The Best eCommerce Business Ideas for Ditching Your 9-5

By Vladana Donevski

June 19, 2023

It’s no secret that eCommerce is a huge industry. In fact, it’s projected to grow to $5 trillion in 2022. That’s a lot of money up for grabs!

If you’re looking for ways to make money online, selling products and services through an eCommerce website is still one of the most profitable options out there.

So, without further ado, let’s get started! We’ll discuss some interesting eCommerce business ideas that you can use to start making money online. 

Start an Online Store To Sell Products

The easiest way to make money online with eCommerce is to start your own online store. If you have unique products that you can either create or source, or that you can get shipped from around the world, this can be a great way to earn a healthy profit.

Starting an eCommerce store can be daunting because you might be at a loss as to what to sell – in all fairness, a range of eCommerce product ideas can work. This could be either vintage garments that are your finds from the local thrift shop, products that are inconvenient to get, or even regular products that you can offer at a lower price online.

You’ll need to invest in a good eCommerce platform and make sure your eCommerce website is optimized for search engine ranking. Once you’ve got everything set up, it’s just a matter of driving traffic to your site and making sales.

Here are some profitable eCommerce business ideas for your online store:

Sell Your Art, Handmade Jewelry, Accessories, or Clothing

If you’re a creative type, selling handmade jewelry, accessories, or clothing on Etsy is a great way to make money online. You can start a shop and promote your products through social media and other online channels.

As Etsy is the 12th largest marketplace globally, it’s got a lot of eCommerce entrepreneurs. So, you’ll need to compete with other sellers in terms of price, quality, and customer service. But if you can establish yourself as a top seller, selling handmade goods online can quickly turn into a profitable eCommerce business.

Create a Store for Selling Your Craft

If Etsy is not your thing, you can also build your online store and start selling your craft there. However, you’ll likely have to spend more time creating your website by using an eCommerce website builder or hiring a developer. Plus, attracting new customers might require more dedication than you would need on Etsy.

You’ll also likely have to execute some part of your sales via software or rely on another person if you choose this route. However, you’ll save on fees you’d otherwise pay to Etsy or other marketplaces.

Sell Your Digital Art or Your Photos Online

If you’re an artist or have some artistic talent, selling your digital art online could be a good eCommerce business idea. A number of marketplaces allow you to sell online, and many of them are quite reputable.

This can be a great way to join the online business world if you’re comfortable using your artwork to create digital products. For example, if you’re a photographer, you can sell your photos through stock photography sites. This can be a great way to make money if you have a good camera and some creative talent.

Finally, as with selling physical goods, you don’t have to rely on marketplaces and pay the required fees. You can set up your shop and market your wares independently.

This eCommerce business idea is perfect for getting your product out there and winning over your first set of clients. It’s also great for figuring out the ropes of the eCommerce business. Once you know how it all works, you can create a website and start selling your digital artwork on your own terms. 

Have You Created Your NFT Collection Yet?

NFT collections are a great way to showcase your work and one of the most profitable business ideas these days.

However, getting started with NFTs requires some serious know-how, plus some tech skills. Still, since they are gaining in popularity and people are becoming interested in this type of art, it’s the most profitable eCommerce business. If you’re lucky, you can become rich in the process.

Write Your eBook and Sell It Online

If you take pride in your writing skills, you can write an eBook and sell it online. This is a fantastic business idea if you have some expertise that you can share with others. It could be anything from writing a self-help book, a piece of fiction, or your autobiography. 

As with all other eCommerce business ideas on this list – it won’t rake in instant profit. You’ll need to invest some time in writing your eBook, editing it, and ultimately – promoting it. However, once it’s finished, you’ll be able to sell it over and over again and make a great income. 

Start a Print-on-Demand Line of Products

If you’re looking for a business idea that doesn’t require a lot of money upfront, starting a print-on-demand line of products can be your thing. For example, starting a T-shirt business is an excellent way to become a small business owner, but you don’t have to limit your offer to T-shirts. 

Print on demand involves creating T-shirts, pillows, phone cases, puzzles, or mugs. It’s one of the best eCommerce stores to start since you can set up a printing process at home. Alternately, depending on your budget, you can rely on a service to have these custom printed when someone makes a purchase.

If you decide to go with a print-on-demand business model, you don’t have to carry any inventory, and you can start with modest upfront investment. There are a number of excellent platforms that allow you to print on demand, and many of them offer support for marketing and promoting your products.

These platforms also charge commissions for their services, so you might not be able to get as much profit as you’d hope for. Luckily, this eCommerce business idea is scalable, so you can switch your initial setup into one that works better for your new online business anytime.

Create Your Online Restaurant

If you have been toying with the idea of setting up a food truck, why not start it online? This could include anything from homemade meals, jams, organic food, cakes, and baked goods, to handmade pet treats for our little furry friends.

If you decide to go with a restaurant-type online business, make sure to find a good website builder designed for restaurants. This will allow you to create a website that includes a menu and other relevant features to help your restaurant grow into a profitable eCommerce business.

Fill a Niche Food Role

These days, people are looking for convenience, especially when it comes to their meals. If you can fulfill this role and provide them with easy solutions for their meal planning, you might make a big buck online. 

Online grocery stores, meal-making kits, and fresh or frozen food subscription boxes are skyrocketing in popularity. After all, the online purchase of restaurant/meal kit delivery amounted to 33% of all online purchase categories in 2018, and the growth didn’t stop. 

This is becoming more prominent, especially for niche products and dietary restrictions, such as vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free. If you’re thinking of running a food business as someone who loves this type of food, it could be the perfect choice among our ideas for eCommerce businesses to start.

Start an Online Pet Store

Another great eCommerce business idea is to start an online pet store. If you love animals, this could be an awesome online business for you. You can sell pet supplies, food, toys, and more. You can also offer pet-sitting services or dog-walking services through your eCommerce business. 

To get started, create a website or blog to showcase your products and services. Use social media to spread the word and attract customers. With dedication and effective marketing activities, you can build a successful online eCommerce business.

Set Up a Shop To Sell Vintage Items 

Do you have a passion for collecting vintage items? If so, why not join one of the most profitable eCommerce businesses ever? You can sell vintage clothes, furniture, art, and other collectibles that you’ve accumulated over the years.

These eCommerce business ideas are a great way to make money online if you have an eye for spotting valuable items. Just be sure to do your research before listing anything for sale, as you don’t want to undervalue your items.

Provide Services Online

Almost any service that you could provide in a brick-and-mortar venue – you can also provide through your eCommerce store.

If you’re searching for eCommerce business ideas, you don’t have to sell physical products. Instead, it could be anything from digital marketing or personal shopping to expert consulting services – anything you could already be providing offline.

If you have a skill or expertise that you think people or businesses would be willing to pay for, start offering your services online through your eCommerce business. You can promote your services through a website or social media and start making money.

Not sure which business you should transfer online? Here are some eCommerce business ideas for services.

Provide Online Classes or Tutoring Online

You can make money online by providing services such as consulting, coaching, or tutoring. Online education is gaining popularity, and you should jump on the bandwagon if you have skills to share.

This is a great way to monetize your skills and knowledge. Just be sure to set your prices competitively and market your services in a way that speaks to your target group.

Depending on your expertise, you could consider various potentially profitable eCommerce businesses. You can provide one-on-one courses via Zoom, for example, or pre-record lessons and charge subscriptions. Make sure to find the right medium for transferring knowledge to your audience. 

Translate for Others

If you know a second language, not only can you offer online courses as your eCommerce business, but you can also start a freelance translation business from home. 

You can start by creating a website or blog to promote your services. As with all good eCommerce ideas on our list, acquiring new clients will take some time. You can also use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to spread the word. When you get your first project, be sure to ask for the client’s requirements so you can give them an accurate quote. 

Once you complete the project, ask for feedback so you can improve your services and include testimonials as references. With a bit of digital marketing, you can build a successful translation eCommerce business.

Become a Social Media Manager

If you’re good at leveraging social media, you don’t have to look for additional ideas for an eCommerce business – you can make money online by managing social media accounts for businesses or influencers. 

Social media is a great opportunity for communicating with customers, finding new clients, and promoting your products and services. However, not everyone has the skill set needed to get the most out of their social media accounts.

This is where you could come in and assist businesses to improve their relationship with customers on social media. If you have a knack for building followership, posting engaging content, and communicating with your audience, this might be the idea to pursue and build a profitable eCommerce business. 

It’s advisable to choose businesses or influencers that are relevant to your niche. Promoting your portfolio website on social media could provide you with the metrics you need to impress potential customers.

Start an Accounting/Bookkeeping Firm

If numbers are your forte, you can turn it into a business by starting an accounting or bookkeeping firm. Many people struggle with paperwork come tax season or with day-to-day bookkeeping. If you can provide reliable service, your clients will come to depend on your assistance.

You can also consider business accounting as one of the eCommerce business ideas for people comfortable with crunching numbers. While the niche boasts renowned bookkeeping companies and is saturated as a result, you can still claim a piece of the pie for yourself. 

Consider working locally or collaborating with smaller companies that don’t need a large accounting team to manage their paperwork. These companies prefer working with someone who can provide their expertise and a bit of extra care and dedication. 

Become an Online Fitness Trainer

If you’re a fitness enthusiast, you can make money by providing online fitness coaching. This is a great eCommerce website idea to pursue if you’re able to build up a large following. This holds true for yoga and other types of physical activity that can be done online.

Similar to those video tapes with exercises that were all the rage in the 80s, you can also record and sell training programs or create fitness plans, diets, and so on. Depending on the online fitness coaching type you provide, one medium might work better than the other. 

Become a Freelance Writer, Designer, or Developer

If you’re a writer, designer, or developer, you can make money online by offering your services on your eCommerce website. The idea is that your site should serve as your portfolio and opportunity to promote yourself to new clients, but also as a store to accept payments for your work.

While anyone can create a website in a manner of minutes with all the free website builders, these professions are still valued on the global market. Apart from creating your site, you can also join some of the popular freelance marketplaces or promote your services via social media.

Become a Virtual Assistant

On the same note, if you’re good with computers and have some administrative skills, becoming a virtual assistant is among good eCommerce ideas to consider. Virtual assistants provide administrative, technical, or creative services to clients from their home offices.

For this role, you’ll need excellent organizational skills and a willingness to dedicate time and effort to finding the right clients. You will also have to compete with some established virtual assistant companies, but if you focus on smaller businesses and entrepreneurs, you’ll be able to make more than a decent living with this option.

Offer Event or Wedding Planning and Organization

When it comes to profitable eCommerce business ideas, providing wedding and event organization is another service you can promote and book online. Not everyone has the time or creativity to organize everything for their big day, company outing, or kids’ party. 

This is where your eCommerce site comes into play. You can offer services online and allow your customers to book through your eCommerce store. 

For this to be successful, you’ll need to create a large network of vendors, caterers, and other third parties. However, if you already have such service providers standing by, this business could be the right idea. 

No Clients Needed

If you are an introvert and prefer not to deal with clients or customers, you can still make money online. There are excellent online eCommerce business ideas you could pursue, so let’s discuss those as well.

Start With Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a type of online marketing where you promote other people’s products and earn a commission on any sales that you generate. This can be a great way to make money online if you’re able to drive traffic to your affiliate links. Just be sure to choose products that are relevant to your niche and audience.

So, where do you start with affiliate marketing now that you’ve chosen it among other ideas for an eCommerce business on our list? You could create a blog, social media account, or YouTube channel where you review products from an array of brands.

Having a niche market, you can tap into through your blog or account can be a great way to earn affiliate commissions, as well as build up your own brand and authority.

You’ll need to invest some time and effort into creating high-quality content, but if you can build up a large following, you’ll be able to make a great living reviewing products online.

Launch a Dropshipping Business

Another excellent choice that belongs to the easy eCommerce business ideas category is launching a dropshipping business. When you dropship, you simply sell products sourced and fulfilled by a supplier.

This can be a great way to get started in eCommerce with little or no investment. You just need to find a reputable supplier and set up your eCommerce store.

Once you’ve got everything up and running, it’s just a matter of driving traffic to your site and making sales. You’ll also be responsible for customer service and ensuring that your shoppers are having the best experience. After all, 91% of customers will simply leave and never return if they have a bad experience with your store, which is something new businesses cannot afford.

Bottom Line

There are plenty of ideas for an eCommerce business that involve selling products or services. So, if you’re looking to get started in eCommerce, be sure to choose the option that best suits your skills and interests. Moreover, take a closer look at the professional network that you’ve built up over the years and then decide which avenue to pursue. With commitment and effort, you can start making money online in no time!

FAQ

What are the 4 types of eCommerce businesses?

There are four types of eCommerce businesses: store-based, dropshipping, affiliate marketing, and auction.

What are the disadvantages of eCommerce?

There are a few disadvantages of eCommerce that you should be aware of before getting started on your eCommerce website idea. First, e-commerce can be expensive to set up, especially if you’re starting from scratch. Second, e-commerce can be time-consuming, especially if you’re running a dropshipping business. You’ll need to source products, manage inventory, and ship orders regularly. Finally, e-commerce can be competitive, so you’ll need to make sure you’re offering something unique and valuable to your customers.

What kind of online store is most profitable?

This is a difficult question to answer, as many eCommerce business ideas can be profitable. However, some of the most profitable online stores include those that sell physical products, such as clothes or cosmetics. Stores that sell digital products, such as eBooks or video courses, can also be very profitable. Finally, stores that offer a combination of physical and digital products can also be quite profitable. Ultimately, it depends on the products that you are selling and your target market.

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