Any great Amazon business starts with great products! Try to find a product you really like & make it better than the competition.
The days of just copying are over…you have to make your item the best in the niche. But before you launch…in this article we are going to cover the top types of product you should avoid selling on Amazon.
Tip 1 Electronics
This is still the most challenging type of product on Amazon. There’s a lot that can go wrong with any electronic product. Also there is a LOT of competition for top electronics products.
They also need special certificates for customs. Avoid any product with a battery or a circuit when first starting your Amazon business. Unless you are an electrical engineer with decades of experience building new products – stick to something simpler.
Tip 2 Supplements
Supplements are extremely competitive. And in 2021 they are even more competitive than ever.
Also, unless you’re willing to pay for lab tests and checks there is no way to be certain the products you are selling aren’t harmful to people. It’s best to avoid supplements altogether when you’re just getting started.
Of all the categories on Amazon – this is one of the hardest to do.
Tip 3 Restricted Categories
Some products such as jewelry require additional approvals from Amazon before you can begin selling them.
This adds extra time before you can get going, and also you might not have the necessary paperwork to start selling in these categories. Go with the categories that don’t require extra approval.
If you do go ahead with a restricted category then don’t get approval you might be left stuck with all your stock.
Tip 4 Oversize Items
Oversize items require more investment for freight costs and the product is likely to be more expensive. Amazon’s fees for oversize items are also huge, which eats into your margin.
To begin, start with something super light and small. If the item is bigger than a shoebox, avoid it for your first 10 products.
Oversize items are great to get into ONCE you have built up solid cash flow from other products – as they require a lot of investment.
Tip 5 Silicone
Silicone items are very competitive. This is because a lot of new sellers start with silicon. From Silicone BBQ gloves to Silicone Cooking Trays – there are thousands of sellers in these niches.
It’s a light, cheap material, so most silicon items cost less than a dollar to manufacture. The margins can be high, but there are thousands of people selling the same products, making it hard to get your product ranked.
Avoid listing anything with silicone in the name on Amazon.
Tip 6 Patented Product
If you suspect the product may have a patent, you should definitely check using a Google search.
You want to avoid any legal issues, so stay away from unique items where the seller has some sort of IP protection. It’s not easy to know if something has a patent, but from the product images and the description you should be able to see if there is a patent number on the product.
Tip 7 Other Sellers’ Products
If you find the same product in a factory that someone else is selling, stay away from it.
For example, someone might be selling a silicone kitchen spatula, and while you are sourcing you find the exact same item. You may be tempted to brand it and sell it yourself, but in the end this will just create a price war.
It’s wiser to sell a better product and bundle it to create a more appealing package.
