Selling physical items online is a quick and straightforward way to earn extra cash. Even though this venture doesn't require special skills or knowledge like selling services or digital products, choosing the right product to sell isn’t always easy. Many new sellers find themselves asking, "What can I sell to make money?"
This article provides a guide on selecting a profitable product in addition to a list of popular categories containing items that sell well.
Table of contents
- What You Can Sell to Make Money
- How to Choose Profitable Products
- Profitable Products to Sell Online
What You Can Sell to Make Money
With so many different kinds of available products on the market, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options. Depending on the product, the platform and the business model you choose can vary, each with its own specific parameters, pros, and cons.
Let's start by exploring the four main types of products:
Used goods: Reselling used items, such as сlothes or books, is an easy way to get started. You can even sell your own items and start making money instantly. You may find buyers through social media sites or platforms like Poshmark, especially for clothing. However, because second-hand items are usually cheap, your profit margins are likely to be slim. Dealing with returns and refunds for these types of products can also be time-consuming.
Homemade or handmade products: For creative individuals, these are great things to sell to make money, as they provide a great avenue to combine a hobby and make a profit. Nowadays, more and more people are looking for items that are unique or environmentally friendly without chemicals. You can sell your creations on eBay or Etsy, but in order to draw customers, you need to have a well-established brand and reputation.
Private label items: Once you find a reliable supplier, you can produce products under your logo and sell them on platforms like Amazon. In the long term, this approach can prove to be a highly profitable venture, particularly since it's easier to scale your business by expanding your product line. However, the initial investment for a private label business may be higher, and it takes time to build a strong brand identity.
Other brands' products: Reselling products from other brands through wholesale or online arbitrage can be a fast way to make money from home. You can leverage platforms like Amazon, or build your website using Shopify. Keep in mind that there may be fierce competition for these types of products or a requirement to obtain permission from the brand before you can resell certain items.
Each of these product types comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages that can influence the required investment and amount of time needed to start generating profit. While your decision of what to sell to make money can be influenced by personal preferences, choosing a lucrative product also requires objective analysis.
In the next section, we’ll explore how to identify items with high profit potential.
How to Choose Profitable Products
If you want to make more money, you need to sell highly profitable products. In order to find these kinds of products, it’s essential to perform a thorough market analysis. Let’s explore how to conduct this type of analysis, using Amazon as an example.
Amazon is one of the largest and fastest growing e-commerce platforms, making it a valuable resource for understanding market trends. There are also various analytical tools available, such as AMZScout, designed to provide accurate data that helps sellers conduct product analysis effectively and easily.
Discover New Product Ideas
To help you generate a list of the best product ideas for your business, let's use the Product Database. Follow these steps:
1. Open the AMZScout Product Database. Start a free trial by entering your email address.
2. Apply filters to refine your search. Focus on the following criteria, as recommended by top sellers:
Price: Aim for a price range of $30-50 to ensure high margins.
Estimated Sales: Target at least 200 sales/month to ensure stable demand.
Rating: Avoid products with a rating lower than 4 to maintain positive reviews.
Number of Sellers on the listing: Limit to a maximum of 15 to avoid intense competition.
Weight: Opt for non-fragile and lightweight items (under 5 lbs) to save on shipping costs.
3. Get your results. Click "Find Products" to generate a list of items worth selling.
Amazon is a great, cost-effective platform for launching a business. It offers a huge customer base and you don’t need to build your own website. If you’re hoping to make thousands of dollars on Amazon, it's important to choose products that match your search criteria. This will ensure that you're starting from a strong base before you conduct further research and analysis.
Brainstorm New Niche and Product Ideas with the Product Database
TRY FOR FREE
Brainstorm New Product Ideas with the Product Database
TRY FOR FREE
In-Depth Product Analysis
Once you compile a list of potentially profitable ideas, it's crucial to verify each product individually to ensure that it can be genuinely profitable. With the AMZScout PRO Extension, you can check the profitability of any item from your list and make sure it aligns with your business goals.
To do this, follow these brief instructions:
1. Install the AMZScout PRO Extension.
2. Find products through the Amazon search bar. Enter the name of any product you found through the AMZScout Product Database.
3. Open the AMZScout PRO Extension. Click the AMZScout icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
4. Access the niche’s performance. In the upper right-hand corner of the open window, check:
Niche Score: This includes a text explanation of whether it's a good idea to start a business selling a product from this niche, based on sales analysis, competition, and demand.
Niche History: This allows you to review whether there's stable or growing sales volume in order to ensure consistent demand and sales.
5. Determine the most suitable business model for the item. If a niche demonstrates strong performance, click Product Score next to any item in the list you find interesting. This will provide information about whether the product is better suited for private label or resale.
6. Check the item’s performance. Click Product History under the item to view its trends and stability of sales volume.
7. Calculate your potential profit. Click on the Profit Calculator under any item to ensure that factoring in all costs, the margin exceeds 15% to ensure the item's profitability.
Sellers always need to analyze products to ensure they will be worth their time and effort. Fortunately, you can use the AMZScout toolkit, which helps you simplify this process, and provides accurate and immediate information.
Find profitable products with the AMZScout PRO Extension
Find profitable products with the AMZScout PRO Extension
Profitable Products to Sell Online
As is evidenced by product research, it's essential for a product to be considered profitable to meet the standards of high margins, demand, and lightweight construction. Here are seven examples of product categories that meet these criteria:
Home Accessories
Examples: Pillows, blankets, artwork, vases, DIY kits, and candles.
This category is incredibly popular with small businesses, accounting for almost a third of all Amazon sales. With a wide variety of everyday items, there is constant demand for products in this category. Additionally, the wide array of items means there are numerous suppliers available. This allows you to choose the best terms so you can source quality products and maximize your profits.
Clothing and Accessories
Examples: Sneakers, bags, t-shirts, wallets, etc.
The clothing and accessories market is projected to grow by more than 25% by 2024, presenting significant opportunities for sellers. While these items are in demand across all genders and age groups, they are particularly sought-after by women. With the right promotional strategy, retailers can capitalize on this trend. Additionally, apparel and accessories are lightweight, saving on shipping costs.
Health and Beauty
Examples: Natural cosmetics, organic skincare products, aromatherapy oils, and healthy snacks.
Health and beauty products often require regular replenishment, ensuring stable and repeat sales. Customers in this sector also tend to be brand-loyal and stick to stuff they prefer. Focusing on premium or niche products can generate higher margins. Additionally, there’s a growing trend towards environmentally friendly products, which makes organic offerings stand out from the competition.
Sports Goods
Examples: Athletic apparel, shoes, equipment, and accessories.
The ever-increasing focus on living a healthy lifestyle has led to a growing demand for products that promote fitness and well-being. These items can often be found at modest prices, allowing for a higher markup and greater profit potential. Additionally, selling bundles with products from other categories, such as healthy snacks or fitness watches, can drive more sales and increase profits.
Children's Products
Examples: Children's clothing, toys, books, feeding, and childcare products.
Many parents strive to buy the best for their children, so children's products are in high demand. In addition, the wholesale cost of these products is typically much lower than their retail prices, offering the opportunity for good margins. However, it's also important to note that competition here is fierce and sellers need to monitor their offerings constantly if they want to stay competitive.
Gift Sets
Examples: Gift sets for various occasions and holidays.
Offering gift sets allows you to sell several items together, increasing your profit potential. With the right promotional strategy, you can generate significant profits, especially before holidays or special occasions (such as proms). However, it's important to consider whether a gift set has seasonal use, such as Christmas decorations, in order to manage your stock effectively. Alternatively, you may want to focus on items that are in demand throughout the year to maintain steady sales.
Tech Gadgets
Examples: Gadgets and accessories for smartphones, laptops, tablets, and other devices.
This is one of the most lucrative categories due to high product prices, leading to significant margins. There is constant demand, driven by technological advances and ongoing improvements of these devices. However, selling items with batteries may require additional approval. Also, oftentimes it’s necessary to make a substantial investment in stock before you see a profit in this category.
All of these examples are currently sought-after by buyers. It's vital to evaluate each product individually to check its performance and profitability.
Conclusion
Selling products online may start off as a side hustle to help people earn extra money, but once your business becomes automated, it can transition into a passive source of income. To streamline your selling process and maximize scalability, utilize the AMZScout toolkit. This will enable you to discover ideas and pinpoint the best products that can generate consistent profits.
