody in particular. It's hard to find, hard to sell, and hard to get someone to purchase.

Instead of a general fitness guide, think of a "10-Minute At-Home Workout Plan for Busy Parents" for the parental target audience who don't have time to attend the gym. 

The issue is real, and the answer is straight. And that’s the crucial starting point in developing your own digital products. 

To pinpoint a problem for your digital solution, balance your interests with people’s problems.

"Interest vs. problem” matrix

Here’s an easy-to-follow activity to help you match ‘what you know’ with ‘what people need’:

Pursuing product market fit for digital products, you do not have to come up with the best idea, but to stand out as the best problem-solver for your target audience.

Step 2: Choose the niche in demand

‍Today’s overcompetitive digital product market has turned into a place with lots of customers. Don’t take oversaturation as a roadblock to stop you from acting.

Your job is to spot your market share. This is where knowing how to make digital products for a specific audience really helps. 

Always start with the market, not the product: 

So, the magic is in niching down as deep as you can:

‍Broad niche: "Instagram Templates"

Narrow niche: "Instagram Templates for Small Businesses"

Hyper-niche: "Instagram Templates for Real Estate Agents"

Micro-niche: "Instagram Templates for Realtors Specializing in Luxury Homes"

By niching down, you make your product more customer-oriented, valuable, and easier to sell. This makes your targets feel that the product was developed just for them. 

‍Tools to validate a SaaS idea demand:

‍1. Gumroad Discover: Go to Gumroad and look in the "Discover" section. You can filter by category and popularity. Pay attention to what's selling well and look for patterns. Look for products that solve specific problems. This will help you figure out what people are willing to pay for.

‍2. Etsy Search: Etsy is a huge online store for digital goods. Type in a general idea, like "planners," into the search box and see what comes up. These are common searches. Then, look at the listings themselves. What are the bestsellers doing? What words do they use in their titles?

‍3. Google Trends: This free tool lets you determine whether the search interest in your area is steady, expanding, or falling.

‍4. Reddit Comments: This is where you can see the real problems that people are sharing. Look for subreddits that are related to your niche (like r/freelance or r/smallbusiness). Look for comments that say things like "I wish there was a tool for this" or "I have this problem all the time." These are great places to start when creating digital products.

Step 3: Create a simple, valuable product

The starting roadblock under way that keeps people from making a digital product is the persuasion that you have to be a professional designer or programmer. 

Nothing could be further from the truth…

Your primary goal is not to get perfect, but to make sure people want to pay for your product: 

‍"The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself." - Peter Drucker, Author of Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices‍

It's not about clever advertising or high-pressure sales tactics. It's about creating something that is so simple and so valuable to a specific person that they don't need to be convinced to buy it; the product's value is self-evident. When you get the product right, the marketing becomes almost effortless.

You can validate your digital product creation idea by starting small and improving it through advanced iterations. Here’s our guide on how to validate your SaaS idea without funding.

Once the product gains traction, that’s the point where bringing in a designer becomes a smart investment, once you are ready to design data-intensive applications. 

Making a minimum viable product (MVP)

‍A minimum viable product (MVP) is the simplest version of your product that you can sell to early consumers. It's the core solution with all the other features taken out. The idea is to bring it to market fast, receive customer feedback, and improve it.

For example, a ‘Debt snowball calculator’ may start as a basic Google Sheet and advance to a sophisticated online app. 

A "Social media content planner" could start as a simple PDF with blank calendars and then turn into a bespoke Notion template.

Once your MVP gains traction, you'll want to improve the user experience and visual design to increase conversions and build a more professional brand. 

A sound example comes from YouVet, a veterinary learning online platform that partnered with Eleken. 

In just three months, we helped them evolve their idea from hand-drawn sketches to a polished MVP design. 

First, our team created high-fidelity prototypes within a month, YouVet used to attract funding. 

Next, by combining traditional design with low-code tools like Retool and no-code tools like Framer, we helped our client test product features and launch a landing page for pre-marketing campaigns.

The lean approach helped us save the client’s time and budget. That’s how thoughtful design accelerates MVP validation.

At Eleken, we help solopreneurs and founders turn prototype vs MVP into market-ready digital products. 

With the importance of simplicity in mind, the following are a few straightforward MVP formats to validate your product idea and get it to market faster.

Streamlining MVP development

‍Notion Templates are great for anything that has to be organised, planned, or has information systems. You may make a company planner, a content creator calendar, a habit tracker, or a personal knowledge management system. It's an easy-to-follow approach to creating a strong, interactive product.

‍Google Sheets is the easiest way to make financial planners, trackers, or calculators. Anyone with a Google account may use them.

‍Canva Printables: A printable PDF is a great place to start if your audience likes tangible things. You might make calendars, checklists, habit trackers, or wall art.

‍Low-Code/No-Code Tools: You can create interactive tools without writing any code using platforms like Carrd for one-page websites or Tally for complex forms and surveys.

Here are more niche-based MVP examples you can implement: 

Here’s another vital question clients often ask us at Eleken: How to make digital products to sell?

You are ready to make and sell a digital product if you can say yes to these questions:

• Is my product just fixing one problem?
• Is the format easy for me to make and change?
• Would a tiny number of individuals pay for this right now?
• Do I have a clear title and some pictures to look at?
• Can I start this in the next two to three weeks?

Step 4: Launch it

Here’s one among millions of digital product creators who’ve launched "bad" products before finding a viral hit. It shows that done is always better than perfect:

Each launch of digital products online enables you to learn more. You learn what works, what doesn't, and what your audience really wants. 

The first digital product you make is rarely your biggest hit; it's just the first step:

How to put your goods on Gumroad or Payhip

Gumroad and Payhip are great platforms for those who are doing things for the first time since they take care of everything, from processing payments to sending files:

‍1. Sign up: Both platforms feature a free plan.

‍2. Add a new product: Click the "New Product" button and choose the sort of product you want to add (for example, a digital product, a course, etc).

‍3. Upload your files: Your product files (PDF, PNG, ZIP, etc.) are stored safely and sent out immediately once someone buys them.

‍4. Set the price: Don't overthink this. You can always alter it later. A reasonable starting point is usually between $10 and $50, but we'll talk about prices in more depth later.

‍5. Write a compelling description: This is really important. Use the language of your consumer and make it clear what issue you're addressing and what advantages they'll get. Use bullet points to make it simple to read.

‍6. Make preview images: You don't need to design a SaaS product professionally. Just use Canva to make a basic cover picture and a few mockups or screenshots of the product in use.

‍7. Hit publish: That's all you need to do. Your product is now online and ready to be sold.

Now that you've developed a product that delivers core value, let's explore the essential steps to successfully launch your MVP to your target audience:

• Give the consumer a clear idea of what they're receiving: "Save 10 hours a month on project planning" is better than "This is a Notion template."
• Don't spend any money on ads until you've shown that the product will sell.
• You don't have to notify everyone about your debut. Just put it up for sale and inform a few people.

This baseline approach is vital in learning how to create digital products to sell.

Step 5: Build your audience 

A common saying among successful creators is, "No audience, no sales." You could make the best digital product in the world, but if no one knows about it, you won't make a dime. 

The good news is that you don't need 10,000 followers to get started. You just need to build a small, targeted audience of people who trust you.

Share strategies that are easy for beginners to understand:

1. Make a free product to grow your email list: This is the best way for a new creator to get started. A "lead magnet" is a free piece of content, like a checklist, a mini-template, or a short guide, that solves a small problem and is related to your paid product. You give it away in exchange for an email address. For example, if you sell "The Ultimate Budgeting Spreadsheet," you may give away "The 5-Step Guide to Saving Your First $1,000." It gives you a direct way to talk to people who are interested in what you have to say. When you offer your paid product, you'll already have an audience to sell to.

2. Leave helpful comments in niche communities: Spot your targets where they hang out. Join subreddits, Facebook groups, or online forums and become a valuable member of the community. Answer questions, give helpful advice, and fix small problems. DO NOT spam your link; you need to build trust and authority first.

‍3. Start with brief-form material: Making extensive blog posts or podcasts might be too much. Start with brief, easy-to-read material that gives you quick wins:

‍o Faceless Reels: Make a movie of your Notion template in use with a popular song playing in the background.‍

o Carousel Posts: Make a "how-to" tutorial on Instagram with 5 to 10 slides.‍

o X Threads: Take a complicated subject and make it into a simple, easy-to-read thread.‍

Making a list of emails is the easiest approach to sell your digital goods.

Real-world anchor: Compare to “1 hour with a coach = $80+, but my template = $29”

Add a quick pricing tier chart by product type

Tackle the “imposter syndrome” barrier (you can charge even if you’re not an expert)

Step 6: Set a price and a place

Most digital product creators suffer from ‘imposter syndrome’ at this point. 

They set their prices too low because they don't feel like "experts." 

The price shouldn't be based on how long it took you to make digital products; it should be based on how much value you bring. A template that saves a small business owner 20 hours a month is worth a lot more than the 5 hours it took them to make it.

Pay for value, not time

Think about how your product leads to change. Does it save time? Make money? Lower stress? The more beneficial the change, the more you may charge.

Some examples of sweet spots are:‍

$9 to $19: The impulsive purchase: This is great for modest items with a specific use: checklists, brief guides, templates.

$27 to $47: The action-taker: This is the best price for a more complete solution, like a Notion system, a thorough eBook, or a set of templates. 

$97+: The premium solution: This pricing range is for in-depth solutions like online courses, masterclasses, or professional toolkits that make a big difference.

To explain your pricing, compare it to something in the real world. For example, "A single hour with a productivity coach costs $80 or more, but my Notion template gives you a full system to run your life for just $29." This lets the buyer see how much they’re receiving for their money.

Pricing Tiers by Product Type

Get over the ‘iImposter syndrome’

You don't have to be a world-famous expert; you just need to be one step ahead of your ideal customer. 

The value of making digital products is in solving a specific problem. 

You can charge money for your product even if you don't have a degree or a professional certification. People are paying for solutions, not for your credentials.

Step 7: Leverage 2025 marketing trends

Being too pushy in marketing is the worst thing you can do. In 2025 and beyond, people don't want to be sold to; they want to be helped. 

Artificial intelligence is the key to achieving this shift. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, AI analyzes massive amounts of data to understand each customer's individual needs, behaviors, and preferences. 

Your marketing should be a natural extension of the value proposition you offer:

1. Three ways to gain traffic for free.

2. The power of email automation.

3. SEO for digital products.

4. Growing and diversifying your income.

5. A tiered product strategy.

6. Affiliate marketing.

7. Setting prices and finding the right place.

8. Post-sale strategy.

9. Product Iterations and improvements.

1. Three ways to gain traffic for free

1. Building a community: Find 5–10 online marketplaces (subreddits, Facebook groups, Discord servers) where your target audience hangs out. Spend 20 minutes a day answering questions without linking to your product. After a few weeks of giving value, people will naturally want to know what you do.

2. Taking care of your email list: After you get a few people to sign up for your freebie, don't simply send them a sales pitch. Send them useful, worthwhile material every week. This creates trust so that when you do send a promotional email, they're ready to purchase.

3. Guest Posting: Look for a site in your field that lets people write guest posts. Write a good piece for them and include a link to your freebie in your author bio. This will bring you in front of a new audience.

Your prospective buyers should trust you before they buy. Your marketing success is about creating that trust. You need to be a helpful resource first and a seller second. This is the key to knowing how to produce digital items that sell.

While TikTok and Instagram may help you expand quickly in the short term, the long-term success of your company depends on continuous traffic and long-term SEO.

A successful plan for making digital products is beyond social media platforms and is based on everlasting concepts. 

And the real magic happens when you can nurture those leads over time. 

2. The power of email automation

Your email list is your most precious asset. You control it, unlike a social media algorithm that may change overnight. It's the best way to reach your audience and make sales. 

Don't simply gather addresses; use automatic sequences to create a connection.

‍1. The welcome sequence: This is the most crucial routine you'll set up. When someone downloads your freebie, they should get 3–5 emails over the course of a few days. The idea is to create trust and deliver value, not to sell right away:

‍Email 1 (Right Away): "Hey!" "Here's your freebie and a quick win." Give them the lead magnet and a simple suggestion they can use right now.

‍Email 2 (Day 2): "The story behind my product." Tell a personal tale about how you dealt with the difficulty your solution addresses. This helps people connect with you.

‍Email 3 (Day 4): "A useful tip + social proof." Give them another piece of useful information and a review from a previous client.

‍Email 4 (Day 5): "The soft sell." Present your paid product as the best answer to their issue. Don't be aggressive; simply show them how it fits in with the path they began with your freebie.

‍2. The nurture sequence: This is for subscribers who have finished the welcome sequence but haven't bought anything yet. Send them useful content every week, like a newsletter, a summary of a blog post, or a useful tip. The goal is to stay top-of-mind and deliver value. When you have a new product or a special offer, your audience will be ready to listen. This is crucial when you launch a SaaS business.

Generating free traffic is crucial for a new product, and at the heart of that effort is SEO. Let's break down the fundamentals and show you how to start using it effectively for your digital product.

3. SEO for digital products

Your sales page is more than just a location to sell; it's also a piece of marketing material that has to be optimised for search engines. This is an important part of how to develop digital items to sell.

‍Keyword research: Put yourself in your customer's shoes. What do they type into Google or Etsy to find a solution to their problem? Use all the tools like Google's Keyword Planner or Etsy's search bar auto-fill.

‍Title optimization: Your main keyword should be in the title of your product. For instance, "Notion Template for Freelancers" is far better than "My Ultimate Planner."

‍Description optimisation: Use your keywords in a way that makes sense in the product description. Don't pack them in there. Instead, write a description that is interesting and helps both people and search engines comprehend what your product is.

‍Image alt-text: The photos on your sales page should also have descriptive alt-text that incorporates your keywords. This helps search engines comprehend what the images are and may increase your ranking in image search.

While your first digital product is a great start, a sustainable business model often relies on multiple revenue sources.

4. Growing and diversifying your income

The actual work starts when you have a product that works. 

You need to scale up your digital product production. You don't want to simply sell one product forever; you want to establish a diverse ecosystem of goods that meet the needs of your audience at multiple price points.

Once you have a core product, the next step is to create a clear path for growth by developing a tiered product strategy that guides customers from free content to high-end offerings

5. A tiered product strategy

A product ladder is a smart method to service your consumers and make more money. It means selling items at various prices, with each one delivering greater value than the previous. 

This lets you reach more people and raise the average order value for your firm.

‍Tripwire ($5–$15): This is a cheap, high-value product that is simple to say "yes" to. Its goal is to transform a website visitor into a paying client. For example, it may be a one-page printable or a short checklist.

‍Main offer ($29–$99): This is the main product that you've previously released. It's the heart of your company and makes the most difference. An example is your whole Notion template or an eBook.

‍Premium offer ($99+): This is for your most loyal clients who need more support. It is usually a high-priced item: an online course, a package comprising all your items, or a group coaching session.

You can help customers who are just starting by offering them a low-cost item and others who want to go all-in with a premium offer. This is how you genuinely establish a scalable company from the ground up.

As you work to diversify your revenue streams, affiliate marketing is one of the most accessible and effective methods for earning income without creating a new product.

6. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is when you get other people to help you sell your product after you've shown that it sells. You give them a commission (usually 30–50%) for promoting your product to their audience. 

Multiple platforms, like Gumroad, have built-in affiliate systems that make it easy to set up.

‍Find your affiliates: Look for artists in your field that have a loyal following. They don't require millions of followers, just a community that trusts them.

‍Reach out: Send personalized emails to explain how your product will help your customers and offer them a great discount.

‍Give them promotional materials: Give them pre-written emails, social media posts, and high-quality photographs to make it easier for them to market your product.

Once you have your products and an audience, the final piece of the puzzle is figuring out your pricing and where your customers will actually buy from you. 

7. Setting prices and finding the right place

Pricing is more than just a number; it's a strong psychological weapon. To make a digital product that sells, you need to know how to position it.

‍Price charm: You've seen it everywhere: $47 instead of $50, or $19.99 instead of $20. This isn't a mistake; it's a well-researched marketing tactic. Studies show that prices ending in 9 or 7 are perceived as a better deal and can significantly boost conversions. The brain processes the first digit of a price most prominently, making a $47 price feel closer to 40 than 50.

‍The magic of anchoring: Anchoring is a cognitive bias that makes people depend too much on the first piece of information they get (the "anchor") while making choices. You may exploit this to your advantage.

For example, you may provide a comparison on your sales site, like "Similar courses from top-tier creators cost $199, but you can get my complete guide for just $49." The $199 is the anchor, which makes your $49 pricing seem like an amazing bargain.

This is a subtle but powerful approach to explain why your digital product is worth the price and to get customers to purchase it. It helps you get over their natural uncertainty and choose to buy simpler.

Making a sale is a huge milestone, but the key to a sustainable business is what happens next. Let's explore the critical elements of a solid post-sale strategy to turn one-time buyers into lifelong customers."

8. Post-sale strategy

When a buyer clicks "buy," your job isn't done. The post-sale experience is very important for creating a brand, getting social proof, and getting repeat business. This is when your company goes from a one-time sale to a long-term business.

‍Get feedback from customers and social proof: Testimonials are the best way to sell your business. They help potential clients trust you and show that your product is worth the money.

‍Ask for reviews: Send an email a week after someone buys from you, asking them to write a review or testimonial.

‍Make a feedback form: In your ‘thank you’ email, provide a link to a basic feedback form (like Tally or Google Forms). Ask precise questions, like: "Did this product solve your problem?" "What's the best thing about it?" or "What's the best thing about it?" "This helpful input is what you need to make changes and make your product better.

Making your first sale is a huge milestone, but the key to a sustainable business is what happens next. The feedback you receive from customers will fuel product iterations and improvements to make your product stay up-to-date and valuable.

9. Product Iterations and improvements

No digital product is ever "finished." Use the input to enhance your product continuously. 

Your clients may want an additional template, a new video lesson, or a different file format. If you listen to them, you might produce a "Version 2.0" that is even more useful.

Giving your current customers free updates is a great way to add value to your product. 

This will build goodwill and encourage them to become brand advocates who will tell their friends about your product. And, that’s a key part of how to make a digital product that will last.

Beyond digital product ideas 

With countless eBooks, templates, and online courses on how to create your digital product, your stand-out opportunity is not in spotting an untouched niche, but in creating a better, more targeted solution.

The reality of ‘how to make digital products’ is that it requires upfront work, in-depth research, and commitment. 

When it comes to making digital products, it's not about having the best idea; it's about being the most consistent. 

Now that you know how to start a digital product business, all you have to do is get started.

Our digital product roadmap emphasizes that you don't need 10,000 followers to make your first sale; you simply need to address one actual issue properly.

It's about giving people a way out and gaining their trust.