Everybody's been asking "What's the most profitable product to sell online?", "Which product will make me the most money in the shortest amount of time?", but I see that nobody's been asking this question "What NOT to sell online?".

Today, I'll like to share with you an article by Derek Gehl, CEO of Internet Marketing Centre, on What NOT to sell online.

The following are 3 golden rules shared by Derek Gehl on what NOT to sell online:

Rule #1: Don't sell something people can easily buy at the local supermarket!

Or mall, or hardware store, or electronics shop, or sports store, etc. etc.

Why would people go online to buy something they can easily get on their regular weekly shopping trip?

Unless you can offer something truly unique -- such as a lower price or a hard-to-find product -- you'll find it tough to compete with the convenience and the lack of shipping costs those offline alternatives offer.


Rule #2: Don't sell a "time-sensitive" product!

If you try to sell something people need RIGHT AWAY, you're going to have a hard time convincing them to wait a few days for it to be shipped to them.

For example, if you do proper keyword research you'll see that thousands of people do searches every month on the keyword, "cure sore throat fast."

But here's the challenge: If someone wants to cure a sore throat fast, do you think they're going to wait for you to ship a herbal remedy? No! They're looking for immediate results. And once their cold has gone, their desire to buy any kind of cough remedy will vanish along with it.

Rule #3: Don't enter a market with a massive amount of competition!

If there's already a huge number of savvy marketers selling to your intended market, you should probably choose a different market.

Take world-famous online "shopping mall" Amazon.com, for example. They're one of the hugest online vendors out there. If you decide to start your own catalog site selling a general selection of books, or music, or DVDs, how will you ever be able to compete with an industry giant like Amazon?

Unless you figure out a way to offer a lower price (doubtful) or cater to a very specific niche Amazon hasn't yet tapped (difficult), you're going to have a hard time getting your business off the ground.

Nothing is impossible... but the more competitive a market, the more time and money it will cost for you to become successful.


Hope this article is useful to you as it is to me. Let me have your thoughts. :)

If you like to learn more about Internet Marketing, in particular, from Derek Gehl, you might want to consider one of his products called "Insider Secrets To Marketing Your Business on the Internet" - this package is just like an encyclopaedia to Internet Marketing - it contains EVERYTHING you need to know to start making money on the Internet, like how to select your market, how to sell your products, different forms of advertising, how to create your salescopy that will boost sales (and bringing more money to your pocket), etc. To find out more, please click here.

To Your Success,
Jun Yuan Lim