What Are the Best-Selling Products on the Internet? Discover the 15 Most Popular Categories
Learn about the 15 best-selling products on the internet and become an online entrepreneur!
After the arrival of the internet, the world was never the same, and a lot has changed, including people’s purchasing habits. Nowadays, it’s much easier and more convenient to buy things online via computer or smartphone.
When shopping first began transitioning online, many people were still unsure about buying online, especially with regard to the security of their personal information.
But now, consumers are more than used to virtual transactions, and online stores have made many improvements to ensure the safety of buyers.
Of course, brick-and-mortar businesses still exist and thrive, but more and more people prefer to shop online. And the numbers don’t lie; according to the US Census Bureau, e-commerce sales for 2021 were estimated at $870.8 billion!
When analyzing this huge volume of sales, it becomes clear that some types of products are more popular than others on the internet. Some categories are in much higher demand than others.
And that’s exactly what today’s post is all about!
If you’re thinking of becoming a digital entrepreneur, we hope that by the end of this post you’ll have some ideas to start your business. And if you’ve never considered becoming a digital entrepreneur, there’s a good chance that after reading this post you’ll consider it as a viable alternative for yourself.
It’s worth mentioning that the order of the list is random and doesn’t represent the amount of sales in each category.
The order we’ve chosen to introduce the products does not mean one sells more than the other.
If you have been thinking of becoming a digital entrepreneur, we hope that, by the end of this post, you’ll have some ideas to start your business. But if you haven’t thought about this yet, we believe that, after reading it, you’ll realize this is an option for you.
1. Clothes
If there’s a business that is never out of fashion, it’s clothing.
This is because it’s a strong industry on the market and, even though clothing is an essential item in people’s lives, seasonal fashion makes people consume more and buy new clothes every year.
In the past, people needed to go to stores not only to try clothes on, but especially to see what was available. With the internet, it’s possible to see everything an e-commerce business makes available.
And on the topic of not being able to try clothes on, nowadays, some online shops describe their specific sizing, with all the necessary measurements, for example, waist and hip measurements, bust and collar measurements, and average weight and height for each size.
On the clothing market, you can choose to work with different kinds of clothes or a more specific niche and focus only on one type of piece, for example, party dresses.
2. Shoes
Shoes, in general, are products people really look for on the internet, especially after the huge sales success of online shops, such as shoes.com and Zappos.
Just like clothes, you can choose to sell only one type of shoe or you can vary and sell a diversity of shoes in your e-commerce business.
In addition, there’s also the option of selling custom shoes, such as party flip flops or embroidered sandals, it’s up to you to know how to customize these items.
The good thing about working with these items is that sizes are usually the same from one brand to the other. Of course, some molds may be bigger or smaller, but if you describe the exact measures of the product, as is done for clothing, customers shouldn’t have any problems finding the right size.
Even if you want to sell shoes without the sizing information for your country, all you need to do is convert the size and let your customers know the right size for their feet.
3. Accessories
Still on the topic of personal image, accessories are really common on the internet, whether at big, well-known shops, which already have the physical structure needed or small producers who create different accessories.
Included in this niche are things like earrings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, glasses, and hair accessories. Once again, what counts here is your creativity and desire to sell something you’re interested in.
4. Fitness products
You must be wondering: but don’t fitness products involve clothes, shoes, accessories, food, and much more?
And yes, you’re right.
However, we’ve made this a separate category because when a person is specifically looking for something in the fitness world, even if it’s clothing, it’s likely they’ll use the keyword “fitness” to search instead of just using a generic search term like “clothes”.
In this niche, you can deal in several items, but we believe that it’s important to choose something specific, so your audience isn’t confused about what you’re offering.
Besides, if you dedicate yourself to just one item, you can focus your attention on it and create specific strategies to sell it.
It’s interesting to note that, when you choose to sell fitness products, you’ll be able to talk to an engaged audience.
The reason is that most people who search for something in this market already have an idea of what they’re looking for, so your sales campaigns can be more assertive and speak directly to your buyer persona.
5. Cosmetics/Perfumes
Working with cosmetics and perfumes is a good option. Haircare has always been a market dominated by women. However, nowadays, more and more men are also interested in taking care of their appearance.
That’s why investing in this niche can be really interesting and expansive. You can, for example, focus on Black hair products, or beard products, which are micro-niches that are growing in the US.
6. Books
Amazon is one of the pioneers in online sales and started out as an online bookstore.
Books are one of the best-selling products on the internet because they embrace a large number of possible solutions to people’s problems. It’s possible to find books on topics ranging from health and fitness to self-help.
Another advantage of books is that you can find them in a wide range of formats: big, small, physical, and even digital, which is related to our next best-selling product on the internet.
If you’re just starting out as a writer, you can sell the books you write and publish them directly on the internet.
7. Online Courses
Are you an expert in something or know how to do something so well that people always ask you for help when they need it?
Why don’t you share your knowledge with people who still don’t know you but who wish to learn more about what you have to teach?
This is the basis of online courses: you’re an expert in a subject and can teach it to many students around the world by just creating a course to share your knowledge.
And what’s most interesting is that your course can be in the format you like most. You can create an ebook, a video course, provide a members area, or any other format that can be accessed through the internet.
Online courses are among the best-selling products on the internet because more and more people have been looking for comfort and ease when it comes to learning new subjects. With online courses, you can share knowledge without your students having to leave their houses to study.
So, think about your skills and consider investing in an online course. It can be a great way for you to make money and help people with your knowledge.
8. Home appliances
Home appliances, in general, are very sought after on the internet. The list goes from TVs to fridges. Of course, these products have higher price tags, which require a bigger initial investment.
However, if you already have a brick-and-mortar store that sells electronics, advertising online is a good way to increase your profits.
Use the internet as a display to showcase what you’re selling, Instagram is especially useful for this.
9. Mobile phones
For better or worse, smartphones have become essential items in our lives. Most people have a smartphone and the latest models are always in demand.
In addition to smartphones, it’s a good idea to sell accessories, such as cases and smartphone holder mounts for cars, which are products that don’t require a high investment in the beginning.
10. IT
People are always looking for computers, laptops, hard drives, and IT accessories in general, after all, the people who look for these kinds of products are constantly connected to the internet.
Once again, this is a niche that requires an initial investment. If you don’t have the money to invest, but know how to format a computer, for example, you can start a business in this niche by offering your services.
11. Games/Toys
When we talk about games and toys, it may seem like we’re only talking about kids’ products. However, you should know that nowadays, board games and video games are highly sought after by adults.
These are interesting options to give as gifts, so it could be a good market for you to invest in.
12. Furniture and decor
Home decor doesn’t always mean buying expensive, luxurious furniture. Of course, you have the option of selling this kind of product. Antiques, such as dressers, are trending nowadays and are in high demand and not only in physical shops.
But if you can’t start selling furniture because it takes up storage space, why don’t you start with small decor items?
Pictures, lamps, rugs, decorated pots, or any other product with an interesting design are good for selling. And if you have a knack for painting or embroidering, for example, you can add that to the pieces you’ll be selling.
Use your creativity and think of small pieces of decoration you would like to have in your own home. It’s possible that other people want the same products as you.
13. Customized products
Customized products are a great idea to start a business. This is because they’re a hit as gifts.
You can create an e-commerce business that customizes mugs, notebooks, comics, t-shirts, flip-flops, anything you can produce with a customized theme.
It’s also possible to go beyond this kind of product. Have you noticed how parties have become more and more personalized?
You can work with customized items for personal and corporate parties and events in general.
Something really interesting and great about this market is that you can be as creative as possible and customize different products to sell.
14. Subscription clubs
Subscription clubs are more and more diverse and sought after. Currently, it’s possible to take part in wine, book, and restaurant clubs, among many others.
To create this kind of product, you definitely need to be knowledgeable about something you can pass on to other people, such as beer clubs, where people who are knowledgeable about beer choose the best beers to send to club members.
But don’t be discouraged! You can use different kinds of knowledge to create a subscription club.
Let’s pretend you have a flower shop. A good idea could be for you to create a club where people receive some kind of flower every week. That way, you can incorporate your physical business into the online world.
15. Food
Last, but not least, we’ll talk about a niche that is essential for everyone: food.
Do you like cooking and do people always compliment you on your recipes? Why not invest in an online food business?
In the food industry, you can start a business in different areas. You can sell sweets and cakes, party treats or frozen snacks, fitness food, salads in bowls, frozen food, etc.
Just make sure to watch out for FDA regulations so you don’t have legal problems. Besides that, always use fresh, high-quality products to ensure your customers are satisfied with your food.
Define your niche
After showing you the best-selling products on the internet, we need to talk about your niche.
Which product do you plan on selling on the internet?
Each segment has its own particularities and an audience with common interests. That’s why it’s important to define your niche so that you choose a product that will meet the needs of your customers.
Conclusion
If you’ve made it this far, you’ve certainly noticed that there are countless opportunities to start an online business.
In this post, we showed you the 15 best-selling products on the internet, however, there are many other options for you to invest in.
What’s important is that you understand that you can start working online and with something you like, you just need to find your niche.
Do you already know your market but still have questions because you believe your idea has already been overexploited? Check out our post with 9 incredible tips for you to innovate in a saturated niche.
This post was originally written in 2017 but has since been updated to contain more complete and accurate information.
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