I see this question asked all the time... students pick a niche first then head to Ali to start looking for products and then realize Ali doesn't have the products they are looking for. They desperately try and find other suppliers, consider wholesale or even hand-making their product - and what is my advice for them? Move on.
Here's the thing - for most of you, this is your first go at eCommerce, which means you are just at the beginning of your journey. Your number 1 goal at this stage in the game should be learning and perfecting your skills. If you have a passion for something, that's great, but if you can't find the product and will have to spend hundreds of dollars sourcing it, you should put this idea on the back burner and save it for when you have the perfected the skill to launch it. Making money from your first store will only help push your dream store into reality much much faster!
So here are a few things to keep in mind:
Your number 1 goal is learning the skill.
Right now is about getting your site up - launching and making money. This doesn't need to be your dream store, it needs to be a store that sells. So if you can't find the product you are looking for - move on. Pick a new product and invest in your dream product down the line.
Pick the right niche.
Picking a good niche doesn't mean - hey, I'm interested in horses, I'm going to be in the horse niche.
It means going in to Aliexpress, seeing what products are trending, seeing what products they offer, seeing what's unique, useful, affordable. If you find enough products to fit in the niche you are passionate about - that's fantastic!
Don't choose a niche that you can't find products for. If this happens, it's time to pick a new niche.
Aliexpress is by far the best place to find items - if you can't find what you are looking for, pick something new.
Not only does Aliexpress have seamless integration with Shopify, but they also have some amazing, high quality items. I see posts all the times about using other suppliers, but what I think some people don't realize is that all those suppliers are using the same manufacturers as Aliexpress, so why not just use the site that has the easiest integration and has been around the longest?
Don't reinvent the wheel.
Coming up with a unique item can seem super exciting - but at this stage in the game, it's really not super realistic unless you have thousands of dollars to fund production.
The most important takeaway?
If you are spending too much time digging for products to sell in your niche, it's time to switch niches. Try to find inspiration from social media, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest - use traffic that is already there to launch a super successful store!