Selling products online is a great way to make a little extra cash in today’s world. You don’t need to have a full online business or marketing team to profit from online sales. All it usually takes is a little research, some understanding of SEO, and the right products.
Sounds simple enough, right? But you may be wondering, “What can I sell to make extra money online?” Technically, you can sell just about anything online. If there’s a product that exists, it has a market. But that’s not good advice if you’re looking to sell items online with a small budget. While there are tons of options for things to sell online, certain types of items are more profitable than others.
There are a couple of general guidelines to consider when choosing what to sell online.
But for those simply looking to make money fast online, here are some item categories to consider.
Let’s start with one of the most obvious answers. Most people have a few unused, but perfectly fine, items lying around the house. It could be an old couch, TV, or piece of workout equipment.
Rather than letting it collect dust in the attic, you can sell it online for each cash. The obvious benefit here is that selling these items comes at no expense to you. You’re clearing out space in your home and making money doing it.
Of course, you’ll need to make sure the items you sell are still in good condition.
One of the most lucrative categories of items to sell online is collectible items. This could be anything from sports memorabilia to vintage toys and action figures. Getting your hands on collectible items might prove difficult. But if you do manage to find them, selling collectibles online can offer a tremendous return on investment.
Remember what we said about bulky items costing more to ship? There’s a reason we called that a “guideline” rather than a “rule.”
Selling certain items online is a great way to make a profit, even if shipping is more expensive. Furniture is perhaps the best example of this point. You can sell your old furniture online to make some quick money.
Or, you can set up a dropshipping business to sell furniture online for a more consistent revenue stream. Furniture is an evergreen product that will always have a large market, making it a consistent best-seller online.
Custom T-shirts are a perfect example of a high-demand, low competition item. And designing and selling them online is easier than you might think. Many people can set up a print-on-demand business to sell T-shirts online.
All you need is a minimal investment in wholesale shirts and some basic graphic design skills. Once you have your designs, you simply list them online and wait for orders to roll in.
Selling food may come with a few added permits and requirements depending on where you live. But if you have any culinary expertise, selling food online is a great way to make extra money on the side. Running a home bakery or selling your own home canning goods is an easy (and fun) way to turn a hobby into money.
Books are lightweight, easy to ship, and always in high demand. Even with other forms of media and entertainment rising in popularity, books refuse to go out of style. Selling books online, whether used books, or your own self-published books, is a great way to make money online.
If you have a knack for photography (and a high-quality lens), then starting a photography business is a fantastic way to make money on the side. Lots of people are willing to pay money for good photos, including stock photography companies.
Selling your pictures as stock photos is often one of the easiest ways to make money online.
Who said you are only allowed to sell products online? When asking, “What can I sell online to make money,” few people ever think about providing services. But this can be a great way to turn your valuable time and skills into a source of income.
All kinds of people and businesses are looking for freelance work or other types of services. You can sell any expertise you have as a service online, provided you find the right market for it. This could mean working as a freelance writer, graphic designer, website builder, or academic tutor. These are just a few of many examples of services you can sell online.
Whether you’re buying and reselling wholesale goods, or using dropshipping, buying products for resale is often a successful business model. Here are some of the best items to buy and sell in bulk online.
Toys, ranging from dolls, to board games, to electronics, are always top sellers online. Vintage toys would fit under the “Collectibles” category mentioned above. However, new toys are also always in very high demand, especially around the holidays. Some toys may be more difficult to ship than others. But as long as things are packaged properly, there is virtually no downside to buying and selling toys online.
Jewelry is another item that is easy to ship and constantly in high demand. It is also relatively easy to find a niche within the broader category of jewelry. With so many unique styles available, there is bound to be a market for any quality design or product.
Home decor is also a broad category with plenty of room to find your niche. Anything from picture frames to curtains and bedsheets fits within this category. Additionally, most of these items are extremely easy to ship, and are also essential everyday items. Home decor items are consistently among the most popular products for dropshipping businesses.
Baby toys and clothing, as well as items like blankets and diapers, will always sell well online. New parents are always in need of baby items, and often rely on online shopping to find them. You can buy and sell baby items in bulk.
Also, if you are a parent yourself, you may still have unused baby items of your own. Selling them to new parents online is a great way to get rid of them while making extra money.
Selling custom daily planners is a fun and easy way to make money online. But you can also expand that by selling all types of office supplies. This is a category with a lot of competition, but also extremely high demand.
People go through pens, post-it notes, staples, and other supplies every day. There will always be a need for these products online.
If you’re asking, “What can I sell to make money fast?”, then there is one more important topic to cover. And that is where you can sell online. There are several popular online marketplaces to choose from, each of which is better suited for some products.
Want to learn more about starting your own online store? Ecwid has plenty of resources to help you create an online store.
Start making money online today by selling anything to anyone with the easiest ecommerce platform
Amazon is renowned for its high level of trust among buyers and its profit potential for sellers. However, success requires more than just listing any product you like or believing it will be successful. It's crucial to select items that are in-demand if you hope to ensure consistent sales and revenue. This guide will help you identify the characteristics of the best items to sell on Amazon for 2024.
Deciding what to sell on Amazon from its vast array of products requires careful consideration, which depends on understanding the criteria needed to identify the best selling items. One of the most effective ways to do this is through thorough research and narrowing down your criteria as you determine the potential popularity of a product.
Below, we'll explore an effective, three-step approach that will help you search for the best things to sell on Amazon.
First and foremost, it's essential to acknowledge that the success and profitability of any product can vary significantly. Not all items have equal selling potential, and some may yield higher returns than others. Here's a breakdown of the key criteria to consider when choosing the best products to sell on Amazon:
High Demand: Choose products that consumers are actively searching for and purchasing. By monitoring such factors as sales volume, trends, and keyword search volume, sellers can gain insights into the level of demand for a particular product and make informed decisions about which items to choose.
Low Competition: Opt for items with fewer sellers on one listing for reselling, or with no strong competitors in the niche for private label. Lower competition can lead to higher visibility for your product.
Price Range: Products priced between $30-$70 often provide a balance between affordability and profit. This price range tends to appeal to a wide range of consumers while still ensuring satisfactory profit margins for sellers.
Profitability: Make sure the product you choose can generate a strong profit after covering costs like buying, shipping, and Amazon fees. A profit margin higher than 10% considered is good.
Product Size: Smaller, lightweight items are generally easier and more cost-effective to store and ship.
These are just some of the factors to evaluate when searching for products to sell on Amazon. Analyzing all aspects manually can be both time-consuming and challenging. Also, accessing certain data points, such as keyword search volume, may even be impossible without specialized tools.
Utilizing the AMZScout tools can simplify this process, allowing you to assess multiple products simultaneously and compare them in order to identify profitable products and make informed decisions for your Amazon business.
The AMZScout Product Database has detailed information on a vast number of Amazon items. This tool helps you find products easily that can earn you a lot of money on the platform.
Here's a simple guide to using this tool for product research:
1. Start by opening the AMZScout Product Database. This is included in the comprehensive AMZScout Seller’s Bundle.
2. Use the search filters. Set your product requirements, including your desired number of sales, size, price, ratings, and more. You can also enter specific words to narrow down your search, or use a pre-set filter group from the Product Selections feature.
3. Make your search more precise. Choose the option for New Products if you only want to see items added in the last two weeks. If you want to find products with increasing demand, check the Trending Products box to find those that have experienced a 20% sales increase over the last three months.
4. Click Find Products. Once you've chosen your filters and put in all your details, you can see a list of products that match your criteria.
5. Pick out the most appealing options. Look for products that best meet your needs. Consider comparing items across different niches based on sales volume, Amazon FBA fees, pricing, and other relevant parameters to help you identify the most promising products for sales.
TRY FOR FREEGet StartedNow that you’ve found some great options among millions of Amazon products, it's essential to check for potential challenges within the niche and analyze the long-term sustainability of your chosen products.
Even if a product seems like it might be perfect and is trending, it might still be hard to make money if there are too many other strong sellers in the market. The AMZScout PRO Extension can give you detailed insights into the levels of demand and competition for any product category.
Here's how to use the PRO Extension to analyze a niche:
1. Log into your AMZScout account. If you’re using it for the first time, sign in with your email or Google account.
2. Install the Chrome extension. Open “Menu” and click on “AMZScout PRO Extension” to install it to your browser.
3. Look for product ideas. Search for items you're interested in selling or have found in the Product Database. You can also check out Amazon's curated lists, like “Best Sellers” or “Movers and Shakers”.
4. Check the dashboard. The AMZScout PRO Extension will display sales information for any products in your chosen niche, including sales numbers, prices, FBA fees, the number of other sellers, and more. You'll also see other important figures, like each product's net profit margin.
5. Look at the niche's past performance. Use the Niche Score and Niche History to understand the trends within your niche. The Niche Score rates the niche's potential on a scale from 1-10, factoring in things like demand, competition, and profitability. Niche History tracks how interest in the niche has changed over time.
6. Identify the most promising products. Finally, examine the historical performance of any individual products that catch your eye. Click on Product History to see how the price, best sellers rank, and sales of a specific product have evolved over time.
This method can help sellers make more informed decisions by providing real-time pricing data and competitor analysis for any products on the platform. If you're not sure which products to start with, try the next tool to help you generate a list of potential product ideas.
When choosing the best item to sell on Amazon, you need to identify the right category. Some categories may contain items with higher potential, while others may be less competitive or demand lower investments. Also, remember that certain categories require approval for selling, which can be quite challenging to obtain. That’s why it’s important to evaluate these factors carefully so you can choose the most suitable product category for your Amazon business.
So, which categories are the best ones to focus on? Below is a list of product areas that have some of the most frequently purchased things on Amazon:
Lawn & Garden
Electronics
Home & Kitchen
Sports & Outdoors
Clothing & Shoes
Books
Baby Products
Toys & Games
Pet Supplies
Jewelry
Beauty & Personal Care
You can also find this list in a Statista survey, which shows that these categories are the most popular among Amazon's small and medium-sized businesses.
This doesn't mean you can't succeed in other categories, but the ones mentioned above are usually the best place to start because they tend to generate steady sales over time. Whether you choose one of these niches or another one, it's wise to pick an area you're interested in.
Most often, the best products to sell successfully on Amazon are from the Home & Kitchen, Electronics, Beauty, Baby Products, or Pet Supplies categories. However, even within the same category, products can vary greatly based on factors such as demand stability, more suitable sales approach, trending growth, and other criteria.
To assist new sellers with finding optimal items on Amazon, we have compiled a comprehensive list of product ideas. This list combines several factors that represent various conditions that sellers may encounter.
Note: For each category, it's essential to consider market saturation, competition, and your ability to source these products reliably. We recommend checking all this data in advance using special tools, such as the AMZScout Product Database and PRO Extension.
Evergreen products are those that maintain steady customer interest throughout the year. These include essential or traditional items that people continually need. Sellers can rely on a consistent stream of sales and revenue, unaffected by seasonal fluctuations or trends.
Pet care supplies (e.g., dog beds)
Reusable water bottles
Kitchen utensils
Basic clothing items (e.g., socks or undergarments)
Educational books for children
Seasonal products see spikes in demand during certain times of the year, often due to holidays, specific seasons, or special events. Compared to evergreen products, seasonal items attract the easiest and fastest sales due to increased demand during those periods.
However, it's crucial to plan your inventory wisely to avoid overstocking while ensuring that enough products are available, especially for Amazon FBA sellers who may face high stocking fees.
Holiday decorations (e.g., Christmas or Halloween)
Seasonal clothing (e.g., swimwear in summer or coats in winter)
Gift boxes (e.g., for Easter or Valentine's Day)
School supplies (for the back-to-school season)
Winter sports equipment (e.g., skis or snowboards)
These products are compact and lightweight, making them easy and cost-effective to ship. They are ideal for online sales thanks to their low shipping costs. However, it's also important to note that small and light products might not have high profit margins, and the FBA method might not be the best option for these types of items due to the potentially high fees associated with this service.
Phone cases
Jewelry (e.g., earrings or necklaces)
Compact travel accessories (e.g., luggage tags or travel bottles)
Small beauty products (e.g., lip balm or travel-sized cosmetics)
Stationery items (e.g., pens or notebooks)
TikTok has become a powerful platform for setting trends. Products that go viral on TikTok can see a massive surge in demand that leads to easy sales, as TikTok users are drawn to things that are trendy and unique. This perception makes these products more attractive to potential customers who want to stay current with the latest trends.
The Pink Stuff paste
Sunset lamps
Skincare tools (e.g., jade rollers or gua sha stones)
Novelty kitchen gadgets (e.g., avocado slicers or pancake art kits)
Car cleaning gel
Reselling branded products involves selling items from well-known brands, typically through wholesale agreements that allow sellers to use the brand's name. These products have built-in demand driven by brand recognition, making them sought-after by consumers. These items often fall into categories with high demand, making them easy to sell online and ensuring a steady stream of revenue.
Sneakers from popular brands
Designer handbags
Electronics
Branded cosmetics
Popular board games and toys
The range of options available in these categories provides new Amazon sellers with many opportunities to cater to diverse consumer preferences and market dynamics.
However, it's also essential to remember that a winning strategy isn't just about choosing the type and category of frequently purchased products. It also involves thoroughly analyzing each specific product using such tools as those in the AMZScout toolkit to ensure its profitability.
While it’s crucial to identify hot-selling products to sell on Amazon, it's equally also important to take other essential steps that can determine the success of your business idea. These factors might not be immediately obvious to beginners on Amazon, but they can influence your business in both positive and negative ways.
Let's explore a few tips below:
Think about how you can improve the product.
If you're considering launching a product under your own brand, brainstorm ways to enhance existing products on the market and differentiate your product. Conduct thorough market research to identify areas for improvement and gather insights into customer preferences or pain.
For instance, if you're entering the smartphone accessories market, you might introduce cases with built-in battery packs to address the common issue of low battery life. By incorporating these types of innovations, your product will stand out so you can establish a strong brand presence and cultivate customer loyalty.
Check if there are any trusted suppliers with affordable prices.
It's crucial to research supplier prices thoroughly by comparing costs and negotiating favorable terms. By doing so, you can ensure that the product's manufacturing or procurement expenses align with your budget and profit expectations. Factors like shipping fees, import taxes, and potential customs duties can significantly impact your overall expenses and profit margins.
Perform keyword research to review demand and competition.
To assess which products sell the most frequently, it's essential to consider factors beyond sales volume and profitability, such as keyword research, complementing traditional metrics for a comprehensive analysis. Generally, the higher the search volume is for a particular keyword, the more challenging it may be to rank at the top of search results.
You can use the AMZScout tools to obtain statistics on keyword search volume, which provides valuable insights into keyword performance and search volume trends.
Remember, in the world of Amazon, things can change rapidly. Over time, you may find more lucrative suppliers or see shifts in key product keywords. That’s why conducting regular analysis is essential to staying abreast of trends and market changes.
Finding good products to sell involves evaluating various factors such as demand, ease of sale, and more. Tools like AMZScout can streamline your product research process and provide valuable insights into market trends. With careful planning and tools, sellers can find the most profitable product ideas and build successful businesses on Amazon.
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