Do you know you can earn money by selling software online even though you know nothing about coding? Or you are the person who knows about coding but needs guidance about how to monetize the skill. In this post, I will share actionable ideas on how to make money selling software.
The global software industry’s market was valued at roughly $550 billion in 2021 and is expected to be more than $1000 billion by 2030. So, anybody who can capture even 0.1% of the market would make a lot of money through selling software.
Table of Contents
What will you learn?
- What is software?
- Who can earn through selling software?
- Where to sell your software to make money online?
- How to make money selling software for non-coders?
- Bonus tips to make money fast by selling software?
- Frequently Ask Question
So let’s start
What is Software?
In simple terms, the software is a set of codes through which we pass specific instructions to a computer to solve a particular problem. For this, we use the language which a machine can understand.
For example, Computer operating systems like Windows, iOS, etc. mobile apps, MS Office, video editing software, QR readers, etc., are some kinds of software.
There are more than 3.5 million apps in the Play store and 1.6 million apps in Apple Store, and roughly 255 billion downloads during the year 2022 (Source: Statista). So, the software market will be the most lucrative business for the next 10 years.
If you are thinking of how to make money by selling software, you’re on the right track. This article will guide you on how to make money selling software.
Who can earn through selling software?
- Software professionals who have been working in this field and want to earn a passive income source.
- Students who are learning to code and want to get an experience of the real world.
- Freelancer who can outsource the work and then market the product.
- A homemaker with computer knowledge can create a system to promote the software.
- Or anybody who has basic computer skills but knows how to sell a product.
So basically, there is no restriction on who can or can’t do the work.
Where to sell your software to make money online?
There are multiple platforms to sell your software and earn money. Here are the top 8 places to sell software to make money online.
1. Codecanyon
Codecanyon is a digital marketplace where you can sell or buy scripts, plugins, apps, themes, etc. Codecanyon is a great way to make money by selling software because it takes care of your payment processing and file delivery.
To start earning on Codecanyon, you must create an account. Once you create the account, you can submit your software for review. After approval, your software will be live on the site and available for purchase.
So, whenever someone buys your scripts, code, or apps, you will receive a commission based on the item’s price. This is the easiest way to make passive income from home.
2. Google Playstore
I am sure each and every android user is aware of Google Playstore. Google Playstore has the most extensive collection of apps. If you’re looking to make some extra money by selling software, one option is to sell your apps on the Google Play store.
To sell your apps, you’ll need to create a developer account with Google and submit your app for approval. Once your app is approved, you can set a price and start selling. Google Charges a one-time fee of $25 for creating a Google Play developer account. Apart from that, Google also changes a service fee based on your transaction.
However, you must know this is a highly competitive market. You’ll need to regularly update your app to keep it compatible with the latest versions of Android.
Apart from that, you will also need an excellent customer support team who can handle all the queries and fix the bugs. If you are willing to do the work, selling software on the Google Play store is the most lucrative way to make some extra money.
3. List your software on Amazon Marketplace.
Amazon’s marketplace is not just for physical products; you can also sell digital products on the platform. For this, you need to create a listing for your software on Amazon’s marketplace.
Once you’ve created your listing, you’ll need to promote it smartly to drive traffic. You need to optimize your listing for Amazon’s search engine by providing helpful information about your software like- features, price, screenshots or videos, etc.
Another to drive traffic to your listing is by running ads for the software. Once people start buying your software, you’ll need to fulfill their orders by delivering it to them electronically and getting good reviews.
By following the above steps, you can start making money by selling software on Amazon.
4. App Store
Like Google Play Store, App Store is a platform where you can list your apps and earn money. The only difference is that Google Play Store is for Android users, and App Store is for iOS users.
So, if you can develop an iOS app, you can earn good money from App Store. You also need to enroll in Apple Developer Program to develop apps for distribution. Once enrolled, you can make apps for Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, iPhone, etc.
There are multiple ways to make money from the App Store- charge for each sign-up, subscription method, running ads on your apps, etc. However, it also has some drawbacks.
- High charges: Apple charges $99 as an annual fee for Apple Developer Program and $299 for Apple Developer Enterprise Program. Apart from that, Apple also charges commissions based on your income and transaction.
- Regular Update: You must regularly update your apps and make them compatible with the new version of iOS.
- Customer Support: You will also need to provide customer support in case of any bugs or software issues.
5. Sell the software/apps through a Personal Website.
Apart from listing your apps on other marketplaces, your blogs or websites could be the best place to promote and sell the product.
With your blog, you can easily create content around your software and apps and find potential customers. However, to make money this way, it is crucial that you get good traffic to your blog.
It doesn’t matter if you get the traffic through SEO or through running Social Media Ads. To gain traction, you can also offer a demo version of your software so that users can try it before they buy it.
Few Key points to earn through your website:
- Focus on creating a more professionally designed website, so potential customers take your software seriously.
- The speed of the website is essential for a product-based website.
- Make your website more user-friendly with clear instructions.
- Always have a section dedicated to highlighting good reviews of your existing customer. And
- Have a strong customer support team to build trust.
6. Listing the product on Appsumo
Appsumo is also an excellent platform to list your apps and sell them. Many digital marketers use it to offer a freebie or discount. So whenever a user purchases your software, you will earn money.
The 1st step to listing your product is to create an account on Appsumo. Once your listing is live, start promoting it to your audience. Use social media, email marketing, giveaways, etc., to encourage and get initial traction for the product.
You must remember that value in return for the price is the most significant factor in making your software successful. You can withdraw your earnings anytime, and Appsumo takes a small percentage of each sale.
7. Earn through Social Media Platforms
If you want to avoid giving commissions to online marketplaces or don’t have your website, social media platforms could be one of the best ways to reach a large audience and find potential buyers quickly.
However, there is one challenge to succeed on social media. You need to have a good number of followers who trust you. This is because, due to so many fake software and apps on different social media platforms, nobody easily trusts anybody.
So, the next question is how to gain a good number of followers.
There are two ways to gain followers on social media, i.e., the organic method and paid method. The organic approach is for those who want to create a solid audience without spending a penny.
Organic methods take time to build followers. A paid way is for those who want results quickly and can’t wait for years to build an audience.
However, before everything, you need a high-quality product as no one wants to buy software full of bugs. Make sure to test your software thoroughly before selling it on social media.
You must know that you must regularly interact with your audience and offer them special discounts to attract potential customers. Further, you also have to reply to their queries and sort out the problems.
For this, you can make product-specific private groups for your customers. The basic idea is that If you can get people talking about your software, you’re more likely to make sales.
8. Sell the software on freelancing websites.
Freelancing websites are also one of the ways to sell your software as a service and earn money. The best part is you can freely sign up and sell your software service. The platform charges some commission on your income whenever you make a sale.
Some popular freelancing websites are – Fiverr, Upwork, freelancer, etc. This method is best for good coders as the requirements at these websites vary a lot. You will have to tweak your code constantly.
You can provide software development services to your clients and charge a fee. However, if you have a good collection of tools, you can also directly sell on the platforms. The earning potential varies from $30 per app for a beginner to more than $250 for a single app/software development.
How to make money selling software for non-coders?
You’re mistaken if you think you need to be a coder to make money selling software. You do not need to be a coder to earn money. Here are the top 3 ways to make money for non-coders:
- Through Affiliate marketing: You can sign up as an affiliate for a popular app or software and sell to your audience through an affiliate link. Once anybody purchases from your link, you make a commission on that—for example, SemRush, Grammarly, etc.
- Buy a ready-made script and sell: There are many websites where you can buy ready-made scripts for different tools and deploy them on your website to make money online by selling software—for example, codecanyon, Codester, etc.
- Become a reseller: Here, you can buy reselling rights for a particular software and then sell them wherever you want. You can sell them through social media, email marketing, personal blogs, etc.
Bonus tips to make money fast by selling software?
Now that you know how to make money selling software, here are some of the bonus tips to help you get started:
1. Focus on a specific niche
Don’t try to over-diversify if you are just starting. Stick to software or applications which solve specific problems. In this way, you can target a particular audience. A niche selection will make it easier for you to market and sell your product and outshine the competition.
2. Promotion is the key.
Devote 90 percent of your time to promotion and 10 percent to other things. The software industry has emerged as the most competitive industry. So you can’t sit back and think that the result will come automatically. Initially, you will need to market and promote your software again and again to get results. So, devote
3. Understand your target customer
Not every software is suitable for everybody. So, it’s important to research your target customers and their needs. Market research will help you determine what software to develop and how to market it effectively.
4. Fix your channel of promotion
Once you understand your audience, you know which social media platform they hang out on. Most new digital marketers make these mistakes.
You can’t expect results when your potential customer uses Linkedin, but you promote on Facebook. In this way, you can not only increase your chances of success but also use your ad budget effectively.
5. Focus on Ready-made products
If you are just starting, it’s evident that you will not have a team. So, It’s essential to focus on ready-made software or scripts where you don’t need to provide customer support.
Final Thoughts
The software industry is the one sector that has always kept up and keeps on booming with new technology and innovation. Innovations give new opportunities for youngsters.
If you’re looking to make money online, selling software, apps, or scripts could be one of the best ways to earn passive income. It doesn’t matter if you are a coder or a non-coder.
In this article, we’ve outlined how even a beginner can make money by selling software. Here is a summary for you:
- Become a Seller on Codecanyon.
- List your apps on the Google Play store.
- List your software on Amazon Marketplace
- List your apps on the App Store and charge per sign-up.
- Sell the software/apps through Personal Website.
- Sell the product on Appsumo
- Earn through Social Media Platforms.
- Provide software service on freelancing websites
So, best of luck, guys. I will keep sharing new ideas to make money online and become independent.
How to Make Money Selling Software: FAQs
1. How much money can I make selling software?
There is no definite answer to this question as it depends on the type of software you sell, the price point of your software, your revenue model like recurring or non-recurring, etc. Initially, you may not earn well. However, after getting the traction, you can easily make $500 -$5000 per month as passive income.
2. What are the best ways to sell software?
If you are a beginner without any audience, an online marketplace like Codecanyon, Google Play Store, App Sumo, etc., is perfect for you. If you are at an intermediate or advanced level, the best way to sell software is through your website to build your own brand.
3. How do I price my software?
Pricing is one of the most significant factors in making or breaking a deal, and that’s why it is very tricky. Since you are a new player, nobody will pay you a high price. Similarly, if your price is low, it will take a long time to break even. The best way is to start at a lower price than your competitors. Another pricing model could be keeping the cost very low but charging subscriptions.
4. How do I promote my software?
There are two ways to promote your software, i.e., No cost method and Paid Method. If you don’t have earnings, you can use a no-cost medium like- social media promotion, email marketing, personal blogs, etc. However, if you can spend some money, then paid advertising like-Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc., could be the way to promote your software.
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Disclaimer: The above ideas are for educational purposes only. We don’t guarantee earnings from the above methods as it is based on my personal experience. Some links on this page may contain affiliate links and we may receive a commission if you click and purchase from the links. For more detail, please read our disclaimer.
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