Selling Digital Products on Your WordPress E-commerce Site

A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing the Right Plugins and Tools for a Seamless Online Shopping Experience

In today’s digital age, selling digital products online has become a lucrative business opportunity. With the rise of e-commerce, entrepreneurs and businesses can now easily sell digital products such as e-books, software, and online courses to a global audience. However, creating a seamless online shopping experience for customers requires the right tools and plugins. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide to selling digital products on a WordPress e-commerce site, covering the best plugins, key features, payment gateways, customization options, and additional tools and services.

Choosing the Right Plugin for Your Digital Product Sales

When it comes to selling digital products on WordPress, choosing the right plugin is crucial. There are several popular plugins available, each with its unique features and pricing. Here are some of the top plugins for selling digital products on WordPress:

WordPress iSell

• Allows safe selling of digital products like videos and PDFs
• Integrates with PayPal
• Encrypts links to digital products
• Automatically sends links after payment
• Supports large file sizes
• Clear interface and “buy” button option
• Free

Paid Downloads Pro

• Enables selling of digital products with encrypted links
• Integrated with multiple payment gateways (PayPal, EgoPay, Payza, Skrill, etc.)
• Deactivates download links after a certain time
• Supports X-Sendfile mode
• Multilingual and quick install
• $21

Easy Digital Downloads (EDD)

• Designed specifically for selling digital products
• Full shopping cart system, product pages, and customer management
• Supports multiple payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe
• Allows subscription plans and personalized emails
• Free version available with essentials; premium version offers additional features like free downloads, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and software licensing
• Pre-installed with some hosting plans (e.g., SiteGround’s Managed EDD Hosting)

WooCommerce

• Best for selling physical products but can be used for digital products as well
• Free and supports multiple languages and currencies
• Extensive customization options, inventory management, and shipping options
• Flexible checkout and product management

When choosing a plugin, consider the type of digital products you want to sell, the payment gateways you need to integrate, and the level of customization you require.

Key Features for Digital Product Sales

When selling digital products, there are several key features to look for in a plugin. These include:

• Automatic sending of download links after payment: This feature ensures that customers receive their digital products immediately after payment.
• Encryption of download links for security: This feature protects your digital products from unauthorized access and ensures that only paying customers can access them.
• Support for various file types: Look for plugins that support a range of file types, including PDFs, videos, webinars, and apps.
• Subscription plans and free trial subscriptions: Consider plugins that offer subscription plans and free trial subscriptions to help you monetize your digital products.
• Software licensing and discount options: Look for plugins that offer software licensing and discount options to help you manage your digital products and offer promotions to customers.

Payment Gateways and Integration

When selling digital products, it’s essential to offer multiple payment options to cater to different customer preferences. Here are some popular payment gateways to consider:

• PayPal: A popular payment gateway that integrates with most plugins.
• Stripe: A payment gateway that offers a range of features, including subscription plans and free trial subscriptions.
• Apple Pay: A payment gateway that offers a seamless checkout experience for customers.
• Google Pay: A payment gateway that offers a secure and convenient checkout experience for customers.

When integrating payment gateways with your plugin, consider the following:

• Multiple payment options: Offer multiple payment options to cater to different customer preferences.
• Secure checkout: Ensure that your checkout process is secure and protects customer data.
• Easy integration: Look for plugins that offer easy integration with payment gateways.

Customization and Management

When selling digital products, customization and management are crucial. Here are some features to look for in a plugin:

• Extensive customization options: Look for plugins that offer extensive customization options for the storefront, including themes and extensions.
• Inventory management: Consider plugins that offer inventory management and product reporting to help you manage your digital products.
• Browsing and filtering options: Look for plugins that offer browsing and filtering options for customers to help them find products easily.
• Flexible checkout processes: Consider plugins that offer flexible checkout processes to help you manage your digital products and offer promotions to customers.

Additional Tools and Services

When selling digital products, there are several additional tools and services to consider. Here are some popular options:

• Themes and extensions: Consider themes and extensions that can enhance the e-commerce experience for customers.
• Growth tools: Look for hosting plans that include growth tools like WPForms, MonsterInsights, and AIOSEO to help you grow your online business.

Multilingual Support

When selling digital products to a global audience, multilingual support is crucial. Here are some plugins that offer multilingual support:

• Paid Downloads Pro: Offers multilingual support and quick install.
• Easy Digital Downloads: Offers multilingual support and pre-installed with some hosting plans (e.g., SiteGround’s Managed EDD Hosting).

Hosting and Setup

When selling digital products, hosting and setup are crucial. Here are some recommended hosting plans:

• SiteGround’s Managed EDD Hosting: A hosting plan optimized for e-commerce that includes WordPress pre-installed, free SSL certificate, Easy Digital Downloads plugin, and other growth tools.

When setting up your hosting plan, consider the following:

• WordPress pre-installed: Look for hosting plans that include WordPress pre-installed to save time and effort.
• Free SSL certificate: Consider hosting plans that offer a free SSL certificate to ensure a secure checkout experience for customers.
• Growth tools: Look for hosting plans that include growth tools like WPForms, MonsterInsights, and AIOSEO to help you grow your online business.

Conclusion

Selling digital products on a WordPress e-commerce site requires the right tools and plugins. By choosing the right plugin, considering key features, payment gateways, customization options, and additional tools and services, you can create a seamless online shopping experience for your customers. Remember to consider multilingual support, hosting, and setup to ensure a successful online business. With the right tools and plugins, you can monetize your digital products and grow your online business.

Final Tips

• Choose the right plugin: Consider the type of digital products you want to sell, the payment gateways you need to integrate, and the level of customization you require.
• Offer multiple payment options: Cater to different customer preferences by offering multiple payment options.
• Ensure secure checkout: Protect customer data by ensuring a secure checkout experience.
• Customize and manage: Use extensive customization options and inventory management to manage your digital products and offer promotions to customers.
• Consider multilingual support: Cater to a global audience by offering multilingual support.
• Choose the right hosting plan: Optimize your hosting plan for e-commerce by including WordPress pre-installed, free SSL certificate, and growth tools.