In the fast-paced digital landscape, the notion of needing a website to sell digital products is being strongly challenged by a host of innovative, flexible, alternative options.
If you are a creator or entrepreneur — either starting out or looking to expand your offerings in the digital product space — it’s likely you have questions about whether to go to the effort of setting up your own website.
🤔 Will I really look legit without one?
🤔 How do I work out what’s best for me in the sea of choices?
We’ve got you covered.
In this article, we’ll steer you through guidance on whether you need a website (hint: the answer is no) and what the alternatives are in terms of the best platforms and websites to sell digital products on.
We’ll examine the pros and cons of the alternative options and provide tips on how to discover the best product for you to sell and grow your online business.
What is a digital product?
To kick things off, let's clarify what constitutes a digital product. From ebooks and online courses to digital artwork and templates, digital products are intangible goods distributed and accessed in digital formats — offering creators vast opportunities for sharing their expertise and creativity.
Digital products offer the advantage of focusing on product improvement rather than continuous reproduction, distinguishing them from physical goods. In targeting a specific market, creating high-quality digital products can bring long-term success and often with relatively low effort and hassle!
Can I sell digital products without a website?
Yes, absolutely! You don't require a website to develop a successful online business. With the right strategies and platforms, selling digital products without a website can be a very accessible and rewarding process.
This alternative approach is increasingly popular among creators and entrepreneurs, who now have many different options at their fingertips, such as hosted payment pages, marketplaces and eCommerce platforms.
So — let’s talk more about other directions you can take.
What are the alternatives to selling digital products on a website?
Selling digital products without a website has never been easier, with a host of options such as online marketplaces, hosted checkout pages and social media and affiliate marketing strategies.
Let's take a look at your options:
1. Selling digital products on online marketplaces
Marketplaces such as Gumroad, Etsy,and Udemy provide a large customer base and a pre-established platform for showcasing your products.
👏 Advantages of selling digital products on online marketplaces
- Super easy product listing process
- Payment processing and tax all taken care of by the platform
- Existing traffic can be helpful to those without an audience
- Established marketplaces offer reliability and trustworthiness
👎 Disadvantages of selling digital products on online marketplaces
- Often very high fees and percentages taken from sales
- Platform owns the relationship with the customer, not you
- Increased competition with very high numbers of other sellers
- Very limited customization options and overall flexibility
2. Selling digital products on eCommerce platforms
In the search for the best websites to sell digital products, eCommerce platforms likeCheckout Page and Podia remain popular since they enable you to create your own unique and appealing storefront to sell digital downloads to your audience.
👏 Advantages of selling digital products on eCommerce platforms
- Control over branding and customer experience
- Many have customizable storefronts and website designs
- Ability to sell a wide variety of digital products
- Flexibility in pricing and promotions
👎 Disadvantages of selling digital products on eCommerce platforms
- Initial setup and customization does require some effort
- Monthly subscription and/or transaction fees apply
- You are responsible for driving traffic and marketing
- Varied learning curves apply based on the platform's features and tools
3. Selling digital products on a hosted payment page
Selling digital products from an individual checkout page or hosted payment page offers great simplicity, focus, and cost-efficiency — providing a direct marketing channel between you and your audience.
👏 Advantages of selling digital products on a hosted payment page
- Efficient and streamlined purchase process
- Reduced abandonment rate at checkout
- User-friendly no-code rapid setup of pages
- Low monthly costs and often no fees
👎 Disadvantages of selling digital products on a hosted payment page
- May not be suitable for selling multiple products in a single transaction
- Responsibility for a receptive audience is with the seller
- Customization options may be more restricted compared to multi-step checkout process
4. Selling digital products using affiliate marketing
For budding digital product sellers especially those looking to build an audience, affiliate marketing can be supportive to your journey. A partnership arrangement where individuals — such as influencers — or companies promote your digital products in exchange for a commission on sales for their assistance, so it’s mutually beneficial.
👏 Advantages of selling digital products through affiliate marketing
- Affiliates can help expand your reach
- Cost effective since you only pay for commission on sales
- You can track the effectiveness of the affiliates efforts
- Affiliates can help advocate for your brand
👎 Disadvantages of selling digital products through affiliate marketing
- Commission costs on sales
- Potential lack of control as to how your product is marketed
- Competition, since affiliates may be promoting other similar products to their audience
5. Selling digital products on social media platforms
Social media platforms offer valuable opportunities to promote and sell digital downloads. You can create a Facebook shop on your business page or a Facebook Groups to engage with potential customers. Instagram can be used to showcase products and direct followers to your online store or payment page.
👏 Advantages of selling digital products on social media platforms
- Wide audience reach
- Direct engagement with established customers
- Cost effective marketing
- Easy to pair with simple checkout pages
👎 Disadvantages of selling digital products on social media platforms
- Platform rules and restrictions
- Frequent algorithm changes can affect visibility and reach
- Lots of competition in the space
- Lack of customization tools at your disposal
6. Selling digital products via email newsletters and blogs
Selling digital products using email lists and blogs can be a powerful strategy for reaching and converting potential customers into actual customers since they are already interested in you and what you have to offer them.
Engage your subscribers with relevant and personalized content that caters to their interests and needs.
👏 Advantages of selling digital products via email marketing
- Highly personalized communication with audience
- A truly direct sales channel
- Minimal fees apply dependent on payment method
- Complete control over customer relationships
👎 Disadvantages of selling digital products via email marketing
- Building an email list takes time
- Potential for spam complaints
- Limitations on product types to promote or sell at one time
We hope by now you are convinced that there are many options available to you when it comes to how to sell digital products without a website.
If you’d like to read more about specific platforms to start selling on, check out our article The 18 best websites to sell digital products in 2024
Now we’ve looked at where you can sell digital products without a website, let’s get some tips on working out what to sell!
What is the best digital product for me to sell?
A million-dollar question! When it comes to the question of what digital products to sell, selecting something that aligns with your expertise, target market, and goals is always your best bet.
Whether it's ebooks, online courses, platform subscriptions or digital artwork, choosing a product that resonates with your audience and showcases your unique skills and passions is key to a sustainable, profitable online business.
Here are some tips for consideration when deciding what digital products to sell:
- 💡 Understand Your Strengths: Identify your expertise, passions, and skills to determine the type of digital product that aligns with your knowledge and interests. Consider what you are passionate about creating or sharing with your audience.
- 💡 Target Audience Analysis: Conduct research to understand your target audience's needs, preferences, and pain points. Tailor your digital product to address specific problems or provide solutions that resonate with your potential customers.
- 💡 Market Trends and Demand: Stay informed about trends, technologies, and popular niches within the landscape. There is plenty of information out there, such as this video Top 2024 Trends for Digital Products
- 💡 Personalization and Uniqueness: Focus on creating digital products that reflect your unique perspective, creativity, or expertise. Offering personalized products or services can really set you apart from competitors.
- 💡 Testing and Iteration: Experiment with different digital product ideas and formats to see what resonates with your audience. Invite and collect feedback and iterate on your offerings based on what your customers are sharing back with you.
We hope that’s nudged you in the right direction as you think about digital products to sell that are a great fit for you and your audience.
How do I use Checkout Page to sell digital products?
Selling digital products with Checkout Page offers a supremely simple approach that makes the setup of customizable one-page checkouts for online transactions a piece of cake.
Leaning on Stripe's reputation as a trusted payment processor, attractive pages that offer secure transactions can be placed anywhere you and your audience communicate with each other — as hosted pages, QR codes or embedded on websites (if you decide you really can’t resist).
Checkout Page’s cost effectiveness - zero transaction fees and transparent pricing starting at $19 per month after a 7-day free trial - means it makes a fantastic standalone solution, or a great addition or pairing with other options discussed in this article.
With the incredibly rapid, simple (and dare we say enjoyable?) no-code page setup, you can spin up checkout pages for your social media, newsletters, blogs and more.
To get a taste of just how simple it is, read How to sell digital products with Stripe and Checkout Page
Conclusion
Selling digital products without a website is not only possible but an increasingly popular choice for digital entrepreneurs. We’ve looked at the various alternative options and their pros and cons, as well as what to consider if you are working out how to bring your digital product magic to the world.
We know from our customers that Checkout Page can be a fantastic standalone solution or an addition to many of the options we’ve looked at together, and we’d be delighted to be a part of your journey.
