How to Choose a Product to Sell on Shopify

How to Choose a Product to Sell on Shopify

So, how do you come up with a niche, or product, or even just an idea, for something that your audience would want to buy?

Well, more often than not, the answer is right in front of you, just waiting for you to reach out and grab it.

That’s right. It’s right there. I’m willing to bet that you already know the answer.

In fact, it’s probably been smacking you in the face for a long time now, and probably even drove you to read this article.

There is no book, website or other people who can give you an idea of what you should make and sell. 

I could give you a list of niches and try to convince you that one is better than another, but that wouldn’t be doing you any favors at all. After all, you’re NOT the only person reading this article, and as soon as more than one person were to read a list like that, it becomes essentially useless. 

There are a lot of really smart people out there – many of whom I am friends with and respect very much – who will tell you to test ideas, products and designs, and maybe even pre-sell your idea before you make something, and test all of your ideas.

Fail fast!  Cut the losers! And always look for a “winner”… endlessly chasing that elusive shiny object.

I could not possibly disagree with that approach more.

In fact, I will tell you that testing and “searching for a winner” is probably the most flawed approach that you can possibly take.

And testing an idea or product with a pre-sale can very possibly kill your great idea before it ever gets a chance to gain momentum.

When I was running the ecommerce business for companies like the Chive, I was able to see firsthand how terrible that advice could have played out, if one were to rely on other people having to be on-board with your product before you’ve spent time creating it.

In fact, if the founders of some of my prior companies followed this advice and “tested” their product idea, letting their futures be determined by immediate approval and enthusiasm from peers, then more than one 8-figure eCommerce business would have been abandoned before ever really getting started.

Think about the biggest companies in the world.

None of them were started by people chasing a quick winner or the hot new shiny object.

Innovation means coming up with something new, being ahead of trends, thinking of the things that people want – before they know they want them.

There is an old saying (falsely, but stick with me) attributed to Henry Ford where he once said that if he “asked people what they wanted when he was inventing the car, they would have said “a faster horse”.”

So I’m telling you – don’t ask people what kind of horse they want. Build them the horse they don’t yet realize that they need.

Make a product that would make your life better – right now – if only you actually could buy it.

You see… the product that is right for you is the thing that you would buy right now – if you could.

Something that would make your life easier, better, more comfortable, more productive, more efficient, or more profitable.

The key to this is being truly honest with yourself.  If this product existed, would you really break out your credit card for it?

Definitely?  And if so, how much would you pay for it?  Not how much you think people would pay for it, but how much would you spend, right now, to buy this product if you could do so, right now.

I’ve made millions of dollars in eCommerce over the years, and the most success that I’ve ever had was when making a product that I would want to buy for myself.

The product that is right for you is the thing that you would buy right now – if you could.

There are products and ideas – likely many things – that you wish you had right now, but do not actually exist.

Yet.

And if you would buy it if only it did exist – then be the one that makes it.

Be your primary target demographic.

Be your own primary customer persona.

Be your own avatar (which, by the way, I hate that term and if you use it, I know exactly where you got it from and please stop using it – haha).

But the reason why this works is that, despite our desire as humans to be unique and original beings – deep down, many of us are very much the same and have lots of things in common.

If there is something that would really make your life better – in any way – to the point where you would actually pay for that product, then I promise you that there is a market out there of people just like you that would also buy that product – if it were available.

If you make something – for yourself – then others will absolutely be interested in that thing too. Maybe not everyone, but there is an audience. 

This is one of my own guiding principles for starting any business or creating any product.

I make and sell things for me, that I want to buy.

In fact, I’m in the midst of launching an apparel brand from scratch – right now – as a part of our Launch Commerce OG program, to teach people exactly how to build a print on demand company completely from scratch.

What it comes down to is that I’ve started making the softest and most comfortable clothing available, based on designs that I want to wear, sharing a message that I want to be a part of spreading.

You see, when you love your product, it is easier to be passionate about that product.

And PASSION is the number one ingredient to success – IN ANYTHING.

When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.

That saying is 100% true.

But when you hate what you do, every single minute feels like work.

If you’re reading our blog and thinking about joining the Ultimate eCommerce OG Program, then I’m guessing you either feel that way now or you have in the past.

But if you’re involved in a product or brand that you truly believe in, that you really care about, then the odds are great that your product or brand will do really well.

So I encourage you to take a look around.  What interests you? What are you great at? What do you love?

How can you take something that you love and make it even better?

The answer is right there in front of you.

Now you just have to get started.

 

Joe Rozsa
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