Although the term dropshipping has been known for some time, it is not until now that this technique has gained traction, as the sale of third-party products through an online store has become quite popular due to the reduction in storage costs and shipping.
You might think, then, that just by creating an online store and posting a variety of products for sale in it; customers will rain and everything will be profits. But the reality is that it isn’t so simple, which is why today we want to share some considerations to bear in mind when doing dropshipping:
STUDY THE PRODUCT OR THE VARIETY OF PRODUCTS YOU WANT TO SELL.
Before starting with the online store, carry out a market study, we do not mean that you should do a master’s degree in Online Marketing, but you should do a previous research, and ask yourself several questions, such as for example:
Is it a simple product to manufacture? Are there different sources for acquiring the product? If it is an uncommon product, who is in charge of supplying it? How much competition will I have in offering it? With this product will I have access to an exclusive price?
Answering these questions, you will be able to choose a profitable product that will become the cornerstone of your business.
CHOOSE A QUALITY SUPPLIER.
This will definitely make the difference between your online store and the competition.
To do this, you must carry out an exhaustive search for suppliers, remember that the product will be purchased through your online store and that the shipments will be made on your behalf. Consequently, your supplier must have the product when you order it, and also provide a shipping method that guarantees the integrity of the product and delivery in the shortest time.
One aspect to consider is that manufacturers as well as wholesalers and retailers can perform the role of dropshipper, hence the importance of knowing how to discern in the search and choose the most appropriate one. A really useful dropshipper is one that distributes its own stock with a variety of products and is located in a convenient location for shipping products. In this way, you will have only one supplier that completely covers your needs, because having multiple suppliers can become a problem, because it will cost you more; to have control of what you sell and how it is delivered.
SELECT A SUSTAINABLE PLATFORM TO CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE.
In our opinion, dropshipping business will be profitable in the long term, so, as in any business; at the beginning you should not generate more expenses than you produce, so, when selecting a platform for the creation of your store you should consider hosting costs, development costs (this in case you are not familiar with web development) and the cost of additional add-ons in case you need them.
In the current market the most popular platforms for this type of business are Shopify, Prestashop and Woocommerce, each with its advantages and disadvantages, their websites provide extensive documentation, so you should consult it to evaluate them.
Additionally, you will find online services where online stores are practically created by themselves, but these platforms are not highly recommended because they do not favor organic SEO, a fundamental aspect for your store to be visible in searches for the product you provide.
OFFERS THE CUSTOMER ADDED VALUE OVER PRICE.
In the dropshipping business you will find that the prices turn out to be quite competitive in order to stand out in sales. However, you can provide enough information about your product, add tips and suggestions about it, create different usage or configuration guides (if the product warrants it), create promotions depending on the season and allow your client to have a personalized online support for any concern. This will make your customer feel more comfortable shopping in your store.
As a final note, keep in mind that there is no way to know for sure if you will be successful in a market without first trying it, but what we can assure you is that the search for it depends mainly on you and the perseverance you have to achieve it. We are not experts in dropshipping, but we base ourselves on the experience of our clients, and if you choose this business model; We hope that these tips will help you make the right decisions.
