There is a lot of revenue to be generated through online sales. More and more people are choosing e-commerce sites as their favourite way to shop for specific products, which means there is more money than ever to be made online.

But it also means that there are more people than ever trying to sell online. If you are going to make a profit as an e-commerce store owner, it’s important to do your homework before you set up shop.

The single most important thing to research is your product.

If you are a manufacturer with an existing product and are looking to expand into e-marketing, then you should concentrate your efforts on good marketing practice, and we wish you good luck.

But, if you are looking to set up an online store and don’t have an angle yet, you need to know exactly what kinds of products make the best turn over.

According to statistics published by Forrester Research on the best-selling online products, and Walker Sands Future of Marketing Report there are some products that way out-sell all others. These top products are the ones you should be focusing on. Even if you start with one of them, create a niche for yourself, and add others as your success grows.

The 9 Most Popular Products Online This Year

1. Music: CDs & Downloads

With the hype that surrounds new albums before they are released, many people opt to pre-order online rather than wait for their favourite groups new album to appear in stores. Music sales online come in different forms.

Fans can easily purchase and download singles or albums, or they can order actual CD’s and have them delivered. LP’s (records) have also made a big come-back as a niche market item usually bought by connoisseurs and DJs.

2. Books: Hard Copy and e-Books

As with music, books can be purchased as either actual hardcopy books or downloaded digitally as e-books which can be read on e-readers like Kindle. Book lovers will often purchase not only new releases but also go online to look for rare and out-of-print books. Book lovers have a big community and a lot of e-commerce stores who focus on books nurture their leads or customers by creating forums, publishing reviews and providing information about best sellers and award winners.

3. Smart Watches and Fitness Trackers

One in six people in America owns a smart watch. This piece of technology combines the tech and benefits of a smart phone with the world’s current obsession for fitness, and our need to be up to date with the latest trends.

Smart watches are a product that is used across demographics by many different people, making them a good turn-over product for your e-commerce store.

4. Virtual Reality Headsets

VR Headsets are a big deal right now. No longer a thing of science fiction novels, everyone wants to experience virtual reality. VR Headsets are fast becoming part of the “must have” list of digital gadgets. They are being created by companies like Sumsung, Oculus Rift and others. These headsets are changing the way we play online games, experience movies and even communicate with each other. VR Headsets offer features like high res visuals, motion controllers and room-scale tracking, to name a few. This is a great market to tap into right now because although it’s growing fast, there are not many vendors offering VR headsets just yet.

5. Super Health Foods

Health foods of all kinds are some of the most popular online purchases made.

The desire for healthy super foods that make people feel better, perform better and that don’t contain genetically modified ingredients, chemicals or other unhealthy ingredients is taking over Social Media and people are buying. For the most part these are whole foods (not pre-made products).

Some popular choices at the moment include avocado oil, coconut oil, goji berries, Macha tea, and sugar subtitutes such as zylatol. A good idea if you want to sell these products is to stay on top of what’s trending and consider including (or linking to) some write ups and reports on the health benefits of your products further down in the product description.

6. Beard Oil and Beard Accessories

Beards are all the rage right now, and have been for some time. It seems that, like our for-fathers from the seventies, those who grow them are going to be keeping them for some time. Beard oil, beard combs and even beard shampoo have all become very popular online sales items, both as gifts and as self-care products.

The Beard toiletries industry is currently standing at around $3.4 billion dollars per annum. The shaving industry is growing more slowly, but still stands at roughly $2.9 billion a year.

7. Organic Cosmetics

Organic beauty products are making a lot of revenue online. The trick with this industry is to watch it closely as the popular ingredients are what make a product. For example coconut oil and Argean oil are popular ingredients for all this moisture related from hair care to skin care. Black sugar and activated charcoal are the current big cleansing sensations. Any product that can certify its natural origin and organic ingredients has a good chance online. Again, keep an eye on industry trends and don’t be shy to add reviews and reports on the benefits of your products to your product descriptions.

8. Vape Accessories

Vaping has replaced smoking in affluent social circles and vapers are turning to online stores to buy their vape products. With more than 9 million adults vaping daily this is a big market. People are looking for products that they can’t find in store, and for the convenience of free delivery. Make sure your supplier keeps you up to date with the latest vape products available and keep an eye on what your competitors are selling too.

9. Software, Apps and Tech

Software is often downloadable, making it the perfect online product to sell. Even if you do sell hard copies of software for delivery, most people prefer to go online for their tech, their software, and their aps – so this is a market that is not going away anytime soon.

Consumers are not satisfied to buy whatever tech is available to them locally. They want to browse through everything on the market, read reviews, and make educated choices from large selections.

Finding Popular Online Products to Sell

The most important thing in this industry is ongoing research. Stay up to date by following influencers on Social Media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. Explore Google trends regularly and make sure your business model allows you to keep updating your product offering.