Because of the pandemic, many people have tried to find a more independent way to make ends meet. Starting an online business and selling various goods is perhaps one of the most common side hustles you can think of. So what are the best things to sell to make money at the moment?
In this article, we will be going through these key points:
- What are the best things to sell online to make money?
- What are the best platforms to sell your items on?
- Why you should open an online business
- Tips for selling things online
Whether you're looking to replace your 9 to 5 job with your own business, or want to utilize your free time and earn extra cash, this is the guide you’ll need. Without further ado, let's dive right in!
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Best Things To Sell Online To Make Money
When it comes to the best things to sell to make money online, the possibilities are endless. With many robust eCommerce platforms emerging with tons of features, not only can you sell physical products but digital ones as well.
If you're asking yourself “What can I sell to make money?”, here are some of our suggestions for the 20 best things to sell to make money, as well as the platforms to sell them on:
1. 10 physical products to sell online
1.1. Computer accessories
The memory of working from home and Zoom meetings coming in nonstop is still vivid to many of us. Though we are gradually returning to offices with the ‘new normal’, the need for computer and laptop enhancement is still on the rise.
Keyboards, monitors and metal holders are some of the most popular items that people are currently getting to improve work efficiency.
1.2. Phone accessories
Smartphone owners are clearly growing in number. Nowadays, almost anyone you see will have a smartphone of some kind. This creates a huge demand for products related to smartphones in general: cases, screen protectors, camera protectors, etc. In fact, smartphone accessories are constantly listed as some of the best items to start dropshipping.
Thinking about opening a dropshipping business? Then you may also want to read these guides:
1.3. Clothes
Clothes are the type of item that can get people to come back to your store again and again. It’s because the fashion world is always changing – your outfit can look trendy one day and become outdated on the next. Thus, people feel the need to buy new clothes all the time to catch up with the latest styles.
You can take advantage of this and update new items to your store regularly to keep customers returning for more by partnering with some of the best dropshipping clothing suppliers in the industry. T-shirt printing is perhaps one of the most simple yet cost-effective businesses in this category. T-shirt is also a profitable product to sell if you want to start a print on demand business.
Be aware that you might have many competitors on the market for this category. But there are many ways to make your products stand out in the eyes of your buyers. Customize the clothes based on request or design the patterns yourself, the choice is all up to you!
1.4. Home decors
Decorations are also promising products you can consider to sell online. Birthdays, anniversaries, etc. – there will always be a celebration that needs fancy ribbons and wreaths. Thus, this might be one of the best things to sell to make money online during holiday seasons.
Moreover, many people want their home to be more lively and photogenic by adding decorations here and there. Ornaments, pottery and picture frames are currently some of the most profitable household decors on the market.
1.5. Arts and crafts
If you are a handy person and take pride in your DIY skill, then these are the perfect items for you to start your business! Some of the trending crafts in recent years include crocheting and embroidery, but the popularity of artistic creations in general is also on the rise. This easily puts them in the list of best things to sell online for money.
Arts and crafts goods can be made to order and are easy to customize. Your customer will definitely appreciate having one-of-a-kind items for themselves or getting them as a gift.
1.6. Jewelry
Jewelry is another goods category that is easy to make and sell from home. Create jewelry that fits different occasions throughout the year: Mother’s Day, Anniversary, Friendship Day… and help your customers send love to their beloved someone. You can also add a service for special messages upon buyer’s request to make the jewelry gift even more meaningful.
1.7. Stationery
Every student and office worker must know how quickly their pen and paper inventory run out. Therefore, customers can’t help but buy refills constantly, making stationery and office supplies one of the top purchased items on many sales platforms.
With bullet journaling being on trend, the market for convenient and cute stationery items is also thriving. People no longer buy stationery only because of actual needs, but also because they like how pretty those items look on their desks.
1.8. Pet accessories
As the pandemic prolonged for the past 2 years, more and more people are adopting pets to their homes. 70 percent of the current US households own at least one pet, meaning more than 90 million families are buying pet items! It’s an undeniable fact that a business in the pet industry is extremely promising.
Other than pet essentials such as food, treats and toys, you can also sell unique accessories, beds or carriers. These will surely catch the attention of pet lovers – who doesn’t love seeing their furry friends looking the cutest?
1.9. Health and beauty
After being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, people around the world are paying much better attention to their wellbeing. The demand for supplements and multivitamins to boost immunities has been higher than ever in the past 2 years.
At the same time, the pandemic created a new surge in face masks sales like we have never seen before. It’s now the norm to wear face masks wherever you go. Thus, they are among the best things to sell to make money online at the moment.
What’s more, not only are people looking for ways to feel good, but they also want to look good as well. With beauty trends constantly changing, consumers need to regularly buy new items to catch up. Some of the trendy beauty items on social media are jade rollers, glossy lip stains, hair growth oil, and hair masks.
1.10. Kitchen gadgets
Finally, kitchen gadgets are gaining popularity as people are cooking more at home due to their habit during lockdown periods. Most consumers say that they will stick to eating at home post pandemic, and this creates a big market for kitchen gadgets to thrive in.
Apart from selling the essentials such as pots and pans, you can expand your categories to more uncommon items to catch the attention of buyers. Air fryers and touchscreen toasters are some high-tech gadgets that people are raving about.
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2. Best eCommerce platforms to sell physical products
Let’s take a look at our list of suggested platforms that are best suitable for you to sell things online:
2.1. Shopify
In case you want to start your own brand with a unique brand identity, then eCommerce platforms would be more suitable. You will have a website dedicated just to your store and better customization options. Thus, you can freely design how your store will look and feel to customers.
Shopify is the best hosted eCommerce platform choice for online selling beginners. Based on a report from BuiltWith, this platform is currently empowering a massive number of live websites which is over 4 millions.
All it takes are start a free trial, buy the Shopify paid plan, and you’re ready to list your products to start selling right away. You just have to focus on building your brand, and Shopify will take care of the rest.
Especially, you can now use Shopify for only $1/month in your first 3 months after upgrading your store to their paid plan. According to LitExtension's Shopify review, this eCommerce platform has one of the best sales report systems and analytics.
Watch our full Shopify review here:
One of the best ways to make money online is with dropshipping, and Shopify is the platform that many have chosen to start their dropshipping business!
If you're thinking of opening a Shopify store, check out our essential Shopify resources for an easy start:
2.2. Amazon
Amazon is currently the biggest online marketplace in the world.
When people search for something to buy, they'd think of Amazon first. Thus, you can’t go wrong with selling your products on this platform. With its massive traffic of 2.45 billion visits per month, you can get your product to show up in front of many potential customers.
Amazon provides sellers with an abundance of services such as shipping and fulfillment, marketing, reports, etc. Data on store’s performance will be displayed clearly, helping merchants to optimize their Amazon listing to increase their sales.
There are tons of product categories listed on this marketplace, but here are a few of the best things to sell to make money on Amazon :
- Digital alarm clocks
- Ring lights
- Face masks
- Eye masks
- Printed T-shirts
If you’re already an Amazon seller, then start increasing your Amazon sales with these proven tips!
2.3. Etsy
Another extremely popular marketplace, Etsy is also a common destination for many customers to find their desired products. Compared to Amazon, it focuses more on handicrafts and caters well to small business owners.
For independent sellers who have less experience with selling online, this would be a wonderful platform to start with. It's simple and straightforward, and after registering an account you can start listing your products right away.
Etsy will also give merchants all necessary sales and marketing features , helping you generate the best Etsy marketing strategy for your store. At the same time, shipping labels can be printed directly from your Etsy store. This makes the shipping process even more convenient for sellers.
Among the things you can sell on Etsy to make money, items with high originality such as arts and DIYs are the most suitable to list on Etsy. The best things to sell to make money on Etsy include:
- Jewelries
- Journals and notebooks
- Crochet and embroidery patterns
- Home decors
- Posters
- Stickers
Here's our comprehensive guide to setting up your Etsy store:How to start selling on Etsy.If you’re thinking of opening multiple shops to sell different products, take a look at our instructions on how to create multiple Etsy shops.
2.4. eBay
When it comes to used items or valuable antiques, eBay is the most familiar destination for people to sell these things to make money. The auction function is what makes this platform stand out from others, as sellers can earn more returns when customers try to bid for the item.
At the same time, eBay has developed their sales functions over the years, making it a strong competitor to other online marketplaces. Merchants also have more flexibility, as they are able to set their own shipping rates or return policy.
Our recommendations for the best things to sell to make money on eBay:
- Electronics
- Baby Toys
- Cameras
- Gardening Tools
- Musical Instruments
2.5. WooCommerce
Similar to Shopify, WooCommerce is an eCommerce platform that’s extremely user friendly and a great choice for starters.
WooCommerce has an even better overall customization ability than Shopify, helping you make your online presence even more unique. This platform also provides you with an abundance of different plug-ins to make setting up your store and start selling online even easier.
For a comprehensive guide from how you can set up your store to all the available features, check out this WooCommerce setup tutorial:
Or access our list of best WooCommerce tips and tricks to rock your sales on this platform:
- Top rated WooCommerce themes for your store
- What are the best plugins for WooCommerce?
- How much does selling on WooCommerce cost? WooCommerce pricing breakdown
3. 10 digital products to sell online
One of the best things about selling online is that you have so many options of things to sell. Digital products are currently among the top trending things to sell as a side hustle. They have lower upfront costs, and you’ll have to deal less with logistics!
So what are the best digital products to sell online to make money?
3.1. Designs and photographs
There is always someone in need of beautiful designs. If you’re confident in your creativity, then you can definitely make money out of these projects!
Based on your own strengths and preferred design styles, you can sell your products to customers of various requirements and intentions. There are many opportunities out there on the market for you to make money with your designing skill.
Some of the most popular forms of designing that people are currently selling include web designs, brand identity, graphics or pattern designing.
3.2. Articles and writing
On the other hand, if you’re more of a ‘writing’ type of person, then you can sell your words for money! With good communication skills, you may find writing requests for blog posts, website contents or social media posts. If you have good organizational skills you can also do social media management where you schedule tweets, facebook and instagram posts for your clients.
This is a promising way to make money considering how many people now want to build their own blogs or websites.
3.3. Translation
Knowing more than one language can be a huge advantage. Thus, if you speak more than just your mother tongue and want to make good use of that skill, then selling translation services would be very suitable. You can help others to translate documents or become an online interpreter.
3.4. Editing service
For every content creator, there should be another person to help ensure the high quality of their content & media publications and make sure that the outcome is perfect. Therefore, many are looking for people to proofread their posts or edit their photos / videos. This is a great opportunity to sell editing skills if you’re someone who pays good attention to details.
3.5. Digital arts & illustrations
Love creating art and illustrations? Then it’s one of the best things to sell to make money online!
There are many artists and illustrators around the world who are making a great living with their artistic creations. You can provide illustrations based on people’s requests, or sell your own art as prints, stickers, etc.
Your clients can boost their productivity by outsourcing digital designing tasks to a reliable online personal assistant.
3.6. Online courses
During the past 2 years, online studying has become the norm for most students. Some feel that it's more convenient to learn something remotely rather than attending classes in person. The e-learning industry has surpassed $315 billion in 2021, and is projected to continue rising in the upcoming years.
Thus, having something you're good at and want to share the method with others can be a great way to earn extra money. Courses on personal development, arts & crafts or marketing skills are in very high demand at the moment.
3.7. Ebooks
For both authors and customers, eBooks are continuing to rise in popularity. They are one of the most popular digital goods for a reason – eBooks are easy to create and distribute. The demand for books that are easy to access and download doesn't seem to stop any time soon. Therefore, eBooks will remain one of the best things to sell to make money.
You can use flipbook software to create interactive eBooks. This type of interactive PDF called flipbook can also help you present your products in an interactive way to attract more customers.
3.8. Audiobooks and podcasts
Similar to eBooks, audiobooks are gaining growing recognition as they cater to people with disabilities, or simply people who are too busy to sit down and read something. You can provide customers with a selection of different audio products: music, news recordings, audiobooks or podcasts.
3.10. Software
Finally, it’s hard not to mention softwares and technological products on the list of best digital products to sell. If you have coding experience or programming skills, you can certainly develop your own softwares and sell them for a good amount of money.
However, many companies are in need of coders and developers, so you can sell codes according to their requirements as well.
4. Best eCommerce platforms to sell digital products
Selling digital products is a little bit different from selling physical products. They require no inventory, and you need platforms that can actually display your items properly to buyers. Customers need to be able to download the digital goods as well. But since they are some of the easiest things to sell to make money, many platforms are emerging to meet this demand.
Therefore, let’s take a look at some of the best platforms to sell digital products that we’d like to recommend:
1. Gumroad
Looking for a user-friendly and free eCommerce platform to sell your digital products? Then Gumroad would be one of the most prominent names out there.
With Gumroad, you can create your own selling website or integrate their widget to your current web and enjoy all the features.
This platform provides selling solutions to all types of digital content creators such as writers, illustrators, educators and more. It lets you generate license keys, set up discounts, and even sell in multiple currencies!
Gumroad highlight features:
- No monthly fee
- Selling subscription plans are available for members
- Strong analytics
- Built-in email marketing function
2. Easy Digital Downloads (EDD)
Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is another strong competitor that’s among the best platforms to sell digital products currently available. This is a CRM plug-in for your WordPress store’s dashboard that lets you have eCommerce functions and sell through your WordPress blog.
You can customize your customer’s buying experience with EDD’s Shopping cart editor. At the same time, managing your buyer’s information is easier than ever. You can even track the lifetime value of your customers.
EDD highlight features:
- Affiliate system through AffiliateWP
- Integration with popular tools such as Dropbox, Mailchimp, etc.
- Powerful built-in analytics for customers’ insight
- Set restrictions and authorization for customers
- Payment history and refund tracking
3. Teachable
Dedicated specifically to e-learning, Teachable is the go-to choice for both educators and students who want to take up online courses.
More than 100,000 creators have used Teachable to sell over $1 billion value in courses. This makes Teachable one of the best known e-learning platforms in the world.
Selling digital courses on Teachable is as easy as it gets. Their stress-free platform makes it easy for users with little to no tech skill to start selling courses. At the same time, you can impress your learners with branded teaching, using Teachable customization tools.
Teachable highlight features:
- Customizable learning experience
- Comprehensive analytics dashboards
- Assign roles for contributors and team members
- Built-in affiliate program
4. Fiverr
Fiverr is currently the largest marketplace for selling services and projects from independent creators. It's the place for freelancers to freely list and offer all kinds of digital services – or ‘gigs' – to buyers all over the world.
On Fiverr, you can basically sell anything you can think of doing to make money!
Fiverr lets customers see important information such as the type of service you offer, as well as all reviews, feedback, etc. Its transparency and payment security are what users praise Fiverr for.
On the customer's side, they can find almost any service they require for a minimum fee of only $5 per request.
Fiverr highlights features:
- Support multi-currency
- Customers can offer the amount they want to pay
- Seller ratings and feedback
- Secured payment gateways
5. SendOwl
Finally, SendOwl is also a platform that is optimized for selling digital goods and services. The clean and user-friendly interface helps users to easily start selling right away. You can provide multiple digital products as well as memberships and subscriptions.
At the same time, SendOwl can be integrated with many popular website builders such as Shopify and WordPress. This platform provides you with an all-in-one solution to your business, from selling, delivering, marketing to analytics.
SendOwl highlight features:
- Multi-language and multi-currency
- Built-in tools for marketing and analytics
- Compatible with many popular web-builders
- Ability to sell web extensions and add-ons
Making Extra Money: Why You Should Sell Things Online
If you’ve never had experience with selling online before, opening an eCommerce store can sound quite overwhelming. However, the process is becoming more simple than ever, and putting things up online for sale can be significantly more beneficial.
As we have mentioned, the pandemic is one of the reasons why eCommerce has skyrocketed in recent years. People are turning to online shopping for basically everything they need, and it has gradually become a habit for many.
This means there is an abundant source of customers available online, and you can easily reach them. Think about it this way – the more you get people to look at your products, the better the chance you can sell it to one of them. At the same time, you’re saving on rent and overhead costs compared to opening a physical store.
What’s more, you know longer have to worry about tracking everything manually. Almost all eCommerce platforms can keep records of your performance, helping you to balance your cost and profit. You can see where your customers are located or which products are best sellers, and therefore know how to optimize your sales accordingly.
When you sell online, your customer satisfaction may also increase. They no longer have to travel all the way to a physical store and wait in line to make payment. With a virtual store, buyers can browse through all the available items with ease. Their purchases are conveniently completed with just a few clicks, and the products can be shipped right to their door.
Therefore, if you’re thinking of opening a business to sell things, it’s recommended to do it online.
Best Things To Sell Online To Make Money: Useful Tips & Tricks
Now that you’ve read through the list of best things to sell to make money, we have some final tips for you to elevate your online selling experience. Here are the best ways to sell things online:
- Provide your customers with lots of details: The more specific you are about your products/services you offer, the easier for buyers to put trust in you. They know exactly what they are paying for, and it’s better for your business as well.
- Take great photos: A beautiful display of the things you want to sell to make money can draw customers’ attention much faster.
- Do your research on pricing: Remember to check the price people are selling similar items as you have for. This helps you not to over or underprice your products or services.
- Pick a suitable platform to sell: As we have mentioned, each marketplace or eCommerce platform holds an advantage for selling certain products. Determine which category your products fit in best, and list them on the fitting platform.
- Figure how to ship your items: If you sell physical goods, it’s important to determine how you’ll ship the products to your customers. Some platforms offer shipping service; however, you might have to connect with external providers to get your products delivered.
- Prepare to answer your customer's questions: Customer service is important in order to maintain your reputation and keep your business growing. Provide buyers with a support email address or phone line if they ever need you to answer their questions.
- Make use of your social media channels: Promoting your products on social media is a great way to get your items to show up in front of even more potential buyers. At the same time, you can find the top trending things to sell to make money online by browsing social media regularly.
If you are looking to extend your knowledge on what to sell to make money and how to make money online, take a look this step-by-step guide.
FAQs: Best Things To Sell To Make Money
What are the best things to sell to make money online?
At the moment, these are a few of the most popular physical and digital products you can sell online:
- Physical products: Jewelries, Posters, Pet accessories, Computer accessories, Phone accessories, Face masks.
- Digital products: E-learning course, Designs, Arts and Illustrations.
What can I sell to make money fast?
Some of the best things to sell to make money fast are:
- Old clothes
- Jewelries
- DIYs and handmade goods
- Home decors
- ‘Flipped’ items
- Books
What are the best eCommerce platforms to sell digital products?
In order to sell digital products, you may have to rely on special platforms. These are our recommendations for the best eCommerce platforms to sell digital products:
- Easy Digital Download (EDD)
- Gumroad
- Fiverr
- Teachable
- SendOwl
- Sellfy
- Payhip
What is the most popular online selling platform?
Amazon is currently the largest marketplace and online selling platform in the world, with over 2 billion visitors monthly from all over the world. It's often the first destination for customer to search for their desired items.
Conclusion
Selling things online is a top choice for many people around the world to make extra money. Some have even successfully turned their online side hustle into earning a living full-time. We hope that with our list of best things to sell to make money online, you'll know which trendy items to sell in your store next!
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