Starting your journey in the digital product world may seem intimidating, especially if you don’t have design skills. The good news is, selling digital products is not just for graphic designers and tech wizards. In fact, anyone can dive into this space, even if your skills are limited to basic computer use and a bit of creativity.
And guess what? There are plenty of resources that can help you get started without requiring you to become a design expert overnight.
So, if you’ve ever wondered how to make money selling things like printables, eBooks, online courses, or templates without knowing Photoshop or Illustrator, this post is for you.
Let’s dive into how you can start selling digital products with no design skills, and how to get some help along the way.
What Are Digital Products?
Before jumping into how you can start selling them, let’s first break down what digital products are. In the simplest terms, a digital product is something that is created, sold, and delivered electronically. Unlike physical products, there’s no inventory, no shipping, and no handling of tangible goods. You create the product once, and it can be sold over and over again.
Some common examples of digital products include:
- Printables – Things like planners, journals, calendars, and art prints that customers can download and print themselves.
- eBooks – Digital books that provide information, tutorials, or entertainment.
- Online Courses – Structured lessons or tutorials that teach a skill or share knowledge.
- Digital Art – Illustrations, clip art, or stock photos.
- Templates – Pre-designed layouts for resumes, presentations, social media posts, and more.
You might be thinking, “That all sounds great, but I have zero design skills. How do I even get started?” Well, let’s take a look at how you can start selling digital products even if you’re not a design pro.
Focus on Your Strengths and Interests
The first step to creating and selling digital products is identifying what you’re good at and passionate about. You don’t need to be a graphic design expert to create great products; you just need to find your niche.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- What are you interested in?
- What skills do you already have that can be turned into a digital product?
- What problems do people in your niche need help solving?
If you’re an expert in a particular field, whether it’s cooking, fitness, finance, or photography, you can create digital products based on your knowledge. Think of eBooks, guides, or printable worksheets that help others. You don’t need a lot of design skills for these products; you just need to package your knowledge in a way that’s helpful and valuable to your audience.
If you’re more creative, consider offering printables, templates, or even digital artwork. The key is to focus on something that excites you, so you’ll stay motivated throughout the process.
Use Simple Tools to Create Digital Products
When it comes to creating digital products, you don’t need fancy design software. In fact, there are several easy-to-use tools that require little to no design experience to create high-quality products. Let’s break down a few tools that can help you create digital products quickly.
Canva
Canva is one of the best tools out there for beginners. It’s a drag-and-drop design tool that allows you to create printables, social media graphics, presentations, eBooks, and much more. Canva offers a free version with tons of templates, images, fonts, and elements that make designing digital products a breeze.
Here’s how you can use Canva to create digital products:
- Sign Up for Canva – Head over to Canva.com and sign up for a free account.
- Pick a Template – Canva has pre-made templates for everything from planners to resumes to Instagram posts. You can choose one that fits your needs and customize it as much as you want.
- Edit the Design – You can add your own text, images, colors, and other elements to personalize the design.
- Download and Sell – Once you’re happy with the design, download it as a high-quality PDF, PNG, or JPG file and upload it to your website or marketplace for sale.
Google Docs or Microsoft Word
If you’re more comfortable with basic word processing tools, you can create eBooks, guides, or worksheets in Google Docs or Microsoft Word. These tools are not as fancy as Canva but are perfect for creating text-heavy products.
To make it visually appealing, you can:
- Add headings, bullet points, and bold text for easy readability.
- Use free fonts from websites like Google Fonts to make your document look professional.
- Add images or illustrations (you can use free image sites like Unsplash or Pexels).
Once your document is complete, you can save it as a PDF and sell it on platforms like Etsy or Gumroad.
Etsy or Gumroad for Selling
Once you’ve created your digital products, you’ll need a platform to sell them. Some of the most popular options are Etsy and Gumroad. These platforms make it easy to list and sell digital products, and you don’t need a website to get started.
- Etsy – Etsy is well-known for handmade and vintage items, but it’s also a great marketplace for digital products like printables, eBooks, and templates. Setting up a shop on Etsy is simple, and it handles payments and downloads for you. The only downside is the listing fee (20 cents per product), but this can easily be recouped with your first sale.
- Gumroad – Gumroad is another platform that allows creators to sell digital products directly to customers. It’s a great option for people who want to create and sell products without dealing with marketplace fees. Gumroad handles the payment process and automatically sends the customer a link to download the product.
Both platforms offer easy setup, and you can start selling right away.
Getting Professional Help
Even though creating and selling digital products doesn’t require design skills, you might hit a point where you want a more professional touch. Perhaps you want to create a logo for your brand or design a custom template but don’t have the know-how to do it yourself.
This is where you can tap into platforms like Fiverr. On Fiverr, you can hire affordable freelancers who specialize in graphic design and other creative services. They can help you create a polished, professional look for your digital products without breaking the bank.
You could hire a designer for:
- Custom logo designs
- Custom illustrations or graphics for printables
- Product mockups
- Template designs for eBooks or workbooks
Fiverr allows you to browse through a variety of freelancers with different expertise and price ranges, making it easy to find someone who fits your budget. It’s a great way to level up your digital products without learning advanced design skills yourself.
If you’re interested, you can find a range of designers on Fiverr who can help you take your ideas and make them look like top-tier products that’ll attract more customers.
Marketing Your Digital Products
Now that you have your digital products ready and a platform to sell them on, the next challenge is getting people to actually buy them. Here are some simple ways to promote your digital products:
Use Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool for marketing digital products. Whether it’s Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, or TikTok, these platforms are perfect for promoting your digital products to a wider audience. Share sneak peeks of your products, post testimonials from customers, or create engaging posts that showcase the value of your products.
Create a Blog or Website
Having a blog or website where you can showcase your digital products is another great way to attract buyers. You can write blog posts that are related to your digital products and include links to buy them. For example, if you’re selling planners, you can write posts about time management or productivity and link to your products within the content.
Collaborate with Influencers or Bloggers
Collaborating with influencers or bloggers in your niche can be a great way to spread the word about your digital products. Consider reaching out to people who have a following that aligns with your target market, and offer them free access to your product in exchange for a review or mention.
Conclusion
Starting a digital product business without design skills is absolutely possible, and with the right tools and resources, you can create and sell digital products that attract customers and make you money. Whether you’re using tools like Canva or Word, leveraging platforms like Etsy or Gumroad, or even getting help from Fiverr professionals, you have everything you need to succeed.
By focusing on your strengths, using easy-to-learn tools, and marketing your products effectively, you can build a profitable digital product business that doesn’t require you to be a design genius. So go ahead, start creating and selling, and watch your business grow!