Digital Products Market: What and Where Can You Sell Online?

Half a century ago, no one would have even thought that the digital products market would be so dense and large, and that it could compete with real physical goods. What about video content, music and programs for various devices?! Thanks to the developed global network, we can buy and sell almost any virtual products. And special resources have already been developed and are functioning for sale, from one-page landing pages to powerful marketplaces. So what and where can you sell to an ordinary user? Let’s figure this out.

Virtual goods or what are digital products?

In the modern world, numbers rule the roost. Information, knowledge, art and even entertainment are rapidly moving to an online format. Digital products are intangible items that are sold and bought over the Internet without the need for delivery (although in some cases they come to e-mail, messenger, etc. And this can be conditionally considered delivery). They are instantly available to the buyer and have a high profitability, since they are sold repeatedly without any costs.

Examples of such products are online courses, e-books, templates and various shells, stock photos, software (including OS) and even virtual items in games. Accounts from popular social networks that have been abandoned or for other reasons are also sold and bought. For example, TikTok accounts can be bought on a specialized platform for the sale of virtual products. Their popularity is growing, which makes the digital goods market one of the most promising areas in e-commerce.

How big is the digital products market?

The digital goods market is already huge and continues to grow rapidly. According to analytical agencies, the global digital economy accounts for about 15% of the world’s GDP and is growing at 10-15% annually. This correlates well with the spread of high-speed Internet, an increase in the number of mobile users and the dynamic development of technology.

The digital product industry includes online education, sales of digital services, digital content, software and much more. This market is expected to reach new records by the thirties of the twenty-first century due to the introduction of AI and automated technologies.

Sales volumes over the past ten years

The digital products market has shown explosive growth in recent years. For example, in 2013, the global digital content market was valued at $150 billion, and by 2023 its volume will exceed $500 billion. Leading segments include:

• Online education: more than $300 billion in 2023
• Video games and in-game purchases: more than $200 billion
• Music and video streaming services: more than $100 billion
• Digital product marketplaces (templates, plugins, stock photos): over $50 billion

These figures demonstrate how profitable it is to create and sell virtual products.

Types and kinds of digital products

We can find many categories of digital products on the Internet. Let’s highlight the most common ones:

1. Products for education and upbringing: online courses, various webinars, e-books, guides.
2. Design and graphics: website templates, icons, illustrations, 3D models.
3. Music and sound: audio tracks, sound effects, podcasts.
4. Software: mobile applications, plugins, SaaS services.
5. Game products: in-game items, mods, game assets.
6. Content for marketing: posts for social networks, advertising and all its types, presentations.
7. Financial block: ready-made reports, contract templates, databases.

What and where can you sell?

Trading of such products is possible on various platforms. Here are the main places where you can find buyers:

• Digital goods marketplaces (Gumroad, Etsy, ThemeForest, Creative Market) – great for trading (buying and selling) templates, designs, presets and plugins.
• Individual sites (Tilda, Shopify and others) – allow you to sell literature, courses and software licenses directly.
• Platforms for teaching and learning (educational services) (Udemy, Skillshare, Coursera) – suitable for monetizing courses.
• Freelance exchanges (Fiverr, Upwork) – in demand for individual orders of digital services.
• Stock platforms (Shutterstock, Pond5, AudioJungle) – help sell photos, video, music.

The choice of platform depends on the type of digital product and target audience.

Growing prospects

The development of digital goods seems endless. In the coming years, we expect:

• Growth of interest in personalized content, such as unique online courses and consultations.
• Increase in sales of NFTs and virtual assets in metaverses.
• Expansion of the market for artificial intelligence that creates custom content.
• Increase in demand for automation of business processes and work routines, such as chatbots and CRM systems.

The impact of artificial intelligence on the digital products market

AI or Artificial intelligence is already changing the digital goods market. Here are some key influences:

• Content creation: AI algorithms generate images, texts, music, videos.
• Personalization: adapting courses, recommendations and content to each user.
• Sales automation: smart chatbots and AI systems help process orders and analyze customer behavior.
• Generation of new markets: thanks to AI, new types of digital goods appear, for example, virtual assistants or auto-generated websites.

AI makes the digital market even larger and more extensive. This area is not only a promising niche, but also a real opportunity to create a stable source of income. The main thing is to choose a popular product, the right platform and follow the trends. With the advancement of technology, the possibilities are only increasing, which means it’s time to get into digital goods!