In today’s online economy, selling digital products is one of the most scalable, low-risk ways to earn income. Whether you want to offer eBooks, templates, online courses, or plugins, WordPress paired with Elementor gives you a powerful, flexible platform. Here’s a step‑by‑step guide—including some clever additions—to help you set up a polished, profitable digital storefront.
1. Why Digital Products Are a Smart Move
Before diving into tools, it helps to understand the appeal:
- Zero Inventory & Instant Delivery
No shipping, no storage—your product is only created once but can be sold endlessly. - High Profit Margins
After covering hosting and your time, each sale is nearly pure profit. - Global Reach
Sell anytime, anywhere, to a worldwide audience—without shipping costs or delays. - Passive Income Potential
Build once, sell forever: digital products can bring ongoing revenue with minimal upkeep.
According to MemberPress, digital products require less decision-making and overhead than physical ones—and customers love the instant access to downloads.
2. Choose Your Delivery Platform
There are three standout WordPress solutions for selling digital products—choose the one that best fits your business model:
a. WooCommerce + Elementor
- Pros: Full-featured e-commerce platform with extensive extensions. Set products as downloadable and virtual, eliminating shipping hassles.
- Cons: Can feel heavy if you’re only selling a couple of items.
How to start:
- Install WooCommerce.
- Mark your product “downloadable” and add the file.
- Use Elementor (plus JetWooBuilder) to craft easy-on-the-eyes products and checkout pages.
- Set payment gateways like Stripe or PayPal.
- Customize your checkout to remove unnecessary fields (#pro-tip).
b. Easy Digital Downloads (EDD)
- Pros: Built specifically for digital goods—clean, fast, and intuitive.
- Cons: Some premium features (licenses, subscriptions, affiliate program) require paid extensions.
Setup in minutes:
- Activate Easy Digital Downloads.
- Configure basic settings: currency, payments, taxes.
- Add your digital download with file, description, and price.
- Let EDD handle secure delivery and downloads.
- Use EDD extensions to add coupons, subscriptions, or recurring payments.
EDD is a top choice when your store’s focus is digital items—it’s often praised for its simplicity and scalability.
c. JetFormBuilder or WPForms for One-Off Sales
- Pros: Ideal if you’re selling just a single product or service; you can build a custom checkout without the complexity of a full store.
- Cons: Lacks cart functionality—best for individual or low-volume sales.
How it works:
- Design a form with JetFormBuilder or WPForms.
- Add pricing and payment integration (Stripe/PayPal).
- On submission, send the customer a download link or attach the file to their confirmation email.
JetFormBuilder even lets you generate custom PDFs based on user input—perfect for certificates or client reports.
3. Design with Elementor for Maximum Sales Appeal
No matter which ecommerce setup you choose, Elementor is legendary for building:
- High-converting landing pages with sharp visuals and clear calls-to-action.
- Product pages that highlight benefits, aesthetics, and reviews.
- Streamlined checkout flows to reduce friction.
You can even template thank-you pages that upsell or promote your email list. Want to sell an eBook or course? There are loads of ready-made Elementor templates and case‑study tutorials (some even via YouTube) showing how to structure them.
4. Secure, Deliver, and Protect Your Digital Files
Security matters. You don’t want your content shared without payment:
- WooCommerce and EDD automatically generate secure download links and can limit downloads/expire links.
- Form plugins can send time-sensitive links in emails.
- Use content protection plugins or simple file obfuscation to keep files hidden from direct access.
5. Scale Up Smartly
Just making a store isn’t enough. Spead the word and scale revenue:
- SEO & Blogging: Create content that answers questions your target market is asking. Link product pages inside posts to drive traffic.
- Email Marketing: Use opt-ins like free chapters or discounts to build a list. Trigger automated email sequences that nurture and sell.
- Affiliates & Partnerships: EDD’s extensions or WooCommerce affiliate plug-ins make this easy.
- Discounts & Launches: Use limited-time coupons and pre‑order offers to build urgency.
- Upsells and Bundles: Encourage customers to get more with package deals.
The Easy Digital Downloads blog stresses the value of affiliate programs and offers concrete, off‑site traffic boosts.
6. Examples of What You Can Sell
Digital products come in many forms:
- eBooks, PDFs, and guides (Elementor+Woo)
- Photoshop templates or Lightroom presets
- WordPress themes, plugins
- Online courses or webinar recordings
- Printable art or planners
- Memberships with ongoing access/content
MemberPress, WooCommerce, and EDD all support subscriptions—so you can monetize a library of content rather than just one-off purchases.
7. Real-World Examples & Inspiration
- On Medium, a developer credited their WordPress plugin store for generating a serious income stream.
- On BlackHatWorld, one seller went from modest earnings to $2,000/month in a year—simply by improving marketing and repeat sales.
Final Take
Selling digital products with WordPress and Elementor is not only doable—it’s a smart business move. With minimal expense and powerful tools, you can create an online store that looks great and keeps working for you 24/7.
Choose the right setup:
- WooCommerce for full shop control,
- Easy Digital Downloads for simplicity,
- Form plugins for single items or services.
Combine with smart design, security, email marketing, and promotion—and you’ll have a digital revenue stream that runs on autopilot.
Let me know if you want me to expand on any of these strategies—or need help setting something up!
