What I learned about offering digital and tangible products

A batch of custom tangible products from my paper engineering experiments.

Alright, you’re a creative, you’ve read my passive income post and you feel ready to dive into the world of monetizing your artistry. You’re pumped with excitement and eager to get started, but which route do you take with your product offerings, digital or tangible? Having experimented with both, I’ll let you in on some of my main takeaways from each category.

​Digital Products
Pros

1. Sell anywhere, any time, on nearly any device.
2. Instant delivery!
3. No manufacturing costs.
4. No physical storage space.
5. Files can be updated any time (added value for customer).
6. Downloads are traceable.
7. Generally very low maintenance and overhead costs.

Cons

1. Occasional computer and software compatibility issues.
2. More customer support required for less tech-savvy buyers.
3. Files can be duplicated and shared infinitely.
4. File hacking and copyright removal.
5. Chargebacks from stolen payment card purchases (seller generally loses).

Tangible Products
Pros

1. Physical item customer can feel, smell and taste.
2. Better seller protection. Buyer provides physical mailing address.
3. Product not subject to internet and computer hardware failures.

Cons

1. Manufacturing time and costs.
2. Vendors don’t always get the manufacturing right.
3. Postage costs.
4. Delivery drop-off and pick-up time.
5. Transit time and occasional returns caused by mailing errors.
6. International customs and tariff fees.
7. Physical storage space needed.

There you have it, the good, bad, and sometimes ugly within both options. Having tried both, I personally much rather prefer digital products. Having always kept my operation at a very small scale, digital media provided far greater convenience.

Depending on the nature of your products, you may be limited to a single category by default, digital if you sell Photoshop filters, tangible if you sell t-shirts. However, if you have the option to pick and choose, try both and see what happens. Your outcomes might turn out to be entirely different than mine.

Happy selling, my fellow starving artists!
​
Taras at VisualSpicer.com

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