Whenever you consider promoting on-line, what initially involves thoughts? In all probability merchandise like printed t-shirts, handmade jewellery, or pet provides, proper? Creating or curating tangible items to promote on-line is a standard enterprise mannequin, in spite of everything—one which defines many who use Shopify right this moment.

However figuring out what to promote on Shopify can nonetheless be a difficult activity. Will you create your personal handmade merchandise or dropship for different manufacturers? Will you hop on a pattern or invent one thing solely new?

Take into account additionally you can promote extra than simply issues you’ll be able to contact and really feel. Many founders are utilizing Shopify in artistic methods to promote just about something and every part. Promoting experiences, programs, leases, and digital items are just some of the distinctive enterprise concepts you’ll discover on this information. Forward, discover a product that excites you and get began promoting on Shopify right this moment.

What to promote on Shopify: 17 concepts

1. Handmade merchandise
2. Dropshipping merchandise
3. Print-on-demand merchandise
4. Merch
5. Trending merchandise
6. Curated merchandise
7. Service appointments
8. Memberships
9. Consultations
10. Digital merchandise
11. Experiences
12. Courses and workshops
13. Leases
14. Quotes, estimates, and assessments
15. Donations
16. Occasion tickets
17. Reward playing cards

For those who’re embarking on a brand new entrepreneurial journey, otherwise you’re searching for a change, take into account promoting merchandise or increasing your brainstorming past tangible items. Right here, we’ll discover what you’ll be able to promote on Shopify, together with actual retailer examples, app ideas, and recommendation for getting began.

1. Handmade merchandise

Probably the most widespread issues to promote on Shopify is handmade items. If in case you have a interest like jewellery making or baking, likelihood is you could possibly monetize it. Turning your interest right into a enterprise means discovering an viewers, streamlining your manufacturing processes, and making ready your merchandise to promote on-line. 

When stained glass artist Debbie Bean discovered her calling, she labored facet jobs and minimize family bills to develop her new enterprise. She discovered her begin at a neighborhood craft present and grew her model by phrase of mouth from there. Her work was featured in additional than 200 retailers worldwide earlier than she pivoted her enterprise to large-scale artwork installations.

Suggestions for getting began

• Scaling a hand-crafted enterprise is hard, however you ultimately can rent employees to assist with meeting. Within the meantime, attempt streamlining your course of to make merchandise in batches.
• Take into account a made-to-order mannequin that means that you can produce work solely when it’s bought. 
• Model storytelling is essential for maker manufacturers. Take time to craft your personal.
• Take into account personalised merchandise like including monogram embroidery for an additional price.

2. Dropshipping merchandise

Dropshipping is a superb choice for ecommerce newcomers. It’s a enterprise mannequin that means that you can promote merchandise with out holding stock or coping with delivery. A dropshipping enterprise is one which sells merchandise on-line for an additional firm that, in flip, ships these merchandise on to the client.

Tan Choudhury found dropshipping whereas fighting the delivery points in his first enterprise. Since then, he’s develop into an skilled, serving to others promote merchandise this fashion. His greatest piece of recommendation? Begin with one product. “Making an attempt to merchandise 20 merchandise as a newbie may be fairly overwhelming,” says Tan.

Suggestions for getting began

• Discover respected suppliers that may ship merchandise on time.
• Deal with differentiating your model from the opposite dropshipping companies promoting comparable merchandise.
• Look to trending merchandise for inspiration on what to promote.
• You may dropship nearly something, from clothes and jewellery to books and child merchandise.

3. Print-on-demand merchandise

Print on demand is one other kind of enterprise mannequin that requires no stock or delivery. For those who’re a artistic, think about using print on demand to use your designs to t-shirts, smartphone equipment, mugs, and extra. 

Maria Qamar, additionally identified by her artist title HATECOPY, discovered print on demand after her artwork enterprise took off. “Sooner or later the amount turned a lot that I couldn’t make time to attract. I used to be spending all of my days delivering and in transit,” she says. Print on demand now permits her to give attention to the artistic components of her enterprise.

Suggestions for getting began

• There are a variety of print-on-demand firms to select from. Discover one which has the sorts of merchandise and high quality you’re searching for. 
• Authors can also use print on demand to promote books on Shopify, bypassing the standard writer route. 

4. Merch

There’s a approach to promote merchandise even when your corporation isn’t about merchandise. Many service companies and on-line creators promote merch to diversify revenue streams and construct model affinity. Influencers can construct their very own ecommerce retailer and promote merchandise to followers. That is additionally a good way to construct your e mail record and personal your viewers away from social platforms.

Sarah Andersen’s doodles caught the eye of Tumblr customers again in 2011. Since then, she’s constructed these drawings into a comic book e-book empire known as Sarah’s Scribbles. Ultimately, merch made sense for her model, and she or he launched a line of tees, plushies, mugs, and prints alongside her comics.

Suggestions for getting began

• Use a print-on-demand service or app from the Shopify App Retailer to keep away from dealing with stock. 
• Use merch as a approach to provide decrease price objects to your combine. An artist who sells solely costly originals can add merch printed with artwork to the combo.

5. Trending merchandise

Whenever you’re ranging from scratch and searching for one thing to promote on Shopify, take into account trending merchandise. For those who don’t have a enterprise thought or interest you’ll be able to convert into one, this can be a excellent spot to start out. You already know there’s a marketplace for the product—you simply must drive them to your web site. 

Google Traits may also help you vet your thought’s pattern potential. Organising a profitable Shopify retailer to your trending product can be an essential step. There’s probably a ton of competitors: How will you stand out? 

Suggestions for getting began

• Don’t cease at Google Traits. TikTok Traits, Pinterest Traits, commerce publications, shopper magazines, and different on-line shops may be nice locations to find trending merchandise.
• Keep in mind that developments are fleeting. Have a plan to pivot if curiosity in your product wanes.

6. Curated merchandise

For those who’re not excited about making merchandise from scratch, attempt a curated strategy to promoting on Shopify. Take into account your pursuits: Are you able to curate the perfect area of interest merchandise in that class? What about promoting magnificence merchandise for a selected pores and skin situation? You may even attempt changing into a reseller for an present model in a brand new market. 

If in case you have deep curiosity in or data of a selected matter, this can be a excellent spot to start out. Use content material advertising to determine your self as an skilled and construct belief. Then, curate the perfect merchandise within the class to promote on Shopify.

Suggestions for getting began

• Discover different on-line shops to get inspiration for yours. How do they curate collections? What makes their retailer stand out?
• Take into account a subscription field enterprise and check out a subscription app from the Shopify App Retailer to assist handle your corporation.

7. Service appointments

In-person and digital companies alike could make appointments extra seamless for purchasers (and employees) by providing self-serve on-line bookings. Salons, contractors, and music colleges can promote digital session time slots and in-person providers by way of a web based retailer.

Shops that usually promote bodily merchandise also can profit from including providers (free or paid) to their web sites. Toufie, a web based footwear model that sells handcrafted customized sneakers, makes use of appointments to assist nail the match. “Appointment bookings are one of many integral parts to a risk-free buyer purchasing expertise,” says co-founder Meliza Salim.

Suggestions for getting began

• Appointment reserving Shopify apps provide a dynamic calendar, letting prospects e-book most popular time slots with real-time availability. 
• Service companies also can take into account branded merch to promote on Shopify alongside appointments.

8. Memberships

Many non-profit organizations depend on paid memberships as a approach to safe ongoing monetary assist. Memberships will also be utilized by creators to promote entry to unique content material for his or her most avid followers. Golf programs, fan golf equipment, galleries, and academic content material producers are extra nice candidates for promoting memberships on-line, securing long-term dedication from prospects fairly than promoting one-off providers. 

The Buffalo Botanical Gardens sells single-visit tickets however encourages guests to purchase memberships that permit year-round entry and member-only perks. And child music model Yoto sells memberships to its Yoto Membership. Members obtain Yoto Playing cards within the mail month-to-month. 

Suggestions for getting began

• Memberships work very similar to subscription companies, counting on recurring cost performance and buyer account administration instruments. Use this mannequin as a information when organising your ecommerce retailer.
• An app like Daring Memberships means that you can promote one-time or recurring memberships on-line.

9. Consultations

Why not promote your experience on-line? Everybody from inside designers to health trainers can use a web based retailer to e-book and promote on-line or in-person consultations. 

The staff behind Carter Design makes use of their Shopify retailer to promote design consultations to shoppers worldwide. This permits the duo to increase their providers into different markets. 

Manufacturers specializing in customization or made-to-order merchandise could promote consultations to assist prospects create the proper product. Kaikini founder Taryn Rodighiero runs her customized bikini enterprise with the assistance of on-line consultations to information prospects by way of the measuring and ordering course of.

Suggestions for getting began

• An app like BookedUp lets prospects e-book consultations with you in your web site, syncing with Calendly to keep away from double-booking.
• Strive Shopify’s bill generator instrument for billing customized providers that you simply promote by way of session. 

10. Digital merchandise

Digital merchandise can check with something you promote that you simply ship in a digital format—course content material, music information, fonts, or different design parts are a couple of examples. (Word: Later on this article, we’ll dive deeper into promoting programs, particularly.)

Whereas Thread Concept founders Matt and Morgan Meredith promote bodily merchandise like scissors and paper patterns, in addition they provide a lower-cost choice: PDF stitching patterns delivered just about. Different companies with printed supplies like magazines or journals could decide to supply digital variations to promote on Shopify that prospects can print at house.

Suggestions for getting began

• Apps like Sky Pilot and Straightforward Digital Merchandise can immediately ship information to prospects after a purchase order, or ship a hyperlink to the place the information may be downloaded.

11. Experiences

Expertise-based companies can vary from journey and journey suppliers to vineyard tastings to children’ camps. These companies can enhance the client expertise by providing advance ticket purchases and scheduling choices on-line. 

Aspen Expeditions Worldwide sells mountaineering adventures, worldwide guided journeys, and tenting expeditions by way of its ecommerce retailer. For the reason that product pages for every journey do loads of heavy lifting to tell, educate, and persuade potential prospects to make big-ticket purchases, Aspen Expeditions organizes the data by including tabs to the product description. 

Suggestions for getting began

• Expertise-based companies may have to gather extra buyer info, like medical issues and emergency contacts. Use Shopify Kinds to create strong and customizable varieties.
• Use video to your benefit: Shopify’s free on-line video maker may also help you create advertising movies utilizing footage from actual experiences.

12. Courses and workshops

The COVID-19 pandemic proved that programs may very well be simply transportable to a digital format. Yoga studios and boxing gyms alike moved to a web based mannequin, letting individuals purchase class passes and attend on-line. Take into account different sorts of programs you’ll be able to promote on Shopify: digital advertising, DIY how-tos, and parenting courses.

If I Made creates authentic artistic course content material with trade professionals and delivers programming digitally to college students—nevertheless it began with in-person studying. “We then took that content material and introduced all of it on-line to make it extra transportable and accessible,” says founder Emily Newman. 

Suggestions for getting began

• Promote programs in a number of codecs like movies, worksheets, booklets, and 1:1 teaching periods.
• An app like Programs Plus can flip your Shopify retailer right into a course platform, permitting you to create classes to promote on-line. 
• Create course content material utilizing Shopify’s free on-line video maker and promote it time and again.

13. Leases

Rental companies are providers that make bodily merchandise obtainable to prospects for a predetermined period of time. Clients pay for the benefit of utilizing an merchandise for a quick interval with out the related long-term prices like storage and upkeep.

Model Insanity sells retail props to different outlets by way of its on-line retailer, but in addition rents them quickly. When unintended entrepreneur Judi Henderson-Townsen wanted a model, she found just one vendor in her space. “I purchased his total stock,” she says. Model Insanity makes use of a contact type to evaluate buyer wants earlier than processing the rental.

Costume rental enterprise The Fitzroy, nevertheless, takes a self-serve strategy by asking prospects to pick a rental interval utilizing a date selector variant obtainable on its product web page to “take a look at” the merchandise. It depends on a easy app and a transparent FAQ web page to make the rental and return processes run easily.

Suggestions for getting began

• IzyRent: Leases & Bookings is an app designed particularly for shops providing leases. It permits for one-click leases in your web site.
• Leases could require further info to be collected from prospects, and Shopify Kinds may also help you just do that. 

14. Quotes, estimates, and assessments

GoGreenSolar sells and installs photo voltaic power options for owners. Because of the customized nature of the product and the extra work concerned in set up, prospects can request quotes and skilled recommendation by way of the contact varieties obtainable on the corporate’s website. Self-serve quote requests save time and employees sources for companies that present extremely technical providers and merchandise.

Quotes are an amazing advertising instrument for a enterprise’s different providers. For instance, a enterprise that gives house power upgrades could promote power audits by way of an internet site. The ultimate report would then inform prospects how they will recoup the audit price by way of power financial savings—by shopping for the enterprise’s upgrades.

Suggestions for getting began

• An app like G: Request a Quote may also help you collect buyer quote requests out of your retailer and convert that quote into an actual order.

15. Donations

Many charities use Shopify because the merchandise arm of their group, promoting branded items, with earnings supporting the trigger. However charities and non-profits also can use a web based retailer to “promote” one-time and recurring donations.

An Act of Canine is a registered charity that sells pet work, with proceeds supporting varied animal rescue organizations. The corporate additionally lets prospects donate on to causes by way of the identical web site.

Suggestions for getting began

16. Occasion tickets

On-line ticketing may be employed by quite a few companies, from occasion areas to unbiased theaters to pop-up haunted homes. 

Undertow works with choose artists to promote tickets on-line for music occasions all through the US. It makes use of a paperless supply technique, sending downloadable tickets to prospects. Run Throughout America makes use of ticketing differently, promoting entry to digital run challenges that individuals full on their very own schedule. Purchases embody entry to a monitoring app and a sweatshirt. 

Suggestions for getting began

• Design, promote, and scan occasion tickets with the Occasion Ticketing app that syncs together with your Shopify retailer. 
• A QR code generator may be useful for creating distinctive QR codes that prospects can current at stay occasions.

17. Reward playing cards

The best of non-tangible items so as to add to any web site is reward playing cards. From Shopify, you’ll be able to allow reward playing cards for many shops. They’re excellent for any enterprise, permitting recipients to redeem codes on-line for services or products bought by way of your web site.

Dwelling décor model Apt2B sells branded reward playing cards in a number of denominations, redeemable for furnishings and décor items by way of its on-line retailer.

Suggestions for getting began

• Provide reward playing cards in quite a few denominations to provide prospects extra choices.
• Push digital reward playing cards in your advertising efforts after the delivery cutoff for vacation supply has handed.

Promote (nearly) something on Shopify

For those who’re searching for a enterprise thought and aren’t positive what to promote on Shopify, the reply is: nearly something. There are concepts for everybody, even for those who’re not artistic or don’t plan to make your personal merchandise. Don’t restrict your self to promoting bodily objects. You may promote every part on Shopify, from memberships to tickets to digital items. Develop your model, arrange a Shopify retailer, and begin promoting merchandise—and every part else—right this moment.