WooCommerce Digital Products: How to Sell and Manage

Considering selling WooCommerce digital products? Wondering if WooCommerce is really geared up to sell digital products in the first place? Then this guide is for you.

In this guide, we’ll cover the following:

• What are WooCommerce digital products?
• The benefits of selling digital products on WooCommerce.
• How to add digital products to your WooCommerce store.
• How to optimize your store for selling digital products.
• WooCommerce digital product frequently asked questions.

Firstly, let’s explore what WooCommerce digital products are and how they’re different from physical products in WooCommerce.

What are WooCommerce digital products?

In a nutshell, WooCommerce digital products are products or services sold and delivered electronically to customers via a WooCommerce-powered website.

These product types can be anything from software, ebooks, online courses, music, videos, digital art, to subscription-based services and more.

What is WooCommerce?

WooCommerce is a flexible, open-source ecommerce platform built on WordPress, the world’s most popular content management system.

This powerful plugin turns a standard WordPress website into a fully-functional online store, giving store owners the tools to sell physical and digital products.

WooCommerce provides features like secure payment gateways (like PayPal, Stripe, etc.), shipping options, and thousands of other customization options, making it a popular choice among small to large-scale online retailers.

How digital products differ from physical products in WooCommerce

There’s a significant difference between selling digital and physical products in WooCommerce.

• When dealing with physical goods, the seller must manage inventory, arrange packaging and shipping, and handle returns and exchanges. These are steps that can be complex, time-consuming, and expensive.
• In contrast, digital products simplify this process by eliminating the need for physical handling. Once a digital product is developed and listed, the selling process is largely automated.

The customer purchases and receives the product instantly via download or email without any shipping costs or delivery times.

Types of digital products you could sell

With WooCommerce, you can sell a broad range of digital or downloadable products. Here are some of the most popular types of products you could sell:

• Ebooks and digital publications: These could be novels, guides, research papers, magazines, and more, in formats like PDF, ePub, or Kindle files.
• Online courses and webinars: Online education is a booming industry. With these virtual products, you could sell recorded lectures, live training sessions, webinars, or complete course packages.
• Digital art and graphic design resources: This category includes digital download illustrations, logo designs, stock photos, Photoshop templates, fonts, and more.
• Software and mobile apps: The digital marketplace for software is vast, from full-fledged software programs and video games to mobile applications and WordPress plugins.
• Music, audio files, and podcasts: This can range from selling albums, individual songs, sound effects, audiobooks, and podcast subscriptions.
• Videos and films: This could be anything from short films, documentaries, video tutorials, and stock footage.
• Subscription services: This includes access to premium content, software as a service (SaaS), and other subscription-based digital services.

So now we know the basics of WooCommerce digital products, let’s look at the benefits of selling them.

The benefits of selling digital products on WooCommerce

Selling digital products on WooCommerce has its fair share of perks that can turn your online business into a thriving enterprise. Let’s dive into some key benefits that’ll make you want to join the WooCommerce party immediately.

Low overhead costs

Digital goods require fewer resources to sell and deliver than physical products. Say goodbye to inventory management, warehousing, packaging, and shipping costs.

The only costs you’ll encounter are creating the digital product and maintaining your website. This reduces your overhead significantly.

Higher profit margins

Digital products can deliver greater profit margins thanks to these lower operational costs.

Once you’ve created your digital product, you can sell as many copies as you like without additional production costs. It’s like a gift that keeps on giving!

This scalability is a key reason why selling digital goods can be much more profitable.

Lower barrier to entry

Creating and selling digital products often involves a lower entry barrier than physical ones.

Got a knack for writing? You can create an eBook. A pro at a specific skill? Create an online course. You don’t need a large startup investment or extensive equipment. You only need a computer, the right software, and your expertise or creativity.

This makes it easier for aspiring entrepreneurs to start without significant financial risk.

Product updates made easy

Digital products give you the flexibility to make updates easily and regularly.

Whether selling software, eBooks, or online courses, you can make improvements, fix bugs, or update information without any physical recall.

Customers can then download the updated version, ensuring they always have the best of what you offer.

Wider customer reach

Because your store is online and you’re selling downloadable products, you can reach a global audience without the shipping costs.

This access to a broader market increases your potential customer base and allows for diverse income streams. Geographic boundaries are no longer a restriction when selling digital products on WooCommerce.

So now we know what WooCommerce digital products are and their benefits, let’s look at how you can create them in your WooCommerce store.

How to add digital products to your WooCommerce store

Creating a basic WooCommerce digital product is pretty straightforward. If you’ve used WooCommerce before, it’s much the same as creating a physical product with a few differences. If not, we’ll walk you through the steps below.

1. Create a new product: Log into your WordPress Dashboard and click on Products, then Add New.
2. Name your product: In the Product Name field, type the name of your product.

3. Add a short description: Scroll down to the Short Description section and type in a brief description of your product.
4. Upload product image: Now, head to the Product Image section. This is where you’ll add the cover image for your digital product.

5. Create a downloadable product: In the Product Data section, check both the Virtual and Downloadable boxes. This tells WooCommerce that your product is a digital file that customers can download after purchasing it.

Note: This tutorial focuses on creating a Simple Product, but if you’re creating a Variable Product, be sure to select Variable Product from the Product Data dropdown.

6. Set your product price: In the Regular Price field, input the price for your digital product.
7. Add a downloadable file: Next, in the Downloadable files section, give your file a name and add the file’s URL. You can upload the file to your WordPress site, or a cloud storage platform like Dropbox or Google Drive. Then paste the URL into the File URL field.

8. Publish your product: Now, all you have to do is click the Publish button, and your product is live and ready for customers.

And there you have it! You’ve just created your first digital product for sale on your WooCommerce store. Now, customers can view your product page, make a purchase, and instantly download your digital goods.

So now we know how a basic digital product is created in WooCommerce, let’s look at how your WooCommerce store could sell digital products better.

How to optimize your store for selling digital products

WooCommerce, on its own, allows you to sell digital products with no problem. But if you want to get the most out of this platform and maximize your sales, here are a few tips and add-ons you can use.

Streamline your checkout process for digital products

The checkout process should be as quick and simple as possible when selling digital products. This is where Flux Checkout for WooCommerce is a game-changer.

It’s a WooCommerceplugin designed to optimize the checkout experience, including adapting it specifically for digital products.

Why optimizing your checkout process matters

Checkout optimization is crucial to enhance your customer’s shopping experience, boosting conversions, and reducing cart abandonment rates. Customers are more likely to complete their purchases when the checkout process is streamlined and straightforward.

Trimming down these unnecessary fields can make the checkout even quicker and more user-friendly for digital products, where shipping and certain personal details are irrelevant.

How Flux Checkout works

Flux Checkout eliminates unnecessary fields when a customer purchases digital products. Fields like Country/Region on the Details step, the entire Address step, and all shipping information on the order summary can be swiftly removed with Flux Checkout.

This plugin focuses on what’s essential for digital products, making the checkout process a breeze for your customers.

Add high-quality product previews and images

Giving customers a detailed view of your digital products is a surefire way to boost their confidence before purchasing.

This is where integrating high-quality previews and improving your product gallery comes into play.

Why a rich product gallery matters

A well-structured, engaging product gallery acts as a virtual showroom for your digital products. It allows customers to explore different aspects of your offerings, making your product more tangible despite its digital nature.

This tangible feeling can significantly increase conversion rates and customer satisfaction.

Boost your gallery with WooThumbs for WooCommerce

One fantastic tool to enrich your WooCommerce product gallery is the WooThumbs for WooCommerce plugin.

WooThumbs elevates the default WooCommerce gallery to new heights, making it more interactive and user-friendly.

Here’s why WooThumbs for WooCommerce is great for digital products:

• If you’re selling digital goods like audio or video files, WooThumbs allows you to upload these samples directly into your product gallery. Customers can then listen to or watch these before purchasing,
• If you’re selling digital goods that are visual like PDFs, customers can enter a lightbox mode, viewing visual samples larger and in high quality. This preview ability can significantly enhance their shopping experience, giving them a better understanding of your digital product.
• WooThumbs also lets you add multiple images per product variation. So if you’re selling digital products with variations, they can still see as many previews as everyone else.

Focus on the product description

One of the key elements of a successful WooCommerce store is compelling product descriptions.

Especially for digital products, descriptions need to communicate the value and benefits of the product accurately.

Why improving product descriptions matters

Good product descriptions can be the deciding factor for a customer contemplating a purchase. They can highlight the unique selling points of your digital product, clarify any doubts, and help the customer visualize how the product could benefit them.

How to improve product descriptions

To enhance your product descriptions, ensure they’re detailed, clear, and engaging. Outline the features and benefits of the product, and consider using bullet points for readability.

Include relevant keywords to improve SEO, but ensure it still sounds natural. You might also want to hire a professional copywriter for the best results.

WooCommerce digital product frequently asked questions

Starting an online store with digital products using WooCommerce can raise many questions. To help you get started smoothly, we’ve gathered and answered some of the most frequently asked questions about WooCommerce digital products.

How can I secure my digital products from unauthorized distribution?

WooCommerce has built-in features to help secure your digital products. You can enable download expiration and limit the number of downloads per user. You can also protect your files by hosting them off-site with providers such as Amazon S3.

However, remember that no solution is foolproof, so keeping your digital products and website updated and secured is crucial.

Can I limit the number of times a digital product can be downloaded?

Yes, WooCommerce allows you to limit the number of downloads for a digital product. This can be set per product, providing additional control over your digital products.

What types of digital products can I sell on WooCommerce?

WooCommerce allows you to sell a wide variety of digital products. This can include eBooks, digital art, music files, video content, software, digital courses, photography, graphics, and more.

Basically, if it’s a file that can be downloaded, you can sell it on WooCommerce.

How does WooCommerce deliver digital products to customers?

After a successful purchase, WooCommerce automatically grants download permissions to customers for their purchased digital goods. If the option ‘Grant access to downloadable products after payment’ is enabled, customers get immediate access to their digital purchases.

After that, download links are provided in several places. They appear on the Order Received page after purchase. The same links are also included in the email notification sent to the customer, serving as a digital receipt.

If customers are logged into their account while making the purchase, the download links become accessible on the My Account page. This feature allows customers to access their purchased digital goods after exiting the initial Order Received page.

Can I automate the delivery of my digital products after a successful transaction?

Absolutely! This is the default setting in WooCommerce. Once a customer confirms payment, they’ll receive a link to download their digital product.

Can I sell both digital and physical products in my WooCommerce store?

Absolutely! WooCommerce is incredibly flexible and allows you to simultaneously sell digital and physical products. You can also sell products that combine both, like a physical book with a downloadable PDF.

What extensions are helpful for selling digital products on WooCommerce?

There are several extensions available that can enhance your digital product store. These include WooThumbs for enhancing your product gallery, Flux Checkout for streamlining your checkout process, and Easy Digital Downloads for simplifying the handling of digital downloads.

How do I handle taxes for digital products in my WooCommerce store?

WooCommerce allows you to set tax classes and rates based on your location and where you’re selling to. You should consult a tax professional for specific advice, as tax laws vary greatly between regions and countries.

How can I track the sales performance of my digital products in WooCommerce?

WooCommerce includes basic reporting functionality, showing sales by date, product, and category. You can use extensions like Metorik or integrate your store with Google Analytics for more advanced analytics.

Get to grips with WooCommerce digital products today

We’ve gone over a lot of information in this guide, everything from what WooCommerce digital products are, the benefits of selling them, how to create and manage them on your WooCommerce store, and how to optimize your store for digital product sales. We also answered some of your most frequently asked questions about WooCommerce digital products.

Before we wrap up, let’s take another look at two powerful tools that can greatly enhance your WooCommerce digital products store: WooThumbs and Flux Checkout.

• WooThumbs allows you to create an interactive and rich product gallery that effectively showcases your digital products. With WooThumbs, your customers can preview your digital products, improving their understanding and leading to higher conversion rates.
• Flux Checkout is a game-changer in simplifying and streamlining your checkout process. A swift and hassle-free checkout experience is key in selling digital products. With Flux Checkout, unnecessary fields are eliminated, making the process smooth and user-friendly.

Or get both at a reduced cost with our cross-selling plugin, Iconic Sales Booster for WooCommerce 👇