Selling vitamins and supplements online can be a great way to start your own business while providing a genuine service to others. There has never been a better time to enter this market, as the health and wellness industry is booming. In fact, online vitamin sales are moving even faster than other areas of the industry. If you’re interested in selling supplements, the following are points you should first consider.
Choose your niche
It always pays to do your research, and never more so than when you’re looking to build an ecommerce business. There are a couple ways to go about this.
If you already have a popular Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, or other social media accounts, use this to your advantage. Consider what you frequently talk about. What do people ask you about and how do you advise them? In what areas can you be considered influential? Who do you connect with? Are you someone who follows a specific diet? Perhaps you connect with yoga practitioners, martial arts fans, bodybuilders, or long-distance runners.
Identifying your own strengths and where you have an existing following can help you decide on which vitamin, mix of vitamins, or supplement you want to start with.
Use Google Trends
If you know how to use Google Trends, you’ll be able to identify market interests among your target demographics. The key is finding out what your target demographic is interested in and then identifying an area within that interest where there isn’t too much competition.
For example, you may find that many people within your target audience are interested in multivitamins that supplement a busy life where it’s hard to eat well. The problem is there are so many vitamin brands out there that no one is even counting them all; it’s only worth tracking the most highly rated.
Your best bet is to tweak your multivitamin to make it fit a less competitive niche. Maybe focus your efforts on providing vitamins for alertness and energy pitched at martial arts enthusiasts or supplements that promote calmness for yoga aficionados. Whatever you choose, be sure it is a trendy niche, but one that you can dominate.
Find a manufacturer to work with
Your softgel manufacturer is a big part of your overall success. You need to work with a company that can offer you quick scalability to your match your demand. Additionally, your provider should also provide customization of colors, shapes, scents, sizes, and coatings. Especially when starting out, you need affordable selections with minimum orders you can manage. Additionally, you’ll want a provider that offers quality supplements that meet all FDA guidelines for production and sale of vitamins and supplements.
It’s even better if your manufacturer can help you with design and labeling compliance. Packaging and marketing your supplement is key to success, but it also has to conform to all government regulations. Look for a manufacturer who offers you graphic design help and the assurance that your labels will always be in compliance.
Be in it for the long haul
Your ecommerce business won’t succeed if you aren’t committed to the long-term success of the project. You’ll need a basic business plan to get the permits you need to start, but you should also be working on strategic long-term plans, like a three-year, five-year, and ten-year strategy. Having these goals will keep you on track. Additionally, you may want to consider getting personal training to increase people’s trust in you and your brand. You can get healthcare career training in Pleasantville, NJ and many other places. The more training and qualifications you have, the more your potential customers will trust what you’re selling.
Also, storage can be crucial to keeping vitamins potent. Make sure you have a way to keep your product away from the heat and humidity that can degrade your product. Starting out, this might mean something as simple as an investment in a wine fridge, but you’d be wise to start looking at appropriate storage spaces early on as part of your overall plan for growth and success.
With the increased interest in supplements and wellbeing, it’s no surprise why so many people are choosing to enter this domain. To stay ahead of the crowd and ensure longevity, identify your niche, work with a trusted supplement manufacturer, and set —and stick to — a business plan.
