How to Choose Dropshipping Products: A Practical Guide
Quick answer: To choose dropshipping products, look for items that solve a problem, leave a good profit margin, are hard to find in local stores, and are light and compact to ship. Validate demand with Google Trends, TikTok, Facebook groups, Reddit and competitor stores, avoid going head-to-head with Amazon bestsellers on price, and order samples to check quality and delivery time before you list anything.
Looking to start a new business without investing a lot of initial capital? Dazzled by the large number of dropshipping products? If so, dropshipping might just be the thing for you! But the first step is to consider which products to sell and find the best dropshipping products to sell online.
What is Dropshipping Business?
Dropshipping means selling products without holding inventory yourself. When a customer buys from your store, the order is passed to a dropshipping supplier, who ships the goods directly to the customer. You pay the supplier the wholesale price and keep the difference as profit. There is no physical stock passing through your hands; the flow of goods goes directly from the supplier to the customer. This model works for small consumer products as well as larger items such as electrical appliances and equipment.
What is Winning Product for Dropshipping?
1
Solve the problem
Another important feature found in the product is that it solves the problem.
This is because whenever people encounter problems, they are willing to pay for solutions.
2
Good profit margin
One feature is found in almost all winning dropshipping products, good profit margin. A good profit margin has room to spend money on purchasing products, marketing costs, etc., and finally, leave a profit.
3
Not easy to find in local shops
Most of the time, this is ignored by many dropshippers. Many winning dropshipping products are hard to find in local stores. This is especially true for products shipped from China: if customers have to wait two weeks or more for delivery, they would rather buy a common item at the retail store next door.
When you sell more unique products that can’t be bought in local stores, customers are willing to wait several days for delivery!
4
High quality
If you want to build a successful store for the long term, you need to sell high-quality products. Selling low-quality products leads to customer complaints and an early collapse. When this happens, people who have bought from the store before will not want to buy again. The best way to check product quality is to order samples. Ordering samples not only helps to check the quality; it also lets you check the supplier’s delivery time and take your own photos and videos of the products.
Want to know more? Click to see the top dropshipping products.
How to Find the Best Dropshipping Products?
Look for products that are currently popular or may become popular in the future, and that suit a dropshipping business. Before you add trending products to your store, take some time to consider how you will sell them to your audience.
Take a look at Google Trends and do some research on top niches with high potential — these niches may help you gain a competitive advantage in the dropshipping market. Another idea is to target a seasonal niche market.
It’s important to note that starting with one dropshipping niche doesn’t mean that you can’t expand to different fields in the future. Once your store’s position in its niche is consolidated, you can add related products that you think current customers will be interested in.
Another way to find dropshipping products is to look at possible competitors and research their products: how they source and sell items, how they price them, and which new products they are adding. Stay competitive by being one step ahead.
If a competitor is selling the product under consideration and you cannot buy it at a similar price, there will be problems.
You can get many ideas from the product-related hashtags on TikTok. Look at the items shown under these hashtags for store inventory ideas. Some tags to check out include #tiktokmademebuyit and #viralproduct.
Another way to generate ideas for products to sell in online stores is to check social shopping platforms. Social networking sites are essentially e-commerce platforms, and shopping experiences are shared with social networks. Sharing can include liking, commenting, recommending, or discussing products with others. The main premise of sellers on these websites is to use the advice and influence of others to get more sales.
Joining online communities and forums is another good way to study which products are in demand. Facebook and Reddit have hundreds of open and closed communities where you can understand the needs and demands of people around the world.
You can search across many different areas, or just search for niche groups with people from all over the world. There are many global groups and forums around vegetarianism, gardening, fitness, and many other topics.
Google is still one of the best tools to find dropshipping products. Type the word “products” after a niche, and you will see many websites that discuss or show related items. Bookmark items of interest, and you can revisit them later to study them for your store.
Product research tools are software that uses complex algorithms to analyze millions of products in different markets. They help store owners evaluate the potential of goods according to data points such as current order volume, sales history, and the number of Shopify stores selling the product.
5 Factors to Consider When Choosing Dropshipping Products
Don’t limit your product selection to the best-selling products on Amazon or eBay
The key to good profits is to avoid products or niche markets that already have a concentrated sales base. The competition for these products is so fierce that sellers’ prices are very low.
To compete with such sellers, your price must be as low as theirs, or even lower. You can get niche inspiration from Amazon or eBay, but you should not simply sell the same products.
Cheap prices to attract customers
Customers look for the best price on the Internet and only buy after doing their research. The first thing people do when buying things online is to compare the prices of different sellers.
Consider how to find cheaper products with higher profit margins. “Looking for Niche” tools can help you in this process. There are more than 2 million AliExpress products, thousands of niche markets, and a large database of about 800,000 stores related to different niche markets and their analysis. Various filters make the product search process more direct, accessible, and time-saving.
Important considerations: weight, size, and country of transportation
When deciding on products for your dropshipping business, it is wise to consider the weight, size, country and region of shipment, and other factors before making the final decision.
To reduce the transportation cost and the final price for customers, you should try to choose products that are light, compact, and shipped from countries and regions that you know have efficient and fast transportation.
Use social media platforms to your advantage
In a world centered on social media, social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have become important tools in the commercial arsenal. Social media is an important means to achieve growth.
Social media provides an effective platform to interact with existing customers and reach new potential customers. Social media is a good way to share customers’ positive feedback with potential buyers and generate positive word of mouth. You can use it to conduct surveys and opinion polls to find out which new products customers want to see on your page. You can learn about current trending products through community activity, and monitor which competitor products get the most engagement.
Realize effective search through some basic dropshipping tools
Choosing which products to dropship can be a daunting task. There are various resources that make online business easier, though you have to pay for some tools.
You can get some of the same benefits from free data analysis tools such as Google Trends. It is one of the best free tools, which can help you find the niche market with the best sales volume and overall potential, while also providing valuable insights related to the competition in different niche markets.
How do you Find Reliable Suppliers for your Dropshipping Products?
The best way to find quality suppliers is to determine some of your requirements. Decide where to sell products, which supplier characteristics you value most, and how much money you are willing to spend.
Honest FulPhilment works with suppliers carefully selected by our purchasing team, sends sourcing quotes in 4–5 days and inspects products before shipping (20% of units by default), so you can worry less about supplier reputation and product quality. We also provide attentive customer care.
Most product research tools will include links to AliExpress suppliers, and there are more platforms.
Conclusion
Once you have chosen your products, find a quality supplier for them. Don’t forget to check older products; don’t blindly trust trending products; and remember the influence of the seasons. If you have any questions, please contact us now!
Related reading: How do I pick a niche for dropshipping?
FAQ
How do I choose products to dropship?
Pick products that solve a problem, leave a good profit margin after product, shipping and ad costs, are hard to find in local shops, and are light and compact to ship. Then validate demand with Google Trends, social media and competitor stores, and test quality with samples.
What is a winning dropshipping product?
A winning product solves a clear problem, has a healthy margin, is not easy to buy locally and is good enough quality that customers do not complain or return it. Products that look impressive in a short video are also easier to sell.
Where can I find product ideas for dropshipping?
Use Google Trends and Google search, TikTok hashtags such as #tiktokmademebuyit, Facebook groups, Reddit communities, competitor stores and product research tools that show order volume and how many stores sell an item.
Should I sell the same bestsellers as Amazon?
Usually not. Amazon and eBay bestsellers face strong price competition. Use them for niche ideas, then look for related or differentiated products where you can compete on more than price.
How do I find reliable suppliers for my dropshipping products?
Decide where you sell, what matters most to you (price, speed, quality, branding) and your budget, then compare suppliers with sample orders. A sourcing agent can find factories, quote prices and inspect goods before shipping.