- July 3, 2023
- Kaitlyn
Digital Products 101:
11 Best Digital Products
to Sell On Etsy
Selling digital products is a great way to start a side hustle. Startup costs are minimal. If you already have an iPad, then there’s almost none! Spend a few days perfecting your product, and then start seeing passive income rolling in through the years! Because this is an excellent source of passive income, selling digital products makes it a perfect side hustle for teens and college students. However, it does take work. Selling digital products isn’t a “get-rich-quick” scheme, but making this a full-time job is possible. Here is a list of the 11 best digital products to sell on Etsy!
Table of Contents
Note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I appreciate your support! You can read my full disclaimer here.
Etsy Fees
Before we dive into the fun stuff, it’s essential to understand that Etsy is a great resource for selling digital products. Even though Etsy is a free platform, some fees accompany it if you want to become a seller.
Listing Fee
When you create a listing for a product on Etsy, there is a non-refundable fee of $0.20 per item. This fee charges regardless of whether the item sells or not, and the listing duration is four months.
Transaction Fee
Etsy charges a transaction fee of 6.5% of the item’s sale price, including shipping. This fee covers the payment processing and charges when you make a sale.
Payment Processing Fee
When you receive payments from customers, Etsy deducts a payment processing fee. The fee varies depending on the country and the currency used but typically ranges from 3%-4% plus a fixed fee.
Shipping Fee
Although this won’t apply to digital products, I wanted to include this anyway if you decide to branch out to physical products later. If you offer shipping services through Etsy, you can purchase shipping labels directly from the platform. The shipping cost will depend on the carrier, shipping method, package weight, and destination.
Optional Promotional Fees
Etsy offers various promotional tools and advertising options to help sellers increase their visibility. These services, such as promoted listings or Etsy Ads, have additional costs that vary based on the chosen parameters.
These fees aren’t very high, but they can add up, so be sure to price your products accordingly so you can still make a significant profit. And be sure to pay your taxes/government fees! Now, to get to the good stuff…
Printable Wall Art
If you are an artist or want to become a professional artist, selling printable wall art is one of the best digital products to sell on Etsy. Printable wall art is what it sounds like – art that can be instantly printed to hang on a wall.
Printable wall art allows you to create what you truly want while not worrying about shipping the items or paying for the shipping costs. Unlike other digital products, printable art allows customers to physically hold your product without waiting for it to arrive. Selling printable wall art also enables you to branch out to physical products in the future, like frames, planners, or even calendars.
Digital Invitations
Because these invitations are digital, your customers can receive them immediately after downloading, and you won’t have to worry about shipping. Digital invitations are a great source of passive income and are one of the best digital products to sell on Etsy.
You must ensure digital invitations can be customizable and editable for your customers. Customizable and editable features will ensure that you get a wide variety of customers and keep them happy and returning for future invitations.
Digital invitations need a creative mind to make sure they’re unique compared to other invitations on the market. Still, they will also need an organized mind to ensure your customers get their customized invitations correctly.
Planner Templates
Planner templates don’t necessarily need a creative creator, but they do need someone who is organized and can create something original. Some generate a planner template on Notion, Google Sheets, or Excel. With all these tools, you need to be a bit tech-savvy to develop this digital product.
A great thing about this is that they are in high demand around the new year! Sell it at a discounted price from the end of December to the beginning of January to those setting their New Year’s goals.
Planner templates don’t require much customization, but you should consider selling different types of planners. For example, planners for teachers, planners for moms, planners for college students etc., That way, you can maximize your target client. Start making some passive income with a great digital product.
Excel Templates
Selling Excel or Google Sheet templates on Etsy is similar to planner templates, except you can make a template out of anything! I currently offer a list of 100+ side hustles using a Google Sheet. This list isn’t a template, but it’s great to review to get your mind racing on template ideas.
Excel templates need both a creative and methodical mind—the creative mind for finding the perfect idea and the methodical mind for implementing your new idea. Create a template for budgeting, travel, social media content calendars, movie must-sees and book must-reads…literally, anything your heart desires!
Digital Clipart
Digital clipart is excellent if you have an artistic talent and need an outlet. Create art for scrapbooks, card making, or other creative projects. Digital clipart will give you a creative outlet while still making money in your sleep.
Ebooks & Guides
If you have considered making a blog but don’t have the time or energy, selling ebooks or guides are great digital products to sell on Etsy. Share your knowledge with those that need it most in a fraction of the time it takes to create a blog. Plus, like templates, you can create an ebook or guide on anything you want!
Write an ebook or guide on parenting, marketing, sewing, sports…literally…anything. The options are endless and allow you to make money doing anything else while your customers immediately have access to your product because it’s digital!
Canva Templates
If you have a knack for graphic design, selling Canva templates is a great income source. However, it’s crucial to ensure that these templates are completely original! Canva already has templates that it provides to its users, so selling an unoriginal template that you’re you created is illegal!
Many people use Canva templates, from Pinterest virtual assistants to influencers to teachers. Create an easily editable and customizable template for whichever niche you love.
Lightroom Presets
Love photography and editing? Create Lightroom presets! If you’re considering this, you most likely already know what they are. But for those who don’t, lightroom presets are editing settings for photographs. Just click the preset you want to use in Lightroom, and your photo will automatically have those settings.
Lightroom Presets are great digital products to sell, especially if you have a unique editing style or you just simply want to get into editing! However, you will have a better chance of selling these if you already have a large platform. That being said, it’s still a great option for creatives to consider.
Digital Patterns
Digital patterns are one of the best digital products to sell on Etsy. However, this needs a creative mind and is most likely something that you won’t be able to create and sell without experience. Practice reading sewing, knitting, or crocheting patterns, and then experiment with your own unique idea! Once you’ve perfected it, create the pattern and sell it on Etsy.
Digital patterns are great for people who want to instantly download a design without the hassle. Create hundreds of different patterns while making a passive income.
Printable Labels & Stickers
If you love organizing, create your own labels and stickers for those who also love to organize! Experiment with what you like and don’t like, then offer it on Etsy. They can be simple, elegant, maximalist, or modern. Whatever your style, you can create and sell it to those who want to organize their home better.
These labels can be for home decor, packaging, or food labels. Play around and see which one you like creating the most.
Educational Printables
Got a background in education? Try creating printables for kids who need an extra push or want to get ahead in the school year. These can be worksheets, coloring pages, flashcards, or educational games. If you have a background in teaching, this is one of the best digital products to sell on Etsy.
Conclusion
There are many digital products that you can sell on Etsy. The right one depends on your interests and skills and your desire to learn on the digital product journey. It’s important to note that it takes a bit more than simply creating a product and uploading it on Etsy.
Keyword research and tag optimization are critical if you want to be successful with Etsy, so don’t skip that step! Take great screenshots and be courteous with your customers.
If you need some resources to help you get started, check out our resources page. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email hello@strivehustles.com.