72: Three Surprising Ways A Digital Product Can Transform Your Business
In this episode, we're diving deep into the three surprising ways your digital products can transform your business and elevate your expertise. We'll discuss how to:
Showcase your expertise and attract dream clients by turning your knowledge into valuable digital products, just like the website designer who turned her principles workbook into speaking opportunities and a thriving social media following.
Bridge the gap between free and premium offerings with digital products that act as stepping stones to your higher-tier services, making your expertise accessible to a wider audience and creating natural opportunities for upsells.
Streamline your client onboarding process with our "Step 1 Sales Strategy," a powerful way to filter for clients who are truly ready to work with you and ensure a smooth and successful experience from the very beginning.
Whether you're just starting with digital products or looking to level up your existing offerings, this episode will equip you with the tools and strategies to transform them into powerful tools that showcase your expertise, serve your audience at every price point, and streamline your entire business.
Get ready to unlock the full potential of your digital products and watch your business grow with a little help from insidethesquare.
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[00:00:00] There's something magical about waking up to sales notifications from your digital products. That little notification that says someone found value in what you created, it's pretty rad. But here's what's even more exciting. Those sales notifications are just the beginning of how digital products can transform your business.
[00:00:18] Ready to discover the hidden superpowers of digital products? In this episode of Think Inside the Square, I'm sharing three powerful ways that a digital product can revolutionize your business model far beyond your revenue.
[00:00:40] Welcome to Think Inside the Square, a podcast full of tips and tricks to help you create a website and a business that you're proud of. I'm your host, Becca Harpain, Squarespace expert and educator and creator of InsideTheSquare.co
[00:00:52] In this episode, we're diving into how digital products can enhance your business in ways that you might not have even considered.
[00:00:59] For a [00:01:00] transcript of this episode, along with the links to any resources mentioned, visit insidethesquare.co/podcast
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[00:01:39] Now, on to the episode. The first transformative power of digital products lies in their ability to showcase expertise in the tangible, shareable way.
[00:01:50] Creating a simple digital product can transform your knowledge into something concrete, something that demonstrates mastery and a unique perspective in a way that's [00:02:00] impossible for your audience to ignore. Website designers offer a perfect example of this transformation in action. While portfolios can showcase your finished designs, digital offerings like a template or a design guide can reveal the strategic thinking behind the beautiful websites that you create.
[00:02:19] These digital products pull back the curtain on your expertise, showing not just what was created, but why each decision mattered. For example, a square spacer that I worked with a few years ago, she created a website design principles workbook. If I can find a link to it, if it still exists, I'll put it in the show notes.
[00:02:37] This workbook she created; it wasn't just about sharing information. It was about packaging years of experience into actionable insights for new designers. She sold quite a few copies to her audience. But what that workbook really did was become a catalyst for other opportunities. She did talks at a few online summits.
[00:02:57] She used excerpts to build up a good [00:03:00] following on social, creating consistent content based off of the workbook that she created. And one of the people who purchased that workbook ended up inviting her to a pretty popular podcast to talk about it. Now, the secret to this kind of impact lies in the laser focused specificity.
[00:03:17] The most powerful digital products zoom in on specific challenges or unique methodologies. Let me give you an example here. Instead of creating something broad like Website Building Guide or even something slightly more specific like a Squarespace Building Guide, consider something even more targeted like the Strategic Homepage Blueprint for Health Coaches.
[00:03:39] Or e commerce layout secrets for jewelry designers. This level of specificity not only attracts ideal clients, but establishes authority in a very particular niche. So when your expertise is packaged this way, it's going to create a ripple effect across your entire business. Blog posts can expand on concepts from the product.
[00:03:58] Social media [00:04:00] content practically writes itself. Client conversations become more focused because foundational concepts are already established, This digital product can become the cornerstone of a broader content ecosystem, each piece reinforcing your expertise in a different way. The second transformative power of a focused digital product can drastically change your business model.
[00:04:21] There are many service providers out there that have incredible expertise to share, but not everyone is going to be ready for premium service investments. That is where a digital product can solve this challenge beautifully. Templates are a perfect example of this. A website designer that charges maybe $5,000 for a custom build can create a template with detailed tutorials for a fraction of that price.
[00:04:46] This is a digital product that makes the premium expertise accessible so you can reach a larger percent of your audience at different stages of their journey. This approach creates a beautiful ecosystem where everyone wins. [00:05:00] Clients who aren't ready for premium services Still get access to high quality work.
[00:05:04] And when these clients are ready to invest in the higher tier services later, they already know and trust your expertise. Now the key to making this work lies in thoughtful positioning on your website. Digital products and premium services should compliment each other, creating a clear pathway for growth.
[00:05:22] The messaging really matters here. These aren't lesser versions of premium services. They're different ways to access expertise, each one valuable in its own right. A well structured website becomes crucial here because you need to clearly show how these different offerings serve different needs. Your homepage might showcase premium services while highlighting digital products as a self guided solution.
[00:05:47] Then case studies can demonstrate how some clients started working with the digital products before moving on to custom services. Every element of your messaging needs to work together to show potential clients [00:06:00] where they fit into this ecosystem of your offerings.
[00:06:03] Now, let's explore the third transformative power of digital products. This is my favorite approach that I wanted to share in this episode because it is so strategic and I think just about every service provider should consider creating this type of digital product. I call it the Step 1 sales strategy.
[00:06:20] This digital product will help you streamline your new client onboarding process and weed out the clients who aren't willing to do the work. Here's what makes this so powerful. When a digital product serves as Step 1 of your signature process, it does so much more than just generate revenue. This will prepare future clients for success.
[00:06:41] For service providers, it's like having a secret weapon that primes clients before they even book a discovery call. Picture a brand strategist who creates a brand voice discovery workbook. This workbook could guide potential clients through the foundational work of defining their brand voice. Those who complete it get [00:07:00] clarity about their goals before they ever book a call.
[00:07:03] They have a deeper understanding of the process, and let's be real here, the people who dive into the workbook and complete the exercises are demonstrating exactly the kind of dedication that makes for an amazing client. The benefits of this digital product show up in multiple ways.
[00:07:19] First, it automatically filters for clients who are willing to do the work. When someone invests time and money into your digital product and engages deeply with the material, they're showing commitment to the process. Secondly, it creates a shared foundation of knowledge and expectations. Clients will come to calls understanding key concepts and ready for deeper strategic work.
[00:07:42] For website designers, this could look like a content preparation guide That can become a prerequisite for custom projects. Clients who complete this work show up with organized content, clear goals, and realistic expectations about the design process.
[00:07:58] This can be [00:08:00] incredibly helpful in keeping a project on track and setting clients up for better outcomes and you for more referrals. Now let's pull all of these transformative powers together and talk about some practical next steps for implementing a digital product in your business. The key is starting with what your business needs to focus on the most right now.
[00:08:19] If you're looking to establish more authority in your field, I want you to think about that website designer I talked about earlier. The one whose design principles workbook opened the door for some amazing speaking opportunities. A digital product that shows off your unique approach or your unique perspective can immediately position you as an expert in your industry.
[00:08:39] Now, if you serve clients and you have premium services, maybe you're seeing a large percentage of your email list or your followers that really aren't resonating with the high quality premium packages that you offer. Consider creating a digital product for them that can complement your premium services.
[00:08:55] One of the examples I used in this episode was about website templates. Maybe you're a [00:09:00] designer that charges $5,000+ for custom builds. Create a beautiful template with detailed tutorials for a fraction of the price, and that will help you reach people at a lower price point who are still interested in your premium services.
[00:09:14] It also positions your premium services as being exactly that, premium. The other approach we talked about in this episode was what I like to call the step one sales strategy. And this is the idea of creating a digital product that covers the foundational process that people need to go through before they're ready for your premium services.
[00:09:33] This digital product can help with your onboarding process, and it really helps people do the foundational work that they need to do to prepare themselves to be the best client ever before you ever hop on a call. For those of you listening who think that every one of these three approaches is perfect for your business right now, I do not want to overwhelm you with the idea of creating three brand new digital products all at once.
[00:09:57] I want you to focus on one [00:10:00] core concept for your business so you can take action on that today. Here's a quick way to figure out which one of these digital product ideas is perfect for you right now. What questions do you answer the most often? What is the first thing you teach new clients or the thing that people constantly ask you?
[00:10:17] Is there something that you cover on every single discovery call? Answering that question is probably your digital product sweet spot. But again, I want you to think about where you're at in your business. Do you need to demonstrate your expertise? Do you need to create a product that can serve people who aren't ready to invest in your premium services?
[00:10:36] Or do you need a way to streamline your onboarding process and vet your clients so that you know the people you're going to work with are the ones that are willing to do the work. Whatever approach is the best for your business right now, make sure that your digital product focuses on solving one specific problem really well and rest assured that you can always create more products later.
[00:10:56] The goal is to start with something manageable that delivers [00:11:00] real value to your audience.
[00:11:01] So that's your homework today, my friend. Think about the perfect digital product to create that will serve your audience and set your business up for success. Now if you're looking for some creative ideas on what type of digital product to create, I have the perfect PDF for you. I'll link to this in the show notes for this episode.
[00:11:18] You can also head on over to insidthesquare.co/17ideas
[00:11:24] that's the number 17. followed by the word ideas. I compiled a PDF that is a list of 17 creative digital products that you can share with your audience. Again, I'll include a link at the show notes and I hope that these 17 ideas are inspirational for you.
[00:11:39] The number one takeaway I want you to remember from this episode is the power of digital products go so far beyond income. When you create a digital product with intention, it can transform how you demonstrate your expertise, how you serve your audience, and how you build up your client pipeline. The key is starting with a strategy and letting that [00:12:00] guide every decision in your product creation journey.
[00:12:02] If this episode sparked some creative ideas for your business, I would love to know about it. Take a picture wherever you happen to be listening right now and share it with me on Instagram. Tag at think inside the square and let me know which type of digital product you're ready to create so I can cheer you on.
[00:12:19] And if you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to this podcast wherever you happen to be listening and share it with a friend. Thank you so much for tuning in to ThinkInsideTheSquare
[00:12:27] and most importantly, have fun with your website. Bye for now.
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