How to Sell Digital Products on Shopify: Strategies for Success

Selling digital products on Shopify can be profitable, especially as the e-commerce market grows globally.

The global e-commerce market was valued at $4.9 trillion in 2021. It's projected to grow by 50% in the next five years¹, and the potential for selling digital products on Shopify is vast. This article will guide you on how to tap into this growing market and sell your digital products effectively.

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How to Sell Digital Products on Shopify: Steps to Get Started

Selling digital products on Shopify is straightforward. You can turn your expertise and creativity into a sustainable income stream. Shopify can sell products such as eBooks, printable artwork, software, and more to a global audience.

Let’s look at how to sell digital products on Shopify for free.

Set Up a Shopify Store for Digital Products

Setting up your store to sell digital products on Shopify is a straightforward process. Simply sign up for a Shopify account and select a pricing plan that suits your business needs (Shopify offers a free trial to get you started).²

Setting up your store to sell digital products on Shopify is a straightforward process. Simply sign up for a Shopify account and select a pricing plan that suits your business needs (Shopify offers a free trial to get you started).²

Choose the Right Shopify Plan

Selecting the right Shopify plan is essential for your business. Shopify offers several pricing tiers with different features and capabilities. This ensures a better alignment with diverse business needs. Here’s a breakdown of the plans³:

Shopify Basic Plan

The Basic Shopify plan is perfect for beginners. It includes essential features such as creating an online store and selling unlimited products. You can process orders with a low monthly fee.

Shopify Plan

The Shopify plan provides additional features. These include professional reports, gift cards, and more advanced shipping options. This plan is ideal if you plan to scale your digital product offerings.

Advanced Shopify Plan

The Advanced Shopify plan is tailored to businesses with extensive product catalogs. It can also fit businesses with higher sales volumes. It offers advanced reporting and analytics and third-party shipping rates. You cal also integrate with more external apps and services.

Install Digital Product Delivery Apps

You’ll need to install a reliable digital product delivery app to sell and deliver digital products on Shopify. These apps automate the process of delivering purchased digital files to your customers. Here are some popular apps to consider:

Shopify's Digital Downloads App

Shopify offers a free Digital Downloads app⁴ that integrates seamlessly with your store. This app is a great tool for automating the delivery of digital products to your customers. Once a customer completes a purchase, they automatically receive a download link via email. This saves you time and ensures a smooth customer experience.

SendOwl

SendOwl⁵ is an app that specializes in delivering digital products and offers advanced features like automated customer email notifications, customizable download pages, and the ability to sell multiple file types (PDFs, ZIP files, images, etc.). It also supports subscription models to help sellers offer recurring digital content.

FetchApp

FetchApp⁶ is a popular app for managing digital downloads on Shopify. It supports unlimited file delivery in multiple formats. It also integrates with email marketing tools. FetchApp also provides features like secure file protection and password-protected downloads. This helps to ensure that only paying customers can access your products.

Create Product Pages with High-Converting Descriptions

A compelling product page is key to driving sales for your digital products on Shopify. Here’s how to craft product pages that convert:

Write Clear and Concise Product Descriptions:

The first step is writing clear, informative product descriptions highlighting your digital products' value. Focus on explaining the product, how it benefits the buyer, and why it stands out from others on the market.

Highlight Key Features and Benefits

Explain how they benefit the buyer rather than just listing the product’s features. For instance, instead of saying, "This e-book is 150 pages long," you could say, "Packed with 150 pages of expert tips, this e-book will help you master digital marketing strategies in just 30 days."

Use Persuasive Language

Incorporate persuasive language that appeals to your ideal customer. Use action verbs, emotional triggers, and powerful adjectives to convey value and urgency.

Include High-Quality Images or Previews

Visuals are just as crucial as descriptions for digital products. Use high-quality images, screenshots, or product previews to give customers a sneak peek of what they’ll receive.

Offer a Product Demo or Sample

One effective way to increase conversions is by offering a sample of your digital product. This gives potential buyers a taste of what they can expect and helps build trust in the quality of your product.

Can I Sell Digital Products on Shopify for Free?

While Shopify is a powerful platform for selling digital products, it is not entirely free.
However, there are ways to minimize costs when starting, especially if you're focused on selling digital products.

Shopify's Pricing Plans
Shopify offers several pricing plans, starting with the Basic Shopify plan, which charges a monthly subscription fee. It also offers a 14-day free trial, which allows you to set up your store, upload products, and test the platform before committing to a paid plan.

Free-to-Paid Digital Product Delivery Apps
To keep costs low, you can use free apps to deliver your digital products to customers. For example, apps like Digital Downloads and SendOwl allow you to automate the process of delivering digital products. These include e-books, printables, and artwork.

Types of Digital Products You Can Sell on Shopify

Shopify offers an excellent platform for selling a wide variety of digital products. Let’s explore the most popular digital product categories.

E-books, Courses, and Guides

E-books, online courses, and guides are among Shopify's most popular digital products. They offer an excellent opportunity for creators to share their expertise. These could consist of self-help books, how-to guides, or comprehensive educational courses

Printables, Graphics, and Design Assets

Printables, graphics, and design assets are in high demand. They typically include planners, calendars, invitations, wall art, business card templates, and more.

Software, Apps, and Memberships

Selling software, apps, and memberships on Shopify provides a unique opportunity to cater to a tech-savvy audience seeking digital solutions. Your software and apps can range from productivity tools to utilities and design software. Usually, this is decided by your target audience. These can also be more niche applications.

These products often require licensing or subscription models. This offers the potential for recurring revenue. Memberships, on the other hand, are ideal for those providing exclusive content and online communities. Educational resources are suitable for membership models as well.

How do I Automate Digital Product Delivery on Shopify?

Shopify offers various apps and integrations that make automating the delivery of digital products simple and reliable. These tools automatically send customers their purchased files. Alternatively, they provide access instructions immediately after payment is confirmed. This eliminates the need for manual intervention.

Here’s how you can set it up:

Set Up the Product Listings: For each digital product, you must upload the files (e-books, PDFs, music, etc.). You can also set up access links for software or memberships. With the app installed, you’ll associate the product with the digital delivery system.

Customize the Email Confirmation: Most apps will allow you to customize the email confirmation that customers will receive. You can include download links, instructions, and any other relevant details.

Enable Automatic Fulfillment: Once the customer completes their purchase, the app automatically processes the order. After that, it sends the download link or access information and updates the order status to fulfill it.

Benefits of Selling Digital Products on Shopify

Shopify is a comprehensive platform designed to support the end-to-end process of selling digital products. It offers several advantages over traditional online marketplaces. For example, it allows sellers to fully control their branding and website design. Sellers can also control the customer experience. This has previously been typically limited to other marketplaces.

Users can build and manage their store without technical expertise. Integrated payment gateways such as Shopify Payments, PayPal, and Stripe support secure, multi-currency transactions.

Unlike marketplaces that charge listing fees and take commissions on each sale, Shopify operates on a flat monthly subscription model. The platform also includes built-in tools for SEO, email marketing, and promotional campaigns. It also integrates with third-party services like Google Ads and Facebook.

How to Market Your Digital Products on Shopify

Marketing your digital products on Shopify is crucial to driving traffic and boosting sales. You can effectively reach your target audience and grow your business with the right strategies.

Content Marketing and SEO for Organic Traffic

Content marketing is an excellent way to attract organic traffic to your Shopify store. Creating valuable, informative, and engaging content can establish your brand as an authority in your niche. This can also improve your SEO ranking.
Each product page should be optimized with relevant keywords and clear descriptions. High-quality images can help improve its ranking in search engines.

Facebook and Google Ads for Targeted Reach

Facebook’s advanced targeting options allow you to reach potential customers based on demographics and interests. It also takes into account behaviors and even specific websites they have visited. Create engaging ad campaigns with attractive visuals and clear calls to action to entice users to click and make a purchase.

Facebook Ads

Facebook’s advanced targeting options allow you to reach potential customers based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and even specific websites they have visited. Create engaging ad campaigns with attractive visuals and clear calls to action to entice users to click and make a purchase.

Google Ads

Google Ads allows you to bid on keywords related to your digital products. This way, you can ensure your ads appear when potential customers search for those terms. Use keyword research to identify high-converting search terms and create ads that match the intent of those searches.

Leveraging Email Marketing and Automation

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to nurture relationships with potential and existing customers. This can lead to repeated purchases and higher conversion rates.

You can use email marketing to offer incentives such as discounts and free resources. Another option is exclusive content in exchange for customers' email addresses. To capture leads, place sign-up forms on your website, product pages, and blog posts.

Handling Shopify Payments and Customer Service

Managing payments and providing reliable customer service is essential for running a successful Shopify store. This can be especially true when selling digital products. Choosing the right payment gateway is key to a smooth and secure checkout experience.
Shopify Payments is the platform’s integrated solution, supporting multiple currencies and major credit cards.

Shopify Payments has no transaction fees. However, if Shopify Payments isn’t available in your region, Shopify also supports third-party gateways. These options offer flexibility but may include additional transaction fees. It’s important to weigh costs and functionality when choosing.

To ensure a smooth customer experience when selling digital products on Shopify, it's essential to clearly state your refund policy. This is important as digital items are typically non-refundable. Include this information on product pages and during checkout, and outline any exceptions.

Automating product delivery after purchase reduces errors and streamlines fulfillment. This allows you to focus on customer support. Additionally, a well-organized FAQ or help center can address common questions. By offering troubleshooting tips, this helps minimize support requests.

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Discover Wise: The Smart Solution for Handling International Payments

Wise Business simplifies handling international payments. This makes it ideal for Shopify store owners selling digital products globally.

With no monthly fees, Wise allows you to send and receive payments at the mid-market rate. This way, you can avoid hidden fees and save on conversion costs. You can hold over 40 currencies in your Wise account, giving you the flexibility to manage payments from customers

Find out more about Wise Business

Wise is not a bank, but a Money Services Business (MSB) provider and a smart alternative to banks. The Wise Business account is designed with international business in mind, and makes it easy to send, hold, and manage business funds in 40+ currencies. You can get major currency account details for a one-off fee to receive overseas payments like a local. You can also send money to 140+ countries.

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Sources:

1. eCommerce - Worldwide | Statista Market Forecast
2. Start a Shopify Free Trial
3. Shopify Pricing - Setup and Open Your Online Store Today
4. Digital Downloads
5. Sendowl
6. https://www.fetchapp.com/
   All sources checked June 2025.