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When I started my Etsy shop nearly ten years ago, my focus was on creating handcrafted stationery goods.  No matter how much customers asked, I refused to sell digital files at the time.

If I knew the things I know now almost creating a product that meets my customers needs, I would accept introduced digital files when I opened my shop.

But this was before I truly understood new marketing.  I didn't sell digital files on Etsy for lots of reasons.  One was because I was worried about others stealing my designs.  It might sound light-headed now, simply there weren't equally many safety guards that you could use to protect your work back then.

I also worried most quality control.  What if someone purchased the file and had a horrible printer at home.  Somehow, I was convinced it would be my fault if the design that they printed looked atrocious in the version they made at home.

Back and then, selling digital files on Etsy was a new business model.  Nosotros were the pioneers and I but wasn't positive how to navigate this unknown borderland.

But the requests kept coming in.  At least a few times a day, a customer asked to purchase in this format.

All of a sudden, information technology became an economics issue.  I started losing as well much money saying no to selling digital files.

Over time, I've created a stationery shop that does both.  And the truth is that both are successful.  Just, I'll admit I love selling digital files on Etsy better.  For me, it'south the perfect business model.  Especially if you fix your business to sell the files passively.

If you are because opening an Etsy store and are a designer, consider selling digital files on Etsy.  Here are some unproblematic steps to keep in listen to fix your Etsy store successfully.

Get Familiar with Etsy

The Etsy platform really is designed to sell digital files.  Merely these changes are more recent.  I utilise both Etsy and Shopify to sell my digital files.  Although I love that Shopify allows you to ready your own website, information technology'south easier to prepare instant downloadable files on Etsy.  Information technology's also simpler to make sure that customers have downloaded the files after they purchase them.

Earlier opening your Etsy shop, though, become familiar with the features to help yous sell digital files.  Figure out how you upload your files onto the listing.  (On Etsy, you can upload up to 5 unlike digital files.)

See if your files are the right size for instant download or if you demand to brand them smaller.  If you demand to make them smaller, you lot might have to use an online tool to compress the PDF file.

And then you can upload the files to your Etsy production listing.  In one case your customer purchases the listing, the digital files are bachelor for instant download in the Purchases section of their business relationship.

The best characteristic…  the digital files are bachelor forever in the purchases section.  They never disappear.  Customers who might want to access them in a year, even so can.  And they know where to notice them.  This will help keep your client service more streamlined.

Decorative designer's desk with the text overlay "How to sell digital files on Etsy"

Decide on Customization

When I started selling digital files on Etsy, the simply way to permit a customer to personalize the file was using Adobe Acrobat Reader.  Yous fix the file with editable fields in this program.  This fields could exist edited by your customer after they downloaded the file.

To be honest, this process was a little clunky.  It was never clear which fonts the client would take access to.  And you lot'd need a shared spider web license to allow the editing with specialized fonts.  Customers likewise had difficulty changing the size of the font.  Many times the final pattern would look funny because the wording wouldn't fit.

There had to be a meliorate way.

Today, client editing programs accept finally caught up with the times.  The introduction of the editing programs Templett and Corjl have inverse how customers can interact with your files.  Although these services cost a petty bit of money, by using them yous build a completely passive business concern.

Like everything, there are positives and negatives to using these programs.  I merely started setting up my jotter designs in Corjl last month.  I detect that the font option is limited (even with the font extension).  Since I only have commercial licenses for most of the typography that I originally used in my designs, I need to update the typography used in every drove.

If yous're just opening a new Etsy shop, I recommend building the customer editing adequacy right into your concern from the beginning.  Information technology'southward a lot easier to create designs using the electric current typography options than changing things up after you've created your designs.

Begin Digital Products

These days, you can create lots of different types of digital products.  From customizable wall art to planners and e-books, the only limitation on the kind of digital products you create is your imagination.

Before building your Etsy shop, choose a niche that yous desire to focus on.  This will help build a target audience and focus your product designs.

Afterward y'all select a niche, enquiry the kinds of digital products customers in your niche are purchasing.  With this listing, cull the digital products that you think your skills are best suited to create.

For example, if you don't have any background in web design, selling digital files that customers use to build websites is probably not the best idea. Choose digital products that y'all tin can easily create and are in your expertise.

At that place are lots of dissimilar kinds of digital products that you lot tin can sell in your business.  The best ones volition vary based on the type of business that you take.  Check out my favorite types of digital products to sell hither.

Sometimes digital product designs require specialized design software.  Calculator software will be your biggest investment with this business model.  Even if it feels similar a huge investment at start, make it.  Designing in the right software programs will brand your designs stronger and set y'all up for success in the hereafter.

I create nearly of my digital designs using Adobe Creative Deject.  I used to own a version of Adobe Illustrator.  Keeping up with the updates to this plan was costly.  Peculiarly when I lost my student pricing.

My subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud gives me admission to the about up to appointment version of Illustrator.  This let's me use the newest tools in Illustrator and explore my creativity with this amazing digital program without a total investment in the program.  You can cheque out more than information near their Artistic Cloud subscription here.

Just I'm non a graphic designer, how tin I withal create digital products?

Yous don't have to exist a graphic designer to create digital products, but having general pattern skills helps.  Have some classes on Skillshare or Google Digital Garage.  And remember, practise makes perfect.  Then, keep working on improving your skills and y'all'll exist able to design like a professional before you know information technology.

Some other selection is to select digital products that don't crave graphic pattern background to brand.  You could write e-books or make spreadsheet templates.  Not every digital product requires you to exist pattern inclined.  When choosing your digital product, selection i that let's your skills and background smoothen.

Create your First Product Listing

Later you've established your Etsy shop – including your Etsy shop name and branding – information technology's time to create your starting time product listing.

Select "Add a List".  Adjacent, y'all need to fill in the listing details.  This includes the title, details about the listing and your renewal options.

You also need to choose the blazon of list that you lot're creating.  To sell digital files on Etsy, you lot need to choose the "digital" selection for your product blazon.  By selecting "digital", a file upload section is added to your listing.  This is where y'all'll upload your digital files for customers to download upon purchasing.

Next, information technology'south time to write your product description.  Your product description should entice customers to go along reading, convince them to purchase the item (or at least think most it) and include keywords that can testify upwardly in Etsy search.  I know that's a lot of details to include.

In addition to describing your product's details, you lot need to include data about how your customers can employ your digital products.

Your product listing should answer the following questions:

  • Is it okay to resell your digital files commercially?
  • How can customers use your digital files?
  • How do yous recommend customers printing or accessing your digital files?
  • What are the copyright terms of your digital files?

Demand help writing your product clarification?  Check out our weblog post here for writing a product description that will increase your Etsy sales.

Afterward you've written the product clarification, you'll demand to add the production tags.  Product tags are keywords to help potential customers discover your product.

You will as well need to decide on the cost of your production.  When choosing a price, enquiry (not on Etsy since other sellers tend to price items too low in order to make more than sales) how much your blazon of product ordinarily sells for.  Also recall most the value that you're providing to customers with your production.

If your product helps solve a major pain point or has involved years of expertise to create, you can probably accuse quite fleck more than someone else who doesn't have much experience.

Keep in mind that the price yous choose is just an introductory price.  You tin can always adjust it if you find it'southward likewise high or low.  Through sales, you can figure out how much the marketplace is willing to pay for your production.  Use this information to aid guide your pricing in the time to come.

Pretty pink desk flat lay with the text overlay "How to sell digital files on Etsy"

Add Photos

Selling digital files on Etsy is a little different than selling a concrete production.  If your product is only available in a digital format, it's a piffling hard to photograph traditionally.

Instead of taking a tradital product photo, use a photo editing program to create digital prototype of your design.

For example, I create digital images using a flat lay photograph.  The image has props on the sides and a space in the middle for the invitation design.  I edit the photograph in Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Lightroom.  I add the invitation equally a layer into the image.  The props and lighting of these images makes them pleasing to the eye.

You tin find photos for all sorts of digital designs – from framed art prints to t-shirts – that will showcase your specific product.  It'south a great way to illustrate how your digital product will look in real life without trying to take a production photo of each ane.

For more information nearly making your own photos with your digital products, check out this blog post to learn more almost this process.  You can also find an assortment of flat lay photos to add together your digital files to hither.

In addition to including digital photos of your files in a flat lay format, y'all can as well create an image that shows your product in use.  Whether it'southward you reading your east-volume or using your planner, print your digital file and showcase how information technology should be used.  Y'all'll be amazed how much your sales volition increase.

Upload your Digital Files

As I mentioned above, Etsy has set their product listings to get in piece of cake to sell digital downloads.  Before your list is complete, you lot will demand to upload your digital files.

To upload a digital file onto your Etsy list, each file can't exceed 20 MB.  If your digital file is too big, just minimize the size on a PDF pinch tool.  Check out my favorite one here.

Etsy supports the following file types for downloading:

Audio

  • .mpeg
  • .mp3

Paradigm

  • .gif
  • .jpeg
  • .png
  • .pdf
  • .tiff
  • .bmp

Text

  • .txt

Once your files are uploaded to the list, your customers will be able to automatically download your digital files after purchase is complete.  Etsy doesn't fifty-fifty provide access to the files until payment is cleared.  This is a great protection to sellers.

Build your Passive Income Business

Every bit mentioned earlier, the all-time part about selling digital files on Etsy is that this business model is truly passive income.  Although I might demand to answer customers' questions every at present and and so, after the product list is created, the business concern model goes into machine drive.

This freedom permit's me focus on creating new designs and marketing my business.  Like everything else online – if you build information technology, they volition not come.  More probable your digital files will just sit there collecting dust.

Once yous've set up your product listings, information technology's fourth dimension to promote your business organisation.  Develop a marketing plan mixing social media, blogging and other marketing tools.

Recollect, when selling digital files on Etsy you are building a business but like whatsoever other small business organisation owner.  Most people are not successful merely throwing up some files randomly on Etsy and crossing their fingers.

Y'all need to invest in building your audience from the commencement.  So, spend time taking amazing photos, sharing your work out consistently and finding an audition that can't wait for your adjacent design.  With these investments y'all're sure to have a business organization that grows in the years ahead.

Final Thoughts…

Although I stumbled upon learning how to sell digital files on Etsy considering of customer demand, it's become one of my favorite business models.  I love that I tin can spend my time creating and sell the files using passive income strategies.

Before starting on your digital business journeying, decide if it'due south right for your business.  Do y'all take a niche that you can create digital files for?

And so, get to piece of work.  Create some digital files and brand your beginning production listing.  More multifariousness is better when information technology comes to digital files.  Be sure to include unlike listings (you lot tin can't make variations on Etsy with digital files) with a variety of color and font options.  Give your customers lots of choices and your more likely to make the sale.

Equally your business grows, you tin can also experiment with different types of digital files.  Once you figure out the types of digital files that sell best, you lot can create more of the products that your customers crave.

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