5 Best Ecommerce Business Ideas
If the coronavirus pandemic has proven nothing else, it is evident that online shopping is the future. Several thousand ecommerce stores have popped up in its wake as people were placed in lockdown and unable to leave their homes except to shop for essential items like food and medicine.
The number of potential online buyers shot up immediately, and ecommerce became more popular than before the pandemic. It seems that there is no better time to venture into the ecommerce market than the present. However, it cannot be any ecommerce store that you start. You need a viable idea that will earn money and remain sustainable in the long run.
Here are some of the best ecommerce business ideas to try if you are planning on making a foray into the online sales market:
Groceries and food
Given how many people are still worried about leaving their homes to go shopping, making an ecommerce solution that delivers groceries and food to their door will attract a lot of potential buyers.
Millions of people remain homebound, such as the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions that make them more susceptible to infection, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and auto-immune diseases.
There are a few ecommerce business ideas that involve groceries and food, and the one you choose will depend on how you want to carve your spot in the market. Among them are warehousing standard grocery products and selling them online. This requires a substantial investment to get started, and there are several expenses, including warehousing and delivery.
Several entrepreneurs have instead decided to work on a small-scale basis, creating an ecommerce shop where people can complete a grocery list for a local supermarket or request services, such as paying accounts in-store, etc.
The owner of the online business does their shopping and delivers it to their door for a fee. As their favorable reputation grows and spreads by word of mouth, more customers flock to their ecommerce store to take advantage of their services.
Subscription boxes
If you are looking to buy an ecommerce business that is part of a burgeoning market, you might want to delve deeper into subscription box options. Whether you start your own from scratch or invest in a pre-existing ecommerce shop, this is an endeavor that shows great potential for future growth.
The reason COVID-19 has positively impacted the market is that subscription boxes represent being able to spoil oneself without leaving home. Another is that people crave novelty, and a subscription box that caters to their interests is something that will interest them.
Another factor that lends itself to making the subscription box market so successful is that there is no limit to the number of ideas to explore. Whether it is healthcare and supplements, accessories like jewelry, crafting supplies, cosmetics, or products for moms, there is a way to make your subscription box stand out from any others.
Even better, you can forge partnerships with business owners that want to raise awareness about their products, and they will give you free samples to use in your boxes as a marketing tool.
You can choose to get everything for the boxes delivered to your home and then package and mail them to buyers on your website or outsource this function to another company for a fee.
Online learning
People are turning to online learning as a method for upgrading their qualifications or simply to acquire new knowledge about unfamiliar topics. This is another market where there are few limits to what you can sell on your ecommerce site.
Finding the right online business that suits your needs and abilities is not always easy. However, if you have a skill and the ability to deliver it to potential learners, this is an excellent option that you can capitalize on.
With their movement limited due to the pandemic and tired of binge-watching movies and TV series, there is a growing percentage of users who want to learn some new skills during their isolation. They vary from creative writing to website design and everything you can imagine in between.
You can collaborate with existing online platforms to have your course marketed as part of their curriculum, but this will be at a fee. Alternatively, with sound marketing, you can get learners to buy from your ecommerce store directly.
Smart accessories
There is a great appetite for devices that make everyday living easier. These include smart devices, such as smartwatches, dashcam equipment, video doorbells, electric scooters, hoverboards, and drones, to name but a few.
As a sound business practice, buy smaller ecommerce websites that are already selling such products and consolidate them into a one-stop shop where tech enthusiasts can find a variety of devices and gadgets that interest them.
With sound supplier contracts in place and an effective shipping system, you can establish a streamlined operation that delivers on its promises. Always look for more opportunities to engage with suppliers to add to your product offering.
Handmade products
The modern lifestyle we lead today means there is little time for the average person to hand make things like quilts, wooden toys, jewelry, or clothes. However, the personal touch is something many of them crave and most people love having things around them that are handmade. Fill the gap by offering such products in an ecommerce store.
This is often a brilliant way of empowering craftspeople by allowing them to create a small business that supplies your ecommerce store. It generates a sustainable income for you and them, which leads to the upliftment of their families and communities.
Reach out well beyond your local area to search for people in other countries offering unique handmade products from their culture. People love novelty and having something that is one of a kind.
To branch out, you can include antique furniture, most of which is handmade into your product offering. Allow people to sell these products using your ecommerce store as a platform, with you making a percentage on every sale they make.