Let's get real about the biggest question for new entrepreneurs: What should you sell online to make money?

Staring at a blank screen, overwhelmed by endless possibilities, not quite sure what to sell in your online shop is something every entrepreneur has faced. Here’s the truth: the perfect product doesn’t exist. But your unique path does—it’s where your creativity, skills, and the specific problems you’re best suited to solve converge into the products you offer in your online store.

I know you want to start selling online and attracting potential customers, but let’s take a step back and break down how to choose what to sell online so you can zero in on the right ideas for your niche products without spinning your wheels or wasting time and money on the wrong products.

Why your choice of products impacts your online business success

Meet Sarah, a digital artist who found herself stuck in the endless scroll of possibilities. While her iPad gathered dust, she spent countless hours researching the "perfect" product line rather than creating. It wasn't until she started small with phone wallpapers that she discovered her true market niche – busy professionals seeking mindful moments in their day.

Choosing what to sell online isn't just about picking a highly profitable product. It’s about building an online business that hits the intersection of three things:

1. Finding the place where your passion meets market opportunity.
2. Identifying high-demand products that you actually want to sell.
3. Starting a business that you can sustain and energizes you.

Factor 1: Passion alone won't sell money-making products online

Consider James, a skilled woodworker whose handcrafted cutting boards were works of art. Despite his incredible craftsmanship and genuine love for woodworking, sales remained stagnant. His breakthrough came when he started hosting virtual workshops, teaching basic woodworking skills – turns out people craved the knowledge behind the craft as much as the handmade products themselves.

Passion isn't just a buzzword—it's your business's backbone. But here's the catch: passion alone won't pay the bills.

Warning: Don’t fall into the passion trap

The hard truth is that just because you have products you want to sell, it doesn’t mean the world is waiting to buy them. We’ve all heard the advice “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Passion without market understanding is a one-way ticket to a garage full of unsold inventory.

Passion + market research = a real business

The real magic happens at the intersection of what you love and a range of products people actually need. Your passion is the spark, but market research is the fuel to ignite your chance of success. So ask yourself: 1. Are people actually willing to pay for this product? 2. What problem is this solving?

Remember, successful ecommerce businesses don’t just sell physical or digital products. They solve problems, fulfill desires, and create experiences that build a loyal customer base. Your passion is important, but it’s the starting point, not the finish line.

The most heartbreaking businesses aren't the ones that fail quickly— they're the ones that slowly fade away, trapped in a bubble of personal vision. Imagine spending years perfecting a high-quality product that nobody wants, refusing to hear the market's whispers. It's like talking to a room full of people who have already left and then blaming them for not understanding you.

Treat your product like a starting point, not a finished masterpiece. The key to success? Love your vision, but stay flexible enough to tweak it based on what people actually want. The entrepreneurs who thrive are curious, humble, and responsive to feedback from their target audience.

Factor 2: Decoding market demand when choosing what to sell online

Meet Alex, a ceramics artist who learned a tough lesson: beautiful physical products don't sell themselves. After months crafting intricate mugs, he found himself with a garage full of inventory and zero sales. His mistake? Skipping the most crucial step–understanding what people actually want to buy.

Let's be honest. Figuring out market demand can feel like trying to predict the weather with a broken compass. But what if I told you understanding your target audience doesn't require a business degree or crystal ball?

Here's the truth: Market demand isn't a one-time checklist. It's an ongoing conversation between you, your potential customers, and the ever-shifting online marketplace.

How to become a demand detective for solid market research

Think of customer insights like dating–you're looking for that perfect match between your creativity and customer needs. Here's how to become a demand detective and learn how to sell products that people are looking for:

Use trend-hunting tools to find popular products to sell

Take Nina, whose sustainable fashion brand nearly launched with last season's aesthetics. By diving into trend forecasting tools and industry reports, she pivoted her designs before it was too late. Instead of following fleeting fads, she identified the growing "capsule wardrobe" movement and created versatile pieces that resonated with conscious consumers.

Free tools are your new best friends when researching ideas for products. Use search engine tools like Google Trends and Pinterest Trends to gauge changes in keyword searches over time, identify seasonal trends, or compare the popularity of similar products. Pinterest is especially useful for visual or design-related niches like selling art, home decor, fashion, or crafts. They also put out a trend report at the end of every year predicting the trends for the next year. 

If your budget permits, you can also check out paid tools like Etsy Hunt and Jungle Scout which track trending products on popular online marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon. 

Social media can also be a great source of free product insights to see who else is selling products online in your niche and which popular products are highly profitable. On Instagram’s Explore page, you can monitor hashtags and popular posts in your product niche. TikTok Creative Center lets you explore trending hashtags and content, and TikTok Shop has been exploding, especially with younger shoppers looking for popular products.

Spotting trends vs. fads: Find profitable products with staying power

Fads are the marketing world's fleeting summer romances—intense, exciting, but gone in a flash. Think fidget spinners, viral TikTok products, or meme-driven t-shirts and hoodies that explode overnight and disappear just as quickly in the ecommerce marketplaces and online shops.

Fad products flood the market with momentary excitement, tied to specific cultural blips that lose steam almost as soon as they begin. It can be a great way to make fast cash—especially for dropshipping stores and print-on-demand sellers—if you're savvy, but move too slow, you'll miss the wave, ultimately ending up with a boatload of inventory that no one wants anymore.

Trends, however, are the committed relationships of consumer culture—they solve real problems and evolve with genuine needs. Sustainable products, athleisure wear, and personalized digital tools represent deeper shifts that grow gradually and stick around. Unlike fads, true trends adapt and integrate into our lives, and reflect meaningful changes in our lives and work.

Find your perfect product niche

Meet Morgan, whose jewelry business found its spark in an unexpected place – the outdoor community. By creating pieces specifically for adventurers, like paracord bracelets and compass necklaces for hikers, they transformed from just another jewelry maker into a vital part of the outdoor enthusiast culture.

Finding your perfect market niche is like finding the right pair of shoes—it's not about fitting everyone, but finding the perfect fit for a specific someone. Your ideal customer isn't just a demographic; they're a real person with real, specific needs that your product uniquely solves.

Your ideal opportunity lies where your unique skills, a specific audience's unmet needs, and a problem only you can solve come together. If you can describe your ideal customer in vivid detail—their hopes, challenges, and secret dreams—you're on the right track to find a niche. The more specific you get, the more powerful your connection becomes.

Test your product offerings without breaking the bank

Enter Diego, a hot sauce creator who tested his recipes without risking his savings. Instead of producing thousands of bottles, he started selling at local farmers' markets with small batches, gathering feedback and building a loyal following. This careful approach helped him refine his products before scaling up, saving both money and heartache.

Let's talk smart product validation when selling online. You don't need deep pockets to test a brilliant idea—just some creative strategy. Think of these as your low-risk market research tactics:

• Leverage social media for insights: Post your product ideas or prototypes and turn your followers into your consumer research panel. Use stories or videos to showcase your work with engaging polls and open-ended questions.
• Run a pre-sale to gauge interest: Create product listings for pre-sale items in your online shop and drive traffic to them. Set clear expectations around shipping dates and cutoffs to prevent angry customers.

The goal? Connect, learn, and refine what to sell online–all without risking your entire financial future. Each experiment brings you closer to that breakthrough product.

Pro tip: Approach these product experiments with curiosity. Not every product you offer will be a home run, and that's exactly the point.

Factor 3: The feasibility reality check when choosing your products to sell

Look at Jordan, a graphic designer turned small business owner who launched an online store selling custom enamel pins. Initially thrilled by the potential, he soon found himself working marathon nights, barely covering costs, and losing the creative spark that had first ignited his dream. His story is a warning many indie creators know all too well.

Let's get real about turning your creative passion into a sustainable online business. It's not just about great ideas for products—it's about creating products to make money without burning out or breaking the bank.

Avoiding burnout when selling online

Imagine you’re on the cusp of launching your dream product line. The product designs are perfect, your marketing strategy is on point, and then reality hits. Suddenly, you're drowning in spreadsheets, shipping logistics, and endless to-do lists. Sound familiar?

Feasibility isn't just about money. It's about your most precious resources: time, energy, and creative spirit.

Financial foundations:

• Upfront Investments: Don't just count the obvious expenses. A $15/month online store might need another $50/month in digital marketing tools to effectively promote your ecommerce venture. A $500 initial inventory could also require $250 in packaging and shipping supplies.
• Hidden Cost Landmines: Customer service isn't free. Returns can eat into your margins. That cute custom packaging? It all adds up faster than you think.
• Profit Margin Reality Check: Calculate your true earnings. If you're making $5 per item but spending hours on production, is it really worth it? You may need to rethink your pricing, but will the market support a price that pays you a fair wage or allows you to outsource production to a fulfillment center or print-on-demand service?

Time and energy equation:

• Realistic Time Mapping: Be brutally honest about your business model. Can you realistically dedicate 10 hours a week? 20? Less?
• Energy Sustainability: Running your online shop shouldn't feel like a soul-sucking side hustle. If producing each item feels like pulling teeth, it's a red flag.

The sustainable sweet spot of products

High-feasibility products aren't just profitable—they're energizing. They align with your skills, passion, and lifestyle. They leave room for creativity, personal growth, and yes, actual sleep.

Building a successful ecommerce brand is about working smarter, not harder. You need to stay true to your vision while protecting that spark that started you on this entrepreneurial journey in the first place. Your creative dream deserves more than just survival. It deserves to thrive.

Feasibility stress test: ask yourself these critical questions

1. Can I produce this product consistently without sacrificing quality?
2. Will this product drain my energy or fuel it?
3. Do I have a support system (or budget) for the non-exciting aspects of the business?
4. Can I price this product to make it worthwhile?

Pro tip: Create a "Burnout Prevention Budget." This isn't just financial—it's an energy budget for you and your online shop. Set clear boundaries. Plan for breaks. Build in buffer time for unexpected challenges.

Scoring your product ideas to decide what to sell online

Now that you know the 3 factors, what do you do with them? Here's how to narrow down your ideas for a successful ecommerce business.

Start with a list of all the product ideas you have and score each of them on a scale of 1-10 for passion, demand, and feasibility.

Add up your scores. The highest-scoring idea? That's how you choose what to sell online. Those products are your starting point when building your online store!

Next steps to get started selling online

• Find a supplier to create your new product to sell online or explore print-on-demand options
• Show off your new products with great product photography
• Design great packaging to delight your customers
• Dial in your shipping to ensure things get there safely, for the best price