Selling digital products online is one of the best ways to generate side income these days. There are many different ways to do that, and the best part is that you will find them incredibly easy to do.
With that in mind, there are lots of platforms that allow you to sell digital products, so it’s hard to pinpoint a single one that might help you the way you want. Here are a few ideas that you can use as you pick your digital product selling platform.
Is it self-hosted, or do you need to pay for hosting?
Some of these platforms just offer you the software, and you have to install it on your own hosting. Other platforms will include everything, including hosting. It’s up to you to pick the one that fits your needs the most. If you already have a very good hosting service, then a self-hosted option can be a better option. But a beginner or someone that values convenience will certainly want to go with the simpler option, so try to take that into consideration.
How much does it cost?
Obviously, when you choose a platform to sell online, you want to know what costs will incur and whether you can afford that. It’s a good idea to not go for the cheapest platform. Instead, you should consider going for the one that gives you the most value for money.
Many cheap platforms will come with limits and those can lead to a detrimental, lackluster experience. It’s imperative to avoid that, and once you do so, you will be much happier with the results.
Who are you selling to?
There are platforms that specialize in a very specific niche. Others are more general. They might all provide a pay stub and any financial systems you need, but the user experience can differ. That’s the reason why we think it’s a good idea to go for a specialized option if you can.
Sticking to a more general option can be a great idea if you have a lower budget and you don’t want to overspend. All of these are viable solutions, depending on the situation.
Do they have a commission?
Some platforms will end up charging a commission for every sale. Others don’t do that, but they might have other monetization systems in place. Knowing the monetization structure and understanding the pros and cons of each option can help a lot.
The last thing you want is to encounter any problems after you pick the platform. That’s why you want to know any commissions and information.
Is the platform easy to use?
Obviously, your focus should always be on ease of use. Not all platforms might have a very intuitive interface. In some cases, the experience is lackluster and it can become an issue. We think the best way to circumvent that is to try and address the problem firsthand.
Making sure you always have the right tools available and that the interface is ready to use is always going to be very helpful.
Customization features
No matter how hard you try, you won’t always find the perfect solution. The truth is that in most cases, you will need to customize things like the interface, or maybe add some integrations. These things are common and a part of the process.
That’s why you want to see whether the platform has any type of customization. Ideally, it should have that, but it’s not always going to be the case. It does help if you are offered the means to adjust everything according to the needs of your business.
See the general consensus online
Reviews will give you a good insight into the pros and cons of any platform. Reading customer reviews matters because it will help you narrow down what is wrong with the platform or if there are any specifics that you need to take into account. You will also learn how helpful their customer support is, the overall value for money you can get and if there is any long term assistance.
Every platform comes with its own specifics, so the last thing you want is to be surprised by random issues. That’s the reason why reviews exist, so you can learn from previous customers about any issues that appear down the line.
There will be specifics that are great and bad for any platform, so reviews can help you make an informed decision. They can also highlight any glaring problems with the platform. And since not all of these platforms offer long term trials, reviews can help you identify issues a lot quicker and without any financial investment.
Assess multiple platforms
You will notice that most of these platforms come with a week or a month’s worth of trial. It makes sense to at least test them out and see how well they perform for you. Testing multiple platforms at once can be very helpful, and it will provide the necessary means to make the experience more cohesive and consistent.
Check the reliability of the platform, downtime, but also more general things like ease of use, menus and other things that are crucial for your specific business.
Do you have any special features?
Every platform tries to provide special features in order to attract customers. Some of them will give you competitor research tools, others will deliver self-service systems and so on. It’s always a good idea to create a list with all those features that you may need and see if the platform covers that or not. Ensuring that you have access to those features is important, and it can help prevent any issues down the line.
Is there any customer support and assistance?
Most of the best online selling platforms know that issues can appear at any given time. That’s why they have comprehensive customer support and assistance. It might not seem like a glaring issue in the beginning, but it does become a problem if you encounter issues and the platform is unresponsive. Testing out the customer support and how they help can indeed make a difference when you pick such a platform.
Are there any tutorials?
Sometimes it can be hard to get started with a new platform. That’s the reason why you want to view some videos or read some tutorials as you learn more about using the platform. Some of the best platforms have their own tutorials and features to help streamline the learning process.
That’s great because you can save time, while eliminating any of the possible downsides that can appear. Use that as an advantage, and you will find it all to work very well in the long term.
Conclusion
The process of picking a digital product selling platform can vary according to your niche and personal requirements. However, there are some general things to take into account, as you can see from our list above.
Knowing what you need and what features are important can help narrow things down and solve problems that can sometimes arise. It’s imperative to avoid any rush and ensure that you have an adequate, comprehensive and reliable platform that makes it very easy to sell any digital product online!