Introducing Leoshop | Buy & Sell Digital Products With LEO, STEEM and SBD!
The past several months have been incredibly hectic. Between the launch of Leodex and the 2 subsequent upgrades that we did, along with numerous updates to our Condenser interface AND the addition of Leopedia, Leoservices and other projects, the launch of Leoshop kept getting pushed further and further back.
This was due to the many fixes and tests that needed to be made. We wanted to make sure that Leoshop was as ready as possible for launch and so I made sure to test every aspect of it that I could think of.
Now, it's finally time to launch Leoshop V1. More updates will come which will bring a wider portfolio of features, but version 1 of Leoshop still has A LOT to offer. There are a lot of things that can be done on the Leoshop and we've integrated it as deeply as possible into the Steem blockchain.
Buy & Sell Digital Products and Services on the Steem Blockchain
When we set out to create Leoshop, it was a simple idea. To allow users to upload digital downloads and sell them in exchange for LEO.
In the process of building Leoshop, we realized that it could be a whole lot more than that. Out of the box, we could offer users the ability to choose to pay with either STEEM/SBD or LEO.
Additionally, we've added the ability to write reviews that are stored on the Steem blockchain, dispute charges through our escrow services and even sell digital services.
Some of the highlights for Leoshop's blockchain integration with Steem are:
- Storing product data on the blockchain
- User reviews using Steem blockchain accounts
- Escrow functionality on the blockchain
Leoshop Documentation
There are going to be hundreds of questions on how Leoshop works and how to use it. We've set up a docs page to help guide you through the main features and intricacies of Leoshop.
Are You A Digital Product or Service Provider?
If you sell any kind of digital product or service, we urge you to list it on the Leoshop. This project is brand new, so there are only a few products and services available on there right now, but we expect this to change quickly.
Products are priced in USD. When a user buys your product or service, they pay the current conversion rate for STEEM/SBD/LEO into USD.... i.e if you sell something for $10 and I buy it from you with LEO, then I pay $10 worth of LEO at the current conversion rate.
Private Access Digital Downloads
When you upload a digital download (like an Ebook) to Leoshop, it is stored as a private digital download. When a user purchases your product from the shop, they gain access to a download button on their "Orders" page which allows them to privately download a copy of your ebook.
A Long-Term Value Prop
The long-term mission of Leoshop is to provide a hub for Steemleo users to buy and sell products. One of the most common complaints on Steem is that many authors tend to make lackluster rewards from upvotes.
If you look at traditional blogging websites -- like Seeking Alpha, for example -- you can see how authors make money. They don't make money from upvotes. They make money from selling access to private online courses, trading groups and digital products like Ebooks.
Why should Steem be any different? Why should upvotes be your only source of income as a blogger, vlogger or user of Steem?
Instead, we see the future of Steem(leo) heading in the direction of authors who build an audience (just like other social platforms) and then leverage that audience to sell a digital product/service or access to the author. The beauty of Steem is that we get to do this all on the blockchain.
When a user buys your product, you can see that on the blockchain. When they review your product, you can see their review on the blockchain...
Let's Kill Centralized Fees
Along with this long-term value prop begs the question -- why would any seller choose Leoshop over something like Seeking Alpha's marketplace or Fiverr or insert online marketplace here?
I don't think that users need to choose. Why not have the option to do all of the above? One of the primary benefits to selling on Leoshop, however, is that the fees are only 1% to sellers.
If you look at the fees paid to companies like Stripe, Paypal, Ebay, Seeking Alpha, etc... sellers are paying anywhere from 5-50% of their sales as fees to these companies.
On Leoshop, we keep the fees low and the fees collected end up burning LEO anyways, which only helps everyone in the long-run.
Where to Start?
There is just so much that goes into Leoshop. It's by far one of the largest projects that Steemleo has ever worked on... maybe the largest of them all. It's taken months of development, testing, planning, writing, etc. to get to this point.
It's impossible to explain every nuance and granular detail of the Leoshop. I hope that you take the time to explore it and grasp the possibilities as we continue to iterate on top of this version of the Leoshop. It's amazing when you think of the possibilities for a digital marketplace that is built on the Steem blockchain.
Posted via Steemleo
I'm really happy to have this option here. I want to thank you for the hard work, it's much appreciated. I have a question as it's not clear to me what exactly "Digital Downloads" covers. You specified eBooks, that is clear but what about drawings in PDF format? There are a lot of artists here who I'm sure would use the platform for selling their art.
Hey @erikah! Thanks for checking it out :)
I should have put some more options for that in the original post, I'll put some edits in there to talk about other potential digital downloads.
A digital download can be any sort of downloadable file -- regardless of size and type. Some examples could be:
The options for digital downloads are limited only by our imaginations!
Posted via Steemleo
Ok, I should have been more clear in formulating my question. What I wanted to know is if this new "playground" is only for investments, crypto,
investing strategies, fundamentals, philosophies etc.
Yay!!!! Thanks for clearing this out, I'm so happy as I'm going to be a regular here soon :) I LOVE IT!!!!
I really can't express how awesome I think this is. I'm going to make a post about it when I get the chance, but yea, you're killing it dude. This is so sick.
Thanks @midlet, that means a lot. I think it will take some time for the shop to gain some real traction and see a high daily volume, but the grind will be worth it. The long-term value of the shop as a means to helping people on Steem earn outside of the rewards pool is immense 🦁
Posted via Steemleo
That's inevitable. I think what's important is that you're poised to explode when things pick up. Of course people can get things rolling now, and I'll try to get some stuff up on there to fill it out, but everyone here now is positioning themselves for a turn around, and I think you've positioned yourself VERY well.
Finaly a buy/sell goods/services on the steem blockchain!
Posted via Steemleo
Finally! 🦁
Posted via Steemleo
holy coco, this is extra-exciting! Im guessing I can sell music downloads here? Definitely going to be getting RIGHT on top of this one!
are we able to log in already? I tried putting my username in but nothing seemed to happen....
@basilmarples, yes you can. Do you have Steem Keychain installed?
Due to the design of the shop along with custom jsons needed to conduct the SE token transactions, we have Steem Keychain integration as the only means to login (Steemconnect may come in the future when SMTs are viable).
Posted via Steemleo
ah ok. I'll have a look at it.... Ive never used keychain. Really excited about this project! Im going to try and get some audio up there asap. Well done for all the work you're putting in x
Absolutely! I even just added a category for music & audio products/services :)
Posted via Steemleo
Ive just tried to upload something and to be honest...Im buzzing about it! This feels like a massive step forward for the blockchain. I hope it really takes off
...just a note (unless Im missing something) I noticed that if I want to link to the product in my steemit post I have to sign out because the URL is different when Im logged in. Would this be a problem? And if so, maybe products should come with a custom URL to copy out
Massive congrats for this new LeoShop. I see so many ways already to use it myself. This is a great benefit to the entire Steem ecosystem. You guys rock!
Thanks @flauwy! Hope we can get your product all sorted out soon as I read the description and it looks awesome. Think we may just need 1 more shot at reuploading and then we can unleash some memory tactics on the Steemiverse ;)
Posted via Steemleo
What an excellent opportunity :) I will certainly be looking into this and what optiuons it has for me as a digital product seller
as well as seeing what others are selling
Fantastic :) I look forward to seeing some of those on the Leoshop. It's still new and hopefully we'll see a lot of interesting products & services listed by creative steemians soon.
If you need any help with anything on the site, let us know here or on discord and we'll get it all sorted asap! 🦁
Posted via Steemleo
Awesome work! I am not into investning so I don't often use SteemLeo but you guys are the real deal.
Keep it up!
Thanks @knowhow92! We are all investors in some form here on Steem. You could always talk about your expeirence as a blogger/user of Steem ;)
Also, the Leoshop covers any sort of product or service. It doesn't have to be related to investing 🦁feel free to list something up there, would love to see it!
Posted via Steemleo
I am already thinking about listing some courses!
I'll see you guys around ;)
Awesome! Hope to see you and your courses around soon ;)
If you need any help, don't hesitate to reach out and we'll get you anything you need 🦁
Posted via Steemleo
This is a game changer. You guys are doing awesome things. Keep it up.
Thanks man, always appreciate the kind words 🦁
Posted via Steemleo
Great addition to Steem. For me I've added a "value for value" donation product just to test the interface out and see how it works, so far so good. Where this is obviously going to get very interesting is when we can onboard new people and accept fiat through the same interface (KYC issues will be a nightmare).
Value for Value to Brian
My product is really a donation. For a long time I've listened to No Agenda, the best podcast in the universe. Adam Curry and John C Dvorak fund the show without any advertising through donations under their "value for value" model. I explain this in more detail on my own site.
Posted via Steemleo
The community is great, my go to posting platform....Having trouble on my wallet, claiming Leo tokens, taking 20 minutes at times, even using steemworld, nothing helps....Any thoughts?
Posted via Steemleo