Hi Ziv,
If you are looking for products to sell, here are a few ways to find ideas -
Popular searches and most popular products on eBay -
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Perform a completed listings search on eBay to find out what the going price is for something you wish to sell, and what the demand is like.
Another idea is to check eBay’s Want It Now listings. How many people are searching for something versus the number of suppliers supplying it?
You can also check sites such as Amazon and Yahoo to see what is selling elsewhere.
Now, these, while useful as a starting point, can also be accessed by every other eBay seller. ‘Hot’ products usually have so much competition that it is always most profitable to come up with your own niche market.
Some ways to find niche markets -
Magazines, newspapers and blogs can be very useful for brainstorming and researching new markets. It's also a good idea to keep tabs on what is happening in the news if you want to pick up on new trends. The trick is to analyze what you hear and read for product opportunities.
Sometimes, friends and family can be the source of an idea. Perhaps they are all having the same trouble finding the perfect baby carrier, ergonomic gardening tools, or kitchen grill. Just 3 or 4 people looking for the same thing can indicate an opportunity waiting to be grabbed.
Your own hobbies and interests can be the catalyst for a great product idea. It’s highly likely many other people also share your passion and need the same items you do, whether that be art or a collectible, craft tools, or essential piece of equipment, such as a snorkel, bird watching binoculars, baseball bat, and so on. Not only are most hobbyists prepared to spend to support their interest, but you as a seller will already have a lot of knowledge about the product, which will make sourcing items and marketing a lot easier.
Keyword research tools help you to find what people are looking for on the Internet. Research tools gather data from major search engines and analyze the searches people are making to help you find new markets. Essentially, keyword research involves starting with a search for a broad keyword phrase, such as ‘wedding’, and then drilling down to find more specific items that are searched for frequently. E.g. Wedding invitation – cheap wedding invitation.
Note that a great little trick you can try is to type in ‘buy’, ‘purchase’, ‘for sale’. This will pick up the most popular searches people have made. In general, if over 10,000 people are searching for something each month, then you have a viable demand.
Keyword research tools that you can use include Wordtracker, eBay’s popular keyword searches and Google’s keyword tool.
And of course, you may have noticed the Research Labs tab just above. The Research & Analysis tool helps you discover the profit potential on eBay for products you wish to sell.
I know this may be a lot to take in but research is the key. What products are you trying to sell? Is it really viable for you to be selling this product as a new business?
eBay has become an extremely competitive marketplace and it is not uncommon to find products selling at prices the same as or lower than wholesale. Perhaps you'd like to experiment with different marketplaces - Amazon works better than eBay for some people. Or purchase from wholesalers in very large quantities to drive the wholesale price down. Another option is to use liquidation suppliers to get bulk lots at prices well below wholesale.
These days, you have to be pretty savvy to survive on eBay. You may find the articles here helpful -
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All the best!
