There are millions of products on Amazon, but how do you know which ones will bring in good profits regularly and continuously? The struggle is over. When it comes to selecting products, it’s more of a science and strategy behind it instead of just a gut feeling. And here at FeedbackExpress, we’ll dig in to uncover what to sell on Amazon that can increase your revenue in a sustainable way.
First, Eliminate What You Shouldn’t Sell on Amazon
Finding the right product(s) to sell on Amazon is a lot like dating: you have a list of dealbreakers that will make any relationship a no-go from the start. And when it comes to product research, it’s important to know what to avoid so you can identify when to move on instead of going down a rabbit hole and wasting time, energy and money.
- Incredibly High Competition. If you’re searching up products and come across ones with many pages of listings, it’s going to be tougher to break into that market.
- Really Competitive Pricing. When you see products that you know would retail for at least twice as much in person, that should make you stop and think how those sellers are turning a profit — and how you would be able to as well. Unless you’re really passionate about that product, consider if you’d be able to handle selling at a loss to gain visibility and customers.
- Limit of Innovation. This one’s mostly aimed at private label sellers. To succeed, you need to be able to take a ‘common’ product and put your own twist on it so you can stand out from the crowd. If you’re coming across products that are already diverse or offer many different features, it’ll be harder for you to separate yourself from the competition.
- In-Store Availability. When the average person can find a product easily in big box stores, it’ll be tough to convince them to shop from you online. That’s because you’re facing marketing and advertising budgets in the millions, while you’re operating on a much smaller scale.
- Disney. No. Just…no. You’ll never win.
Related: Amazon Pricing Strategies
How to Come Up With a Formula of What to Sell on Amazon
I can sum up great products to sell on Amazon in just four words: high demand, low competition. However, translating that into actual, sellable products is a bit more involved. Luckily, it turns out that sticking to those four words as your guiding principle will get you very far, especially with the huge array of products being sold on Amazon.
Think of Filling a Need
Some of the best-selling products are the ones put out by people who identified a gap in the market, then filled it with a product people didn’t know they were looking for. Think of Spanx, the Squatty Potty, reusable drinking straws, and more. These were the result of people wanting something more in their own lives, getting frustrated that the product wasn’t readily available, then simply making it themselves. I’m not saying you have to put on your inventor’s hat but look at the stuff you use on a regular basis and think how it could be improved or changed to suit your needs even better.
Look for the Goldilocks Zone of Selling Criteria
Some products lend themselves naturally to being sold easily and quickly online, and they all share very specific criteria. When you’re browsing Amazon, add products that fit the following points to your shortlist.
- They’re small, lightweight and easy to ship.
- They have a decent amount of reviews (about 100 or so) but not too many (i.e. not a lot of sellers or potential competition for you).
- They retail in the $10-50 range.
- They’re easy to source or manufacture (stay away from fragile or breakable items).
- They’re evergreen and not trendy or seasonal. The key is year-round consistency.
- They can be improved upon and/or have room for added features. Negative reviews are great for telling you exactly how and where you can add these improvements.
- They’re not attached to big or really recognisable brand names.
- They can be upsold or cross-sold with accessories or attachments.
- They have the potential for reordering, giving you a steady stream of revenue.
- They come with highly-searched keywords. If you come across something with high keyword search results combined with low reviews, you’ve hit a bit of a jackpot.
- They appear on poorly-written, poorly-optimised search listings.
- They’re in the clothing category.
Final Thoughts
When searching for what to sell on Amazon, keep a bit of the buyer inside you. If you can’t get excited about a product on an emotional level, you’re going to have a tough time convincing others to buy it, too. But don’t let your emotions sway you too much — finding products to sell on Amazon should be rooted in logic, numbers and strategy. When you’ve finally got yourself a good inventory, turn to FeedbackExpress for the next step. You’ll need a professional approach to help get the reviews rolling in and we’re the perfect tool to take you to the next level. You’ll even start off with a 14 day free trial when you sign up now, so get moving!
