General 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.