E-commerce has reached the point where starting a store is highly achievable. Products like Shopify have reduced the complexity of building and operating a site, with many apps simplifying day-to-day processes. It is still a challenge to manage product inventory, create engaging marketing campaigns, and remain profitable, but these skills come with experience. A significant obstacle, however, is deciding which industry to base your store around and what products to sell. Making the right choice can be the difference between success and failure, and the following places can be used to research ideas for a profitable e-commerce business.
Google Trends
Google Trends lets you find trends you may not have been aware of before. You can look at daily and realtime trending searches, finding the most popular queries taking place. Alternatively, you could use a broad search term, analyzing the related keywords that are rising in popularity. One crucial benefit of Google Trends is the ability to see when interest in a niche seems to be growing or tailing off. With frequent use of the site, you can gain a sense of the trends taking place across a range of industries.
Jungle Scout
Jungle Scout is a tool to help with Amazon selling. The tool provides detailed sales data about the various product and niches on Amazon. It is possible to see then which niches are proving popular while avoiding the categories that are struggling for interest. If you find an idea you like, there is also the ability to find suppliers using their global database.
Amazon
Another option for product ideas is to go directly to the Amazon website. Amazon offers a host of categories, with the ability to drill down to more selective options. You can look through the bestseller lists, uncovering product examples that can often surprise you. Also, you may find popular products, but their listings are not well optimized, providing the potential for improvement.
Thieve
Thieve is a site that curates a list of products found on the AliExpress marketplace. E-commerce stores often use AliExpress for dropshipping, so product selection becomes imperative. A common problem, though, is working through the countless products and vendors to find something suitable. Thieve can reduce the research period, giving you plenty of ideas for your store.
Oberlo
Oberlo is an app that can simplify the dropshipping process using Shopify. In terms of product ideas, the app can help you find items quickly, identifying trending goods or letting you uncover hidden gems. The pricing and potential profit are also listed, so you can work out whether it will be possible to create a successful store. More specific elements, like sales volume and competition, are also crucial for working out whether products are suitable for your store.
Facebook Ad Library
Facebook is one of the most popular platforms used by e-commerce sites. The Facebook advertising platform has simplified processes so that they can find optimal audiences based on a wide variety of data points. If your ads are effective, you can then consistently drive targeted traffic to your offers. The Facebook Ad Library gives you access to all the ads running on the platform, so you can see what is selling and the type of ads that are working. Advertisers are unlikely to keep promoting failing products, making a long-running ad an indicator of success.
Pinterest doesn’t have the same popularity as Facebook and Twitter, but it can be incredibly useful for product research. There are many curated feeds focused on popular products in various niches. You may, for example, follow an interior design account, uncovering a single item, such as a mirror, that catches your attention. An e-commerce store could then be designed exclusively around mirrors.
WatchCount
WatchCount is a site that monitors popular products on eBay by analyzing the number of watchers for each item. You can browse through the various categories or search by keyword. The information provided can give you some initial ideas for your e-commerce store, while also ensuring there is interest in the items from consumers. eBay is such a popular auction site that the level of enthusiasm for products can be used to gauge the level of interest in the industry as a whole.
Some businesses start with a product, building their brand from their original idea. Other companies might have an offline enterprise that they develop into an e-commerce site. In many cases, though, entrepreneurs are attracted to the concept of owning stores, but they don’t have a clear idea of a product or niche. The initial idea can be challenging as there are countless opportunities available. It is essential to set aside time to research industries, uncovering less competitive markets or sub-niches with potential. Looking through these sites should reveal a host of site ideas, enabling you to make the right decision moving forward.