How to Build and Sell a Digital Product Without a Huge Audience
How to Build and Sell a Digital Product Without a Huge Audience
The Biggest Mistake Most New Creators Make (and How to Avoid It)
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This guide includes:
How to plan your business
How to set up your marketing
How to build your website
And more!
All in a simple goal-oriented format.
* Disclaimer * Some of the posted links are affiliate programs. By clicking these links, I may receive monetary compensation. This will not alter the price or change the buyer's experience.
There’s a common myth in the online business world: that you need a massive audience before you can successfully launch a digital product. But here’s the truth: you don’t need thousands of followers to make money online. You just need the right offer, the right message, and a way to deliver it.
In fact, having a smaller audience can be an advantage. You know who you’re talking to. You have real conversations. You’re building trust, and that trust is what actually sells products.
In this post, I’ll walk you through how to build and sell a digital product from scratch. Even if your audience is still growing. We’ll cover how to validate your idea, create something valuable without tech overwhelm, and launch it in a way that feels genuine, not pushy.
Step 1: Validate Before You Build
Before you spend hours designing a product or mapping out a launch, make sure people actually want what you’re creating. You don’t need a big audience to validate your idea. You just need to listen closely to the people already in your world.
Start With a Real Problem
The best digital products solve a specific pain point. Think about the questions you get asked the most in your DMs, emails, or discovery calls. What do your past clients or followers keep struggling with? That’s your starting point.
Ask, Poll, or DM
Use Instagram stories, LinkedIn polls, or a simple email to ask:
“What’s something you wish you had a shortcut for?”
“If I created [X], would that be helpful to you?”
“Would you be more interested in [option A] or [option B]?”
Even with a small audience, the responses you get are golden. They tell you what’s worth building, and how to position it when you do.
Look for Patterns
You don’t need dozens of people shouting “yes” to move forward. If you notice even a handful of people asking for the same thing, that’s enough to start building with purpose.
Step 2: Choose a Simple, High-Impact Product
When you’re working with a smaller audience, the key is to create something specific, easy to deliver, and valuable enough to solve a real problem quickly. You don’t need to create a massive course or an elaborate system. In fact, simple often sells better.
Focus on One Clear Outcome
Ask yourself:
What’s one result I can help someone achieve in under an hour?
What’s one process I’ve already built for myself that others could use too?
Clarity sells better than complexity. The more direct the solution, the easier it is for someone to say yes.
Digital Product Ideas That Work Well for Small Audiences:
Plug-and-play templates (email, social media, client onboarding, etc.)
PDF guides or eBooks
Mini-courses or video walkthroughs
Checklists and toolkits
Notion dashboards or Google Sheets planners
Audio trainings or meditations
The format matters less than the value it provides. Choose something that feels easy for you to create and useful for your audience to implement.
Step 3: Build the Product (Without Overcomplicating It)
This is where most entrepreneurs overthink things, but your product doesn’t need to be fancy to be valuable. It just needs to be clear, actionable, and focused on helping someone solve one specific problem.
Use Tools You Already Know
Stick with platforms you’re comfortable with. You don’t need to learn complex software to get started.
Some simple tools:
Canva – for designing PDFs, workbooks, checklists
Notion or Google Docs – for planners, templates, and swipe files
Loom or Zoom – for screen recordings or mini-trainings
Google Sheets – for calculators, dashboards, or planning tools
Keep It Lean
Your product doesn’t need to be 50 pages or 5 hours long. The more focused it is, the more valuable it becomes. Think quality over quantity.
A great test: Can someone get a quick win within 30 minutes of opening your product?
Package It With Clarity
Give your product a name that says exactly what it does. Write a short description that highlights:
Who it’s for
What problem it solves
What they’ll walk away with
Don’t worry about branding it perfectly. Done is better than perfect.
Step 4: Set Up a Simple Sales System
You don’t need a complicated funnel to start selling. With the right tools and a clear offer, you can have your first product live in an afternoon.
Here’s what you need (and nothing you don’t):
Choose a Platform to Host and Sell
Pick one that handles payment, delivery, and access for you:
Payhip – great for beginners, free plan available
Gumroad – user-friendly and low-maintenance
ThriveCart – more advanced with upsell capabilities
Your website – using Squarespace, Shopify, or WordPress with a checkout plugin
Personally, I use Squarespace for everything! From hosting my website and blog to selling digital products. I love how easy it is to manage everything in one place. It handles payments, delivery, and access seamlessly, and I don’t have to worry about tech headaches.
If you’re just starting out (or even if you’ve been in the game a while), you can try Squarespace free for 14 days using my link and see why I recommend it to all my clients.
Create a Basic Sales Page
Your sales page doesn’t need to be long. Just clear and conversion-focused. Include:
A short headline that names the product and outcome
2–3 bullet points highlighting benefits
A visual (mockup, screenshot, or icon)
A “Buy Now” button or price section
Optional: a quick FAQ or testimonial
Connect an Email Delivery System (Optional but Smart)
Use something like ConvertKit, MailerLite, or Flodesk to send the product automatically and follow up with new customers. It’s a small touch that adds professionalism and helps build your list for future offers.
I use Squarespace for this as well. When I say all-in-one, I really mean it. I get overwhelmed easily with so many different programs that I have to use and coordinate, and it is easy to just “nope” out of working on my business. Whenever possible, I try to consolidate all of my platforms, and Squarespace helps with that.
The goal is to make buying easy and friction-free. No hunting for links, no manual delivery, no overwhelm for you or the buyer.
Step 5: Sell to the Audience You Already Have
You don’t need a giant email list or viral post to make sales. What you do need is to confidently share your offer with the people who already trust you. Even if it’s just a few dozen people to start.
Show Up Where You Already Are
Focus your marketing on platforms where you’re already active: Instagram, LinkedIn, your email list, or even your local neighbourhood group chat. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Just show up consistently and talk about your offer more than once.
Post ideas:
Share what inspired you to create the product
Walk through a quick tip or snippet from it
Show a behind-the-scenes look at how you made it
Share feedback from your first buyers (even if it’s just a DM!)
Use 1:1 Conversations
DMs, emails, voice notes. Personalized outreach is powerful when your audience is small. If someone’s asked for this before or shown interest, reach out and say:
“Hey! I finally put together that [product type] you were looking for! Want me to send the link?”
Offer a Limited-Time Bonus
If you’re worried about low urgency, create a simple, short-term incentive, like an extra worksheet, bonus training, or discounted price for early buyers. It helps create momentum without being pushy.
This stage is all about making it easy for people to say yes, and showing up confidently for the people who are already paying attention.
Step 6: Focus on Connection, Not Scale
When your audience is small, every single person matters. And the truth is, you don’t need 10,000 followers to make real money. You need 10 people who trust you enough to buy.
Think Relationship > Reach
Focus on building real trust with your audience. Not just attracting more followers. Reply to comments. Thank your buyers. Share valuable content consistently. These small actions build credibility over time.
Treat Every Buyer Like a VIP
When someone makes a purchase, celebrate it. Follow up. Ask for feedback. Let them know you appreciate them. This builds loyalty and can lead to testimonials, referrals, and repeat purchases, no ad spend required.
Use Testimonials and Feedback to Grow
Even one great DM or review can become powerful social proof. Screenshot it, ask permission to share it, and start weaving it into your future marketing.
Over time, this builds momentum and helps you grow your product and your audience with confidence.
You don’t need a massive following, fancy funnel, or viral moment to launch a successful digital product. What you do need is a clear offer, a real solution, and the confidence to share it with the people already in your corner.
Start with one product. Focus on solving one problem. Show up with value, keep it simple, and let your results compound over time.
Your first 5 sales matter just as much as your first 500. Those early steps are what lay the foundation for long-term, scalable success.
Ready to get started with your amazing idea?
Download the Business Planning Checklist to map out your first digital product launch. No big list or big budget required.
I want to be transparent so that there are no misunderstandings. As an affiliate, I may earn a small commission from any products linked in this post. This is not a sponsored post, and I was not asked to recommend these products. These are products that I genuinely love and wanted to share with my audience.