The main goal of my business is to help YOU make more money online— usually through a website. Buuuuut… sometimes you don’t have a one, or you do and it’s not set up for a shop.. One of the best ways you can do that is by selling digital products. In fact, it’s my FAVORITE way to make some extra cash without taking on more 1:1 work.

I know most of the people reading this are running a service based or some kind of custom 1:1 business. Photographer, designer, artist, organizer, etc. Since having an online shop isn’t the main purpose of your business, it can feel especially overwhelming and impossible to just sell one or two items as a side meal to your main course. If that’s you, keep scrolling. I’ve got just the thing.

After trying various platforms, I’ve decided to move toward ConvertKit (soon to be called Kit) for selling my digital products. In this post, I’ll walk you through why I made this choice, and how ConvertKit’s features make it easier for creatives like you to sell digital products for free.

PS If you have Dubsado and want to see how to sell digital products there, check out this blog post: How to sell digital products through Dubsado and also How to sell your custom products with Dubsado.

“Over 90% of buyers now expect businesses to offer self-service options.”

— – Harvard Business Review

Selling digital products as a service provider is a kinda a slick, genius move. Not everyone is at the same level of ‘ready-to-buy’, and not everyone can afford your high ticket offer. You definitely have some DIY friends that would love to learn how you do what you do, or buy prints without the custom price. I’m also not a fan of discounting your work (unless it’s a new offer you’re trying out).

Plus, selling digital products can be one of the most rewarding ways to earn passive income, but choosing the right platform can be tricky. You want a tool that works seamlessly, doesn’t eat into your profits, and offers the features you need without getting too complicated.

With all that in mind, here is how I would sell digital products online if I were you.

Sell with Kit (formerly ConvertKit)

At the time of this writing, I’ve sold digital products through Shopify, Squarespace, Gumroad and Dubsado. I’m here to try new tech & experiment so you don’t have to use your business as a test kitchen. Because I take what works and implement it for my clients businesses, I’m really not into any complicated setups. I only pass on what’s easy and what works.

ConvertKit is definitely my new go-to for a few key reasons:

No Extra Fees: Many platforms take a percentage of your sales, which can really add up, especially if you’re selling digital products at a lower price point. ConvertKit doesn’t charge extra transaction fees on top of what you’re already paying to your payment processor. More money in your pocket.
It’s Free on Any Plan: You can start selling digital products on ConvertKit, even if you’re on their free plan. This is perfect for those who want to test the waters without committing to a paid subscription right away.
No Need for Extra Integrations: Forget about stitching together multiple apps to sell your products. ConvertKit is built to handle your sales, email list, and product delivery all in one place.
Segment Your Buyers: Once someone buys from you, ConvertKit allows you to segment them into a specific group. This helps with sending targeted follow-ups or future offers that align with their interests.
Product Links in Emails: You can easily embed product links directly in your emails, making it a frictionless process for customers to purchase from you. No extra steps, no confusion.
Automatically Grow Your Email List: If someone isn’t already on your list but buys a product, ConvertKit will automatically add them, helping you build a more engaged audience.
Better Analytics: ConvertKit gives you detailed insights into your sales performance, including how well your emails are converting and what products are driving the most revenue. You get to make data-driven decisions that optimize future sales.

How to Sell Digital Products with ConvertKit (Kit)

Once you’re set up in ConvertKit, selling digital products is a simple process. Here’s how it works:

Set up your product
Design your sales page
Customize the checkout & emails
Segment and Automate
Share!

Step 1: Setting Up Your Product in ConvertKit

Before you do this, you’ll need to have the actual product created, and a PDF to download. If you have multiple links, or something that’s NOT in the form of a PDF, then you’ll need to add them to a single page (Google Doc or Canva) and save as a PDF.

When ready, go to EARN > PRODUCTS > NEW PRODUCT

`Here’s how to start your product listing:`

Go to EARN > PRODUCTS > NEW PRODUCT
Fill out sections 1-4.
If you have your own domain, you can use that instead of the default on step 4 here

Step 2: Design your sales page

Once the product is created, you’ll be taken to a new page where you can create your sales page. This part is simple. Click over any words to rewrite the copy and change the styling (font, color, etc). You’ll see the styling menu change on the right to whatever you’re clicking on.

As far as the copy, I suggest using your hook and then some bullets on the benefits or what they’ll receive.

If you’re on the paid plan, you can click on the ‘made by ConvertKit/Kit’ button to remove it.

Step 3: Discounts, checkout & emails

Now, from that same page, look for some tabs near the top of the sales page (not at the top of the entire site page). You’ll see: CHECKOUT, CONFIRMATION, RECEIPT EMAIL. Then slide your eyes over to the right and you’ll see VIEW, PURCHASES, REPORTS & SETTINGS. There is also a SAVE button— save often! This doesn’t automatically save.

To add a discount or upsell: Click on SETTINGS. This is where you’ll edit anything to do with the delivery of the product. There’s an option for Discounts and Upsells. Click there to add those if you’d like. Note the upsell product must be created already.
Click through the CHECKOUT, CONFIRMATION & RECEIPT EMAIL tabs to view what they will look like and make any customizations. There’s not a LOT you can change. Notice the styling window pop up on the right.
The download button for your buyers will be in the receipt email, but you can also add one to the confirmation by clicking the plus button in the text area.

Step 4: Segment your buyers

ConvertKit (Kit) allows for easy segmenting for buyers. When you tag someone who purchases a specific product, you can either NOT send them more marketing emails about it, or you can send specific emails ONLY to the people who bought it. Like, follow ups, or asking for testimonials.

`How to do this:`

Go to AUTOMATE > VISUAL AUTOMATIONS > NEW AUTOMATION > START FROM SCRATCH > START BUILDING
Select COMMERCE, then your product and click ADD EVENT
Click the + sign. Select ADD OR REMOVE TAG.
Find the tag you want to use, or write in a new one.
If you want to add a follow up sequence, you can click the plus sign and add the sequence (this needs to be created first)
Toggle on the ACTIVE button.

Advanced tip- To send a follow up or testimonial- you would create a sequence, and then add the sequence to the visual automations.

If you happen to sell this product in emails, you can also add a tag to anyone who clicks on the link from within the email. Do this when you’re adding it and you’ll see the option to create a tag. This won’t tell you if they bought or not, but would tag people who were interested.

*Ever see launch emails where there’s an option to opt out of that particular campaign but stay on the list? That’s done by adding a link for them to click (make a short confirmation page on your site), and giving them a fresh tag. Then when you send the broadcast, make sure to not send it to people with that tag.

Step 5: Share with everyone!

You have 2 ways to share this— either embed on your site, or share a direct link. Let’s look at both:

Embed code:
This is only for websites. If you ever notice a page where the check out is part of that page (not a pop up), that’s what this would look like.
To do this, click the PUBLISH button at the top right of your product page, click EMBED, copy the code. Go to your website, and add a code block where you want it to be. Paste the code into the code block. Save and check to make sure it looks ok. It might look super weird while you’re in edit mode, so check it on a live page.
Direct link:
This way of sharing is more versatile as it can also be used on websites as a pop up, and also shared via text, on social media, or in emails — pretty much anywhere. If you’re using this on a website, the best way to do that is to add it to a button, so that it opens a pop up window when someone clicks on it.
To use this, click the PUBLISH button at the top right of your product page, click SHARE LINK, copy the link. And share away!

*you probably noticed there’s a toggle here for a discount code. If you set that up and want to use it, toggle it on before you copy anything. This allows people to buy without entering a code, so it’s super easy for the consumer. Remember to toggle it off & re-copy/paste the code/link when you don’t want to use it anymore!

Bonus: Track your progress

One huge bonus with selling on Convertkit/Kit is how easy it is to track how many people are looking at your product, vs how many buy. If you aren’t getting the sales you were hoping for, then this helps you know if you have an eyeball problem (as in, not enough), or a messaging problem (not connecting with buyers).

You’ll find this information by opening up your product and clicking on REPORTS.

I suggest making some sort of chart to keep track of this information. Either start a Google Sheet or doing it the old fashioned way with a notebook and pencil. Check it once a week and record the data. Use that for making future decisions about this product.

You can also track your orders/purchasers by going to EARN > TRANSACTIONS.

Final thoughts….

Please know that at the time of this writing, this isn’t created for physical products. However you can still do that with a workaround. Select ‘digital download’ and add a PDF. The PDF should be a sheet that contains instructions/or whatever you need to send. If your product requires customization, I would make a Google Form with the questions you need and add that to the PDF.

I hope this was helpful! There will be more features coming soon (including affiliate tracking! Ahhhh!). If you’re looking to sell digital products, this is the way. Its user-friendly interface allows you to set up your product with ease, and the built-in payment integration means you won’t need extra tools or systems to start selling. Additionally, ConvertKit’s automation features enable you to nurture leads, deliver your products instantly, and build strong relationships with customers—all while focusing on growing your business.

For the official FAQ’s and further help, click HERE.

Not sure what you can make, or even if your service translates into passive income? I’ve got some ideas for ya! Grab this list of 70 ideas that covers 20 professions— 10 bonus ideas that anyone can do!

[free] 70 digital product ideas

* Resources

Start a free trial with my preferred email marketing platform, ConvertKit
get 30% off your first payment with Dubsado after the free trial (click HERE if you need help setting that up, or HERE if you’re a service based creative and want to see how I automate my inquiry process)
Free Canva Pro credits when you sign up for a free account to make your promo materials
Get your legal stuff in place with affordable and customizable legal templates

Need more help?

>>> Ready to DIY your website? Here’s a FREE website workbook so you know what to put on it. cost: $0.00.

>>> Or is this overwhelming and you’d like someone else to audit your site? I can do that too— sign up for a website audit right here. I’ll report back with findings and suggested changes. Best part? We don’t even have to talk to each other— introverts unite! I sometimes run specials for free audits, so it’s worth checking out!

Did you know Dubsado is free for your first the 3 clients?

Use the code PARADISE for 30% off your first year or month when your trial is over!

Where to sell digital products for free

how to sell digital downloads without a website