This post will explain How To Sell PDFs Online. Searching for an easy way to monetize your blog or earn additional cash online? Selling PDFs might be the perfect solution. PDFs are a terrific way to deliver a variety of resources because they are so easy to make. Additionally, they are incredibly simple to sell due to their rapid download times and universal compatibility.
We’ll be going into great detail on how to sell PDFs online in this article. You will get knowledge on anything from the different kinds of PDFs you can offer to marketing strategies.
What kinds of PDFs can you sell online?
Given how adaptable PDF files are, virtually any document or resource can be converted into a PDF that can be sold. The following is a index of some of the most popular PDFs for sale online:
- Tutorials and how-to manuals
- Manuals
- Online magazines
- Patterns for knitting and sewing
- arts and crafts template
- Industry reports and white papers
- Manuscripts
- Plans for nutrition and exercise
- Artwork
- comic books, manga
- Screenplays
- correspondence templates
- Although non-editable documents are typically created in PDF format, you can also make them editable and market items like:
- Christmas cards
- Resume formats
- Business cards and calendars
- invitations to events
- Presenting PowerPoint slides
As you can see, there are numerous solutions for producing PDF documents online that may be purchased. Let’s now examine the precise steps you need to follow to make and sell PDFs from your own online shop.
How to create PDFs – A simple step-by-step guide
Do you want to start producing your own PDFs? This is exactly what you should do.
Step 1: Choose a program and create your document
Selecting a program to use is the first step in making a PDF file. From Adobe Acrobat to Google Docs and Microsoft Word, you can produce PDFs. However, I’d advise making use of a web-based program like Canva. This is another way of How To Sell PDFs Online.
You may choose from a large selection of free layouts and templates with Canva that can be saved in PDF format. Designing engaging and expert documents rapidly is made simple by the drag and drop interface. All you have to do to get begun is choose a template. Here is an illustration of one I produced:
Making a PDF with Canva
You must next upload your stuff, including your text and photographs. Make sure to use a readable and professional font while adding content.
Your PDFs’ primary goal should be to provide high-quality material because this is what will ultimately help you generate the most revenue. You should create content that you believe your audience will find value and be willing to pay for.
Step 2. Add design elements
Try to make your PDFs look more beautiful and engaging for readers if you want to increase their saleability.
Adopt design components
Whether you’re designing diet programs or sewing patterns, remember to include graphic elements and pops of color where appropriate to give your PDFs a higher level of quality and professionalism. This is another way of How To Sell PDFs Online.
Step 3. Add your own branding elements
Include your logos & brand name on each PDF you make if you’re planning to develop a full website for your PDFs.
The customer will be able to identify the particular seller from whom they bought your work, which will help to prevent others from copying and reselling your content. This is another way of How To Sell PDFs Online.
If your brand and website name are prominently displayed on the PDF, a consumer who bought a PDF from you via an online store like Etsy might visit your website directly the following time.
Step 4. Proofread your PDFs before saving
When writing written content, it’s very simple to make spelling and grammar mistakes, so make sure to review your PDFs before saving or downloading them. Use a browser extension like Grammarly to help you quickly identify grammatical mistakes.
Check your grammar using Grammarly.
Also, it could be a good idea to employ an editor or proofreader if you’re producing PDFs for complex materials like whitepapers or reports. On services like Upwork and Fiverr, proofreaders may be hired for a reasonable price. This can assist you in ensuring that all of your PDFs are of the greatest quality, which should help you avoid receiving refund requests from clients.
Step 5. Save your PDF document
Simply click Download or Save as, depending on the program you’re using, and select the Save as PDF option to convert your document to a PDF.
Conserve your PDF file
That’s all there is to it. When you’re ready to sell it, you can upload it to your website or the marketplace of your choice.
How to sell PDFs Online
Let’s look at the specifics of selling PDFs now that you understand how to make them. Owning a website dedicated to online shopping is the greatest approach to sell your PDFs. There are many programs that can assist you in building an online store, but Sellfy is our top recommendation. This is another way of How To Sell PDFs Online.
A very economical and user-friendly ecommerce platform is Sellfy. The process of setting up a site is quite quick and simple. Additionally, there are no transaction costs for any PDF sales you make.
Here is a simple tutorial showing you step-by-step how to sell your PDFs on Sellfy.
Step 1. Sign up for a Sellfy Subscription
Visit Sellfy.com to get started and look over the various pricing options.
Therefore, the Starter plan, which offers unlimited merchandise, digital products, and subscriptions, is what we advise. The first month of the package costs $19, and a 14-day free trial is included.
After selecting the plan, click Get going.
After that, click Create my store after entering your name, email address, and password of choice. After that, a questionnaire about your store will be given to you. Choose the Create a Sellfy shop option under question number 3 if you don’t already have a website where you can accept payments.
Establish a Sellfy storefront
The Sellfy store dashboard will then appear when you click Start 14-day free trial. By selecting Upgrade to Starter in the top right-hand corner of the page or by selecting Account > Billing in the sidebar of the your Sellfy dashboard, you may upgrade your 14-day trial at any moment.
Step 3. Add products
The next step is to begin preparing your digital products for sale by adding them to your store. This process only requires a few clicks and is quite simple. Select Digital Products by clicking Products in the sidebar menu first. Next, select the Add new product button located in the page’s upper right corner. The page to add a new product will then be displayed to you. This is another way of How To Sell PDFs Online.
Include a new item in your Sellfy account.
By dragging & dropping your PDF files into this area or by selecting Browse on your computer, you can upload your files straight from your computer.
You can add a product name, description, preview, category, and price in the currency of your choice after uploading your selected PDFs.
Include a name and a description
Simply click Save product once your product listing is finished, and your product will be prepared to sell in your Sellfy online store. Ensure that the toggle for Visible on store page, which is located beneath the Save product button, is turned on so that your consumers can view and buy your PDFs.
Step 3. Customize your store settings
Customizing your store settings is the last step you need to take to launch your online business. Click Store Settings on the sidebar to get started. Using the Store Customizer tool, you may first alter the appearance of your store. Choose a theme you prefer, then change the layout however you see fit.
Make your store settings unique.
You must next configure your store name and domain. You can buy a profession name from a website like Namecheap and then put it to the Custom domain section to point to your Sellfy store.
A domain name can be bought from Namecheap.
In the sidebar, select Payment settings to configure your payment terminals. Customers can make payments to you by connecting Stripe or PayPal, and you can select the currency.
Set up the payment options.
In the Store settings, you can also set up things like product categories and alter email templates.
After completing the aforementioned procedures, you may concentrate on selling your PDFs and marketing them. For additional information on marketing your PDFs, continue reading.
In addition, you can read our Sellfy review to find out more information.
How to market your PDFs
After setting up your PDF store, you will need to invest some time in marketing your PDFs in order to grow your website traffic and boost sales.
Here are a few of the most effective techniques to promote your PDFs.
List your PDFs on marketplaces like Amazon and Etsy
The greatest strategy to get attention to your website and boost sales is to list your PDF products on well-known online stores like Amazon and Etsy. Many consumers would only purchase digital downloads on reputable venues like these, so this might be a wonderful method to get your products some first exposure.
It might be simple to sell digital files using Amazon, Etsy, and other marketplace platforms, but it’s vital to remember that there are certain risks to doing so.
Large sales platforms, for instance, are notorious for taking a substantial chunk of your sales proceeds, and some, like Etsy, even charge a modest fee for each product you post.
Additionally, you lose full control of your firm if you rely solely on larger platforms for sales. For established enterprises, if the platforms decide to alter their rules or rates, it may spell serious trouble.
So what is the answer? So instead of using large platforms as a reliable source of sales, our recommendation is to use them as a marketing tool.
Be sure to send them an email when they make a purchase from your listing on Amazon and Etsy. Thank them for their purchase and inform them that if they decide to make any additional purchases, they may do so on your website.
Even better, you can give clients who make direct purchases from your e-commerce business discounts and promotions.
Another smart move is to include information about your website and business on every PDF you sell. Customers will then be more inclined to visit your website directly if they desire to make a subsequent purchase.
Create a free product to generate interest
Offering a free product to get website visitors into your sales funnel might occasionally be a smart move if you want to persuade them to make a buy. For instance, if you’re offering a PDF course online, give away the first lesson. Customers will have to pay the full retail price for additional lessons if they enjoy the course and want to learn more. This is another way of How To Sell PDFs Online.
Giving out things for free might encourage further purchases and serve as a means of collecting email addresses from website users. Following that, you can use these information to email market other products.
Run giveaways on social media
Running a social media giveaway is a smart move if you want to attract your established social media audience to your PDF store.
To build giveaways that entice consumers to visit your website and engage with your social media posts, utilize a giveaway software like SweepWidget. This may encourage those who didn’t win the competition to buy the reward from your website instead, increasing traffic.
FAQs on selling PDFs online
Have more queries about buying and selling PDFs online? Here are some frequently requested questions regarding the sale of PDFs online.
What steps must I take to sell a PDF?
You can sell every PDF you produce with your own unique content. To make it more marketable, you should aim to make it professional and beneficial to consumers.
The greatest strategy to increase the sales of your PDFs is to create goods, templates, and other materials that are in high demand. Additionally, you should make them appear professional by utilizing eye-catching typefaces, graphics, and color palettes.
Is it forbidden to market PDFs?
No, there are several legal ways to sell PDFs. Copyright is the primary legal issue you must take into account while selling PDFs. Make certain that every PDF you sell has text written by you, and that any fonts or visuals you include are appropriate for commercial usage.
You shouldn’t experience any legal problems if you adhere to these rules. Before you start selling PDFs, be careful to research local laws and regulations in your nation as we at Blogging Wizard are professionals in blogging, not law.
Is it legal to sell PDFs on Amazon?
On Amazon, you may indeed sell PDFs. In the Amazon Kindle shop, PDFs of e-books and short tales in particular are popular.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that Amazon deducts a percentage from your sales, making it much preferable to sell directly on your own product website. This means that you own 100% of the profits and have complete control over every aspect of your online store.
On Etsy, are I able to sell PDFs?
Yes, Etsy is a trustworthy marketplace for selling PDFs, just like Amazon. Particularly on Etsy, PDFs for arts and crafts, like sewing designs and kid-friendly printables, do well. However, Etsy also takes a percentage of your sales, just like Amazon does.
On Etsy, transaction fees are 6.5% plus additional costs for shipping, handling, and gift-wrapping. Additionally, each thing you list will cost you money. Selling on your own website is the greatest alternative if you want to increase income and have complete control over your sales.
What kind of revenue can you expect from selling PDFs?
What PDFs you sell & how much you charge for them will actually determine your answer. You may earn more than $1,000 a month by selling high-value resources like white papers and industry studies.
Similar to how crafts templates and sewing patterns sell well on marketplaces like Etsy, you can easily earn a living off of your website if you have enough templates accessible. Your income will largely depend on how effectively you sell your PDF and the caliber of your resources.
Final thoughts
You now have a detailed explanation of how to sell PDF files online. Selling PDFs can be a terrific way to earn money online and can be utilized to monetize the traffic that already comes to your blogs or websites.