One of the hardest things business owners face is figuring out what products they should stock. Each product you’re considering needs to be researched, not just for quality but also to make sure it’s something the members of your target market will love. You also have to make sure there is a high enough profit margin to justify selling the product. Not only is this research time consuming, but it’s also difficult to know where to start. If the idea of delving into product research has you feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath. We can help. We’ve put together some dropshipping product research hacks that take the stress out of product research.
These hacks will improve your confidence as a dropshipper and improve your time management skills. Best of all, they’re easy.
Cruise Over to AliExpress.com
When it comes to product research, AliExpress will become your best friend.
AliExpress was founded in 2010 and has spent the past decade becoming one of the most valuable tools in the savvy consumer’s product research toolbox. The website is designed to provide you with a safe online shopping experience and to help you connect with the suppliers who have the products that perfectly suit your business.
Once you’ve set up your AliExpress account, simply type VIP into the website’s search bar. It’s as easy as that!
Dropshipping Product Research Hacks on AliExpress
VIP Listings
The VIP search brings you to a page that presents you with links to a VIP supplier’s products. These links are supplier-created pages that were designed with the specific intention of making it easier for you, as a business owner, to connect with the suppliers you want to do business with. You won’t believe how much simpler your life becomes once you’ve gained access to your supplier’s VIP shopping experience.
AliExpress’s VIP shopping experience doesn’t just allow you to get the best possible prices from your favorite suppliers. It also makes it possible for you to bundle some of your favorite products together. Some people don’t realize that they can use AliExpress’s VIP feature as a product research hack.
Instead of heading straight to your favorite supplier’s page, take a couple of minutes to look over the VIP listings. It won’t take you long to realize that this is a great opportunity to see products that are selling extremely well. What most people do is click on the first couple of products they see on the page. We don’t recommend this. We suggest clicking on the pages that only show a VIP logo.
Supplier Pages
When you visit the supplier’s page, you’ll find an assortment of valuable data that allows you to not only see the product and its various options but also read reviews. The page provides valuable insight into what currently appeals to consumers.
“Also Recommended” Pages
Take a look at the page’s “Also Recommended” links that appear on the VIP page you’re exploring. Looking at these “also recommended” products allows you to see products that usually complement whatever you’re already selling.
HINT: Recommended products can be a huge asset when you’re putting together a sales funnel!
We recommend that you not necessarily use AliExpress when you first start working with a supplier. It’s usually best to start by purchasing directly from the supplier and establishing a trust-based relationship. We feel that in the long run, working directly with the supplier saves you time and possibly even money.
Using additional keywords can help you streamline the process of finding VIP suppliers for your business. One of the keywords we like to use is dropshipping. We’ve also noticed that changing things up, such as simply writing drop-shipping instead, can reveal different products. Even small dropshipping product research hacks can help you find brand new opportunities.
We believe that using AliExpress is a great way for business owners who haven’t established a niche for themselves to find products and develop ideas.
Check Out Ecomhunt
Yes, Ecomhunt is a paid product research tool, but you can create an account for free to use these dropshipping product research hacks. The free account is pared down from the paid account, but it still provides you with a great deal of information and product research ideas. If you decide you want to use Ecomhunt to purchase products from suppliers, the subscription is only $20 a month.
Ecomhunt has all sorts of tools that aid in your product research efforts. These tools include:
- Product descriptions
- Facebook ads
- Profit calculators
Our favorite thing about Ecomhunt is the ability to sort through different products by niches. This saves so much time.
Don’t Discount Amazon
Before we get into our third product research hack, we need to let you know that this particular hack isn’t really meant for the business owner who is just starting out. This hack is designed for businesses that already have established themselves as a niche and have a relatively solid understanding of their target market.
Many business owners don’t realize that Amazon can be used as a product research tool. What we suggest is finding a product that you think would sell well in your niche. Open up its Amazon page and go to the bestsellers link that is listed under “product information.” Look at the top-level category. If the number ranks in the top 20,000 products, you automatically know that there is a great deal of demand for that product.
How to Use Your Search Results
When you use this and similar dropshipping product research hacks, it’s extremely important that you only look at the top product level category. Ignore the bottom two. The lower categories are sub-categories and far more niche-specific. They don’t present a super accurate impression of how the product is selling. The biggest problem with using the sub-category to determine how a product is performing is that it’s difficult to determine how many people are actually purchasing products that fit that category and how many products are in the category.
Once you’ve determined that the product is under 20,000 in the top category, you can start exploring the sub-categories (ignore them if the product is over 20,000 in the top category). Click on one of the sub-categories. On the left hand of your screen, you’ll see a menu of similar sub-categories. When you click on an interesting sub-category, you will see the bestsellers. This is a fantastic way to discover products that you can incorporate into your sales funnel or even offer directly to your customers. Once you’ve found a few interesting categories, it’s time to go to either your favorite supplier or to find a supplier via Ecomhunt or AliExpress and place an order.
Get More Expert Tips and Business Advice From Ecommerce Empire Builders
These three dropshipping product research hacks are just the tip of the product research iceberg. When you sign up for our free webinar, you’ll get several more insights that will help you find the products you need to create a successful dropshipping sales funnel and grow your business in 2021.