Comprehensive Guide to Dropship Product Research: Find Winning Products

The eCommerce scene has evolved tremendously over the years, hence the diverse selection of products across all industries. No matter if you are finding your footing among the bigwigs or making a name for yourself in a niche community, the importance of selling the right products can’t be understated. For a constantly growing sector like dropshipping, product-hunting is even more important if you don’t want to get left behind by competitors. If you are here to find a solution to this very problem, we have got you covered. This blog post has all things dropshipping product research, from the typical process to our top picks for the best tools that streamline your operation to the T. Ready to rise above the crowd? Let’s dig in.

Dropship Product Research 101: What You Need to Know

Master product research as a dropshipper to maximize profits and grow your business.

What is Dropship Product Research?

There are many discussions about the topic of eCommerce, but there is one thing we can all agree on: dropshipping is a popular business model. Although some might look at it like another get-rich-quick scheme, the success of numerous long-standing dropshipping brands is solid proof that one can prevail as a dropshipper. But how? Like other types of business models, dropshipping calls for proper planning before the official store launch; and product research is one of the first steps sellers ought to proceed with.

In a nutshell, dropship product research is the practice of looking for products to sell based on market trends, customer demands, availability, profit margins, and so on. This process is carried out through manual research and supported third-party tools. While popular items are relatively easy to spot, the goal of dropship product research is to discover products that align with your brand identity and target audience’s preferences. We will go deeper into the importance of product research for a dropship business, as well as helpful tools to utilize in the next chapters.

A Typical Dropship Product Research Process

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and choosing what to sell and what to leave out is also an elaborate process that can’t be completed in a matter of minutes. By establishing a solid product collection from the get-go, merchants can rid themselves of having to constantly add and omit items as the business grows. Thus, a typical dropship product research process goes a little something like this:

1. Identify a Niche

What eCommerce niche are you looking to break into? Does it require you to be specific with the product options? What is its usual audience? Here are some of the questions to help you pinpoint the niche of your choice - the factor that will encompass the types of products to go for. The geographical location and target audience are the most crucial elements to help you determine your niche.

2. Analyze Market Trends

Trending products sell fast, so they are often used by novice dropshippers to get their names out there without sacrificing too much time. Google Trends, Exploding Topics, and social media platforms are all sufficient in helping you identify the hottest trends of the month, while eCommerce blogs and communities deliver prized insights on future trends. 

3. Use Product Research Tools

Product research tools are not to be overlooked, as they not only find the products for you, but also fact-check the quality, popularity, availability, and so on to ensure that they will be profitable. Among various outlets, the frontrunners such as SaleHoo or Jungle Scout are the most commonly used due to their intuitive interface and practical success stories.

4. Competitor Analysis

If you are looking to become a dropshipper, chances are you have already peeped at successful stores, especially the ones in your niche. To carry on with product research, it is time to study their product catalogs, pricing strategies, marketing campaigns, website traffic, etc. to form an intensive competitor analysis. This information will be useful for you to know what products to go and not go with.

5. Checking Product Viability

This step is the buildup of the steps above, where you now evaluate the product’s marketability by elements like costs, shipping fees, marketing budget, etc. This is also the time to check whether they align with your target audience and branding.

6. Partner Up with a Supplier

The last step will make or break your business, as it comes time to spend the greens to physically acquire the products of your choice. To make sure that you will partner up with a reliable supplier, check out verified platforms such as CJDropshipping or AliDropShip. Staying your ground by requesting product samples, reading customer reviews, and taking notice of their responsiveness.

For more information about dropshipping supplier, check out our blog:

15 Best Dropshipping Suppliers in USA (2024)

Why Product Research is Important for Your Dropshipping Business

Saves Time in Product Hunting

When we go hunting for the best dropshipping products, it is possible to get lost among a sea of options. This result in a lot of wasted time and resources. That is why setting up a legitimate research process (like the one above) and sticking to it is the secret to transforming your brand. With the combination of manual research and supported tools, it is as easy as pie to narrow down the most fitting line of products and where to get them instead of blindly shooting in the dark.

Minimizes Risks and Mishaps

A thorough dropship product research helps avoid stocking up on slow-moving products and risking capital.

Risks are pretty much an extension of running a business, be it a brick-and-mortar or a modern dropshipping one. That said, being meticulous with your practices is proven to minimize the financial, operational, and legal risks for business owners. For instance, by making efforts to pinpoint the most marketable products in regard to your store’s location and local preferences, you can avoid the likelihood of storing deadstock. Moreover, knowing where to go for reputable suppliers gives you the ability to dodge low-quality items, reduce customer dissatisfaction, and enhance your brand image.

Creates Tailored Products Based on Customer Preferences

Since dropshipping is an umbrella term, there is wiggle room for you to expand your brand via several approaches. Print-on-demand and white label are lucrative business models that took the traditional dropshipping method up a notch by allowing merchants to put their own spins on the products. Therefore, tailored products are a remarkable creation while combining dropship product research and a suitable approach, especially when they stem from your customer preferences. When buyers can only find unique products on your website or items that were adjusted based on their own feedback, loyalty and retention are bound to manifest.

Builds Long-term Brand Identity

Building a distinct brand identity is crucial for a dropshipping business to stand out in a saturated market like dropshipping.

Online shoppers sometimes come to the internet to purchase high-demand products without paying mind to the actual businesses. To not become just another fish in the ocean, you are tasked with building a solid brand. The good news is: it all begins with the process of product research. By consistently pumping out trending, high-quality, and reasonably-priced goods, you are more likely to stay in the spotlight. If your name is mentioned as a trusted business instead of a mere outlet for online shopping, this means that you are on the right track. With that being said, factors like customer support, marketing, and website design are vital to go alongside brilliant products to have a pronounced brand identity.

6 Useful Dropship Product Research Tools for You to Utilize

Jungle Scout

Unlock the secret of becoming a proficient Amazon seller with Jungle Scout - a comprehensive app that scouts winning products for your dropshipping business.

Pricing:

• Monthly: $49, $79, and $399/month.
• 3-months: $44, $69, and $333/month.
• Annual: $29, $49, and $299/month.

Jungle Scout has a reputation for helping Amazon merchants rise above the competition by offering state-of-the-art solutions to tie up every loose end in their business operations. Its most prominent features are handy keyword analysis, competitor insights, AI assist, and rich learning resources. The professional website interface and multiple plan tiers prove Jungle Scout is a well-rounded app for dropshippers.

Dropship.io

Dropship.io not only makes exploring new products efficient but also provides merchants with the most advanced features to monitor and optimize their store’s performance.

Pricing: $39/month (Basic), $59/month (Standard), $99/month (Premium). Free trial available.

Dropship.io is another foolproof app with a wide array of functions to revamp your dropshipping business. Its competitor research, sales tracker, and exclusive Dropship University are proof that this app was precisely developed to help dropshippers keep up with the latest industry trends.

Sell The Trend

Sell The Trend offers a complete set of tools to assist you in finding the most sought-after products in the market with ease.

Pricing: $39.98/month (Essential) and $79.98/month (Pro). Free trial available.

Sell The Trend is a no-fuss product research tool. What you see is what you get: one-click order fulfillment, TikTok viral ads explorer, AI technology, extensive supplier database, and more. This tool is no short of excellent elements to bring you and the most profitable dropship products closer together, all with enticing plan prices and a user-friendly interface.

SaleHoo

Experience SaleHoo to find out exactly why this app is a favorite among numerous dropshipping merchants around the world.

Pricing: $27/month (Basic) and $97/month (Premium).

SaleHoo stands shoulder to shoulder with the top dogs in the dropshipping scene for being a top-notch app. With features like an exclusive supplier directory, custom product lists, built-in pricing control tool, eCommerce resources, and millions of winning products to choose from, this app was built to cater to a multitude of dropship merchants at all stages. The plans are also optimized at great prices.

Thieve

Let Thieve take care of finding the best products for your dropshipping business through the help of its trusted expert team.

Pricing: $15/month (Dropshipping) and $49/month (Pro). Free trial available.

Thieve’s bold statement to find trending dropship products is backed with a convincing list of features: a supplier finder, keyword optimization, content and description generator, and a store search system for competitor analysis. The website’s minimal interface juxtaposes its rich list of features, which can be acquired at as low as $15/month.

Spocket

Spocket is your all-in-one solution for all things dropshipping, where product and supplier research is prioritized.

Pricing:

Monthly: $39.99 (Starter), $59.99 (Pro), $99.99 (Empire), and $299.99 (Unicorn).

Annually: $24 (Pro), $57 (Empire), and $79 (Unicorn).

Even if you are not a dropshipper, Spocket might still be a familiar name. The app’s reputation as the most powerful automated dropshipping software is unmatched, as its noteworthy features like AI generator tools, eCommerce platform integrations, branded blogs, academy, and community options for brand personalization have been praised by numerous users. Better yet, you can try your hands at Spocket for as low as $24/month.

Top Tips for Effective Dropship Product Research

Focus on Product Quality

Product quality is everything, as it is the direct determinant for your customer satisfaction and brand integrity. While it is good to have the most sought-after items in your store’s catalog, it would mean nothing if the quality is not guaranteed. Below are the recommended steps to take to start prioritizing the product quality over quantity in a dropshipping business:

• Only partner with reliable suppliers/manufacturers: once you have gotten a general idea of the types of products to go with, finding the right suppliers/manufacturers is crucial to advance to the next steps. Criteria like reputation, customer reviews, seller testimonials, legal qualifications, shipping and return policies, and so on, need to be thoroughly assessed. Keep in mind that the quality of the suppliers directly reflect the quality of the products, thus, vet your potential suppliers via trusted platforms like the ones mentioned above to have peace of mind and keep risks at bay.
• Have a clear-cut pricing strategy: although dropshipping makes way for sellers to carry products at lower prices, don’t make the mistake of only going for the cheapest options. The prices are closely linked to the quality of the products, so even if you manage to offer items with hard-to-beat price tags, competitors are still capable of outweighing your business by simply prioritizing quality. This dilemma calls for a strong pricing strategy that takes into account the supplier fees, competitor pricing, and customer response to conclude the sweet spot that highlight the product quality while still keeping the prices reasonable.
• Request product samples: all in all, your hands-on experience trumps all the feedback and reviews from others, so take the liberty to request product samples before going all in on a supplier. Evaluate the products packaging, material, consistency, performance - anything is concerned with quality. If they do not meet your standard, don’t hesitate to be upfront and give honest feedback. This process helps minimize time and resources for your business.

Test Products Before Committing

Making sure the products are up to par before making a long-term commitment is a must to ensure the integrity of your brand.

We have mentioned the significance of conducting a product sample assessment before establishing a partnership with a supplier above, now let’s dive deeper into how product testing can contribute to acing dropship product research through the steps below.

• Reduce financial risks: ordering product samples or in small quantities protects merchants from overstocking and investing in items that may not sell well. Even if one product is currently the talk of the town, it is advised to test the waters first before investing as it could go out of trend in a short amount of time, leaving dropshippers with dead stock.
• Garner valuable customer insights: introducing new products while you are in a new territory can be dicey, so it is a good call to go slow and steady. Test how your audience responds to the products through ad campaigns and email marketing helps validate your choice. Depending on the reception, you will be able to make an informed decision accordingly.

Keep Up with Industry Trends

Dropshipping is a fast-paced scene, so you ought to know when to grab onto an opportunity before it passes you by. No matter which niche you are in, be sure to watch the industry trends like a hawk to be one of the first to offer in-demand items and stay on top of the dropship product research process. Luckily, the nature of dropshipping allows sellers to shift their focus onto tasks like these without being on a time crunch, so here are the suggested practices to follow as a dropshipper:

• Use supported tools: Google Trends, Exploding Topics, and the best-sellers tabs on Amazon and AliExpress are all efficient in identifying new trends.
• Utilize social media: TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Reddit are the goldmine to watch out for new trends through influencers’ content.
• Participate in holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas, etc. are brilliant holidays for you to carry seasonal items to boost your store’s ranking.

Build a Solid Foundation for Your Business with Proper Dropship Product Research

The dropshipping model brings out unique propositions that merchants are tasked with, in which product research stands firmly at the top spots. By finding the most compatible products, it is tenfold easier to give your business room to thrive in the long haul. We hope you - aspiring dropshippers, have managed to note down the useful tips from this blog post and test the waters yourselves to build a fruitful dropshipping empire. It is now time to build the business of your dream! 

FAQ about Dropship Product Research