How to sell digital downloads: a guide for coaches and creators
By Lukas Wiklund, Co-founder of Forento
Digital downloads are the simplest product an expert can sell. You create something once, like a template, workbook or guide, and sell it again and again with no shipping, no stock and no extra work per sale.
This guide covers what to sell, how to price it and how to sell digital downloads from your own website.
What are digital downloads?
A digital download is any file a customer pays for and downloads. For coaches and creators, the most popular types are:
- Templates: planners, spreadsheets, Notion or Canva templates, scripts.
- Workbooks: guided exercises that help people apply what you teach.
- Guides and ebooks: short, focused answers to one problem.
- Checklists and cheat sheets: one-page summaries of a process.
- Audio: meditations, practice tracks, recorded workshops.
- Plans and programs: meal plans, training programs, practice schedules.
1. Pick a small, specific problem
Downloads sell best when they solve one problem fast. "A complete guide to fitness" is too big. "A 4-week home workout plan with no equipment" sells, because buyers know exactly what they get.
Look at the tools you already use with clients. The spreadsheet you share, the checklist you send after a session, the worksheet you use in workshops. Those are products.
2. Make it look professional
Buyers judge digital products by their cover. Use Canva or a similar tool to create a clean design with your brand colors. Keep it practical: a 10-page workbook people complete beats a 100-page ebook nobody finishes.
Export to a format anyone can open, usually PDF. For templates, include a short "how to use this" page.
3. Price it right
| Type | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Checklist or cheat sheet | Free–$15 |
| Template or template pack | $15–$49 |
| Workbook or guide | $19–$39 |
| Full program or plan | $29–$99 |
Price on the time and effort you save the buyer. A template that saves a business owner five hours is worth more than a nice-looking PDF.
4. Sell it from your own website
Marketplaces like Etsy can bring buyers, but they take a cut, set the rules and keep the customer relationship. Selling from your own website means you keep the customer's email and can offer them your next product.
In Forento you can sell digital downloads as their own product, next to your courses, coaching and memberships. Customers pay with Stripe or PayPal and get instant access to their files. Downloads are included on every plan, including the free one. See also how to sell online courses from your own website.
5. Use downloads to grow your business
Downloads work as more than a product. Use them as steps in a path toward your bigger offers:
- Free download: a checklist in exchange for an email address.
- Low-priced download: a $27 workbook that turns a reader into a customer.
- Course or membership: the full method, for people who want more. See how to create an online course.
- Coaching: personal help, for those who want the fastest results. See how to sell coaching online.
Someone who has bought from you once is far more likely to buy again. You can also add downloads as bonuses inside courses and memberships to raise their value, or combine several into a product bundle.
6. Promote it
- Share the problem it solves in social posts, then link to the product.
- Mention it at the end of free workshops and webinars.
- Send it to your email list with a short launch discount.
- Add it as an upsell after someone buys a related course.
Frequently asked questions
What digital downloads sell best?
Templates, planners and workbooks that solve one specific problem tend to sell best. They give buyers a quick win they can use right away.
Where should I sell digital downloads?
Sell them from your own website if you want to keep customer contact details and offer other products later. A platform like Forento lets you sell downloads alongside courses and coaching under your own brand.
Do I need to handle VAT or sales tax on digital products?
Often yes. Many countries, including the EU, tax digital products based on where the buyer lives. Forento supports Stripe Tax to help collect tax automatically. Check the rules for your country.
Sell your first download
With Forento you can sell downloads, courses, coaching and memberships from one branded academy. Start for free, or try a paid plan for 30 days with no credit card.