Numerous online creators utilize Gumroad to market digital products such as ebooks, music, and online courses. We have assisted many businesses in establishing their online stores and have recently observed a growing trend of creators transitioning from Gumroad to WordPress.
The primary reason for this transition is Gumroad’s increase in fees to 10% per sale, resulting in creators retaining a smaller portion of their earnings. In contrast, WordPress provides greater control over your online store along with lower fees.
Transferring your online store from one platform to another may appear challenging. However, it is simpler than you might expect.
In this article, we will guide you through the process of seamlessly transitioning from Gumroad to WordPress, enabling you to retain more of your profits and gain greater control over your business.
Why Should You Transition from Gumroad to WordPress?
Gumroad is a widely used eCommerce platform that enables users to sell digital products online.
However, they currently impose a flat fee of 10% on each sale, which does not include additional charges for credit card processing or PayPal transactions.
Moreover, an extra 10% fee applies if a product is sold through the ‘Gumroad Discover’ feature or their ‘Global Affiliates’ program, resulting in significant fees.
Conversely, WordPress is free to use and does not impose any fees on the products you sell.
Unlike Gumroad, WordPress enables you to sell a wide range of products online, including physical versions of your digital items. Additionally, you have the flexibility to choose any payment gateway, allowing you to promote your website without restrictions.
For more information, check out our comprehensive WordPress review that outlines the advantages and disadvantages.
Important Note:When we refer to WordPress, we mean WordPress.org, also known as self-hosted WordPress, not WordPress.com, which is a hosting service. For further clarification, please read our article explaining the differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
Here’s a brief overview of the topics we will cover to help you transition from Gumroad to WordPress:
- What Do You Need to Transition from Gumroad to WordPress?
- Setting Up Your WordPress Website
- Configuring Your Payment Gateway
- Importing Products from Gumroad to WordPress
- Transferring Subscription Products from Gumroad to WordPress
- Selecting and Customizing Your WordPress Theme
- Personalizing Easy Digital Downloads Emails
- Expanding Your Business with WordPress
Are you ready? Let’s begin.
Step 1: What Do You Need to Transition from Gumroad to WordPress?
Here’s a list of essentials you will need to transition from Gumroad to WordPress.
- A domain name – This is your website’s unique address on the internet (e.g., CanadaCreate.com).
- A web hosting account – This is the service that stores all your website files. Every website requires hosting.
- The Free Easy Digital Downloads plugin for WordPress.
- Approximately 30 minutes of your time.
Typically, web hosting plans start at $7.99 per month.
Fortunately, SiteGround is offering CanadaCreate users an exclusive discount on eCommerce-ready hosting.
You can get started for just $2.99 per month.
If you prefer not to use SiteGround, you can also install WordPress on other hosting providers like Bluehost, Hostinger, and WP Engine, following a similar process.
Let’s go through the steps to purchase your domain, web hosting, and SSL certificate.
First, visit the SiteGround website and select a plan by clicking the Get Plan button.
Next, SiteGround will prompt you to enter a domain name for your website.
You can search for a domain name, or if you already own one, you can enter it here.
If you haven’t chosen a domain name yet, check out our guide on selecting the perfect domain name.
Finally, you’ll need to enter your account details. You also have the option to purchase additional features.
You can always opt for these additional features later if you find you need them. If you’re uncertain, we suggest skipping this step for now.
You can complete the setup by processing your payment.
Afterward, you will receive an email from SiteGround containing a link to access your hosting account control panel.
From there, navigate to the Websites tab and click the ‘WordPress Admin’ button next to your site.
This will direct you to the WordPress admin area of your site, where you’ll find Easy Digital Downloads already installed.
Step 2: Configuring Your WordPress Website
By default, WordPress does not include eCommerce shopping cart capabilities.
If you followed our recommendation and registered with SiteGround, your WordPress site should have Easy Digital Downloads installed, which includes all the necessary features to sell digital products.
However, if you are using a different WordPress hosting provider, you will need to install Easy Digital Downloads manually.
Begin by installing and activating the Easy Digital Downloads plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our comprehensive guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
Important:In this tutorial, we are using the free version of Easy Digital Downloads. However, we highly recommend upgrading to the pro version to access all available features.
After activation, navigate to theDownloads » Settingssection in your WordPress admin dashboard to configure your store.
Start by entering your business name and type.
Next, provide your business address and country, as this information is necessary for tax calculations.
Finally, click the ‘Save Changes’ button to apply your settings.
Then, switch to the ‘Currency’ tab and select your preferred default currency for your store.
Remember to save your changes to ensure your settings are updated.
Step 3: Configuring Payment Gateways
To accept online payments, you must set up a payment gateway provider.
Easy Digital Downloads natively supports PayPal, Stripe, and Amazon payment gateways. You can also integrate additional payment gateways through add-ons.
To configure payments, navigate to the Payments tab in the plugin settings.
Here, you can select the payment services you wish to utilize. Feel free to choose multiple payment options if desired.
We highly recommend using Stripe, as it allows you to accept credit card payments from customers worldwide.
Next, choose a default payment gateway and select the payment method icons you want to display during checkout.
Finally, click the ‘Save Changes’ button to apply your settings.
After saving, click on the individual payment gateway tabs to set them up.
For example, clicking on the PayPal tab will present you with an option to link your PayPal account.
Similarly, navigate to the Stripe tab and click the ‘Connect with Stripe’ button to initiate the setup.
Step 4: Importing Gumroad Products into WordPress
The next step is to transfer your products from Gumroad to Easy Digital Downloads in WordPress.
Unfortunately, Gumroad does not offer a straightforward method to export your product data in a format compatible with WordPress.
You will need to manually transfer your products from your Gumroad account to Easy Digital Downloads.
To create your first digital product, go to the DownloadsNavigate to the page and click the ‘Add New’ button located at the top.
Enter a name for your product in the ‘Enter download name here’ field. Below that, you can add details about your item.
You can enhance your description with images, videos, emojis, and text. Alternatively, you can simply copy and paste the description from your Gumroad product.
Pro Tip:Discover how to utilize the WordPress block editor to design stunning content layouts.
You can also categorize your downloads using categories and tags, making it easier for users to browse and find products that interest them.
Additionally, you need to upload a download image, which will serve as the main featured image for your download and will appear in various locations on your website.
You can use the same image that you used for your Gumroad product.
Below the editor, you’ll see the Download options. First, you can set the price for the download.
Next, choose the type of download. EDD supports both single downloads and bundles.
Then, provide the name of the download file and click the Link button in the File URL field to upload your download file.
To add more files to a bundled product, click the ‘Add New File’ button.
You can also include optional download instructions or notes, which will appear on the purchase receipt. Some themes and plugins may utilize these instructions as well.
When you’re ready, click the ‘Publish’ button in the top right corner to make your download available.
This action will make your download accessible for purchase.
After publishing, click the ‘View Download’ button to preview your download product.
Here’s how it appears on our test site.
Repeat this process to transfer all your products from Gumroad to your WordPress site.
Step 5: Transferring Subscription Products from Gumroad to WordPress
Some users sold subscription-based downloads on Gumroad, allowing customers to purchase a membership plan for access to downloads.
EDD provides recurring digital subscriptions through their Pro plugin, available for purchase on their website.
If you’re selling memberships or online courses, the simplest way to manage these products is by using MemberPress, the leading WordPress membership plugin.
MemberPress enables you to sell membership subscriptions, downloadable files, and online courses effortlessly.
For comprehensive information, check out our detailed guide on creating a membership website with easy-to-follow steps.
Step 6: Select and Personalize Your WordPress Theme
Themes serve as design templates for your WordPress site, determining its visual appearance for visitors.
With thousands of free and premium WordPress themes available, beginners may find the selection process a bit daunting.
To simplify your choice, explore our curated list of the most popular WordPress themes recommended by experts.
After selecting a theme, refer to our beginner’s guide on how to install a WordPress theme to launch it on your site.
Every WordPress theme includes various customization options, allowing you to modify colors, layouts, and add your own images and logo.
Once your theme is installed, you can follow our guide on how to customize your WordPress theme to tailor it to your preferences.
You can also use SeedProd to design a custom WordPress theme without any coding knowledge.
SeedProd is recognized as the leading WordPress page builder available today.
This feature enables you to effortlessly design various types of landing pages, product pages, or custom login pages using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
Step 7: Personalize Your Easy Digital Download Emails
Similar to Gumroad, Easy Digital Downloads uses emails to deliver purchase receipts, account details, and download instructions to users.
Since you’re now operating on your own platform, it’s advisable to incorporate your branding into these emails.
Simply navigate to the Downloads » Settings section and select the ‘Emails’ tab.
Here, you can upload a logo that will appear in your emails.
Additionally, you can specify a name that will appear as the sender’s name, along with an email address for sending the emails.
We suggest using a professional business email address, as it enhances credibility. Your hosting provider may also offer a complimentary business email address for your use.
Finally, you will need the WP Mail SMTP plugin to set up your email configuration. This plugin ensures that all your emails successfully reach users’ inboxes instead of being marked as spam.
For further information, refer to our guide on setting up WP Mail SMTP to enhance your email deliverability.
After completing your changes, make sure to click the ‘Save Changes’ button to ensure your settings are stored.
Here’s an example of a well-branded email from Easy Digital Downloads:
You can personalize the email content by navigating to the ‘Purchase Receipts’ tab.
In this section, you can input a title, headline, and body text for your purchase email receipts.
Below, you’ll find a variety of tags that can be utilized within the email template.
These tags allow you to display dynamic information such as the customer’s name, downloads, and receipts within the email.
Step 8: Expanding Your Business on WordPress
One significant benefit of transitioning from Gumroad to WordPress is the access to numerous free and premium tools designed to help grow your business.
Here are some essential WordPress plugins that can enhance your sales of digital downloads.
- WPForms Lite – The top WordPress contact form plugin that makes it easy to add any type of form to your site.
- All in One SEO Lite – The ultimate WordPress SEO toolkit that helps you attract more visitors from search engines.
- OptinMonster – The leading conversion optimization software that assists in turning website visitors into paying customers.
- MonsterInsights Lite – Simplify the installation of Google Analytics and track the traffic to your downloads effortlessly.
- PushEngage – The leading push notification software that enables you to send tailored notifications to your users. Announce new downloads, sales events, or exclusive offers with ease.
- AffiliateWP – Launch your own affiliate program and collaborate with marketers to boost your download sales through effective affiliate marketing.
We trust this guide has equipped you with the knowledge to smoothly transition from Gumroad to WordPress. You may also find our article on transitioning from Wix to WordPress and our top recommendations for WordPress migration services helpful.
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