What to Do When Your Digital Product or Course Doesn’t Sell?

A Guide to Reassessing and Revamping Your Approach

(👀 Spoiler - it's probably NOT your course)

There’s nothing quite like the excitement of launching your first digital product.

After pouring weeks—sometimes months—of work into creating a course, workshop, or some other form of digital offer, you eagerly hit “publish,” waiting for the sales notifications to start rolling in. You’ve done everything by the book: followed the best advice, taken courses, watched YouTube videos to perfect your strategy, and spent hours fine-tuning every detail.

But then, nothing happens.

The sales don’t materialise, and the initial excitement quickly turns into disappointment and frustration.

I’ve been there. In fact, I remember the first time I launched a digital product. I had spent months preparing what I thought was the perfect offer. I envisioned the success stories I had heard—people making tens of thousands of dollars overnight from their digital products—and imagined myself achieving that same level of success.

But reality hit hard when, instead of a flurry of sales, I got three. Just three.

I spent the next few days curled up in bed, feeling like I had made the biggest mistake of my life.

I couldn’t stop thinking, Why did I ever believe this would work? All those success stories seemed like lies. I had wasted my time, and digital products clearly weren’t for me.

Sound familiar? If you’ve ever experienced this, you’re not alone.

Many creators face the same struggle when their digital products don’t sell as expected. But the reality is, while it might feel like a failure, the problem often isn’t the product itself.

The good news is that your digital product might not be the issue at all!

So If Not The Product, Then What?

One of the first things you should know is that the problem is rarely the product itself. Sure, it’s possible there are things to tweak or refine within the product, but often, the product you’ve created has value and potential. The issue could lie elsewhere.

The truth is, many creators assume that if a product doesn’t sell, it’s because the product isn’t good enough.

But in most cases, that’s not true.

A product can be brilliant—full of valuable information and solutions—but it still might not sell well.

The problem might lie in how you're presenting the product to your audience.

Focus on the Messaging

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my experience, it’s that messaging matters more than you think.

One of the most common reasons digital products don’t sell is that the messaging around the product doesn’t clearly communicate its value.

Too often, creators focus on what their product is rather than how it can benefit their audience.

For example, imagine you’ve created a dog training course. It’s packed with information, tips, and techniques that will help someone train their dog. However, if you simply market it as “a course that will teach you how to train your dog,” you’re only speaking to people who are already actively seeking that solution. The problem is, a lot of your potential customers might not even realise that they need a dog training course—or they may not see why your course is the solution to their problems.

Instead of focusing solely on what your product is, you need to focus on how it can benefit someone.

What problems are they facing, and how will your product solve them?

Here’s an example: Let’s say your target customer is frustrated because their dog won’t stop jumping on visitors or barking uncontrollably. Instead of leading with “a course that teaches dog training,” lead with the feelings they’re experiencing: Are you tired of your dog jumping on guests? Do you feel stressed every time you take your dog for a walk because you’re worried they’ll run off or misbehave? Imagine if your dog could sit calmly when guests arrive and stay by your side during walks.

When you connect with your audience’s pain points and show them the outcome they’ll achieve, they’re more likely to see the value in your product. Instead of simply selling a course, you’re selling a solution to a specific problem.

Analyse the Customer Journey

Let’s assume your product is solid, and you’ve nailed the messaging. If sales still aren’t coming in, it might be time to evaluate the customer journey. Is the buying process easy and intuitive? Are potential customers dropping off at a particular stage?

Look closely at each touchpoint your audience encounters on the way to purchase. This includes:

• Sales Page: Does your sales page clearly articulate the benefits of your product? Is it easy to understand? Does it speak to the emotions and needs of your potential customers?
• Checkout Process: Is the checkout process seamless, or is it clunky and confusing? Does it reinforce the main sales messages and how your program will help the customer? 
• Follow-Up Emails: Are you nurturing your leads with follow-up emails? Sometimes people need a little nudge, a reminder of the benefits of your product, or additional information to make a purchasing decision.

Making small tweaks to the customer journey—such as optimising the sales page copy, simplifying the checkout process, or refining your email marketing—can make a significant difference.

Test and Tweak

Just because something didn’t work the first time doesn’t mean it’s destined to fail.

One of the most valuable steps you can take after a disappointing launch is to test and tweak your approach. This could mean adjusting your marketing strategy, tweaking your messaging, or experimenting with different price points or offers.

For instance, maybe your original price was too high for your target audience, and offering a payment plan or a lower-priced entry point could attract more buyers. Or perhaps your messaging didn’t resonate the way you hoped, and you need to go back to the drawing board and focus on your customer’s pain points.

The key is to approach the situation with curiosity and a willingness to experiment. Consider running A/B tests on different headlines, pricing strategies, or sales funnels to see what resonates best with your audience.

Nurture Your Audience

Another common issue is that many creators jump straight into selling without taking the time to build a relationship with their audience.

Digital products often require a certain level of trust before someone is willing to invest, and that trust isn’t built overnight.

If your product isn’t selling, consider whether you’ve done enough to nurture your audience.

Do they trust you as an authority in your niche? Have you provided enough free value through content like blog posts, webinars, or social media to establish credibility?

Building a relationship with your audience takes time, but it’s a crucial step in creating a sustainable business. Consider offering free content that complements your digital product and helps your audience see the value you provide.

Get Feedback and Improve

Finally, if your digital product isn’t selling, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback.

Reach out to your audience or people who have expressed interest in your product but didn’t buy. What stopped them from purchasing? Were they unclear about the value? Was the price point too high? Were there features they were looking for that your product didn’t include? Was there another reason?

Feedback can be invaluable in helping you understand what’s missing and where you can improve. And remember, improvement doesn’t necessarily mean starting from scratch. Sometimes, small changes can have a big impact.

Don't Give Up - It’s a Learning Process

The most important thing to remember when your digital product doesn’t sell is that it’s not the end of the road. Entrepreneurship—especially in the digital product space—is a journey, and setbacks are part of that process.

As cheesy as it sounds, it really is true that what feels like failure today can be the stepping stone to future success.

Use the experience as a learning opportunity. Reevaluate your product, your messaging, and your marketing strategy. Make tweaks, experiment with different approaches, and above all, stay persistent.

The reality is that most of of the "I made $100k selling digital products" success stories you hear about,  didn’t happen overnight. It took time, testing, and refining their approach before they hit their stride.

So, if your digital product doesn’t sell right away, take a step back, assess the situation 

and remember: it’s not about getting it perfect the first time. It’s about learning, adapting, and continuing to show up for your audience.

In the end, persistence and a willingness to learn from your mistakes are the keys to success in the digital product space. Don’t give up on your vision. Keep refining, keep improving, and keep moving forward.

Sue x