Are you considering using Stan Store for selling digital products? Let’s do a Stan review for coaches, creatives and aspiring product creators!
Stan has become a well-known platform for easy-to-implement digital product setups and it often is one of the links you will see in Instagram bio’s of coaches and product creators.
But I’ve been a Stan-sceptic for a while.
There isn’t any one specific reason per se, it just often takes some time for me to warm up to very trendy platforms. And while it’s proven itself within the space, I’ve found myself vary.
When it comes to Stan specifically, it seemed like a great fit for starters, for first-time sellers, which is not my case, so naturally it took me time to ever get really familiar with it.
So why am I here, writing to you all about being on Stan?
It all started with a recent client project. It’s a big company seeking sleek and high-end solutions while keeping things simple. They’re high into tech and well, they asked to use Stan.
At first, I was doubtful to say the least, unsure if it will actually cover their needs. Then, it really turned out to be the perfect solution.
Yes, it’s not perfect per se but if I’ve learned one thing after a decade in business – you have to choose your battles. And it ticked all the most important boxes in my clients case.
As for me – as I got more familiar with it, I felt like what the heck, and decided to give it a go myself too.
What is a Stan Store and how coaches use it for digital products?
Stan Store is a digital product marketplace where you can easily upload and start selling your own digital products, without a high investment right off the bat.
It costs $29/monthly to start with and has an upgraded plan for $99/monthly, without any fees.
You can upload and sell various digital products like:
- PDFs, e-books, workbooks and similar
- Online courses, memberships, masterclasses
- Recurring membership access
- Any other offers like coaching packages and similar
On the upgraded plan, you can also use features like email marketing and upsells.
The general premise of Stan Store is to get started easily, without the overwhelm of combining various different platforms or spending hours in the set up.
Popularity of this platform rose quickly – in just a few months they became a core go-to for online coaches, digital product creators, creatives and entrepreneurs. And while there still are plenty of the platforms out there, it has easily become a no-brainer option.
Using Stan Store for selling digital products: Stan review for coaches
I’ve tried and tested the setup of Stan Store, managing various product creator stores, and I’m also been using Stan Store myself.
And here are my main discoveries about the space.
Pros of using Stan Store for digital products
IMPORTANT: Some of the reviewed features like upsells and email marketing are available ONLY on the upgraded plans ($99/monthly).
✅ It’s a simple all-in-one option. It’s not as customizable and in-depth as Kajabi. But it actually provides all the must-have solutions in one, including checkouts, upsells and emails. So yes, technically you can manage a digital product business all via Stan Store. Especially if you’re not too picky about your design setup.
✅ Plenty of product variations. This really is the highlight. Stan offers an easy setup for any type of an offer: from digital downloads to coaching call bookings, from courses to communities. Mind me, I haven’t fully tried and tested them all and the common theme again seems to be simplicity. You won’t always find as diverse or customizable offers as elsewhere but it covers all the main needs for most creators.
✅ It’s common so your audience might be familiar with the setup. While this won’t stand true for everyone, Stan is especially popular amongst coaches and if you’re targeting people interested in these niches, they may already know what to expect and, therefore, be more likely to buy.
✅ Built-in video hosting and easy-to-upload content. All of the user interface experiences are very straightforward and simple to manage, even with little to no experience. Having a built-in video hosting is a major plus as you don’t have to host your videos elsewhere. Another bonus is the preview – as you upload the content or edit a part of your user experience, you automatically get a sample preview.
✅ Several page design layout variations. While most Stan Store bio or button pages are known by their similar style, turns out, they offer several other variations as well! You can easily choose the best fit and adjust the style of your core page.
✅ Simple automated email options. You can easily send welcome emails and create automated email sequences, all within Stan. Although for sequences you will need to use the Pro plan for $99/m.
Cons of using Stan Store for digital products
❌ No white label option – their stan.store domain name will always be present. And I’m starting with this as it really can be a make-or-break kind of a deal. I personally prefer to base my landing pages and Instagram bio pages on my website, like my Welcome page. So anyone interested in my offers, first, land on my own domain. However, if you’re just getting started, don’t have your own website or are not focusing on driving traffic to it – this might not cross your mind or make much of a difference.
❌ Several important features will be available only on higher plan. While Stan might seem like a budget-friendly solution at first, you quickly may find that some important features are locked behind $99/m plan. For example, email sequences and removal of “Stan Store” badge on your landing page, along with FB pixel and coupon codes.
❌ Stan Store doesn’t integrate with Zoom calendar in Europe. An unusual discovery as I was setting up my Discovery call button. Unfortunately, Stan doesn’t have direct Zoom integration (specifically in Europe) but it can integrate with Google Calendar instead.
❌ Lack of customization. Stan is very simple. It provides all the core features and some customization options but in most cases the solutions are very simple. This includes product spaces, landing and checkout pages, overall user flow. This simplicity can be a major bonus as it takes away the overthinking and overwhelm. But if you’re more established in your business, you may find yourself missing that control.
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How to start selling products with Stan Store?
If this Stan Store review for coaches has inspired you to take your first steps in setting up your offers on Stan as well – the getting started part is really simple and straightforward.
As you get on Stan, you will have to set up your profile, choose the profile picture, add name and bio info. Then you’ll be invited to add links to your social media.
Once that’s done, next you head into My Store and choose to add a product. As you go through the product creation process, you’ll be lead through all the pages step-by-step.
IMPORTANT: once you publish a product, it will show up in your Stan Store bio list. As far as I’ve seen, it is NOT possible to have a product that is “hidden” from the list.
That’s why I have chosen to use my own Link Tree page, built on this website, vs Stan Store’s one. That way, I don’t have to showcase all the offers that I have on Stan.
Other than that, you’ll be ready to start sharing your link as soon as the initial setup is done!
How to create well-designed Stan Store landing page?
Stan Store landing page builder is very limited – in fact, it’s practically non existent.
Instead of landing pages, you get a space for banner on top of the page and text space below.
In the text space, you have the option to format your text as needed and add images inbetween.
So how to actually create well-designed Stan Store landing page? Here are a few ideas I’d suggest you to try out!
OPTION 1: Landing page graphic made in Canva
Many Stan Store creators opt-in to build out a full landing page on Canva and then upload the design of it on Stan Store as an image. This gives you full creative freedom, you can create a well-looking page without the overwhelm of limiting design features. However, an important downside is the fact that this is NOT SEO optimized solution – your page can’t be found via search engines. The importance of this will depend on your lead generation strategies.
I also provide done-for-you Stan Store landing page graphic design, you can reach out to me on Instagram @coursecreationlab to see what we can create for you!
OPTION 2: Text combined with images
Another popular option is to combine well-formatted text with some in-between graphics, for example, mockups or insights in what is inside the product.
This way, you don’t have to design your whole page on Canva. Instead, you’d focus on the text first and then add some graphic elements in-between as additional visual bonus.
I think this is an ideal combination as it can be SEO-friendly AND visually pleasing.
Is using Stan Store for selling digital products the best path to choose?
Whether or not Stan Store is the best choice for you will depend on your vision, your specific offers and your platform preferences. There never is just one perfect platform for everyone but here’s a brief insight in how Stan Store compares to other digital product platforms.
Stan Store vs Skool
Skool is a community-focused platform with course features available within the space. Their overall user experience definitely is more optimized than Stan Store’s, however, it’s important to note that the focus of the platform is very different.
Stan Store is built to sell various digital products, it’s an easy-to-use product marketplace. While Skool is more focused specifically on building and selling engaging communities.
So if a community space is going to be your key offer, you may want to consider Skool instead of Stan Store. But if you want to build and sell more than just a community and/or course(-s), then Stan Store will be a better starting point.
Stan Store vs Kajabi
Most of the core features and offers are very similar for Stan Store and Kajabi but, again, they both serve very different audiences.
On Kajabi, you can build out your whole online presence, create a website, set up a podcast, write blog posts, design landing pages, host digital products, as well as send emails. It’s a thorough system that’s created with focus to host all of your online needs in one space.
Stan Store, at the same time, is a lot more focused on quick digital product setup. There are not as many features, it’s not as thorough and its all in one features are a lot simpler. However, it’s way simpler and faster to get started on Stan Store than Kajabi. Plus Stan Store, especially their starting plan, is a lot more budget friendly as well.
I hope you found this Stan Store review useful! There definitely are more and more creators using Stan Store for selling digital products and it’s a great platform to use.
If you have any questions, I’d love to have you in free Creator Chat space – I’m always in there, answering anything you might have on your mind!
TO LEARN MORE AND STAY CONNECTED
💛 Connect with me on Instagram @coursecreationlab
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