Starting is the easy part. Honestly, anyone with a laptop and a decent Wi-Fi signal can spin up a storefront in about twenty minutes. But actually selling on the internet and making a profit? That’s where the wheels usually come off for most people.
You’ve probably seen those TikToks of people packing hundreds of orders in their garage, or the "gurus" claiming they made $50k in their first month using some secret dropshipping hack. It looks effortless. It’s not. Most people dive in headfirst without realizing that the digital marketplace in 2026 is brutally efficient. If you don't have a specific angle or a real understanding of unit economics, you’re basically just donating money to Meta and Google through ad spend.
It’s crowded out there.
But here is the thing: people are still buying more online than ever before. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, e-commerce sales reached over $1.1 trillion in 2023, and that number is only climbing. There is plenty of room for you, provided you stop looking for "hacks" and start looking at this like a real business.
🔗 Read more: Finding an Example of Letter of Recommendation for Job That Actually Works
Why "find a product" is actually bad advice
Most guides tell you to start by finding a "winning" product. That's kinda backwards. If you find a trending product on a tool like Helium 10 or Jungle Scout, chances are ten thousand other people found it too. By the time you get your shipment from a manufacturer, the market is already a race to the bottom on price.
You shouldn't look for a product; you should look for a community.
Think about it. If you’re a mountain biker and you’re constantly annoyed that no one makes a specific type of mudguard for high-end frames, you have an "in." You understand the language, the pain points, and where those people hang out. Selling to a group you belong to is infinitely easier than trying to convince strangers to buy a generic massage gun you found on Alibaba.
Real expertise matters more than ever. Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) guidelines don't just apply to blog posts; they apply to how consumers perceive brands. If you can't explain why your version of a product is better than the $10 version on Temu, you’ve already lost.
Choosing your playground
You have to decide where your storefront lives. This is a huge fork in the road.
- Marketplaces (Amazon, Etsy, eBay): This is where the customers already are. You don't have to "find" them; you just have to show up when they search. The downside? They own the customer, not you. Amazon can shut you down on a whim, and Etsy’s fees keep creeping up.
- Your Own Site (Shopify, WooCommerce): You own the data. You own the brand. But you are essentially a shop in the middle of a desert. No one is coming unless you build a road (ads, SEO, social media) to get them there.
Most successful people I know start with a hybrid approach. They use Amazon to move volume and validate the product, while simultaneously building a Shopify store to capture email addresses and build long-term brand equity.
The unglamorous reality of logistics
Let's talk about the stuff that isn't fun to post on Instagram: shipping and taxes.
If you're selling on the internet, you are essentially a logistics company that happens to sell things. Shipping costs will eat your soul if you aren't careful. I’ve seen so many beginners price their products at $25, thinking they’re making a $15 profit, only to realize that after packaging, shipping labels, and the dreaded "return rate," they’re actually losing $2 per sale.
Returns are the silent killer. In clothing and apparel, return rates can hit 30%. If you haven't factored that into your margins, you’re toast.
Then there’s Nexus.
Sales tax in the U.S. is a nightmare. Once you sell a certain amount in a specific state, you might have "economic nexus," meaning you’re legally required to collect and remit sales tax there. Tools like TaxJar or Avalara are pretty much non-negotiable once you hit a certain scale. Don't ignore this. The IRS and state revenue departments have much better tracking tools than they used to.
Mastering the "traffic" problem
Traffic is the lifeblood of your business. Without it, you’re just a pretty website gathering digital dust.
Back in 2015, you could throw $5 a day at Facebook ads and get a decent return. Today? Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is through the roof. If it costs you $40 in ads to acquire a customer who only spends $35, you're in trouble. This is why Lifetime Value (LTV) is the only metric that truly matters.
You need a way to get people back to your store without paying for them a second time.
The three-legged stool of traffic
- Search (SEO): This takes forever. It’s a slow burn. But it’s "free" once it starts working. You need to write content that actually helps people, not just keyword-stuffed garbage.
- Paid (Meta, Google, TikTok): It’s the gas pedal. You turn it on, and traffic flows. You turn it off, the traffic stops. Use this for testing and scaling, not as your only source of life.
- Owned (Email/SMS): This is your gold mine. If someone buys from you once, you better have an automated email sequence that keeps you top-of-mind. Klaviyo is the industry standard here for a reason.
Search engines have changed, too. People are searching on TikTok and YouTube as much as they are on Google. If you’re selling a physical product, video isn't optional anymore. You need to show the product in motion, being used by real humans, not just polished 3D renders.
The "Middleman" trap: Dropshipping vs. Inventory
Is dropshipping dead? Not exactly. But the "AliExpress to Facebook Ad" model is definitely on life support.
Consumers are smarter now. They know how to use Google Lens to find the original source of an image. If they see you're charging $40 for a lamp that’s $8 on AliExpress with 3-week shipping, they’re going to feel ripped off.
🔗 Read more: Average US Mortgage Rate: Why It Feels High Even When It’s Dropping
If you want to start selling on the internet using a dropshipping model, you have to add value. Maybe you curate a very specific aesthetic. Maybe you provide incredible customer service or a custom manual that doesn't come with the cheap version.
Eventually, you’ll want to move to "Private Label" or "White Label." This is where you put your brand on the product and keep inventory in a local warehouse (or use a 3PL—Third Party Logistics provider). It gives you control over the unboxing experience, which is a massive part of modern marketing.
Actionable steps to get moving
Stop overthinking the logo. Stop spending three weeks picking the perfect shade of blue for your website. None of that matters if no one wants what you're selling.
1. Validate with "The Ugly Test"
Create a basic landing page or a listing on a marketplace. Run a tiny amount of traffic to it. If people don't buy the "ugly" version of your idea, they won't buy the "pretty" one either.
2. Map your margins (on paper)
Calculate every single cost.
- Manufacturing/Wholesale cost
- Shipping to you (or your 3PL)
- Shipping to the customer
- Packaging (boxes, tape, inserts)
- Platform fees (Shopify/Amazon)
- Payment processing fees (usually around 2.9% + $0.30)
- Estimated ad spend per unit
- Return reserve (5-10% of revenue)
3. Content over ads
Before spending a dime on Meta, create 20 pieces of short-form video content for TikTok and Reels. See what resonates. The "hook" that gets the most views is usually the "angle" that will work best for your paid ads later.
4. Focus on "Zero-Party" data
Start an email list on day one. Even if you only have ten people on it, those are ten people you can reach for free. Offer a discount code or a genuinely helpful PDF guide in exchange for their sign-up.
5. Customer service as a weapon
In a world of AI chatbots, being a real human who answers emails quickly is a competitive advantage. Zappos didn't win because they had the best shoes; they won because they had the best service.
Starting a digital business is a marathon of solving boring problems. The "selling" part is just the tip of the iceberg. The real work is in the supply chain, the data analysis, and the constant pivoting when an algorithm changes. Stay focused on the customer, watch your numbers like a hawk, and don't expect it to happen overnight. It won't. But if you're still standing in eighteen months, you'll be ahead of 95% of the people who started today.