The 5 benefits of selling digital products online

Games, ebooks, movies, music, graphic designs and computer applications--these are just a few of the things you can now purchase online as digital products. We’ve invited Jimena Diaz de Vivar, owner of the PrestaShop store Dulzura de papel, to share her experience selling graphic design templates for themed party printables such as invitations, posters, napkins and food presentation details.
Read the five benefits she shared with us if you’re considering selling your digital creations online--it might just be the perfect move for your business.

Unlimited Stock

Digital products have the unique advantage of never going “out of stock.” As long as a customer is interested in buying the product, you have a chance to make the sale.

But this doesn’t mean your products will last forever; they eventually become obsolete, just like any other product. For example, Jimena updates graphic designs for her online shop every season to reflect new trends. It’s important to keep refreshing your product selection and stay up to date with your customers’ needs.

Low Costs

Inventory costs can be as high as 75% of a product’s retail price. However, if you create your digital product on your own-- let’s say you write a book and then sell it online--your inventory cost drops to $0. This significantly decreases the cost of starting your online store.

However, decreasing the cost of your inventory isn’t the only way you can save money. Without physical inventory, you also eliminate costs like shipping, storage and warehouse management.

International Markets

Unlike physical products, digital products don’t have barriers such as customs or shipping restrictions. When you sell downloadable products, it doesn’t matter how far away your customers are--you can reach anyone anywhere as long as they have internet access. “You can reach millions of potential customers that are thousands of kilometers away from you,” says Jimena.

International and domestic orders are very similar. Jimena says, “PrestaShop simplifies selling internationally, with geo-localization by IP addresses to adjust your shop’s currencies and multi-language pages with their corresponding payment methods; everything is done for you!”

Flexible Work Schedule

Owning your own business certainly gives you a lot of freedom. But when you sell physical products, you are automatically limited by your office’s location and hours of operation. For example, when a sale comes through, orders must be picked up, packed and labeled before the end of the business day to ensure timely shipping.

Digital goods don’t have these limitations. You can set your own schedule and work whenever and wherever you want. A customer’s order is virtually “shipped” to them, automatically. This is all possible with an automated system, which leads us to the next benefit.

Automated System

The PrestaShop software can be configured so that products are emailed or available for download automatically after each purchase. All merchants have to do is ensure the system is working properly. “What motivated me to create Dulzura de Papel was the flexibility I could have with an online store. Once everything is set up and the store functions well, you’re done. Products get sold on their own,” says Jimena.

Key takeaways

• Never run out of stock with digital goods
• Benefit from lower inventory, shipping and warehouse costs
• Reach international markets with less hassle
• Work wherever and whenever you want
• Automated functions make selling easier

Are you ready to start selling digital products online with PrestaShop? Check out this tutorial video series created by Matthew Woodward. The series will walk you through the entire process of setting up your own digital online shop.