Hey there Sea Changers and welcome back to my series of posts outlining ways and means to create yourself an online business to fund that sea change. Today's topic is one aimed at those who are looking to fund their sea change by delving into their passions and interests as I discuss how to sell horse riding gear online.

sell horse riding gear online - header

As we know, horse riding is undertaken in many ways and is an extremely popular pastime for hobbyists and professionals alike so I thought I should probably see if there is a market for this sort of thing online. Now of course I have checked it out and found that there just may be an opportunity here – so without further delay and carry on, let's have a look…

How do we get started?

I mentioned earlier that this was an area that I think could really be used to build a business around – especially if it is something that is a passion for you. That said, I would hate to convince anybody to start their own online business with anything to do with horses and have it fall away due to the fact that even though you are passionate about it, there is not an online market for the purchase of horse related gear or equipment. So to get started, let's see what people are searching for:

What are people looking for?

To start let's just confirm our market numbers:-

1. Number of monthly searches

As we are looking to see if there is an interest in horse related products and services online, let's start by checking for niche related searches. You will need to find yourself a good keyword tool (I use Jaaxy) and enter in the keywords that best describe your market. In this case, we will start with the basics:

sell horse riding gear online - horse keywords

Ok, that's pretty good – over 300,000 searches per month for the term horse – and we can also use this information to start to get a few niche ideas there with searches for horse riding and schools etc. This is great to know in regards to gauging interest so let's break it down a little further in line with our current subject:

sell horse riding gear online - horse riding keywords

So we can see here that searches for horse riding is quite popular as well – this could be a good niche, especially as well look to the right of the graphic above and see options for clothing, camps, schools and stables etc. as well. Let's now look at this from a different angle in regards to another popular horse riding related area…

sell horse riding gear online - equestrian keywords

Wow! Looks like you could make a decent online living dealing with equestrian as well in areas such as clothing, gear, supplies and training (especially if you are the one recording the lessons)…

2. Search Trends

Another important aspect of online sales and niche selection is to check that interest is maintained over time. To gain an insight into this let's check out how the searches for a few of our horse related options are trending online.

sell horse riding gear online - trends

Trending shows a definite interest all year round making this a great niche for sales in all seasons – I am guessing the little spike there would have been around the time of the Olympics.

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What is our niche?

Ok, now the fun part begins – In the statistics and screen dumps above, we can already see some of the interest in different niches within the online horse riding market. These trends show a definite interest in needs in this area so the decision you have now is to determine whether you wish to create your online business covering horse riding equipment in general or concentrate on a specialized area or sub niche such as lessons or horse care for example.

There are a good number of different areas you could explore here – and off the top of my head, some examples include:

  • General equipment
  • Saddles
  • Accessories
  • Boots
  • Clothes
  • Horse care
  • Equestrian
  • Racing
  • Professional/collector items
  • Coaching/lessons
sell horse riding gear online - girls riding in woods

And that is just a few off the top of my head – all of which can be marketed from the point of view of the writer, or simply as a means of supplying information to those looking to purchase – although I do tend to think that this is one niche in which you may benefit more if you actually like or ride horses – maybe.

From the search numbers above, it does look to me that generalist equipment could be incorporated into the one site however as you start to think about this, the question to ask yourself is whether the content you are covering is too large to cover effectively.

The risk here is that if you start with a niche that is too broad, you may not be able to cover everything to the level required or to become authority on the subject – which you will need to be if you are going to convince people to purchase from you and not their local store. Don't forget, you can always add a new section to your site as you grow as well.

As you work through narrowing your targeted niche, consider the following:

  • Are you able to solve a problem – Most people undertake searches on the internet to solve a problem – see next section.
  • Is it a subject that you have an interest, or knowledge in– I am guessing that you are in this post as you know about, or have an interest in horses. If you don't have these, maybe consider another market as to be honest, you might struggle to produce solid content if you don't know much about the sport – or worse, fail to see the attraction in it at all. Trust me, people will know immediately if your information is not up to scratch or even worse, can put the care of their horses at risk.

Let's investigate this a little further by discussing the problem solving elements of niche selection.

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That's right! Wealthy Affiliate provided me with all of the tools and training I needed to get this post in front of my audience - a.k.a YOU!

You too can start your very own online business here that can make you money from anywhere in the world!!  

What problem are we solving?

If this is a niche that you are interested in, you may already know what it is that you are trying to sell. If not, then maybe start to look at it from the perspective of solving problems. This, added to your area of interest is a great way to work out exactly what you think you might like to base your online business upon.

Think about your own search behaviors when you are online – I would hazard a guess that most searches you do are in order to solve a problem. Now think of this in a manner in which someone might have problems within the greater horse riding niche such as:

  1. You know that you want to ride horses but just don't know what you need to get started.
  2. You have a problem and need a solution – I.e. “My riding boots give me blisters so I want some that won't”.

Your goal here is to determine just what problem/s you are trying to solve for your readers. This maybe one problem that spans your site or differ for each post that you write. For example, if you have chosen custom equestrian gear for your niche, then problems might be:

  • Matching products to use– They want to know what riding pants would be best for daily training use.
  • Which to buy – There are a number of higher priced brands on the market – but which is best?

In these cases, people would be searching for those topics based on having a problem and needing a solution. Your site would outline and review the best options for them.

Alternatively, if your site is about assisting someone to get started with riding horses then you could look into the following:

  • What boots are best for beginners
  • What clothing types to wear/avoid.
  • What bridles and other equipment is best.
  • Learning to ride.

Note: You do not need to identify every possible problem that your readers may have straight away. In many cases, the more you write, the more ‘problems’ will present themselves so initially you really just want to make sure that there are some that may need solving as we have found here.

sell horse riding gear online - equestrian rider

How are you going to convince them to buy?

Now that we know our niche (or are at least working on it) and have an idea of the types of problems that we want to solve, there is one last thing to consider which is the online purchase behavior of your targeted audience.

The first group that comes to mind are those new to horse riding. Then there are the families who want their kids to take it up as a weekend activity. Oh, and don't forget the experienced riders who will want to be absolutely certain that everything to do with your site is up to their (often self-proclaimed) professional level standards (you know who you are haha).

Your sales/post pitches not only need to match the needs and problems that your site visitors are looking to solve, but also target them specifically as well. Some examples include:

  1. Those that are new to the horse riding will want to know exactly what they are getting into and what they need to do.
  2. Horse owners will want specs and details – they will dissect your reviews with a fine toothed comb.
  3. Families might want the same information, but may be also be looking to fit everyone out on a budget.
  4. Professional riders will need assurance that everything they are using is not going to hinder their chances of getting that next win – or more importantly, cause discomfort to their horses.

So at the end of the day, even though we do have purchaser behavior on our side, to be successful in selling horse riding related products online, consider the following:

  • Solve problems without purchase – That's right – write your posts in a way that actually makes it easier for people to do their research and buy elsewhere – by doing this, you are solving problems and helping readers out. If they trust you, they will be more likely to return next time and buy from you then – especially if you follow up with posts on similar or compatible products or accessories that might interest them!
  • Provide the intangibles – One major disadvantage when it comes to selling anything online is that we can't really know what the products look and feel like. And this is especially important when it comes to items such as riding boots and clothing where some prefer to have them customized or fitted. Your posts will need to cover this information in a manner that puts minds at ease and explains some of the intangibles.
  • Know your audience – A big mistake many make here is to target the product and not necessarily the buyer. This is especially important when dealing with products such as this. It is very easy for example to get carried away explaining how cheap tack gear is all the while forgetting that those intending to use them will want something that allows them to ride at a higher level. The same goes for high end options… Expensive doesn't always mean better or able to increase ability. Make sure you do your research on the buying behaviors of those you are targeting before writing your posts.

Tip: Still not sure? Have a look and see what others are doing. It might just help you with some ideas.

How do we sell horse riding gear online?

And now we come to probably the most important aspect of this whole online selling caper in that we need to consider how we are going to sell the products that we have decided to promote. Depending on the product, there are a number of methods you can use to do this. Let's explore them below:

Affiliate programs

Affiliate programs are setup directly by companies or marketplace platforms (Amazon, Ebay etc.) that allow you to join and then refer traffic to them via customized affiliate links. In short, this means that you will write about horses and horse riding and then refer your readers to a link where they will purchase directly from the vendors. The vendors then pay you a commission for the sale.

Affiliate programs are especially good for those selling horse riding related products online as you can promote/review the latest items and then refer your readers to the vendor to manage the sale without you having to hold inventory or organize shipping.

Finding affiliate programs is generally not a difficult task either. To locate them, you would normally just type “Affiliate: horse riding” into your preferred search engine:

sell horse riding gear online - affiliate

So, as you can see, there are plenty of options in regards to affiliate programs for horse riding related niches. As you search through them all, you can check it all out and find programs that:

  • Relate to your niche/problems that you are solving.
  • Have quality products – your brand can be severely damaged if you promote poor quality or unsafe products.
  • Have solid payment and customer service arrangements.
  • Pay decent commissions.
  • Have good testimonials covering commission payouts and quality of product.
  • Whether they have high ticket items you can promote on the side.

In most cases, you will need to apply for the program before you are allowed to promote their products – don’t take this step lightly or you will be rejected. Affiliate programs will generally want to know:

  • Your website name.
  • Traffic levels.
  • Why you want to join – (“so I can make money by selling your riding helmets” is unfortunately not generally a good enough answer).
  • How you plan to promote their products.

One thing to be aware of here I guess is to keep in mind the issues we discussed earlier in regards to horse riding related products online. You need to make sure that the programs you choose can be trusted and that the consumer is comfortable that they have recourse if something goes wrong.

For this reason you will need to make sure that your chosen programs are going to resonate with your readers and your niche. That said, some marketplace programs such as Amazon and EBay can give you access to these types of products and as they are more trusted, then they maybe worth a look for sure. Some Amazon examples are as below:

Dropshipping

Dropshipping is something that may be of advantage to you in this niche if you are looking to play with pricing on your products. This process is similar to affiliate marketing in that you are generally promoting the products of others without the need to actually hold any inventory.

With affiliate marketing, you are paid a commission on whatever price the vendor sets but do not manage any customer service, sales processes or post sales requirements. The main difference with dropshipping is that you perform the following (there are a number of variations to this but this is the gist of it):

  • Strike a relationship with a wholesaler.
  • Promote the product for whatever price you see fit – often via a marketplace site such as Shopify, Amazon or Ebay.
  • Manage the sales processes and customer service.
  • Send the final order and payment to the wholesaler for packaging and shipping.

The money that you make is effectively the difference between whatever you managed to sell the product for and the wholesale price that you owe the vendor. The other advantages of dropshipping over affiliate marketing is that:

  • You own the customer list – which is another means of building an effective email list.
  • You control the cost of the product and hence the profit margins.
  • You can control when you put things on ‘sale', group them in packages or increase the price for high demand items.

The disadvantages however are the extra workload in handling payment and any ongoing customer service requirements.

To find equestrian dropshipping suppliers online, you can enter searches such as “dropshipping: horse riding” into your favorite search engine:

sell horse riding gear online - drop shipping

Note: These results will usually be based on your geographical location.

From here you can search through and find programs that:

  • Offer dropshipping services – Not all product suppliers offer dropshipping as a service – this may just mean that you need to organize the shipping yourself after it is delivered to you.
  • Have experience and are helpful – If they are not helpful and/or appear inexperienced then you can expect the same when you are trying to process sales.
  • Have acceptable fees – most dropshipping wholesalers will charge a small fee for the dropshipping service – just make sure it is not so high that it eats into your profit margins.
  • Provide fast shipping – One disadvantage with dropshipping when dealing with vendors is that the customer is yours, not theirs hence sometimes shipping priorities are not where they should be – make sure shipping times are acceptable.
  • Have quality products – as with affiliate marketing, don't sell rubbish.
  • Have a good name – do your research and see what others are saying about them.

Sell your own gear

If affiliate marketing or dropshipping are not your drink of choice, maybe you could try sourcing and selling your own products. This process is especially popular with those selling smaller equipment (clothes, training aids etc.) or could be a potentially great market if you wanted to become a local supplier of riding gear etc.

Here you actually purchase your product from a vendor or wholesaler, add your own label and then on-sell them via your website or platforms such as Amazon etc. This process requires a much higher setup costs as you will need to purchase your products, create and affix your labels and manage orders and shipment.

Some wholesalers/vendors however will affix the labels that you send them and then manage the packaging and shipment for you (see dropshipping above). This will cost you less to set up but obviously you will make less on the sale once they take their processing fee.

Again, to find out where to acquire your product, do a search for “supplier: horse riding”:

sell horse riding gear online - supplier

Note: These results will usually be based on your geographical location so you may at times need to sort through a few pages.

From here you will need to follow the same processes as with affiliate and dropshipping programs in determining whether they are a good fit for your business plans including:

  • Relate to your niche/problems that you are solving.
  • Have solid delivery and customer service arrangements.
  • Have good testimonials covering service and quality of product.

Alternatively, keep your eye out in your local area for markets or trade shows. These are a great way to find and purchase your products at good prices – you never know, you might even find a solid supplier for future sales as well.

Tip: This method can be very effective in driving online traffic and sales via the implementation of more traditional sales methods such as kiosks and market stalls etc. As people get to know you, they can purchase from you there and then be directed to your website for future sales.

Other methods

If none of the above really gets you excited then maybe it is time to think outside the square a little. Here are some other ideas that I have seen around the traps:

  1. Demonstrations on YouTube – become an expert in all things to do with horse riding and equestrian with coaching and lessons (we saw above how popular this is) hints, tips and tutorials etc. and link your sales to YouTube advertising etc.
  2. Teach/educate people – again – coaching or lessons.
  3. Specialize in customizable options – branded helmets, boots and other gifts etc.
  4. Trade in the collectors or replica horse racing jersey market – this is a great option for any of the sales options listed above as well.

The sky really is the limit – think about how you might be able to corner a much-needed niche in the horse riding arena and you could definitely set up a great business.

What do we need to do?

Once we have all of the above sorted, or at the very least a plan in place, we need to choose and setup the media that we intend to use to sell our product. This can include:

Build a Website

If you are looking to build your online business as an affiliate marketer, drop shipper or supplier, then chances are you will most probably need a website. Websites allow you to solve problems via blog posts and videos that people can view in order to identify the solutions that they need.

Usually, this process is fairly straight forward in that you build your website, write posts (on the differences between certain types of high priced riding boots for example), then provide links so that your readers can view/purchase the relevant materials from your links.

You Are Reading This Because of Wealthy Affiliate

That's right! Wealthy Affiliate provided me with all of the tools and training I needed to get this post in front of my audience - a.k.a YOU!

You too can start your very own online business here that can make you money from anywhere in the world!!  

Promote on Social Media

When it comes to horse riding, there is a good chance that many some are reading Social Media whilst they consume their favorite post race beverage. It has the power to reach thousands and allows you to target specific segments if you choose the correct platform.

In terms of horse related products online, a good platform to start with is FaceBook where you can discuss everything to do with your latest ride- or the latest race, tournament or competitions – with your audience, display items in use and show videos. However, if you are looking to set yourself up as an expert within the niche, then Instagram and YouTube will be your absolute best friend – some even use these platforms without a website.

These are great for visuals such as pictures and/or videos showing you reviewing equipment, riding, watching or analyzing the results of the latest tournament. And, if you are able to build a following you may even get noticed and be paid gazillions to use or review riding gear brands within your videos – this takes time, but it does happen…

Join like-minded groups

Anther great tool when it comes to selling products online are social groups. By getting involved with these groups you can really get a great understanding as to what its members are struggling with, what information they seek and what products they are looking to buy. Below is an example of horse related FaceBook groups:

sell horse riding gear online - facebook

Note: Many of these groups will not allow you to spruike or promote your sites directly, however if you can interact and demonstrate your knowledge then people will ask you directly for the information. At the very least, as above, it is a great way to get ideas and insight into what people in this area really want to know about and what they are buying online.

Conclusion

And there it is – How to sell horse products online. I hope it has been helpful and as usual, please do not hesitate to comment below if you have any questions, need some advice or have any experiences to share.

Do you want further assistance with any of the above or need help to build your own horse riding, sport or lifestyle related website?

Are you looking for a comprehensive training platform that can give you step by step training, 24/7 support, tools to develop and host your very own website, ongoing assistance with SEO and social media and access to some of the best affiliate marketing minds on the planet, then click on the following link to read more about Wealthy Affiliate.

Until next time

Have fun

Paul

Note: If you make a purchase from this page, there is a very good chance that I make a commission from it – these commissions do not increase your sale price. This may include sales made via Wealthy Affiliate.

Introducing Wealthy Affiliate, My #1 Recommendation for Setting Up Your Own Online Business

wealthy affiliate new home page

When I started, I knew I wanted to work online, but had absolutely no idea where to begin! You see I had watched friends of mine run a sales party to sell essential oils and someone asked if they could just sell them online?

Then, as I sat on the bus heading into my office job, I started to wonder if I could do just that, sell essential oils online.

Anything to stop having to catch this bus to and from work every day right!

The trouble was, as I mentioned above, I had no idea how to even start.

So of course I started to look around online and found all these courses! They all promised me riches then took my money but left me with no riches!

Then I stumbled across the program that didn’t promise me riches, but told me it could help me get started even with no experience!

So I did that, joined Wealthy Affiliate that was it, and the rest as they say, is history!

But it doesn’t come without work!

That is the key here! I began on their starter membership and did the training! I then joined as a member and did some more training!

Each night after work, I would do a little more, then a little more.

And to cut a long story short, after 10 months I realized I didn’t really like writing about essential oils, so I sold the site for about $2000. But I had learned so much that I started another – about fishing and camping!

Then, after 18 months (by which time it had earned me close to $10k), I was offered $17k for the site, so I sold it too.

Now, through my travel blog, I’ve been able to fund my passion for travel and explore different places around the world.

In the past few months, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to some amazing destinations, including Bali, Los Angeles, Dallas, Vancouver and Las Vegas.

The success of my travel blog has allowed me to fully fund my travels and explore new destinations with my family.

Steps to Creating a Successful Travel Blog - Me at Whistler

Try the Wealthy Affiliate as a Starter Member and Build your First Hub!

As you start your journey, Wealthy Affiliate is there for you with the most comprehensive training package I have ever seen – And as I have mentioned, I have used a few in my professional career trust me.

To get you started, Wealthy Affiliate has recently introduced the Hub.

The Hub

The hub is an AI based niche and website creation tool that will get you up and running with the foundation of your OWN business in just a few minutes. This includes:

  • Your website – hosted and inclusive of a WordPress editor
  • Your brand
  • Your ‘done-for-you’ research
  • Your blueprint
  • A task list that is going to help you drive the creation and growth of your business moving forward.
Wealthy Affiliate Review 24 - Hub screen

The hub makes the website creation process simple which allows you to get started on the training with a solid base and understanding of the processes.

All you need to do is choose your subject – which is known as your ‘niche’ – and follow the steps on the screen.

Oh, and as you run through the training below you may realize that what you created above is not exactly what you want. That’s ok, you can just create a new hub!

Wealthy Affiliate Training

Then as you continue your journey, the Wealthy Affiliate Hub is there for you with the most comprehensive training package I have ever seen – And I have used a few in my professional career trust me.

Above we discussed the use of the Hub to set up a website. Once you have done this, you will be able to access the “Step-by-Step Core Training”.

This is available to all members including starter members and will give you everything you need to know to continue to create your online business.

Wealthy Affiliate Review 24 - step by step core training

Member Training

There are also Live weekly classes taught by REAL industry experts on a range of topics like artificial intelligence (AI), SEO, YouTube, WordPress, PPC marketing and more.

wealthy affiliate master training

Great, What Else Does Wealthy Affiliate Have To Help You?

So, let’s keep this short, Wealthy Affiliate is a one-stop-shop platform that provides:

  • The Hub – this is the starting point and uses AI processes to assist you in determining your niche and creating your brand.
  • Complete training programs to assist with the development of your own affiliate marketing website in your own niche.
  • Website creation and publishing tools including access to WordPress editors and themes.
  • AI Content article design and content creation
  • Domain name purchasing (you get a free domain when you upgrade to the Premium membership).
  • Website hosting, security and backup.
  • Online help and chat forums.
  • Weekly live training events.
  • 24/7 support.
  • Keyword access tools.
  • SEO assistance.

The platform has been active for over 15 years with the original developers and owners, Kyle and Carson, still extremely active in its day to day operations – especially as they rollout their AI capabilities.

wa first two steps

You Can Try it Yourself For Free

Now of course I can tell you all about how Wealthy Affiliate works (because it does) until I am blue in the face. But every other program out there – including the shams and scams – will tell you the same thing!

So how about you just try it for free yourself. The Wealthy Affiliate Starter membership is free to join and gives you access to everything you need to get started – all without the need to spend a cent!

With the starter membership, you get:

  • 1 Limited Business Hub
  • 1,500 AI Word Credits
  • Try the AI Author Platform (BETA)
  • 1 Practice Website
  • Jaaxy Starter
  • Limited Help & Support
  • Core Niche Training (8 Classes)

And of course I will be there to help you every step of the way as well!

Look, in the interest of transparency, whilst Wealthy Affiliate does offer a free starter membership, this is designed to give you a look around, have a practice and see if it is worthwhile for you – which is a really great option.

However, as with all new businesses, you will need to make some investment so if you are serious about making money online , you will need to upgrade to a premium membership as this will give you access to all the tools you need in the one spot to succeed!

Afterall, every business needs tools to grow!

So How Much Does This Really Cost?

Wealthy Affiliate does not use upsells once you join – but as I mentioned in the video, to succeed here you will need to invest in a membership. There are a couple of options that provide access to all the tools, training and assistance that you could need – and a free domain as well.

Wealthy Affiliate offers a trio of membership tiers, as detailed on their pricing page.

You can opt for the Starter membership at no cost, the Premium membership for $49 per month or the Premium Plus+ membership for $99 per month. That’s the full extent of it – and you can absolutely build your website without having to spend another cent.

You won’t encounter any unexpected additional charges or covert fees and as a Premium member, you’re equipped with all the essentials to initiate, develop and expand a thriving online enterprise.

Those who opt for the Premium membership are provided with

  • Hosting for their websites
  • A complimentary domain name
  • Access to hundreds of hours of current expert tutorials
  • Various marketing and research tools
  • Personal guidance from seasoned professionals in the field
  • And much much more

And for those of you who want to make a serious investment into your future, there are some yearly options as well below to give you peace of mind that you have a whole year ahead of you to get stuff done!

And Don’t Forget the Personal Coaching

Once you join, not only do you get plenty of assistance from me, but you also have access to expert coaching, support and mentorship from real industry experts.

I mean, you can have access to all of the top-tier affiliate marketing training in the world, but inevitably, questions arise, particularly during the initial stages.

With an exceptionally dynamic and engaged community that boasts over 2.7 million members, Wealthy Affiliate offers an environment where you, as a member, can fully immerse and leverage this network.

You’re never alone; you have the collective wisdom of an entire community at your fingertips, ready to assist at any moment.

Plus, there’s always-on, rapid-response website support to handle any technical queries you may encounter.

WA graphic

Wealthy Affiliate Works: Real Results From Real People

As I have mentioned a number of times, Wealthy Affiliate has helped me make real money online though its training and tools.

I have made money each month as well as a sale for $17,000.

But again, those promoting other programs will tell you the same thing!

So let’s get away from me and see what others are saying:

To start with, Wealthy Affiliate has a 4.9 out of 5 Star TrustPilot rating, which is a remarkable accomplishment in any industry, let alone the online business industry.

WA trust pilot image

And here are some of those reviews:

wealthy affiliate trust pilot

And this is what people are saying within Wealthy Affiliate as well:

home page - success at WA

So, Let’s Make a Decision!

Let’s be frank, you have read this far so why not go all in, click on the button below to get started on the way to your very online business.

And once you are in and have had a play around with the hub, look for the little envelope on the top right and there will be a message from me. It is of course automated so respond to let me know you are there and we can start this journey together.

(oh, and the profile is mine so you can find me that way as well)

wealthy affiliate envelope

See you there

Paul

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