As consumers, we have access to thousands and thousands of great products at any given moment. We can drop into our local shopping mall or main street, or we could simply go online and buy what we’re after from anywhere in the world. The choice is tough! But while we might have trouble deciding where to buy an item from, it’s even harder for those who set up small businesses to decide what to sell, as they try to compete with the big players.
Getting your online shop started is straightforward enough, but when it comes down to it, a successful DIY entrepreneur will sell things that people want to buy. It’s as simple as that. However, understanding what exactly is popular can be difficult. We’d suggest staying away from trends (RIP fidget spinners), as these might sell a lot to begin with, but you’ll likely find yourself with hundreds of boxes of unsold items. What you want is products that are evergreen, in the sense that they don’t exactly experience peaks and troughs in terms of popularity, but simply stay an essential item for years and years.
We’ve already discussed some ways to be a better entrepreneur, but here are some categories that will forever be popular and therefore, lucrative to an online seller.
Handmade jewelry and clothing
We can go into any H&M or Forever 21 store around the world and pick up more or less the same items. It gets boring after a while to wear what everyone else is wearing and have something that has no real passion put into it. That’s exactly why shoppers love to buy handcrafted clothing and jewelry from online sellers, because you can tell them exactly what materials were used, how it was made, and the story behind the design. Plus, a lot of handcrafted items are once-off, so when something becomes rare, people get excited! Swathes of online shoppers use DIY sites because they want products that are truly unique and bursting with spirit.
Organic skincare products
From Nature With Love has a great post on selling homemade organic skin care products, but the nuts and bolts of it all is that consumers are generally very interested in something made from natural ingredients, such as coconut oil, tea tree oil, aloe vera, beeswax, and much more. When you sell organic, you’re telling your customers that the products don’t contain things like synthetic fragrances or colors, petrochemicals and sodium lauryl sulfate. Transparency with regards to what’s inside your products will win you a lot of fans, and it’s no surprise why many people would turn to organic items because of this reason. Plus, these organic items will be far more ethical and eco-friendly.
Pet products
People really L-O-V-E their pets and aren’t ashamed to spoil them rotten with lavish gifts! This is great news for small business owners wanting to get a slice of the pie, as there’s money to be made on from pet bedding, furniture, feeding supplies, and wellness items. Especially for dogs, the more cute and funny an item looks, the more likely that a dog owner will adore it for their pet. Personalized collars and bowls go down well, as do custom portraits and little costumes. Trust us, there is no end to the amount of options when it comes to selling pet products.