Christmas is just around the corner, and finding the best artificial Christmas tree should be high on your to-do list for 2021. Whether you usually opt for a real tree but can’t stand vacuuming pine needles every day, or perhaps you’re upgrading your 4ft artificial tree to a 6ft one? Whatever your style, we’ve got it covered with our pick of the best artificial Christmas trees for 2021.

The best thing about an artificial tree? Apart from the cleanliness in comparison to the real thing, there’s the added bonus that you can use an artificial tree for years to come. Buy yours once and you’ll get years of use out of it. Just pack it away in a Christmas tree bag in January and sling it in the loft. You can also now buy pre-lit Christmas trees to save you from getting dizzy by walking around your tree to wrap it with lights. Artificial trees also come with a stand included in their price.

The only thing you won’t get from your artificial tree is that realistic pine scent. Not to worry, though: once you’ve selected your tree from our list, you’ll find a clever solution to this – and it truly does work. What are you waiting for? Get your artificial Christmas tree early this year to avoid disappointment, whether it’s for a living room, dining room, hallway, bedroom or even home office.

Doing some gift hunting? See our Christmas gifts under £20 to spend less this festive season

Here at Ideal Home HQ, we have rounded up – and tested a handful of – the best new artificial trees for 2021, alongside a few reigning best-sellers. All are hoping to be the tree of choice for your home for this, and many more, Christmases to come.

The best artificial Christmas trees to buy in 2021

1. Habitat 6ft Mixed Tip Natural Look Christmas Tree

The best artificial Christmas tree to buy in 2021

Image credit: Habitat

This Habitat tree is natural-looking and wrapped with LED lights to save you an extra job this December. It’s our top pick simply because of three things: it’s reasonably priced, it looks very natural and it’s a whopping 6ft in height. Essentially, it ticks all our boxes.

Easy to assemble, simply just slot the pieces together from the base. You’ll need to tease the branches to make it look in proportion before you pop your baubles on, but that’s half the fun, right? One thing’s for sure: it’s plush and will be sure to make a statement in your living room.

This PVC tree also comes with a stand, plus it’s fire retardant. In total there are 1,951 tips which is just proof that artificial Christmas trees aren’t always lifeless looking.

Dimensions: H6ft x D50.8cm

2. Dunelm 6ft Green Christmas Tree

The best affordable artificial Christmas tree

Image credit: Dunelm

Because artificial Christmas trees can be admittedly expensive, and some people might think what’s the point in splashing the cash when you’re going to cover it in baubles, lights and more? This one from Dunelm is budget-friendly and sizeable.

With realistic fir tips, you’d never know that this tree was, indeed, fake – once it’s covered with decorations, that is. It may appear shiny at first appearance but after a bit of use and a sprinkle of glitter (if that’s your thing), it’s perfect. Otherwise, it’s a great second tree for an office, student pad or even a bedroom.

Coming in at less than £20, this bargain artificial Christmas tree even comes sitting on a stand. Just buy a skirt to cover said stand, or nestle your presents around it on the floor. Measuring a delightful 6ft high, even though it’s cheap, it’ll still make a statement in your living room. Just be warned: it doesn’t come with the lights included.

Dimensions: H6ft x D98cm

3. John Lewis and Partners St. Anton Potted Pre-lit Christmas Tree

The best snow-tipped artificial Christmas tree

Image credit: John Lewis & Partners

If it’s a snow-tipped Christmas tree that you are searching for this year, then look no further than John Lewis’ St.Anton tree. It even comes potted to make your life easier – and pre-lit! Oh, and it’s perfect for smaller spaces, or for nestling in a corner of a room thanks to its slim design and shape. Need we really say any more?

Its hinged branches easily drop into place whilst you needn’t buy a tree skirt thanks to the fact it sits in a pewter effect pot. With a total of 250 warm LEDs, this PVC tree though compact is definitely statement-worthy. It’s surprisingly full – thanks to a total of 616 tips – to ensure it looks the part in any room of your home. We think it’s perfect for a living room, but there’s nothing stopping you from putting it in a hallway or bedroom, either.

This tree’s lights are mains operated, so you’ll need to place the tree nearby a plug socket. The fact it sits in a china pot also means that it will be harder for inquisitive pets to touch, although we would avoid this tree if you have a small child as it could be easy for them to pull over.

Dimensions: H180 x D80cm

4. B&Q 6ft Smart Natural Looking Christmas Tree

The best smart artificial Christmas tree

In a world of smart home solutions, why not embrace a smart Christmas tree too? B&Q’s smart tree comes pre-lit with 300 multi-function LED bulbs for a traditional look. The dual coloured bulbs can be changed from warm white to multicoloured lights – taking the tree from calm and serene one minute to disco party vibes the next.

The thoroughly smart design means said lights are compatible with both Google Home and Alexa devices. In addition to the two different coloured light options, there are seven multifunction settings too. This jazzy function allows you to choose your desired look for every occasion.

We were very pleasantly surprised by how realistic this tree looked in our home. The densely populated branches are spread across three hinged sections, all of which are an even mix of moulded PE and traditional PVC tips to emulate the look and feel of a real tree. Plus, the stand is very robust, helping to ensure the tree feels very stable. When carrying out the push test this tree barely wavered.

Dimensions: H182.9cm x D97cm

5. Habitat 6ft Pre-Lit Snow Tipped Christmas Tree

The best slim artificial Christmas tree

Image credit: Habitat

Small living room? Need a tree for your slim hallway? This pre-lit option from Habitat may be teeny but what it lacks in width it makes up for in style. It’s snow-tipped, too, and it comes wrapped with lovely lights around it. Whether you need a tree with a slim footprint or you’re on a budget, this one is a no-brainer.

What else do we love about this slim artificial Christmas tree? It’s lightweight at just 3kg, so would be great for someone who is less able or if you have children – you needn’t worry too much about them trying to pull it down. With hinged brackets, the branches easily fall into place so that all you need to really do is fiddle with it to ensure it looks all in proportion. It’s also pre-decorated with a total of 100 warm white bulbs to make your life easier.

This PVC tree comes atop a metal stand and it’s undeniably the perfect size for placing in a corner. It has a 2m cable to power its lights, of which is green in colour, and when switched on its lights are static.

Dimensions: H6ft x D45.72cm

6. The White Company pre-lit 1.5ft tree

The best small artificial Christmas tree

This mini but marvellous tree is compact in size but characterful enough to enter into the spirit of the season. It’s potted and perfect if you’re not really a fan of having a Christmas tree. Otherwise, it’ll look lovely placed atop a hallway console, a desk, coffee table or even a dining table as a festive centrepiece.

The slender branches are thoroughly realistic to both sight and touch. Even the base around the bottom of the tree is covered in a life-like moss earth-effect covering, adding to the realism. Plus, it stands in a decorative willow basket.

Arriving complete, ready to pop straight onto a surface for display – this tree could not be more convenient. It’s pre-lit, with a switch to control the lights neatly hidden in a compartment located in the base. The warm fairy lights, on an undetectable green wire, evenly distributed from top to bottom for a perfect finish. There are three settings for the lights – On, Off and Timer.

Dimensions: H46cm x D37cm

Buy now: Pre-Lit Mini Christmas Tree – 1.5ft, £35, The White Company

7. Hayes Garden World Yukon Snowy Pine Tree

The best realistic artificial Christmas tree

This snowy tree is the hero of alternative Christmas trees for 2021. It can set the scene for a white Christmas, whatever the weather. Standing at a statuesque 6ft tall this tree is made from a mix of PE/PVC material which creates a life-like illusion. It has a mixture of tapering and bushy branches (1,837 tips to be precise), with a smattering of large pine cones beautifully placed throughout to give the feel of a full-bodied life-like tree in a snowy wooded forest. Now if that isn’t the Christmas dream, what is?!

The hinged branches fall into place with almost no need to tease them into a more evenly deserved finish – which helped to lessen the loss of snow coverage. It comes pre-lit which is a dream. And, not with just any lights, but globe-shaped LED lights that are woven throughout the tree, warmly illuminating the frosted branches with a soft glow. The lights are long-life, energy-efficient LED lights that will last for years to come and have replaceable bulbs in case of any breakages. The branches support even the heaviest of decorations – although less might be more when it comes to this tree.

This tree wowed from the moment we got it out of the box. The snow coverage is excellent, with a soft textured feel to the touch. The branches are entirely snow-covered, with the dusting heavier on the ends – as you’d expect on a real tree out in the snow. Although the stand is only a basic fold-out model the tree felt extremely robust and sturdy when up, it certainly passed the push test.

Dimensions: H182.9cm x D112cm

Buy now: Pre-lit Yukon Snowy Pine Life Like Artificial Christmas Tree, £324.99, Hayes Garden World

8. Wilko 6ft Half Flocked Christmas Tree

The best half artificial Christmas tree

Image credit: Wilko

We’ve found the ultimate tree for those with smaller spaces to fill. The half tree design is famous – and it’s easy to see why. Where full-sized would be overwhelming, this quirky half-tree design is perfect. Who really needs to see the back of the tree, anyway? We all know that it’s always the worst baubles that get hung around the back. Designed to sit in the corner of a room, this tree makes for less wasted floor space or wasted decorations, plus half the tree means half the price – what’s not to love? It’s weird but totally wonderful when you think about it.

There’s also the bonus that this tree is snow-tipped and pre-lit. It even has hinged branches to make it easier to assemble – and dissemble. Sturdy since it sits against the wall, this artificial tree, simply enough, ticks all our boxes.

Measuring a tall 6ft, this half tree is also budget-friendly, although it’s made of plastic – just an FYI.

Dimensions: H6ftx W100cm

Buy now: 6ft Half Flocked Christmas Tree, £55, Wilko

For inspiration: How to decorate a Christmas tree – Ideal Home’s definitive step-by-step guide

9. Balsam Hill Vermont White Spruce Flip Tree

The best luxury artificial Christmas tree

This tree is simply stunning. It’s SO well lit it could happily reside in the lobby of a 5-star hotel. It’s not cheap at all, and we acknowledge that entirely, but it is in a completely different league when it comes to artificial trees to keep for life. The Flip Tree’s design guarantees a super easy set up thanks to an innovative flip design that eliminates the need to lift heavy sections.

The tree is pre-lit, and the coverage is superb – plus they are remote controllable to adjust the light colour. This magnificent tree is dressed with 850 warm white LED lights – that’s enough to channel National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation vibes! This smart tree took under a minute to assemble. The base, on wheels for added ease, has a foot pedal that you press and then simply flip the bottom half over, into place. The top part is in one section, this slots into the base with ease. Fix the brakes once it’s in position, so it can’t be moved and plug in the lights. The meticulously hand-craft tree is made using Balsam Hill’s exclusive True Needle technology, beautifully replicating nature, including asymmetrical branches, subtle colour changes, and lifelike texture.

Balsam Hill are the crème de la crème in the world of artificial Christmas trees. The much-loved tree experts have expanded their range of artisan-designed, highly realistic Christmas trees to more than 250 beautiful designs! Being such a premium tree, as you might expect, it comes complete with a repair kit, a spare set of lights, bulbs, heavy-duty canvas storage bags for both sections and even gloves to protect hands from prickly branches during assembly!

Dimensions: H198cm x D137cm

Buy now: Vermont White Spruce Flip 6.5ft Artificial Tree, £1,349, Balsam Hill

10. Habitat 6ft Half Parasol Christmas Tree

The best artificial Christmas tree for pet owners

Quirky tall trees are popping up all over the place at the moment! We can totally see why they have become popular as a clever solution for pet owners wanting a Christmas tree. This tall tree comes with two poles, with one branch filled section for the top – the parasol, if you will. While the base has bolts to keep the main pole in place, the second pole section merely slots in – there is no extra securing element in place. It felt fairly unforgiving when we did the push test, purely because all the weight is in the top section.

The PVC flat bristle branches required minimal tweaking to make them perfectly spaced. The stand pole is tightly wound with a tinsel-like green material. We used just one set of fairy lights. We avoided using them on the base, as not to draw attention to it, but as demonstrated above it does work well. While this tree is a brilliant solution to stop pets and young children from playing with the decorations, we can’t help but fear the top-heavy nature could cause a potential hazard. We’d highly recommend weighing down the base to make it feel more stable and less likely to topple.

If you take these precautions or don’t have to worry about little ones or pets, then this tree is a fabulous quirky idea to elevate your decor this season.

Dimensions: H182 x D73cm

11. Argos Home 6ft Lapland Christmas Tree

The best white artificial Christmas tree

Image credit: Argos Home

Hoping for a white Christmas this year? Us too. With help from this Argos Home tree, you’ll be halfway there. If a white Christmas tree is more your style, then this one will tick all your boxes. It’s affordable, sizeable and best of all: it boasts a full look.

Easy to assemble with hinged branches that drop into place, just be sure to tease the branches to get this tree looking its best. Whilst annoyingly, it doesn’t come pre-lit, this does provide a blank canvas for you to decorate it however you like. You could go for vibrant pink lights or keep it classic with warm LEDs. Don’t even get us started on the baubles as the opportunities are endless.

This tree sits on a stand and weighs a very light 3kg in total. Like other artificial Christmas trees, it’s made of PVC – plus it’s fire retardant. Snap up this bargain now.

Dimensions: H6ft x D24.13cm

How we test our artificial Christmas trees

We’ve quite simply assembled a select few of the trees in this list. We looked at their quality and durability, getting hands-on for the best results. Like little elves, we unboxed and packed away the trees, too, to test how easy they are to both assemble and store. We also had our noses on red alert to detect if any of these trees carry an unwanted scent.

To test the branches and explore how well they withstand all manner of decorations, we hung the heaviest hanging baubles and ornaments and observed what we’re calling ‘the droop factor’. We’ve also placed tree toppers on each and every tree, to see if they fit properly. And we’ve been testing the topple-factor by pulling at the decorations, mimicking what excited children or curious pets might do!

What size Christmas tree should I get?

As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to have at least six inches between the top of your tree and the ceiling – remembering to allow for a topper.

How do you store your artificial Christmas Tree?

Of course, there’s the original box the tree came in. But will that last year in, year out? There’s also the task of how you get it back into the box – the wrestle is never an easy one. This year we’ve stumbled across several brilliant Christmas tree bags – and you can shop them below. A zip-up bag makes it more practical for transporting from the shed or loft to the front room each year.

Where to store an artificial Christmas tree to keep it looking good?

Quite simply, as long as you keep the branches flat and un-squashed, your tree should last you for years to come. Store in a cool, dry space to preserve the condition.

How do I make my fake Christmas tree smell real?

If you love a real tree mostly for its glorious scent, fear not because you can emulate the same smell with a touch of trickery. In recent years Scentsicles have become a thing. These magical sticks are soaked in seasonal scents and they cleverly hang from the branches, undetected.

If you want a more subtle hint of scent you can hang pine cones interspersed on the inner branches, attaching them using green gardening twine. A bundle of cinnamon sticks would also do the job if you’re looking for an alternative Christmas scent.

How much should I pay for an artificial Christmas tree?

There’s no real answer to this question. It all depends on what you’re looking for. You can pick up a budget tree under £50, from the likes of IKEA and Dunelm, which will do the job perfectly. Generally speaking, with artificial Christmas trees you generally get what you pay for. You can shop for cheaper artificial Christmas trees below.

What is a pre-lit Christmas tree – and should I buy one?

Pre-lit Christmas trees are simply trees that already have lights on. The beauty of buying a tree with the lights already on is firstly the saving – as there’s no need to buy extra lights. Secondly, the placement is a real bonus. As the lights are already evenly distributed throughout the whole tree, it saves you the job of fiddling about and potentially getting in a tangle over the perfect arrangement.

Never underestimate the importance of the lights on a tree, as they can anchor your whole decorating scheme – highlighting well-placed decorations and glinting in all the right places.

The post The best artificial Christmas trees – 2021’s top picks for the home appeared first on Ideal Home.

The government announcement of a £5,000 heat pump grant to help homeowners thinking of switching to carbon-neutral heating will make many at least consider the environmentally-friendly heating option. However, what many do not realise – and what critics of the grant have already pointed out – is that heat pump installation will require additional expenses.

While energy-saving tips can help you reduce your bills even with an existing gas boiler, heat pumps are a more energy-efficient option in the long run. But did you know that installing heat pumps will likely have to involve improving insulation – and more?

Heat pump installation may require new radiators

Namely, a heat pump system may require you to replace your old radiators with new ones, according to Chris Harvey – Central Heating and Radiator Expert At Stelrad. Chris agrees that ‘It goes without saying that heat pumps are better for the planet than today’s standard gas boilers, and this is, of course, a good thing.’

At the same time, Chris points out that installing heat pumps is ‘not just a case of replacing an old gas boiler.’ Chris says that, in his experience, ‘we would be needing to inform our customers that if they made the switch to renewables that they would need to have the correct heat loss calculations completed. This is because the size of their radiators will likely be required to be increased in size – it is great to change the heat source, but radiators are the mechanism which heat transfers into the room – a very important point that consumers will need to consider.’

Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to find radiators that are compatible with heat pumps – Chris recommends K2s (double panel), K3s (triple panel), or verticals (double panels which due to their style do not take up space on a wall as they are vertical). The only thing to bear in mind is the additional cost of replacing your radiators. If your old radiators already were due for a replacement, you may find that installing heat pumps at the same time, especially with the new heat pump grant, is a good idea. If you’ve already recently upgraded your heating system, you may want to think twice.

The post Expert warning: installing heat pumps may mean you’ll need brand-new radiators appeared first on Ideal Home.

Are cheap mortgages coming to an end? Where it comes to personal finance, and especially mortgages, if Martin Lewis issues a warning, it’s always worth paying attention. And this time, Martin’s message is very clear: the historic low interest rates that many homeowners have enjoyed may soon be a thing of the past.

Choosing or switching to the right mortgage is one of the most important pieces of property advice for any homeowner, but changes may be afoot that are beyond homeowners’ control. Here’s why.

Image credit: Chris Snook Photography

Why cheap mortgages may be about to end

Writing on the MoneySavingExpert website, Martin draws homeowners’ attention to a recent comment by Andrew Bailey, the Governor of the Bank of England . Bailey said that the rising inflation means that the Bank ‘will have to act’. This, Martin warns, is a very clear indication from the Governor that base interest rates are about to start rising – and with them, mortgage interest rates.

Although Martin acknowledges that the number of available mortgage deals with interest rates under one per cent have increased since the lifting of Covid-related restrictions, the summer levels of such deals may have been ‘as good as it got.’ What levels of increases can homeowners expect? Martin says that ‘the market’s strongly predicting (it’s not always right) rates will rise from today’s 0.1 per cent to 0.25 per cent next month, then to 0.5 per cent by February and 0.75 per cent later next year.’ If these base interest rate increases come to pass, an increase in mortgage rates will be inevitable. Moreover, Martin think that mortgage rate will go up ‘steeply and swiftly’ as soon as base interest rates start climbing.

Image credit: Polly Eltes

What can homeowners do to prepare for the interest rate rise? Martin’s advice is simple and clear: ‘EVERYONE with a mortgage should check now if your existing deal is as good as it can get – and that applies double if you’re languishing on your lender’s standard variable rate.’ A standard variable rate is never a good idea in uncertain times, and while some homeowners will have benefited from years of declining base interest rates, they need to urgently reconsider and see if they can lock in a good fixed-term deal to avoid any nasty surprises.

The post Martin Lewis warns homeowners that cheap mortgages may be coming to an end appeared first on Ideal Home.

As an interior designer, you dedicate a lot of time to client projects, which can leave little time to work on attracting new clients or gaining additional income. 

One way of getting around this is to look at creating a passive income stream – and with your knowledge of interior design, digital products are the way to go.

Whether you want to free up time to focus on your clients, or you want to work less and earn more (let’s be honest, who doesn’t?), creating digital products that educate and/or inspire can help you do so.

In essence, digital products allow you to:

• Earn a passive income 
• Work less and earn more
• Help others without eating into your free time

In this article, I’m going to cover:

• What are digital products?
• The benefits of digital products
• Digital product ideas for interior designers
• How to create and sell your digital product

What are digital products?

But simply, a digital product is any kind of product that is sold online and accessed digitally (as opposed to physically), be it a downloadable e-book or online course. 

Most digital products solve a problem or focus on teaching a new skill. They also offer a revenue stream that can be applied to literally any niche. Are there questions you get asked on a regular basis by your clients? Do family and friends come to you for advice on a certain topic? Do other interior designers often want to “pick your brains”? 

If so, you’ve got questions that need answering, the knowledge to do so and an audience that wants to hear your advice.

All you need to do now is decide which digital product avenue to go down. 

Benefits of digital products for interior designers

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of creating digital products (alongside the additional income, of course):

1. Less admin than physical products 

While digital products do take a little time to put together initially, they don’t require as much ongoing effort as physical products – there’s no packing and posting orders involved and minimal admin!

2. They don’t go out of stock

When you upload a digital product to your website, it’ll stay there forever (unless it’s a limited edition product, of course). It won’t go out of stock, which means you won’t let customers down or miss out on sales while waiting for new stock to arrive (or for you to create it).

3. They can be used indefinitely

Once a customer hits the download button on a digital product, they can refer back to it indefinitely. Of course, information might change or become less relevant over time, or you may learn more about a subject that you wish to include, but the great thing about digital products is that you can easily update them and upload newer versions to keep them relevant to your audience.

4. They’re cheap to create

If you’re happy to try your hand at anything and possess some creative skills, most digital products can be created single-handedly. Say you want to create an e-book – even if you don’t have the skillset, there are plenty of online resources, such as Canva, that can help beautify your idea. Putting together a digital product from scratch can take time though (which as a busy interior designer you may not have), so hiring someone to help may be the best option for you.

5. Access to a large online audience

When selling products online you have access to a wider audience, but when those products are physical items, you may come up against shipping issues meaning you can’t actually get your products to everyone that wants them. However, with digital products, anyone who lands on your page can download your product with a click of a button. You may even find you gain new clients this way, too!

Tip: Make sure your website SEO is up to scratch so your target audience can find your product!

Digital product ideas for interior designers

There’s a whole host of digital product ideas for interior designers – these include resources for clients, the general public and other interior designers. Here are some of the most popular avenues to go down:

E-books

There are various aspects of your interior design knowledge that you can draw upon to create an e-book. Perhaps you’ve got lots of experience with different interior design styles or designing restoration projects. Whatever it is, if it’s something people ask you for help on, or something people are searching for online (do your keyword research), you can create a downloadable e-book on the subject.

Ideas:

• How-to guides
• Ideas and inspirations guides
• Tips and tricks guides
• FAQs with links to products

Online course 

If you’ve got a lot to say on a certain topic that needs more than an e-book or tutorial, why not create an online course? Perhaps you have a particular area of expertise that’s highly sought after from clients (or other interior designers). While you may want to help everyone, it’s impossible to respond to every request while working on your paying clients’ projects, so creating a detailed course that you can direct people to is a great option. The course could include a variety of content from videos and audio recordings to worksheets and printables.

Ideas:

• Videos
• Audio
• Worksheets
• Printable resources
• Email course (series of emails) with links and downloads

Online tutorials

If you don’t have the time or resources to put together an entire course, you could create some shorter tutorials on certain topics for your audience. Perhaps you’re often asked for tips on accessorising rooms or how to choose the right lighting. You can create tutorials in a variety of formats, with video and audio being the most popular. 

Tip: If you’re linking to a pre-recorded YouTube video, you could include affiliate links (more information below) in the description box to earn extra commission.

Ideas:

• Pre-recorded video tutorials
• Live video tutorials
• Audio/podcast-style tutorials

Mood boards

As an interior designer, you’re passionate about curating spaces that work well together. But there are only so many hours in a day and so many clients you can help. So, by putting together a selection of mood boards for different colour schemes, interior design styles or seasons, you can offer your eye for design from a distance. You can also include a shopping list and shoppable affiliate links to go with your mood boards – though keep in mind things may go out of stock or become discontinued, so you’ll have to update the list occasionally.

Ideas:

• Colour scheme mood boards
• Interior design style mood boards
• Seasonal mood boards
• Furnishings mood boards

Resources and templates for other designers

If you’re experienced in your field, the chances are you’ve got answers that other interior designers are looking for. Perhaps you’ve found a method of attracting or retaining clients that works for you and that you think other designers could benefit from. Or, perhaps you’re always asked for advice on certain topics from your peers – use your experience and knowledge to put some resources or templates together for those that are starting out. This could include things like a new client questionnaire, welcome packet or project proposal template.

Ideas:

• Contracts
• Tips on pricing
• Blog post ideas
• New client questionnaire
• Welcome brochure
• Project proposal template
• List of resources

A membership site

With membership websites, your audience – or ‘members’ – pay a fee to receive a certain amount of content each month. This is a lot more work than other digital products because it requires you to create new material on a regular basis. But if you have a good amount of members, it could prove to be pretty lucrative. As an interior designer, your membership site could include resources similar to the e-books and packages mentioned above, courses, podcasts etc. Basically, anything that’s going to help your audience and keep them coming back for more! 

Ideas:

• Exclusive members-only content
• Audio or video tutorials
• Short courses
• Resources
• Templates
• Printables

Affiliate marketing

While not a digital product as such, if you have a blog with a large amount of monthly traffic, or a sizable social media audience, you could go down the affiliate marketing route. When you sign up to affiliate platforms – be it for your favourite brands, or larger retailers like Amazon – you’re able to generate ‘affiliate links’ that when shopped through provide you with a small commission (usually around  5-10% of the product amount). While not always a lucrative income stream, if you add links to top performing content and regularly share affiliate links on social media, you can gain a decent passive income.

Tip: You could also include affiliate links in your other digital products. For example, if you created a guide to different paint types, you could include links to some of your favourites.

Ideas:

• Add to blog posts
• Add to moodboard shopping lists
• Add to social media 
• Create an Amazon storefront

Website ads

In a similar fashion to affiliate links, if you have a high-performing website, you could use an online ad platform, such as Google Adsense, to place ads on your webpages. The amount of traffic your website gets each month and the amount of ads you place will determine how much you earn – but avoid oversaturating your site with ads as this can put visitors off.

How to create and sell your digital products

So, you want to create a successful digital product, but don’t know where to start. Keep these three steps in mind:

1. Think of an idea

Is there a subject you’re passionate about, a frequently asked question that crops up or something people come to you for help on? Whatever the topic, it could be your golden ticket to a successful digital product!

2. Create the idea

Once you’ve got your idea, it’s time to create your product. If you want to create the product alone, there are tons of resources online that can help. But sometimes it’s worth investing in the skills of a professional in that area. This will free up your time for clients, too.

If you do decide to tackle the project alone, these resources may help:

• Canva for PDF and moodboard design
• Shopify and Teachable for online courses
• WordPress for membership sites (with plugins like Memberpress)
• Etsy and Shopify for selling digital templates

3. Promote the product

If people aren’t aware of your product, they won’t be able to purchase it. So, after creating your idea, you need to market it.

• Share it with your social media audience
• Create blog content about the product
• Do your keyword research and optimise your product page for search engines (SEO)

For each of these steps, make sure to communicate the benefits of the product, who it will help and how it will help them.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to digital products – as long as you’ve got a problem to solve and the knowledge to solve it, there will be customers who will buy your solution. Now it’s time to go out and create it!