Can I sell digital services here or is it just physical items?

Shopify Discussion
1

Of course I’ve been aware of Shopify for ages now, but I’m brand new to actually looking at the site and seeing if I can use it for my marketing company.

I sell online marketing and lead gen services, no physical items…I’m not shipping anything etc.

If I purchase a plan and setup an online store can I leverage that for digital services like this?

Or is it strictly for people selling/shipping physical goods?

Thanks

2

Hi there,
Yes, Shopify is not just for physical goods; you can absolutely use it for your marketing and lead gen services. It’s versatile enough to handle digital offerings like yours.
To get more details on setting up your services, check out this link: Selling Services or Digital Products.

Feel free to visit the link for a step-by-step guide.

Thank you
waqarsheikh07

3

Hi, @realtimeleadgen .

Thank you for reaching out!

You can absolutely sell digital services on Shopify. When you add a product to your store, you can specifiy that you are selling a digital product or service so tat no shipping charges apply. If you’re selling a digital product, then you’ll also need to use an app to provide a download link to your product.

Please let me know if you have any further questions! I would love to learn more about your business. Do you currently have a physical storefront?

Talk soon,

4

Hi Realtimeledgen,

Of course you can sell digital products, here’s how:

  1. Set Up Your Shopify Store

    • Sign up at Shopify.com and choose a plan. Customize your store using the theme editor.

  2. Install a Digital Product App

    • Use an app like Digital Downloads (free) to handle file delivery automatically.

  3. Add Your Digital Products

    • Go to Products > Add Product, fill in product details, and upload digital files using the app.

  4. Set Up Payment Options

    • Enable payment methods under Settings > Payments to accept online payments.

  5. Configure Delivery Settings

    • Ensure the app is set to auto-email download links after purchase.

  6. Test Your Store

    • Purchase a product to confirm the buying process and delivery work smoothly.

  7. Launch and Manage Orders

    • Open your store to customers and monitor orders under Orders in your Shopify dashboard.
5

Yes, you can absolutely sell digital services on Shopify! While Shopify is widely known for physical product sales, it’s equally equipped for selling digital goods and services. Whether you’re offering online courses, design services, software, coaching sessions, or downloadable resources like ebooks or music, Shopify provides the tools you need to make this happen. Using apps like SendOwl and Big Digital Downloads can make the process seamless and professional.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you sell digital services through Shopify:

Step 1: Set Up Your Shopify Store

Sign up for a Shopify account (or log into your store if you already have one).
Add product listings for the digital services you want to sell.
Clearly describe what your service includes and highlight its benefits. Add any visuals like demo videos or PDFs to make your service appealing.

Step 2: Choose the Right App for Digital Delivery

To streamline how your digital services are delivered or managed, you’ll need a reliable app. Both SendOwl and Big Digital Downloads are excellent options:

SendOwl: This app is perfect for delivering downloadable files or setting up membership-based access.
Big Digital Downloads: Ideal for automating digital delivery and scaling up as your offerings grow.

Step 3: Install and Configure the AppGo to the Shopify App Store and install your chosen app.
SendOwl or Big Digital Downloads

Follow the setup instructions in the app to configure it based on your digital service. For example:
Use SendOwl to set up automated file delivery or membership systems.

Use Big Digital Downloads to organize large collections of digital products or streamline file sending.

Step 4: Automate Delivery (If Applicable)

For services that include downloadable materials or are entirely digital such as e-courses or templates:

Upload the necessary files into the app you’ve chosen.

Step 5: Add Terms and Customizations

Specify service terms for clarity, such as delivery timeframes for custom work or accessibility windows for digital downloads.
Use the customization options in SendOwl or Big Digital Downloads to personalize the delivery experience, like branded emails or thank-you pages.

Step 6: Promote Your Digital Services

Optimize your product pages with SEO keywords for better discoverability.
Share your offerings with your audience through social media, email newsletters, or ad campaigns.
Showcase testimonials or examples of past work to build trust with customers.

Step 7: Manage and Scale

Both SendOwl and Big Digital Downloads come with analytics tools to track performance. Use these tools to monitor sales, identify trends, and improve your offerings.

That’s it.

6

Shopify works great for selling digital services! Plenty of agencies and consultants use it for exactly what you’re describing - marketing services, lead gen packages, etc.

You’d set up your services as products (like “Monthly SEO Package” or “Lead Gen Campaign”), disable shipping on everything, and customers can purchase directly. Works well for both one-time services and recurring subscriptions.

The only thing to consider is if you have any digital deliverables (PDFs, reports, templates) that go with your services. Shopify doesn’t handle automatic file delivery natively, so you’d need an app for that part.

I built Alva Digital Downloads which could help if you need to deliver onboarding docs, templates, or reports automatically after purchase: Alva Digital Downloads

But even without digital files, Shopify is solid for service businesses - the checkout process, invoicing, and payment processing work the same whether you’re selling physical or digital.