Dropshipping

Pros of dropshipping

Dropshipping is an excellent business model for online entrepreneurs due to its accessibility. You can test different business ideas with dropshipping while facing little to no risk. You learn about how to pick and market the most in-demand products. Here are more reasons why dropshipping is popular: 

Less capital

A big advantage of dropshipping is that you can launch a store without worrying about investing thousands of dollars in upfront inventory. In the traditional model, retailers have been tying up a lot of capital in purchasing inventory. You do not have to purchase a product in dropshipping until you make a sale and the customer pays you. You can start sourcing products and launch a store without worrying about sourcing, storing, or moving inventory.

Easy to start

It is easier to run an eCommerce business when you do not have to deal with physical products. In dropshipping, you do not have to worry about:

• Paying for or managing a warehouse
• Shipping or packing your orders
• Tracking and handling the inventory
• Taking care of returns and inbound shipments
• Ordering products and managing stock level

Low overhead

Your overhead expenses come out low because you do not have to purchase inventory or run a warehouse. Many dropshipping businesses run efficiently from home, requiring just a laptop and internet connection to operate. However, the requirements will increase as you grow, but would still be less compared to traditional business requirements. 

Flexible location

You can run this business from just about anywhere with a solid internet connection. As long as you can communicate with your team and clients smoothly, you don’t have to worry about working from an office.

Diverse product catalog

You can offer a wide array of popular products to your customers because no pre-purchasing is involved. As soon as your supplier stocks an item, you can sell it in your store for no extra cost.

Evaluate demand

Dropshipping is good for both launching a store and testing the waters for launching a new product category. For example, you can test the appetite of target customers for a new product line by dropshipping. It enables you to evaluate a product’s demand before buying a large inventory. 

Easy to scale

If you get three times the number of orders in a traditional retail business, you need to work three times. By using dropshipping suppliers, you get to grow your business with fewer pains and less incremental work. And while sales growth brings in additional work, like customer support, you have the chance to scale well compared to traditional businesses. 

Cons of dropshipping

Just like all business models, dropshipping has a few shortcomings. 

Shipping can get complicated

It is easy to calculate shipping products if you are sourcing products from only one supplier. However, many dropshippers use more than one supplier, and shipping can get complicated in the process. Moreover, multiple suppliers will have different billing systems.

Solution: Start with one supplier and then grow your vendor network from there.

No control over product branding

Dropshipping means you have little to no control over product branding. Some people go the extra mile by arranging a photoshoot of their products and creating a website with compelling visuals. But like most dropshippers, you may not have the resources to create your own branding. 

Customer service issues

It is good to stay detached from inventory issues until you have to deal with a complaint from an angry customer. If the suppliers fail to deliver your order on time, you are the one who has to face the wrath of the customer. Your customer service should be ready to apologize, explain and avoid getting negative reviews.

Solution: Maintain swift communication with the customer. Also, take steps to set realistic expectations upfront to avoid negative reviews of your business.

Low margins

Dropshipping has a low entry threshold, meaning you’ll have a lot of competition as you start your eCommerce business. It would help keep your prices low initially to stay in business and attract more customers.

Solution: Merchants who keep their margins low don’t pay much attention to how their store looks. We recommend doing a better job at designing and making your store look like a professional brand.

How to start a dropshipping business?

You can start a dropshipping business by taking the following steps: 

Step 1: choose an idea

What you sell matters a lot in dropshipping. Start by researching the best ideas for your business. Many people will suggest you look for a niche you are passionate about, but this is only the beginning of the process. Dropshipping is a mix of passion and profit, leaning towards profit. The best dropshipping ideas are always the most profitable ones. After all, isn’t it easier to be more passionate when you are making more money?

If you want to set up your dropshipping business idea instead of following lists, here are some resources and tools to check out:

• Google Trends is the ideal tool to check which niche is going on an upward or downward trend. However, it is not enough to tell on its own whether a niche will pay off. Some niches might look promising but won’t have enough search volume to conform to their popularity.
• Browse popular sites in your niche. For example, if you want to sell skincare items online, check out the top skincare brands. It gives you an idea of things you should be adding to your store. You can also check the best-selling products of competitors to add similar products to your shop.
• Check the order volumes for products you wish to sell. Order volume is a huge sign of the popularity of a product. However, don’t rule out products with low order volumes because they could be newer, upcoming products.

2. Do a competitor analysis

Once you decide what to sell, you need to know who your competitors are and the marketing strategies they use to promote their brand. There are a lot of ways to research your competitors.

• Google the name of the products you want to sell. See who shows up on top for that search query. The top ten results will give you a good idea of your competitors in a certain location. If you are selling at a different location, you can use third-party tools to collect data.
• Search on Alexa or SimilarWeb to find niche competitors who do not show up on the general search. These websites will give you a good idea of possible competitors, their websites, and any advertising they use.
• Put your detective hat on and see what your competitors are doing on social networks. Check the number of followers on your competitor’s page, the engagement they get, and the kind of ads they put. See what they are doing right and whether you can use a similar strategy for your business.

3. Find a dropshipping supplier

If you’ve created an online store on Shopify, you can use a dropshipping app like Oberlo to find suppliers for your business. Once you register with Oberlo, you can search for the product you like and choose suppliers from the results that pop up. You can see reviews, ratings, and how long the supplier has been on the platform.

When you have a list of suppliers and their ratings, you can move onto the next step, which is contacting those suppliers. Ask them important questions like average delivery times, minimum order quantities, and shipping times.

By this point, you should have a list of possible suppliers that meet your requirements. The next course of action is to make a sample order from them and compare the results. Compare the shipping times, packaging style, speed of service, and keep the customer in mind when doing all of this. 

4. Build your online store

There are a few elements that are crucial for building a dropshipping storefront. Before you set up shop, make sure to consider the following:

• Domain name: Your business’s domain name matters a lot, especially if you are building a brand for the long run. Make sure to choose a unique and memorable name. You can come up with domain ideas by using a free domain name generator. Dotcom domains are globally recognized and rank better than other top-level domains.
• Platform: You’ll need to pick an eCommerce platform when building your store from scratch. Shopify is the most detailed eCommerce platform in the market. It comes with all the sales, marketing, and SEO features you need to build and grow an eCommerce business. Plus, with various dropshipping apps, Shopify makes it easy to find suppliers and source products for your new venture.
• Themes: Themes are essential to design a great look for your store. The theme of your store should reflect your branding in the best possible way. Shopify offers free and paid themes. You can start with a free theme and buy level up for more customization as you make sales and earn more profit.

5. Market your business

After finding your product and setting up a store, it is time to market your business. This is an important phase in your dropshipping journey. Before you start, make sure that you are completely satisfied with the look of the store and ready to welcome customers. Then, follow these marketing strategies to bring people to your store:

• Facebook advertising: We recommend keeping your initial budget low, so you can a/b test and bring more people to the store. Initially, you won’t have a best-selling product, and it isn’t easy to sell to a new customer base. At this point, you should create several ads to see which one performs best and then leverage the insights you gain to inform your future campaigns.
• Retargeting: For those who have a limited budget, retargeting ads are efficient and measurable. These ads aim to get your products in front of audiences who’ve already paid a visit to your store. They’re great for converting browsers into paying customers. Retargeting is actually the secret behind that quick first sale.
• Influencer marketing: Influencer marketing is another effective strategy for getting exposure for your business. Even if you do not have big bucks to hand out to influencers, you can offer them free products in exchange for endorsements. Influencers have many followers, good credibility, and cross-platform reach, making them an ideal channel for reaching a wide audience base.

6. Optimize, optimize, optimize

Once you lock an idea, build a store, and start marketing, you can begin to analyze the performance of your activities. You might discover that some business activities are very successful while others require some re-strategizing. Build on the successful ones, and see if tweaking the low-performing campaigns leads to better results. 

Dropshipping tips for beginners

First-time dropshipper? Follow these tips to avoid the hiccups dropshippers often face when they go in unprepared.

1. Use multiple suppliers to manage stock

Stock management is key. However, this isn’t easy to achieve without direct access to those companies. A seller will be unable to replenish the low stock in another company. This can lead to issues with sales if not planned for.

The simplest way to ensure stock levels are consistently high is to use multiple suppliers. By connecting with multiple manufacturers who provide the same products, a seller can always be sure to have stock to sell.

What’s more, by using apps such as Syncee and DuoPlane, sellers can sync their inventory. By collating real-time feeds from each supplier, these apps show an up-to-date count of stock levels.

While it is unlikely that most manufacturers will provide the same items, certain items will be common amongst them. By sticking primarily to these common items, sellers can find several suppliers to keep them stocked.

2. Get the shipping pricing right

The overall goal when it comes to dropshipping is to keep the shipping aspect simple. Most sellers will create a basic shipping policy that covers all potential costs from each of their suppliers. An average flat rate for shipping helps ensure that no major losses are incurred.

Sellers should choose a carrier service and stick with them. While it is impossible to find a 100% reliable service, sticking with one will provide consistent delivery. Further, it will also save money in the long run.

A flat shipping rate will also need to be planned for orders that are fulfilled from overseas. Though products can be bought cheaper from countries like China and India, these options also come with several potential problems. Longer shipping times and transit issues will be entirely out of our hands. This makes it imperative that customers are aware of these issues. It also pays to set up a branded tracking page that allows customers to track their orders in real-time.

3. Create a clear, transparent returns policy

Every company needs to have its own returns policy. However, it is slightly more complicated for dropshipping businesses. Before this policy can be made, the seller must check the policies of their suppliers. If their returns policies are strict, then the sellers must take this into account. 

Once the terms are in place, the return process will be simple:

• The customer requests to return the item
• The seller agrees and requests a return merchandise authorization (RMA) number
• The customer sends the item back to the supplier with the RMA attached
• The supplier refunds the seller with the wholesale price of the goods
• The seller refunds the full price of the goods to the customer

The returns policy should also clearly state whether or not replacement goods for defective items are sent. The supplier may also require a restocking fee for items in good condition. It is up to you to decide as to whether they include this within their refund policy.

4. Prioritize customer support

Customer support queries can be handled in several ways. The quickest way is to include an FAQ page on any selling site. FAQs will cover any general issues a customer may have and save them from contacting the seller directly. 

Some questions to address:

• Questions regarding the materials used for the products – could they trigger allergies? Be exchanged for other materials?
• Questions about copyright issues regarding imagery and styles.
• Whether a customer can provide any of their suggestions for products or designs.
• How products are sized.
• How to contact the seller in case questions aren’t answered.

5. Be mindful of fraud and security issues

Keeping credit card details is easier for a repeat customer but is also much riskier. Any site that does this will be required to abide by payment card industry (PCI) compliance rules and undergo security audits. This can be expensive and complex if the seller runs their site, but a payment processor will have these things covered. 

To prevent fraudulent orders, use the address verification systems (AVS) for all online purchases. This system prevents people with only a person’s card details from being able to place orders. There are some ways to identify a fraudulent order, such as:

• Different billing and shipping addresses
• Different names on cards and addresses
• Unusual email addresses
• Expedited shipping on all orders

If any orders cause suspicion, they can be easily cleared up by making a quick phone call. Fraudsters will not want to talk to a company they are stealing from, and someone being scammed will cancel any orders.  

6. Learn about eCommerce marketing

There are several online resources for in-depth learning on how to market a dropshipping store effectively. Here are a few specific concepts that you should focus on:

• Search engine optimization (SEO) – This is how a site is tailored to rank highly in Google’s search results. SEO can be performed in many ways but primarily is done with keywords. By choosing a handful of specific keywords related to their products, sellers can direct customers to them. The more obscure or unique, the better.
• Facebook ads – Facebook allows users to buy advertising space on their platform. These adverts can be tailored according to the buyer’s needs and will show up thanks to the cookies stored by users.
• Google ads – Google also allows for paid advertisements. Unlike Facebook ads, these will show up in premium spaces when customers search for specific products. They also appear at the beginning of YouTube videos and on the Google Display Network.
• Expedited shipping on all orders