What is a Digital Product?

1) Defining the term

Simply put, a digital product is anything in a digital format. There is no need to make it more complicated than that. They are typically created, distributed, and accessed online and don’t require “physical” production.

The term includes a wide range of products, but the one thing they have in common is that they’re all created and distributed using digital technology.

In turn, the outcome is that they only need to be produced once and then can be sold repeatedly without the need for physical production, storage space, or a brick-and-mortar store.

They are ready to share and sell with minimum effort from an online marketplace, app store, or brand website.

2) The different forms of digital products

Although the types of digital products are endless, some of the most popular forms include:

Educational products

These products include online courses, learning management systems, and guides designed to teach people new skills. They also help people improve their mindset, careers, health, relationships, etc.

Templates

Digital templates make life easier. Whether it is marketing templates like flyers or graphic design templates for quick and easy designs, the process is simplified. HR related forms such as resumes for job seekers or online software application forms for HR teams, sales templates for presentations and sales sheets, etc. these templates quicken the creation of various types of digitally formatted documents.

eBooks

From self-publishing for authors to free giveaways for corporations as a sales tool and blogger collections to storytelling, eBooks are a versatile product with many purposes. They are basically long form written pieces for sale or sharing.

Media and entertainment

Digital format media and entertainment products such as music and art enable artists and musicians to profit from their talents with files for purchase or sharing.  This would include things like stock photos and videos. Many of these items tend to be copyrighted, licensed digital assets providing permission to use someone else’s talents and digital property.

Online tools

Another broad category, this can include tools designed to perform tasks. These tools can be sold or shared for free. Some examples include plugins, planners and calendars, editing tools, and budgets, etc.

Services

Online professional services range from legal to health care and creative to accounting. These digital services can be provided by an individual or via hiring marketplaces.

Memberships and subscriptions

Memberships provide special benefits for members that can be free or paid, while subscriptions would be something like access to white papers and educational content on a business site. Consequently, they can be for profit or shared for free.

3) Why are they important?

Digital products open the doors to the world, enabling people and businesses to share their products and services globally. By transcending geographical barriers, creators aren’t held back by constraints like the costs of manufacturing, physical distribution/storage, etc.

In turn, digital products are extremely scalable. You enable sellers to reach a massive audience with very little effort once their product is designed.

Additionally, they are duplicated and distributed with very little cost, providing a profit machine that is practically self-generating. Digital products are also a convenience for purchasers/users with instant accessibility through various devices. It is also the sector where innovation drives success, enabling creators to experiment with new formats and continue to drive interest by introducing new features that are better, smarter, more fun, more intuitive, and improve user experience.

Testing is simplified with concepts stored and accessed in a sandbox-like environment. Digital products also have very little environmental impact as they don’t require physical materials, transportation, etc.

Once a digital product is designed, it offers an opportunity for global accessibility and scalability, unlike any other type of product.  With the right type of management tool, such as a PIM, you can easily store your digital products with product information, including images and videos showing how to use the product, descriptions, etc. A PIM makes it easier to upload your digital products to global marketplaces and monetize your creations with minimal effort.