6 Reasons Why Your Digital Products Aren’t Selling
Digital products can be a miracle in a small online business! Make them once, sell them forever. Or at least that’s how it’s supposed to go.
Only problem is: sometimes those products just don’t sell at all. So then what?
I can tell you from personal experience just how disappointing it is to put a lot of effort into creating something–only to have almost no one pay attention.
It sucks.
But it’s also an extremely common problem to have!
First off, please know that this doesn’t mean that you suck or that you’re a terrible entrepreneur.
Learning how to sell digital products online is a skill unto itself. It takes time learn how to master it and how to do it your way, to your audience, effectively.
With that said, today I wanted to help you troubleshoot some of the major reasons why your offer isn’t selling so that you can fix them and get back on track to your business goals!
6 Reasons Why Your Digital Products Aren’t Selling
1. You’re Not Talking About Your Offer
Fun fact: even your most devoted followers don’t see everything you post. They don’t read every blog post or every email.
That means, that when it’s time to sell something, you have to talk about it a whole lot more than you think. I’ve seen experts say you have to mention it or talk about it at least eight times before people will remember it or click through to read more.
Now be real: how many times are you talking about your digital product?
Did you just make a sales page and call it a day? Did you put in your Instagram stories or email one time? Did you only make one save on Pinterest about it?
If so, it’s time to rev up the engines and multiply your efforts by ten.
Here’s what people say: I don’t want to be pushy or annoying. And I get that. But again, most people are not seeing or reading everything you post.
So pull up those Big Girl Panties and put it out there again.
2. You’re Not Excited About Your Offer
“Sales is just a transfer of enthusiasm.” – Ryan Serhant, Owning Manhattan. (Terrible show. Great motto.)
Personally, I think that’s less about people being manipulative and more about our mirror neurons controlling us. Yes, there are manipulative salespeople out there but hear me out on this.
Your brain is constantly echoing the emotions we see in the world around us.
They’re a big part of the reason why we like to be around happy people, why we watch porn, why we watch the protagonist win in a movie, why we get satisfaction about watching someone organize their closet on TV even though we never actually left the couch.
Even though we’re just seeing something happen, part of our brain feels the same satisfaction as if we were the ones doing it.
So use that as a sales hack yourself! When you get genuinely excited about what you do, other people will also feel the same way.
This isn’t about mind tricks or saying the right thing to trick someone into buying. It’s simply a natural phenomena. But it depends on you getting to that excited state first so that you can lead your clients and customers through it.
3. It Doesn’t Solve A Problem
A successful business is all about solving problems. It’s not about looking good, being a vibe, or throwing out a bunch of buzzwords. Bottom line: confused people don’t become customers. And can you blame them? Times are tough and we won’t throw down the credit card unless we’re absolutely certain of what we’re getting.
Your future clients and customers are also not psychic. They’re not going to be able to figure it out from a few sentences and a photo. While you’ve got your head buried in your work day in and day out, you must remember that no one else does.
In other words, it’s 100% your responsibility to explain what problem you solve as well as actually solve it. If you’re not making this crystal clear, then it’s time to put in the work to get it there! Show your copy to a few trusted friends for feedback. Try to make it all as easy and clear to understand as possible.
4. The Market Is Oversaturated
Sometimes the reason your digital product isn’t selling is simply the amount of competition. There are thousands of guides out there called “How To Get More Followers on Instagram”. So what makes yours any different from the rest?
But please don’t let this one discourage you! Yes, there’s such thing as market oversaturation. But I’m a big believer that you can use your own personal brand to sell almost anything–even in a crowded markeplace. But that’s just it: you have to rely on what makes you different in order to stand out.
- What’s in your product that they’re not going to get anywhere else?
- What makes your work exceptional or unique?
PS – Buiding your own community will also help to solve this problem, as you’ve already proven yourself as a trusted expert.
5. Your Product Doesn’t Relate To Your Brand
When you first start off in your business, it’s important to become known for something. Think: the Instagram Growth Girl, the Email Marketing Guro or maybe the Personal Confidence Queen.
It’s very strategic to become known as an expert in one area. However, many people make things a little confusing by throwing out a product that’s not 100% related to their field.
Of course this creates problems! If you’re becoming known for one thing, your audience is hungry for help with that–and not necessarily for help in another area.
As you build your business over time, you will be able to expand your wheelhouse and become known for more things. Again, I’m a huge fan of building your personal brand because it gives you maximum flexibility in your business. When people like you for you, they’ll roll with you into your next phases, no matter what those might be.
But in the beginning, keep it simple and be sure to serve the audience you’re already creating. In other words, give them what they came for.
6. Your Didn’t Warm Them Up
Finally, a major problem with selling digital products is a lack of a launch sequence.
Look, I’m hardly the type to tell you you need to stick to a bunch of fussy rules in your business. But a launch sequence or series forms an important purpose: it gets people excited for what you’re selling.
Just as it takes time for your audience to learn to trust you, it also takes time to educate them on what you’re offering. So it’s always best to start talking about your product before you even put it out there! You need to tell them a story, illustrate your point and just make everything as clear as possible before you’ve opened the sales cart.
As a multi-passionate Manifesting Generator business owner, this is a point I struggle with continually. At this point, I believe my community is receptive to almost everything I put out there. However, I still tend to spring things on them at the last minute instead of properly warming them up and telling a story. So please take a page out of my book and do the best by your product by doing at least a few videos, posts or email about your digital product before you sell it.
Don’t Give Up On Your Sales Dreams
Whatever you do, don’t give up on your digital product sales dreams now! There’s always a positive action you can take to create more momentum and ultimately, more sales. With this guide in your backpocket, you’ve got some solid tips that will point you in the right direction. Just keep going and you will get there my friend!
Ready for more? Check out this post about 7 steps to create a digital product that sells or this one about how I create my digital products.
