The Top Products for selling online -

May 17, 2023

You're thinking of selling products online. It's an exciting first step to entrepreneurship!

The most successful business that sell online or through e-commerce invest time on the front end researching their market and considering the various decisions that go into selling on the internet.

The goal isn't just to list a bunch of products and groups that are claimed to be the "hottest" items selling online in 2023.

We'll go over some of those however, we'll also try give you the methods to conduct the research yourself in order to keep ahead of the trends and competitors and carve your own niche that is profitable.

Even more important more important, the top items to offer online are the ones you can sell on the internet successfully. If you can make it fit into your desired categories, sub-categories and niches, then you can succeed when it comes to establishing an online business.

analytics dashboards on various social media and data platforms

You're looking to market products that are in demand however, in a market that's not already saturated. You don't want to compete against huge stores, but you need a niche that can be lucrative and is able to grow.

How do you get started?

To serve you best, this guide has been designed to assist you in learning how to choose the right items to market online depending on your needs interest, knowledge imagination, passions, and creativity.

Is selling products online easy?

There's a better way for you to consider this:

What skills related to business, product development, marketing, and selling online do you currently are proficient in? Selling your products online boils down to what you know as well as what you could study, and how you can apply the abilities and know-how.

The more you know, the easier it will be to sell items online. No matter what your skills are selling on the internet requires the right idea, platforms and systems like , marketing, and a willing audience.

Do you think it's straightforward?

It's usually easier than starting a brick and mortar business like most typical retail stores because there are much less startup costs, fewer risks in the beginning, fewer overhead costs, and the ability to change to change, pivot, and adjust depending on the need.

The best part is, even if you do not have much experience there is nothing keeping you from growing. Reading this article is the perfect place to begin!

If you are motivated to give it a go selling products online Do not let the your lack of knowledge or experience hinder you. Begin now. Find out everything you can. Be consistent, and you can succeed.

woman working on her laptop in front of a bookshelf

How do I become an online vendor?

If you're not sure of an idea for a product yet, finding one is where you'll start. What do you want to offer through your own store? Which industries or products are appealing to you most?

A niche gives an opportunity to target an audience that wants something a bit different, but aren't getting their needs met at the large retailers. These niche products allow your business to appear on the internet, even as a brand new small online business.

person holding a cat mug in their hand

For example, can a new online store selling coffee mugs show up in the first page of a search on the internet for the term "coffee cups"? No. It's too big and broad of a term.

But what about a new online store selling funny colored coffee mugs that change color for cat owners? It's a very specific idea and has a huge audience for that.

A niche product can give you a place to start with, and allows you to compete with the big online stores straight from the start.

Have ideas for toys for toddlers? Examine your ideas and discover how to explain these toys. Are they silly toys? Puzzle toys? Brain-boosting toys? Toys for individuals, families or groups of children? Disposable or perishable toys? Environmentally-friendly toys?

This is only a starting base. The more precisely you can define what is it that sets the toys that you offer in your online store from a "toy store" the better audience will be able to attract.

two children playing with wooden toys at a table

When you are looking at types of products to sell online, don't get too involved in the broad categories.

Begin by making your own list of items or ideas that you are interested in. From there, begin exploring online using methods we'll explain in a bit as well as seek out an opening within a specific branch of a larger product category. Reduce it to a narrower group of specialty products. This is the key to finding niche merchandise to market online.

If you search for the most popular products that sold in 2023 or another year the pages you come across will have a different list of products. That means, there is no way to count the actual best selling products by category.

Why? because there are many ways to quantify that. Do you prefer selling according to quantity - the number of products sold? Best selling by profits? The best selling based on revenue before expenses? Most profitable sales compared to other competitors? What is the best-selling product within your industry or in your industry?

Your decision about what products you will sell on the internet doesn't only depend on the item itself. It also concerns how you'd like to sell it to, as well as the people you'd like to sell to - the target market. Let's look at both.

Ways to sell products online

Anyone who is looking to establish an online venture, there are a variety of ways to build your online presence, finding and managing inventory and so on. Some aren't exclusive to one another, but are all things you need to take into consideration.

Here are some of the options you can select from and then combine for your ideal business model:

Godin Guitars homepage design

Sell your products through your own online store

If you create your own online store using an application like this  it, you are able to sell your products directly to consumers, businesses wholesalers or retailers, and run the whole business by establishing your own site.

Amazon merchant homepage

Sell through an existing online marketplace

shelves full of jeans in different shades

Sell and manage your own inventory

If you have the space, whether it's rented or within premises you own, you can stockpile and sell your own merchandise in your online store. Here, you'll need to have systems for making certain that your products are in stock and you don't have so many items in stock that you're at risk of being trapped with inventory that isn't sold.

wooden shelves stocked with products

Sell via dropshipping

Each product that sells will be delivered directly from the producer or wholesaler to the customer.

Some products work well with this arrangement, while other products do not.

mugs with fun sayings stacked on a table

It is an alternative to dropshipping, in which you produce a product if you receive a request for it. In this scenario it is your turn to manufacture them yourself, on demand, or directly with a manufacturer.

items stacked in a warehouse

Manufacture your own products

If you have the capability to develop your own product that you can sell on the internet, then it's possible that you'll want take this route to preserve quality and cut out intermediaries, so that you can reduce your costs while making a good profit. This is also easier for certain product types than other.

men's clothing laid out on a table

Offer pre-existing items

It is also possible to sell items that are made in other countries, but you are now the intermediary making a markup on what you purchase from vendors and selling it to your own customers. There is also the option to change this approach and create your own private label upon a trending or pre-existing product.

warehouse full of shoeboxes

Wholesale sales

What's better - selling on Amazon or your own online store?

In general, you'll enjoy selling your own online store than on Amazon or any other marketplaces online, and here are the most important reasons for this:

  • It's not competing with other items that are on the same page next to yours
  • You'll have less concern about the price of the competitors
  • You'll enjoy more flexibility - Amazon will change their terms, delist you, or increase their fees with no warning
  • There's more customer loyalty and a better chance to build brand recognition
  • The possibilities to grow without limits
  • You'll be the sole owner of all your client information (not an external site) This is an extremely useful asset, the more it grows

It may be easier to begin selling online using a site like Amazon due to its pre-existing infrastructure, and the higher traffic initially but you'll soon realize that the above advantages of having your own store online outweigh the benefits Amazon offers, particularly in the longer-term expansion.

Who should you sell it to?

Your product, at least in the main, define who your audience is. There are a few additional considerations. It is possible to offer items to customers based on various aspects like:

  • Demographics like age, gender
  • Employment
  • Situations of life - families who have kids, retirees and singles
  • Socio-economic status
  • Ethnicity
  • Location - countries, states provinces, regions cities

There is the option to offer your products to companies through B2B, which is Business to Business. Wholesale is the perfect place to do this with any website, however, all online stores is able to sell items to other firms, in accordance with the product they sell.

Your market of choice will come from whichever products you decide to offer, and this will change and evolve in time. When you're only getting into selling on the internet, you need to make a a decision about whom your ideal customers would be, and then build on that.

What product has the highest profit margin?

The highest margin online products are non-physical products. Information-based products like online classes, memberships and online coaching group as well as eBooks need no inventory, no manufacturing and production. When the product is produced, you can sell identical items to as many customers as can buy it.

Software may also fall into this class, but the development process tends to involve a lot more people than the products listed earlier, which pushes up the costs of production and lowers the margins, at least at first. However, if the software you develop takes off and gets popular, it also has very high margins.

warehouse stacked high with boxes

What kinds of products can I offer online from home?

In the past, we've mentioned that it is possible to begin selling items at home with ease using dropshipping, because it eliminates the requirement to store and manage your inventory.

Dropshipping businesses have a number of advantages, such as relatively low startup costs, no shipping costs or warehouse overhead as well as lower risk and lower staffing requirements. It can also be harder to gain a foothold within the marketplace and it is also less in control over your products.

You can also visit actual dropshipping companies and learn how they work and what services they can provide.

The two biggest dropshipping provider sources include AliExpr e and ss and Spocket.

The factors that influence sale and profit

What can you do to narrow down your ideas for the products you'd like to sell online? Here are a few considerations which affect the way the product is sold and profits potential margins

Margins

The margin you earn on every product is the amount is required to produce or store the product and the price you are charging for the product. Offering a product at $200 that costs the equivalent of $180 for production might not be a good business idea than one that retails at $50, and is only the same amount to produce.

assorted cookies in a cardboard box

Shelf Life - Perishability

The same applies to food items This is true for food, naturally. However, it is also applicable to things like building materials, certain skin and beauty items, as well as other products. Longer-lasting items may be more desirable to customers, but this also means that you won't be able to sell to them as frequently. Again - there isn't a 'right' or 'wrong' method to approach this. This is just something to think about when you are exploring the possibilities of your product.

Selling perishable products also increase your chance of having inventory left unsold. If you're unable to dispose of things before they become rotten and you've lost all value of the raw good.

Dimensions and weight

The heavier, bigger and more bulkier products can increase storage space and inventory management costs.

man and woman packing boxes for shipping

Consumable or non-consumable

It doesn't have to mean food. Any product that people run out of is a good candidate to generate sales over the long term as your customers will continue to purchase more. This is in contrast to products that are bought only a couple of times over their life.

An old wrench could last for years before it gets worn out. It's a tough area to fill because most people are able to fit so much art in their home. That isn't to say these aren't worthwhile niches to think about. It's just something you can incorporate into your thought process as you plan your strategy to market your products online.

What do you need to think of when coming up with a product and how do you sell it?

The answer to this depends upon the type of online business model appeals to you.

A dropshipper doesn't need to manage inventory or develop a product. The products you sell are already in existence. You might have to develop your brand and must definitely develop your marketing plan and an online store. But you don't have to develop real product concepts.

workers standing in a warehouse

The same is true also for wholesale sales. If you are looking to collaborate with wholesalers, you might be a part of the chain for businesses who require those items. There could be a massive wholesaler from another country who is able to store a large amount of an item.

They can purchase their goods in bulk and mark it up then become a wholesaler local for your state, city province, region, or state.

Again, you wouldn't need to develop a product with this method.

A print on demand company doesn't create the canvas for their products, but they are providing the personalization that makes business or individuals want to buy from them. So in this case, you need to have the ability to create your own unique style, design and technical skills, or whatever type of customization you're offering.

blank white t-shirts for customization

It is important to understand the best ways to connect with suppliers who can provide the 'canvases to showcase your items whether they are shirts, notebooks, cups, pens water bottles, any other items you wish to offer in your ecommerce store.

If you manufacture your own items then the solution is a lot more complex. If food, where will you find the ingredients assuming you have developed recipes already? If some other product, you'll need to source the raw materials as well as develop a manufacturing procedure.

If the product you are selling is software or a digital information product, then you have to program the product, then write it down and create it.

Before you come up with a novel product - particularly one that comes with more upfront expenses, it's worth conducting some market research and see whether there is a demand for your idea. It's time to talk about market research.

What other items are selling well right now? What's in demand?

How do you find out which products are popular at other online retailers? There are four ways to find trending products:

Google Trends offers a powerful tool that allows you to access the thoughts of the people who use it. If you have a list of potential product ideas in your head, Google Trends allows you to search for keywords and see how much demand is being generated for the types of products.

Perhaps more fascinating, it is possible to draw conclusions and inspiration from how the searches of consumers vary broadly. As an example, Google's own analysis of trends in 2022 shows some clear conclusion:

 People are traveling

Searches related to travel are increasing significantly as people continue to make up for lost time lost during the epidemic. Searches for the "best travel pillows" increased by 155 percent, "airline reviews" 70 percent"airline reviews" 70%, and "best credit cards to travel with" 30%. If your product is employed in connection with exploring and travel or if you are able to make it appear so the case, you could profit from this increase in interest.

 The people are feeling the impact the economic uncertainties

In contrast the consumers are also increasing the number of searches related to savings and stress management. The economic future remains uncertain and consumers are taking precautions. "Cheap alternative to" experienced a rise of 30% as did "how to make money" saw a 50% jump. Similar trends were observed for search results related to stress management, while burning out symptoms saw a spike of 85%.

If you're starting your very first online store or planning to expand your current presence in the coming years, make certain to check out Google's report on the future of retail. It outlines how consumers are searching for products across various channels and shedding the brand loyalty to focus on personalization.

To access Google Trends, after you reach the main page you must click on the Explore tab. After that, type in a category or other search term which is pertinent to the idea of your product.

Google Trends dashboard

As an example, if you type 'yogurt' into Google Trends, it shows the interest for yogurt according to the location. You can filter your search from states to large metro areas to cities, and find areas that have displayed the most interest in yogurt. The information could prove useful if you want to target particular areas at the beginning. Go where demand is greatest.

related queries from Google Trends
Common words

Next, it will highlight related searches that have significant search volumes. For yogurt, Google Trends listed things like 'greek yogurt' and  frozen yogurt. This tells you the most searched for terms that are related to the food category.

rising related queries from Google Trends

There is also the option to choose 'rising' search volume, and see which terms get the most interest recently. The top yogurt terms that were searches that were rising included "coconut cult Yogurt, 'yogurt bark,' and a handful of others.

They represent what you might consider the cutting edge of the dairy industry. You won't discover them in the grocery store. The terms 'rising' give you emerging merchandise that is beginning to gain traction.

These might be good idea products for you to begin selling on the web, so that you are able to enjoy the growth as that product becomes more popular. These could also pose a risk however, in the event that the trend fizzles too fast.

related topics from Google Trends

Following, Google Trends will display related subjects. These are words that don't include yogurt, but that are related to it in some way or another, like "protein-related the nutrient.'

This is where you're looking for possible ideas for new products, or for new potential markets that may be interested in the products of your online business.

The Greek yogurt boom of the past 10 years is probably due in part with the growing demand for protein alternatives which are rich in nutrients. So this appeals to a certain type of consumer. What else might they be interested in besides only yogurt?

2. Utilize Amazon

There is a way to utilize Amazon without selling through Amazon. Much of their data is accessible to all to look at, and you can utilize it to study popular and trending products and categories.

Find out how you can find items that you can sell by using Amazon sales information:

movers and shakers category on Amazon

Shakers and Movers

You can start by navigating to Amazon's Movers and Shakers section. It lists the products that generated the biggest increase in sales in a specific time. This is similar to "rising" queries found in Google Trends, except now it's looking at actual items instead of search phrases.

The list of major players and shakers of the duration of a single day might not be very important, as the lists are constantly changing. If you were to check in each day for several months, focusing on just a couple products that you are interested in and you be able to spot patterns and trends.

Do any products or brands consistently show up? How do things like seasonal events and holidays impact which brands and products are displayed? What about news events?

Amazon movers and shakers

Subcategories

The second option in the same place, is to click on a main product category for example 'baby.' A new set of headers will be displayed, with subcategories for 'baby,' such as strollers, nursery products, clothing as well as toys. When you click on these category, you will see the categories broken down further.

It is possible to niche down to very specific categories and descriptions for products, much like we were discussing earlier when we discussed color-changing coffee cups for cat owners.

What can you do?

Check out the products that are selling. Examine their packaging and the brand names. Learn about the product's marketing and description. Review reviews and find out what buyers like about the products and also the areas where they're not meeting their expectations.

If you are able to identify the ways these products do not meet the needs of customers - missed opportunities - it could be possible to make products available online that address those unmet needs.

Best seller ratings BSR - BSR

Amazon uses a metric called the BSR to help customers and sellers alike get an idea of how well these items are selling.

So this gives you a sense of how much you may be able to sell at Amazon at a minimum. But, of obviously, you need be wary of data like this, because it's dependent upon a variety of variables including pricing as well as class. These sales won't just "happen," because you picked the right product category.

But you do get a some idea of demand for these products based on their BSRs.

The broad product categories which are always in high popularity on Amazon include kitchen and home as well as health and personal care, sports and outdoors as well as beauty.

3. Tap into TikTok

TikTok has become so impactful to customers that people are willing to share their discoveries with the extremely-popular hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt - this now has more than 50 billion views. The site is full of new ideas and is a fantastic starting point for your research process.

TikTok offers a variety of amazing sources for businesses. You can view top merchandise and filter results based on the location of the product, its category or categories, among other things. Use the search function to locate more precise results.

TikTok offers a brand-new insight portal which provides information on the behavior of the generation, place of work and much more.

The system syncs inventory from your store with TikTok to automatically help you make ads, that do not require a professional designer or video team. Advanced tracking pixels can aid you in maximising your ROI on ad spend and quickly locate a target audience to purchase your latest product.

4. Follow the data and let it guide your decisions.

Other than the Google Trends and Amazon You can begin with the basics of search engine queries and let your research guide you.

Find sales data that relate to the product categories of interest. You should check sources and dates to make sure that the information you're reading is current and reliable, but statistics are available all over the place which can assist you in finding trending products online. If you get specific enough there's a good chance you'll come across some interesting stuff.

For example, searching for "kitchen sales statistics" could yield a lot, but it isn't very helpful because the term is so broad. Are you aware of why having a more defined specific, lucrative niche is crucial? This topic is mentioned over and over again.

woman working on a laptop

You can instead look for more narrow phrases for example "food storage container sales statistics". You can substitute "data" for 'statistics.' That narrower term can be useful to people who are looking to sell these types of products.

So a good strategy is to first use Amazon to find more specific product categories. Then, search online for sales stats using those words. Find out where it takes you.

You can also consult organizations and websites in the field you are interested in or are relevant to your intended audience. These organizations often fund studies and research which you could use to help you explore your products.

How do you conduct market research?

Statistic and trends are but the beginning of research into market. It is important to look deeper.

What kinds of subjects could you investigate? Here are a few recommendations:

  • Demand - utilize Google Trends and BSRs on Amazon to make sense of this
  • Sales statistics - market size and searches give you a good idea for this, too
  • Economic indicators. What characteristics will your goods will appeal to?
  • Location Google Trends again can help when you want to market to specific locations
  • There is a market saturation issue - are there already enough competition? Is there room for another choice?
  • Pricing - what are people paying for goods and services related to your idea?

Qualtrics recommends focusing research on one of four possible subjects:

  • Current or previous customers behaviour
  • The company you work for - your product, services, marketing strategies, pricing, etc.
  • Competition - the effects of your product on other products within the marketplace
  • Industry overall - where it's heading and what it's been doing

What are the best ways to research subjects such as those? There are two kinds of market research: Primary and secondary.

team meeting around a table

Conduct primary and secondary market study

Primarily research refers to anything that you do yourself, such as interviews or surveys, product evaluation, focus groups, and other methods of data collection.

Secondary research is all data available that you collect and utilize. Therefore, looking online for sales figures is secondary research. So would looking at websites of the government, like the Small Business Association that has many kinds of information.

You probably noticed immediately that secondary research is easier, but primary research is much more useful because it'll specifically address your product concepts and objectives.

Hotjar posted Hotjar has posted a great example of primry research that includes an example from a company who conducted research on one of their existing products.

Five good questions to ask if you have the chance to speak with someone as part of your study:

  1. Who are you? And what is your job?
  2. How do you spend your day?
  3. Do you ever purchase this type of product or product or
  4. What problem were you seeking to resolve or what purpose was you aiming to reach by making that purchase?
  5. Take me back to the time you initially decided you were required to find a solution or reach this goal.

This line of questioning helps expose the thinking and motivations behind purchase decisions.

Moz homepage

Research competitor search traffic

A different method for conducting market research can be done by using SEO tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or Buzzsumo.

Want to see which websites get traffic from search terms and the keywords that are related to your products ideas and categories?

These services will show you. It will show you the actual information for impressions and clicks related to a variety of search terms, as well as PPC advertisements that your rivals may be using.

For clarity on these definitions, impressions occur whenever a search result is displayed in response to a query. And it is a click when the person clicks on the result. Therefore, impressions always rank greater than clicks. This same principle applies also to PPC (pay per click) advertising.

These kinds of data are beneficial for a variety of motives, but not all of them are connected to research on market. For example, you'll know something about your competition and the competition to attract organic or paid traffic.

But you'll also get good information about what your prospective customers are clicking on. The search terms you'll find seem to get a greater responses. That indicates demand.

And to be clear, they are paid for services. But if you're just getting started and don't want to go overboard, you may sign up for a month, conduct all the initial research and then cancel.

shelves in a store with packaged food items

Okay, so do you require a few samples of items that can be sold online?

Keep in mind that any listing attempting to present the best merchandise to market online is only a snapshot. So the greater value is in what you've already learned - what constitutes a quality product to sell, the best way to detect patterns, evaluate items, various ways to sell your product online and everything else.

However, there are broad trending in online sales that are likely to last over time. In case you're not aware, Amazon reports consistently strong selling of these categories:

  • Kitchen and home
  • Personal and health treatment
  • Sports and outdoors
  • Beauty

Here are a few specific instances:

workout clothes stacked on a table

Formwear

Shapewear is growing in popularity. In contrast to other fashion trends with short lives fashions, it serves a functional reason. It's designed to be comfortable and stylish while helping people feel confident in how they dress.

The fabric used in modern shapes is extremely light and easy to carry. Below are a few choices that fall in this class:

  • Control slips
  • Leggings
  • Bodysuits

It is for some sportswear and they wear it at the gym or while working out in the outdoors. Its flexibility and usefulness has made it a mainstay for modern-day clothing.

granola bars on a white background

Health and wellness

A lot of consumers are willing to spend more for organic foods and locally-sourced or farm-raised products.

Many shoppers are also looking for foods for those with special diets. They may prefer low-fat and nutrient-rich, vegetarian or Keto options.

Here are some of the examples for fitness and health products:

  • Dietary supplements
  • Multivitamins
  • Protein shakes
  • Energy bars
kitten playing with pink toys

Pet products

Nearly 70 percent of U.S. households are pet owner. The pet market online is a stable, reliable product category because people need to regularly replace toys and accessories, along with food.

  • Pet beds
  • Brushes for dogs
  • LED dog collars
  • Toys that bite
kitchen with stove and backsplash

Home and kitchen

The shelf's life could be a bit longer, but consumers want to find innovative methods for cooking, organizing, and keep things organized in their kitchens.

You can always count on the steady flow of potential purchasers as the young get out of their homes with parents, get married, start families, acquire the first or second home, and start their new lives.

From childhood to retirement and beyond, all the way to retirement, kitchen and household items, accessories, kitchen utensils and storage alternatives will always be in demand.

The most common examples of home and kitchen products include:

  • Non-slip kitchen mats
  • Silverware sets
  • Drawer and cabinet organizers
  • Drying racks
  • Dustpans and brooms

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