Soapbox Engage Blog

Is your nonprofit embracing the realm of e-commerce? If not, then now is the time. E-commerce has become a crucial adaptation for nonprofits in recent years, offering a valuable avenue to generate additional income, meet funding goals, and advance your mission by selling items through an online store.

However, deciding what to sell can be a dilemma. While some organizations can readily identify physical products, others may find it more challenging. That's where incorporating digital products into your e-commerce shop proves beneficial. Digital products are advantageous for nonprofits as they have enduring value, entail minimal overhead costs, and are accessible to a broader customer base.

And in case you missed the news— the Soapbox Engage Shop app now supports digital products! Administrators can effortlessly designate a URL for digital downloads with each product. This makes setting up your store a breeze, opening up a new funding stream to bolster your mission effortlessly!

Need some more inspiration for your e-commerce shop? Here are five digital products to consider selling.

1. Online Courses

Education is always valuable. An online course is a great way to share knowledge with a large group of people, from any location. You can create a presentation, record a video walk-through, or develop a course featuring the voices of subject-matter experts.

Once created, your course can be taken by hundreds (or maybe thousands!) of students. And you only need to update the course if something becomes outdated. You can also iterate on a course and offer a more in depth version, like a 101 level course vs. a 102 level course.

2. Ebooks

If you have knowledge to put in an online course, you can also put it inside an ebook. Different people have different learning styles, so you’ll reach more people by offering things in a variety of formats!

Ebooks are a familiar digital format across audiences and can be accessed via an e-reader, computer, or mobile device. You can write an ebook on anything—but before you commit to a topic, research the availability of free content on your subject. If there’s a lot out there that people can access for free, they need to have a reason that will make them want to buy your digital product.

3. Music, art, and entertainment

Leveraging entertainment as a digital product can be a fantastic fundraising strategy, especially for artistic nonprofits. For instance, if you're a nonprofit theatre organization, consider selling archival footage of your previous shows or cast recordings from recent musicals. The potential for creative offerings is limitless!

4. Content Libraries

To elevate your approach, explore the idea of a content library! Package your individual items into compelling deals, offering full access to your entire digital product catalog through a monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time fee.

5. Printable digital products

While merchandise is a common offering in e-commerce stores, it often comes with high overhead costs for shipping and storage. However, a smart alternative is offering digital products that customers can print at home. Whether it's a logo sticker or a poster featuring an event photo, customers get a tangible item, while your organization enjoys the advantages of selling a digital product without the logistical challenges.

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Those are just a few ideas to consider when you start building your e-commerce stop. We hope these ideas help so you can bring in another revenue stream to help meet your funding goals.

Interested in using our Shop app? Fill out this form to set up a demo, and we’ll be in touch with you soon!

Here are a few more resources to help you on your e-commerce journey:

1. 8 Trends for Nonprofit E-Commerce in 2024: Digital products are just one trend to know about when it comes to your e-commerce shop in 2024. Check out this blog post for 8 more e-commerce trends you should know!
2. How to Write Product Descriptions for Your E-commerce Store: Your digital products won’t sell at all if you don’t have a great product description. This blog post offers seven tips to help you write the strongest descriptions that are sure to help you meet your goals.
3. Top New Features of the Soapbox Engage Shop App: The ability to sell digital products is one of the new features of our Shop App. Check out this blog post to learn more about the other great new features!