Have you ever wondered what the world of digital products was all about? Have you felt a mix of excitement, confusion, or even a little overwhelm when thinking about selling something online? Me too. Coming from someone with no prior experience in selling digital products, this was completely new territory for me. I stepped into this research process with curiosity and a healthy dose of nerves, not knowing where to begin or how to stand out in such a busy space. What I found along the way was a fascinating landscape of creativity, strategy, and endless possibilities.
Let’s start with the basics. What is a digital product? A digital product is anything you can create once and sell repeatedly without the need for physical shipping. Think of templates, online courses, e-books, trackers, or even design bundles. They are scalable, creative, and accessible, which makes them an exciting way for designers, entrepreneurs, and everyday creators to share value with the world.
Exploring the Marketplaces
My first step was to explore the marketplaces where people sell their digital products. I looked at popular platforms like Etsy, Gumroad, Creative Market, Payhip, and the Canva Marketplace. I also learned about the growing Notion Marketplace, which has become a go-to place for productivity templates.
Each platform has its own personality. Etsy is buzzing with creative energy, but it is also saturated. Gumroad is simple and flexible, though you have to do a lot of your own promotion. Creative Market feels polished and professional, but competition is steep. Payhip offers useful tools like upselling and email marketing, though it has less organic traffic. Canva’s Marketplace has a massive built-in audience, but the challenge is standing out because so many templates are already available. The Notion Marketplace impressed me because of its engaged community of users who actively seek functional and customizable tools.
Looking at all these platforms helped me understand not just what is being sold, but also how people discover products and what makes one listing catch your eye over another.
Narrowing My Ideas
At first, my brainstorming list was long. I looked at everything from productivity tools to UX design kits to calendars. Eventually, I realized that my best shot would be to focus on areas where I already have experience and passion. That led me to two categories: design and branding templates and running and training logs.
Design templates make sense for me because I already create so many flyers, branding materials, and digital designs in my professional role. Running trackers also connect perfectly with my personal life as a long-distance runner who trains daily. Both ideas felt authentic to who I am, which made them more exciting to explore further.
Learning from Competitors
To better understand what works and what doesn’t, I studied three digital products in detail: a branding template bundle, event flyer templates, and a digital running journal.
The branding bundle stood out because it was comprehensive. It included everything you might need for a brand identity, which showed me that people value all-in-one solutions. The event flyer template was clean and adaptable, but I felt it could be more valuable if bundled with matching social media posts or invitations. The running journal was functional and straightforward, but many versions online were plain. I saw an opportunity to create one that was more engaging, with motivational visuals and holistic features like recovery tracking.
This comparison taught me three big lessons. First, comprehensiveness adds value. Second, adaptable design works but can be even stronger when tailored to a specific niche. Third, functionality is important, but visual appeal and user experience can make a product stand out.
To view my full analysis and market research report, click here.
The Ideas I’m Most Excited About
After conducting research, the one idea that stands out to me is a Running Training Tracker that blends structure with motivation. It would help runners log mileage, track pace, and celebrate milestones, while also looking visually appealing and easy to use.
What remains unclear is the platform I should use for the tracker. Google Sheets and Excel are widely accessible, Notion offers a strong productivity community, and digital planners work well for journal-style designs. Each has advantages, and my next step is to test which option runners prefer.
I am also still interested in exploring branding templates. Because I am brand new to this field, I want to keep my options open and conduct more research before finalizing a digital product idea.
What’s Next
My research has given me clarity and confidence, even as a complete beginner to digital product creation. I plan to continue researching and start building a prototype of the Running Training Tracker in Google Sheets and/or Notion and sharing it with a small group of runners for feedback.
This is only the beginning of my journey, but the process has already taught me so much about how digital products succeed, where opportunities exist, and how I can merge my professional design skills with my personal passions. I may be a newbie to digital product creation, but I am excited to keep learning, experimenting, and eventually launching something that helps others in a meaningful way.
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