Use a doc/spreadsheet and copy this template for each niche idea:
Niche Idea:
Target Customer:
Problem Solved:
Core Product Types (3–5):
Top Amazon Keywords:
Top eBay Keywords:
Amazon Price Range:
eBay Price Range:
# of Listings / Results:
Top Sellers / Brands:
Best-Seller Signals:
Common Customer Complaints:
Opportunity Gaps:
Your Differentiation Angle:
Verdict (Green / Yellow / Red):
A niche is too broad to search directly. Turn it into real buyer searches.
Product + audience: “travel backpack for women”
Product + problem: “dog anxiety calming bed”
Product + feature: “space saving hangers”
Product + use case: “kitchen organizer for small cabinets”
Action (per niche):
Write 10 search phrases a buyer would type to find products in this niche.
Search:
broad niche phrase
problem-based phrase
feature-based phrase
What to record:
How many results show up (roughly)
The first 10 products you see
Any big brands that dominate page 1
Rule of thumb:
Too few results can mean low demand
Too many results can mean heavy competition
(You’re looking for a niche angle that can be positioned clearly.)
Open the top listings and look for:
Look at how many reviews top products have
Check if reviews seem recent and consistent
Quick guide:
1,000+ reviews on many products = strong demand (but likely competitive)
100–500 reviews = healthy demand, often workable
Under 50 reviews across the board = possible weak demand (or new niche)
Are products stuck at 3.8–4.1? That often signals a quality gap you can solve.
Are products at 4.7+ with tons of reviews? Harder to beat unless you brand.
Record:
cheapest
most common
premium
Action (per niche):
Write the true price range customers are already paying.
Look at:
Titles: what words repeat?
Images: what features do they highlight?
Bullets: what benefits do they promise?
Action:
Write down the top 10 repeated benefit phrases.
Examples:
“easy to install”
“odor control”
“space saving”
“non-slip”
“portable”
“heavy duty”
These become:
your product page copy
your category filters
your homepage messaging
Go to 1-star and 2-star reviews.
Look for repeated complaints:
“cheap material”
“too small”
“didn’t match photos”
“breaks quickly”
“instructions unclear”
“not worth the price”
“shipping took too long”
“missing pieces”
Action (per niche):
Collect 10 common complaints
Circle the top 3 recurring pain points
These are your “we do it better” angles
eBay is excellent for:
real-world pricing
market saturation
product variety
what sells “cheap” vs “premium”
competition intensity
For each search phrase, record:
approximate number of results
top listing prices (first page)
whether it’s mostly “junk” or quality-looking
For each phrase, filter by:
Turn on:
✅ Sold items
✅ Completed items
This tells you what people actually bought.
Action:
For each niche, capture:
10 sold items (screenshot or notes)
their prices
what features they emphasize
This reveals:
whether the niche is a race-to-the-bottom
if cheap sellers dominate
Red flag:
If almost everything sells only at extremely low prices with free shipping, margins may be tough.
For each niche, answer these:
Are the same brands everywhere on page 1?
Are there many “generic” sellers?
Interpretation:
Brand-dominated = harder to enter without branding
Generic-heavy = easier to differentiate with curation and trust
Are photos bad?
Are descriptions unclear?
Are bundles missing?
Opportunity:
If listings are weak, a better brand + website can win.
Look for gaps such as:
no specialized store focused on one audience
no product bundles/kits
no education or guides
unclear sizing compatibility
too many confusing options
low trust (generic brands + poor photos)
Action (per niche):
Write 3 “gaps” you can build your store around.
For each niche, choose one primary strategy:
Curated Best Picks
“Only the top-rated, best solution for X.”
Bundles/Kits
“Everything you need in one package.”
Audience-Specific
“Designed specifically for [audience].”
Premium Look + Trust
Better product photos, better messaging, clear guarantees.
Education-Based Store
Buyers guides, quizzes, comparisons, tutorials.
Score 1–5 for each:
Demand strength (reviews + sold items)
Competition intensity (brand dominance + saturation)
Price flexibility (not a pure race-to-bottom)
Gap opportunity (real complaints and weak listings)
Brand potential (can it become a “store” not just products?)
Verdict:
✅ Green: build store concept + product list
⚠️ Yellow: narrow the niche angle (more specific audience/problem)
❌ Red: drop it or pivot niche
For each niche, you should end with:
✅ 10 buyer search phrases
✅ Amazon: 10 top listings reviewed
✅ Amazon: 10 complaint notes from low reviews
✅ eBay: “sold items” proof captured
✅ price range from both platforms
✅ 3 gaps identified
✅ 1 differentiation strategy chosen
✅ final score + verdict