Two years ago, I was working a full-time job and wanted a side hustle that didn’t require a ton of inventory or customer service. I landed on selling digital templates—specifically, Notion templates and lightweight WordPress themes. Here’s how I built it to $3,000 per month, and what I’d do differently.
The first thing I did was validate the idea without building a store. I posted in a few Facebook groups and on Twitter, asking if anyone would pay for a specific template. I got 12 responses saying yes. That was enough to start.
I bought a domain and hosting for about $80 for the year. I installed WordPress and WooCommerce. I used a free theme called Astra. I didn’t know how to code, so I kept everything simple: one product, one page, one checkout.
My first product was a Notion dashboard for freelancers. I priced it at $19. I wrote a sales page that explained exactly what problem it solved and included screenshots. I launched to my small Twitter following and made three sales the first day. That was $57. It felt huge.
Over the next few months, I added more products: a second Notion template, then a WordPress theme, then a bundle. I used the same WooCommerce setup. I didn’t change themes or plugins much because I didn’t want to break anything. I focused on creating content that brought in traffic.
I wrote blog posts answering questions my audience had: ‘How to organize your freelance business in Notion,’ ‘The best WordPress theme for coaches,’ etc. I optimized each post for a specific keyword and linked to my products. Slowly, organic traffic grew. By month six, I was making about $800 per month.
The turning point was when I started collecting email addresses. I added a simple opt-in form offering a free template in exchange for an email. That built a list of about 1,200 people in a year. Every time I launched a new product, I emailed the list. Those emails consistently generated $500-$1,000 in sales per launch.
I also made mistakes. I once bought a $99 page builder plugin that I never used. I spent weeks tweaking the design instead of writing content. I didn’t set up proper backups and lost a week of work when my host had an issue. I fixed that by installing UpdraftPlus and scheduling daily backups to Google Drive.
Another mistake: I didn’t test my checkout on mobile. A customer emailed me saying they couldn’t complete their purchase on an iPhone. I fixed it by switching to a simpler checkout layout, but I probably lost sales before that.
By month 18, I was making $3,000 per month consistently. The breakdown: $1,200 from organic search, $800 from email, $600 from Twitter, and $400 from affiliate sales of tools I used. My expenses were about $150 per month for hosting, email marketing, and a few plugins.
The biggest lesson: you don’t need a complex setup. You need a clear product, a simple store, and consistent content. Most people overbuild and under-launch. I launched with a free theme and a $19 product. That was enough to start.