A downloadable or virtual product is a non-physical item you can sell from your website that you don’t need to ship to the customer. It can be instantly emailed or downloaded directly when a customer buys it.
It’s usually in the form of a PDF, but it could be access to a members-only area on your website, a course, an email series, or something else. The possibilities are numerous and you’ll want to pick one that’s right for your business. For this tutorial, I’ll be talking about doing it for a PDF download from a WordPress website. You’ll be turning your site into an e-commerce store in no time!
The best part is, you can do this for FREE!
That’s right, you don’t have to pay for any up-front costs for the plugins or services to set this up. You do pay a transaction fee for each purchase which is currently 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
Here are the basic steps for a WordPress website using PayPal and WooCommerce.
- Sign Up for a PayPal Account
- Verify PayPal Account
- Decide on a downloadable product you can sell
- Create Word document which will become your
downloadable PDF
- Make sure to add your branding and business info
- Export as PDF with a clear file name without spaces, and save for later
- Create a Purchase Instructions Page on your
website
- Include wording to satisfy PayPal terms for an auto-return page
- Insert Purchase Instructions Page URL into PayPal for auto-return
- Install WooCommerce on your website
- Run set up wizard and connect PayPal
- Set up taxes if applicable
- Add cart to menu
- Create your Virtual/Downloadable Product in
WooCommerce
- Load your PDF as the file for download
- Create your landing page
- Create the link for your product and add to the “buy” button
- Install and set up MailChimp for WooCommerce (optional)
- Test a purchase
- Create a coupon for testing (optional)
- Modify any areas you’d like to adjust
- Market your product to the world!
Once you’re done, the sequence the buyer goes through looks like the following flow chart, starting on “Landing Page” with the “Buy Button”.
For a detailed 28-page guide with step-by-step instructions for turning your WordPress website into an e-store, download the “Create and Sell a Downloadable Product without Spending a Dime” for only $9. You’ll learn how to create a PDF for virtual download using Microsoft Word, install and set up WooCommerce, set up PayPal, create a landing page with a “buy” button, and connect Mailchimp (optional).
Create and Sell a Downloadable Product – PDF
Only $9