Do you want to offer more value to your clients outside of appointments? Try digital downloads. They’re a great way to attract new clients and make more money for your service-based business. You can even offer them as “freebies” on your blog or booking site.
We put together the best digital downloads (plus examples) for small business owners.
What are the best digital downloads to sell for small businesses?
Digital downloads are low-cost to produce and offer a ton of value. It’s no wonder they’ve taken over the internet. On top of boosting your income, they’re also great lead magnets. Clients usually leave an email address to deliver the product, and you can ask their permission to send follow-up promotions and announcements. So what’s the best digital product to reel in your next customer?
Here are five popular digital downloads and how you can use them to earn extra income.
#1 Online Courses
With the success of Coursera, Udemy, and dozens of other online learning marketplaces, the e-learning market is booming. People love online courses because they have the flexibility to learn at their own pace. Even Ivy League universities are reaping the benefits by offering online courses to non-enrolled students. Why shouldn’t you?
Whether you’re a seasoned dog trainer or fitness instructor, you can create and sell an online course about your business expertise. You can either create courses for your potential clients or for other professionals in your industry (or both!) Maybe you’ll teach hair clients how to maintain their braids or aspiring fitness professionals to nail their certification exams.
Online courses are typically a mix of webinar style videos and lecture slides. Try to keep students engaged and offer additional materials, like study guides.You’re the expert here, but make sure to do additional research. The goal is to offer invaluable information that your students can’t get anywhere else.
You can sell your course on an e-learning marketplace (but they usually take a cut of your earnings) or through your own website with special plugins. Any online course worth its price will take time to create, and that’s okay! Once the course is available on your site, you have the potential to earn passive income for years to come.
#2 Ebooks
Sure, video is taking over, but nothing beats a good book. You can add another stream of income to your business by selling ebooks. Much like online courses, ebooks show your expertise in the industry.
Maybe you’ll publish:
- An in-depth guide to developing healthy eating habits
- Tips for maintaining their skin post-treatment.
- Licensing Requirements for Cosmetologists
- Your journey growing a six-figure fitness business.
Ebooks don’t have to be long. No one expects you to write a novel. It’s just another way to package your knowledge. You can sell your ebooks as standard pdfs on your site or publish them on marketplaces like Amazon Kindle.
#3 Training Regimens
If you’re a dog trainer or fitness trainer, you can earn passive income by selling digital training plans. An online training regimen is invaluable for clients with limited time or who aren’t ready for an in-person session. With a downloadable plan, clients can get started instantly. Who knows? They might try your digital training plan out for a month and book your services the next month.
These regimens can be based on the services you already offer. Maybe you’ll set it up as a calendar with weekly routines or a color-coded checklist with a goal tracker. It’s up to you! Just make sure it’s functional. You can even include visuals on how to perform the exercises or commands.
#4 Business Document Templates
There are people just starting out in your industry that need guidance on how to look professional. You can help them and earn some extra cash by selling business document templates.
For example, check out this printable dog training agreement with thousands of reviews. Even if you price your documents under $5.00, you can still make a pretty penny over time.
It’s best if these are templates you use for your business and clients so you already know they work. That’s why PocketSuite offers industry-specific templates for forms and contracts right in the app.
You can create and sell:
- Contracts
- Intake Forms
- Business cards
- Service Menus
- Price Lists
- Resumes
Be creative with the designs, but when it comes to business document templates, clients are mostly looking for trustworthy information. And be sure to add a disclaimer on legal document templates (unless you’re a lawyer!)
#5 Social Media Templates
As a business owner, you know social media works best when you’re consistent. But you don’t always have the time or ideas on what to post. You can solve this problem for other pros in your industry by offering templates for Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest etc
Clients are often looking to create a cohesive aesthetic for their social media profiles. So, it’s best to sell a package of templates with multiple posts, thumbnails, and icons in the same color schemes and font family. You can include captions and find trending hashtags or memes.
Digital downloads can be highly competitive, as platforms like Canva offer hundreds of social media templates for free. You can stand out with industry-specific visuals and information. If it’s possible, show how the templates performed for your own on social media.
The Bottom Line
Digital downloads are a good option for business owners looking to boost their income and give extra value to their clients. Whether you offer courses, ebooks, or templates, you’re sure to attract new clients with your expertise.
You can sell online products through your PocketSuite booking site. PocketSuite is an all-in-one app for your service-based business. From booking to payments to contracts, we have everything you need to run a business.
