You are ready to set up your online shop, but the most crucial question is still unanswered - what do you want to sell and what sells well online? There are many ways to make money online, and selling products is undoubtedly one of the most popular. The products that you add to the range of your online shop form the core of your business. They also shape the design, sales and, of course, the marketing plan of your business. When it comes to growing a successful eCommerce business, nothing is more important than your product range. That is why you should be methodical in your selection and choose products that suit your niche and promise success. What is suitable for selling online? In this article, we will share the five best methods you can use to find the right niche products to sell on the internet. 
  1. Know your target audience
  2. Discover new trend products
  3. Fill a gap in the market
  4. Learn from the competition
  5. Choose the right niche product
You don't have your online presence yet? Here you can find our post that explains in 5 easy steps how you can create your online shop.

Benefits of niche products

But what is a niche product anyway? If a product only appeals to a small but particular target group, it is called a niche product. The product is often specially adapted to the buyer to directly address them and satisfy a specific "niche" demand. For you as an online shop operator, niche products can be worthwhile because a more special offer is often associated with higher prices. So with higher-traded products, you can potentially generate higher income. In general, a product that is often offered is usually cheaper. In our blog articles about finding business ideas, we have already discussed the benefits of new business ideas. The situation is similar with niche products. These offer you the opportunity to become a pioneer and satisfy an offer for which the demand is new or still very low. This is how you set yourself apart from the competition with your online shop.
  1. Know your target group
Finding great niche products is not easy. Knowing your target audience is an essential element of any business strategy, no matter what you're selling or what business you're running. To find the right products for your niche, you should get to know your potential target group very well. What is the average age? What interests does your target group have? What are your pain points? Which social networks does she use? Which role models are popular with your target group?  What motivates you to buy? Another good way to get to know your target group better is to look at magazines from different niches to learn more about the interests and lifestyle of your potential customers. You can find a small selection here:
  • Fitness and Wellness: Shape Magazine, Men's Health
  • Fashion and Beauty: Glamor, Vogue , GQ
  • Gaming and Technology: GameStar, Wired
  • Art and design: art, wallpaper 
You can also find the latest trends on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. So don't forget to follow the popular channels with your target audience and keep your eyes open.
  1. Discover new trend products
Now that you've put yourself in the shoes of your potential customers and think like them, it's time to look for new trending products with sales potential. The key to success: get in early, do your research and always try to be one step ahead of the upcoming trends (and your competition). Choose new products that stand out from others and are profitable. Watch out for new trend products in the top online magazines in your industry. Since these websites are published in real-time, you have a good chance of discovering products as soon as they are trending.  The high art is, of course, to recognize trends before and while they are forming. Scan trending topics on social media and check Google Trends to see what issues they're discussing and what they're looking for. Note that although foreign trends can inspire you, buying behaviour can vary from region to region. So remember to filter Google Trends by location to get the data that is relevant to you. The question "What sells well online?" should be the focus of your search for the right niche product. Of course, eCommerce giants like Amazon and eBay should not be missing from your research because they can help you answer this central question. They offer several discount coupons to get customers attractions towards their products. Check out the best-selling product lists and advertised products. This can help you find trends that fit your niche. Also, scan the most popular Kickstarter lists for more inspiration to innovate and see which products are selling.
  1. Fill a gap in the market
New trends are significant, but it is just as essential to inform yourself about market niches. Because niche products are aimed at a smaller target group, it is vital to recognize who has these needs, which have previously been ignored and are therefore still unsatisfied. You can measure demand for a product using tools like the Google Keyword Planner. Here you can get information about how many people are searching for a specific keyword, in this case, a product, and then possibly fill this demand with your products. Of course, you can also use detailed market research to find out which product gaps and unmet needs there are. But always keep in mind that not every niche product is suitable for online sales.
  1. Learn from the competition
Check the online reviews of your competitors' niche products to see what is still missing from customers. YouTube and Facebook ratings are constructive as they are often more detailed. Build on the weaknesses and strengths of your competition and brainstorm improvements that you would make to the products. Ideally, you have researched your target group well and can empathize with their needs and demands, i.e. identify yourself with your niche market. But be careful, don't let your enthusiasm blind you too much. You risk becoming blind to other ideas and improvements and overlooking potent trends and new niche products.
  1. Choose the right niche product
Ultimately, of course, you want to sell items that generate sales. To do this, you should consider a few factors. Do you want and should you create your products? Some products can be made for sale yourself, which can have the clear advantage that you have control over the quality of your products. On the other hand, making your products takes time and effort. So think carefully about how much inventory you would have to produce and how much you can sell. Should you bring in an external manufacturer for your products? When choosing a manufacturer, you should make sure that the ROI (return on investment) is worthwhile - that is, you make enough returns by purchasing the product and reselling it. You can calculate your profit margins using websites like JungleScout. When you have found a manufacturer, you also have to bear in mind that the production of the product takes time. What can be shipped well? Unlike a brick and mortar store, selling online involves shipping products to your customers. So choose product materials with packaging and shipping in mind. Products that are easy to ship are:
  • Not fragile.
  • Small and light.
  • Contains only a few moving parts.
  • They do not perish quickly or are sensitive to heat and cold.
Here are our top niches where you can successfully sell products: Niches with accessories are good because you can generate high margins with additions and thus increase your sales.  Approach customers who are passionate about specific topics. Enthusiastic gamers, anglers, pet owners and treadmill runners like to spend money on this lifestyle and passion.  Print on demand products is well suited as niche products, as personalized products are particularly popular as gifts. They also have the advantage that you can send them via dropshipping and thus save you storage costs.   Trending topics such as sustainability and second-hand not only open up a promising niche market for you but are also good for the environment. You can also sell items that appeal to an audience that most companies tend to neglect, such as seniors. "Men-only" products such as beard care sets are also top-rated. Optimize your online shop Once you have found the right niche product, your customers must become aware of your offer. Hence, you should make sure that you use the correct keywords on your website when describing and promoting your products. Since these keywords should answer your customers' search query, so-called long-tail keywords are best suited to represent your niche products.  After your customers have found you and your products, you naturally want them to find an appealing online shop that matches your product. For example, a transparent, linear design is more likely to be the right choice if you sell technology. Natural products, on the other hand, often come into their own on a light structure. Wix offers you various website templates that you can design and modify to fit your online shop and your niche exactly. Last but not least, we recommend that you integrate secure payment methods in your online shop so that your customers feel that they are in good hands with you. So, good luck in finding your niche product and have fun creating your online shop.