Hey there! So you’ve jumped into the world of dropshipping but aren’t sure where to start finding products that’ll actually make you decent money. I feel you, it can be tricky at first.
But have no fear - I’m here to break it all down for you step-by-step.
See, not all products are created equal when it comes to profit margins. You have to be selective and find the gems that pay the bills, the unicorns of ecommerce.
Let’s dive in and find what types of products tend to be most profitable for dropshipping businesses like yours!
Why Margin Matters
I’ll start with the obvious - the wider your profit margin on a product, the more money you will get into your pocket on each sale. If your margin is only 10%, you ain’t making much per order. You'll need a ton of sales just to turn a profit.
But if you can sell stuff with say a 50-100% profit margin...now we’re talking some serious income potential! Just a few sales a day can add up quick.
So especially when starting out, focus on finding higher margin products in the 50% and above range to get that cash flow pumping quicker. Then once your income is steadier, you can expand into lower margin stuff in the 20-30% range if needed. But margins make all the difference early on.
How to find high-profit margin products for dropshipping:
- Research and analyze your niche.
- Look for unique or trending products.
- Calculate profit margins.
- Consider product weight and size.
- Source from reliable suppliers.
- Negotiate bulk discounts.
- Differentiate your products.
- Monitor trends and competition.
Product Types That Typically Have High Margins
Now for the fun part - what kinds of products should you hunt for? Here are some top categories that tend to have wider profit margins:
Branded Electronics
For big ticket items like iPhones, laptops, tablets, gaming consoles, etc., there’s often room to markup a decent amount over the wholesale cost and still stay competitive. People expect to pay more for premium electronics brands and access high-end specs. Pro tip - newly released electronics can command even higher margins for a time!
Specialty Apparel
Think branded clothing, swimwear, outdoor adventure gear, sportswear, footwear. Anything in the fashion category. Price tags climb quickly for specialty apparel, especially for status symbol athletic and luxury brands. So your dollar value margins can be large even with a standard retail markup percentage in the 50-100% range.
Health Supplements
Supplements like vitamins, protein powders, creatine, specialty nutraceuticals, and herbal blends can have enormous 70-200% markups in many cases. You’re selling perceived benefits, recurring purchases, and solutions to pain points. Customers are willing to pay premium prices for products they feel will make them healthier, prettier, or perform better.
Luxury Beauty Items
Makeup, skincare, hair care...all the beauty categories. High-end brands in this space generate serious premiums beyond the cost of materials that allow for solid margins even at 50% off retail. People pay for packaging, branding, and the dream of looking youthful or Instagram-flawless. Vainly chasing perfection has its costs!
Niche Hobby Gear
For niche hobbies like fishing, knitting, sewing, rock climbing, camping, crafting, and so on - the margins can be great on specialty gear and accessories. When you find suppliers catering to enthusiasts, price ceilings go up because ideal customers are obsessed and price-insensitive. A 50-60% markup still leaves room for profit.
As you can see, premium brands and specialty hobby products allow room for sizable markups while still offering compelling value to customers invested in those niches.
Sourcing Legit Suppliers
Okay, so now you know what types of products to look for. But where do you find suppliers who can get you wholesale pricing with enough margin leftover? You need to source products at 30-50% below retail to make decent profit.
Here are some tips for sourcing legitimate, reliable suppliers:
Leverage Dropshipping Directories
Subscription services like Dropified, Doba, Modalyst, and Salehoo give you instant access to pre-vetted suppliers and wholesale product catalogs. For a monthly fee, you can browse thousands of dropship products in one place. Huge time saver!
Attend Trade Shows
Get on the ground at big industry trade shows like Shopify Unite or Canton Fair and network face-to-face to find distributors, wholesalers, and manufacturers. The in-person connections are invaluable. Explain your Dropshipping retail model to open conversations.
Search Ecommerce Marketplaces
Dig into marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart Marketplace, etc. Reach out to high volume sellers in your niche and ask who their supplier is. Offer incentives for leads.
Use Import Data Records
Records of international imports can reveal overseas suppliers importing products into your target country. Paid services like ImportGenius provide searchable databases of customs import data to surface suppliers.
Join Forums & Groups
Tap into communities of fellow ecommerce store owners in Facebook Groups, subreddits, forums etc. Create posts explain your product search needs. Ask experienced members for supplier referrals.
Contact Brands Directly
For branded items, go straight to the source. Email or call brands asking about establishing a wholesale reseller relationship. Larger brands normally won't deal direct, but smaller niche brands may work with you.
Evaluating Suppliers
As you search far and wide, you’ll get suppliers coming out of your ears. Take the time to thoroughly vet each one before committing. Run potential suppliers through this checklist:
- Pricing - Do they offer adequate 30-50%+ discounts off retail for healthy margins? Get those profit percentages nailed down. Crunch the numbers.
- Minimums - Some require large 500+ unit MOQs you can’t fulfill yet when starting out. Look for low 10-50 unit minimums.
- Fulfillment - Ensure fast 1-7 shipping times from order to doorstep and accurate order processing. Read up on their fulfillment process.
- Support - How responsive are they via email, phone, chat? Do they have a support team or just a contact form? Quick support is crucial.
- Reliability - Check for reviews and complaints online. How long have they been in business? How many other dropshippers use them? Signs of stability?
Finding suppliers who check all the boxes takes diligent research and vetting. But once unlocked, it’s a treasure trove of high margin products awaited.
Validating Product Demand
You found a supplier with great margins... but will the product actually sell? You need to validate demand.
Here’s how:
Research Competitors
See what similar retailers price and market the product. Lots of competition is actually reassuring - means there’s proven demand. Use tools like SEMRush to analyze competitors.
Dig Into Customer Reviews
Ratings and reviews for a product reveal pain points and why customers buy. Look for recurring themes. The longer the review history the better.
Run Facebook/Google Ads
Set up test ads for the product to standard interest and optimize your messaging. Drive traffic to a landing page and see conversion rates. Low cost market validation.
Check Google Trends
Look at search volume and demand fluctuations over the past 2 years for product keywords using Google Trends. Steady upward trend is ideal.
Survey Your Audience
Ask your email subscriber list and social media followers directly if they'd buy the product. Create a simple poll or questionnaire. Involve your audience early.
Optimizing Your Listings
Alright, picked your suppliers and validated demand - now it’s time to create kickass product listings and sales pages that convert browsers into buyers:
Killer Copywriting
Write detailed descriptions that use power words to tap into the customer’s emotions and paint a vivid picture. Convince them they need this product now!
High Quality Images
Have a pro photographer shoot the product from multiple angles in appealing lifestyle settings. Or shoot simple studio-style images on a white background. First impressions count big time.
SEO Optimization
Include relevant keywords in titles, descriptions, alt text, URLs etc. But make sure it reads naturally. Win that coveted search visibility.
Prominently Feature USPs
Call out your product's unique selling propositions, special features, and differentiators over competitors. Give customers compelling reasons to buy from you.
Sprinkler In Social Proof
Reviews, testimonials, trust badges, certifications, press features. Anything that boosts credibility. The more social proof the better.
Keep Testing and Optimizing
As a dropshipper, your work’s never done. There’s always room for more testing and optimization:
- Try adding upsells, cross-sells, and bundles to increase average order value
- Experiment with different pricing strategies to maximize profit - don't be afraid to inch those prices up!
- Create scarcity and FOMO with limited time promos and discounts to incentivize urgency
- Continuously prune and refine your product selection based on sales data - cut low performers
- Improve shipping times and carriers to reduce cart abandonment
- Refresh copy and creative, test new angles, breathe new life into stale listings
Rinse and repeat this process - source new products, validate demand, create listings, analyze data, optimize. Follow this framework and you’ll always have an ever-growing pipeline of maximum margin products ready to fuel your dropshipping empire!
Conclusion
So this is th detailed guide for the high margin product for dropshipping hope this article will help you out to figure it out what kind of product you have to choose.
Let me know if you have any other questions on finding profitable dropshipping products. Now get out there and source those unicorns!