How to choose a digital download service (we look at your best options)

Digital downloads services make it easy for you to sell digital products, subscriptions and memberships direct from your website, blog or anywhere you can paste a link. In this article, we'll look at how you can make sure your digital download service is a great match for your specific business.

Who are you and what do you want to do?

1. You're an enterprising solopreneur and want to sell 1-5 digital products from your blog or website
2. You're a small business and you want to sell digital products direct to your customers with minimum fuss
3. You're an internet marketer and want to monetise your following by selling digital products to them
4. You're a large company and want to move away from iTunes and other third party platforms that take a large % cut of your sales and stop you forming a profitable relationship with your customers

What you need from your digital download service

1. Solopreneurs

You've got a great product or some nifty ideas and you're sure you can make some money. Although you might still be working another job, you see your future in creating your own business and brand and doing what you love. You should look for a digital download service that helps you with these areas:

1. Good value for money and the ability to upgrade your digital download service as your company grows. Services that take a % cut of sales can look enticing if you're unsure of your prospects. However, if you think you'll make more than $200-$300 a month you'll be better off with a company that offers a fixed monthly pricing plan.
2. Simple set up and maintenance. You're a busy person so make sure you choose a service that is genuinely easy to set up and use. Take various digital download services for a test drive. Most should offer a free trial without you needing to give them your card details. If they don't, be cautious. You want a company that shows you how good they are rather than giving you a load of unsubstantiated marketing spiel.

I started blogging in 2004. Since 2010 I have been teaching others how to start and make money with a blog. The Knowtbook is a go-to place for bloggers to get accurate up-to-date info on what you should be doing now. It helps people use their blogs as springboards to other things, and I sell it with SendOwl. Amy Lynn Andrews

1. A Buy Now option rather than Add to Cart. If you're selling a couple of ebooks, for example, you're best adding a Buy Now button to your website or blog. That way customers can make an immediate purchase without getting distracted or needing to take extra steps. Some download services only offer an Add to Cart function which isn't really suitable if you only have a few products.
2. Friendly customer support. If you're new to digital selling then you might need some help with a specific question or challenge. Make sure your digital download company has a helpful and wide-ranging knowledge base that offers videos and written explanations that will get you unstuck fast. Also, they should offer helpful email customer support when only contact with a real person will do.
3. Marketing help. If you're fairly new entrepreneur then you probably have a lot of questions about marketing. Don't we all! Some download services will offer you helpful in-built marketing features (like one-click upsells, cart abandonment, an affiliate scheme, and so on). Others will provide helpful content on how to price your digital product, for example. However, there is a lot of great information on the web about marketing so although most download services should help with this topic, they can only do so much. After all, if they concentrate heavily on marketing they won't be doing a very good job at digital delivery!

2. Small businesses

You're a growing small business with a clear idea of what problem you're solving for a specific audience. You may already sell physical products, or you may be selling digital products and not really be very happy with your set up. You want a download service that will be reliable and do a professional job. So, look for a digital download service that has these options:

1. Multi-user accounts. Nothing is more frustrating than a download service that only offers one login, which is no use when you want a few members of your team to be involved with digital selling. Look for a download service that offers multi-user accounts, which lets you give different permissions to different people, so you can control access to sensitive financial information, for example.
2. Reliability. You don't want to choose a download service that looks like it might go down the plughole tomorrow. A bit of research should let you know how long a download service has been around and how they're run. Do they prioritise long term growth or are investors pushing for short-term potentially destablising gains? Do they care about their customers as well as their profits?
3. Customisable. It's likely you've already got a strong brand and a business set up that works well for you. You need a digital download service that adapts to your business model rather than that forces you to adapt to it. Look for these features that should make a digital download company work for you: custom checkout fields; customisable checkout system; editable order emails.

We have always maintained our own streak of independence and a desire to not have to conform to the restraints of a 3rd party. SendOwl enables us to sell games to customers in our own way. When we first went live with Prison Architect, the number of sales was unbelievable. We were doing tens of thousands per day. Mark Morris, Introversion software

3. Internet marketers

You've worked hard to build a following who are heavily engaged with the content you produce. It's clear that they value your advice and would pay for certain type of content. So you decide to sell downloads, memberships or subscriptions direct. You care about conversion and maximising your revenue. You don't want to spend time wrestling with a download service that is cumbersome and unintuitive. Look for download services that offer these options:

1. A high-converting multi-language mobile-optimised checkout. As you know, a great checkout can be the difference between someone giving you money and someone deciding they can't be bothered. Make sure the checkout provided by your digital download service works for all your customers, no matter what language they speak or what device they are using. Also, make sure that you can offer your customers different payment options: credit and debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay and Bitcoins should all be possible.
2. Built in marketing features. Some download services will go out of their way to help you maximise your revenue. Look for download services that offer: one-click upsells, cart abandonment, a built in affiliate scheme, Pay what you want pricing, on-site 'lightbox' checkout and discounts. All these features should help you maximise revenue without extra marketing spend. Also, consider whether you will get a better conversion rate selling direct from your blog or website rather than needing to use an extra 'selling page' provided by the download service.
3. Integrations with all your favourite services. It's likely that you're already using a number of online services and that you want them to link up with your digital download service. Fair enough. Look for a download service that integrates with the services that matter to you. However, a download service can't – and shouldn't – integrate with every app. So look for a download service that also integrates with Zapier, which then lets you easily links different apps together.
4. Drip functionality. If you plan to sell memberships/subscriptions then you'll need a download service that lets you 'drip' content to customers on a schedule decided by you rather then letting customers download everything at once.
5. A show don't tell approach. Although you know the power of persuasive content and grand marketing claims, you're probably best choosing a download service that offers a straightforward introduction to what they do and that lets you take them for a test drive first. You're the expert marketer so choose a download service that has the technical knowledge and commitment to support your business rather than trying to out-market you!

The Pro Audio Files has over 600 free videos and articles on how to mix and record music. A lot of musicians are looking to record. Producers are dabbling in mixing. People need a good resource to keep learning. We also have paid courses which we sell through SendOwl. I appreciate the good design and minimalism of it. Now other audio sites have become affiliates of ours. Dan Comerchero, The Pro Audio Files

4. Large companies

You're a lead in a large company and you've been tasked with improving – or revolutionising – your company's approach to digital selling. You're in good company. More and more publishers and music corporations or looking to sell direct, form a relationship with their customers, and keep most of their profits. Look for a download service that has these qualities:

1. Proven ability to scale. Most download services don't have the capacity to deal with major music or ebook launches. Make sure you choose a company that has a track record in this area, as well as the proven technical capacity to work with a large company.
2. Multi-user accounts. Look for a download service that offers multi-user accounts, which lets you give different permissions to different people. So you can control access to sensitive financial information, for example.
3. Shopify integration. Many large companies create a shop using Shopify, which offers a professional and proven ecommerce service. If you go this route, look for a Shopify-endorsed download company so you have a seamless selling experience.
4. Swift customer support. If there's a hitch in your product launch strategy, you need a company that will get everything back on track as quickly as possible. Choose a company that can guarantee you excellent customer support should you need it.

Need more information on digital selling?

• How to sell digital products (the definitive guide 2017)
• Seven reasons why you should sell digital goods from your own website
• What types of digital products can I sell online?
• How to sell software online and keep nearly all of your profits
• How much should I charge for my digital product?

Comparison chart of four download services

At SendOwl, we work with solopreneurs, small businesses, internet marketers and multinationals to help them sell digital products as easily and profitably as possible. We love what we do and we're confident about the quality of our company. We've compiled a fact-based chart that shows what we offer, in comparison to three of our competitors.

SendOwl is the simplest, easiest and most secure way to sell your digital files



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