So you want to start an online business, and you’ve decided dropshipping is the best option for you.  How can you find the best dropship products to sell online?

Step 1: Brainstorm Multiple Product Ideas

Think of 5-10 products you could successfully sell online.  It’s important to have a few different products in mind, because you may not be able to find a dropshipper for your first idea.  After all, not all products are available through a dropshipper, or you may not be able to get your product at a price that allows you to make a sufficient profit.  If you have 5 or more products in mind when you start looking for suppliers, you can compare the results for fishing rods, magic tricks, calligraphy pens, chemistry sets, and baby carriers to make a final decision.

Tip: If you are having trouble brainstorming product ideas, check out this list of products you can sell online for a profit, or simply examine your online purchases over the last month or two.  You should come up with some solid ideas by thinking of the products you yourself like to buy online.

Step 2: Find A Legitimate Supplier – No Middlemen!

If you type “dropship products” or “find dropshippers” into a Google search, you will come up with literally millions of results – educational articles, links to databases and directories, and a mountain of companies purporting to offer dropship services.  Some of these companies may be legitimate, but a huge number of them are actually middlemen.  When purchasing products to resell online, it is extremely important that you get as close to the source as possible – this means you need to purchase directly from the manufacturer or distributor.  Why is this so important?  If you don’t, it will be very difficult for you to make a profit.  You may not be able to sell your products at all, because your prices won’t be competitive.

Let’s imagine your competitor is puchasing food dehydrators directly from the manufacturer.  He gets each dehydrator for $84, then marks them up $20 and sell them for $104.  You, on the other hand, are purchasing from a middleman.  You get the food dehydrator for $99.  You are then forced to either sell it for a $5 profit, which wouldn’t even cover the cost of your overhead, or try and sell it for $120, in which case people will simply buy from your competitor.  You need to get your dehydrators direct from the manufacturer, just like your competitor does.

How can you tell if a dropshipper is a middleman?

Ask these 3 questions:

1. How many different products do they dropship?

You may think the fact that they dropship everything from kitchen faucets to baby clothes is a good thing, but in fact that’s the sure mark of a middleman.  They obviously are not manufacturing all those different products – they’re purchasing them from a manufacturer and marking up the price.  A real manufacturer or distributor focuses on one particular kind of product, like anti-aging skin products or bowling balls.

2. What does it say on their website?

Most legitimate suppliers will proudly post on their website where their products are made.  But be aware, not everybody offering an online service is honest.  Many middlemen post success stories of clients making thousands of dollars selling their products, but that doesn’t mean a thing.  You are always better off buying direct from the source, no matter what a middleman tells you.

3. Do they charge a fee?

Legitimate dropshippers don’t charge an annual, monthly, or sign-up fee for their services.  Only middlemen do this, because they know once you figure out you can’t actually make money selling their products, you’re not going to buy anything else from them.  The fee is where they make their money.  A real dropshipper only charges a small dropship fee, commensurate with the price of packaging and shipping the product.  This means that when you order your food dehydrator from them, they only charge maybe $2-$10 to cover the cost of packing and shipping the item.

How can you find legitimate dropship suppliers?

Wholesale Match operates a database of quality dropship and wholesale suppliers.  If there is a dropshipper available for your product, we’ll find them.  All you have to do is submit a list of products to our Research Team, and they will email you back a list of dropshippers and/or wholesalers in 1-3 business days.  We also provide a variety of educational materials for people who need help starting their online business.  Finally, we are the only supplier database that offers a 100% money-back guarantee on our annual membership.  If you don’t make back at least the cost of your membership, we will refund it in full at the end of the year, as long as you give us a chance to work for you by calling, emailing, or submitting a Research Request at least once a month.

dropshippers, dropshipping, product research, selling products online

When choosing which product to sell online, you’re going to consider a number of factors including:

1. Is there a reliable dropshipper or wholesaler available for this product?

2. Is the market saturated?

3. Is there a demand for this product?

4. Do I have enough knowledge or can I learn enough about this product to write valuable product-related content for my website?

You might end up having four or five potential products that meet all these criteria.  How will you choose which one to sell?  Profitability may be your deciding factor.

How can you calculate the profitability of potential products?

A spreadsheet is generally the most efficient and effective way.  Remember, as will any spreadsheet your results are only as accurate as the data that you enter.

Below is an example spreadsheet for calculating the profitability of three potential products: jeweled sandals, corporate gift baskets, and fishing poles.  I’m assuming that all three products are being supplied by dropshippers and the only variable costs are the purchase price of the product and the dropship fees.

As you can see, the most expensive item is not always the most profitable.  In this case the medium-priced item, the corporate gift basket, is actually the most profitable.  Assuming you can sell an equal amount of each product, the corporate gift basket is the one you should sell.  Maybe you would have preferred to sell sandals because they’re more fun, but remember, you’re starting an online business to make money.  If selling toilet seats will pay for your BMW, then that’s what you should sell.

pricing and profits, product research, selling products online

Time and time again I recommend that you choose a niche product to dropship from your website or sell on eBay.  But how do you choose your niche?  The following are brainstorming tips to help you come up with a niche product that can be sold online.

First: Check Your Purchases. Many prospective online entrepreneurs try to think of really out-there products like unicycles or bamboo knitting needles so they can enter a market that isn’t too saturated.  This is a good idea in some respects, but one of the most important factors when choosing a product is to choose something that people actually buy online.  One way to brainstorm this type of product is to think what you yourself buy online.  In the past month, I’ve bought three second-hand novels written by Mildred Walker, a pair of studded motorcycle boots, a Hebrew-printed t-shirt, tickets to a murder mystery play, a pair of Cubs swim trunks, and a calligraphy set.  Not surprisingly, almost all of my purchases represent niche markets.  Why is that?  Because with the exception of a few broad categories like electronics, most items bought online are niche products.  This is because common, general products can easily be purchased at physical locations close to your home.  You go online to find unusual items that can’t be bought at the mall.

Second: Check Logistics. Let’s assume that I want to dropship my products, not purchase them wholesale.  This means that some of the products I purchased last month are out of the running for my niche inspiration.  Used books aren’t generally dropshipped, and neither are theater tickets.  Shoes and clothing are usually sold wholesale, but in this case the items that I bought might still be appropriate since they weren’t common apparel and accessories.  The studded motorcycle boots might be a good candidate for a dropship niche product for a few reasons: first, they are a product that’s not easily found in local stores.  I bought those boots online because after searching the three malls in my area I couldn’t find anything quirky enough to satisfy my Sarah Connor Chronicles obsession.  The studded motorcycle boots are a good pick for another reason: they’re a theme product that I could easily build a whole product line around.  With the boots as my central product, I could have a goth/punk/emo website, a motorcycle apparel site, or a studded leather accessories site.  Finally, while I might not be able to find this product through a dropship supplier, they are expensive enough that I could possibly use a wholesaler to dropship them.  Let’s say my wholesale supplier has a $100 order minimum: if a single pair of studded boots costs $125, I can likely have single pairs shipped directly to my customers even though the supplier is ostensibly a wholesaler.

Third: Check Suppliers. Once you have some potential niche product ideas, determine your final choice by supplier.  Let’s say I’ve narrowed down my selection to three options: studded motorcycle boots, Cubs paraphernalia, or calligraphy sets.  I’ve checked to make sure there is a sufficient market for all three products.  The best way to make my final decision is to see which niche product has the best suppliers.  I can submit a Research Request to Wholesale Match, get back a list of suppliers for all three products, and then choose my favorite supplier(s) of the bunch.  Maybe I’ll find out that the licensed sports products suppliers have a paucity of Cubs products.  Maybe I won’t like the attitude of the motorcycle boots suppliers.  And maybe I’ll find a manufacturer with a smokin’ deal on calligraphy sets: that’s how I know I should go with the third option.

Fourth: Create Your Own Supplier. If you’ve brainstormed a truly unique niche product, one that nobody else is selling, you may encounter difficulties finding a supplier.  In this case, you might have to get creative.  Let’s say I choose Hebrew T-shirts as my niche product, but I can’t find a single supplier with this type of shirt.  What can I do?  Well, all I really need is a t-shirt printer.  If I can find a supplier who prints and dropships t-shirts, I can get them printed with anything I like.  The benefit of this tack is I will be the only one selling those exact t-shirts.  I’ll be the exclusive supplier of my product line, and there’s really no better market position.

Finding a product niche is no longer difficult when you realize that almost every person on the planet has interests that can be divided into a dozen or more quirky niches.  Examining your own purchase history is a great way to brainstorm product ideas because all the products you consider are ones that you know people buy online – after all, that’s how you got them!  You can be your own market research.

Product Ideas, product research, selling products online

You need ideas for products you can sell online for gadzillions of dollars in profit.  I get a bizarre pleasure out of making lists.  Thus was born the third installment of Products You Can Sell Online For A Profit.  The following are products that we here at Wholesale Match have many, many dropship and wholesale suppliers for.  As always, these products need appropriate targeting and marketing in order to be successful: nothing is guaranteed.

photo credit: Bill Hails

Product Ideas:

African products
Baby Boomer products
BBQ sets and marinades
Beer-themed products
Cake decorating supplies and equipment
Children’s dress-up clothes (costumes)
Chocolate-dipped fruit
Christmas ornaments and wreaths
Collegiate sports-themed products
Diabetic products
Doll clothes
Egyptian products
Fancy aprons
Fancy robes (bathrobes, kimonos, etc.)
Flags
Fondue sets
Freeze-dried camping/emergency food
Geriatric care products
Gloves and scarves
Gourmet cookies
Gourmet popcorn
Greek products
Henna kits
Hiking products
Japanese Anime products
Journals
Juggling supplies
Karaoke equipment
Laptop bags
Left-handed products
Mailboxes
Manicure and pedicure supplies
Maps
Masks
Moccasins
Model trains
Musical instruments
Native American jewelry and belt buckles
Nightlights
Obama products
Products made from a particular material like cedar or stone
Puppets
RC toys
Robotic toys
Rock hunting supplies
Roller derby supplies
Scales
Science kits
Security and nanny cameras
Sorority and fraternity items
Swords and armor
Tarot, Astrology, and Palmistry supplies
Tea and tea sets
Tie-dye kits
Tropical/vacation clothing
Unusual or hand-made board games
Vegan products
Walking sticks and canes
Water bottles
Weightlifting supplements and protein shakes
Wind chimes
Wine accessories

photo credit: TheMarque

If you would like a list of dropshippers and/or wholesalers for any of these products, simply submit a Research Request to the Wholesale Match Research Team by logging into the website, clicking on the Suppliers button, and scrolling down to the lower left-hand side of the page where it says “Can’t Find What You’re Looking For? Submit A Research Request”.  Our Research Team will email your results in 1-3 business days.

Product Ideas, dropshippers, dropshipping, product research, wholesale

Dropshipping is an expanding marketing system in the US: every day more manufacturers and distributors are joining the ranks of companies who dropship their products to retailers.  It’s a symbiotic relationship that benefits both the manufacturer/distributor and the retailer.  The manufacturer/distributor is able to sell more of their products because they have other retailers promoting and selling them.  The retailer is able to sell products online without spending a lot of money upfront or carrying inventory.  They only buy what they’ve already sold, so they’re never stuck with excess merchandise and are spared the costs of storing and packing products.

The following is a list of questions people frequently ask about dropshipping:

photo credit: amboo who?

Do I have to pay to set up an account with a dropshipper?

No, most dropshippers do not charge any money to set up an account with them.  Some may have a small administration fee, less than $20, but even that is rare.  If they are trying to charge you to set up an account or to simply view their discounted prices, they are probably not a legitimate dropshipper.

What do I need to set up an account with a dropshipper?

Requirements vary by company.  Some dropshippers require you to have a reseller’s permit or tax ID number.  People try to avoid getting their reseller’s permit and tax ID number, but this limits who you can work with (the best suppliers require it), and isn’t legal anyway.  Anyone who resells products is supposed to have a reseller’s permit and tax ID number (the former allows you to avoid paying taxes on the goods you purchase for resale and the latter is necessary to pay your taxes at the end of the year).  You can apply for them through your state agencies and they are not particularly expensive or difficult to get.  Some dropshippers will also expect you to have your website set up, or at least a URL you can give them even if it’s not operational yet.

How do I know if a dropshipper is legitimate?

The quality of their website and customer service is a good indication.  The best dropshippers are those who manufacture the product themselves (no middleman), though profit can also be made working with a distributor who purchases directly from the manufacturer.  This is particularly helpful when the manufacturer is located in Asia and you don’t want to deal with customs and language issues.  A legitimate dropshipper offers products at a significantly discounted rate and does not charge exorbitant fees to sign up with them or to ship the products.

What kind of profit margin can I expect working with a dropshipper?

Your profit won’t be quite as large working with a dropshipper as it might be buying from a wholesaler.  Most wholesale companies offer their products at approximately 50% of retail.  Your dropship profit margin might be closer to 75%.  The important thing is that once all dropship fees, shipping costs, etc., are taken into account, you are making an acceptable amount of money off each sale.  An “acceptable amount” is an individual decision – only you can decide what your time is worth.

photo credit: hickoryhollow113

Are there any other fees associated with dropshipping?

Again it varies company to company.  Some dropshipping companies charge you exactly the cost of shipping, others add a $3 or $5 fee per order to cover storage and packing.  As long as your profit margin is still satisfactory, fees are acceptable, though obviously not desirable.

Can I negotiate with dropshippers?

Definitely.  If you can present them with a compelling business plan or just impress them in general, they may give you a better deal than the average Joe.  Many dropshipping companies provide volume discounts or better prices to retailers they have worked with for a long time.  It’s not out of place to ask for a better discount or a smaller dropship fees as long as you are not too pushy about it (you don’t want to lose the supplier entirely).  It’s better to try this after you’ve successfully sold their products for a few months.

How do I contact a dropshipper?

Make sure you’re prepared when you call the company (calling is better than emailing unless they specify that they prefer the latter).  Dropshippers don’t have to do business with you, and if you don’t impress them with your professionalism and organization, they probably won’t.  They stand to lose money working with you, so you have to prove your reliability.  At the very least, you should have a business name and a business plan in place.  Having a website semi-set up is also helpful (obviously you need the dropshipper and their products to set up your website entirely).

What if a dropshipper won’t work with me?

You can’t make them, but you can certainly try.  If they don’t respond to your phone call or email, than try again.  Be persistant.  If they seem hesistant once you get them on the phone, than convince them.  Show them the benefit to their company of working with you.

What if I find a product I want to sell, but the company doesn’t dropship?

Not all companies dropship.  More are starting every day, but there are some elite brands and huge companies that dropshipping doesn’t make sense for.  It works better for small to medium-sized companies who are trying to grow their sales and exposure, not a high-end brand like Apple that already has plenty of exposure and is trying to protect its elite status.  If you find a company who has a great product you really want to sell, you may be able to convince them to dropship.  Like I said above, show the benefit to their company.

Once I have an account set up with a dropshipper, what happens next?

Usually when you set up an account with a dropshipper they will provide you with a catalog and/or images and descriptions of their products.  You post these images and descriptions on your website or on eBay.  When a customer makes a purchase, you take their payment, then order their product from the dropshipper.  The product is shipped directly to the customer, and you keep whatever is left over after you pay the dropshipper.

Will the customer be able to tell the product came from someone else?

Some dropshippers provide “blind” dropshipping – either the package is blank/nondescript, or the package and packing slip have your business name printed on it.  Other dropshippers do not provide this service.  Sometimes the package has your company name on it, but the packing slip has the dropshipper’s name.  You have to verify with the dropshipper exactly what their procedure is.  Some customers may be annoyed if they realize the package came from a different company than they expected and others won’t care as long as they got what they paid for.  They wouldn’t have bought the product if they didn’t think it was a good deal, so they probably won’t notice or care where it shipped from.

photo credit: B Rosen

Who handles returns and customer service?

Again, this varies according to the dropshipper, so check with the individual company.

How do I know what products to dropship?

Almost any product can be sold online for a profit.  The pertinent factors are how cheaply you can get it from a supplier, whether the market is oversaturated, and how you plan to market it.  Check out the blog posts “Products You Can Sell Online For A Profit” part 1 and part 2 if you are having trouble coming up with ideas.

Can a wholesaler be used as a dropshipper?

Yes, if a wholesaler has no order minimum, than you can order products as they are ordered from you, and have them shipped to the customer.  Sometimes wholesalers have no minimum, but they require a large initial order ($300-1000).  It might be worth it to make this large initial order if you are fairly certain the products will sell and you really want to use the supplier for smaller orders afterward.

How do I find dropshippers?

It’s not easy to find dropshippers using a search engine.  Many are nowhere to be found on the SERPs, and most of the top hits are databases, middlemen, or services that purport to set you up with suppliers (usually international manufacturers).  There’s nothing wrong with using a database; it will get you more results faster than you would find on your own.  But they usually cost money, so make sure you research your options before handing out your credit card information.  Obviously, I think Wholesale Match is the best database because we have a Research Team who will do the work for you, but by all means, check them all out before you make a decision.  After all, the quality of your suppliers in large part determines the success of your online business.

photo credit: Brooks Elliott

dropshippers, dropshipping, finding suppliers, product research

Due to the popularity of the blog I posted on Thursday (”Products You Can Sell Online For A Profit”), I am adding a second installment.  Again, these products can be sold online via dropship or wholesale for a profit, but ONLY if you have a good supplier, sufficient profit margin, strong marketing, and so on and so forth.  They are NOT foolproof: online sales never are.

Period Clothing: I don’t know if you’ve ever been to a Pirate Festival, but I have, and it was quite surprising how natural saying “Yar!” and gnawing on a drumstick can feel under the right circumstances.  For all the freaks like me, there are a plethora of Medieval, Civil War, and Pioneer festivals for which the proper attire is necessary.  Besides the hobbyists, period clothing sells well for costume parties, Halloween, and even brides looking for a unique wedding dress.  Period clothing is a good three steps above the trashy nylon costumes you usually see online, and it has a price structure to match with a nice profit margin.

photo credit: eschipul

Eco-Friendly / Green Products: You always want to enter expanding markets, and though you’d hardly be getting in on the ground floor with green products, I believe the market will continue to grow.  From steel water bottles to canvas shopping bags to bamboo t-shirts to water-saving shower heads, people are switching to planet-friendly products.  Plus, granola geniuses are always inventing new products, so if you watch the trends, you can be the first to supply the new sea-grass wallpaper.

Police/Combat Gear: I don’t know who’s buying pepper spray, handcuffs, riot gear, and bullet-proof vests online, and I don’t want to know, but there’s a market for these products, and resale is inexplicably free and unrestricted.

photo credit: Izzard
photo credit: banspy

Scouting Supplies: In the last blog I mentioned camping equipment as a possible option, but that market is pretty full, so your best bet is to do something to differentiate yourself.  Setting up a website for scouting gear, 1st time campers, or birdwatchers is a good way to set yourself apart from the pack.

Erotic Materials: So many sex-toy sites are linked to porn and carry an indiscriminate product line.  I think there’s a relatively unexplored market for monogamous couples looking for a classy site to spice up their sex life.  High-end lingerie, massage oils, and tasteful accessories would sell well to this demographic.

Other Product Ideas:

Belt buckles
Funny t-shirts
Sports collectibles (due to licensing restrictions, these can only be resold among the 50 States and must be bought from a licensed dealer)
72-hour/emergency preparedness/apocalypse products
Western clothing/rustic home décor
Skateboarding gear
Maternity clothing
Action figures
Models/diecast vehicles
Easter/church hats and suits
Gardening products (especially seeds)
Motivational/inspirational products
Snorkling products
First-aid kits
Clocks (especially unusual/niche clocks like cuckoo or grandfather)
Premium coffee (ground and beans)
Plus-size clothing
Belly dancing costumes
Hunting/fishing gear
Luxury sheets/bedding
Puzzles
Wallets
Candles
Dive watches/pedometers/hear-rate monitors
Breast pumps/blood-pressure cuffs/diabetic equipment
Birdfeeders/butterfly feeders
Skincare products
Natural cleaning products
Non-perscription reading glasses
Funky retainer holders
Bonsai products
Martial arts equipment
Vitamins/supplements
Chess sets
Inflatable pool toys

More Products That Are Probably A Bad Idea:

Car parts: Besides the weight and bulk of car parts, there are very few dropshippers available; most manufacturers will only supply to body shops and retailers with a brick-and-mortar establishment.  A better option is to sell car accessories like dashboard ornaments, seat covers, license plate covers, etc.

Books / Textbooks: Textbooks sales are extremely restricted, and books are tricky too.  Most of the books available for wholesale or dropship to small websites are overstock or returned books.  That means they didn’t sell in stores, so the likelihood of you being able to sell them for a handsome profit is slim.  It’s possible that you can sell hobby books, especially if your focus is, say, cookbooks on your kitchen-products website.  But in general I wouldn’t count on books as a great seller, especially as the Kindle and e-books become ever more popular.

photo credit: Whatsername?

Swimsuits: I would stay away from high-return items.  And what’s more likely to get returned than swimsuits?  Their fit is extremely variable, as are the expectations of your customers.  You especially want to avoid returns if you’re dropshipping, because your middle-man status makes things sticky during the back and forth process.

Electronics: I’m not going to tell you to stay away from electronics entirely, because it’s one of the biggest sellers on the internet, but be very, very careful.  The market is saturated and many of the items are sold at a small profit margin.  You can sell cheap Asian imports, but most people are looking for brand-name products, and companies like Apple and Dell do not dropship.  You can sell brand-name electronics bought from retailers on eBay, (like with the Daily Deals / $200 A Day Program), and this is a legitimate way to make money, but it’s tricky.  Because retailers don’t like you reselling their products, they’re less than co-operative and the margins on this type of sale fluctuate rapidly.  I recommend a few small sales to get the feel of it before you try to re-sell a $900 flat-screen TV.

Salon Products and Other Restricted Items: Many products are only sold to retailers with a specific kind of brick-and-mortar store or a particular license.  Many salon products are only sold to salons (high-end straighteners and some cosmetic lines, for instance).  Dental implants and equipment are only sold to dentists.  Bowling equipment is only sold to pro-shops (by the manufacturers – you can sometimes purchase it via a distributor, though your profit margin is smaller).  Many brand-names restrict their resale to protect the elite status of their product or maintain the sales volumes of their current resellers.  When choosing a product to sell online you have to be flexible, because certain products simply won’t be available to you.

As always, the information in the blogs is my own opinions and ideas.  You can take or leave my advice, and if you make a million dollars dropshipping swimsuits, well, then I’m happy for you!

Product Ideas, make money online, pricing and profits, product research, selling products online

One of the first and most important steps in setting up an online business is choosing what products you’re going to sell.  But if you need help deciding, nobody will give you a straight answer.  If you Google “choosing products to sell online” or “what products should I sell online?”, you’re going to get back a bunch of articles on the selection process.  “Don’t choose anything fragile or heavy to ship, don’t enter a market that’s too saturated, try to sell something you’re knowledgeable about”.  All valid advice, but not very specific.  For some reason, everybody is afraid to give specific product ideas.  Well, I’m not.  I know how frustrating it can be when you’re stumped for ideas, so I’m going to throw some at you.  Keep in mind, your success at selling any of these products is going to depend on your personal decisions: how you set up your website or eBay store, how you market your product, which suppliers you buy from, and so on and so forth.  These are just some ideas to get you started, and some caveats for each particular category.

Arts and Crafts Supplies: This is a big market, and extremely varied.  You’ve got craft kits for kids, quilting supplies for the avid sewer, oil paints and brushes for the true artiste, jewelry and beading supplies, leatherworking, airbrushing, and a hundred other categories.  I would recommend selecting one niche, say, scrapbooking supplies, and focusing on that.  The nice thing about arts and crafts is, like any hobby, there are people who are willing to pay a premium for that Santa Clause-shaped hole-punch they couldn’t find anywhere else, or that luxury silk thread.  But you have to be careful that the price of the item won’t be overshadowed by the shipping charge.  If you do go the scrapbooking route, you would want to sell expensive items like albums and paper-cutters individually, but paper and ribbons only in packs or kits (say 50 or 100 sheets of paper).

photo credit: gabyalcantara

Christian/Religious products: A religious products website is one of those sites where you can take practically any product, customize it a little, and sell it as your own individual product.  For instance, there are a ton of dropshippers and wholesalers who provide printed t-shirts, monogrammed jewelry, and customizable mugs, license plates, belt buckles, and the like.  Besides selling the various religious books, music, jewelry, t-shirts, pictures, and cards that already exist, you can get your own products made with funny or inspirational religious images and sayings stamped on them.  Religion is part of many people’s identities, and they like to display it on their personal objects.  While the Christian market is large, it already has quite a few players; the Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindi, etc., markets are less well-represented on the internet.

Spa/Relaxation products: This is one of those product niches that falls in the “gifts” category, which means you can group products into gift packs and instigate effective  holiday promotions.  The other thing I like about spa products is that there are a lot of lesser-known product lines you can purchase directly from the manufacturer.  They’re great products: all natural/organic/shea butter/smell like candy/etc., just not quite as well known as Bath and Bodyworks (not yet anyway).

photo credit: kafka4prez

Nutrition/Health/Fitness products: People will always want to get thinner, healthier, and live forever.  Nutritional/health/fitness products are in high demand, and while many parts of the market are saturated, there are always new trends you can capitalize on.  Also, like so many of the products on my list, they lend themselves to blogs, tips, and articles that bring people into your site.

Toys: Toys are another category with an unexpected number of niches.  Porcelain dolls, plush toys, vintage-style ride-on cars, board games, educational toys, science kits, models… the possibilities are endless.  Because it’s difficult to compete with Walmart and Toys ‘R Us, I would recommend sticking to higher-end, unusual items, things you can’t buy at the mall.  The ride-on toys are a great example: shaped like classic cars, 1920s airplanes, trains, firetrucks, and motorcycles, they’re expensive with a solid profit margin, and they have the kind of adult-appeal that will convince Dad to pull out his wallet in a fit of nostalgia for his first Mustang.  Remember, parents will buy what their kids like, but ultimately it’s the adults’ money.  You have to touch them as well as the kids.

Jewelry: In many ways jewelry exemplifies the qualities you want in an online product: high demand, easy to ship, and expensive relative to its size and weight.  However, people have a strange compunction about buying jewelry online.  Often the actual physical appearance of the item is what sells them while browsing through the jewelry store.  Particularly for items like engagement rings, people are extremely leery to buy what they haven’t seen with their own eyes.  Also, the more expensive the item is, the more developed your image of security needs to be.  If I was going to sell jewelry online, I would cultivate an image of class, prestige, and reliability on my website.  I would make sure I had fantastic images that really showed off the products.  And I would stay away from extremely expensive items, at least to begin with, focusing on items in the $50-$300 range that people wouldn’t be afraid to buy from a new site.

Baby Products: Because the baby market is very competitive, I would pick a particular niche in baby products: organic baby clothing, baby Halloween costumes, slings and carriers, bedding, baby shoes or hair-bands, something like that.  Like any popular market, you need to know exactly what your selling position is.  Are your baby items totally unique and unusual, the cheapest or most high-end, do they appeal to Granola Moms or Technophiles?  The way to succeed in a competitive environment is to know exactly who you’re targeting and cut your customers away from the middle-of-the-road, trying-to-appeal-to-everyone websites.

Poker/Darts/Billiards: As long as beer exists, the appeal of poker, darts, and billiards will reign undiminished.  In fact, poker has become increasingly popular since the World Series went celebrity.  I wouldn’t try to go too high-end since these products are essentially games, but you could consider getting funky with poker chips printed with your pet’s face and dart boards adorned with your ex’s image.

Theme Products: Whatever strange fascination you have, there are probably hundreds of other people who share it and would absolutely love to find a website devoted exclusively to it.  Fairies, dragons, butterflies, Smurfs, Panda bears, Monster trucks, aliens, Barak Obama… Build a website with everything Hawaiian, (pajamas, dishes, t-shirts, tea sets, socks, backpacks, cellphone cases, aprons, car seat-covers, lotion, bathing-suits, posters), and watch your fellow Oahu-lovers line up to buy.  This works best if other websites carry Hawaiian-themed products (the demand is there), but you are the only one with a site devoted exclusively to the theme.

photo credit: metaldoll [is catching up]
photo credit: PedroCancion

Those are a few examples to get you going.  Here’s some more:

Kitchen supplies
Sports gear
Nursing scrubs
Camping gear
Motorcycle apparel
Holiday-themed decorations
Hemp/Bamboo products
Dance shoes
Mineral makeup
Wedding favors
Gift baskets
Solar products
First-aid kits
Special-needs products
Raincoats
Lunchboxes
Massage oil
Posters
Hair accessories

I could go on and on.  I don’t think any of these products are superior to the others; I think you could succeed or fail in almost any category.  The purpose of this list is purely to give you some ideas, to get the juices flowing.

Things that seem like a good idea that I would stay away from:

DVDs/CDs: The world is becoming more and more digital.  My husband and I recently copied all our DVDs onto our hard drive and threw away the discs and cases.  With the growing popularity of Apple TV and movies, Netflix, and similar digital media sites, I would caution against setting your business up around a declining market.  Licensing restrictions have always made selling these products complicated anyway.  If I was going to sell CDs or DVDs, I would stick to a niche market like Family Movies or Japanese Anime.

Pet Food/Bed/Crates, etc.: Pet products are a big seller online, but you have to stay away from the bulky, heavy stuff.  If you’re going to be successful in the pet market, you need to stick to the quirky and unique (think dog tuxedos, fancy bowls, cute toys) and the light/easy to ship.  There is so much competition even among the niche products like all-natural/organic dog food, that you probably won’t be able to compete unless your doggie booties and gourmet biscuits are significantly different from what everyone else is carrying.

photo credit: Colure
photo credit: Alan Miles NYC

Furniture/Appliances: Again, too heavy to be tenable.  I wouldn’t bother with large appliances at all, and I would only get into furniture if it was the extremely high-end stuff.  For instance, I know this one supplier of patio furniture who carries the most gorgeous patio furniture I’ve ever seen: wicker tables that seem to float, bamboo chairs that look like the throne of Confucius.  If I was rich, I would buy that furniture in a second, and darn the cost of shipping it.  But keep in mind, when you go high-end, your website and service have to match your price point.  This may entail a larger outlay in web design and a larger credit limit with your supplier.  High-end may not be in your reach right when you’re starting out in e-commerce.

If you would like feedback on your product ideas, please feel free to email our customer service division at support@wholesalematch.com or post at the bottom of the blog.

Product Ideas, dropshipping, pricing and profits, product research, selling products online

Most people in the e-tail industry have some idea of what dropshipping is, but every now and then we here on the Research Team get a request that indicates that the customer doesn’t really understand dropshipping.  Basically, dropshipping is a re-sale technique where you sell a product online and have it shipped directly from the supplier to the customer.  You don’t need much money up front and you don’t need to carry an inventory; in fact, you probably never see the product at all.  You take the sale, and then carry the order to the supplier who ships to the customer.  Your job is to market the product and facilitate the sale, whether on eBay or on your own personal website.

So who is your supplier? Well, your supplier can be anyone who offers dropshipping services.  But the idea of dropshipping is to get as close to the manufacturer as possible.  The more people between you and the manufacturer, the smaller your profit margin, and the smaller the chance you’ll be able to sell the product at all, due to the ease of comparison online.

This is a crucial concept to understand. Wholesale Match customers often request products like Apple MacBooks or Nike running shoes.  But the only company you could really get those products from would be Apple or Nike, and Apple and Nike don’t dropship.  It’s extremely difficult to even get them to wholesale to you.  So if you’re intent on selling Apple or Nike products, you will end up doing one of two things: purchasing from a middleman, like Footlocker, or purchasing a knockoff product.  Obviously, if you purchase knockoffs and sell them as genuine, your credibility as an e-tailer will be destroyed, and venues like eBay will ban you.  If you purchase from a middleman, your profit will be minuscule, if you make any sales at all.  If I try to resell Nike shoes that I bought from Footlocker, people will simply compare my prices to Footlocker’s and buy there instead (you won’t be able to beat a company like Footlocker with a snazzy website or the assurance of security, because they’ve already got that covered).

There are occasional exceptions to the taboo on reselling from a retailer. For instance, if you use the Daily Deals program you will be buying products like digital cameras from retailers and reselling them on eBay.  This is possible with individual items because those items have some kind of instant rebate, coupon code, or discount that allows you to make a profit.  But in general, you want to stick as close to the manufacturer of a product as you can.

Now, not all “brand-name” products are restricted to one manufacturer. Some products are simply licensed, and while that restricts the number of suppliers, there is a lot more selection than with a brand like Apple.  For instance, NFL or Harley Davidson products are licensed, but there is more than one manufacturer for them.  This means that you can purchase them from multiple sources.  Furthermore, many legitimate dropshipping companies provide “accessories” for restricted name-brand products, like iPod armbands or Macbook laptop cases.  They aren’t Apple products, but they are accessories for Apple products that allow you to capture a piece of that market even though you can’t buy from Apple directly.

So how can you choose a product that you can purchase directly from the manufacturer? A good tack is to choose products where the name-brand isn’t as important.  As I stated above, this doesn’t matter so much for quick eBay sales, where you can buy and sell a Sony plasma screen TV in a matter of hours taking advantage of a sale price.  But for a personal website, you may want to consider products like freeze-dried camping meals, wedding favors, belt buckles, fluffy slippers, beaded jewelry, umbrellas, magic tricks, calligraphy sets, or bathroom faucets, where the brand-name doesn’t matter as much.

photo credit: project hotsauce
photo credit: Corey Ann

To be successful with dropshipping, you need to work with the system, not against it.  So give up on the Macbooks and think of a product that really takes advantage of the conveniences and benefits of dropshipping.

dropshipping, eBay, make money online, product research

There are a plethora of tools available on the internet to help with market research and sales tactics.  One of my favorite new tools for eBay is Auction Touch. This is not a free service, you have to pay for a membership, but for people who sell or plan to sell a lot of products on eBay, I think it’s well worth the investment.  It helps you determine what the best days are to sell a product, which keywords are most searched for, and what the optimum list format is.  This kind of market research is imperative if you want to get your products sold, but it can be extremely time consuming.  And, as I always say, your time really is money.  Time you waste researching and clicking is time you are NOT making money.
How does it work?

photo credit: jimmyroq
Step One: You decide what product you’re interested in selling. Let’s say it’s an item off the Wholesale Match Daily Deals page, say the Samsung 2033SW 20” Widescreen Flat Panel TV.  The Daily Deals price is $87 after a $61 instant discount, $20 rebate, and $12 coupon discount.  This flat panel comes with free shipping and an additional 2% discount if you pay by credit card.  You’ve already determined that price is lower than the average selling prices on eBay (doing an advanced search through eBay’s website), so you know you want to sell it.  The question is, HOW do you sell it?  “Well”, you might say, “You just go and post it on eBay”.  Wrong!  There are multiple factors that determine whether your TV will sell, and for how much.  Using Auction Touch, you can figure out exactly how to maximize your chance of success.
Step Two: You head over to the Auction Touch site, copy and paste the product information in the search bar, and hit Research. (You can be as specific or as vague with product information as you like – you could type in “Barbie” and it will give you various options, or you could type in “Handmade Barbie Clothes” and get a more specific answer).
After you hit Research, your results pop up in a simple chart.  The chart will inform you that you should sell the TV on Monday, that your sales period should only be one day, and that you should use the keywords “lcd” and “hdtv”.  The best time of the day to post it is actually between 4-5 in the morning, and you should use a “Bid Auction” format.  You should post it in the “Television” category and use the listing upgrade “Picture Services”.  This simple list could save you making a multitude of mistakes, and significantly increase your profit margin.
Step Three: If you want to be even more in-depth with your research, you can use the advanced options. These allow you to enter a starting and ending price range to narrow your results to auctions that started and/or ended in the same price range as you hope to get for the TV.  You can search using specific listing upgrades and, if your schedule is constricted, search within certain times of the day.

photo credit: kevinzhengli

You can also examine the data generated in the course of the search.  You don’t have to simply take Auction Touch’s word that you should post the TV on Monday: by clicking on the “Day of the Week” result button, you can review the chart it generated.  You can see for yourself that 38.61% of comparable TVs posted sold on Monday, and you can see that Sunday and Wednesday were a close second place.

In less than 2 minutes you have information it would take you hours to figure out on your own, if you could calculate it accurately at all.  The whole idea with online business is to work smart.  There are excellent tools to help you with nearly every step of e-business, especially selling on eBay.  Don’t just shoot blindly into the dark.  Do your research, and ensure your success.

eBay, internet marketing, pricing and profits, product research

Dropshipping on eBay can be a breeze if you have the appropriate resources at your disposal.  Conversely, working with dropshippers and listing on eBay for the first few times can be disastrous when you go it alone.

Here at Wholesale Match, we understand that dropshipping on eBay can be cumbersome and overwhelming at first.  That’s why we’re here with a new blog everyday to help you understand dropshipping inside and out.

Today we are here give you a virtually risk free dropshipping deal and give you a few pointers for listing the product on eBay.

The first step in the process of dropshipping a product on eBay is research.  This is done by taking the key words of a product you are interested in and searching for them on eBay.  Once you do this, on the left hand side there will be several filter options.  Click the option that says “Completed Listings.”  This will only pull up listings for your product that have finished… whether sold or unsold.

The significance of researching products on eBay by using the “Completed “Listings” option is great.  Whether your search comes up with many or no listings at all, you can use this information to judge whether or not this would be a great dropshipping opportunity.

Here are a few examples of why your eBay search comes up empty handed:

• An error on your part. (Check your spelling!)
• Too specific a search.  Try using keywords only.  For example, instead of searching for the full name of our deal, the “Brother PT-80 Thermal Label Printer”, try searching for “thermal label printer”, “brother label printer”, or “brother pt-80″.  This will ensure that if this product is listed on eBay, you will find it!
• The item has certain restrictions placed on it by the manufacturer, or is banned for sale on eBay.
• The item simply has no demand.  No one is selling because no one is buying!

Some eBay beginners wrongly assume that a search that comes up empty handed is good news, and further proof that they should go ahead and list that product.  An empty search is BAD news.  Avoid products that have very little listings on eBay.  However, you should also avoid products that are absolutely saturated with listings, such as the Nintendo Wii.  The more listings for a product on eBay, the more sellers that are out there selling the product with better supply and better pricing than you.  Avoid saturated markets.

Here is our dropshipping deal for today.  Try out the researching method that we’ve outlined above today with this product!  This will give you great practice for the future and will help you develop better habits in order to become a successful eBayer.

Buy.com has the Brother PT-80 Thermal Label Printer for $14 after $36 instant discount, which is a 71% savings from the $50 list price. Shipping is free.

The Brother PT-80 Thermal Label Printer features 71 symbols you can use to display creativity on the label, and produces five formats with five framing options. It has a 12-character LCD display and easy-to-use typewriter-style keyboard with raised keys.

We wish you the best of luck in your eBay endeavors!  Please contact us with any dropshipping questions you may have.

dropshipping, eBay, product research