Selling digital products using Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) on WordPress is one of the most popular and efficient ways to create a digital storefront. EDD is a powerful, user-friendly plugin that allows you to sell anything from eBooks and software to music, photos, and downloadable files. This guide will take you step-by-step through setting up an online store using Easy Digital Downloads to sell your digital products.
Step 1: Install and Set Up Easy Digital Downloads
1. Install Easy Digital Downloads Plugin
- Go to the WordPress dashboard and click on Plugins > Add New.
- Search for Easy Digital Downloads.
- Click Install Now and then click Activate.
2. Configure Basic Settings
Once activated, you’ll need to configure some basic settings to get your digital store up and running:
- Navigate to Downloads > Settings in your WordPress dashboard.
- Set up general settings like currency, payment gateways, and the location of your store. EDD supports a variety of payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.Net.
- Configure emails: EDD allows you to send email notifications to customers when they purchase a product. You can customize these email templates from the settings.
3. Configure Payment Gateways
- EDD integrates with popular payment gateways for processing payments. To configure your gateway, go to Downloads > Settings > Payment Gateways.
- Choose from available gateways like PayPal, Stripe, or Authorize.Net. You can install additional payment gateway plugins from the Add-ons section if needed.
- Each payment gateway has specific setup instructions, so follow the documentation provided for each gateway.
Step 2: Add Digital Products to Your Store
Once you’ve set up EDD, it’s time to add your digital products to your store.
1. Add a New Product
- Go to Downloads > Add New.
- Here you will create your product listing:
- Product Title: Add the title of your digital product (e.g., eBook, digital art, software).
- Product Description: Write a detailed description of what the product is and its features.
- Upload Your Digital File: In the “Download Files” section, click Add File, then upload the digital file that customers will receive after purchase (e.g., PDF, MP3, ZIP file).
- Price: Set a price for your product in the “Price” section. You can offer fixed pricing or even set up sales or discount prices.
2. Product Options (Optional)
- File Download Limits: You can specify how many times a customer can download the file or set a time frame (e.g., customers can only download it for 7 days).
- License/Expiration: You can add license keys for software or set expiration periods.
- Discount Codes: If you want to create discount coupons, you can add them in the “Discount Codes” section to encourage more sales.
3. Set Product Categories and Tags
- Just like regular blog posts, you can assign categories and tags to your products, making it easier for customers to browse related products.
4. Publish Your Product
- Once you’ve filled in all the details, click Publish to make the product available for purchase on your store.
Step 3: Customize Your Digital Store
To make your digital store look professional and match your branding, you may want to customize the design and layout.
1. Choose a Compatible Theme
- EDD works well with many WordPress themes, but it’s ideal to use themes that are designed for eCommerce or digital products.
- Some themes specifically built for EDD are Easy Digital Downloads Theme, Astra, and Storefront.
- Customize your theme using the WordPress Customizer (Appearance > Customize) to tweak colors, fonts, and layout.
2. Use EDD Templates and Shortcodes
- EDD Templates: You can create custom product pages using the built-in templates. EDD provides templates for the product page, checkout page, and thank-you page. You can edit these templates to match your branding.
- Shortcodes: EDD includes shortcodes to display product listings, shopping carts, and checkout forms. For example, use the shortcode
[edd_cart]to display the cart or[edd_checkout]for the checkout form.
3. Customize Checkout Process
- Go to Downloads > Settings > Checkout to customize how the checkout process looks and works. You can enable guest checkout, add custom fields (such as name, address, etc.), or add custom checkout buttons.
Step 4: Test the Purchase Process
Before launching your store, it’s important to test the checkout process to ensure everything works as expected.
- Add a Product to the Cart: Visit your store, add a product to your cart, and proceed to checkout.
- Complete a Test Payment: Use the sandbox environment (if available with your payment gateway) or a real payment method to complete a purchase.
- Verify Email and Download: Check if customers receive the correct confirmation email and are able to download their digital product.
If everything works, your store is ready for business!
Step 5: Market and Sell Your Digital Products
Now that your digital product store is set up, it’s time to attract customers and drive sales. Here are a few marketing strategies you can implement:
1. Create a Blog or Content Marketing
- Write blog posts related to your products. For example, if you sell eBooks, write book reviews, guides, or articles related to your book’s subject matter.
- Use SEO techniques to optimize your content for search engines and attract organic traffic.
2. Offer Discount Codes
- Use EDD’s discount code feature to offer discounts and promotions on your products. You can create discount codes for specific products or sitewide sales.
- Promote your discounts through your website, social media, and email campaigns.
3. Email Marketing
- Collect email addresses of customers and potential buyers. Use an email marketing plugin like Mailchimp or ConvertKit to send newsletters, new product launches, and exclusive offers.
- EDD integrates with email marketing services, allowing you to automatically send customers product-related emails (such as receipts, download links, etc.).
4. Social Media Promotion
- Promote your digital products on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter to reach a broader audience.
- Share your products, behind-the-scenes content, customer testimonials, and special promotions to engage with your audience.
5. Affiliate Marketing
- Enable affiliate marketing by using an EDD add-on. This allows others to promote your products in exchange for a commission on sales.
- You can manage affiliate commissions and track their performance from the Affiliate Dashboard.
Step 6: Maintain Your Digital Store
Running an online store involves regular updates and maintenance to ensure smooth operations.
- Update Products: Add new products, update existing ones, and remove outdated items.
- Monitor Sales: Keep track of your sales from the EDD Reports section. Analyze your revenue, customer behavior, and trends.
- Update Plugins and WordPress: Keep WordPress, EDD, and any other plugins up to date to avoid security vulnerabilities and performance issues.
- Customer Support: Provide excellent customer service by responding to inquiries, troubleshooting issues, and offering refunds if necessary.
Conclusion
Selling digital products with Easy Digital Downloads on WordPress is a straightforward process. With EDD’s intuitive features, customizable options, and payment gateway support, you can create a fully functional online store for digital products in no time. By following these steps, you’ll be able to add products, customize your store, market it, and provide a smooth purchasing experience for your customers.
As your business grows, you can extend the functionality of your store with EDD’s add-ons, like recurring payments, email marketing, and advanced reporting. Make sure to market your products effectively and provide top-notch customer service to build long-term success!
