How to Do Product Research on Shopify

Finding the right products to sell is the foundation of a successful Shopify store. With the rise of Shopify automation services identifying high-demand, low-competition products has become both easier and more critical than ever. Effective product research ensures you invest in products that will generate consistent revenue, rather than wasting time and money on items that won’t sell.
Why Product Research is Essential for Shopify Success
Product research is the backbone of a profitable Shopify store. Without it, you risk:
- Selling products with low demand
- Facing overwhelming competition
- Struggling with thin profit margins
- Wasting resources on ineffective marketing strategies
By leveraging proper product research techniques, Shopify sellers can build a thriving e-commerce business through automation to streamline operations.
1. Use Marketplaces to Identify Trending Products
One of the best ways to discover trending and profitable products is by analyzing data from major online marketplaces. Here are a few platforms that can help:
Amazon Best Sellers
Amazon’s Best Sellers list is a goldmine for finding trending products. Look for items with high sales velocity and stable rankings over time.
eBay Trending Products
eBay’s trending section provides insights into products with increasing demand. Check the “Watch Count” to determine customer interest.
AliExpress Dropshipping Center
AliExpress offers valuable insights into product trends, shipping times, and pricing structures. Use the Dropshipping Center to analyze product performance before adding them to your store.
2. Analyze Google Trends for Seasonal Demand
Google Trends is an essential tool for determining whether a product has consistent demand throughout the year or experiences seasonal fluctuations. Search for your desired product and look for:
- Consistent search volume over time
- Growing interest in specific regions
- Spikes during certain months (e.g., holiday-related products)
Pair Google Trends with Shopify dropshipping automation tools to automate product additions based on seasonal trends.
3. Research Competitors to Find Winning Products
Identify Best-Selling Products in Your Niche
Look at successful Shopify stores and analyze their best-selling products. Tools like Shopify Inspector and Commerce Inspector allow you to see which products are performing well in competing stores.
Examine Customer Reviews
Checking customer reviews on competitors’ sites and marketplaces like Amazon can help you identify pain points and areas for improvement.
4. Utilize Shopify Apps for Data-Driven Insights
Sell The Trend
Sell The Trend provides AI-powered product research, showing you trending products based on real-time sales data.
Ecomhunt
Ecomhunt curates a list of trending dropshipping products along with key performance metrics like profit margins and engagement statistics.
DSers (for AliExpress Dropshipping)
DSers helps automate dropshipping operations and provides insights into high-performing products from AliExpress.
5. Leverage Social Media for Product Discovery
Facebook and Instagram Ads
Analyze ads from competing stores to see which products are being heavily marketed. A high ad spend often signals a product’s profitability.
TikTok Trends
TikTok has become a major driver of e-commerce sales. Check trending hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt to discover viral products.
Reddit and Quora Discussions
Participate in forums related to your niche to gauge interest in different product categories and emerging trends.
6. Calculate Profit Margins Before Selling
Even if a product is trending, it needs to be profitable. Use this formula to calculate potential profits:
Profit Margin = (Selling Price – Product Cost – Marketing Cost – Shopify Fees) / Selling Price x 100
Aim for products with at least a 30-50% profit margin to ensure long-term business sustainability.
7. Test Products Before Scaling
Once you identify potential products, test them using:
- Small ad campaigns (Facebook, Google, or TikTok Ads)
- Influencer marketing (Collaborate with micro-influencers to validate demand)
- Pre-orders (Gauge interest before committing to inventory)
Testing allows you to refine your Shopify store strategy before scaling with Shopify automation service.
Conclusion
Effective product research is the key to success in Shopify dropshipping and e-commerce. By leveraging tools like Google Trends, Shopify research apps, competitor analysis, and social media insights, you can find high-demand, low-competition products to maximize profits. Once you identify winning products, using Shopify automation service can help you streamline operations, allowing you to scale efficiently and stay ahead of the competition.
Start your product research today and set your Shopify store up for long-term success!
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