Sell what is purchased. Find the best products to be sold via your dropshipping store.
- Leverage Product Research Tools
- Consider Seasonal and Holiday Items
- Choose Evergreen Basics
- Identify Niche Hobbies and Communities
- Monitor Trending Fads
- Consider Impulse Purchase Items
- Filter for Lightweight Products
- Avoid Fragile Items
- Check for Steady, Consistent Demand
- Evaluate Competition
- Target High-Margin Products
- Incorporate Relevant Keywords
Assessing Processing & Delivery
Evaluating Inventory & Quality
Introduction
Dropshipping has exploded in popularity in recent years as an ecommerce model that provides a low barrier to entry for launching an online retail business. Without requiring any upfront inventory or product storage, it allows entrepreneurs to setup shop and start selling quickly with minimal startup costs and overheads.
With many products now being manufactured and shipped directly from global supply chain sources, dropshipping eliminates the need for retailers to hold physical inventories themselves. Instead, they act as a conduit between customers and suppliers. This "just in time" fulfillment model lets online sellers run entire product catalogs while only paying suppliers for costs of goods sold on each order.
For aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners, dropshipping represents an exciting opportunity to get started selling products online, without taking on expensive inventory risk and logistics. However, finding profitable products with steady demand and reliable suppliers is crucial to building a sustainable dropshipping business.
This article provides actionable tips and strategies to conduct research, identify popular products, vet suppliers, create optimized listings, and implement marketing tactics to drive sales for your dropshipping store. With the right products and execution, dropshipping provides a scalable foundation to grow an online retail business.
Understanding Dropshipping
Before getting into product selection and suppliers, let's briefly explain how the dropshipping model works:
Dropshipping eliminates the need for ecommerce merchants to purchase inventory upfront to showcase products on their online store. Instead, the store owner partners with third-party suppliers who stock the products and handle fulfillment directly.
When a customer places an order on the dropshipper's online store, the store owner passes on the order details to the relevant supplier. The supplier then picks, packs and ships the product directly to the customer on behalf of the store owner.
The key difference from traditional ecommerce is that the store owner never takes physical possession of inventory. The suppliers essentially function as decentralized warehouses fulfilling orders, while the store owner focuses on digital operations like marketing, customer acquisition and order management.
Some common retail categories well suited for dropshipping include apparel, beauty, electronics, homewares, pet supplies, and more. The minimal upfront investment makes it easy to test out product viability without being stuck with excess unsold inventory.
Now let's explore how to identify the best selling products to showcase in your dropshipping store.
Finding Profitable Products
Finding trending products with steady demand from reliable suppliers is the foundation for any successful dropshipping operation. Here are some proven tactics and resources to pinpoint profitable products to sell online:
Leverage Product Research Tools
Product research tools aggregate data on search trends, reviews, demand and more to surface best-selling items across niches. Analyze this data to find potential top-sellers for your store, such as:
- Google Trends to identify rising searches and interest over time for specific product keywords.
- Amazon Best Sellers to see current top-selling items across all of Amazon. Filter by narrower categories relevant to your niche.
- eBay Pulse to get search volume and auction data for trending items on eBay.
- Google Shopping to gauge product saturation, competitor pricing and other sellers offering the same items.
- Google Keyword Planner for search volume data to assess demand for relevant product keywords.
- Facebook interests for audience size data to evaluate product affinity and demand.
Consider Seasonal and Holiday Items
Seasonal products aligned with holidays, events or time of year see huge yet predictable sales spikes. Consider focusing on:
- Halloween costumes and decor in October
- Christmas trees, lights and ornaments in November and December
- New Year's Eve party supplies in December
- Valentine's Day gifts in February
- Patriotic goods around July 4th
Limited-edition seasonal products drive recurring sales year after year.
Choose Evergreen Basics
While trends come and go, some essential consumer basics remain steady sellers year-round. Stock up on evergreen essentials like:
- Phone cases and chargers
- Makeup brushes and beauty applicators
- Fitness accessories like water bottles and resistance bands
- Pet supplies like leashes, bowls and crates
These types of generic basics that never go out of style make reliable fallback inventory.
Identify Niche Hobbies and Communities
Catering to niche hobby segments allows focusing your selection on very targeted products for that particular audience.
- Join relevant online communities on Reddit, Facebook or forums to identify products enthusiasts regularly discuss or purchase.
- Check seller groups on Facebook to see the types of specialty inventory niche sellers are offering.
- Attend trade shows for niche industries like crafting or gaming to discover popular products.
Targeting a tightly defined audience makes marketing and conversions more streamlined.
Monitor Trending Fads
Stay on top of the latest trends and capitalize on them before the hype dies down:
- Browse hashtags on Instagram and TikTok to identify rising trends.
- Check Google Trends for any new searches suddenly spiking.
- Scan niche sites like ProductHunt for the latest fad inventions and gadgets.
- Sign up for Google News alerts on relevant niche keywords to receive trending stories.
The key is to ride the wave early before competing sellers saturate the market.
Consider Impulse Purchase Items
Fun, novelty items and small indulgences attract impulse purchases from browsers that lead to higher conversion rates:
- Squishy toys and fidget gadgets
- Scented candles
- Pool floats
- Funny socks
- Unique coffee mugs
The key is choosing inexpensive items with broad appeal that customers can quickly justify buying on a whim.
Filter for Lightweight Products
Bulky, heavy inventory leads to high shipping costs that eat into profit margins. When evaluating products:
- Favor smaller items under 2 lbs to reduce shipping overhead.
- Verify item dimensions to avoid oversized products driving up shipping rates.
- Ask suppliers if volumetric shipping discounts are available for lightweight orders.
Prioritizing portable products helps keep logistics costs in check.
Avoid Fragile Items
While compelling in catalogs, fragile items often lead to breakages, disputes and losses:
- Glassware and ceramics can easily crack or shatter in transit.
- Electronics with screens or delicate components are vulnerability to damage.
- Jewelry requires special packing and handling precautions.
- Flower arrangements have very limited shipping timeframes before wilting.
When just starting out, durable and rugged inventory helps reduce the risk of logistical issues.
Check for Steady, Consistent Demand
One-hit wonder viral products see a huge spike in sales followed by a steep drop-off. When researching products, look for ones that have:
- Sustained steady sales over months and years.
- Multiple iterations and evolutions of the base product that customers continually purchase.
- Favorable reviews over years attesting to ongoing usefulness and quality.
Evergreen products with proven staying power deliver much needed consistency to your inventory pipeline.
Evaluate Competition
Before committing to a product, scrutinize the competitive landscape:
- Search for the product on Google Shopping to see how many other merchants already offer the same item.
- Check Amazon listings under the product name to gauge seller saturation on this high-visibility platform.
- Use Google Trends to analyze searches for product keywords over time to see if interest is rising or declining.
- Monitor Google search results to see if shoppers have ample options or if a niche is underserved.
Finding high-demand products in markets with few competitors maximizes your visibility with less pricing pressure.
Target High-Margin Products
When researching products, calculate expected profit margins:
- Compare bulk supplier rates versus existing retail prices on Amazon or eBay.
- Factor in additional costs like shipping, returns, and platform fees.
- Shoot for 100%+ markup from supplier costs to retail price.
High margins provide a healthy buffer to absorb operating costs and remain profitable.
Incorporate Relevant Keywords
With a bit of creativity, you can naturally incorporate relevant product keywords throughout your listings to drive more targeted traffic from search engines:
- Include "top selling" or "customer favorite" in product titles and descriptions.
- Work in product names, functions and benefits keywords contextually.
- Add related niche terms like "sports", "beauty" or "tech" where appropriate.
Optimized copywriting helps increase visibility for your product listings.
By leveraging data sources to surface top performers, monitoring trends, evaluating demand and competition, and selecting profitable niche products, you can curate an inventory with the highest chance of selling consistently.
Next let's look at vetting suppliers that can reliably deliver those hot selling products.
Vetting Reliable Suppliers
Once you've identified profitable products to sell, the next step is finding reputable suppliers who can provide those items at wholesale prices and ship out orders reliably.
Choosing the right suppliers makes all the difference in running a smooth operation. Indicators of unreliable partners include:
- Extended processing times leaving customers waiting
- Poor quality control resulting in defective orders
- Inadequate packaging causing damages in transit
- Delayed shipping and logistical issues
- Poor communication and lack of order tracking visibility
These pitfalls quickly lead to profit-eating disputes, returns, and chargebacks. Here are some tips for vetting dropshipping suppliers:
- Ask about average order processing time from placement to dispatch. 24-48 hours is ideal.
- Inquire if expedited handling options are available for faster processing when needed.
- Review carriers and shipping rates offered to understand delivery timeframes.
- Verify if shipping tracking numbers and status updates are provided.
- Confirm adequate current inventory levels to avoid unpredictable backorders.
- Examine product samples and images yourself to evaluate quality.
- Learn about quality assurance checks performed before inventory ships to catch defects.
- Study return, refund and replacement policies for problematic orders.
- Request evidence of supplier licenses and registrations to confirm business legitimacy.
- Initiate test orders to experience the buying process and delivery firsthand.
While cheaper suppliers may be tempting initially, they often lead to fulfillment headaches down the road that hurt your credibility and profits. Spending a little more upfront with reliable partners pays dividends through better customer experiences driving repeat purchases.
Assessing Processing & Delivery
Order processing and shipping speed is a key component of the post-purchase experience. Customers expect fast fulfillment, especially when buying online. Here are some tips for assessing supplier reliability:
- Find out typical order processing time from order placement to dispatch. 24-48 hours is ideal. Delayed processing extends customer wait times.
- Ask if expedited handling options are available, allowing faster processing for an added fee. Promote these accelerated shipping upgrades during checkout.
- Review the shipping carriers and rates offered. USPS, UPS, FedEx and DHL provide expansive delivery coverage.
- Compare estimated delivery timeframes to different regions. Display accurate estimates upfront to customers to set expectations.
- Verify if tracking numbers and shipment status notifications are provided. Lack of visibility leads to more customer inquiries.
- Test orders yourself to confirm actual time from order placement through to delivery. This will reveal true order lead times.
Fast and convenient delivery keeps customers happy. Ensure potential suppliers can consistently meet the standards you advertise to customers. Slow fulfillment will result in complaints and disputes.
Evaluating Inventory & Quality
In addition to order fulfillment, suppliers play a key role in maintaining adequate inventory and providing quality products. When vetting suppliers:
- Verify if real-time inventory visibility is available to avoid overselling out-of-stock items.
- Inspect product samples yourself to confirm quality meets expectations before selling.
- Learn about quality assurance checks performed to catch defects before shipments are dispatched.
- Review return and refund policies for any damaged, defective, or inaccurate orders.
- Understand if periodic supplier quality audits and inspections are performed.
- Request photos of alternate supplier stock if initial samples fall below standards.
- Factor in higher costs of suppliers with more stringent controls to avoid quality issues.
- Occasionally spot check orders yourself to catch any dips in quality before customers receive items.
While it's tempting to choose the cheapest suppliers, it's worth investing a little more upfront to avoid profit-damaging returns and disputes down the road.
Optimizing Listings
Creating optimized listings is crucial to effectively showcase your products and entice customers to purchase.
Your product pages need to communicate all the important details like features, specs, usage scenarios, and benefits. Follow these tips:
- Craft compelling titles that describe the product while incorporating relevant keywords.
- Write detailed descriptions explaining key specifications, materials, sizes, and intended uses.
- Use bullet points to call out standout features and functionality.
- Set competitive pricing based on profit goals by researching Amazon, eBay and competitors.
- Funnel your most popular sellers into curated collections and email campaigns to boost repeat orders.
- Create blog posts and videos to provide helpful information about trending items. Link to related products.
- A/B test pricing, images, descriptions and other elements to improve conversions.
- Incorporate relevant keywords naturally throughout copy and metadata.
Polished listings effectively showcase your items while making them easy to find in search results. This leads to more qualified traffic and higher conversions.
Engaging Product Copy
Compelling product copy is crucial for conveying what a product is, what it does, and why customers should buy it. Here are some tips for writing great copy:
- Focus on benefits by using power words like “durable”, “comfortable” and “easy-to-use” to convey desirable attributes.
- Use specific descriptive titles like “Fuzzy Pink Throw Blanket for Sofa or Bed” instead of just “Pink Blanket”.
- Work relevant keywords like “bestseller” and your product name into sentences naturally to optimize for search visibility.
- Call out unique capabilities competitors lack to differentiate your offerings in crowded markets.
- Provide important details like materials, sizes, colors and uses to set expectations and reduce returns.
- Use clear, concise language. Avoid excessive adjectives and buzzwords.
- Check readability using Flesch-Kincaid grade level. Aim for 7-8th grade reading ease.
Strong copy provides the right details to inform customers and instill confidence. Take time to perfect product descriptions to drive more conversions.
Optimizing Images
High quality images are pivotal in ecommerce for providing a detailed visual representation of the product. Here are some tips:
- Photograph products against clean, simple backgrounds like white, gray or black to avoid distractions.
- Capture multiple high-resolution photos from all angles - front, back, sides, zoomed in, product in use, etc.
- For apparel, include flat lays and modeled shots to showcase fit and silhouette.
- Optimize images for fast loading without losing quality. Resize large files.
- Use natural lighting and avoid excessive editing. Show true colors and material textures.
- Stage relevant props and accessories to depict real-world product usage.
- Allow image zooming for close inspection and include variant selection on images.
- Optimize filenames and alt text with relevant keywords, not generic strings.
- Add aspirational lifestyle images showing the product elegantly styled and in use to inspire customers.
Rich imagery builds confidence during the online purchasing process and reduces returns stemming from inaccurate expectations. Photos also drive targeted traffic from image searches.
Driving Traffic & Sales
Creating optimized listings is just one piece of the puzzle. Driving qualified traffic and conversions takes continuous testing and optimization across channels.
Promotions
Limited-time promotions incentivize customers to buy:
- Sitewide sales around holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday
- Category specific discounts on seasonal items
- Free shipping thresholds and coupons
- Bundled pricing on complementary items
Abandoned Carts
Recover sales from abandoned carts by sending reminder emails prompting users to complete their purchase. Provide an additional incentive like a discount code or free gift.
Recommendations
Suggest complementary or frequently bundled products based on individual user behavior to encourage additional purchases
