Identifying the Best Dropshipping Products

Perhaps you've heard the phrase 'dropshipping' bandied around your network, but you're unsure what it is.

If so, now’s your chance to dive into this area to see if dropshipping is something you want to explore.

So, what is dropshipping?

Put simply, it’s a way of selling products online without the hassle of warehousing and fulfilling orders. You run your eCommerce store, selling products sourced by dropshipping suppliers. Then, when you make a sale, the order is sent to your supplier, who picks, packs, and ships the product to your customer.

Sounds good, right?

However, to enjoy dropshipping success, identifying high-quality products that customers actually want is a must.

So, to help you achieve that, we're revealing our top tips for pinpointing the best dropshipping products (and providing some real-life examples).

Let's dive in!

Market Research

While it’s all very well turning your hobby or passion into a dropshipping business, when it comes to product selection, you need to gauge consumer demand, identify lucrative niches, and spot emerging market trends to increase the likelihood of success.

This is where market research is worth its weight in gold. Effective market research is critical to validating product ideas for high demand, low competition, and good profit margins. Not only that, but market analysis helps you stay on top of trending products, allowing you to capitalize on lucrative product categories and stay ahead of your competitors.

So, to help you kickstart your market research, below we’ve listed a few resources:

Google Trends

Yes, you guessed it, you can use Google Trends to see which products/niches are trending.

This free tool allows you to select (or type in) a category you’re interested in. Then, Google shows a chart mapping the category’s trend growth over time (and by region).

You can use this information to gauge whether the product or niche boasts a steady or increasing demand (if it doesn’t, you might want to consider a different product category!)

You’ll also get a sense of whether demand fluctuates throughout the year and/or in different regions, allowing you to adjust your marketing strategies accordingly.

To better illustrate how Google Trends works, here’s an example:

You can see interest in yoga pants in the US over a 12 month period has stayed reasonably consistent, with highest interest coming from New Hampshire, Alaska and New York.

You’ll also see a list of ‘related topics’ for which users searching for your term also searched. You can filter results by ‘top’ (I.e., the most popular topics) and ‘rising’ (I.e., topics with the largest increase in search frequency since the last time period. Results labeled "Breakout" had a colossal increase).

Similarly, you’ll see a list of ‘related queries’ (as demonstrated in the screenshots, these are more nuanced than ‘related topics’). Again, you can filter these results for top and rising.

Dropshipping Platforms

You can also use dropshipping supplier platforms like Spocket to find products that are proven to sell. In Spocket’s case, apply the ‘Best seller’ filter to populate top-performing items.

Simple, right?

Monitor Your Competitor's

Success leaves clues. So, do some research into what your competitors are selling. What kind of engagement are they getting on their ads and socials? You can track competitor ads using Facebook Ads Library (it’s free!) and monitor influencers to see which products they’re being paid to promote.

Also, what do customers say about your competitors’ products? Take a look at reviews on their websites, socials, and third-party review sites to get a better understanding of what their customers:

Love
Complain about
Want to see
Overall sentiment toward the product

Then, use your findings as inspiration for your own product research.

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SurveyMonkey’s Market Research Panel

onsider using SurveyMonkey's market research panel to analyze your potential target audience and get better insights into their consumer preferences.

Here’s how it works:

Choose your audience: Add custom screening questions to reach specific target segments or select demographics like age, gender, job, region, (and more).
Create and send your survey.
Collect real-time results and use SurveyMonkey’s tools to analyze responses (custom reporting, filters, and cross-tabbing).

The benefit of SurveyMonkey is that you can create ultra-targeted surveys specific to the product(s) you’re considering selling and receive responses from confirmed consumers. As such, SurveyMonkey is great for retrieving reliable and relevant data in a relatively quick amount of time.

Please note: This isn’t a free service. You should expect to pay per response.

Read Dropshipping-related Blogs

Dropshipping blogs often discuss trending products and provide valuable advice on picking winning merchandise for your online store.

For example, here are some of our most recent posts on those very subjects:

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Criteria for Product Selection

In addition to conducting market research to validate dropshipping products for your eCommerce shop, there are several other points of reference to consider:

Profit Margin Potential

As you conduct your market research, you'll start to understand how much competitors are selling similar items.

This begs the question: Will the product generate a healthy profit?

Broadly speaking, you can expect to earn between 15-20% profit on dropshipping items. However, some niches are more lucrative than others. For example, watches (50-60%), jewelry (70-80%), and women’s clothing (40-60%).

When calculating a product’s potential profit margin, factor in the following expenses:

The product’s base cost (I.e., what your dropshipping supplier is selling it for)
Shipping fees
Other outgoings, such as subscription fees to your eCommerce platform, marketing costs, etc.,

‍Pro Tip: Spocket offers a profit margin calculator to help with this. Be sure to take advantage of this free resource!

Target Audience

When picking dropshipping products to sell, it’s imperative to have your target audience at the forefront of your mind.

But to do this successfully, you first need to determine what problem(s) the product solves. Then, ask yourself whether the product’s benefits satisfy the needs of your target audience.

So, what does your target demographic actually want?

Creating buyer personas can help answer this question. These are essentially imagined profiles of your ideal customers.

Personas should outline the following info:

Age
Gender
Location
Likes and dislikes
Values
Occupations
Social media preferences
Online behavior
Income
Pain points

There are free tools you can use to help with this. For example, Hubspot’s Free Persona tool. You simply complete seven simple steps:

Create your avatar and give it a name
Add their demographic traits (age and highest level of education)
What industry do they work in and what’s the size of their organization?
Add their career details (job title, who they report to and how their job is measured)
Job characteristics and challenges
What tools they need to do their job
How they get information for their job

The tool then instantly generates a buyer persona template for you to refer to when creating campaigns.

You can also use the Facebook Audience Insights tool to flesh out your personas. This is great for gathering information about the people who like your Facebook page - for instance, their average age, gender, jobs, what they like, their location, etc.,

If you’re already selling online, use your eCommerce platform’s built-in analytics for more accurate insights into your target audience. For example, if you use Shopify, utilize Shopify Analytics. On top of that, there’s also Google Analytics and Facebook and Instagram’s Ad Manager - to name but a few of the many analytics tools out there!

Popular Product Categories

Now you have a better idea of how to validate potential dropshipping products, let’s walk through some of our favorite dropshipping items across a few product categories for you to research further (applying the advice listed above).

Apparel and Footwear

For women:

T-shirts
Tops and blouses
Sweaters and hoodies
Activewear
Sleepwear
Dresses
Tank tops
Boots
Flats
Heels
Sandals
Slippers
Sneakers and runners

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For men:

Sweaters and hoodies
Dress shirts
Pants
T-shirts
Jackets and coats
Swim trunks
Sneakers and runners

Beauty and Personal Care

Diffuser oils and candles
Towels and robes
Essential oils
Soap
Aftershave
Haircare products such as wax and shampoo bars
Make-up products such as mascara, eye palettes, eyelash growth serum
Nail products such as false nails and LED nail polish dryer lamps
Men’s grooming kits
Body butter
Bath bombs
Lip balm
Facial spray
Anti-aging serum
Ultrasonic skin scrubber
Ultrasonic facial skin cleaner
Body wash
Facial moisturizer
Face rollers
Healthcare products such as organic sunscreen, knee pillows, and massagers

Kitchen and Dining

Travel mugs
Reusable water bottles
Insulated mugs
Corkscrews
Wooden spoons
Cutlery sets
Silicone utensils
Air fryers
Portable blender
Kitchen scales
Portable barbecue
Shaker bottles for protein drinks
Metal drinking bottles
Kettles
Insulated mugs
Salt and pepper shakers
Slushy makers
Reusable coffee filters
Coffee machines
Kitchen organizers and storage

Kids and Babies

Baby bibs
Diaper bags
Babygrows
Crib sheets
Teething toys
Diapers
Newborn baby clothes
Toddler/infant clothes such as dresses, shorts, and t-shirts
Baby blankets
Newborn floating bathpad
Newborn booties and shoes
Newborn swimwear
Baby headbands
Finger puppets
Baby and toddler hats
Baby bath products such as body butter
Baby bath sachet
Baby oil
Baby burp clothes

Pet Supplies

Dog toys
Cat toys
Dog and cat food dispensers
Dog chews
Dog brownie bites
Dog crates
Dog leashes
Dog collars
Cat collars
Pet odor purifier
Cat bed
Dog bed
Poop bags
Cat carriers
Cat litter mats
Rawhide kabobs
Dog dress
Pet car net screen
Disposable poop bags
Cat and dog grooming brushes

Home Interiors

Custom name signs
Woven photo ropes
Stainless steel adhesive vases
Plant-themed wall art
Fluffy rugs
Geometric clocks
Throw cushions
Throw blankets
Sofa covers
Macrame plant hangers
Clocks
Bedside tables
Nesting tables
Media units
Writing desks
Dining tables
Armchairs
Gaming chairs
Stools
Sofas

Office Products

Table lamps
Ladder shelves
Computer desks
Bookcases
Tape dispensers
Pencil cases
Gel pens
Notebooks
Journals
USBs
Multi-plug outlets
Wireless presenters
Mini desk vacuum cleaners
Home office wall decor
Alarm clocks/timers
Office chairs
Wireless mouses
Home office desks
Seat cushions
Massage chairs

Tools and Home Improvement

Robot vacuums
USB air conditioners
Air purifiers
Hand tool sets
Essential oil diffusers
Safe lock boxes
Handheld vacuums
Retractable mops
Humidifiers
Wireless dust blowers
Handheld ironing gadgets
Can crushers
Ice makers
Remote control ceiling fans
Electric insect rackets
Sewing machines
Fruit and veggie scrubbers
Carpet and wall stain removers
Silicone window cleaning brushes
PH sensor lawn hygrometers

Phone Accessories

HD optical monocular telescope with phone clip
Headphones
Fun chargers (e.g., SpongeBob-themed iPhone chargers)
Docking stations
Car chargers
Wireless chargers
Bike phone stands
Waterproof bags
Selfie ring clips
Phone stands
Car cell phone holders
Phone cases
Custom Airpod cases
Scratch removers
Screen protectors
Phone wallets
Waterproof phone cases
Smartphone tripods
Wireless charging pads
Mobile phone HD projection/3D magnifier with stand

Car Accessories

Hanging dice
Pet car seat covers
Universal wireless chargers
Car polisher kits
Car aux audio cables
Fun wireless car chargers (e.g., penguin-shaped)
RGB voice control LED car and motorcycle glow lights
Cup holders
Carbon fiber vinyl film wraps
Microfiber car cleaning cloths
Car USB FM transmitter/ Bluetooth FM receiver
Car care car cleaning brushes
Dashcam car cameras
Quick car USB chargers
Car seat back protector
Portable air humidifiers
Portable essential oils diffuser
High-pressure cleaning tool
Autoglass windshield repair tools
Anti-skid chains

Supplier Relations

Picking winning dropshipping products isn’t enough. Instead, we can’t stress how vital it is to do your due diligence to ensure your dropshipping suppliers provide the following:

Great quality products
A reliable order fulfillment service
Excellent communication
Competitive discounts on their retail prices
No minimum order quantities
Their own warehouses

All the above forms the basis of a partnership you can rely on. The last thing you need is customers contacting you about products not arriving or being poor quality. This is where working with a platform that connects you with dropshipping suppliers who are stringently vetted for product quality, order processing, and shipping times is handy. Pro Tip: If the dropshipping supplier platform you’re using provides a rating system for its suppliers, that's even better. Be sure to check these out before working with them!

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Marketing Strategies

You likely have little or no budget to invest in marketing. However, making some headway with your dropshipping marketing is still possible.

Here are a few tips:

Do some digging to see what (if any) marketing features your eCommerce platform offers. For example, analytics, discount codes, abandoned cart recovery, customer segmentation, and marketing automation tools. Take advantage of any tools you have at your disposal!
Use social media like Facebook and Instagram for targeted advertising. You can also use ad retargeting to re-engage potential customers who have already visited your online store and might be on the fence about purchasing.
Influencer partnerships in eCommerce are standard, with 31% of social media users discovering new products through influencers. To keep costs low, consider working with smaller-scale nano and micro-influencers within your niche (these are influencers with 1-10,000 and 10,000-100,000 followers, respectively).
Embrace content marketing to improve search engine rankings and attract organic traffic. For example, you could write SEO-optimized blog posts highlighting the products you’re selling, providing commentary and insights into topics relevant to your niche, publishing listicles, etc.
Similarly, optimizing your entire store for SEO, including meta tags, titles, and descriptions, is wise. Again, your eCommerce platform should offer SEO tools to help you improve your SEO, so be sure to check those out!
Lastly, ask customers to leave reviews and testimonials on your storefront. This kind of social proof is excellent for building trust with new customers and establishing credibility.

Case Studies

Let’s round this guide off by exploring a couple of dropshipping success stories. Hopefully, these will give you a flavor of the limitless possibilities dropshipping offers.

…However, it’s essential not to ignore the amount of hard work and strategizing successful dropshippers must do to achieve the results we’ve shown here.

Let’s take a look:

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Kyle Borawski was a college student when he initially considered setting up his dropshipping business in 2018 as a side hustle. He chose to partner with Spocket and began selling in 2019. In just three months (August 1, 2019 - October 31, 2019), he made $224,923.70; in October of that year alone, he made $85,205.31. Fast-forward to today, Kyle runs multiple stores, so his average monthly revenue is $75,000 to $100,000!

‍Erin Rafferty also launched her dropshipping store in 2018 and partnered with Spocket. She started out selling women’s clothing, later expanding to pet products and baby clothes. Within six months, she had made $208,861.86! Fast-forward to today and Erin has moved from working alone to employing a team she describes as “family.”

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Are You Ready to Pick the Best Dropshipping Products for Your Store?

If you’re aspiring to become a successful entrepreneur, hopefully, our guide has given you enough information to kickstart your search for the best products for dropshipping.

To summarize:

Do your research to find profitable, high-quality products from reliable and closely vetted suppliers.
Use tools like Google Trends to identify popular products within your niche.
Establish fruitful relationships with dropshipping suppliers, boasting reasonable order fulfillment rates, fast shipping, and decent product reviews.
Use affordable tools at your disposal to market your online store.

Choosing the right dropshipping products isn’t easy. Lots of research is involved, but partnering with a reliable dropshipping supplier platform is a great way to streamline this process! If you’re interested in how Spocket could help you find the best dropshipping products for your store, sign up for our free 14-day trial and try us out!

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Guide to Identifying the Best Dropshipping Products