The ultimate question for eCommerce businesses – what to sell?
No matter whether you are already in the dropshipping business or are still considering starting one, what to sell is always the question at the back of your mind. True that, the right product is the essential ingredient of a healthy and profitable business, and to hunt one is a process that requires both effort and a hint of luck. So today, we might as well just ease the question to a broader perspective – should you work on a general store or focus on a niche store, or even, a one-product store?
The choice you make will form the path to success in your eCommerce journey. So today, let’s discuss further on this topic. First, we’ll start with the super basic definition of these three types of stores.
One Product Dropshipping Store
A one-product sore, just as the name suggests, is set up to focus on selling a single product. Of course, you can still offer many variations, such as different colors or sizes, but generally, the store is still built around the one and only flagship product.
Niche Dropshipping Store
A niche dropshipping store is based on a specific niche, such as pet, womenswear, kitchen wear… In such a store, all items are related to the niche that will help you target a larger group of audiences.
General Dropshipping Store
A general dropshipping store is a store that sells across multiple categories and the products can be completely unrelated to each other. The categories of general stores are flexible and can help you reach a wider range of people.
So now you know what these stores are, the next question is how do you know which one to go for? Let’s check the pros & cons and some good examples of each one of them.
#1 One Product Store
The best thing about having a one-product store is that you can 100% focus on your product. Rather than feeling pressured to have 10 great products, you only need to focus on one.
With that being said, the target market is very defined, you know exactly who your audience is, why they would want your product, and when they would be most likely to purchase.
The marketing strategy will be simpler since you only have one product and are talking to one type of ideal customer, it’s easier to optimize social media promotions, create posts and work with social media influencers, the brand recall will also be stronger as you have that one product which people will remember your store for.
The sole product also means that you can maximize your customer service level since the questions that can be brought up about one product are very limited.
One of the most successful one-product stores is Crocs. When talking about foam clogs, Crocs is definitely the one brand that you can think of. However, not every one-product store can grow to Crocs, because it’s not easy to select the winning product that is worth investing in.
The budget you need for a one-product store is relatively bigger as you’ll need to invest in higher-level web development and product photography since the one product will receive all of the attention.
Another disadvantage of a one-product store is that it requires a reliable supply chain, you can’t change much about your product offerings once it’s set up.
So if you already have experience in eCommerce and thorough market research, with confidence in your product and the skill in web development and advertising, one product store could be a great choice.
#2 Niche Store
A niche-based dropshipping store has some noteworthy benefits including its high relevancy in the search result, user interest, and high conversions.
Easy to Rank: same as one-product stores, niche stores are also easier to rank for keywords on searches. This is because niche-based stores form is valued by both the search engine and social media algorithms. When users start searching for niche products, these stores are usually the first to show up.
Better Conversion: as niche dropshipping stores target only a specific group of people that are already interested in the niche, it’s easier to convert the visitors into customers.
Besides these two, it’s also easy to upsell or cross-sell with niche stores, because all your products are related. Compare to a one-product store, a niche store can change the product offerings over time as long as they stay within the niche, which can help sellers adapt to changing consumer preferences.
There are many successful niche stores, clothing, beauty product, jewelry, workout gadgets, and lifestyle… as long as you can find the potential audience, you are good to go with any niche you can think of.
But just like a one-product store, experienced dropshippers often say that niche-based dropshipping stores ain’t the best way to start a dropshipping business. A general dropshipping website is more beneficial for beginners. Once you learn what products are selling more, you then can then explicit the business further.
No matter whether you go with one product store or a niche store, you are putting all the eggs in one basket, and the risk increases. However, these two kinds of stores are a good start for building your own brand, so if you have the thought of owning a long-turn brand, maybe consider investing more in this kind of store from the beginning.
#3 General Store
General dropshipping stores are normally more preferred for three advantages.
1. Flexible to Start: general stores can be easily started because they are flexible, you can make a list of the most trending products in all niches and add them to your store to test.
2. Reach More People: dropshipping products encompass many industries. This means as a general store, you can easily optimize the product listings to rank them in SERPs. By reaching more people, you will eventually start selling them to potential buyers.
3. Test Multiple Niches at Once: another benefit of having a general store is that you can test multiple dropshipping products at once. Just add the products that you would like covered and promote them through Facebook or Google ads.
Inspire Uplift is a successful general shop, a great example of a general dropshipping store. They have been in business for a long time, you can see the categories they have is versatile and very suitable for dropshipping – trendy, small and light.
Cons of General Stores: in comparison with a niche-specific store, a general dropshipping store has a lower order conversion rate, a higher ratio of irrelevant traffic, and competition from every other eCommerce website in the market. So, in order to outdo the competition, more marketing strategies are required.
Conclusion:
Above is the introduction of one-product stores, niche stores, and general stores. Whichever modal you choose, it is always important for you to choose the right product and provide a good service to your customers. Join iYoowe today to expand your eCom business with better products and speedier shipping!
