Best sales models to sell digital products – Create & sell digital products #4

The creation of digital product is just the beginning of the complex process of product formation. In the following step the creator has to decide how to sell his produce. Fortunately, there are several useful selling techniques which can be applied to sale of digital products. To find out more about best sales models to sell digital products read the article below.

Best sales models to sell digital products – table of contents:

1. How to choose best sales model?
2. Digital products sales models
3. Which sales model is best?

How to choose best sales model?

The right choice of sales model is particularly important in context of planning of all processes related to marketing of the digital product. The well-thought concept of the product, that you wish to offer our clients may not be sufficient for successful selling. You should have a plan of selling the product to your customers.

Accordingly to the type of product selling techniques and forms may differ. In the post below we present a list of the most poplar sale procedures as well as examples of offers frequently matched with those models.

Digital products sales models

One-time payment

This model of sales is the most frequently used to sell digital products. The mode of operation is similar to those used in any stationary shop. The customer has to pay for a product just once, and then he becomes the rightful owner of an item, which means that he is allowed to use it anyway he chooses.

Digital products may be sold in the same way. Similarly, the customer makes one-time purchase by paying the price, which was earlier set. After the purchase, the client doesn’t have to stay in contact with the seller. In this model, the client may or may not use the service of the seller again in the future. All depends on the whole experience and presence or bad or good impressions on the side of the customer.

In case of another purchase there is no certainty that the customer will choose the same seller and get the next product. There is no steady, strong relation between the seller and the client at this stage, therefore the client may later rely on offers from your competitors.

This sales model may be applied to digital products such as: photographs, videos, documents, e-books, and music. This is not the last and only sales option available to digital sellers, hence read the article and find out more about other useful sales models.

Packages

Another way of selling of digital products is offering them in packages. Selling products in packages means that we are able to offer multiple product together in one set. This form of selling gives the client much better value, hence two product together are cheaper than the same products sold separately.

Equally, from the point of view of the seller, this model of selling has many advantages:

• The average price of the purchase order increases – clients buy products sold in packages more eagerly, because the price is more favorable, or generally is perceived as lower. The seller gains as well, because the overall amount of selling transactions rises and usually it is easier to sell a package of products than one, singular product – even if the products sold individually is cheaper.
• Marketing activities are simpler – in case of promotional activities of several products our attention is focused on them all. This form of selling reduces the resource consumption, much more of which would have to be used if each product was marketed separately. Due to this fact the budget of marketing campaign as well as the time spend on marketing activities may be controlled more tightly.
• Better sales of slow moving products – some of the digital products that sell slowly may be paired in packages with best selling ones. Thanks to this selling technique we have a chance to make up for the time, which was spend to create this slowly moving product – this way we no longer feel that our work was done in vain.

It is worth to remember that customers like to have a choice, hence apart from packages, we should create an extensive offer of individual products. The offer limited to packages only may deter the clients from purchasing because our package may contain the product clients don’t want to pay for or on the contrary, desired product may not be included in the package and not available for separate purchase.

It is worth to mention that the seller may assemble products into packages accordingly to his own liking, but still there are some basic rules to consider during the process. Usually packages are created on the basis of:

• subject,
• belonging to series or collection,
• being part of the starter set.

Typically, products combined in packages are complementary to each other or are similar to each other in some ways. The package with such offer may be interesting to customers, who actively search for specific, exact types of products. Furthermore, in order to draw client’s attention some sellers prepare packages composed of bestsellers, such offers are generally seen as very attractive and encouraging for customers. The time limit may be applied to the sales of packages and they may be sold seasonally or within limited time range.

Starter sets form an ideal offer for novice clients, who wish to begin their journey with the new digital program or product. Besides, similar sets can be devised for intermediate and advanced clients, who already posses some knowledge about the offered applications or products.

The seller offering his sets of products may experiment with variety of different packages and observe, which particular combination is frequently bought by his clients. There is no need to limit those packages to one type of file format – quite frequently packages that present diversity of formats are more attractive than the product in one singular format sold individually. For example, while offering online course you can add not only video files, but e-books, and PDF files with tasks and assignments as well.

Freemium model

To find out more about the freemium model check the article: Freemium model – 7 tips for startups.

In this model the digital product is released in his basic version free of charge. At the same time the additional, full, and paid version of digital product is being developed. Alternatively, the free trial version may be released with accessibility limited to a certain period of time (for example 14 days).

LinkedIn is the ideal example of the platform operating in the freemium model. Each user may start his own account without being charged and has access to functions such: establishing contacts, granting and providing recommendations, receiving weekly job alerts.

For all LinkedIn users, who would like to use the full potential of the platform, premium, paid subscriptions are available. Those subscriptions, depending on the chosen package, may facilitate search and hiring of job candidates, as well as to help actively develop career or build the base of prospective clients.

Subscription model

This model requires to make recurring payments of monthly fee (subscription), which guarantees access to certain digital products and services accordingly to the chosen package. This solution is used effectively in many fields of business activity and more and more companies chooses this model to offer their products to customers.

The most popular example of subscription model application are represented by movie streaming platforms such as Netflix or HBO GO. More about the subscription model, with its advantages for customers and businesses can be found in the in the separate article of our blog site.

Which sales model is best?

It is hard to answer to this question. First and foremost, all depends on the digital product you are planning to sell. In case of applications, online courses, services or computer programs the subscription model may seem to be better option than others. Although services, such as: e-books, photos, videos may be offered in many sales models – it all depends on your own preferences, expectations and sales goals.

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