I’ve recently decided to get on the inside of the SaleHoo membership area. It’s quite affordable at just $67 USD for the entire year, but is it any good?
In this comprehensive review of SaleHoo, I’m going to unpack this research tool and supplier directory service for dropshipping business owners. This way you can make an informed decision as to whether to purchase, or merely use the free trial.
SaleHoo evaluated
This is a dropshipping directory and research tool to find opportunities to make good margins. Whilst you can get started with the free trial, it’s significantly better to pay the premium for the membership.
There are now 100,000+ people using SaleHoo in their businesses. From dropshippers (80%), to wholesalers and eCommerce stores (the other 20%), it’s clear that this is a very legit operation.
Through using this, you can discover ideas where there are profitable products that are very much on-trend. Other software platforms sometimes bring up results that were last year, because they keep the freshest results for their top 1% club. SaleHoo takes the honest approach.
I recently had a chance to test out their paid members area, and from this, I’ll showcase my thoughts and experiences. I’m showcasing with lots of photos.
Remember: I’m an Amazon and eBay seller in the private-label game. Therefore, I’m giving a beginner’s perspective with SaleHoo, since dropshipping is a new concept to me. I wanted to see if this was worth it for the long run, or even for the beginner who is just starting out just like you.
Unpacking SaleHoo
Right, so I skipped the free trial, and instead signed up to a full SaleHoo membership. Being in Australia, that came to approximately $100 AUD.
My welcome email came immediately and without delay.
Love the personal touch! There was nothing to do after this but have a look inside…
I’m using SaleHoo in Australia so yours might look slightly different.
The 1st thing I did was changed the timezone to Brisbane, Australia. It doesn’t do this for you automatically, so I recommend that you do that first so it’s already set.
Now if you’re curious, these are the categories that you’ll be given. Compared to AliExpress, it’s quite similar, only that these suppliers are vetted for dropshippers.
Now, that’s all pretty straight forward. You can use this tool to save a lot of time, for merely less than $100 USD per year. In my opinion; excellent value and it’s worth it for the supplier vetting alone. But what else is there on offer from SaleHoo?
Because you’re on the fence and you’re unsure if this is right for you and your new eCommerce journey. Let’s jump into it now…
Features that make it worthwhile
The thing about most dropshipping courses is that they don’t particularly tell you what to sell. Sure – they will use sample products, but they aren’t going to showcase exactly what they sell, as it will create high competition.
So it makes you a little stuck for product ideas. Similar to 1st time Amazon sellers, as finding a product can be challenging. Truth be told, on Amazon FBA at least, that most physical products are profitable. Otherwise, why would they be sold on there?
With dropshipping, the margins are lower. But then again, the risk is lower too. You’ll simply have to do more digging. The answer to that digging is…
Research Labs. Use this tool and browse through more than 4,000+ best selling products across eBay and Amazon.
Using Research Labs
I decided to run a trial test. Remember, just like you, I hadn’t used this before, unlike those professional YouTubers that talk way too fast.
First, I like selling automotive products generally, as they are something that people need, as opposed to what they want. They (the customer) generally won’t hunt around for the perfect item for days, as long as it’s well-priced.
So I decided to try SaleHoo for some automotive dropshipping products…
It was all pretty straight forward. These products I wouldn’t have thought of, but at the same time, other
Having gone through multiple Amazon courses, I decided to try pet supplies. This will always be a shit-hot category to sell in, with numerous friends selling in this category on Amazon having 6 figure months. Pets will always need stuff. 😅
Pretty impressed. Almost the same search criteria on SaleHoo produced 4x results.
But then, what about kitchen and dining. Instead, this time around I went for medium and high competition only.
Unsurprising, it only brought up 4 matching results. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of either of these brands.
From there, I decided to look elsewhere. I wanted to see what else was on offer.
Product Trends is an interesting one I came across.
Inside Product Trends
So this is what you’ll see when you first bring up Product Trends. It showcases those products that really have some solid movement.
I decided to go sub-niche. As anyone who’s learned about dropshipping would tell you, it’s very hard to make money broadly these days. You really have to drill down much deeper.
So I decided to go for healthy snacks. My initial question was: I wonder why this is trending? It should be trending straight or slightly upwards year-round on various marketplaces. If you know the answer, then please drop a comment below.
I also like food because it’s a consumable product. People will return later for more orders, provided you have good pricing. It’s much easier to create a sale from an existing buyer, than it is to recruit more buyers.
On the top-left I simply choose the Pressed by KIND Fruit Bars. With just 5 competitors on Amazon, this sounded like a good winner already.
The best part is that it showcases the suppliers. I had no idea that I could order from Bellamy’s Organic!
So I decided to put that aside and see what else was on offer from SaleHoo.
SaleHoo training series
Wow! I’m impressed at the amount of training content that SaleHoo provides for their paid members. Pretty much what most dropshipping courses also offer.
It’s pretty comprehensive. I went through some of their guides already. The main disadvantage is that it’s all written content. For people that like to read, you’ll love it! But most people are used to training videos or YouTube tips, strategies and tutorials.
Why did they do this? Well, I believe it’s because the dropshipping industry keeps changing. Some of these videos on YouTube that are 18 months old are already outdated. SaleHoo can simply update their guides as needed, without any further refilming.
So I guess this is a key downside here, particularly for those used to video delivery. Remember, this is a review of SaleHoo and NOT a sales pitch. 😜
Inside their training
Now, some people would instantly skip to the “What to sell with dropshipping” guide with SaleHoo. After all, products create sales, which creates momentum in your business.
What blows my mind is that they do showcase exactly what to sell. In order to protect the paid members like myself on the inside, I won’t declare the specific products that are current, but here’s last year’s products that were trending well:
They also provide solid guides on how to find winning products.
These include:
- Using eBay and Amazon best sellers lists
- Utilizing SaleHoo’s own Market Research Lab
- Selecting products that are small, minimal costs and light competition
- How to analyze seasonal trends and keywords over time (12 month window)
- Best practices to shortlist products to sell via dropshipping internationally
- Most importantly – what products/niches beginners should AVOID
Given that many beginners start with SaleHoo, before transitioning over to more advanced tools such as Oberlo, Doba and Worldwide Brands, it’s fantastic that this training is provided free. Note: You won’t get access to these with the SaleHoo free trial, as it’s reserved for paid members only at this stage.
Community
This is an aspect missing with some dropshipping programs out there. They are so small that the community is almost non-existent. It’s a lonely journey this online selling gig, so a vibrant community really does help.
That’s what it looks like on the inside. In total I counted 85,000+ posts just on the surface. So if you have a question, no doubt someone has asked it before with a few people coming in with great answers.
A key downside is that the bulk of people here are also beginners. It seems that not so many professional
It’s good to see that the team behind this company sometimes drops into the community. They love to share current trends and insights within their forum.
More things that make it worth it
There are some great advantages
But what else is there that makes it legitimately worth it? Well:
- You actually have a real phone number to call (Very rare with others)
- Their support team is excellent for help that you might need (30+ staff)
- Can find suppliers from around China, Australia, United States and more
- The 60-day money back guarantee. Need a refund with SaleHoo? You can!
- Well vetted supplier directory so you can avoid Chinese supplier scams
- Saves you a lot of time when compared with using AliExpress publicly
In my opinion, for $67 USD for an entire year, this is certainly a great system that represents excellent value for money. It isn’t perfect but is pretty well close.
You can always cancel it if you feel it doesn’t fit right with you. I personally love their wholesale directory the best, as it saves a lot of time when compared to AliExpress.
To recap, you’re getting:
- Full access to a comprehensive supplier directory who accept drop shippers
- A great research tool to find profitable products where you can make margins
- Access to their complete suite of training materials which remain updated
- Access to their support forum which is better than most Facebook groups
Perhaps the best part is that this company has been around for years. SaleHoo is based in New Zealand with a real phone number, with dozens of staff and a genuine willingness to help people succeed in their online business pursuits. Be mindful of the competition who doesn’t have as much of a footprint or reputation online.
SaleHoo has members across the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, Ireland, Singapore, Wales and much more. With 100,000 customers, it’s clear that they are worth it.
SaleHoo: In summary
I’ve used SaleHoo briefly as a beginner. Unlike many professionals who have years of experience, I wanted the chance to go in fresh. To use it from Day 1 and report my findings.
This way you can see for yourself. Chances are, that you’re about to start the journey as well. You’re looking for a bit of software that can help you in the journey. SaleHoo remains one of the best search tools and supplier directories available.
Generally speaking, however, I find that there is more money in the education and supply of tools than in the actual business model of dropshipping. It isn’t dead, but it’s become super competitive. Beginners later find out only after 1 to 2 years in the marketplace.
There are costs such as your training, PPC, returns and setting up your website. PayPal and eBay often place big restrictions on dropshippers. For that reason, I recommend dropshipping as a good way to learn eCommerce, but not for a long term and sustainable strategy.
For me, selling on Amazon changed my life. In April 2018, I quit my job for the very last time. My #1 recommendation is the most affordable Amazon course which has 4,500 students that have learned this marketplace. I look forward to see you inside.
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