How To Sell eBooks On Shopify In 6 Steps (2024 Guide)

If you are looking forward to selling your ebooks, then Shopify is the best option to start your journey. However, setting up your store and product page as a beginner may be difficult. 

Hence, to help you out, I have created a comprehensive guide on “how to sell ebooks on Shopify.” This guide will help you with a detailed step-by-step procedure to sell your ebooks on Shopify and generate income from it. 

So what’s the wait for? Let’s get into it. 

How To Sell Ebooks On Shopify: At A Glance (2024)

In case you are in a hurry, I have listed the basic steps to sell your ebooks on Shopify. 

Step 1: Create an online store on Shopify.

Step 2: Install a digital download app on the Shopify store.

Step 3: Create a products page on Shopify and add your ebook to your store.

Step 4: Select your payment gateway.

Step 5: Launch your store.

Step 6: Market your ebook store.

Bonus: Want to know more about Shopify, we have done a detailed Shopify Review here for you to check out.

How To Sell eBooks On Shopify: A Detailed Guide

Now, it’s high time to discuss all the steps in detail. In this section, I will share a detailed explanation of how to sell ebooks on Shopify.

1. Create An Online Store On Shopify

The first step to selling ebooks on Shopify is to set up your online store. For this, you must create an account on the Shopify platform. You can try its 3-day free trial, which doesn’t require a credit card to explore its functionalities.  

Once your free trial expires, you can upgrade to one of its paid plans that cater to your needs. 

Next, you can customize your store’s appearance using its user-friendly theme editor to ensure it seamlessly matches your branding and attracts your target audience.

After that, you can design and create essential web pages like a homepage, an about us page, a contact us page, a privacy policy, and a blog section. Also, optimize your site’s navigation properly so visitors can easily find what they want.

2. Install A Digital Download App On The Shopify Store

The next step in selling eBooks on Shopify is to upload your eBooks. For this, Shopify suggests installing the Digital Downloads app. It is an application that enables you to sell digital products in your Shopify store.

Follow the below-mentioned steps to install the digital downloads app on your Shopify store:

• Visit the Shopify app store and type “digital downloads” into the search box to find the digital downloads app you want to install.
• Once you search for digital downloads, it will display a long list of digital download apps, both free and paid. You can select the app that meets your needs by reviewing the features of all the listed apps.

Here are our recommendations:

Shopify’s “Digital Downloads” app is a good option if you want a free and basic option. This app will allow users to download products with a maximum size of 5 GB, making it ideal for most eBooks. Plus, there are no recurring subscription fees.

You can install this app by clicking the “Install” button.

And, if you want to add an extra layer of IP protection to your ebooks when a user downloads them, then in such a case, you can prefer to install the “DDA Digital Downloads app”. The installation process is the same as above.

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3. Create A Products Page On Shopify And Add Your Ebook To Your Store.

Once you have installed the Digital Downloads app on your Shopify store, it’s time to create a product page and add your ebook.

To add your product, follow the below-mentioned steps:

• Open your Shopify store
• Navigate to the “Products” section
• Then, click on “Add your products.”

• You will be redirected to the next window, where you will be prompted to fill in the details about your product, like Title, Description, Image, etc.

Note: If you are uploading an ebook that is a digital-only product, you must select “Digital Product or Service” under the “shipping” option.

• Once you add the details, click the ‘Save’ button to save the changes.
• Now, click on the “More Actions” button to upload your digital file.

• You will be redirected to a new window with a “Add Files” button. Simply click on it.

• After this, click on the ‘Fulfillment‘ button.

• Once you click the Fulfilment option, it will open a pop window with some setting options. Make the settings as per your preferences.

Your ebook has been successfully uploaded to your Shopify store.

• To make it publicly available, click the “Active” button under the “Status” option.

4. Select Your Payment Gateway.

After uploading your ebook to sell, the next step is to set up payment options for your customers. This is one of the most essential steps in the setup process. 

The right payment gateway can improve the customer experience. You can either use Shopify Payments or any of the third-party payment gateways it supports. Shopify allows you to choose your desired payment gateway, depending on your target market.

With Shopify Payment, you can accept all modes of payment. Shopify provides multiple payment options, including PayPal, credit cards, net banking, debit cards, and Apple Pay. We have also created a list of the best payment gateways that you can choose from for your Shopify store.

To set up the payment gateway, follow these steps:

• Open your Shopify store
• Go to Settings
• Click on the Payments option
• Click on “Choose a Provider.”
• Choose a third-party payment gateway from the drop-down.
• Fill out the online form 
• Click on Activate.

5. Launch Your Store

Before launching your Shopify store, you must complete the setup process. Below, I am sharing the series of steps that you need to complete before making your Shopify store live.

• Connect a custom domain to your Shopify store.
• Install a relevant theme.
• Design your website
• Create and optimize your store navigation
• Verify that your product details are correct
• Add a secure payment gateway.
• Optimize your store for search engines.
• Email Marketing

After completing the steps mentioned above, you must prepare your online store for launch and cross-check all the settings you have made. If everything is working fine, then you can launch your store.

6. Market Your Ebook Store

Finally, the last step is to market your ebook. And let me tell you honestly that marketing requires serious effort since people won’t buy your product if they don’t know about it. 

Fortunately, there are some cost-effective and easy ways to market your ebook. 

Social Media Marketing

Here are several strategies worth exploring if you’re active on social media platform used by your target audience, whether it’s Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn:

• Schedule announcements regarding the release of your e-books 
• Create engaging posts about your ebook’s content.
• Conduct surveys
• Run ad campaigns
• Encourage followers to share your ebook
• Offer giveaways

Email Marketing

Email Marketing is another excellent way to promote your ebook to your existing audience. You might already have an engaged and loyal subscriber base that values your product. They are the perfect audience for promoting your ebook. 

You can offer some discounts to encourage them to purchase your ebook. Additionally, you can encourage them to spread the word about your ebook. 

Paid Ad Campaigns

If you want to target a broader audience in a concise period, you should consider paid advertising.

Facebook, Instagram, and Google Ads all these channels offer amazing targeting options that empower you to reach your target audience by their location, interests, behavior, the device they’re using, etc.

Benefits of Selling eBooks Online

Selling eBooks online offers numerous benefits for both authors and entrepreneurs:

• Low Overhead Costs: Unlike physical books, eBooks eliminate printing, storage, and shipping expenses, making them a cost-effective option.
• Global Reach: eBooks can be distributed worldwide instantly, allowing authors to reach a broader audience without geographical limitations.
• High Profit Margins: With minimal production costs, eBooks can yield higher profit margins.
• Easy Updates and Revisions: Authors can easily update and revise eBooks, ensuring the content remains current and relevant.
• Convenience for Readers: eBooks offer portability and instant access, making them a popular choice for readers.

By leveraging these advantages, selling eBooks online can be a lucrative and efficient way to share knowledge and generate income.

How Much Does It Cost To Sell eBooks On Shopify?

You can create a Shopify store by signing up for a 3-day free trial, and after that, you can subscribe to any Shopify plan by just paying $1/month for three months. Once the 90-day trial is over, you will be charged for the plan you choose, and three pricing options are available. Here is a quick overview of those plans:

1. Basic Plan ($39/month or $29/month, paid yearly)

• 2 Staff Accounts
• Add Unlimited Products
• Access To Multiple Sales Channels
• Free SSL Certificate
• Basic Reports

2. Shopify Plan ($105/month or $79/month, paid yearly)

• Everything from the Basic Plan
• 5 Staff Accounts
• Marketing Automation Features
• eCommerce Automations
• Standard Reports

3. Advanced Plan ($399/month or $299/month, paid yearly)

• Everything from the Shopify Plan
• 15 Staff Accounts
• Third-party Calculates Shipping Rates
• Product Pricing Market
• Duties And Import Taxes

Shopify also offers advanced features on their Shopify Plus subscription, which costs over $2000/month and is suitable for sellers who are earning $1 Million/year.

Expert Tips For Selling eBooks On Shopify

Here are a few expert tips and strategies that can help you start selling eBooks on Shopify:

• Create A Simple User Interface: Create user-friendly pages for your store; don’t overcomplicate it by adding so many redundant pages. Keep the top-selling products on the homepage and explain every product in detail on separate pages.
• Add Eye-Catching Visuals For Your eBooks: To catch your customers’ interest, you should add stunning visuals of your eBooks to your store.
• Add Detailed Descriptions Of Your eBooks: Add detailed descriptions of each eBook you sell on your Shopify store on separate pages. This will help customers make an informed decision.
• Automate The Delivery Process: Use the automation tools from Shopify App Store to streamline the delivery, invoicing, and customer tracking processes.
• Sell Bundles & Create Upsells: To increase the number of sales and revenue, sell eBooks in bundles and suggest similar courses or eBooks when someone is purchasing an eBook from your store.
• Offer Free Download: To grow your email list, offer free eBooks through popups on your store. To download the free eBook, a visitor must provide their email address and this way, you can increase your email list.
• Provide Access To Limited Pages: To create interest among your customers, you should allow them to access a few pages of your premium eBooks. To unlock all the pages of those eBooks, they will have to purchase them.

Conclusion: Create & Sell eBooks On Shopify Following The Above Steps

Shopify is one of the best e-commerce platforms to sell digital products like ebooks. It offers various advanced features to help you succeed in your online selling journey. By following the steps mentioned above, you can build an online store on Shopify and start selling your ebook online.

And the best part is that Shopify offers a free trial to test and explore its functionalities before investing in it. So, grab this fantastic deal and start selling on Shopify now.

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