What makes a good niche?
Before we start finding potential niches, we will take a look at what makes one good and profitable.
The right size niche
We have already looked at the problems with big niches (i.e. markets), but it is also possible for a niche to be too small.
"Basketball" is too large, yet "Basketball Finger Tape" would be too small. A good product niche in this area would be "Basketball Nets", and a good topic niche would be "Home Basketball Training".
Think long term
We want our store to grow and generate income for many years to come. So, we must make sure to avoid niches that have a time limit.
The obvious ones are date-related, for example, a big sporting event like the "World Cup 2026".
Less obvious are the products that will quickly fade away. An example would be "iPhone 15 Cases", which might be good for 2 or 3 years but will eventually become redundant.
Remove the date or product name/model if you want to get into a niche similar to the above examples. For example, you could create a "Football World Cup" store or a "Smartphone Cases" store.
Be careful also about fads, trends and events that won't last. Examples of this are "face masks" (demand died after the Covid pandemic) and "fidget spinners".
You can see trends using the free Google Trends tool. It's fast and easy - just put your niche keyword in and look at the trend over the last few years. Is it increasing or decreasing?
Compatible with you
If you don't like "Basketball" but choose something in that area, finding the motivation to keep working on it will be very difficult. The same applies if the niche goes against your beliefs in some way.
The niche doesn't have to be a hobby or a big interest of yours. You don't need any previous knowledge. If you want to learn about something, it is a great way to kill two birds with one stone.
Remember that you will be looking at products, creating content, engaging with people in the niche, running social accounts, etc., in your chosen niche.
The latest bandwagon
You are already too late for the party if you hear a lot about a new product, trend, or topic.
Avoid jumping on the bandwagon. Instead, aim to uncover your own little gem of a niche before somebody else does.
Brands & Trademark Issues
In most cases, avoid choosing a niche directly linked to a brand or trademarked product name.
Profitability, competition, keywords etc.
We haven't mentioned any numbers, metrics or stats here on purpose. These are helpful, and we will dig into them later, but they don't tell the big picture.
We can now start the exciting bit... finding new niches!