You’ve decided to finally take that leap of faith and create a product that’ll help you reel in passive income and I’m your D-Commerce® fairy godmother, here to sprinkle some epic passive income pixie dust on you.

Before the magic kicks in, though, you have to figure out what kind of digital download product you’re creating. You do have an idea and a solid plan for creating and selling it, right?

If you’re not quite at that stage yet, it’s all good. I’m here to walk you through creating your first digital download product, taking it from an itty bitty idea to something that sells over and over! You’ll get to the point where you’re making money without sacrificing your time, energy, and hobbies like binging Netflix with a box of cookies. (Just sayin’.) 

Decide what you want your customers to achieve

Before you go any further in creating your first digital product, you wanna make sure that you create something that people actually want. That means creating something that people will actually buy!

To start, get any and all of your ideas out of your head. Dump them into a Google Doc or jot them down on a pad of paper. Don’t criticize or edit yourself — you’re not trying to discover the perfect first digital download product right off the bat. You’re just emptying your brain and seeing where this process takes you!

Then, I suggest you ask yourself one question: What results do you want your customers to achieve with your product? What pain points do you want to solve? The answer will help you figure out what digital product to create.

For example, I founded The Contract Shop® because I wanted creative entrepreneurs and small business owners to feel confident and secure in building a strong legal foundation for their biz. To do that, we started selling contract templates, courses, and other resources that were trustworthy and affordable. 

See what I mean here? If you’re an interior designer and you know your audience is struggling with how to get rid of clutter, maybe you could create a mini-course that walks them through the process (which gives you a chance to promote your services at the end!)

Survey your audience

Now that you have an idea or two of possible digital products you can create, see what your audience thinks! Survey your target audience and get their direct feedback so you can be even more sure that people will buy it. 

There are tons of ways to check in with your target audience regarding your product idea. You could:

• Send a quick, anonymous email survey to your email list
• Publish a Facebook or Instagram post and ask people to comment
• Share a poll or question on Instagram Stories
• Link to your survey after someone buys one of your other products

You can get as detailed as you want with your feedback! I find it super helpful to ask customers not only if they like a product idea, but what form they’d most prefer. 

For example, maybe your audience would prefer a how-to guide rather than a course, or a checklist instead of a workbook. You won’t know unless you ask. And you may be surprised at what your audience prefers and why!

Create your digital product

You’re ready to bring your digital download product idea to life! So, what are you making and how will you create it? 

The tools you use to produce your digital product will, of course, depend on the product itself. How you create your product will also depend on how much time you have and your budget.

Here are some examples:

• Got a checklist that you use in your own business? Turn it into a digital product you can sell by redesigning it in a program like Canva!
• How about a podcast, series of meditations, audiobook course, or other audio trainings? There are lots of audio recording software options like GarageBand, Otter, or Audacity.
• If aesthetics are your thing, photo editing filters and social media filter sets may be right up your alley. 
• Or, if you’re good at coding or tech stuff, why not help out other people building their own websites with pretty and functional WordPress themes?

There are so many ideas and ways to create your own digital product out there. Do your audience research, figure out what aligns with your biz and goals, and I know you’ll land on the perfect first digital download product for your brand.

Psst…Want more help creating your digital product? I have a step-by-step tutorial video that’ll teach you how.

Pre-sell your digital product

Once you’ve brought your digital product to life, it’s time to sell that puppy to your target audience! But I don’t mean going officially live with your new product. I’m talking about pre-selling it first.

Think of pre-selling digital products as like a restaurant’s soft opening for your digital product shop. During a soft opening, a restaurant gets to test the waters and check that their products really will sell (and that their customers will like them). They can also ask customers directly for their feedback.

Pre-selling also gives you a boost of cash flow that can help you further develop the product. Not to mention it also gives you a boost of confidence to keep doing your thing and officially go live with your product.

Here are some quick tips on pre-selling your digital product successfully:

• Announce your pre-sale start date in your emails, social media, and website. Make it clear that it’s a pre-sale so your customers know what they’re buying, especially if they won’t receive your product right away.
• Price your digital product accurately. Not so low that you seem desperate for people to buy, but not so high that you drive customers away. Price competitively and know your worth!
• Engage your audience. Share information, ask questions, and hype up the official launch of your digital product on social media.

I have an entire video that can walk you through the pre-sale process, so be sure to check that out.

Creating your first digital product doesn’t have to be hard

Taking your first digital download product idea from a passing thought to a full-fledged, official product is super exciting! But I know it can also feel like a huge and overwhelming task. 

That’s why breaking it all down step by step — brainstorming, researching, creating, then pre-selling — will allow you to tweak the process and improve your digital product before you go live. Follow the steps I outlined in this blog, and try to keep it simple, sunshine. No need to overcomplicate stuff when creating your first digital product!

Need a little help taking your digital download product idea to the next step? Check out my Ultimate Product Creation Plan! This digital product roadmap will help you:

• Learn what products you can create
• Walk you through how to market your new digital product
• Market your new product so that it sells

And lots more! Get your Ultimate Product Creation Plan today!