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8 Do’s And 5 Don’ts Of Dropshipping For Beginners

A hand pointing to a diagram of the dropshipping process, highlighting key do's and don'ts for beginners.
Steps in process of dropshipping

Dropshipping may be the perfect option for you if you're looking to start a business. This business type has been gaining popularity in recent years, and for a good reason: it's simple to set up and can be very profitable.

It's a model where you sell products you don't have to stock or ship. Instead, you find buyers; then the suppliers will ship the products directly to them. 

However, as with any business venture, there are certain things you should and shouldn't do to be successful in drop shipping. As a beginner, it's common to be carried away by the excitement of starting a business and making money. This could be a recipe for disaster as you may not fully understand how the dropshipping space works.  

This post will discuss some of the DOs and DON’Ts of dropshipping for beginners so you can start your business on the right foot. 

DOs Of Dropshipping  

When starting dropshipping, these are some of the things you should do to be successful. If you want to continue learning even more about how to be successful, your learning path continues here with a dropshipping guide

1. Choose The Right Suppliers 

The first step when dropshipping is ensuring you have the right suppliers. The right suppliers will determine the quality of products you sell and how quickly they'll be delivered to your customers. This will determine how satisfied your customers will be, and whether they will return for repeat purchases.  

Therefore, you should research and take the time to find reliable suppliers that offer quality products at a good price. For example, if you're starting a dropshipping Australia business, you can look for a supplier based in the country or who ships from Australia to ensure fast delivery times. You should also look at their inventory to see if they have the products you want to sell in stock. 

Some things to consider when choosing suppliers include the following: 

  • Do they have a good reputation? 
  • Do they offer quality products? 
  • Do they have fast shipping times?  
  • Do they communicate well and quickly respond to your queries?  

2. Find The Right Products 

The next step is finding the right products to sell. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it's one of the most important steps in starting a successful dropshipping business. You need to find products that are in-demand but not too competitive. The products should also be relevant to your target audience.  

You can start by looking at trending items on online marketplaces. You can also look at what's selling well on social media platforms. Once you've found some potential products, it's important to do your research. This process should include looking at the competition and understanding your target market. 

3. Create Compelling Product Listings  

Another important thing you should do when dropshipping is to create a compelling product listing that’ll make people want to buy from you. Your product listing should include high-quality photos, an accurate description, and relevant keywords. You should also consider using videos as these can help increase conversions. 

Also, when creating a product listing, ensure that the product is available or will be available when the listing goes live. This will help avoid any disappointments from customers if they purchase an item that's out of stock. It also helps protect your profile as a reliable seller. 

4. Provide Excellent Customer Service 

Customer service is a crucial part of dropshipping. This is because you're not physically handling the products, so if there are any issues, the customers will likely contact you. Customers will also guide how you handle them and use it to compare you with other dropshippers. If your customer service is excellent, then there's a likelihood that they'll come back to you for future purchases.  

You can provide excellent customer service by responding quickly to queries and concerns. You should also have a return policy so customers would know what to do if they're unhappy with their purchase. 

5. Focus On A Specific Niche  

The market, with a lot of products to choose from. However, focusing on a specific niche is important when starting as a dropshipper. This will help you build a brand and become an expert in that area. It’ll also make it easier for you to find the right products and suppliers. Once you've established yourself in a niche, that’s when you can start expanding into other areas. 

Moreover, when you're focused on one niche at a time, you’ll know things such as who's the best supplier, what are the hot selling items, as well as what's your target market. Such elements can you a specialist in that area, and customers will be able to see that and give you leverage to try greater risks that could turn into more profitable ventures.  

6. Have A Business Plan  

A business plan is a document that highlights your business goals and how you plan to achieve them. When starting a dropshipping business, a business plan is important as it’ll help you stay organized and focused on your goals. It should include your niche, target market, branding, marketing strategy, and financial projections. This will give you a clear roadmap to follow as you grow your business. 

7. Utilize The Power Of Social Media  

Almost every buyer uses social media, so it's important to use this platform to reach out to them. Social media can create brand awareness and drive up your store's traffic. You can do this in several ways, such as by using paid ads, through influencer marketing, or by creating engaging content.  

Social media will bring visibility to your business, so it's important to use it wisely by having a strategy in place. For example, ask yourself which one’s the best platform to sell your products. When done correctly, social media can help you reach many people and grow your business quickly. 

8. Price Your Products Competitively  

When you've found the right products to sell, it's important to price them competitively. This means looking at your competitors’ products and then matching or beating their price. It's also important to consider your profit margin when pricing your products. You need to make sure you're making a profit on each sale. Otherwise, your business won't be sustainable in the long term 

Correct pricing will drive more customers to your business as they’ll see that you offer good value for money. It's also important to remember that the price isn't everything, and customers will also be looking at factors such as shipping costs and delivery times. 

DON’Ts Of Product Shipping  

Having looked at some of the best practices of dropshipping, here, on the other hand, are some of the mistakes you should avoid: 

1. Sell What Everyone Does 

One of the biggest mistakes dropshippers make is selling products everyone else sells. This makes it very difficult to stand out from the competition and can lead to lower profits. It's important to find products that are unique and in high demand, but not being sold by many other dropshippers. 

2. Forget Seasonal Merchandise  

Seasonal merchandise refers to goods that people demand more of during specific times of the year. An example would be Halloween decorations in October or Christmas trees in December. These items can be quite profitable, but only if you stock them at the right time. 

Many dropshippers make the mistake of not stocking enough seasonal merchandise, leading to lost sales. Be keen on short-term trends and capitalize on the high demand to ensure you make the most of the opportunity. 

3. Overspend On Advertising  

When starting, it's important to keep your advertising costs low. This is because you don't know what will work and what won't. Finding the right platform and approach that works for your business is often a trial and error. 

Many dropshippers make the mistake of spending too much on advertising, which can lead to financial problems. Instead, budget your advertising and marketing expenses properly to see a healthy return on investment. If one of the marketing channels isn't bringing good returns, you can quickly cut it off without risking your business. 

4. Delay Shipping  

Dropshipping is heavily reliant on the shipping aspect of the business. Customers who order products from your store will expect to receive their goods quickly. If you don't ship the products out on time, you’ll end up with unhappy customers and a bad reputation. These won’t be easy to recover from. 

Therefore, you must have a good shipping strategy to ensure that products are shipped out quickly and efficiently. You can test different shipping times and methods to find what works best for your business. 

5. Abandon Feedback 

Customer feedback is important in your business as it helps you get a real picture of how customers feel about your products and services. If you're not getting good feedback, it could indicate that problems with your business need to be addressed. 

Don't ignore customer feedback or try to hide it from potential customers. Instead, use it to improve your business and show potential customers that you're constantly trying to improve the customer experience. 

 

Conclusion 

Dropshipping can be a profitable business, but there are some things that you need to avoid if you want to be successful. These include selling products everyone else is selling, not stocking enough seasonal merchandise, overspending advertising, and delaying shipping. Avoiding these mistakes and taking the right steps will help you grow a successful dropshipping business 

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