Tech Tools that run my Digital Product Shop and Group Programs

...as a busy mama of 2 consultant and course creator.

It’s a “watch and wait” week for my digital product shop sales progress, so taking a step back to share my tech stack.

If you’re new here, this is the goal I’m working towards and sharing the journey so you can learn too.

What tech do you need to sell digital products?

Tech is the thing that seems to stress new digital product sellers and course creators out the most, but is arguably one of the easier things to figure out. A lot of these tools do similar things. It’s just a matter of choosing which features make the most sense for your business model and current scale.

My tech stack

Client management: Dubsado

Currently, I use Dubsado for client management. Yes, even for some group programs. However, I typically only add in this step for higher ticket programs, like my mastermind.

Full disclosure: I’m looking at ways to eliminate the need for Dubsado since there are overlapping features across many of the tools I use. I’m not sure if this will be possible yet because I do still use it for 1:1 consulting and custom marketing and copywriting support. But I’d like to make better use of the tech tools I have (and remove an unnecessary expense).

Project management: ClickUp

ClickUp is the brains of this operation (and my whole life at this point). It tracks project statuses, assignees, due dates, and communications about each task. I also use it to house and update my funnel map, so I can see a big picture view of what I’m working on and how each piece fits together. And a lot of my brand collateral lives here too, like my offer overviews and messaging strategy.

I have flip flopped between ClickUp and Notion for a few years now, but I think ClickUp is my final answer. Notion’s docs are great for information storage and organization, but the project management aspect isn’t great if you have multiple collaborators.

I’ve also been using ClickUp’s “Goals” tracking section, which eliminated an additional step for me. With this, I can see sales goals alongside project-related goals, and I check in each week.

File storage and template development: Google Drive

The meat of my business lives in Google Drive for easy sharing and live collaboration. Working docs, project collateral, and more.

Feedback surveys for digital products are just Google Surveys (no need to pay for an additional survey platform!). And a lot of my copywriting templates themselves are in Google Doc format, which makes editing and use for customers easy. They can make copies of entire documents and get started quickly directly in those versions vs having to copy everything over into their own workspace manually.

Videos and screenshares: Loom

I’m a big Loom girlie! I use Loom to record screenshares and videos for clients as well as those who are in my group programs. It’s also great for explaining resources in the digital product shop. Many of my trainings inside The Biz Bar products are Loom videos, so I can show as well as tell. You see me talking, but also the resource in question.

Loom helps me save so much time!

Webinars and group calls: Zoom

No need to invest in fancy webinar tech if you have Zoom! I do my webinars on Zoom, sometimes even through a typical meeting format vs their webinar setting—I like the personal, intimate feel of a big Zoom meeting. A webinar setup is good too, but you won’t see your participants on video this way like you would in a meeting with a locked presenter view.

Learning management: ThriveCart Learn+

I’ve used a handful of LMS platforms for my business and clients, and I still prefer ThriveCart Learn+ to host my courses and digital products. They’ve put a lot of resources into updates lately, which has helped with any of the early-days quirks of the platform.

Using a learning management tool like Learn+ allows you to set up a login or dashboard for your shop customers, adding to that overall user experience. Each of my products are set up with a similar structure, my branding, and customers can access all of their purchases in 1 simple dashboard view.

Even though a copywriting template, for example, may be in Google Doc format, Learn+ is where they’ll see the welcome information, a video about how to use the resource, and any other related trainings that are part of the product. This is especially helpful for products that include more than 1 tool.

Online sales: ThriveCart Pro+

Think of ThriveCart Pro+ like your virtual cashier. It's great for digital products, funnels, and more. I chose it specifically because it can calculate sales tax at the checkout based on the customer's location. This is mandatory for Canadians above the sales tax threshold, and is the only tech tool I know that can currently do location-based sales tax calculations at the checkout without integrating another platform.

All of my digital checkouts are hosted in ThriveCart Pro+, including my tripwires, bumps, and upsells for my funnels.

Payment processor: Stripe

Regardless of which checkout platform you choose, you need a payment processor. Stripe integrates with ThriveCart Pro+ to collect credit card payments and send them over to my bank account.

Email automation and marketing: ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is my number 1 recommended platform for email automation if you have big plans to grow. ActiveCampaign is super robust and can help you create an awesome customer experience for digital products. It integrates with the rest of your typical tech stack, like Meta and Google Analytics for tracking, and ThriveCart Pro+ for sales.

Canva for graphics and design

Most of us know and love Canva for graphics and design! It’s truly the best out there for non-designer, easiest to use even if you’re not super techy, and there’s tons of great templates available with a Pro account.

Tailwind for Pinterest scheduling

I’ve been getting shop sales and email subscribers from Pinterest! So that’s fun. I use Tailwind to keep up with that traffic by scheduling pins in advance. Pinterest is a “set it and forget it” kind of platform because I can batch my pins every 4-6 weeks to go out multiple times a day, sending traffic to various pieces of content I’ve created. The slow burn that compounds! Occasionally, I pin live as well because I like and use Pinterest. But it’s so nice knowing my core content is scheduled in Tailwind.

Showit for website building

Showit is the website builder better than all other website builders! I’ve used a handful of website platforms over the years (Wix, Squarespace, the OG Wordpress, and now Showit). Showit is the best for look and ease of use. Even as a non-designer! It’s so easy to learn, and I think the final product looks better than other options without being more complicated.

Slack for team and client communications

If you join a group program with me or we work together 1:1, chances are you’re going to hop into Slack for the asynchronous support aspect. I love Slack. It serves as a hub for myself and clients because I use the “Canvas” tabs to store links, upcoming availability, to-dos, and more.

Stay tuned for more status updates

There’s a lot going on currently! In progress:

• Meta ad setup

• Nurture and sales automation builds in ActiveCampaign

• Organic traffic efforts (Pinterest and ChatGPT are growing channels)

More updates to come. Hopefully this tech stack is helpful in the meantime!