This is one of the most frequently asked questions by dropshippers. It’s also one they tend to obsess about even after they have an answer. The reason is that the answer isn’t always very satisfying. People need exact numbers. They need a formula they can use and be successful with. Dropshipping is not like that. What’s the solution?
It depends.
There is no magic number. One product is enough to make a store very profitable. You can use a few products. Or hundreds. It all depends on what store you are putting together, how your marketing is done, who you target, how similar the products are to each other, whether you are focusing on one niche or more of a store that caters to all customers, etc. The decision to include products in the product totals is a big one.
These are just some guidelines to help you get started. These aren’t hard-and-fast rules. These are not a set of “do this every time” principles. As you gain experience, you’ll discover which stores work best for you and your own “rules”. These are just starting points. These are starting points, but they can be very effective in getting you moving in the right direction.
Which type of store would you like to open?
This is the first question that you need to answer. Are you looking to open a general store that sells many different products but is not connected to any other or do you prefer to concentrate on a niche? The former will require more products because you lack a focus. You could sell headphones but only a few products. But if you have a general store that sells headphones, accessories for phones, and other products, you will need representative products.
There are two types of stores that you can open, as we have already mentioned. You can either open a general store that features many products from many categories or a niche store that focuses on a narrow range of products with a common theme.
While niche stores can be more successful than the other, they are harder to manage and require more planning. We will discuss each one and the pros and cons.
Opening a general store
General stores are easier to set up than niche stores. This is because you don’t need to spend too much time thinking about the products you sell. However, if you do, it will be more successful. Even if you take the time to research products with high conversion rates, it is worth it. You don’t need to tie each product together in a general store. General stores are easier to setup, even if you need to add more products.
How many? A general store should have between 30-50 employees. If the number is less than 30, the store will be seen as less trustworthy by potential customers. Imagine walking into a convenience shop and seeing a rack with 10 items in the center of the store. The rest of the store was empty. You would probably go elsewhere to shop. It wouldn’t feel real.
You need enough products for a general shop to feel authentic. You can add more products over time. However, 30-50 is a good starting point. This is enough to give your shop credibility, but not to make setting up too difficult.
When you start a dropshipping business, the most important thing is to get it up and running quickly. This will allow you to market the store and generate revenue. It doesn’t matter if you have every detail right before launch. Once your doors open and customers visit, you’ll have plenty of time to fix things.
General stores – Pros
- It is easy to get one up and running quickly, without worrying about themes or creating profitable niches.
- You have a lot of options when it comes to products you can market in your advertising. You can adjust your marketing to target different sections of your store depending on the season. You don’t have to stick to a narrow range of products if you want to use specific marketing strategies.
- A store with more products means there is more potential for customers to buy add-on items. This happens when a customer visits your site to view the product and then purchases it along with a number of other products.
- A wider range of products may appeal to a larger market segment. Niche stores appeal to a smaller market. Your market is bigger with a general store.
General stores – Cons
- Selling in general stores leaves little room for brand building. It’s difficult to imagine a brand that would encompass all the products you sell, such as portable vacuum cleaners and headphones.
- Because they lack a common theme, general stores can be difficult to market. One advertisement can convey the essence of all your products if a store is devoted to pet products. Because of the dissimilar nature of the products, this is impossible with a general store.
- A wider market can also mean a higher degree of market segmentation. This means that more marketing and advertising are required to reach all the customers.
DropshipMe: How DropshipMe Can Help
This free plugin automates the import of products from verified suppliers to your WordPress-based dropshipping shop. Because we’ve done the research for you, you can add products that we recommend to your WordPress-based dropshipping store with confidence knowing they will sell well. These products also include expertly written descriptions and optimized images. This allows you to quickly add new products to your general shop and get started almost immediately.
Starting a niche store
Before you hang your “open for business” sign, it is important to think about how niche stores will be run. You must think about which niche you are going to target and why. It is important to determine the market size and ensure that your niche does not limit your potential customers.
Niche stores can be a tricky balance. While you may want to target a particular product niche or customer segment, it is important to make your niche accessible to everyone. Avoid niches that are too saturated.
How many products are needed to open a niche store?
The rule of thumb is between 5 and 20. A niche store will have a better product selection than a general store. This is due to your focus. The fewer products that you need to be legitimate, the easier it is for customers. But you do need some. To be able to sell headphones, you will need between 15 and 20 models. You can go with fewer models if you’re selling something more specific like noise-canceling headphones. You only need enough to make your niche store appear legit to the average consumer online.
You want to get your store up and running as soon as possible, just like general stores. It can be difficult to get up and running quickly in a niche store due to the extra care required. However, you should just get your filler products (products you add to your store to make it seem legit but not actively promoting them) installed and given basic descriptions. They won’t be seen by most people, who will instead focus on the product they are viewing based upon your advertisements. Don’t forget the little details. Make sure the store looks good enough to support your marketing efforts.
Niche stores – Pros
- Niche shops offer you a lot more freedom than other stores when it comes to building a reputation and following. You can create a shop name that reflects the essence of your product line if you only sell mobile accessories. As satisfied customers spread the word about your brand, branded merchandise can have a greater impact than your marketing efforts. They have a better long-term earning potential.
- You can create niche stores that are focused on a particular product. Imagine that you have done your research and found the perfect product. This is something you can market effectively, generate buzz, and sell like mad. Then you could find half a dozen to a dozen related products that you can classify in a niche shop. These filler products could be used to supplement your main product or generate additional sales. The one product would be the only thing that would make the effort worthwhile. This benefit is not available in general stores.
- People who identify with niche stores can create a loyal following. Niche shoppers are loyal to brands, so if your brand is strong, they will return to your shop for future purchases.
Niche stores – Cons
- Because of their narrow product range, niche stores offer fewer marketing opportunities. This can be a great advantage, as we have seen, but it must be done correctly.
- Niche stores can be huge successes or failures depending on how much research and thought went into building them. Customers who visit niche stores that don’t feel cohesive, or where products don’t fit together under the theme of the store, are likely to bounce. Do your research. A niche store can present more risk, but it also offers greater potential for reward.
DropshipMe plugin: How it can help a niche store
DropshipMe allows you to quickly search AliExpress products, which makes it easier to build niches and themes. You don’t have to spend your time researching products to add to your shop.
DropshipMe will help you to find the right product for your niche. Add it confidently.
Start a single product shop
The last type of store is very similar to a niche shop in that it focuses only on one product category. However, it’s also different in that it focuses exclusively on that product. Although it may seem counterintuitive, single product stores can be extremely successful if they are properly marketed. You can focus your attention on one product, and not be distracted by other products.
As an example, all the products from “As Seen on TV”, would sell well in a single store. These products were sold as miracles and marvels, the best of anything that has ever been made. Selling related products in these situations would only harm your message. Why would you sell inferior cleaning products if you have the best cleaning product? This makes it appear that your product might not be the best, or that your message is not strong enough to convince your future customers.
Single product stores can be risky but can be hugely profitable if they are marketed correctly and have the right product.
Dropshipping: How many products should I begin?
The type of dropshipping store you’re building will determine the number of products that you can start with. It is important to decide what kind of dropshipping shop you want. This could be a general or niche store.
When deciding on the type of store to build, there are many factors you should consider. This article will not be about it, but you can read about it.
Dropshippers nowadays use the “Quick Buck Method”, where they simply find a product that is in high demand and add it to their shop. Then, they can focus on the product. There is always the possibility of adding a few more products as upsells. They promote the product until sales decline, then they move on to the next product. This is the best way to go if you have a business model that requires only one product.
If you’re building niche stores, it might be worth having 5 to 30 products that are focused on a specific niche. Cross-sell promotion is possible and upsells can be made for your products.
To make your store feel complete, a general niche store will need more products. You won’t be focusing on any one product so you will need more products to represent all the categories you sell in your store. You might have a general store that sells headphones, hats and accessories for phones, as well as clothes. You can see why general shops need more products. Each category could require between 10 and 15 products.
Shopify: How many products should you start?
Shopify is an amazing platform that allows people to create their own online store. Shopify is also ideal for dropshipping, and it has been the preferred platform for many dropshippers.
Shopify will allow you to market your products by listing the products that you already have. Depending on the number of products you have, you can choose to concentrate on one or all of them.
Dropshipping is a different kind of business. You will need to follow the steps outlined in the section on the products you should start dropping. It is crucial to decide whether you want to open a niche store or if you want to go general.
General stores are easier to open because you have more control over the products you choose and don’t have as many thought-provoking products to offer. You’d be a great help if you thought about it.
For a general store to begin with, it would require between 30 and 50 products. To be credible in the eyes your customers, you will need a large number of products if you don’t intend to focus on any particular niche.
Imagine walking into a convenience shop and finding only the middle rack stacked, while the shelves on the sides are empty. The store is unlikely to impress you and you will probably leave.
To create a niche store you will need to think hard. First, you must identify your niche. A niche store should have between 5 and 20 products.
What are the best products to start with on Amazon?
Selling your products on Amazon has many benefits. One, Amazon is already popular and you can take advantage of the high traffic it receives. Amazon boasts a traffic figure of approximately 215 million in the United States alone. They are willing to purchase your products.
Setting up an online store on Amazon is also easy. It’s easy to set up an online shop. Amazon is already a trusted brand, so potential customers will trust your website.
Let’s return to the question of how many products you can sell on Amazon. You should consider the number you can manage as well as your marketing efforts. Promoting your products takes a lot of effort. You should begin with how many products you can manage. For some, it may be just two, for others, five, for others, ten or more.
If your marketing and promotion efforts are successful, you can increase the number products. Amazon offers over 20 product categories that you can list.
What are the best products to start with on Etsy.
Etsy is another platform that you can use to start your online business. Etsy has a major advantage over other e-commerce platforms like Amazon in that it doesn’t compete against sellers like you. Amazon sells similar products, but it also has its own products.
Although Etsy is not able to compete with sellers, there are many sellers on Etsy. The number of sellers easily surpasses the 2 million mark. The good news is that Etsy has more than 40 million active users who buy from it.
Etsy’s general trend is to start with 10-20 products. You can test them out and find out what works. You could also try 30-40 products. Although there is more risk, you may be able to get your shop noticed quicker.
Your Etsy shop will be more credible if you have 10-20 products. This creates a sense security for buyers. A store with a large inventory and the potential for growth is attractive to them.
It is possible to increase the number of products you have over time. It’s also a good idea to not post all of your products at once. You can create excitement among your customers about new updates to your website by releasing your products one at a time.
What are the minimum items needed to open an online boutique?
An online boutique must determine how much inventory they need. This can be determined by the preferences of online shoppers.
Online shoppers are more likely to shop in fully-stocked shops. You might want to shop online for clothes. Most likely, you’d look closer at items in shops that have a large selection of products. This gives them credibility. You’ll also feel more comfortable shopping at one shop, as you will have more options for clothing.
A page can only be filled with 9-12 items. This is the minimum number of items that you should have. It’s possible to go beyond the items, especially if your items come in different sizes and colors.
We recommend starting with 9-12 items, but there is no limit to how many items you can own. The more you have, the better. We expect you to do your research on the items you will be adding. You’ll also need to take quality photos and include the go.
