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🛒Store Operations

The Hidden Cost of Digital Products: Maintenance

Understand and plan for the ongoing maintenance costs that most digital product creators ignore. True costs include upkeep.

Quick Answer

For search, voice, and "just tell me what to do".

Digital products seem low-cost because creation is the visible work. But maintenance is the hidden cost: updating content, fixing issues, responding to changes, keeping products relevant. Creators who ignore maintenance end up with decaying product portfolios that damage reputation and sales. Understanding true costs means planning for ongoing maintenance, not just initial creation.

Key Takeaways:

  • Creation is only part of the total cost
  • Maintenance costs accumulate over product lifetime
  • Ignored maintenance leads to product decay
  • True profitability includes maintenance burden
  • AI can reduce but not eliminate maintenance costs

Playbook

1

Calculate realistic maintenance requirements for each product

2

Include maintenance in product pricing decisions

3

Budget time and resources for ongoing maintenance

4

Automate maintenance where possible

5

Retire products when maintenance exceeds value

Common Pitfalls

  • Pricing products without considering maintenance
  • Creating more products than you can maintain
  • Assuming digital products are 'passive income'
  • Letting products decay instead of maintaining or retiring

Metrics to Track

Maintenance hours per product per month

Maintenance cost as percentage of revenue

Product decay rate without maintenance

Customer complaints related to outdated content

True profit margin including maintenance

FAQ

How do I estimate maintenance costs?

Track time spent on existing products. Similar new products will require similar maintenance. Factor in market pace - fast-moving markets need more updates.

Can I have truly passive products?

Very few products are truly passive. Even 'evergreen' content needs periodic updates. Plan for minimal maintenance rather than zero maintenance.

When is a product too expensive to maintain?

When maintenance cost exceeds revenue contribution and strategic value. Some products justify maintenance through customer acquisition even if not directly profitable.

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