Give Them What They Want

 Today's question is:

How do you determine what products your customers will want?

After an extensive search across the web I found these top suggestions of what sells best:

1. Bath and Beauty Products
2. Candles
3. Baby Items
4. Children's Clothes
5. Jewelry
6. Kitchen Items - such as pot holders, dish rags, and casserole cozies
7. Dolls and doll clothing

But I believe this person said it best:

"As an Esty seller, I find that even more importantly than selling whats popular is creating what you love and being creative. Products that sell best are by those who are passionate about what they are producing and provide great service."  ORANGE RHINO KIDS CLOTHING, a comment made at the following article  http://www.brighthub.com/office/home/articles/77232.aspx#ixzz16o7sqQKI

Bottom line is... if you're not doing what you love, then you're depriving yourself and your customers of the passion, love, and true talent you have laying somewhere beneath everything else you're doing.

If you want to really know what customers are buying, do your homework.

Visit http://www.ebay.com/ and do a search for "crafts", "Handmade", "handcrafted", "custom made", or "finished pieces". Mark your preferences to "completed listings" and you'll see what's been sold.

www.etsy.com/time_machine2/php is another good place to find out what customer wants. Click on the link that says "Just Sold".

and last but not least, http://www.qvc.com/ will also give you a good idea what people are buying.

When checking out these sites, look for three things:

1. Items actually sold

2. Number of bids (for eBay) or multiple sales (etsy)

3. Price (ignore buy it now on eBay - look at what they're being bid for - this will tell you what it's worth to those who bought it.

Maybe you already have a product you're selling, looking to add something new to your shop, or just starting out. What ever the case maybe, always check the current market. What customer's want today will change tomorrow, but there are a few things that remain consistent - faith, hope, and love for what  you do.

The number one thing your customers want is you. They don't buy your product alone, they like the idea of your brand, your service, that little extra thing you do that makes them feel like a preferred customer each and every time they make a purchase.

When you combine your product, customer service, and a little you (personality), then that's what your customer wants. Now, if they're the right customer for you is another post that we'll pick up with on Wednesday.

When is the last time you asked your customers what they thought was so special about your shop?