Creating a Digital Download Business - What to sell, how to sell it, …

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WP Evangelist means that I attend WordCamps and other events and listen to the community.

What:
Obvious products
Not-so-obvious products

How:
Tips for creation
What platform(s) to use

How:
Marketing
How to launch
Marketing funnels / followup
Continued engagement

Find “the more you know”
Or all I know is that I know nothing at all
Or similar gif

(display logos one at a time?) or one image of all of them
One of easiest to create
Especially from existing content (blog posts)
Multiple platforms (PDF t local computer, Fivver, iBooks, amazon kindle, Blurb (sell and create), Lulu, Nook press, Google Play

Large subject

You know things I don’t
Even if I do know, you have a unique perspective I don’t

X Best Practices for [Insert Industry/Topic]

An Introduction to [Insert Industry/Topic]
X Common Questions About [Insert Industry/Topic] Answered
X [Insert Industry/Topic] Statistics For Better Decision Making
Learn From The Best: X [Insert Industry/Topic] Experts Share Insights

Ebook creation services.

Ebook covers – Photoshop templates, but prefer Canva to do this
Use images
Graphs
Charts

What is it?
gathering information relevant to a particular topic or area of interest. Services or people that implement content curation are calledcurators. Curation services can be used by businesses as well as end users.

Blog Posts
from one or more categories

If a reference guides
Curate content from other sources.
Summary + Image + Link (good place for affiliate links too, which I will get to)

Music:
Original, mixes, loops

Audiobooks:
Repurpose ebook by reading It. (good practice for voiceover work)
Brilliance audio

Podcasts:
Download or member access

Ringtones:
Allowed in iTunes

Audacity - Open source

Zencastr - Free while in beta

Screencast software auido-only export (accompany with screenshots)

Art: Original artwork, memes, inspirational posters

Day planners:

Clothing patterns:

Doll clothing patterns
https://www.shopify.ca/blog/17587420-how-one-couple-is-making-600-000-per-year-selling-digital-products
Printables
http://www.thesitsgirls.com/make-money/creating-selling-printables/

Have a plan
Doesn't have to be a full business plan
even just an outline

NOT IN YOUR HEAD.

Post on desk, monitor, forehead, calendar, etc.

Domain name and host

Yes, obvious I know. I wasn’t going to include this but just wanted to say a couple things.

Your host matters.
If you can, don’t go cheap.

See any of the people from the hosting companies here today. All good.

Security company, but if not, still #2 on my list
Someone is always trying to slip through!

Hosts do a great job, but security is a big subject

Vulnerabilities at user network level

Software application level (WordPress) can still be an issue

This is YOUR revenue stream and needs protection

Anyone guess what that stands for? Hint: I just made it up.

WordPress core
Plugins
Themes

WHAT - Secure Sockets Layer
encrypts communications between the user and the web server. It helps to prevent hacker attacks that are based on eavesdropping.

Is the web site really secure with SSL?
No. SSL secures the network communication link only. However, risk to individual users may be significant

Eavesdroppers can see what is typed into forms on non-SSL sites

Most obvious risk is login form, which asks for username and password.
Eavesdropper can potentially obtain these login credentials and then log in as that user.

Users will re-use passwords on many websites. None of you do that right?

HOW
Purchase from Host
Purchase separately
Use Let’s Encrypt SSL are free (SiteGround host makes this simple)

Anti-virus – on your computer. (Kapersky, McAfee, Norton)
VPN – on your computer (or even mobile device). Virtual Private Network (public wifi) (
Plugins – search the plugin repository, you’ll find many options. Inspect settings, file changes, and more
Scanners – scans the actual files that live on your hosting account. Checks for known malware and suspicious code
WAF – Web Application Firewalls – detects and routes real visitors from bots.

Ever visited a site with no way to contact them? I have. It simply doesn’t work.

10 fold for ecommerce.

Pre-sales
Contact form
Phone
Email
Forums

SOMETHING

Pre-sales
Blog subscription
Notify me when…

Blog
Maybe they don’t trust you yet. Allow them to follow your content for proof of your knowledge.

Checkout
Transactional emails – email required for checkout to receive receipts, user accounts, etc. (agree to terms of use)
Transactional recipients are only eligible to receive transactional email, like Abandoned Cart workflows, and can't be sent marketing campaigns.

Give option to receive optional (separate) newsletter. (marketing) MUST OPT IN

Both require “terms” explaining the email communication they will receive.

3 options

Not interested in using WordPress? Boo!!! Let’s skip this!

Just kidding

Can be less hassle and administration

Marketplaces – they take a percentage of your earnings
You get more exposure, faster
Might be a good way to get started for some people

Envato

Mojo

Themes
Plugins
Video
Audio
Graphics
Stock photos
3D animations

Primarily themes and plugins

Platform provided, but more product and sales information required.

Shopify – 14 day trial, then paid monthly
Ruby on Rails and PHP
Data lives on their servers
Offers WordPress plugin so you can put products on WP site

BigCommerce
Must have own WP site
Create page in Bigcommerce
Point with DNS changes in domain settings
No plugin

Volusion
Volusion is a hosted solution, and that means that all your files will be sitting on their servers. On the other hand, your WordPress site will be sitting on your own server space that you have bought from your web host.
The upshot: your Volusion store and your WordPress site cannot live on the same domain. Instead, they will have to be hosted on different sub-domains.

Everything done by you!
Domain, hosting, configure WP
Configure theme
Install and configure plugins

Yay! Benefits

Control your data!

Streamline
Only use what you NEED

Simple PayPal buttons

PayPal shopping carts

519 results on plugin repository!

Forms with PayPal integration

Made for physical sales (also has digital download addons)

Many other addons

Themes

Acquired by Automattic (company formed by WordPress co-founder, Matt Mullenweg

Also known as EDD

Made for digital sales (also has shipping addon)

Many addons

Themes

What we use at FooPlugins

The one big secret…There are no valid shortcuts!

Shortcuts usually look like this (cat)

Not shortcuts, but STREAMLINE REQUIRED ITEMS rather than NICE-TO-HAVES

Or nice to haves

This is where I used to get stuck.
Hours in my office tweaking css and other things
Tell me wife…meh

KISS method

Prebuilt theme or page builder with templates

Minimal – NOT LIKE LING!

Focus on products, not fanciness (hovering buttons, animations, etc.)

The LIFE BLOOD of your digital download business
This is where users make the decision to buy or leave

There are essential elements to include in product pages that will help you succeed.

ADD IMAGES HEREhttps://vwo.com/blog/ecommerce-product-page-best-practices/

Not a designer? Use a page builder.

Templates or page builder or both

Themes for WooCommerce and EDD

Page builders
Beaver builder

Description for real people. Not just boring facts (this does this, these are the dimensions, this is cost)

Tell a story at every chance.

Evoke emotion.

Make a connection.

Benefits vs Features

Features are defined as surface statements about your product, such as what it can do, its dimensions and specs and so on.
Benefits, by definition, show the end result of what a product can actually accomplish for the reader.

- The gas mileage on a car is a feature; the amount of money you can save on gas is a benefit.
- Pockets on the front of a sweater is a feature; having a place for your keys and keeping your hands warm in the winter are both benefits.
- Home delivery is a feature; not having to interrupt your schedule to go to the store is a benefit.

Why should I care?

TRICK – after listing a feature of your product, ask yourself. SO WHAT? The answer will be your benefit.

This is how this product will:
Make your life easier
Make your job easier
Help you achieve that goal faster

Stock imagery
Product images – DIY lots f tutorials, hire someone on Fivver
Hire a designer
Images
(animated GIFs)

Product Demos on page if possible (images or videos)

Usage video, tutorials (can show benefits of ease of use at same time)

Trust badges

Simple yet effective

Reviews/Testimonials

Images – fields of dreams (build it and they won’t come), pre launch landing page optin, community

May sound obvious, but learned from trial and error
You care more about business/product than users
Others don’t because they don’t know

Create buzz before
Landing page, buy ads
Build list/anticipation
Launch in existing community

List
Subscriptions for everything (prelaunch, blog articles, specific categories, partnership/affiliate interest, etc.)
Subscriptions everywhere (moneylab)
Follow up series for everything

Value
5-7 emails before asking
Something of value in each email (ebook, case study, tutorial, resources)

Authenticity
Don’t be “this guy”
Building your business? Talk about it. The struggles and successes.
Get personal (talk about my email about Ziggy seizure and the response from customers)
BUT DON”T WHINE

Progress bars
Cross sells
Upsells
Edit order

#1 is capturing the email and detecting the abandonment, then email series

Ask if anyone isn’t familiar (show of hands)

Have one?
YES or NO – doesn’t follow the KISS method, but can help boost sales and traffic (blogger reviews, reccos and others email campaigns)
Creates loyalty with subset of people
They can provide valuable feedback

Become affiliate yourself
Complimentary services

Example: FooPlugins –
Gravity forms, NextGEN, other galleries, themes
Get listed on their reccomendations pages

What is Content Marketing?
Blogging
approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action

Plans
Tell a story
Schedule this! Google Calendar is your friend
Outline some Draft posts even if you don’t have the content

Pro Tips
Content curation – resource or list posts
Repurposed Content – audio, video (wpdistrict community posts example – YouTube, Blog posts, transcriptions, shared on FB and Twitter
Customers create content for you (guest post submissions, case studies)

Same as content marketing

Plan, schedule, repurpose

Tools
Hootsuite, buffer, CoSchedule

START NOW

Amazon core value I learned
Don’t wait until everything is “perfect” because it never will be.
Continually iterate - Analytics
Growth is organic, trial and error

SiteLock – security news/tips, WordPress community interviews

Wpmodder – Mostly WordPress, direct replies

Creating a Digital Download Business - What to sell, how to sell it, and shortcuts to success

Adam W. Warner

Creating a Digital Download Business - What to sell, how to sell it, and shortcuts to success