The Top Items to Sell on the Internet --

Jun 24, 2023

You're thinking of selling products online. It's an exciting beginning step towards entrepreneurship!

The most profitable business that sell online or through e-commerce invest time on the front end researching their market and considering the numerous options that come with selling online.

This guide's objective isn't to simply list the products and categories that someone claims are the "hottest" items selling on the internet in 2023.

We'll go over some of those, but we're also going to empower you with the methods to conduct the research yourself so you can consistently stay ahead of trends and competitors and carve your own niche that is profitable.

And, of course, the best products to market online are the products that you are able to successfully sell on the internet. If you are able to make it fit into your desired categories, sub-categories and even niches, then you can succeed when it comes to establishing an online business.

analytics dashboards on various social media and data platforms

It is important to offer items that are popular, but in a target market that isn't already oversaturated. You do not want to compete against huge stores however, you must find the right niche to be lucrative and is able to grow.

What are the steps to get you started?

For your convenience To be of service to you, this guide has been developed to teach you how to determine the best products to sell online, depending on your needs, interests, experience imagination, passions, and creativity.

Is selling products online easy?

There's a better way for you to consider this:

What expertise in business development, product design, marketing, and selling online do you currently possess? Selling products online comes in the form of what you've got, what you can discover, and the extent to which you can apply the abilities and know-how.

The more you know the more familiar you are, the easier it will be to sell products online. And regardless of skills selling products online demands a good idea, systems and platforms like marketing, and an public.

Is that straightforward?

Well, it's generally simpler than beginning the brick-and-mortar firm like typical retail stores, because it has lower start-up costs, lower risks in the beginning, fewer overhead costs, and the ability to change or pivot depending on the need.

What's more is, even if you aren't an expert, nothing but time is stopping you from learning. This article can be a great place to start!

If you're eager to take on the challenge of selling online products Don't let a ignorance or lack of experience hinder you. Begin right now. Learn everything you can. Make daily progress to be successful.

woman working on her laptop in front of a bookshelf

How do I become an online seller?

If you're not sure of an idea for a product at the moment, finding one is where you'll start. What would you like to offer on your online shop? What industries and products interest you most?

A niche gives you the possibility of locating the people that are searching for specific things, and aren't getting their needs met at the big stores. Niche products also allow you to be found online, even as a brand new small online business.

person holding a cat mug in their hand

In other words, does a new online store selling coffee mugs show up first on the page of an online search for the term "coffee cups"? No. It's too big and broad of a phrase.

What about a brand new online store selling funny and color-changing coffee cups to pet owners? That's very specific, and there is an audience for that.

So a niche product gives you a place to start, and you can challenge the large online shops right from the beginning.

Are you thinking of toys for toddlers? Explore your thoughts and learn how to describe these toys. Are they silly toys? Puzzle toys? Brain-boosting toys? For families, individuals or groups of kids? Disposable or perishable toys? Environmentally-friendly toys?

This is just a starting point. More precisely you define what is it that sets the toys that you offer in your online shop apart from the typical "toy shop," more customers will be able to attract.

two children playing with wooden toys at a table

When you are looking at types of products to sell on the internet, be careful not to get involved in the broad categories.

Start by creating an inventory of the products and concepts that appeal to you. From there, begin exploring online using methods we'll explain briefly as well as search for opportunities in one specific segment of a larger product category. You can narrow it down to a small selection of products that are niche. The trick is to find niche merchandise to market online.

What are the top-selling merchandise on the web?

When you look up the best selling products of 2023, or other years each page has a unique list of products. What that means is, nobody really lists the top-selling products in a particular category.

Why? because there are many ways of calculating this. Do you think it is best to sell through volume? Number of products sold? Best selling by profits? Most profitable selling on revenue prior to expenses? The best selling in comparison to competition? The best selling product in your particular category or field?

The decision you make about the products to offer on the web doesn't merely involve the actual product. It's also about how you'd like to sell it as well as who you wish to sell to -- the target market. Let's take a brief glance at these.

Strategies to sell your products online

For anyone looking to start an online venture, there are a variety of approaches for building your presence, sourcing and managing inventory, and much more. There are many options that do not have to be unique to each other and are all factors you need to consider.

Here are some choices you could choose from and then combine for your perfect business plan:

Godin Guitars homepage design

Sell through your own ecommerce store

If you have set up an online store on an application like this , you can sell products directly to businesses, consumers or wholesalers. You can also manage the entire business yourself through your own website.

Amazon merchant homepage

Sell on an online marketplace

shelves full of jeans in different shades

Control and sell your own inventory

If you've got space -whether rented or in facilities you possess, you may stockpile and sell your own merchandise in your online store. Here, you'll need to set up systems to make sure that the items you sell are in stock as well as ensuring that you don't have so many items in stock that you're prone to getting caught in inventory that isn't sold.

wooden shelves stocked with products

Sell via dropshipping

Each product that sells will be shipped directly from the manufacturer or wholesaler directly to the buyer.

Certain products are compatible when combined with this system, whereas other products do not.

mugs with fun sayings stacked on a table

This is a variation of dropshipping that allows you to create a product when someone places an order for it. In this scenario, you are manufacturing them at your own expense, as per demand, or working directly with a manufacturing company.

items stacked in a warehouse

Manufacture your own products

If you're able to develop your own product that you can sell on the internet, then you may want to do this to ensure quality and cut out intermediaries to keep your prices low and still make a good profit. Again, this is simpler with certain products than others.

men's clothing laid out on a table

Offer pre-existing items

It is also possible to sell items manufactured elsewhere. You can now act as an intermediary by marking up what you buy from vendors and distributing it to your own customers. It is also possible to alter this approach and create your own brand based upon a trending or pre-existing items.

warehouse full of shoeboxes

Wholesale sales

Which is better- selling via Amazon instead of your own ecommerce store?

In general, you'll be happier selling from your own store online than on Amazon or other online marketplaces Here are some main reasons:

  • It's not competing with other items in the same category in front of yours
  • There's less worry about the price of the rivals
  • You'll benefit from more freedom as Amazon may change its terms, delist you or raise their prices with no warning
  • There's more customer loyalty and an increased chance of building brand recognition
  • The possibilities to develop without limitations
  • Your company will own all of your customers details (not a third-party web site) This is a important asset as it grows

Although it might be simpler to begin selling online using a site such as Amazon because of the pre-existing infrastructure, and the higher traffic initially but you'll soon realize that the above advantages of having an online store go beyond any benefits Amazon can offer, especially when it comes to longer-term expansion.

Who should you sell it to?

Your products, in part, determine which audience your products are aimed at. But you have a few extra aspects to take into consideration. It is possible to offer items to customers based on the attributes they possess, such as:

  • Age, gender and other demographics.
  • Occupations
  • Life circumstances -- People with children, retired people Singles, retirees
  • Status socio-economic
  • Ethnicity
  • Place -- Countries, states, provinces cities, regions

There is the option to sell to businesses by using B2B- business to business. Wholesale fits in this category although any website can sell products to other businesses, depending on what they sell.

Your market of choice will come depending on the products you choose to sell, and it will change and evolve over time. But when you're just getting established selling online, make a decision about who your potential customers will be. Then, build your business from that.

Which product is the one with the greatest margin?

The highest margin online products are not physical products. Information products such as memberships, online courses, online coaching groups, and even eBooks require no inventory, no manufacturing and production. When the product is manufactured, you are now able to offer identical items to as many customers who will purchase the item.

Software can also fall into this group, even though the development process is likely to be involving a greater number of users than the items previously mentioned, which drives upwards the price for production. It also reduces margins at first. However, if the software you develop grows and is widely adopted, that too offers very good margins.

warehouse stacked high with boxes

What kinds of products can I offer online from home?

Like we said earlier, you can begin selling products online from your home faster by through dropshipping because there is no need to manage and store your inventory.

A dropshipping business has numerous advantages, like minimal startup costs, no cost of shipping or warehouse expenses, less risk, and less staffing needs. It can also be difficult to establish a presence in the marketplace, and you have less control over your products.

You can also visit actual dropshipping suppliers and see how they function and the services they offer.

Two of the biggest dropshipping supplier sources are AliExpress as well as Spocket.

Factors that affect product sale and profit

So how can you narrow down your ideas for the products you'd like to sell online? Here are a few considerations that affect how well the product is sold and profits potential margins

Margins

The margin you earn on every product is the difference in what it takes to make or secure the product, as well as the cost you will charge for the product. A product that costs $200 and costing the equivalent of $180 for production might not be as good a business idea as one which sells at $50 and is made for $25.

assorted cookies in a cardboard box

Shelf life -perishability

The same applies to food items This is true for food, naturally. But it also applies to things like the building material, some skincare and cosmetic products, and a variety of different items. The longer-lasting products are more attractive for customers, however it also means you can't sell to them as frequently. Again -- there isn't any 'right' or "wrong' way to go here. The idea is to think about when you are exploring the possibilities of your product.

Selling perishable items also increases your risk of unsold inventory. If you can't offload the items prior to them going bad then you've lost all value of the raw good.

Dimensions and weight

The heavier, bigger and more bulkier products can increase storage space and cost of managing inventory.

man and woman packing boxes for shipping

Consumable or non-consumable

Again, this doesn't just mean food. Anything that is sold out of has good potential in the longer-term sales market as your customers will come back for more. In contrast, items most people buy only a couple of times during their lifetime.

A wrench can last years before it gets worn out. The art industry isn't a simple niche because people can only have so much art available in their homes. This doesn't mean that these aren't worthwhile niches to think about. This is simply something to incorporate in your thinking process when you plan your strategy to sell products online.

How do you come up with a product and make it available for sale?

The solution to this question is dependent, in part, on what kind of business model you prefer.

Dropshippers don't have to maintain inventory, or even create a product. You're selling pre-existing products. There is a possibility of developing the brand, and you will certainly have to create the marketing and the online store. You don't need to develop the actual products.

workers standing in a warehouse

The same is true for wholesaling, too. If you're looking to partner with wholesalers, you might be a part of the chain for businesses who require these products. So, there might be a huge wholesaler from another country who has a huge warehouse of a product.

You can buy their product in large quantities and mark it up then become a wholesaler local to your city, state or province.

In addition, it isn't necessary to create a product using this approach.

Print on demand companies isn't creating the 'canvas' for their products, but they will be making the design that will make people or businesses want to buy from them. So in this case, you need to have the imagination to design your own design, style and technical skills, or whatever type of customization your offering.

blank white t-shirts for customization

It is important to understand how to work with suppliers that can supply the "canvases that you can use for your merchandise, be they shirts, notebooks, cups, pens and water bottles or whatever else you wish to sell in your online store.

If you are manufacturing your own product then the solution is a lot more complex. If food, where will you source the ingredients assuming you have developed recipes already? If you're making a different product will be required, you'll need to locate the raw materials, and then develop a manufacturing procedure.

If the product you are selling is software, or digital information product, you have to program the product, then write it down, and design it.

However, before you create a brand new product -- particularly ones that have higher initial expenses, you might want to consider doing some market research and see whether there is a an appetite for your concept. Let's spend some time talking regarding market research.

What other items are selling well at the moment? What's in demand?

What are the best ways to determine which products are popular on other stores? Here are four good methods to identify the latest products

Google Trends offers a powerful tool to get into the mind of customers. If you have a list of potential items in your mind, it allows you to search for keywords and see what kind of interest is there in those types of items.

Maybe more interesting, you could draw some conclusion and get inspiration from the searches of consumers vary widely. For example, Google's own analysis of the 2022 trends offers some definitive findings:

 People are travelling

The number of searches related to travel is increasing because people are continuing to make up for lost moments lost due to the pandemic. The searches for "best travel pillow" were up 145 percent, "airline reviews" 70%, as well as "best credit cards for traveling" 30 percent. If your product is employed in connection with exploring and travel or the way you place it in that context, you can take advantage of this rise in curiosity.

 The people are feeling the impact of economic uncertainty

On the other hand there is a rise in searches related to saving money and stress management. It is uncertain how the economy will develop and people are preparing accordingly. "Cheap alternative to" experienced a 30% year-over-year increase and "how to make money" saw an increase of 50. Similar increases were seen for stress management-related searches, and the symptoms of burnout saw an increase of 85%.

If you're starting your very first online store or planning to expand your presence already in future, make sure to read Google's research on what the future holds for retail. The report outlines the ways that consumers search for goods across multiple channels and ditching brands that are loyal to them for individualization.

To access Google Trends, after you arrive at the main site you must click on the Explore tab. Then type in a product group or any other search phrase that is relevant to your idea for a product.

Google Trends dashboard

In this case, for instance, when you search for "yogurt" in Google Trends, it shows an interest in yogurt, based on where you are. It is possible to narrow your search from states up to major metro areas and cities and discover those areas with the most interest in yogurt. This sort of information might be useful in the event that you wish to target particular areas at first. Go where demand is greatest.

related queries from Google Trends
Common words

It will then show related queries that have significant search volumes. For yogurt, Google Trends listed things such as 'greek yogurt' or  frozen yogurt. This tells you the most popular search terms related to the product category.

rising related queries from Google Trends

You can also select "rising" search volume to see what terms have gained the most traffic in recent times. In the case of yogurt, the most trending search terms were "coconut cult Yogurt, "yogurt bark," as well as a handful of others.

So these terms reflect what's considered to be the cutting edge of the industry of yogurt. You won't find those at the supermarket. The terms 'rising' provide you with merchandise that is beginning to gain traction.

These might be good product ideas to start selling on the internet, so that you can ride the wave up in the event that your product grows well-known. It could be a risk however, in the event that the trend fizzles too fast.

related topics from Google Trends

Following, next, Google Trends will provide you with relevant subjects. This means that these terms aren't yogurt-related, however they're related to it in a way, such as 'protein -the nutrient.'

You're considering possibilities for ideas to expand your product lines, or new markets to reach that might be interested in products from your eCommerce company.

The Greek yogurt surge of the past 10 years is probably due in part to the demand of alternative protein sources that are high in nutrients. Therefore, it appeals to specific type of customer. What other things could they be interested in besides just yogurt?

2. Utilize Amazon

You can use Amazon without selling through Amazon. A lot of their information is available for everyone to see You can also make use of it to research the most popular and trendy products and groups.

Here's how to find products that you can sell with Amazon sales information:

movers and shakers category on Amazon

Shakers and mover

Start by visiting the Amazon Movers and Shakers section. These are the items that have produced the largest growth in sales over the time frame. This is similar to 'rising' queries in Google Trends, except now we're looking at actual products and not just search terms.

Examining the top people and the shakers in just an hour isn't likely to be that valuable, because these lists will change constantly. But if you checked in daily for several months, by focusing only on a few product categories that interest you and you begin to observe trends and patterns.

Does any brand or product regularly appear? What do the seasonal events and holidays impact which items are featured? What about news events?

Amazon movers and shakers

Subcategories

The next thing to try from the same webpage you can click on the main category of the product for example 'baby.' A New set of headers will appear with subcategories to 'baby,' such as strollers, nursery products, clothing toys, and clothing. When you click on these then the categories will break into smaller sections.

You can use this for a narrowing down of specific descriptions of products and categories, much like we were discussing earlier when we discussed color-changing coffee cups designed for pet owners.

What can you do?

Find out what's on sale. Study their packaging and brands. Learn about the product's marketing and description. Check out reviews and discover what customers think of these items, as well as where they are falling short.

If you could identify areas these products are not serving customers -- missed opportunities -- you may be able to develop products for sale online that can meet these not being met needs.

Best seller ratings -BSR BSR

Amazon makes use of a measure known as the BSR in order to let online sellers and buyers have an idea of how these products are selling.

This gives you a sense of the quantity you might be able to sell -at Amazon at the minimum. And of course, it is important to be cautious with information such as this since it is dependent on a number of factors such as pricing and product categories. This kind of sales will not just "happen," because you selected the product category.

But you do get a pretty good handle on the demand for these products based on the BSRs they have.

The main categories of products that consistently experience the greatest demand on Amazon are kitchen and home Health and personal care, sports and outdoors and beauty.

3. Tap into TikTok

TikTok has become so impactful for consumers that they readily embrace their findings through the highly-popular hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt This is now averaging more than 50 billion users. This is a great source of new ideas as well as a good place to start your search.

TikTok also has some amazing tools for retailers. It is possible to view top products and sort results based on the location of the product, its category or categories, among other things. Or use the search function to find more specific results.

TikTok is also offering a brand updated insights portal which provides information on the behavior of production, geography, industry and much more.

This syncs your store inventory to TikTok and allows you to make ads, that do not require an experienced designer or video staff. An advanced tracking pixel can assist you in maximizing your profit from advertising and find an audience that's eager to buy your brand new product.

4. Let the results guide you

Beyond sources like other sources like Google Trends and Amazon Start with basic search engine queries and follow your research.

Check out sales figures related to your product categories that you are interested in. It is important to check the sources as well as dates to be sure what you're reading is relevant and accurate, but there are stats on just about anything to help you discover trending products online. If you get specific enough there's a good chance you'll come across some interesting stuff.

In the example above, the search for "kitchen sales figures" could yield many results, however it will not be useful since it's a broad term. Are you aware of the reason why having a clearly defined, profitable niche is so important? This topic is mentioned over and over again.

woman working on a laptop

Try searching for narrower words like "food storage container sales statistics". You can substitute "data" for  statistics. The more narrow term will be more useful for someone looking into selling those kinds of items.

The best way to approach this is to begin by using Amazon to identify narrower product categories. Then, search on the internet for statistics of sales using those words. See where it leads you.

There are also the websites and associations of the field you are interested in or are relevant to your intended audience. They often provide research and reports that can be used to help you explore your products.

What are the best ways to do market research?

Statistics and trends are only the beginning of research into market. There's a lot more to learn about.

What kinds of subjects could you research? Here are some suggestions:

  • Demand -use Google Trends and BSRs on Amazon to make sense of this
  • Market size -- sales statistics and searches give an excellent idea of this.
  • Economic indicators -- What are the demographics of income that your goods will appeal to?
  • Location -- Google Trends again can help in this case if you are planning to target specific areas to sell your products
  • Market saturation -is there too much competition? Is there room for another alternative?
  • Pricing -- what are customers paying for services related to your idea?

Qualtrics recommends conducting research in the following four research areas:

  • Customer -- present or prior customer behavior
  • Your company -- your products, services, marketing strategies, pricing, etc.
  • The effects of competition of your products on others on the market
  • The entire industry and where it's heading as well as where it's been

What are the best ways to research subjects like such? It is possible to conduct two types of market research: primary and secondary.

team meeting around a table

Do primary and second market research

Primarily research refers to any research you can conduct by yourselfin actual interviews, surveys products, testing of new products as well as focus groups and other methods of data collection.

Secondary research includes any existing data that you find and use. Therefore, looking online for sales figures is secondary research. Also, a look at websites run by the government like the Small Business Association, which has all sorts of statistics.

You probably noticed immediately, secondary research is much simpler, however primary research will be more thorough because it will be specific to your product ideas and goals.

Hotjar published the following great example of primry research, including an example of a real company that did research on one their existing products.

Five good questions to inquire about if you have the chance to talk with people in the course of your research:

  1. Who are you? And what is your job?
  2. What do you do to spend your time?
  3. Are you a buyer of such a product or service?
  4. What problem were you trying to solve or what objective was you aiming to reach with this purchase?
  5. Let me take you back to the day when you decided that you had to find a solution or accomplish this goal.

This method of inquiry can reveal the thought process and reasons behind purchasing decisions.

Moz homepage

Find out about competitor traffic

A different method for conducting market research could be using SEO tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or Buzzsumo.

Are you interested in knowing which sites are drawing traffic from search terms and Keywords that relate to your product concepts and/or categories?

These services will show you. You can see actual data on clicks and impressions that are related to all kinds of terms in search, and PPC advertising data your competition might be using.

To be clear on these definitions, impressions occur when a search result appears following a query. Likewise, it is a click when the person clicks on that search result. Therefore, impressions always rank more than clicks. The same terminology applies also to PPC (pay per click) advertising.

These kinds of data are valuable for many reasons, not all relevant to market research. In this case, for instance, you'll learn something about your competition and the competition to attract organic or paid traffic.

However, you'll also gain valuable insight into what potential customers are click on. The search terms you'll find appear to have the highest response. That indicates demand.

And to be clear, they are not free services. However, if you're just beginning and don't wish to spend too much, you could pay for one month, complete all the initial research and then back out.

shelves in a store with packaged food items

Do you require a few samples of items that can be sold online?

Remember, any list attempting to present the best items to sell on the internet can only be a snapshot. The real value lies from what you've studied and how you can determine the qualities that make a product suitable to sell, the best way to detect trends, compare the various options to market your product online and everything else.

But there are also broad online selling trends that tend to remain consistent over time. In case you're not aware, Amazon reports consistently strong selling of these categories:

  • Home and kitchen
  • Health and personal medical
  • Outdoors and sports
  • Beauty

Here are a few particular examples:

workout clothes stacked on a table

Shapewear

It is becoming more popular. Contrary to many fashion trends that are short-lived, shapewear serves a practical purpose. It's made to be comfy and trendy, as well as helping users feel better about how they dress.

Modern shapewear is lightweight and easy to transport. Here are some of the choices that fall in this category:

  • Control shifts
  • Leggings
  • Bodysuits

For some, this is sporting wear and is worn in the gym, or when working out outdoors. The versatility of this garment and its practical application makes it an essential item of modern clothing.

granola bars on a white background

Health and wellness

Most consumers will spend an extra amount on organic foods and locally-sourced or farm-raised products.

Certain shoppers may also search for food for those with special diets. They may prefer low-fat, nutrient-rich, vegan, or Keto choices.

Here are a few instances of fitness and health products:

  • Dietary supplements
  • Multivitamins
  • Protein shakes
  • Energy bars
kitten playing with pink toys

Pet products

A little over 70 percent of U.S. households are pet pets. The online pet market is a stable, reliable segment because we require regular replacement of toys and other accessories along with food.

  • Pet beds
  • Dog toothbrushes
  • LED dog collars
  • Biting toys
kitchen with stove and backsplash

Kitchen and Home

The shelf's life could be longer, but consumers constantly seek out innovative ways prepare food, arrange, and keep things organized in their kitchen.

There is always an ongoing stream of prospective purchasers as the young leave their homes with parents, get married, start families, buy houses for their first and second homes and live their lives.

From childhood into retirement, all the way to retirement, kitchen and household supplies, accessories, utensils, and storage options will always be in demand.

A few examples of home and kitchen items are:

  • Non-slip kitchen mats
  • Silverware sets
  • Cabinet organizers and drawer organizers
  • Drying racks
  • Dustpans, brooms and brushes

Ready to start selling online using your own ecommerce firm?

It comes with all the equipment you will need to start your store online so that it can be able to sell items and start your company.

It is fully compatible it seamlessly with WordPress, and offers many plugins and extensions that can help you with online selling, marketing, payment processing, coupons and offers SEO, accounting as well as other tools that can help you operate your online shop.