📚 What This Tutorial Covers

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Category Research Tutorial

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Goal: Learn how to use ZIK Analytics’ Category Research Tool to explore profitable product niches, analyze category performance, and discover high-potential listings to sell on eBay.

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This tutorial walks you through the main filters, how to select categories and subcategories, and how to analyze real sales data to find the best-selling opportunities.

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✅ Insight: Category research helps you understand what’s trending, what price ranges perform best, and which sellers dominate in each niche — giving you a clear roadmap for product sourcing and optimization.

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1. Access the Category Research Tool

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Goal: Open the tool and explore the available filters.

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From the left-side menu, click Category Research.

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This opens a page with all the main filters that help refine your search.

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At the top, you’ll see:
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• A Search Bar
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• A Category Dropdown Menu — to select from eBay’s main categories
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• Filter options including:
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  • Listing Type (Auction / Buy It Now)
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  • Condition (New / Used)
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  • Shipping Location — where the product ships from
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  • Price Range — set minimum and maximum price
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  • Feedback — filter by seller feedback
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  • Include / Exclude Phrases — refine results by adding or removing keywords
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✅ Tip: To exclude multiple phrases, separate them with commas.
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Example: searching “smartphones” and excluding “iPhone, Samsung” will hide listings containing those words.

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2. Browse Categories and Subcategories

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Goal: Navigate through main and subcategories to target specific product niches.

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Scroll down to view all the main categories and their subcategories.

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For example:
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• Art → Drawings, Sculptures, Photographs, Posters, Prints
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• Cell Phones & Accessories → Smartwatches, Chargers, Cases, etc.
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You can click “More” to see additional subcategories within each section.
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At the top, you’ll also see star ratings — these come from eBay data and provide general performance indicators.
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However, remember that ratings are only a guide — always test what works best for your store.
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3. Perform a Category Search

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Goal: Retrieve real-time data and analytics for your selected category.

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Let’s use an example:

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Choose Cell Phones & Accessories, then select Smartwatches as a subcategory.

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You’ll see “Smartwatches” appear in the search bar.

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Click Search on the right — and ZIK will pull live data from eBay for that specific category.

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The results will show:

• Sell-Through Rate
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• Total Sales & Revenue (Last 30 Days)
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• Average Product Price
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• Number of Successful Listings
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• Reminder of Category Path (e.g., Cell Phone Accessories → Smartwatches)
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✅ Pro Tip: Use the sell-through rate and total sales to decide if a category is worth entering. The higher these numbers, the stronger the demand.
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4. Review Product & Seller Results
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Goal: Analyze which sellers and listings perform best in your chosen category.

Scroll down to see two data sections — Products and Sellers.
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Each listing shows:
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• Product photo and title
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• Total sales and watchers
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• Seller feedback count
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• Item price and location
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• Quick-access buttons:
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  • Scan Seller — view all their products
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  • Scan Product — research the specific listing
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  • Item Finder — locate the same or similar product in your supplier’s catalog
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If you only want to see dropshippers, activate the Dropshipping Filter.
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You can also exclude Vero (Verified Rights Owner) products with one click.
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✅ Tip: After finding a profitable product, use the Item Finder to instantly source it from your preferred supplier — all within ZIK.

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