Finding Products to Sell Online
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What you’ll learn:
As ecommerce continues to expand, brands need to get to the heart of what customers want to buy, how they shop, and where they shop. This starts with solid product research, which can help you uncover and capture new opportunities.
In order to bring the right products to market, it’s crucial to dig deep into research well before deciding on which products to sell, from your target market to your competitors.
Brands looking to launch online have a wide range of products to source and sell, including things like commodities, niche products, physical items, digital offerings, and trending products.
Finding which category is right for your business is made easier with AI-enhanced product discovery and research tools, showing you industry trends and identifying product gaps you can capitalise on at the moment.
When it comes to developing your own product to sell online, it’s important to test all ideas thoroughly during every product development stage, and pivot accordingly.
So, you’ve decided to take the plunge and start an online business. Now for the million-dollar question — what should you sell? Profitable products achieve one of three things: they ease a customer's pain point, serve a passion, or solve a problem.
Ideally, you want to sell products that a) Customers want to buy and b) You are able to supply.
For example, if you’re creating an advanced digital product with complex technical specifications, can it run on most operating systems? Or if you’re selling handmade home décor, do you have partnerships with manufacturers and artisans you trust?
Also, consider whether you want to serve a niche in the market, or cater to an established one. Another way to scope for business ideas is to consider your own domain knowledge and passions. Perhaps you’re a former chef with a passion for clean eating or a surfer with a design background. Find ways to put your expertise to use.
From sourcing products to sell online to launching your own unique product line, the sky is the limit for brands willing to put in the work and do the research.
To make it easier, we’ve put together a set of guidelines for finding great product ideas for your online store.
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Step-by-step guide to sourcing products to sell online
Finding products to sell online requires a lot of research.
First, try to find an unmet customer need. A gap in the market indicates one of two things:
There are currently no products available to serve this need
The existing products are insufficient
These are opportunities for you to introduce a new product to the market. Next, research your target audience to understand who they are and study competitors that are already serving this market.
Conduct market research.
Once you’ve selected a product category, you need to validate your idea by studying the market.
Find out if there’s sufficient demand for the product to build a potential business. What is the potential market size? Who are your potential customers? Who are your competitors? Is there low competition?
Focus your research on identifying customer needs; then, determine if a specific product can meet those needs. Find out what related product lines are already being offered — how is yours different? Beware that some products are short-lived trends, while others represent a growing market.
There are a growing number of product research tools available to help you hone in on what product is right for you, from AI-enabled tools that assist with market and trend analysis, to platforms that can simplify your ecommerce and dropshipping strategy.
We’ve compiled a few product research tools to get you started:
Helium 10 and Jungle Scout give you insight via Amazon data competition, sales, and product niches
Ecomhunt and Niche Scraper help you learn about winning products in your niche
AliExpress Dropshipping Centre gives you a marketplace for products to dropship
Google Trends and Trend Hunter assist in understanding market and industry trends
Study your competitors.
Take cues from your competitors. Some things to consider include product features, market share, pricing, differentiators, strengths, and weaknesses. Read their customer reviews. Where do they excel? What are the prevalent customer complaints?
For example, if customers complain about long shipping times, you can offer faster delivery.
Remember to research your competitors’ marketing strategies — study their ecommerce website, social media presence, and approach to search engine optimisation (SEO). These are research tools which can provide major clues as to how to succeed in your chosen niche.
Research your target market.
To make sure you’re selling the right product, you need to understand your ideal buyer. Your target market is made up of people who are the ideal fit for your product. What are their interests, hobbies, and needs? Find out as much as possible about your ideal customer including their age, living situation, income, buying habits, and media consumption by conducting a thorough target market analysis.
Don’t forget to research their buying habits. When are customers most likely to purchase your product? Is it a seasonal purchase, or do they only buy when they need to replace something that is broken? This will help you determine what products and features they value most.
Look into product opportunity gaps.
A product opportunity gap occurs when there is a gap in the market that existing businesses are not yet serving. These gaps can be identified through market research or by observing trending topics on social media or Google Trends. Once you identify a product gap, you have a choice between refining an existing product or service or creating a completely new one.
Consider what type of product to sell online
The type of product you decide to sell will determine your selling price, branding, as well as marketing and distribution. For example, niche products can be sold with a higher markup because there are few substitutes, whereas commodities rely on volume to generate profits.
Making sure you keep in mind your gross profit margin (i.e., the percentage of sales revenue left over after deducting direct product costs) while still keeping competitive prices, choosing which products to sell comes down to a unique blend of finances, and what makes sense when building your successful business.
Commodities.
A commodity is a basic good that is considered of equal value no matter who produces it. Examples include computer chips, coffee, and metals. There isn’t much product differentiation here — customers purchase these items for their utility, not uniqueness. Consequently, a lot of businesses resort to competing on price.
The best way to sell a commodity is by adding value. For example, fresh produce is a non-differentiated product, but meal kit companies transform raw materials into ready-to-cook, pre-portioned meals and sell them at a marked-up price.
Niche products.
A niche product is a product targeting a specific section of a larger market. Examples include bespoke fragrances, made-to-order linens, and handmade art. Demand for these products tends to be price inelastic because they are premium products with few substitutes. This means you can charge a higher markup and generate a higher profit margin. Direct-to-consumer business models have made it easier for retailers of niche products to reach their customers online.
Physical products.
Selling physical products online can be tricky. The key is to provide a user experience that lets customers envision the product as if they were viewing it in real life. For example, how will they know whether a pair of shoes is comfortable? Or how that new coffee table will look in their living room?
Product page designs that include high-resolution images, informative videos, and product configurators help bring physical products to life in the digital realm. Providing complete and accurate product listings across every channel your product is listed on can help shoppers know exactly what they’re getting, and make purchases with confidence.
Digital products.
Digital products are easy items to sell online because you can distribute them without any manufacturing or shipping costs. Since the product is in digital format, customers need only download it or access it online. Examples include online courses, speciality software, artwork, and gated content such as ebooks or webinars.
High-demand products.
Trending products have high demand and — in some cases — customers may be willing to pay a premium for them due to real or perceived exclusivity. These types of products tend to have a high search volume online, making it easier for customers to find your product as long as you are using the correct keywords on your ecommerce store.
When thinking about how to find winning products that are in demand, it’s important to keep in mind factors like which marketplaces you plan to list on, including channels like Amazon, TikTok, and Walmart.
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Five steps of product development
1. Idea stage.
Start with a brainstorm of potential products based on what you discovered in your market research. For each product idea, you should be able to describe the product’s core functionality and target market.
2. Idea validation stage.
Product validation means making sure the product is both technically feasible and commercially viable. If it’s a physical product, how will it be manufactured? How will the product reach customers?
At this stage, you should be able to define the product’s value proposition and success metrics to measure product performance. Ideally, you’ll also develop a prototype of the product (a digital or physical mockup) and test it with potential users.
3. Product development stage.
Next, design and manufacture the product based on the prototype’s technical and design specifications. Depending on the product type, you might prototype it yourself or outsource the work to a manufacturer or developer.
4. Testing stage.
The testing stage before launch is your chance to have users trial the final version of the product. Product testing entails checking to see if the product operates as expected according to its technical and design specifications.
5. Launch stage.
Create a go-to-market strategy to ensure your product reaches your customers. This means determining pricing, marketing, and distribution. The goal is to build excitement for and awareness of your product before it launches.
Find ways to make your product’s story shine. Think about the key features and messaging that should be included in your marketing campaign. Perhaps your business has a unique founding story, or your products are made with specially-sourced materials.
A few ways you can stimulate interest in your product launch:
Build an email marketing campaign
Call attention to new products on your online store
Collaborate with people who can promote your product, from influencers to advertisers
Connect to audiences on social media, such as Instagram or TikTok
Consider a multi-platform strategy
It’s crucial to optimise your reach, and in some of the most successful product launches, that means promoting your product on multiple platforms. With 50% of U.S. consumers reporting that they rely on social media to help them learn about products and brands, having a multi-platform strategy is key to building a winning go-to-market strategy.
Listing your products on wide-reaching marketplaces (like Amazon or Etsy) can be a huge force multiplier, as well. But listing new products in so many places doesn’t have to take your mind off your day-to-day. In fact, even if you’re working with fewer resources or a smaller team, there are shopping feed management tools (with built-in support teams) that can help.
The final word
Whether you’re an entrepreneur with your own product line or a beginner building their first startup, the key to setting up a successful online business is to sell popular products that are in high demand. To find good product ideas, study the market and find out what customer needs you are uniquely positioned to serve.
Get to know your ideal customer through target market research. Find gaps in the market and where your competitors are lacking. Then source and produce your products backed by data.
During (and long after) the product development process, make sure you are continually testing your idea with real users — from the ideation phase all the way through prototyping and launch. Ask for feedback, and update your offerings based on user and developer suggestions.
Because running a business requires steadfast commitment to providing what people want, but with the right resources and knowledge it can be made easier.
FAQs for finding products to sell online
The best tools for product research include Google Trends for understanding market trends and seasonality, Jungle Scout and Helium 10 for detailed Amazon product analytics, and Ahrefs or SEMrush for keyword and competitor analysis. Additionally, social listening tools like Hootsuite and BuzzSumo help track consumer sentiment and emerging trends across social media platforms. These tools collectively provide insights into product demand, competitive landscape, and consumer preferences, aiding in informed decision-making for product development and marketing strategies.
Use your product research to discover an unmet need in the market. A great way to find product ideas for your ecommerce business is to study your competition and observe their strengths and weaknesses. For example, if your competitors offer limited customisation for their products, you can offer a similar product while giving customers the opportunity to choose their own styles and colours.
The top-selling products have a clear value proposition: they ease a pain point, solve a problem or bring joy. When selling online, remember that customers must be able to envision the product in real life, so be sure to include high-quality product descriptions, images, and videos.
Your products should also be unique and eye-catching. If similar items are available in a brick-and-mortar store in your area, customers may go there instead to see the product in person.
Find out what search terms people use online. Google Trends and Google Keyword Planner are great starting points for keyword research. You can also check product listings on popular online marketplaces like Alibaba, eBay, Amazon, Etsy, AliExpress, and Walmart to find the best-selling products.
For example, if you start typing into the Amazon search bar, Amazon Suggest will surface the most-searched terms associated with that keyword. eBay Watch Count helps you find viral goods by indicating how many people are “watching” items associated with a specific keyword. Finally, pay attention to what products are trending on social media.
To evaluate the profitability of a product, calculate the profit margin by subtracting the cost of goods sold (COGS) from the selling price and dividing by the selling price. Analyse sales volume, market demand, and pricing strategy. Consider fixed and variable costs, and assess how changes in production scale impact overall profitability. Use tools like break-even analysis to determine the sales volume needed to cover costs and generate profit. Additionally, monitor ongoing expenses, competitor pricing, and market trends to make informed decisions about pricing and profitability.
To find reliable suppliers for your products, start by researching online marketplaces like Alibaba, Global Sources, and ThomasNet. Check supplier reviews and ratings, and request samples to assess product quality. Network with industry professionals and attend trade shows to meet potential suppliers in person. Verify the supplier's credentials, including business licences and certifications. Establish clear communication and set expectations to ensure a strong partnership.
AI tools can sift through vast amounts of real-time data — from search trends and social sentiment to marketplace demand signals — to spot early indicators of rising product interest long before they hit the mainstream. By combining predictive analytics with automated monitoring, AI can flag which items are gaining traction (and which are cooling off), helping merchants make faster, smarter merchandising decisions. In short, it’s like having a trend-obsessed analyst on staff who never sleeps.
Relying solely on current trends can lure retailers into oversaturated markets where competition is high and margins shrink fast. Ecommerce trends also move quickly, so a product that’s hot today may cool off before inventory even lands, leaving businesses with costly overstock. In other words, chasing trends without a broader strategy can feel less like smart merchandising and more like merchandising roulette.
You can validate demand by testing interest before you buy, such as testing with preorders, small-batch drops, landing pages with waitlists, or ad campaigns that measure click-through and intent. Pair those signals with marketplace data, competitor analysis, and supplier lead times to confirm whether interest is real and sustainable. This lets you invest in inventory with confidence rather than crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.
Absolutely, you can test product-market fit long before launching a full ecommerce site. Tools like social ads, shoppable posts, marketplace listings, and simple landing pages let you gauge interest, collect emails, and even generate early sales with minimal overhead. It’s a low-risk way to learn what resonates before investing in the digital equivalent of a full brick-and-mortar build-out.
Seasonality can make or break early product decisions, since demand naturally rises and falls throughout the year — sometimes dramatically. New online businesses that align launches with seasonal peaks can capture momentum, while those that mistime inventory may face cash flow crunches or sluggish sales. Treat seasonality as a strategic lever, not a surprise guest, and you’ll plan product cycles with far more confidence.
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