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How to Start an Online Store in 2024
Learn how to open a Shopify online store, choose products to sell, develop a marketing plan, and more!
Dropshipping has taken the e-commerce world by storm with its immaculate success and profit rates. It takes away the hassle of stock storage and delivery and transforms the online seller into the middleman between the buyers and the wholesalers. What truly sets apart a good dropshipping seller from a great one is the products they choose to sell. Follow our step by step guide to finding the best products for dropshipping and you will be well on your way to mega-profits and e-commerce success.
What Are Good Dropshipping Products?
In the sea of endless choices, picking out so-called “winning products” is crucial for your dropshipping store to gain the recognition you desire. Winning products are those that bring value to the customer and profit to the seller. These are usually trending dropshipping products that are in high demand and fulfill the consumer’s needs.
Every dropshipping business wants to offer high quality products at an affordable price. Still, there are a few points of reference you need to focus on when determining if you have an excellent dropshipping product on your hands:
- Be Unique
Standing out from the crowd with the products you provide will ensure your dropshipping store gets the success it deserves. Dedicate time to evaluating the competition and what they offer. Aim for trending products that solve the customer’s problems, but don’t get discouraged if you see other people selling similar dropshipping items. Many sellers like to focus on dropshipping niches that narrow down the product range that their stores offer. Selling products from a specific category can help you evolve and dominate your market.
- Offer a Reasonable Price
Dropshipping is mostly based on impulse buying. You don’t want your products to be high-tech and expensive since it will lengthen the decision-making process for the buyer to finalize the purchase. Try to set affordable prices that will allow you to benefit from impulse purchases.
- Align With Your Target Audience
Before you start dropshipping, one of the first steps is extensive market research and discovering your target audience. A few useful steps to determining your spot in the market include conducting surveys, applying feedback, analyzing your competitors, and creating buyer personas.
Good products for dropshipping are always useful and affordable for the customers, and usually difficult to find anywhere else in an effort to distinguish your product store from the millions of others. They fall into different niches varying from phone accessories, to baby products, pet supplies, beauty products, and personal care.
How to Find Winning Dropshipping Products?
Having grasped the ability to identify winning products, it is time to delve into strategies. There are numerous methods for finding great products for dropshipping, but the following ones are the ideal starting point and have proven to be consistently reliable:
1. Study Best Seller Lists
Leverage the Best Seller lists on popular e-commerce websites such as Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, Wish, Facebook Marketplace, and more. These are updated regularly and will give you a great insight into what the customers are spending their money on. Make sure to keep an eye out for the amount of orders and read the product reviews. Too many orders may indicate that the market for that particular product is overly saturated.
The best selling products are organized by categories which makes it much easier to navigate and find products in your chosen niche. These popular e-commerce websites also offer other lists and pages that will help you as an aspiring dropshipper looking for fresh ideas.
- Don’t forget to scan Amazon’s Movers & Shakers page which shows products that are quickly growing in popularity but have not yet reached the best-sellers list.
- Visit the AliExpress Dropshipping Center and make use of its product sourcing, order fulfillment, and performance analytics while staying up-to-date with real-time shipping information. Find even more valuable details in their Hot Picks section showcasing the top trending products that are likely to sell well, and their Trusted Supplier rank as a useful feature to help you identify the right manufacturers to collaborate with based on many different factors including seller ratings and feedback.
- eBay’s Watch Count allows you to see how many users have added a particular product to their Watch List. This is something like a wish list but notifies potential buyers of changes in the product such as price drops, news bids, and when the auction is ending. Accessing the Watch Count regularly can give you a good idea of what products generate high interest.
2. Use Google Trends
Google Trends serves as a valuable resource that shows you whether a product’s popularity is on the rise or decline. Anytime you are considering adding a product to your dropshipping store, run it through Google Trends and analyze its search volume. Narrow down the results according to your relevant location, category, source, and more.
3. Explore Social Media Platforms
Approximately 5 billion people use social media worldwide. There are many ways to employ that huge audience to help you get closer to the perfect dropshipping product that will ensure sales success. Scout platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook and search for items using popular dropshipping hashtags like #tiktokmademebuyit, #amazonfinds, or #productsreview. You can also search for trending products by typing in “[your niche] products 2023” or phrases like “Shop Now”, “Limited time only”, “Free shipping”, etc.
Best Product Research Tools for Dropshipping
Doing product research by yourself gives you a great sense of what your target audience is buying and what you should offer them next, but it can be very time consuming and doesn’t always leave you with a clear decision of what your new dropshipping products should be. Successful dropshippers apply product research software in an effort to speed up the process and gain more insight into sales analytics.
These tools are designed to help you root out good ideas and determine which dropshipping products to add to your online store. Many of the software solutions offer free trials but before moving on to a paid subscription make sure you have settled on a few key factors. Select a budget of how much you are willing to invest into your product research tool, and examine the many attributes and how important they are for your business, including how many filters they offer and if they assist with ad targeting.
With differing price points and a range of features, these are the leading research tools we suggest you explore to achieve remarkable e-commerce success.
Where To Find Dropshipping Product Ideas
After you have structured a concept for your online store and what your brand will represent, you should move on to hunting ideas for dropshipping products that will elevate sales figures.
Competitors
In a business as competitive as dropshipping, keeping a constant eye on your competitors is of key importance. Regularly explore the sites of dropshipping stores similar to yours and evaluate their available products. Try to pinpoint their methods for sourcing and marketing items.
Conducting opponent product research should not take too much of your time. A brief Google search can reveal a variety of competitors and a short review of their products can give you beneficial insights into what items you should include in your store.
Online Community Sites
Another effective strategy is sourcing products for dropshipping from popular online community sites. Research and identify which communities resonate with your chosen niche or industry and analyze their data. Observe the discussions and questions that the members are asking. Try to be one step ahead by offering products that solve consumer’s problems and needs.
Use the search function to look for keywords related to your store and filter the results based on your desired location. Don’t hesitate to ask for suggestions within the communities and remember that people are always more willing to share valuable insights with those they trust. Facebook and Reddit have some of the largest online communities, these are a few popular ones you should look into:
Social Shopping Sites
Social shopping sites are essentially ecommerce platforms focused on consumer recommendations and formatted much like a social platform. Leverage recommendations and feedback from users to acquire an understanding of which products are in demand. You can discover additional product ideas from social shopping sites such as:
Use These Questions to Guide Your Decision-making Process in Finding the Perfect Product
After you narrow down the products for your dropshipping store, you might need assistance to finalize your list. Refer to these questions to determine which items will be best to include.
Is There Sufficient Demand for This Product in the Market?
Understanding demand enables you to identify items that have a ready customer base. This makes it much easier to minimize the risk of offering products that may not sell well. Dedicate time to market research, analyzing search trends, and taking into account feedback and reviews for the best results.
What Is the Competition Like for This Product?
Dropshipping products that are saturated are much more difficult to sell. You should always aim to offer products that are only available in a few places. Steer clear from items that you’ve seen being sold in many stores, both online and brick-and-mortar.
This is especially important if you are just starting your business and are not well-known in the crowded e-commerce landscape. Monitoring the competition will help you position yourself more effectively on the market, including developing successful pricing strategies.
Does It Solve An Important Problem?
Winning products intrigue the customers. They solve problems that have previously seemed unsolvable. Problem-solving should be your number one goal when choosing which products to offer in your dropshipping store. Strive to sell practical and useful items that will make the customer’s lives easier in any sort of way.
Is the Product Lightweight and Easy to Ship to Customers?
Do not look over the importance of practicality when it comes to logistics. This factor directly impacts shipping costs, delivery times, and overall customer satisfaction. Lightweight products tend to be more cost-effective to ship, reducing expenses, and enabling faster shipping. This will lead to more positive reviews and repeat purchases.
Does the Product Have the Potential for Repeat Purchases or Upselling Opportunities?
Successful dropshippers often sell consumable products that customers can come back and purchase over and over again. Items like beauty or personal care products, as well as pet products like dog snacks and food, are things that people restock regularly. Delve into niches of this sort and figure out how they can fit within your dropshipping store.
Another very profitable detail you should invest your time in is upselling - a sales technique where you as the seller encourage the customers to buy more expensive or additional items. Some good examples of upselling opportunities are the following:
- Bundle Offers: Create product bundles that offer a discount when customers buy multiple related items as a set.
- Cross-selling: Suggest complimentary items to consumers when they view a product or add it to their shopping cart.
- Add-Ons or Accessories: Encourage purchases of add-ons or accessories that compliment the primary selected item.
Will I Be Able to Effectively Market and Promote This Product?
When making decisions about new products for dropshipping that you want to add to your online store try to envision how you will promote them. No matter how good a product may be, its success is possible only if you are able to reach and engage the target audience through effective marketing.
Is It Likely to Evoke an Impulsive Buying Decision?
The perfect dropshipping product should attract enough attention to evoke a quick action. An eye-catching item that resolves a problem and has an affordable price is the trifecta for impulse purchases.
Is the Product Seasonal, or Does It Have Year-Round Demand?
Understanding if a product is seasonal or has year-round demand will help you plan your marketing strategies effectively. Year-round products provide consistent sales and revenue, and seasonal products are oftentimes very popular and profitable. Find a balance when offering these two types of products and ensure a steady income while taking advantage of seasonal peaks, but do not rely solely on them.
Important Factors to Keep In Mind When Choosing Products for Dropshipping
Find the Ideal Product Price Range
As we mentioned before, higher-priced products, such as technology, usually require more buying consideration from shoppers. Strive for lower-priced items with better conversion rates. Conveniently these are almost always lightweight products that are much easier to deliver quickly. Be aware that products with very low prices will require you to sell more units for a good profit. This means a larger number of customers need to be persuaded that your item is what they need to spend their money on.
Take into consideration different locations and their cost of living. Of course, all products need to cover the cost of product sourcing and marketing, plus a nice profit.
How to Find Dropshipping Suppliers
All of your efforts will be in vain if you do not have good reliable dropshipping suppliers. This is a crucial aspect of your online business that deserves much of your research time and attention. Starting from the source and contacting the manufacturer will ensure you receive the lowest price. You may be subject to a minimum order quantity, if you do not meet this make an effort to negotiate and reach a mutually beneficial agreement.
You can also locate wholesalers and distributors online on websites such as AliBaba, AliDropship, and BrandsGateway. Always stick to reliable suppliers with high feedback scores and a long business history.
Dealing with Product Delivery Periods
With the whole idea of dropshipping not having inventory on hand and relying on suppliers, delivery periods will most likely be longer. Most items are distributed from China and have a lengthy travel time. Strive to source products that have the ePacket delivery option. This allows faster delivery of lightweight products up to 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds).
Maintain transparency and communication with your customers. Build trust by being clear and upfront about expected delivery times and reach out to them in case of delays.
Best Platform for Dropshipping
Now that you are equipped with all of the knowledge and tools necessary to create and manage a successful dropshipping store, the last, but not least step is selecting the platform on which to operate it. Look for a platform that allows smooth operation, has convenient features, and helpful dropshipping solutions. These are our top picks:
- Shopify: One of the most popular e-commerce platforms praised for its user-friendly interface and outstanding performance, enhanced by important integrations to facilitate dropshipping.
- Magento: Robust open-source e-commerce platform ideal for larger dropshipping stores with more complex needs.
- WooCommerce: Though not an independent platform, this free WordPress plug-in is ideal for those who prefer using WordPress as their content management system.
