eCommerce Functionality in Your Communities

[Nomad]

I have seen a lot of online communities selling physical and digital items. I have not done this yet but I am considering to sell physical and digital products through my online communities. Have you done this?

I wish to sell following items:

Ebooks: I have published ebooks on various platforms, including Amazon and my personal website, and made good sales. I intend to sell ebooks through my online communities.

Courses: I have created a few courses (mini guides) and publish them on my website. I have also managed to sell these courses in the past. Therefore, I am thinking to start selling courses through my forums.

Digital art: I have also tried selling digital arts on various platforms but never sold any pieces, and I will also like to try this option on my community.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I've never done this with my communities, but I've been a member on a few that have sold physical goods like t-shirts. I've never felt good about putting a price on the guides I've written in the past, but depending on the niche of your community it may be a good idea to put a small fee on beneficial guides. (And allow some guides to be free to let your customers get a feel for what you're providing.)

 

[Kaileenos]

I remember when I wanted to add an e-commerce section to my website. I reached out to a friend who runs a web development agency for advice. They suggested integrating user-friendly features for smooth transactions. Selling ebooks and courses can be super rewarding—I've had success with them too. As for digital art, it's all about finding your audience.

 

[Nomad]

Selling digital products such as digital courses, ebooks, even workbooks social media templates, video clicks, digital art, sound clips, etc. can be easier than selling physical products. However, generating sales can be really difficult. If your community is very small and not many active users, generating sales is extremely difficult.