A great e-commerce business idea allows you to make money by selling physical goods, digital downloads, or services to customers near and far.to start e-commerce businessyou'll need a website and an online store, but other startup costs may be small and you may be able to start seeing profits right away.
These 16 e-commerce business ideas will help you get started.
Features
monthly fee
$29
basic plan. Available with Shopify and Advanced plans.
1. Online education
Do you have valuable expertise to share with the world? Create online courses, ebooks, blog posts, and videos to help your audience learn and earn money.
can be used e-commerce website builder To set up a website where customers can download e-books and pay for access to courses. You can also use online education marketplaces like Udemy and generate advertising revenue by creating videos for YouTube and other social platforms.
2.Regularly purchased products
this e-commerce business model You can earn recurring revenue every time you promote new products to existing customers. When a customer signs up for a subscription, they agree to receive physical or digital goods from you on a regular basis.
Shipments from subscription services can include a variety of items, from crafts to meal ingredients to pet supplies. Use your interests and expertise to identify your area of expertise.
3. Print-on-demand products
Print-on-demand is a way for artists to obtain work for all types of products without having to create inventory themselves. Instead, a customer places an order and a third-party service prints the design onto products such as smartphone cases, beach towels, and sweatshirts. These services may also handle shipping and returns for you.
4. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing allows individuals to represent other businesses. You can sign up for affiliate and referral programs for brands that match your audience's interests.
For example, a travel blogger can partner with a luggage brand. Share your favorite items in a social media post, include a link to your product or offer a discount code to your readers, and you can earn a commission when your audience purchases the item.
5. Meal kit
In a busy world, many people are willing to spend a little extra money for convenience. Meal kits provide ingredients and recipes that customers can use to prepare lunches and dinners for themselves and their families. You can offer this service to local customers and handle deliveries yourself, or you can fill niches like vegan or gluten-free meals for more widely distributed customers.
6. Website development
If you're fluent in WordPress, SquareSpace, or another language online store builder, we may be able to help you set up a website, especially for businesses and individuals who are new to online. You can charge a flat fee to initially build your site and then provide ongoing support, maintenance, and updates.
In some cases, we may be able to partner with major companies. Web development is one way Make money with Shopify.
7. Wedding services
Do you like romance? Consider marketing your creative or organizational services to couples planning their weddings. Catering, floral services, stationery, photography, event planning – these are all part of most weddings in the United States. As with any meal preparation service, it may be easiest to promote your services locally, but as your business grows, your ability to offer them may increase. Couples far apart.
8. Used clothes
Fashion resellers often start by organizing their own closets.Once you understand where to sell clothes online For more information on how to do it efficiently, you may want to grow your business by finding inventory at thrift stores and consignment stores and selling it to online customers.
9. Custom artwork
If you do embroidery, paint portraits, write poetry, or have other artistic skills, you may be interested in purchasing a custom piece for yourself or a loved one. yeah.
If you choose to offer contract work rather than inventory, be aware of your bandwidth. Rates may increase during busy periods such as winter holidays. Partner with a local business or set up an easel in a public space and spend an afternoon creating simple pieces for passersby.
10. Digital download
Do you design useful Excel templates, travel guides, sewing patterns, etc.? You can sell copies of these files online. Customers can purchase a copy, save or print it, and use it as many times as needed.Please be sure to select e-commerce platform We support not only physical products but also digital products.
11. Dropshipping
As a dropshipper, you create product listings, but you don't keep those products in stock. Instead, when a customer places an order, they receive the order directly from the manufacturer or supplier. You pay a fee for each sale, but you don't have to buy inventory that may not sell.
12. Natural cleaning and hygiene products
Cleaning and personal hygiene products made with environmentally friendly ingredients are not always easily available. If you can make hand soap, body wash, dish detergent, or other house cleaning products in bulk, you might be able to find an audience online.
13. Consulting
Consulting — providing expert services on an hourly or contract basis to companies that need them — is not always necessary e-commerce. However, if you sell services to customers outside of your city or state, e-commerce website and the ability to receive online payments.
Consulting may be particularly good online business ideas For retired or semi-retired people. You can continue to utilize your years of experience at a pace that suits you.
14. Collectibles and Vintage Resale
Resale isn't just about clothing. People collect all kinds of products: records, action figures, baseball cards, mid-century modern furniture. If you know what you're looking for, you might be able to find valuable items at thrift stores or estate sales and sell them online to customers who will value them.
15. Virtual assistant service
Are you a master of organizational and project management? Try marketing yourself as a virtual assistant to people who need help managing email and other administrative tasks. You can list yourself on hiring freelancer networks like Upwork or create your own website to promote your services.
16. Coaching or Mentoring
Coaching is one way to experiment with online education and start developing an audience on social media. She can offer one-time coaching sessions on topics you specialize in, or encourage clients to sign up for regular mentorship meetings with her.Appointment scheduling software like square appointment allows you to manage your calendar and allow clients to easily check your availability.
A version of this article originally appeared on JustBusiness, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.