What to Sell Online in 2025: A Step-by-Step Guide to Profitability

If you don’t know what to sell online in 2025, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. I’m going to break down exactly what products to sell, where to sell them online, and who your ideal customers should be to maximize returns.

Having made over a million dollars selling online, I’ve spent years studying some of the biggest e-commerce companies to understand what makes people click, add products to their cart, and ultimately convert into paying customers.

Here’s everything you need to know to get started.

What to Sell Online in 2025

Step 1: Start With the Right Customer

Most people think the first step is picking a product, but it’s not. Before deciding what to sell, you need to figure out who you’re selling to.

The right customer in 2025? Wealthy.

Think about it: if you’re selling lawn care services, would you rather offer it to someone behind on rent, or a wealthy estate owner who will pay more for reliable service and excellent results? The answer is obvious.

We want customers who:

• Have stable, consistent spending habits
• Value time over money

Where to Find Them

Look at where wealthy people already spend their money:

• Fashion & beauty: Madewell, Anthropologie, Sephora
• Home & lifestyle: Restoration Hardware, CB2, Brooklinen, Pottery Barn
• Tech & entertainment: Apple, Sonos, Tesla
• Health & fitness: Equinox, Peloton
• Groceries & food: Whole Foods, ButcherBox
• Travel & luxury experiences: The Four Seasons, Lovevery
• Financial indicators: American Express Black Card holders

Build a Customer Avatar

Create an in-depth profile of your ideal customer. Give her a name, detail where she spends her time, who’s in her life, and how she spends her money.

Why? Because knowing where she already spends money proves she’s willing to spend in that area. Your goal is simply to become her first choice.

Step 2: Choose the Right Products

Knowing What to Sell Online in 2025

Once you have your wealthy customer avatar, the next step is to pick products that fit her lifestyle.

Grab a sheet of paper and create two columns:

1. Where do they spend time?
   • Work, travel (first class, driving, flying)
   • Kids’ activities (golf, cheer, dance)
   • Pilates, boating, brunch, hosting events
2. Where do they spend money?
   • Kids (gifts, activities)
   • Apparel and appearance
   • Home décor
   • Convenience products that save time or money

By analyzing this, you’ll uncover multiple categories of products you could sell. Often, combining categories leads to the most lucrative opportunities.

Step 3: Explore Product Categories

Here’s a breakdown of profitable product categories for 2025:

1. Digital Products

Digital products can be created once and sold endlessly. To succeed, your product must either:

• Solve a pain point, save time, or help make money
• Or be extremely well-designed if it doesn’t solve a functional problem

Examples:

• Spreadsheets (financial, organizational)
• Online courses and templates
• Websites and printable activities
• PTA flyers, blog templates, caregiver checklists

Tip: Keep your digital products updated to maintain a competitive edge.

2. Print-on-Demand Products

Print-on-demand is accessible but usually has lower margins and requires high volume.

To sell to wealthy customers, focus on:

• Attractive, compelling designs
• Quality materials
• Premium aesthetics (think color schemes, fonts, and copy)

Example: Oversized comfort color sweatshirts with a unique back print

3. Handmade Products

Handmade products offer the most ways to compete:

• Start with expensive products that your target audience already buys
• Source partially made items, then customize or enhance them
• Add high-margin features like embroidery, trims, or personalization

Example: A quilt with customized pom-pom trim or embroidery

4. Reselling Products

Reselling rewards resourcefulness and negotiation skills.

• Buy trending products and resell them with improvements
• Exclusive variations (better materials, colors, or limited editions)
• Pay attention to platform-specific rules

Example: Stanley tumbler accessories with unique finishes

5. Services

Selling services trades time for money. High-value services to wealthy customers can be extremely profitable:

• Few clients needed if your skill and speed are exceptional
• Can scale by hiring subcontractors

Step 4: Pick the Right Platform

Choosing the right platform depends on your desired outcome:

Speed of Growth

• Etsy: Profitable customers, low acquisition cost
• TikTok Shop: Potential for virality
• Amazon: Brand growth, but lower margins

Profitability and Security

• Your own website: Fewer fees, fewer outside variables, slower growth

Preparing to Exit Your Brand

• Amazon, Shopify, or Faire to increase business value and expand wholesale

Digital Products & Services

• Kajabi, Skool, Circle for hosting courses, coaching, and digital products
• Etsy can act as a top-of-funnel to acquire profitable customers

Platform Tips:

• Kajabi: All-in-one for email marketing, funnel building, podcast hosting, courses, and community
• Teachable: Avoid low-ticket competition
• Upwork > Fiverr: Better for reputation-based services

Step 5: Start Small, Test, and Scale

If you want to get started with Etsy on a small budget, you can launch with just a few hundred dollars. Start by testing your products, learning what sells, and iterating before scaling to multiple platforms or product categories.

Final Thoughts

Selling online in 2025 isn’t about picking a trendy product—it’s about:

1. Targeting the right, high-value customer
2. Offering products or services that fit their lifestyle
3. Choosing the platform that aligns with your goals

With the right strategy, a clear customer avatar, and thoughtful product selection, you can create a profitable online business even in a competitive landscape.

Ready to Grow Your Etsy Shop in 2025?

I’ve helped thousands of students generate over $10 million in Etsy revenue, and I want to help you too.

👉 Download my 16-Step Etsy Checklist with profit-focused action steps you can use daily to drive more traffic, sales and momentum fast!”

👉 Start with my Etsy Kickstart Course – the exact system you can use to scale your shop to six figures.

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2025 can be the year your shop finally breaks through. These sneaky tricks are just the beginning—are you ready to use them?