eCommerce

Creating an online store in WordPress is super simple. But if you’re struggling to figure out how to customize your Easy Digital Downloads store, don’t worry. As WordPress’ leading digital eCommerce solution for 10+ years, EDD has helped thousands of creators, developers, and business owners build beautiful online stores and sell digital products. We understand that a well-designed store doesn’t just look good. It builds trust, enhances the user experience, and turns visitors into buyers. In this guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about how to customize your Easy Digital Downloads site and design the perfect online store. WordPress Design & Customization Overview Choosing Your WordPress Theme Using the WordPress Customizer Customize Your Easy Digital Downloads Pages Product Pages Shop Page Checkout Page Easy Digital Downloads Blocks Page Builders to Customize Your Easy Digital Downloads Site Online Store Design Tips & Best Practices Best WordPress Themes for Easy Digital Downloads FAQs on Ways to Customize Easy Digital Downloads WordPress Design & Customization Overview Before diving into a step-by-step breakdown of ways to customize your Easy Digital Downloads site, it’s helpful to understand how WordPress functions regarding design and styling. WordPress uses a hierarchical system for controlling your website’s appearance. Typically, there are three primary ways to customize your store’s appearance. Method What It Is Used For WordPress Theme Your WordPress theme is the most fundamental way to control your site’s overall design. • Basic layout structure of pages• Standard styling rules• How content is organized and displayed• Default colors and typography Customizer This built-in system lets you modify your theme’s appearance without coding. It allows for site-wide adjustments. • Colors and typography• Layouts• Header/footer elements• Background images• Other visual elements Block Editor Enables detailed control over specific pages and content elements. • Create custom page layouts• Style individual pages & sections• Add & arrange content elements• Customize individual product displays In most cases, your theme will handle about 80% of your store’s appearance. The WordPress theme system separates your store’s design from its functionality. In other words, you can change your store’s entire appearance without affecting your products, sales, or customer data. Easy Digital Downloads works within your chosen theme’s design framework. It adds specialized features for selling digital products and options for styling key pages, including the product and checkout pages. Some design changes happen in the EDD settings. Others happen in your WordPress theme. (More on that in a moment.) Choosing Your WordPress Theme Selecting the right WordPress theme for your digital product store is an important decision. Your theme choice affects everything from your store’s visual appeal to its functionality and performance. There are so many places to find themes — both free and premium. You can browse free options in the WordPress Theme Directory. I recommend using the Features filter to narrow down results to ones specific to eCommerce sites. Since Easy Digital Downloads works with most WordPress themes, you have a plethora to choose from. But keep in mind not all themes are created equal. Below are some factors to consider in your search. EDD compatibility. This is non-negotiable. Your theme must play nicely with EDD. Otherwise, key features might not work correctly. Customization options. How much control do you want over your store’s appearance? Some themes offer tons of options (like changing colors, fonts, and layouts), while others are more restrictive. Fast loading speed. Nobody likes a slow website. A fast-loading theme is crucial for a good user experience. Plus, Google loves fast sites, which can help your search engine rankings. Pricing. Free themes are tempting. And they can be a solid option when you’re first starting. But premium themes tend to offer more features, support, and updates. Think about your budget and what you need from a theme. Support and updates. Does the theme developer offer reliable support and regular updates? This is important for keeping your store secure and running smoothly. 🔎 Need help finding an eCommerce WordPress theme? I’ve included a list of popular, reliable, and purpose-built options toward the end of this article. Installing Your WordPress Theme Once you’ve chosen your perfect theme, it’s time to install it. If you’re using a free theme, you should be able to find it via the Theme Directory. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance » Themes and click Add New Theme at the top. Search for the theme you want by name. Then click Install followed by Activate. Premium themes are purchased from third-party providers. After you purchase it, you’ll download the theme file as a zip and upload it to your WordPress site. Go to Appearance » Themes » Add New » Upload Theme. Click Choose File and select the zipped theme file from your computer. Select Install Now then Activate. That’s it! Your new theme is installed and you can start customizing it. Using the WordPress Customizer Now that your theme is installed, let’s make it your own. There are a variety of settings you can use to customize your Easy Digital Downloads store. The WordPress Customizer is your control center. To get started, go to Appearance » Customize. If you’re still on the theme installation/activation screen, you can just select Customize on the theme you activated. Key Customizer Settings Site Identity is where you add your site title and tagline. It’s like putting your name on the door of your new shop. You can also upload a logo here. I always recommend a professional logo – it makes your store look credible. Under the Colors (and Typography) tab, choose colors that match your brand. I like to use a color palette generator to find colors that work well together. The Layout/Theme Options settings play a role in guiding customers through their shopping experience. The Customizer lets you adjust various layout elements to create an intuitive shopping environment. This might include header, sidebars, footer, blog, etc. Menus is where you create navigation menus to help customers find their way around your store. Think of it like creating a map for your shop. Clear and easy navigation is key for a good user experience. 💡Tip: Make the most

Are your digital product sales taking a nosedive? You’re not alone. Many businesses face fluctuating sales figures, especially in today’s competitive digital landscape. But don’t despair! This comprehensive guide will equip you with actionable strategies to understand why sales might be declining and, more importantly, how to recover them. 🔎 In this article, I’ll cover: What Causes a Lull in Digital Product Sales? How to Recover Digital Product Sales 1. Improve Marketing and Promotion 2. Enhance Product Value and Quality 3. Optimize Sales Funnel & User Experience 4. Leverage Pricing & Promotions Analyzing Results and Making Adjustments Helpful WordPress Plugins & Tools FAQs About Recovering Digital Sales What Causes a Lull in Digital Product Sales? It can happen to the best of us: one moment, your digital products are flying off the metaphorical shelves, and the next, things have slowed down so much that you feel the need to take some action – and fast! There are a wide range of reasons for a lull in digital product sales. Below are some of the most common. Market saturation and increased competition. The digital marketplace is constantly evolving. New competitors emerge, and existing ones refine their offerings. This increased competition can directly impact your sales, especially if you offer popular digital products. Changing consumer preferences and trends. Consumer tastes are fickle. What was popular yesterday might be obsolete today. Keeping up with current eCommerce trends and adapting your products accordingly is essential. Ineffective marketing or sales strategies. Your digital content marketing and sales efforts might not be reaching your target audience effectively. An outdated or poorly executed digital sales strategy can significantly hinder sales. Technical issues or poor user experience. Glitches on your website, complicated checkout processes, or download difficulties can frustrate customers and lead to abandoned purchases. Pricing strategy issues. Incorrect pricing, a lack of price tiers, or a perceived lack of value can deter potential buyers. Analytics can only get you so far. To really get to the root of the problem, you need to look at your store from the customer’s perspective. How to Recover Digital Product Sales Now, let’s dive into the strategies you can implement to revitalize your digital product sales. 1. Improve Marketing and Promotion Effective marketing is the lifeblood of any successful digital product business. Let’s take a look at some essential digital marketing tactics you can use to help recover sales.  Content Marketing & SEO Create valuable, informative content (blog posts, articles, videos, etc.) that attracts potential customers searching for solutions related to the types of digital products you sell online. Optimize this content for search engines (SEO) to improve visibility. Conduct keyword research to identify relevant topics (using tools like LowFruits, Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, etc.). Create high-quality blog posts, infographics, or videos. Try experimenting with different formats. Optimize your content with relevant keywords and meta descriptions. Promote and market your digital products and content on social media and other platforms. Restrict some content to paying customers. If you’re not already, install an SEO plugin like AIOSEO to help optimize your website and content for search engines. You can improve your website’s visibility, attract more organic traffic, and rank higher in search results. Social Media Marketing Leverage social media platforms to connect with your target audience, build brand awareness, and promote your products. In the digital age, social media has become the new town center. It’s where people go to find out what is going on, what you have to offer, and what your brand is all about – including what people are saying about it.  If you want to polish up your social media, take a look at the following things: Is your brand cohesive across all social media platforms? Are you posting consistently at regular intervals? Do you ask questions to engage your audience? If you’ve made social media part of your marketing strategy already, you can try taking a different approach with Social Discounts. This Easy Digital Downloads extension lets you reward visitors via discount for promoting your products with their own social media following. 💡Learn more strategies for boosting sales with social media. Email Marketing Good communication is essential for selling digital products, especially if you want to nurture a loyal following of customers who will return to your site to purchase products regularly.  Build an email list and nurture leads with targeted email campaigns. Offer valuable content, exclusive discounts, and product updates to engage subscribers. Easy Digital Downloads makes this easy by integrating with popular email services. This includes MailChimp, Constant Contact, GetResponse, ActiveCampaign, and more. You can send cart recovery emails. EDD’s Conditional Emails addon lets you send automated eCommerce emails when certain events (like someone abandoning their cart) occur. One of the most useful tips for successfully communicating with your mailing list subscribers is simply to get to know them. Segment them into groups based on factors like types of products purchased and engagement with newsletters, marketing emails, and certain types of content that they care about. This helps you direct your marketing efforts to the right people. You can also personalize emails with smart tags, making your communication as effective as possible. If you use a service like MailChimp, you can define groups of subscribers by things like purchase activity, location, date, and other factors. Customers can also select from groups you’ve created when they subscribe to your newsletter. Delivering only the content that is most relevant to them helps prevent unsubscribes, and keeps them engaged with your brand, ultimately promoting sales conversions as well! Influencer & Affiliate Marketing Partner with other businesses or influencers to promote your digital products to their audiences. The magic of working with affiliates is that, once you give them some basic support and digital art and resources (banners, links, etc.), they essentially do the promotion work for you. Affiliates can significantly boost your business overall and bring in all kinds of traffic you might have previously missed out on. If you’re using Easy Digital Downloads and/or WordPress, AffiliateWP makes leveraging

Starting a digital product business can be a lucrative and rewarding venture. With all the benefits of selling digital products, it’s a compelling way to work for yourself and make money online. But how do you build something that actually lasts? You need a solid foundation and comprehensive plan. This guide will help you understand the key steps of building and sustaining a successful digital product business online. In this article, I’ll cover: Overview of the Digital Product Business Model Tips for a Sustainable Digital Product Business 1. Identify Your Niche and Target Audience 2. Create High-Quality Digital Products 3. Establish a Strong Online Presence 4. Incorporate Multiple Marketing Channels 5. Price Your Products Strategically 6. Secure Your Digital Products 7. Scale Your Digital Product Business 8. Listen to Your Customers 9. Keep Things Fresh and Evolving Why Use EDD for Your Digital Product Business FAQs on Building a Digital Product Business Overview of the Digital Product Business Model In the ever-evolving digital landscape, digital commerce has become increasingly prominent.  Put simply, a digital product is any product or service that is delivered electronically, eliminating the need for physical production, distribution, or storage. This encompasses a wide range of offerings, including: eBooks Online courses Software and applications Plugins and themes Templates and graphics Music and audio files Video content Memberships and subscriptions The surge in popularity of digital products can be attributed to many advantages they offer creators and consumers. Low Overhead Costs and Environmental Impact Unlike physical products that incur manufacturing, inventory, shipping, and storage costs, digital products have minimal overhead expenses. This translates to higher profit margins and a lower barrier to entry for entrepreneurs. Digital products contribute to a more sustainable and eco-friendly business model by eliminating the need for physical production and shipping. Passive Income Potential Once a digital product is created, it can be sold repeatedly without additional production costs. This opens up opportunities for generating passive income streams that continue to flow with minimal ongoing effort. Global Reach and Scalability The internet allows digital products to be accessed by customers worldwide, 24/7. This eliminates geographical limitations and expands the potential market reach significantly. Digital products can be easily scaled to meet growing demand. There are no constraints on production capacity, and new products or variations can be added to the portfolio without significant additional investment. Instant Delivery and Flexibility Sellers today must consider the consumer psychology of online shoppers, such as the growing desire for instant gratification. Customers can receive digital products immediately upon purchase, eliminating the wait times associated with physical delivery. Digital products can often be customized or personalized to cater to individual needs or preferences. As technology continues to advance and consumer preferences shift towards convenience and accessibility, digital products are poised to play an increasingly prominent role in the marketplace. Tips for a Sustainable Digital Product Business Now let’s jump into some ways to build and maintain a digital product business for the long haul. 1. Identify Your Niche and Target Audience The first step to building a successful digital product business is identifying your eCommerce niche and target audience. Explore topics you love and have expertise in. Then assess their market potential using tools like Google Trends and keyword research tools (e.g., Semrush, Ahrefs). Conduct thorough market research to identify your target audience’s needs, wants, and pain points. Utilize social media analytics and online survey platforms to gather data about your potential audience’s age, location, interests, and online behavior. Develop detailed profiles of your ideal customers to understand their preferences and behaviors better. Part of your market research should include competitor analysis. Study successful businesses in your niche. Analyze their target audience, marketing strategies, and product offerings to identify opportunities for differentiation. 2. Create High-Quality Digital Products Building a successful digital product business hinges on creating high-quality offerings. This goes beyond simply having an idea. It demands deep attention to detail and a user-centric approach. Firstly, thoroughly outline your product’s content and structure. A well-defined framework ensures a logical flow, making it easy for your customers to understand and navigate. Secondly, prioritize user experience (UX) in your design. A visually appealing and user-friendly interface is crucial for engagement and retention. Regardless of the types of digital products you’re offering, focus on how they deliver genuine value to your customers. Your products should offer valuable information and insights that effectively solve their problems or fulfill their needs. Consider using a variety of formats (e.g., eBooks, video courses, audio recordings) to cater to different learning styles. Thorough testing is paramount. Test your product to ensure it functions as intended and is free of any bugs or glitches that could frustrate users. Finally, consider creating evergreen products. While timely content has its place, evergreen products offer long-term sustainability. Trendy products may generate initial traction, but evergreen offerings can provide consistent returns for years to come. Many digital product creators continue to reap the benefits of products they launched years ago. This is incredibly rewarding, amplifying the advantages of creating easily duplicable products with minimal ongoing overhead. 3. Establish a Strong Online Presence Your brand is your identity. Invest time in building a strong brand that resonates with your target audience. Create a memorable logo, choose a color palette, and define your brand voice. One of the most essential things you can do to establish a strong online presence and brand is to build a quality, user-friendly website that showcases your products.  I always recommend using WordPress for eCommerce. For digital products specifically, you can’t go wrong with Easy Digital Downloads (EDD). This combination lets you build an online store with ease and deliver a seamless buying experience to shoppers.  To get started, feel free to check out these guides: How to Build an Online Store With WordPress Easily Sell Digital Downloads EDD Free vs Pro: Which Is Right for You? Finally, don’t forget to leverage social media to connect with your audience, share valuable content, and promote your products. 4. Incorporate