People are becoming more conscious of the way they live. From food and clothes to furniture and cosmetics, consumers are increasingly choosing the ‘organic option’. This interest has expanded from urban areas to rural areas as more people become aware of the benefits of organic farming and a healthier lifestyle.
How profitable is the organic products market? What challenges do you have to overcome? We’ve done all the research for you and covered what you need to start an organic business online.
We have also compiled a list of top organic products stores for you to take inspiration from! Let’s dive in.
Contents
- 1 What are organic products?
- 2 Is selling organic products profitable?
- 3 Challenges of selling organic products online (and how to overcome them)
- 4 How to start an online organic products business
- 5 Before starting your online organic products store
- 6 How to start an online store to sell organic products
- 7 How to market your organic products business and get more sales
- 8 Top organic brands on Instamojo to take inspiration from
- 9 Start your own online organic products business
What are organic products?
Products made from organic materials, free from chemicals, are called organic products. The most in-demand organic products are organic food and organic personal care products.
Here are some categories of organic products that you can consider selling:
- Food
- Clothing
- Cosmetics and self-care
- Pet food
- Perfumes
- Furniture and decor
- Hygiene products
Let us look at the demand for these products among online shoppers. For this, we used GoogleTrends to check out how the searches for some organic products are trending online:
Organic food and products are very popular searches with a consistent trend over the past 12 months. While organic cosmetic products have moderate popularity online.
Is selling organic products profitable?
The Expert Market Research report shows that the organic food market in India alone will reach a value of USD 4082 Million by 2028.
India actually competes with Japan and Korea for the fastest-growing natural cosmetic market in the Asian continent.
This is proof that not only is it profitable, but since its relatively a niche market, online sellers have an incredible advantage in these fast growing segments.
Challenges of selling organic products online (and how to overcome them)
As per a study, India consumes only 1% of the total organic produce in the world, even though the country holds 20% of the world’s population. And the consumption of other organic products is also lesser.
So, with such numbers, it’s clear that there are certain hurdles faced by the organic products market in India.
Here are some common challenges faced when starting an organic products business and how you can overcome them:
Limited awareness and establishing trust
Although sustainability has become increasingly popular in the country, people are less aware of the range of products available under the label of ‘organic’.
Also, consumers are less aware of how to check if a product is legibly organic because many brands claim to have such labels. As a result, they don’t know which organic brands to trust.
Here’s how you can overcome the challenge of awareness on organic products and build trust among your target audience:
- Be as transparent as possible about the ingredients and raw materials used in your product. A simple ‘organic’ label won’t convince your customers.
- Get certified by an authorised board (more on this further below)
- Build a brand online around your niche. Create content that resonates with people interested in an organic way of life.
Understanding the demand and supply gaps
You need to find out how viable your organic products are in the market. Here are some steps you can take to analyse supply-demand:
- Use online marketplaces to find popular organic products
- Research existing organic products brands that are successful
- Once you decide on a product, run a survey to find out if it has enough demand
We’ll discuss more about market research in the next section.
Non-friendly retail market
As compared to its regular counterparts, organic products are more costly. So, retail markets will be hesitant to buy your products as they prefer to fill in the shelves with a fast-moving cheaper product rather than risking shelf space for a lesser-known organic product.
The key to overcome this challenge is to reduce the dependency on retail markets by starting an eCommerce business.
Here are the advantages of starting your own online store to sell organic products:
- Wider customer base
- Scope for customers to keep coming back for more
- Customer loyalty
- Lower expenses and higher profit margins
For example, Kriti Henna sells organic skin care products:
That being said, let’s learn more about selling organic products online on your own eCommerce website. We’ll take you through everything you need to know to run a profitable business.
How to start an online organic products business
Starting an eCommerce business requires planning and analysing various factors.
Here’s how you can sell organic products online and start a successful eCommerce business:
- Choose a niche
- Source products
- Sort out legal requirements
- Create product images
- Start an online store
- Market your organic products
Before starting your online organic products store
There are things you need to take into account before you start selling. And these include everything from sourcing products to dealing with legal requirements.
1. Market research and selecting a niche
For your business to be relevant, you need to understand what are the needs and preferences of your potential customers.
Let’s look at what customers search for online related to organic products. For this, we used SEMrush tool to find out the average searches in a month for various organic products:
As you can see, more than 8,000 people search for organic products online on average every month. Other popular searches include organic food products (2900), organic beauty products (1900), organic skin care products (880), and organic make up products (770).
Apart from keyword research, also analyse your competitors and make sure you come up with a unique product.
2. Sourcing products
You could either manufacture your own organic products or source them externally. If you’re going for the latter option, there are wholesale dealers in India from where you can get organic products in bulk.
First, go to the Organic Directory of India and find adequate suppliers of organic products.
If you want to sell as a retailer online, simply select finished products from organic brands and stock them in your eCommerce store. And if you want to start your own brand, select wholesale suppliers with contract manufacturing or private label facilities and proceed.
You can also source organic products locally for your eCommerce store.
Related read: How to build a brand for your small business: Tips and practical examples
3. Licenses and legal requirements
You will need organic certifications if you want to create your own brand of organic products. And you will need to contact an authorised organic certification agency for the same.
Although you can start a small business without licenses, it’s always good to have the legal requirements sorted out before you start selling.
Some organic products accreditations by the government of India are NPOP, PGS, and NOP. You can read more about them here.
Also, if you run an organic food business, you’ll need an FSSAI certification. Additionally, you need to register your organic business on the Udyog Aadhar through the MSME Online Registration portal.
4. Create attractive product visuals
Product images are an essential element in an eCommerce business because it creates an impression on the buyers.
In fact, a study shows that 93% of online buyers say that photo quality is the most important factor in an online sale. Before you start selling, you will need product visuals — videos and images — that attract customers.
You can either hire a professional photographer or create your own with just a phone camera.
Read this guide to know more about eCommerce product photography.
How to start an online store to sell organic products
Do you want to sell organic products online to a wide customer base with increased professionalism? As a brand, do you want customers to come back for more? The best way to do business online is by starting your own online store.
The first step is to choose an eCommerce platform that enables you to setup a beautiful website easily.
Instamojo is a platform that helps your create online stores to start selling products online easily. And thousands of MSME owners have started and grown their businesses online by creating professional storefronts.
Many online businesses such as Farmilicious, Bazzingabrew, and Elixr have created their eCommerce store on Instamojo and run successfully.
Want to start your own online store and grow your D2C brand? Get a free online store on Instamojo!
Here are some resources to help you get started on setting up your online store:
- How to create a free store on Instamojo
- How to add products to Instamojo online store
- Top eCommerce website themes for your store
Here’s a short video if you want to know more about setting up your own online store:
How to market your organic products business and get more sales
Once you launch your organic products store online, it’s time to get your target audience to know about your brand. Here are some ways you can boost authority
Social media
The best way to reach your target audience is to start a social media account for your business. You can post content around the importance of organic products and how people can implement an organic lifestyle. Also, elaborate on how your product is different from the rest.
Here are some resources to get you started on social media marketing:
- How to use social media to launch your eCommerce business
- Instagram content ideas for your business
- How to measure social media success for your small business
Make your store search engine friendly
According to a study, more than half of online shoppers use Google to search for products. So, do keyword research and write SEO-focused product descriptions to bring your store to the top of Google searches.
Additionally, you will need an online store that comes with features which help you rank. Instamojo platform has SEO features to help you make your store search engine friendly and increase traffic
Top organic brands on Instamojo to take inspiration from
Take inspiration from these Premium online stores on Instamojo and turn your dream of starting online organic products store into a reality.
1. Maaticha
Started by a family of farmers, Maaticha online store sells farm-to-table organic products. They aim to create a responsible platform for local small farmers and tribal families so that they can share their harvests with a global audience.
Check out Maaticha online store here.
2. Gokul Herbal Tea
Gokul International is a manufacturer and retailer of high-quality of various herbal Infusions (teas). Their online store has a simple and clear theme.
Check out the Gokul herbal tea online store.
3. Eco Products India
This online store sells pure organic self-care products sourced from different vendors. From body butter to natural deodorants, EcoproductsIndia has it all! And, they use a subtle theme, Ikkat, that goes well with their brand (available only on Instamojo).
Check out their gorgeous online store here.
4. Elixr online store
Elixr aims to provide people with environment-friendly hygiene products made of organic raw materials. Their sanitary pads made of banana fibres and bamboo toothbrushes are one-of-a-kind products.
Start your own online organic products business
It’s the right time to start an online organic products business because the market is at the entry-level competition. So, once you establish your brand as an authority in your niche, you’ll be able to build a long-term profitable eCommerce business.
And to accelerate your business growth online, start an online store. Sign up for an online store for free. Additionally, you can upgrade to the premium version to unlock advanced eCommerce features!
