Photo by James Lee from Unsplash

 

Low startup costs that encourage the growth and proliferation of e-commerce can also pose difficulties for new entrepreneurs.

Competition, for one, compels you to think carefully about your business’s niche. What products are in demand, offer opportunities for repeat purchases, and are not going obsolete anytime soon? How many people are searching for this product online?

Determining your online business’s niche beforehand keeps your costs low, and your efforts focused, especially on the marketing side. You can use digital advertising solutions for your business venture.

Foremost is advertising on Google: your ads can appear atop search engine results. These search ads can help build brand awareness or simply let customers looking for the type of product you are selling find you.

Check with Grow My Ads for ways you can improve your Google Ads performance once you have everything set up and running. Your marketing budget is understandably tight at the outset of your online business, and it’s only fitting to maximize it.

So what can you sell online that people will actually buy? Here are some of the most profitable niches to build a thriving and scalable e-commerce business on.

 

Clothes

Selling clothes online at this time may seem counterproductive, given the number of people working from home or attending online classes. However, clothing is a basic need for humans and can be one for furry friends too.

For one, vintage clothes continue to sell. This is a niche market with customers who are keen on sustainability and style that reflects their personality.

There’s no standard pricing for second hand dresses, jackets, and the like, but their background story enhances their value. Limited-edition items in their best condition can still command high resale prices.

As their humans are spending more time indoors, pets are getting more fashionable too. With pet accessories and supplies, pet clothes may not just be a trend for fur parents who want their fur babies to look cute and fabulous.

 

Home Office

It wasn’t until the pandemic happened that the need for a home office conducive to work became a priority. And with more people wanting to freelance or considering working from home for a long time, furnishing this home office can be an ongoing thing.

There is an entire range of home office products for your online store. Take a look at the top categories:

• Lighting is one of the most critical concerns of any home office user. Desk lamps with adjustable arms and sleek designs befitting minimalist desks are favorites. Floor lamps are also popular choices, and the easier they can be assembled and moved around, the better. Color temperature and energy efficiency of lighting fixtures are additional considerations.
• Plants enliven the workspace. If you are worried about the demand slowing down, consider selling hard-to-find indoor plants, along with kits, pots, and accessories.
• Writing pads, pens, and notebooks are essential home office supplies. And recent times have encouraged journaling and revived the art of handwritten cards and letters.
• Desk organizers, with their many compartments and designs, deserve their spot in your home office. They keep things organized and serve as office decors too. Cable ties, desk trays, file folders, and storage bins are also convenient items to have.
• Curtains and rugs create a cozy home office. Pillows can be for aesthetics or ergonomics to cope with the average workday.
• Computers, smartphones, and other electronics can be cost-prohibitive as a matter of inventory; however, cables, adapters, chargers, and other small tech accessories that get misplaced easily are saleable.

 

Skin Care and Makeup

Being at home has not stopped many people from experimenting with makeup, as TikTok trends show. In fact, hygiene and video conferencing only highlighted the need for cosmetics.

Consider the recent trends in the multibillion-dollar beauty industry that could shape consumer preferences in the coming months or years:

 

Mask-Friendly Makeup 

• Products like foundation and lipstick that don’t transfer to the mask or cause skin irritation when worn alongside the mask
• Cleansers and moisturizers that prevent or treat mask-related skin problems
• Face masks that are made of material gentle to the skin

 

Less Is More or All-Glammed Up

• Makeup available in all shades to achieve the everyday, flawless look
• Tools, including sponges and face stones, that help in makeup application and preparation
• Skin-care products for every skin type

Products with gentle or non-comedogenic labels are not new in the industry, but they make even more sense now. Other makeup characteristics or movements relevant today include vegan, cruelty-free, organic, sustainable, and inclusive.

Photo by Neslihan Gunaydin from Unsplash

 

Home and Garden

Lockdowns have presented opportunities to better oneself and one’s home. From cooking to gardening, these newly found or revived interests each have a market that you can tap into.

• Kitchen: While eating out is picking up, home cooking is still an option. So offering cookware, like nonstick pans and dutch ovens, can be your way to a customer’s heart. Add a cutting board, knife set, and an array of tools. Any beginner in the kitchen is all set.

Notably, if you plan to sell appliances, consider the inventory costs and warranty claims. You would also have to provide detailed product descriptions and customer support in lieu of customers seeing the items in person.

• Home gym: With workout videos online, staying in shape at home is doable. Kettlebells, dumbbells, jumping rope, and yoga mats are examples of home gym equipment for the fitness enthusiast. You may be able to convince them to buy a treadmill, rowing machine, or exercise bike.
• Outdoor space: Many have taken up gardening as a hobby or for their mental and physical well-being. This time has also allowed them to carry out backyard improvements.

You can offer a wide range of lawn and garden products for DIYers. Seeds and sprinklers for growing flowers and vegetables; fountains and bird feeders for decorating; and stones and edging products for landscaping.

 

Eco-Friendly Living

The effects of climate change are undeniable, and one can help mitigate the effects or reduce one’s carbon footprint. A practical action is to use products that support earth-friendly choices.

Examples of eco-friendly everyday products to help customers make the shift from disposable to reusable include the following:

• Lunch box and utensils
• Food bags/containers
• Grocery/produce bags
• Baking supplies, such as cups, mats, and piping bags
• Dishcloths and non-paper towels
• Coffee filter
• Tea strainer
• Makeup remover pads
• Sanitary pads
• Menstrual cup

By selling eco-friendly products, you can offer recyclable items to minimize environmental waste or biodegradable ones that decompose when they reach the end of their lifecycle.

 

What’s Next

You can build your online store using a free e-commerce platform. But these platforms are not created equal, and there are actual costs of maintaining one. Find out the best free e-commerce platform as reviewed by an e-commerce expert.

Hopefully, the ideas on what to sell, along with other e-commerce strategies, can help set up your store for success.