How to Add & Offer Free Digital Downloads in WordPress
An easy yet effective way to generate leads and increase customer satisfaction is to offer something of value—like free digital downloads.
From eBooks to templates to audio files, there are so many types of downloadable content you can create without spending too much money or time. In return, these resources help attract and engage your website visitors.
Whether you’re new to eCommerce or have an existing online business, creating and offering free digital downloads in WordPress is relatively quick and easy.
I’ll walk you through the process.
🔎 In this article, we’ll cover:
What Are Digital Downloads?
The term is pretty self-explanatory. But digital downloads refer to any type of electronic file that users can download (for free or after making a purchase) online.
Some popular digital downloads include:
- Ebooks and audiobooks
- Online courses and webinars
- Templates, printables, and checklists
- Graphics and digital art
- Themes and plugins
- Software and applications
- PDFs, spreadsheets, and documents
- Stock photos
This type of digital content is convenient and cost-effective. Users can access the material virtually/electronically and at their convenience.
Plus, once you create a digital download, you can repeatedly offer it without having to spend any additional time or money. Unlike with physical products, there’s no need to worry about things like shipping, inventory, and delivery.
Why Offer Free Digital Downloads?
There are many reasons to consider selling digital products and downloads on your website. But what’s the advantage of offering them for free?
The primary reason is lead generation. By providing free downloads, you can collect email addresses or other contact information from your visitors.
It’s a win-win: they get valuable content and you get quality leads to add to your email list. Ultimately, this helps you build a loyal customer base.
This approach can also help you establish authority. Sharing high-quality content for free establishes your expertise and builds trust with your audience, positioning you as a thought leader in your niche.
You can use digital downloads to attract more visitors to your WordPress site. This is especially true if you promote them through various channels like social media or email marketing. In turn, you can increase your engagement and your visibility in search engines.
Finally, free downloads let you showcase your premium products or services, encouraging users to explore your offerings further. These lead magnets are an excellent gateway into cross-sells and upsells that help drive revenue.
Creating Free Digital Downloads
I won’t get into the various tools, software, and platforms you can use to create your free digital download content. The best solutions depend on the type of lead magnet you’re creating, your budget, your experience level, etc.
There are some useful things to keep in mind, though.
Start by choosing the right type of digital download. Focus on offering something relevant to your target audience that they will find genuinely valuable.
For example, if you’re selling software, you might offer a free eBook or checklist on using the software to achieve specific results.
Once you know what type of digital download you want to create, there are a few tips you can use to help make it a success.
Consider the format
Choose one that will be most convenient and accessible for your users. Popular options include PDFs, ePUBs, MOBIs, and MP3s. Take into account the file size and any special requirements.
Create high-quality content
Craft content in a way that is well-written, informative, and engaging. Carefully proofread for any errors.
Include images, videos, or other multimedia elements to enhance the user experience (UX). Choose a visually appealing cover or thumbnail that accurately reflects the content of your download.
Design an attractive & user-friendly download
Use clear and concise typography that makes the content easy to read. Organize the content logically and provide a table of contents if necessary.
Also, mobile-friendliness is important. Optimize your download to ensure it’s compatible across different devices, browsers, and operating systems.
How to Offer Free Digital Downloads
Once you’ve created your free digital download, you can get started with the process of creating your digital download store. Then I’ll walk you through the step-by-step tutorial on how to offer free digital downloads in WordPress.
Already using WordPress and Easy Digital Downloads? Feel free to skip ahead to Step 2!
Still need a WordPress website? Don’t worry. SiteGround’s Managed EDD plans provide everything you need to start selling digital goods. This includes web hosting, Secure-Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates, SEO tools, free WordPress themes for eCommerce, and more.
Learn more about WordPress hosting and how to create an online store with WordPress.
Step 1. Install Easy Digital Downloads
Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is the #1 eCommerce WordPress plugin for selling digital products and downloads. It adds a full shopping cart system and eCommerce functionality to your WordPress site within minutes.
EDD offers extensive features, customization options, and compatibility with various payment methods, including Stripe and PayPal. You can choose from a library of extensions, build stunning product pages, optimize your checkout, and so much more.
The video covers the step-by-step process of setting up Easy Digital Downloads in WordPress.
There is a Lite version of the EDD plugin that you can use for free, forever.
But to get the most value from the plugin and access to the Free Downloads extension that you’ll need, you’ll want to grab a premium pass for EDD Pro. There are four pricing tiers to choose from. Learn more about EDD Free vs EDD Pro.
Once you download the EDD Pro plugin, you can install and activate it on your site. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins » Add New » Upload Plugin » Choose File.
After uploading it, select the Install Now and Activate buttons.
Next, click on Get Started to launch the Onboarding Wizard.
This takes you through the initial setup steps, like entering your business information, connecting to Stripe payment gateway, and choosing which conversion and optimization tools to add.
You can also go to Downloads » Settings to configure these options and general settings. Here, you can choose a currency and manage your email and payment gateway settings, etc.
⚙️ For help setting up your EDD store, use these guides:
- What Are Digital Downloads? A Beginner’s Guide to Selling Online
- How to Sell Files Online
- EDD Quickstart Guide
Step 2. Add the Free Downloads Extension
Once you have your digital downloads store set up, the next step is to add the EDD Free Downloads extension.
This add-on makes it easy to provide free downloads as lead magnets in WordPress. Visitors are shown a modal pop-up window. This functionality lets them skip the standard shopping cart and checkout process to quickly download the freebie.
Installing and managing EDD extensions is super simple. Go to Downloads » Extensions to view the addons available with your pass.
Next, enter “free downloads” in the Search Extensions field in the top-right corner.
Once you locate it, click on the Install button.
The addon automatically activates. We’ll configure the extension settings in a moment.
🔑 Don’t have access to the premium EDD extension you want? Learn how to upgrade to EDD Pro.
Step 3. Add Your Free Digital Download
Now that you have Easy Digital Downloads installed and configured, it’s time to create and upload your free digital download(s).
To begin, go to Downloads and click the Add New button.
Name the download and add a description.
If you wanted to sell the digital product, you could enter the price under Download Prices.
Since you’re offering it for free, you can leave the amount set to “0”.
Next, go to the Download Files section to upload the file of your free digital download.
In the File Name field, you can add something such as “Free Download”. This will be the download link users can click on to access the digital file. Next, select the link icon under File URL to upload the digital download file.
To the right under Download Image, you can upload a feature image.
When you’re done, save your changes. Select Save draft or Publish.
Step 4. Configure the Free Digital Download Settings
On the front end of your site, shoppers will have the default option to click on Download Now and enter their email to access it.
But Easy Digital Downloads gives you a handful of ways to customize these download settings.
Go to Downloads » Settings » Marketing » Free Downloads.
Under General Settings, you can enter a custom Button Label and Modal Button Label. If left blank, the default is “Download Now”.
Next, decide whether to display a close button on the modal and whether logged-in users should bypass the auto-download.
Under Field Settings, you can choose which fields to display. Perhaps you want to ask for the user’s name in addition to their email and include a Notes box.
Further down, you’ll find Processing and Cache Settings. For guidance on configuring these settings, check out our Free Downloads documentation.
When you’re done, click on the Save Changes button at the bottom.
Return to your Downloads list and select the View link under the free digital download to see how it now looks on the front end of your site.
Step 5. Promote Your Free Digital Downloads
Creating and offering digital downloads is only the beginning of your journey. To reach a wider audience and generate more downloads, consider the following promotion strategies.
First, share your free downloads on popular social media platforms to expand your reach and engage with your audience.
Another effective strategy is to leverage email marketing using any of the many email-related extensions and integrations EDD offers. Send newsletters or targeted emails to your subscribers, highlighting the value and benefits of your free downloads. You might also consider adding an email newsletter signup form on your website.
Use this video tutorial to learn how to use the EDD Free Downloads extension to grow your email list.
You could also partner with influencers, collaborators, and affiliate marketers to promote your downloads.
💡Tips for Promoting Your Digital Products
🛒 How to Get Started With Affiliate Marketing
🌐 Effective Marketing Channels for Your Digital Product Business
FAQs on Free Digital Downloads in WordPress
Let’s wrap up with some frequently asked questions.
Use EDD to Offer Free Digital Downloads
By leveraging Easy Digital Downloads in WordPress, you can effortlessly create and offer free digital downloads to attract, engage, and build relationships with your website visitors.
Grab a pass today to get started!
Want more ways to boost your online selling success? Check out these tips for effectively marketing digital products to increase sales!
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